T8ksy:




And my own important question is, giving what you stated above about the north killing ibos in their region "Why then was it that, (of the 3 major groups in the country) only zik and his fellow ibo people were singing the song of One nigeria to high heavens"?

The north have never hidden their hatred for the south most especially the ibos yet the ibos were the only one then proposing the notion of One (united) Nigeria. They even adorned Zik (the 1st president of the ibo state union), the fake garb of Nigeria Nationalism. Zik in is his usual sly manner was preaching Pan Africanism when he can't even maintain unity (of any meaningful purpose) within his own backyard.


The 1st coup as someone rightly pointed out earlier was an ibo coup within an ibo coup. Hence there was no surprises when Ironsi, the ibo beneficiary of a supposedly-failed ibo coup then went one to enact laws and decrees that are aligned with the NCNC manifestos-a truly ibo party, one of which is Decree 34.

Ojukwu was all for decree 34 as he was out the following day in his chest-beating fashion blabbing away at how he intend to "export" his people to the north most especially to compete for civil service posts with the well-known educationally-challenged hausa/fulanis

gartamanta:


Really? And so when the North were killing Igbos in the Kano massacre of 1945, the Jos riots of 1953, long before the coup of January 1966? It then means that Igbos were justified to kill them back. But in this is the important question Igbos have been asking for a long time. Since it is now know that we have been killing each other since Lugard brought us together, what is the point of being together. That's one question non of the Northern apologists have never been able to answer

southpole:
Sorry I thought you are a Nigerian, however just take few minutes and search about him

JUHABACH:


actually you are being biased.
1) it wasnt a tribal coup. there were other officersalongside nzeogwu who werent igbos.
2)??
3) ironsi was head of state because he was the highest ranking military officer at the time. and while it was clear he erred in not immediately punishing the culprits, he actually made efforts at unifying the nation. iirc, he was even on a national tour when he was murdered.
4) ojukwu s grievance was the fact thar gowonwas made head of state despite being below ojukwu himself in rank. however, the agitations by ojukwu for biafra started after the massacre of reportedly milions of igbos in the north as well as the implied complicity of the gowon regime in the massacres.

decasey:
bros I should be d one 2 ask u if u r a Nigerian, for ur info nzegwu is 4rom delta state which is south south. Go do ur research.

gartamanta:


[s]I don't think anyone could have blamed Zik for fighting for a United Nigeria. Zik could not have known that 'one Nigeria' was going to be an absolute disaster, he is not a soothsayer. Even today , You will still find many people especially amongst Yorubas and Hausas echoing 'we are better off united ', 'Nigeria will be a great country', 'united we are great' which are the same sentiments as what Zik was preaching.

Ironsi promulgated decree 34, a lot of people criticised him for this. But it is interesting that less 10 months after Ironsi enacted that decree, Ojukwu went to Aburi and overturned it, even getting a confederation. But when the Northerners now removed the Aburi agreement and announced full blown unitary rule, none of those who criticised Ironsi went on to criticise Gowon. So it is fair to criticise an Igbo man bringing in unitary rule but everybody keeps quiet when a Northerners does the same? This is sheer hypocrisy. This talk about Ojukwu sending his people to take over Northern positions is funny. Anyone in the federal service can be sent to work in any part of the country, that rule has always applied even to this day.

As for this talk that the July 15th coup was an 'Igbo' coup, if non Igbo participants of that coup such Major Ademoyega, Captain Adeleke and Lt Oyewole can all come out and say that it was not an Igbo coup, need I say more?
[/s]

southpole:

The 4 top planners were all Igbos and when the killing of political leaders was carried out no Igbo learder was killed, and when ironsi took over he refused to punish the planners may be because they were Igbos and you are saying it was not a tribal coup? After the failed Dimka coup, Vatsa coup and Orka coup what happened to the coupists?
It is not a tradition that the most senior should automatically becomes the Leader, Gowon was not the most senior not even from the North but he became the Leader after the counter coup, Abdulsallam was not the most senior when Abacha died but he was made the head of state

JUHABACH:


1) still doesnt make it an igbo coup. nzeogwu, the coup leader was igbo but had spent most of his time in the north such that he took up the name kaduna.

southpole:

The 4 top planners were all Igbos and when the killing of political leaders was carried out no Igbo learder was killed, and when ironsi took over he refused to punish the planners may be because they were Igbos and you are saying it was not a tribal coup? After the failed Dimka coup, Vatsa coup and Orka coup what happened to the coupists?
It is not a tradition that the most senior should automatically becomes the Leader, Gowon was not the most senior not even from the North but he became the Leader after the counter coup, Abdulsallam was not the most senior when Abacha died but he was made the head of state

gartamanta:

This is sheer hypocrisy. This talk about Ojukwu sending his people to take over Northern positions is funny. Anyone in the federal service can be sent to work in any part of the country, that rule has always applied even to this day.

southpole:

Well let me learn from you, we are talking about tribal coup not regional coup, are there no Igbos in Delta state or was he not an Igbo man? some may say he was a Northerner because there are other sources that stated he was brought up in Kaduna in the house of Ahmadu Bello who was a victim of Nzegwu coup.

