Before any one talk about killings in the North please ask why Yoruba,Midwest and Hausa leaders were murdered while The eastern leaders escaped in the 1966 coup.

The is the first recorded case of tribalism in Nigeria.

Yes Ojukwus Biafra is an enemy to Awolowo because Ojukwu agressed yoruba lands in Ore and bombed Lagos.

So what should Awo do? Is it by force to secede? so because i don't secede the next thing was to agress Ore Yorubaland. That is a declaration of war!! and Awo hit back. i support him for that.

The civil war is a source of great bitterness between Igbos and Yorubas. Some Igbos have never forgotten Yorubas for fighting against them during the war. It came back to haunt Yorubas during the June 12 crisis when Igbos simply kept out of it as in their view, the same northern leviathan which Yorubas supported during the civil war, now turned to bite the Yorubas.

@maxsiollun
Biafra war was a bitter experience for all Nigerians not just Ibo`s and Yoruba`s. June 12 was about an individual that won an election to rule but was denied the chance. Thanks to the wisdom of Yoruba leaders  that saw it as that and did not go to war or decide to break away from Nigeria because of it. Most Yoruba`s do not care who rules Nigeria as long as the person does a good job of it. Hence the reason alot of Yoruba`s didn`t support Obasanjo even though he his Yoruba. I just wish our people will just grow out of looking at the problem of Nigeria based on ethnic alliance. The problem of Nigeria is felt by most Nigerians regardless of ethnicity, not just Ibo`s, Yoruba`s or the Niger deltians. The Northerners go through the same pain of no water, electricity, water, roads, jobs, food and so on. The only people enjoying are the few top guns from all the ethnic groups. Your governors, Ministers, commissioners and so on. Can we see our problem not as an ethnic man but as a black African? I believe "yes we can"

The question is who awo was.
Awo in Igbo is toad.
His Royal Tribalist is dead and gone
He belongs exactly where the likes of Abacha,Hitler and Saddam Hussein belong.
end of story

dayokanu:

Before any one talk about killings in the North please ask why Yoruba,Midwest and Hausa leaders were murdered while The eastern leaders escaped in the 1966 coup.

The is the first recorded case of tribalism in Nigeria.

Yes Ojukwus Biafra is an enemy to Awolowo because Ojukwu agressed yoruba lands in Ore and bombed Lagos.

So what should Awo do? Is it by force to secede? so because i don't secede the next thing was to agress Ore Yorubaland. That is a declaration of war!! and Awo hit back. i support him for that.

@ dayokanu

i will only advice you to go back and digest your history book.

may be U have never been to Nigeria be4, thats why vomited this venom "Before any one talk about killings in the North please ask why Yoruba,Midwest and Hausa leaders were murdered while The eastern leaders escaped in the 1966 coup"


HINT:- the millitary officers assigned to undertake the coup in eastern region were non-easterners or igbos, and they failed to carry out the operation as planned. So who's fault was it?


AS for Awolowo, he is a tribalist. He should have emulated nationalists like Nnamdi Azikiwe.

Okunoba, I agree with you. We should look at Nigeria without ethnic sentiment. I was simply parroting the views of Nigerians, not my own personal views.

FYI, during the June 12 crisis, there WERE calls by Yoruba leaders for secession. Even Nadeco members were calling for secession if Abiola was not made President. It is standard fare in Nigeria, every region THREATENS secession, but none actually has the guts to try it after the painful memory of the civil war. BOTH the east and north tried secession in 1966, the west flirted with the idea of an Oduduwa republic in the aftermatch of June 12 1993, all the way up till 1998, and the Niger Deltans express similar sentiments for their own region.

The only "good" that came from the civil war is that it taught the combatants an unforgettable lesson in the evils of ethnic rivalry. This is why Nigeria stumbles from one crisis to another and remains intact, and survives crises that takes other countries to war (June 12, Sharia, Niger Delta etc).

okunoba:

@maxsiollun
Biafra war was a bitter experience for all Nigerians not just Ibo`s and Yoruba`s. June 12 was about an individual that won an election to rule but was denied the chance. Thanks to the wisdom of Yoruba leaders  that saw it as that and did not go to war or decide to break away from Nigeria because of it. Most Yoruba`s do not care who rules Nigeria as long as the person does a good job of it. Hence the reason alot of Yoruba`s didn`t support Obasanjo even though he his Yoruba. I just wish our people will just grow out of looking at the problem of Nigeria based on ethnic alliance. The problem of Nigeria is felt by most Nigerians regardless of ethnicity, not just Ibo`s, Yoruba`s or the Niger deltians. The Northerners go through the same pain of no water, electricity, water, roads, jobs, food and so on. The only people enjoying are the few top guns from all the ethnic groups. Your governors, Ministers, commissioners and so on. Can we see our problem not as an ethnic man but as a black African? I believe "yes we can"

"AS for Awolowo, he is a tribalist. He should have emulated nationalists like Nnamdi Azikiwe"

@IGWE-US
Can u explain y u think Awolowo was an ethnic bigot.

