oturugo: This writer must be a big fool for his continuous usage of Ibo instead of Igbo.

CyberG:

It is only "ibo" you saw in the entire write-up you tribalist man? Do you know ibo is the correct word used all over? I am not here to pick an argument over pedantic issues like you raised but do you know there are tons of literature using words like ibos, eeboes, Igbos, eibos? Anyway, it doesn't really matter because most of you here are still mad at the loss of your stoopid war and you blame everyone else for it, deliberately mis-spelling their names!

oturugo:
Lil niggi, you are an aszhole, upon all your useless education that awo gave you all, yet you do not know the diff between Igbo and Ibo.
This thread is dead as there is nothing new to be discussed. Thread is nonsensical.

sheyguy: Awolowo was in no position to secede yet they blame him for not being a rebel with no just reason . . .

Of course, they blame Awo for everything. Just as they lay the genesis of tribalism (in the country) at awo's feet

because of a phantom election success in yorubaland which till date none of them has been able to produce any evidence to buttress their

allegation.We even had one telling us the "proof" is in his g/mother's library in their village. Guess, he hasn't visited his poor lonely

g/mother in ages

ayobase: Another e-gidigbo is gonna be pulling off soon....Awolowo Vs Ojukwu....dis matter can never be resolved walahi!
.
Allow them to rest or otherwise, and lets c how we can move this Nation forward....Im tired of the tossing and turning, up and down, helter skelter, to and fro....enough of e-gidigbo over this matter!

odumorun 1: The most enduring accusation against Obafemi Awolowo, particularly by many Ibo pundits was his refusal to support the Biafran secession, as he had allegedly promised its Leader Emeka Ojukwu, by taking the west out of the British contraption called Nigeria at the same time as the eastern secession
This accusation has become so embedded in the political history of the country, that one thing which seems to be ignored by both its pro and antagonists is whether the Yoruba leader actually had any power at the time to secede with the west.
In a way this is a compliment to the colossal political impact of a man whose support amongst the masses of his region on account not of his charisma but his centre left polices is unrivalled for its sustained fervour in the nation’s history.
The fact that he was adjudged powerful enough to remove the west from the federation merely by willing it. But in politics will is crystallised in reality through the structures of the state.and in 1966 Awolow was in control of nothing beyond his own compound
All revolutionaries or radical change seekers might have the best and most noble ideas, the greatest vision but without being in control of political power it remains just that a vision. Gani Fawehinmi was probably more principled than Awolowo, more passionate, but his inability to muster his undoubted popularity into a force capable of galvanising the people and himself to a position where he could actually practise what he preached, something Awolowo did at;east in the western region, means Awolowo would always be the greater historical figure even if Gani can be adjudged possibly the more ethical man.
But in 1966 during the araba riots in the north which led to the Civil war Awolowo who had just been relapsed from prison by the Gowon regime had no political control in the western region, so how could he have seceded with the west even if he wanted to.

The only regional governor killed in the July 1966 coup was the western region Governor, Lt Col Adekunle Fajuyi. An Awolowo supporting officer who sacrificed his life defending his boss and Ibo head of state – Aguyi-Ironsi. Having lost two leaders in 6 months to violent coups, the west after the July 1966 coup was leaderless. Awolowo was still popular, but how could a man who did not control a single civil service stenographer or government clerk actually secede.
How practically would that have been done? what civil servant would have prepared the speech, who would have done the million practical things required to effect a new state, from paying the invoice for the new flag, to changing all government letter heads, not to talk of effecting the normal procees of government.

Ojukwu could secede because he had political control in the east, not because he was any braver than Awolowo. The new Governor in the west Col Adebayo was the first in a long line of Yoruba military officers who would go on to make a fortune by pandering to the feudal north. Unlike fajuyi he had no truck with progressive ideas. Infact by the end of the civil war all the most progressive Yoruba officers, most of whom hated the Northern oligarchy and its local satrapies, Banjo, Ademoyega, Oyewole and fajuyi were either dead or marginalised.
Let’s be honest there would have been no shortage of ambitious Ibo military officers who would have accepted his post on the terms of the north. So

So the question is how in practical terms could Awolowo have seceded like Ojukwu did when he had no political control over his region.

Dede1:


I stopped reading and declared the above post as a piece of conjectural crap at the instance of “The only regional governor killed in the July 1966 coup was the western region Governor, Lt Col Adekunle Fajuyi. An Awolowo supporting officer who sacrificed his life defending his boss and Ibo head of state – Aguyi-Ironsi”.

The mere insinuation that Lt Col F Fajuiyi sacrificed his life defending his boss and Ibo head of state is one of most idiotic nonsense and laughable joke I have ever heard. Does the silly and ignorant author of this junk understand the manifestation of coup? In what manner did Fajuiyi and with which command defend his boss? I guess the acts of telling deliberate falsehood is inherent.

T9ksy:


Coming from you "Prof", that's rich!

Dede1:

I have issues with people who formulate unnecessary and deliberate falsehood. I can overlook the instances of a misinformed kid’s indulgence in false story about bombs raining on Onipanu and Jibowu in Lagos State but Fajuiyi’s sacrifice while defending his boss.