ArchiPelago1:


You obviously dint understand his post.. Brigaider Ogundipe was the most senior military officer during the first coup, yet power was given to Ironsi.

The power brokers dint want to make the same mistake again, Hence the defacto vice president Obasanjo was given power instead of his junior Danjuma.

logicab:
Guy, most of your post had no real point; but I had to correct this. Yes, we had the Federal Civil Service and we ALSO had the Regional Civil Sevice in each region. With Decree 34 all regional civil services were abolished and basically merged into a humongous, monolithic civil service. That's all for now.

gartamanta:


I don't think anyone could have blamed Zik for fighting for a United Nigeria. Zik could not have known that 'one Nigeria' was going to be an absolute disaster, he is not a soothsayer. Even today , You will still find many people especially amongst Yorubas and Hausas echoing 'we are better off united ', 'Nigeria will be a great country', 'united we are great' which are the same sentiments as what Zik was preaching.

Ironsi promulgated decree 34, a lot of people criticised him for this. But it is interesting that less 10 months after Ironsi enacted that decree, Ojukwu went to Aburi and overturned it, even getting a confederation. But when the Northerners now removed the Aburi agreement and announced full blown unitary rule, none of those who criticised Ironsi went on to criticise Gowon. So it is fair to criticise an Igbo man bringing in unitary rule but everybody keeps quiet when a Northerners does the same? This is sheer hypocrisy. This talk about Ojukwu sending his people to take over Northern positions is funny. Anyone in the federal service can be sent to work in any part of the country, that rule has always applied even to this day.

As for this talk that the July 15th coup was an 'Igbo' coup, if non Igbo participants of that coup such Major Ademoyega, Captain Adeleke and Lt Oyewole can all come out and say that it was not an Igbo coup, need I say more?

logicab:
Ifeajuna was the leader. EOD.

Aigbofa:


Full blown unitary rule started the day the decree 34 was promulgated by Ironsi. Aburi Accord was only an agreement that never came to fruition. How was the decree 34 overturned in Aburi? Only the Nigerian government could have repealed it.

gartamanta:


there was no way a person could have left one regional service for the other unless by special appointment or loan. If you say otherwise, state the section of decree 34 that says otherwise and give one example where it happend.

1. As from the appointed day all offices in the service of the Republic in a civil capacity shall be offices in a single service to be known as the National Public Service; and accordingly all persons who immediately before that day are members of the public service of the Federation or of the public service of a Region shall on that day become members of the National Public Service.

ManMountain:


His inactions or action of securing the coup plotters in the east with foot dragging on the the punishment for them led many people to conclude that he was out to buy time and protect them.
Aguiyi Ironsi inadvertently created this mess Nigeria is still struggling with after 50 years
In life, you reap what you sow.

ilovetheline:
southpole, logicab, man mountain. are u against secession?

AgentOrange:


The big mistake he made was wasting time in dealing with the coup plotters.

oluwaahmed:


Ironsi did not create any mess, stop soundin unenlightened. Ask ur fadas & grandfadas wat happens dat day. Dey even blame ironsi 4 suppressin d coup because d 1st republic politicians were corrupt. Pple jubilated on d streets of lagos & nigeria wen dey head nzeogwu killed all d oligarchs dt held dis country hostage (ask & investigate dis fact) & celebrated his take-ova speech. Aguiyi ironsi was a true nigerian- d type u can neva find 2day. Ironsi was d reason 9ja is dis 2day because had nzeogwu killed of all dose politicians & exiled d ones left 9ja wld hav bn a better place. Ironsi was nt only d most superior military officer but was 1 of d most respected in Africa. Ironsi did not take ova power, power was handed 2 ironsi, I watched a video of him being sworn in!
D mistake he made was belivin in "1" nigeria. 4 dose sayin he wasted time in executin d coup plotters, is 3 months too long 2 wait? D man was killed barely 3 months in office. Ok even if killin him can be justifiable, ow abt all oda SS/SE military officers dat were killed? Wats d justificatn? Mind u Ironsi was travellin round 9ja seekin 4 peace amongs dft regions & askin 4 time 2 stabilize d country b4 he was killed in ibadan.
Aguiyi ironsi's death is d reason y 9ja is so messed up 2day. His death was orchestrated by d oligarchy dat nzeogwu had aimed 2 wipe out, thus leadin 2 indiscipline in d ranks & file. His death was so un-called 4 dt even a yoruba General (when yorubas still had prestige & was an enviable tribe in africa) resisted & followed him 2 d grave- fajuyi dint hav 2 go because he was told he wasn't deir mission(do ur research & challenge me). Aguiyi even crushed Isaac Boros resistance & self acclaimed Niger-delta independecne( it's was d NDELTANS dat initially gingered 4 seccession) in 7 days. D man was all for a one nigeria. Even wen ojukwu had warned him dat his moles intercepted a telegraph of his impendin coup, he brushed it aside as nuttin. He cldnt bliv "small boys" wld fall his hand. Mama sorry. Look @ d Brite side
9ja is still fvucked up 50 yrs afta his death, nutin changed. Infact Aguiyi ironsi has missed nutin only a cycle of corrupt politicians & military & a treadmill progression of d country