Definition of Tribe- a social division of a people, especially of a preliterate people. Are u primitive?

It`s obvious u are full of ethnic bigotry and hate. Zik is a nationalist because his Ibo and u are Ibo. If Awolowo was ibo he would be your nationalist. They both served Nigeria and fought for our independence, hence both qualify as Nationalist. Grow brother, out of ethnic sentiment and prejudice, to make Nigeria and indeed the world a better place. I hope u haven`t passed on this bigotry to your kids.

The question is who awo was.
Awo in Igbo is toad.
His Royal Tribalist is dead and gone
He belongs exactly where the likes of Abacha,Hitler and Saddam Hussein belong.
end of story
[color=#006600][/color]

how far will your knowledge of history take you ? be objective in your criticism pls, comparing awo to hitler and saddam? pls give the man some respect.

from IGWE-USA
   may be U have never been to Nigeria be4, thats why vomited this  venom  "Before any one talk about killings in the North please ask why Yoruba,Midwest and Hausa leaders were murdered while The eastern leaders escaped in the 1966 coup"


   HINT:-  the millitary officers assigned to undertake the coup in eastern region were non-easterners or igbos, and they failed to carry out the operation as planned.  So who's fault was it?

Dear Igwe, can u give us the names and ethnicity of the military leaders that failed to carry out the coup in the east as planned.

Do u know that the punishment for murder in Nigeria is death, can u explain y Ironsi after taking over leadership of the country failed to execute Kaduna Nzeagu and the other Ibo plotters of the first coup. U are quick to point fingers at others but have problem with self criticism.

the problem i have with awolowo was the £20 policy to every igbo person no matter the amount he had in his account before the war.Nobody has been able to give me a very good reason for that.

Nigeria The 1966 Coups, Civil War, and Gowon's Government
http://www.photius.com/countries/nigeria/government/nigeria_government_the_1966_coups_civi~10021.html
Sources: The Library of Congress Country Studies; CIA World Factbook
<< Back to Nigeria Government
By the time a disparate group of junior officers struck first in January 1966, the officers were still politically naive and had yet to master the art of coup planning and execution. This inexperience partly explains why Major Kaduna Nzeogwu and others who masterminded the coup, failed to take over state power. Instead, Major General Johnson Aguiyi Ironsi, commander in chief of the army, became Nigeria's first military ruler. Some of the remote causes of the coup included the use of soldiers to quell unrest, such as the riots among the Tiv people of the lower northern region, and calls on the military to supervise the 1964 elections. Whereas the latter involvement gave the soldiers a feeling of political efficacy, the beginnings of what came to be known as the "federal character" principle that sought to give each area some parity of representation, gave military personnel a sense of being sectional representatives. The coup of January 1966 was seen by many northerners as an attempt by the Igbo people of the east to dominate the federation. A successful countercoup six months later led by northern soldiers demonstrated the degree to which soldiers had become politicians in uniform.

The immediate reasons for the first-coup, however, concerned the nationwide disillusionment with the corrupt and selfish politicians, as well as with their inability to maintain law and order and guarantee the safety of lives and property. During the initial stages, Nzeogwu and his collaborators were hailed as national heroes. But the pattern of killings in the coup gave it a partisan appearance: killed were the prime minister, a northerner, the premier of the Northern Region, and the highest ranking northern army officers; only one Igbo officer lost his life. Also killed was the premier of the Western Region who was closely allied with the NPC.

General Ironsi, an Igbo, emerged as the head of state. In his policies and actions, Ironsi did little to allay the fears of Igbo domination. He failed to place the coup plotters on trial as northern leaders demanded, and he appointed Igbos to sensitive governmental positions. Against all advice, Ironsi promulgated Decree Number 34 of 1966, which abrogated the federal system of government and substituted a unitary system; he argued that the military could only govern in this way. Given the already charged atmosphere, this action reinforced northern fears. As the north was less developed than the south, a unitary system could easily lead to southerners "taking over control of everything," as a northern spokesperson put it. It was at the height of northern opposition to unitarism that the countercoup of July 1966 took place. Most top-ranking Igbo officers, including Ironsi, lost their lives; the "status quo" of northern dominance was restored.

