‘Why Achebe Wrote About Awolowo’

A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Bisi Yusuf, representing Alimosho Constituency 1, has explained that as a literary icon, Professor Chinua Achebe indicted the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo, because he wanted to make more money from the sales of his new book.

Yusuf, who spoke with Assembly Matters on Prof. Achebe’s memoir of Biafra in which the latter accused the late Awolowo of initiating policies that resulted in the death of about two million Igbo people during the civil war, asked Nigerians not to take the allegation serious as the author cannot say he is not aware of Awolowo’s defence before he died.

He recalled that even the late Odumegwu Ojukwu who commanded the Biafran army during the war had described Awolowo as the best President Nigeria never had.

“If Ojukwu could say that of Awo, then nothing else matters to me and other Nigerians,” he said.

Yusuf noted that Awolowo never had any hatred towards the Igbo.

“The policy during the period actually targeted the soldiers and not the civilians and this policy actually brought the war to an end.

“This man, who is being criticised by Achebe, also ensured that he kept the properties of the Igbo people during this period.

“As regards the policy on change of currency, he made us understand that he approved it because the Central Bank had been looted and those who did it had much money to procure weapons,” he added.

—Eromosele Ebhomele