There Was a Country: A Memoir
Page 34
Nigerian Railway Corporation, 77
Nigerian Situation: Facts and Background, 77
Nigerian Youth Movement, 45
“1966,” 62
Nixon, Richard, 103, 221, 231
Njoku, Eni, 77, 96–97
Nkrumah, Kwame, 42, 136, 146, 163
Nnokwa (village), 192
Nok kingdom, 1
Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), 46
Northern People’s Congress (NPC), 46–47, 51
Nri kingdom, 2
Nsibidi writing system, 192
Nwamife Books, 185
Nwana, Pita, 53
Nwankwo, Arthur, 185
Nwapa, Flora, 27, 112, 113
Nwosa, Benjamin Chukwuka, 156
Nyerere, Julius, 97–98, 145–46, 163
Nzekwu, Onuora, 63
Nzeogwu, Major Chukwuma, 179
coup of 1966, 65, 79
death of, 184
Nzimiro, Ikenna, 145, 147–48, 192–93
Obasanjo, Olusegun, 109, 132, 217, 223
Obi, Chike, 29
Obiechina, Emmanuel, 27, 114, 145, 147
Obote, Milton, 167
O’Brien, Conor Cruise, 106, 107–8
Obumselu, Ben, 27, 145
Ogan, Dr. Okoronkwo, 65
Ogbanje (one who is reborn), 116
Ogbunigwe bomb, 156–57
Ogede, Ode, 55
Ogunde, Hubert, 52
Ogunewe, David, 227
Ohamiri (goddess), 192
Oilmen, capture of, 218–20
Oil production
and division of Eastern states, 91–92
foreign interests and Biafrian conflict, 99–100, 102
Nigerian half ownership, 235
Ojukwu, General Chukwuemeka (Emeka) Odumegwu, 80–81, 118–20
and Ahiara Declaration, 143–45, 148–49
background of, 118–20, 159
and Biafran Organization of Freedom Fighters (BOFF), 159–60
British aid, refusal of, 126
critics of, 125–26, 222
flight to Ivory Coast, 98, 223–24
food relief, caution about, 211
Gowon, relationship with, 122–24, 224–25
and Nigeria-Biafra war, 124–26, 128–32, 135, 210–11, 213, 219–20
Organization of African Unity (OAU) meeting with, 96–98
and secession of Biafra, 91–92, 128
Ojukwu, Sir Louis Odumegwu, 43, 80, 118
Okam, Hilary, 167
Okara, Gabriel, 25, 109, 114, 167
Okeke, Simon, 150
Okezie, J. O. J., 26
Okigbo, Bede, 23, 26
Okigbo, Christopher, 23, 25, 28, 56, 79, 107, 112, 248
background of, 114–15
in Biafran military, 117
Chinua’s friendship with, 114, 116, 180–81
Chinua’s last encounter with, 182–83
and Citadel Press, 176–79
death of, 184–85
personality traits of, 115–16, 116
support of Biafra, 116–17
work of, 115
Okigbo, Pius, 23, 114, 117, 248
Okoli, Christie. See Achebe, Christie Okoli (wife)
Okoli, Elizabeth, 188
Okoli, Samuel, 69
Okoli, Timothy Chukwukadibia, 31–33
Okongwu, Chu, 26
Okongwu, Jonathan Obimdike, 15–18
Okongwu, Sonny Chu, 17
Okonkwo, Major Albert Nwazu, 131
Okoye, Major, 159
Okpara, Dr. Michael I., 91, 119
“Old Order in Conflict with the New, The,” 33
Onabanjo, Bisi, 37
Onenyi, Okudo, 146–47
Onosode, Gamaliel, 27
Oral tradition. See Igbo traditions; Storytelling
Organization of African Unity (OAU), 96–99, 136–37
Oshuntokun, Oluwokayo, 28
Osinyi, Udoh (great-uncle), 7, 12–14
as ozo (religious official), 12–13
Otamiri deity, 18
Owerri (Biafra), 149, 217–18, 223
Oyo kingdom, 1–2
Oyolu, Dr., 159
Oyono, Ferdinand, 53
Ozo (religious official), 12–13
Palm-Wine Drinkard, The (Tutuola), 57, 113
Pan-African flag, 151
Parks, Rosa, 103
Parrinder, Dr., 33–34
Passport of Mallan Ilia, The (Ekwensi), 109
Paton, Alan, 53
Paul VI, Pope, 134, 219, 230–31
“Penalty of Godhead,” 84
People’s Redemption Party, 46, 244
Phelps, Gilbert, 37–38
Poetry, African, great works of past, 53
Pogroms, Igbo genocide, 67, 82–83, 92, 95, 123
“Polar Undergraduate,” 33
Portugal, Nigeria-Biafra war, response to, 104–5
Protest literature, 58–59
Queen’s College (Lagos), 20
Queen’s Own Nigeria Regiment, 119
Radio broadcasts, during war, 183, 259–65
Radio Nigeria, 183
“Refugee Mother and Child (A Mother in a Refugee Camp), 168
Rent-a-crowd, 69, 248
Republic of Biafra, 143–68
administrative functions, 150
Ahiara Declaration, 143–49
Biafran Organization of Freedom Fighters (BOFF), 159–60
Biafran spirit during war, 171–72
capital city, 149, 176
Chinua, on new-nation committees, 143–49
creation of, 91–92, 128
ethnic groups of, 150
flag of, 151
intellectual foundation of, 143–49
military and armaments of, 153–60
national anthem of, 151–53
National Guidance Committee, 144–49
-Nigerian war. See Nigeria-Biafra war
population (1967), 150
post-war devastation, 227
