alfred5:
NDI-IGBO. WHAT'S HOLDING US DOWN TODAY?
..............................................................................
By Amb. Adichie, Alfredo Izuchukwu (Alfred 5)
A lot has been said of Igbo Nation of today.
The rise of the Igbo in Nigeria affairs was due to the self-confidence engendered by their open society and their belief that one man is as good as another, that no condition is permanent.
The Igbos are known for their inter group and corporate consciousness as a people, and has been the most ardent champions of Nigeria Unity, but ironically, had to sponsor secession. The primary consequence of rebellion for Igbo's is that, with its eventual failure after a thirty-months Civil war, we have, like a conquered people which of course we are, been reduced almost to the status of second class citizen in our own country.
This is the bitter truth of our present position in Nigeria today.
HAVE WE CARED TO READ THIS?
......................................................
THE MILITARY IN NIGERIA POLITICS.
'Within six years of tragic colonial manipulation Nigeria was a cesspool of corruption and misrule. Public servants helped themselves freely to the nation's wealth. Elections were blatantly rigged. The subsequent national census was outrageously stage managed, judges and magistrates were manipulated by the politicians in power. The politicians themselves were pawn of foreign business interests.'...... Chinua Achebe; PG 51, There Was A Country.
Military coups in Nigeria
A military coup is the violent or non-violent overthrow of an existing political regime. Between 1966 and 1999 the army held power almost uninterrupted, apart from a short-lived return to democracy between 1979-1983. “Military coups and military rule which began as an emergency aberration became a seemingly permanent feature of Nigerian politics.
THAT JANUARY 1966 IGBO MILITARY COUP.
...........................................................
The January 15, 1966 coup was carried out by mostly Igbo army officers including Major Kaduna Nzeogwu, Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna among others. The casualties of the coup included the Prime Minister Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the Sardauna of Sokoto SirAhmadu Bello, the Premier of the Western Region Samuel Akintola, the finance minister Festus Okotie-Eboh among others, no prominent Igbo was assassinated. Seriously?
And we think there won't be after effect?
In a country in which tribalism was endemic, as rumour of an "Igbo coup" began to find acceptance. The 1966 jubilation was a mistake.
THE REVENGE: THE KANO POGROM OF MAY - SEPTEMBER, 1966.
...............................................................
1966 anti-Igbo pogrom
The 1966 anti-Igbo pogrom was a series of massacres directed at Igbo and other people of southern Nigerian origin living in northern Nigeria starting in May 1966 and reaching a peak after 29 September 1966. During this period 30,000-50,000 Igbo civilians were murdered throughout northern Nigeria by Hausa-Fulani soldiers and civilians who sought revenge for the 1966 Nigerian coup d'etat, carried out by 6 Igbo Majors and 3 Igbo captains and resulted in the deaths of 11 Nigerian politicians and army officers. These events led to the secession of the eastern Nigerian region and the declaration of the Republic of Biafra, which ultimately led to the Nigeria-Biafra war. The 1966 massacres of southern Nigerians have been described as a holocaust and have variously been described as riots, pogroms genocide.
THE FATHER OF IT ALL.
......................................
The pogroms led to the mass movement of Igbo and other Eastern Nigerians back to Eastern Nigeria. It also was the precursor to Late Ojukwu's declaration of Eastern Nigeria's secession from the federation as the Republic of Biafra, and the resulting Nigerian Civil War(1967–1970).
CIVIL WAR IN SUMMARY.
........................................
In a country in which tribalism was endemic, as rumour of an "Igbo coup" began to find acceptance. The 1966 jubilation was a mistake.
Killing Sir Ahmadu Bello, and other prominent Nigerians without any Igbo prominent men involved did put Nzeogwu and co on a collision course with Ethnicity, religious and political ramifications of such an action, something they had clearly not thought through sufficiently.
The ascension and descension of Late Aguiyi Ironsi won't be a discussion.
OJUKWU VS GOWN PERSONALITY CLASH.
.........................................................................
The personality clash between Ojukwu and Gowon was the major cause of Civil war. While Ojukwu was claiming the seniority, Gowon was chosen based on intelligent and humility. Gowon child of destiny as was described by my foreign policy lecturer Dr F.C.Okafor.
'There were total absent of any concrete plan to address the violent throughout the Federation. There were angers, there were tensions. The agitation for Independent in the Eastern part became louder and the threat from Federal government became more ominous in a vicious circle.....' China Achebe PG 85, There Was A Country.
Aburi Accord of January 5, 1967 was reached, but one thing got me mute... How could Late Ojukwu include a request for us not to recognise General Gowon as as a Supreme Commander?
I told you that those massacred during the war were the end product of IGBO MAN'S EGO AND CHEST BEATING.
Though Confederation should have been better if both parties did understood the principle of Confederation far back then , but the issue of non-recognising Gowon as a Leader remains No!! No!! No!!
All efforts and attempts to make peace were void and null due to personality class between the dou.
I learnt that when a leader of a nation wants to go to war, he should involve and consult his people.
Did Ojukwu consulted with Late Nnamdi Azikiwe and Micheal Okpara, the premier Eastern Region? No. He did not. That's how not to lead. You must invite your people and you must carry them along.
OJUKWU'S IGNORANCE LED NDI IGBO INTO TROUBLE.
....................................
The failure of Eze Ndi Igbo Gburugburu to consult his elders before embarking onghis war lead us into trouble. Small, but mighty as Is real, we fought a thirty-months war. Gallantly with little foreign assistance, with home made arms and ammunition. Over 5 million lives were lost. Properties were destroyed.
It was truly 1966 January Revenge!!
It was truly personality clash between Ojukwu and Gowon.
There has been debates over the decades since about why Ojukwu left his soldiers and ran away to take Asylum in Ivory Coast. Why not doe with Biafran soldiers he sent to the war front?
Ojukwu, our resistance leader was so wronged to ran away.
NDI IGBO TODAY AND WAY FORWARD.
...............................................................
This is a call on we Ndi Igbo's to re-examine ourselves, and try to correct some of our defects and our short comings in the character and manner of our behaviour particularly as they affect our relations with the Nigerians. The Ignos need Nigeria just as Nigeria needs us. We need Nigeria for the wide scope it afford for our boundless industry, resourcesfullness and competitive energy.
We should do away with the bitterness of this war we lost.
My Take and Advice....
If we need to break up, if we truly need Biafra, all these agitation won't be a guarantee, the only guarantee we have is to advise our Federal Representatives to help make laws that would see for reshaping of our constitution that will help provide means for National Conference.
Hope we all read a communique issued by Ijaw Elders last week?
Amb Adichie, Alfredo Izuchukwu
Writes from Lagos. this is from the stable of alfred5 the serial trash writer How do u sit and conjure trash like dis. you seriously ignorant of what happened back then this same low lifer spend all his time antagonizing obiano. |