DIKEnaWAR:



Very correct!

People don't know that while other officers ran into hiding, it was Ironsi who came out and crushed the coup and assumed command. Being the most senior officer, he had to take over.

Now an igbo coup was crushed by an igbo officer. No one talks about this.

southpole:

My problem with you igbos is that you dont want to accept the truth, first of all learn how to take responsibilities dont push the blame to Lugard, when the issue of independence started in 1957 the North made it very clear that they don't want to be part of Nigeria it was your tribal man Nnamdi Azikiwe that champion the campaign that the North should be made part of Nigeria may be because the Northern agriculture played a substantial role in moving Nigeria economy. In 1958 there was this story that when a meeting was conveyed in lagos the Northerners again stated that they were not ready for independence the South agreed that they will wait for the North when the North was ready Nigeria will push for independence that was why Nigeria had her independence in 1960 not 1957 or 1958 as earlier wanted.Go and read this book titled "There was a country" read between pages 50 to 55. The book was written by your tribal man Chenua Achebe.We all know that you Igbos are looking for independence because you cannot produce a president in the present Nigeria and you also want to dominate and subdue minority tribes that will fall within your so called biafra map.

mindtricks:


You sound like a South Easterner contrary to your ID, seemingly unbiased though.

ceejay4real:


You are such an ASS! A Brigadier senior to a Major General? And the then General Officer Commanding ( GOC ) the Army? U must be an eediot! Kai! There are 2 many lunatics on Nairaland!

oglalasioux:
Faguyi was part of the first coup. Though Ironsi wasn't, his apparent shielding of the coup plotters was his waterloo. Those who participated in subsequent coups in Nigeria were summarily shot according to military tradition no matter which part of the country they came from. If anyone can understand Chimamanda Adichie, it's obvious that the problems of Nigeria started when the Igbos wanted everything.

Truly, the northerners were fostering corruption at the time but who taught them corruption? Okotie Eboh remains the architect of all corrupt practices in the Nigerian system. The only thing the northerners wanted was power. Southerners were making all the money and amassing industries. The January 1966 coup was one mistake too many.

I don't think that wound healed with Ironsi's death. I don't think it will ever heal. Nigeria will continue to thrive in corruption and suspicion until it's peoples divide and form their separate nations.

gartamanta:


Really? And so when the North were killing Igbos in the Kano massacre of 1945, the Jos riots of 1953, long before the coup of January 1966? It then means that Igbos were justified to kill them back. But in this is the important question Igbos have been asking for a long time. Since it is now know that we have been killing each other since Lugard brought us together, what is the point of being together. That's one question non of the Northern apologists have never been able to answer

fred06:


Was Akintola a Northerner? Was Chief Festus Okotie Eboh a northerner? But you people slaughtered them..in an Igbo coup...was Okpara n Zik touched during the coup? Who are you fooling?
Did Aguiyi ironsi not cover the coup plotters? With his henchman Nzeogwu...
My dear u people think of only yourself n it was seen in biafra..
Remember history will always have it that your people or part of them truncated democratic rule in Nigeria and not the Notherners..it is a fact..

logicab:


Mr Man:


https://www.dawodu.com/decree34.htm

Or do I need to interpret in another language for you to understand?

fred06:


Was Akintola a Northerner? Was Chief Festus Okotie Eboh a northerner? But you people slaughtered them..in an Igbo coup...was Okpara n Zik touched during the coup? Who are you fooling?
Did Aguiyi ironsi not cover the coup plotters? With his henchman Nzeogwu...
My dear u people think of only yourself n it was seen in biafra..
Remember history will always have it that your people or part of them truncated democratic rule in Nigeria and not the Notherners..it is a fact..