Widow of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Bianca Ojukwu, has warned politicians, especially in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), to henceforth, desist from using the name and picture of the ex-Biafra leader for campaign.

The former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, who spoke at the 9th memorial lecture of the Eze Igbo Gburugburu in Owerri, Imo State, expressed disappointment that politicians who campaigned and won positions using Ojukwu’s name had done nothing to sustain his legacies.

She regretted that there was no representation of the political class that beckoned on the name of Ojukwu for their political victories. The conspicuous absence of leaders and members of the APGA at the event attracted the wrath of women groups and Mrs. Ojukwu who referred to them as fakes, opportunists and ungrateful packs.

She said it was regrettable that her late husband used his father’s wealth to fight for Biafra, yet majority of the people he fought for were not according him the desired honour except for Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, leader of the Biafra Independence Movement/Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (BIM-MASSOB), who has made the memorial an annual ritual.

“When elections come, they will use his (Ojukwu) pictures to campaign but soon forget him after climbing to power.”

She said it was unfortunate that Ojukwu’s name was used to retain power in Anambra State for 16 years by the APGA but the government sent no representative for the memorial.

She also flayed the Federal Government for the neglect and marginalisation of the people of South East in the scheme of things, noting that the abrogation of history in school curriculum was aimed at suppressing Biafra memories.

“I make it clear to the powers that be that those who are continually denied peace have no interest in justice and those who are continually denied justice have no interest in peace. So, I’m calling on them to review their stand towards the people of South East. There has been a state sponsored suppression of Biafra memories for which reason history was abolished from the school curriculum.

“I urge people to do a little research on Dim Chukwuemeka Odomegwu-Ojukwu, on his ideologies, his philosophies and his worldviews. These are the ideas that brought us here. He said that you can kill a man but you cannot kill his ideas because according him ideas have wings and fly and no cause in nature can stop their flight. Uwazuruike promised me that Ojukwu can never die and I thank him for keeping Ojukwu alive,” Bianca said. (Text, excluding headline, courtesy Daily Sun)

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