relief efforts, 154–55, 164–66, 194
secession, Nigerian position on, 96–97
secession, supporters of, 91, 97–98
Road, The (Soyinka), 109
Robertson, Sir James, 49–51
Rocheau, Monsignor Georges, 134
Romain, Jacques, 164
Rotimi, Ola, 114
St. Jorre, John de, 120, 128–29
St. Michael’s School (Aba), 16, 17–18
St. Philip’s Central School (Ogidi), 15–17
St. Philip’s Church (Ogidi), 11–12
Salih, al-Tayyib, 113
Sardauna of Sokoto, 51, 81
Sardaunians, 51
Saro-Wiwa, Ken, 25
Sartre, Jean-Paul, 139, 164
Scandinavia, Chinua as Biafran envoy to, 164–65
Schlesinger, Arthur M., 231
Schreiner, Olive, 53
Scramble for Africa, 1
Segun, Mabel, 27, 113–14
Selassie, Haile, 211
Senegal, Chinua as Biafran envoy to, 160–64
Senghor, Léopold Sédar, 160–64
Shell Camp, 193–94
Shuwa, Mohammed, 132–33, 136, 139, 173
Simpson, W. C., 25
Simpson, William, 23
Si
sulu, Walter, 163, 258
Slater, A. P. L., 25
Smith, Arnold, 167
Smith, Harold, 50
Society of Nigerian Authors (SONA), 57, 63
Sofola, Zulu, 28
Sokoto Caliphate, 46
Solarin, Dr. Tai, 114
South Africa, Mandela as model leader, 258
Sovereign National Conference, 252–53
Soviet Union, Nigeria-Biafra war, response to, 104, 154
Soyinka, Wole, 28, 52, 63, 107, 115, 164
antiwar activism of, 109–10
Starvation
of Biafrans, 195, 199, 209–10, 226, 231
as weapon of war. See Genocide
Stewart, Michael, 214
Stone, R. H., 25
Story of an African Farm (Schreiner), 53
Storytelling, 8–9
African epics, 53
as beneficent fiction, 57
Chinua’s early exposure to, 8–9
Sunset at Dawn: A Novel about Biafra (Ike), 156–57
Swados, Harvey, 105
Swamp Dweller, The (Soyinka), 109
Tambo, Oliver, 258
Thant, U, 211–12
Thelwell, Michael, 38
Things Fall Apart
appeal to readers, 39
publishing of, 38
reception/reviews, 38–39
typing of manuscript, near fiasco, 35–37
writing of, 35–39, 61
Thiong’o Ngúgí wa, 113
Thomas, Dylan, 113
Thurmond, Strom, 221–22
Tiffin, Helen, 38
Tigrigna writings, 53
Tiv people, 47
Trial of Christopher Okigbo (Mazrui), 56
Trials of Brother Jero, The (Soyinka), 109
Trouble with Nigeria, The, 74, 249
Tutuola, Amos, 53, 57, 113
Tyler, Priscilla, 38
Uchendu, Major Jonathan, 173
Udoji, Jerome, 91
Uganda, Chinua as Biafran envoy to, 166–67
Ugoh, Dr. Sylvester, 150
Ukwu, Dr. Ukwu I., 159
Uli airport, 154–55
Ume-Ezeoke, Philip, 70
Umuahia (Biafra), 149
United Nations, neglect, and Nigeria-Biafra war, 211–13
United States
Chinua as Biafran envoy to, 167
Nigeria-Biafra war, response to, 102–4, 139–40, 210–11, 221–22, 231
University College (Ibadan), 26–29, 33–35
University Herald, 33
University of Biafra, 111
Urhobo people, 47
Uwechue, Raph, 125
Uyanga people, 150
Uzochukwu, Benjamin, 24
Visser’t Hooft, Willem, 166
Vonnegut, Kurt, 105–6
Von Rosen, Carl Gustaf, 154–55, 165
“Vultures,” 204–5
Wachukwu, Jaja, 26
Walcott, Derek, 164
Warrant chiefs, 2
Washington, Booker T., 163
Wasp (Anwu), 108
Waugh, Auberon, 105
“We Laughed at Him,” 196–98
Welch, James, 34
West, Richard, 171–72
West Africa. See also Nigeria
ancient kingdoms of, 1–2, 47
in British empire. See British colonial rule
Ghana independence, 40–41
newspapers of, 42
West African Pilot, The, 42–43
“Who Cares About Biafra Anyway?” (Blum), 212–13
Wiesel, Elie, 249
Wilkins, Roy, 104
Williams, Grace Alele, 27
Wilson, Angus, 38
Wilson, Harold, pro-Nigerian position of, 99–101, 105, 106, 213–14, 229, 232
World Bank, on missing Nigerian national funds, 249–50
World Council of Churches, 165–66
World War II, 44, 48
Yako people, 150
Yoruba people, 45, 47
Igbo dominance over, 74
ALSO BY CHINUA ACHEBE
The Education of a British-Protected Child
Collected Poems
Anthills of the Savannah
The Sacrificial Egg and Other Stories
Things Fall Apart
No Longer at Ease
Chike and the River
A Man of the People
Arrow of God
Girls at War and Other Stories
Beware Soul Brother
Morning Yet on Creation Day
The Trouble with Nigeria
The Flute
The Drum
Home and Exile
Hopes and Impediments
How the Leopard Got His Claws
(with John Iroaganachi)
Winds of Change: Modern Short Stories from Black Africa
(coeditor)
African Short Stories
(editor, with C. L. Innes)
Another Africa
(with Robert Lyons)