Lieutenant Colonel (later General) Yakubu Gowon, a Christian from the middle belt, became the head of state after the coup. His first act was to reinstate the federal system, along with the four regions and their allotted functions. But relations between the federal government and the Eastern Region, led by military governor Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, were very strained. In addition to the elimination of many Igbo officers during the July coup, a massive pogrom against Igbos occurred in the Northern Region. In September Colonel Gowon summoned an ad hoc constitutional conference to deliberate on the country's political future. Most regional delegates to the conference, with the exception of those from the midwest, recommended a confederal system to replace the federal system. The delegates from the Eastern Region insisted that any region wishing to secede from the federation should be allowed to do so. The conference was ended abruptly by increased killings of Igbos in the north and the heightening of tensions between the federal government and the Eastern Region. A summit of military leaders at Aburi, Ghana, in January 1967 attempted to resolve the disagreements and recommended the establishment of a base confederation of regions. The Aburi Agreement became a source of contention, however (see Civil War , ch. 1).

In anticipation of eastern secession, Gowon moved quickly to weaken the support base of the region by decreeing the creation of twelve new states to replace the four regions. Six of these states contained minority groups that had demanded state creation since the 1950s. Gowon rightly calculated that the eastern minorities would not actively support the Igbos, given the prospect of having their own states if the secession effort were defeated. Many of the federal troops who fought the civil war, known as the Biafran War, to bring the Eastern Region back to the federation, were members of minority groups.

Asha,

It's called reparation.  He did not have to do that.  In war the loosing side owe the victorious a reparation for the cost of war and not the other way around.  That gesture was generous.  He could alternately have given a couple of million pounds sterling to the Igbo elders and require that they distribute it in denomination of 20 pounds per person or household or whatever but, you can never give enough to recover and rehabilitate victims of war, never.  The little you do is worth more than nothing at all.  

In North, the properties of the Igbos - their homes, lands, shops - were distributed among Hausas and never returned to the rightful owners after the war.  There are many Hausas sitting as landlords on homes and lands today that was owned by Igbos before the war.  You need to ask why the Igbo councils never addressed those injustices and seek redress, it's not too late.  

I am not sure the Igbos are ready for another war because there are so many gaps in their planning even now that I fear another war will result like the last one.

Negro_nts
believe me igbos would be the last to start another civil war if it is to happen.This time around we would be sitting very tight on the fence unless we are attacked.

However with the way things are going on the country i do not see this country lasting another 10 years .

True. I sincerely believe, in my own opinion, that the Igbos should strive to export their culture and customs and tell the world who they are as a people. Leave war talk aside and develop a three-tiered 5 yr plan for cultural and social upliftment for your people. The name Biafra has been stained. Use a different name to market your region and your people first to the rest of us in the country and then to the world.

Personally i really do not unerstand why yorubas do ot want a country of there own.I mean they have everything they need to be on their own.

from ASHA 80
the problem i have with awolowo was the £20 policy to every igbo person no matter the amount he had in his account before the war.Nobody has been able to give me a very good reason for that.

To Asha,
I have a problem with it too. If true,  there can be no good reason for it. Very sad indeed if he actually did this as the finance minister. A new leader will come that will compensate the ibo families that were cheated, I have no doubt about it. I might start a campaign for it as part of my reconciliation plan, to heal the wounds of Biafra.

@ asha
Do you truly believe that only the yorubas do not want their own country, that's naive my dear

Yorubas do not need to go anywhere.  We are where we belong.  Others should leave and go where they want.  Now, is the federation working for us?  NOo!  To get out of the Federation couple of things ought to occur first.  The country as a whole need healing.  We need a Truth and Reconciliation council to address the various grievances and seek a way forward to dissolve the Federation.  

Okunoba, I agree.  From a non-tribal view and just from pure instinct as a human, the Igbos deserve the support of the rest of the tribes to rehabilitate and to heal.  This is why I say that they need to stop scaring everybody else with the cries of war and to put a human face to their bitterness and grievances so they can win sympathy and support.  Pride is a problem here.  They have the right to be proud but I believe the pride can be revealed with a cultural face and warmth.  War is cold, Biafra has a cold image and need to be buried for now.

