nigerian history.

@Ayowumie, very well stated, but I would disagree with you on certain points. Igbos do not hate IBB, Obasanjo, Gowon, etc for the simple reason that they fought in the war. NO. These people were soldiers intent on keeping the country one, and they came and engaged the combatant forces of Biafra to achieve this objective. . . ok and fine. They are NOT despised by Igbos today for their efforts in the war. But when Awolowo starts asking for the blockade of relief from red cross, and other humanitarian organizations that are trying to get to starving Biafran children, that is THE HEIGHT OF WICKEDNESS. That is not the thinking of someone trying to win the war and return the Igbo to Nigeria, that notion came from a soul that would have loved to see the Igbo exterminated. I know it might be difficult to see Awo in this light, because of what he meant to the Yoruba, and rightly so. He did a lot for his people, but his desires for the Igbo(represented by his efforts to starve them to death) was nothing short of evil, and I cannot mince words on this. Mind you, I'm not stating that Awolowo invented this tactics, it's certainly been employed before.
   There were fears that some of the food might end up in the hands of Biafran soldiers, but such fears exist in all wars, yet people find it in their hearts to permit humanitarian organizations to provide relief for the women and children, whom are truly just the sideline victims of war. Yet our Awo, distinguished statesman, took the most extreme stance possible. His duty to Nigeria as a Federal  Minister did not include advocating for genocide.

Again, why would Ademoyega(directly involved in the coup), Ojukwu, Obasanjo and others just pop out of the blues and state that the coup plotters were intent on installing Awolowo as president? Is it just because they like the way his name sounds? These are individuals that were very much involved in that episode, in one way or another. Looking forward to your response.

@kc3000, as i said earlier, i will still repeat myself, AWO WAS ONLY DOING HIS JOB.
He never hated the Igbos. The decision to starve the Igbos was not a personal thing. It was geared towards an objective whose aim was to beat the Biafrans back to path. It was aimed at stopping the secession. Please, dont see me as an Awo apologist, am only trying to see things from 'activity-result objective' point of view.
Now, come to think of it, didnt the tactics help in winning the war? As a person, I love Machiavellian principles. Pls read 48 Laws of Power, by Robert Greene, The Mafia Manager by V and Machiavelli's The Prince.

On lighter mood. I spoke with a few elderly Igbos and I asked them how they saw Awolowo. The only bad thing they seemed to be saying about him was that he was trying to ban the importation of stock fish and some of them said he was a core tribalist. But then, who among our leaders then was not a tribalist? Some also see him as one of the causes for the backwardness of the present East (people with this view did not single-handedly see him as a cause but they believed that together with Gowon, he contributed to bringing Biafra back to Nigeria).
My submission therefore is: I dont think i could fault Awo for the suggesting starvation as an instrument of winning the war.

I still stand my ground, that first coup was aimed at installing Awo as the president is something i cant seem to fathom.
Lets look closely at the events. Zik was already the President, why would some factions of Igbo try to dethrone one of their own in order to install a "stranger" in his stead?
This does not add up.

Kc3000:

that is THE HEIGHT OF WICKEDNESS.

That is not the thinking of someone trying to win the war and return the Igbo to Nigeria, that notion came from a soul that would have loved to see the Igbo exterminated. His duty to Nigeria as a Federal  Minister did not include advocating for genocide.

In the first place, there is no moral justification for going into any war. There is nothing like good war or bad war. The only good war is the one that doesnot involve bloodshed and i doubt if this exist.
So, developing weaponry to win a war can not be said to be an act of wickedness. The concept of morality is lost during wars.

Secondly, what he did can not be said to be "advocating for genocide". What he did was for a known cause (to bring Biafra back to Nigeria) and upon the achievement of the cause, the starvation campaign stopped.
Now, if the starvation campaign had continued beyond the end of the Civil War, accusing Awo of committing genocide would not be a wrong thought.