@ Negro_Ntns
I agree with you completely, less of scaring mongering and more of speaking with a single voice should go a long way in getting the rest of Nigeria to at least address Biafra

Thank you Naijababe that you see my point. It does not matter what view we support as individuals, to separate Nigeria or to stay together, the foundation is a healing process. If we want to divide the country then we need to heal some old wounds first before we then go separate. If we want to continue, then we need to heal some old woumds first before we can advance.

Again, thank you Babe for understanding the bottom line.

from Asha 80
"Personally i really do not unerstand why yorubas do ot want a country of there own.I mean they have everything they need to be on their own"

maybe because they believe in the saying, divided we fall, together we stand.

@okunoba
Nigeria is already a failed entity so i wonder what we are uniting for?To scramble for whatever is left of it.

War is a winner takes all thing. Germany was made to pay for the destructions of the WWars and since then, the UN has a tight control on the military strenght.
Germany and Italy lost their colonies in Africa too

Those are the fallouts of war. when you lose you lose everything.

@dayokanu

I can see how the winner takes all nigeria is fairing

@Asha 80
Nigeria is like a family. We have many problems and the only way is to address them. Can u break away from ur family because of problems ? Our problems will be solved we just need to give it time. Be patient my friend.

Not in nigeria only, everywhere in the world.

Serbian Generals are being tried for war crimes where as Bosnian generals who did the same are celebrated heroes in the same war!!!

@okunoba

I do not know the last time u have been to nigeria but believe people have there have run out of it(patience).I should know because i just left there a few months ago.

@*Osisi*: « #131 on: December 09, 2008, 10:44 PM »

His vision to starve Igbo children to death in war failed woefully.
The Igbo man has waxed stronger and stronger and he's been dead and buried and I've never as much as heard of a descendant of his.
Every evil man has his day with the cold hands of death

*Osisi* you are right. This issue I agree with you. Now, there are still many present day Awolowos around the world. Many in Africa, and beyond. The Zionists are just that; present day evil men like Awolowo! They have the vision to starve Palestinian Childrento death. And in the long run it will fail. The Palestinian men will be waxestronger and stronger and the Zionist Awolowos will be dead and buried and will never so much be heard about of their descendants of them.

@IGWE-US
Can u explain y u think Awolowo was an ethnic bigot.

Definition of Tribe- a social division of a people, especially of a preliterate people. Are u primitive?

It`s obvious u are full of ethnic bigotry and hate. Zik is a nationalist because his Ibo and u are Ibo. If Awolowo was ibo he would be your nationalist. They both served Nigeria and fought for our independence, hence both qualify as Nationalist. Grow brother, out of ethnic sentiment and prejudice, to make Nigeria and indeed the world a better place. I hope u haven`t passed on this bigotry to your kids.


@ okunuba

To brush you U up a little bit, I called Zik a Nationalist because he didnt support the war and always called for peace. I called Awolowo a TRIBALIST because he strongly supported and aligned with a particular faction. His monetary exchange and starvation policy against the east says it all.

If speaking out the truth in this 21st century makes igwe-US a bigot, then that what he is. Nigeria and the world can only be a better place to live, if we can only confront the truth.

Therefore, U can show your panties to the cameras, if the truth irritates you.

@Igwe,
Awo too didnt support the war and helped to crush the uprising and the war. Without Awo, The war may have dragged on for decades like Angola.

Dear Igwe, can u give us the names and ethnicity of the military leaders that failed to carry out the coup in the east as planned.

Do u know that the punishment for murder in Nigeria is death, can u explain y Ironsi after taking over leadership of the country failed to execute Kaduna Nzeagu and the other Ibo plotters of the first coup. U are quick to point fingers at others but have problem with self criticism.

               @okunoba
                                Were the above sentences questions or answers ?
         
             I'm pertubed that you are still dillusioned with your tribalistic alignment. What do you mean by " the igbo plotters of the coup". So only the ibos planned and carried out the coup in Nigeria.


                           OKUNOBA  turn a new leaf, and  call a spade a spade.

dayokanu:

@Igwe,
Awo too didnt support the war and helped to crush the uprising and the war. Without Awo, The war may have dragged on for decades like Angola.

@dayokanu

I gat you.

Promoting starvation for young children and economic strangulation of the Biafrans ,which failed woefully, translates to you that Awo waz against the war.

As for me, it means something else.