This is one of the most interesting topic I've come across on nairaland. minimal insults and argument with facts. good work Ayowumie and happy birthday to you

Watch this thread, you will understand why Igbo used fabricated reasons to hate Yoruba. Anyone old enough knows that Zik started this hatred and vengeance for the only reason that Awo denied him the Premiership in the WEST. This was well before the WAR for heaven's sake.

The younger generation of Yoruba are now wondering what Yoruba were smoking to elect Zik from Lagos to Ibadan to represent them.

Every fabricated reason after this is simply ridiculous. They planned coup to install Awo. They released Awo from prison. Awo asked them for a bribe to get their land back from their Ikwere cousin in Port H. They took Awo out of prison at night to a comfortable house etc.

Awo wrote Ironsi letters for his release. He and his Ojukwu backers never acted on it despite the fact that Awo planned UPGA party with them while and before he went to prison while Akintola objected for the simple reason that - whatever benefit Igbo got from alliance with the North, Yoruba want the same!

Akintola was right, look at Igbo now calling Yoruba Hausa slaves. Is that what they were in alliance with the North, even when Awo offered Zik Executive Prime Minister.

Look, Yoruba can only love Igbo to death, Igbo will never reciprocate. Give them Lagos, they will demand more!

mbatuku1:
He practiced the same politics his 'descendants' in the SW are playing today. Boxing themselves into tight corners, not seeing the bigger picture, etc.

Like some said above, he had no reputation elsewhere besides the West. He was a loner/ lonely loser in the nigerian political spectrum.

Zik who was not lonely
Zik the winner

also contested the same election how did he fare? .?

Shagari 5.6 million
Awo 4.9 million
Zik 2.8 million

At the end of it Again,like before

Zik went into coalition with his master

So much for lonely loser

Shagari won Rivers and Cross River Now those clowns expect Yoruba to support GEJ

You can have your opinions but not your facts
My opinion is that he did not have money to put in place the structure needed to win elections in Nigeria. He thought people would vote on principle, in that regard he was naive.
I also do not believe the military would have handed over to him and if they did he could have been overthrown

For some reasons, he never gave up on Igbo even after he fell out with Akintola.

This man went back to the East to campaign until they almost killed him.

Look at how the 20 pounds he gave Igbo has been twisted today. At that point and time, Awo was accused of bribing the Igbo. Igbo were not the only ones that lost their possessions during the war. Many on both sides did.

In those days, for a starter, 20 pounds would pay your rent for five month in Lagos island. Rent in Surulere was two pounds ten shillings and less if you go further West like Mushin, Ikeja not to mention Agegunle areas.

Today, ingrates talk as if it was 20 naira. Even those that never saw the inside of a bank claimed they had millions!

Awo was not a politician. He worked on principles, very naive.

omonnakoda:

Zik who was not lonely
Zik the winner

also contested the same election how did he fare? .?

Shagari 5.6 million
Awo 4.9 million
Zik 2.8 million

At the end of it Again,like before

Zik went into coalition with his master

So much for lonely loser

Shagari won Rivers and Cross River Now those clowns expect Yoruba to support GEJ

But Yoruba voted GEJ in 2011 and he even won Ekiti in 2015. In all, SW was split 60:40 in 2015 so forget those who have refused to move on from 2015. in Politics, if you lose, you go back and replan

They have their chance to speak with their PVC in 2019 and buhari has made the job ultra easy for them

He came off as someone who was too desperate for power, and would readily compromise whatever moral standings he had, to achieve power

Totally agree with you!

Dede1:



Please change NCNC to NNDP. It was UPGA (NCNC and AG) against NNA (NPC, NNDP, NDC and United Middle Belt Congress)

Awo was to be sent to Nigerian prisons in Bauchi where a plan has already been hashed for the Hausa, Kanuri or Fulani prison officials to see to death of Awo in prison. However, some Igbo officials in high places resolved to send Awo to the east. It is very laughable to a conjecture that suggests Gowon released Awo from prison. During the era in discuss, Gowon and Nigeria have no iota of authority to send post-office mail to eastern region talk less of issuing an order to release Awo from prison. Even Gowon’s position as a doorman was not recognized in eastern region of Nigeria.