Bolustic:


Get this straight.

General JT Aguiyi Ironsi was the first to restructure Nigeria from regional governments to unitary one through Decree 34 of 1966 immediately the Ibos got power.

The northerners tasted it and saw how sweet it was and wouldn't let go.

Bolustic:


Get this straight.

General JT Aguiyi Ironsi was the first to restructure Nigeria from regional governments to unitary one through Decree 34 of 1966 immediately the Ibos got power.

The northerners tasted it and saw how sweet it was and wouldn't let go.

BeeBeeOoh:


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/theres-nothing-wrong-restructuring-nigeria-i-did-it-1967-gowon/

Propropro:
The man that single handedly ensured biafra was dead and buried in 1970 while Ojukwu fled to ivory coast with his tail behind his legs. God bless Gowon for keeping this great nation one. We are forever grateful

kaen1317:
Restructured in line with principles of equality and justice for all. No man is born to rule and no man is born to be a slave to another

CSTR12:
If Gowon was your best and noble military leader then no wonder Nigeria is the way it is.
Have you read the aburi accord? You need to see how he was schooled in governance by ojukwu. If he was indeed noble he would have atleast accepted the intellectual superiority of ojukwu and entrenched regionalism that he agreed to in ghana. But the coward had to backpedal like an amateur.
He should be grateful he had the brits at his side. Men like him don't win wars. If the roles were reversed, ojukwu would have crushed him in a month.

mart2k:
Now, Ibos realise they are slaves in Nigeria; they should enjoy their status till it lasts.

CSTR12:
If Gowon was your best and noble military leader then no wonder Nigeria is the way it is.
Have you read the aburi accord? You need to see how he was schooled in governance by ojukwu. If he was indeed noble he would have atleast accepted the intellectual superiority of ojukwu and entrenched regionalism that he agreed to in ghana. But the coward had to backpedal like an amateur.
He should be grateful he had the brits at his side. Men like him don't win wars. If the roles were reversed, ojukwu would have crushed him in a month.

Volksfuhrer:


Perhaps Ojukwu's "intellectual superiority" was his undoing. Ojukwu didn't listen to good advice because he felt "superior" to good advisers. Gowon didn't pretend to being a genius, but he was smart enough to recruit intellectual giants as advisers.

In fact, "One Nigeria" would have been "toast" had Gowon led Biafra. Gowon would not have attacked the Midwest. Gowon would never have taken hostage oil "expats." Gowon would never have bombed Kaduna or Lagos. Gowon was too smart for such inanities, he wasn't egotistic. Gowon would have listened to Njoku, Biafra's Army commander. Thank heavens, Nigeria didn't have an Ojukwu for a c-in-c!

A leader need not be a philosopher a la Plato, he only needs foresight with an excellent moral compass to guide him, a trait that would eventually endear him to great allies which Ojukwu didn't have. Yes, Ojukwu was smart, but he lacked foresight: hence his defeat. In any case, Ojukwu's leadership skill was a midget compared to Gowon's!





Foresight? haha. I don't think there is any leader in Nigerian history that had as much foresight as ojukwu. Go and read his manifesto on biafran independence.
This was the same man that was responsible for many indigenous igbo made weapons in 1967. If he didn't have foresight, he would not have wanted out of Nigerian backwardness or promoted regionalism.
Gowon had no foresight, no leadership skill, nothing. He was merely an appendage of colonialism. He stood for regionalism in ghana, came back and then changed his mind. That is not a sign of leadership.
Ojukwu made many mistakes, a few of them very shocking indeed, but he was a greater leader than all his peers.
Btw, ojukwu was the military head of state of the oil rich eastern region and there is no record of him stealing oil blocs like many of his northern counterparts. That is leadership uncommmon to Nigeria.


Kindest regards

Volksfuhrer:


Perhaps Ojukwu's "intellectual superiority" was his undoing. Ojukwu didn't listen to good advice because he felt "superior" to good advisers. Gowon didn't pretend to being a genius, but he was smart enough to recruit intellectual giants as advisers.

In fact, "One Nigeria" would have been "toast" had Gowon led Biafra. Gowon would not have attacked the Midwest. Gowon would never have taken hostage oil "expats." Gowon would never have bombed Kaduna or Lagos. Gowon was too smart for such inanities, he wasn't egotistic. Gowon would have listened to Njoku, Biafra's Army commander. Thank heavens, Nigeria didn't have an Ojukwu for a c-in-c!

A leader need not be a philosopher a la Plato, he only needs foresight with an excellent moral compass to guide him, a trait that would eventually endear him to great allies which Ojukwu didn't have. Yes, Ojukwu was smart, but he lacked foresight: hence his defeat. In any case, Ojukwu's leadership skill was a midget compared to Gowon's!

Kindest regards

Bolustic:


Get this straight.

General JT Aguiyi Ironsi was the first to restructure Nigeria from regional governments to unitary one through Decree 34 of 1966 immediately the Ibos got power.

The northerners tasted it and saw how sweet it was and wouldn't let go.

Orikinla:
General Yakubu Gowon, the best Head of State of Nigeria since independence. His three Rs National Programmes would have transformed Nigeria into a great nation, but the unnecessary coup d'etat of late Gen. Murtala Muhammed set the country back.

CSTR12:
Foresight? haha. I don't think there is any leader in Nigerian history that had as much foresight as ojukwu. Go and read his manifesto on biafran independence.
This was the same man that was responsible for many indigenous igbo made weapons in 1967. If he didn't have foresight, he would not have wanted out of Nigerian backwardness or promoted regionalism.
Gowon had no foresight, no leadership skill, nothing. He was merely an appendage of colonialism. He stood for regionalism in ghana, came back and then changed his mind. That is not a sign of leadership.
Ojukwu made many mistakes, a few of them very shocking indeed, but he was a greater leader than all his peers.
Btw, ojukwu was the military head of state of the oil rich eastern region and there is no record of him stealing oil blocs like many of his northern counterparts. That is leadership uncommmon to Nigeria.

CSTR12:
Foresight? haha. I don't think there is any leader in Nigerian history that had as much foresight as ojukwu. Go and read his manifesto on biafran independence.
This was the same man that was responsible for many indigenous igbo made weapons in 1967. If he didn't have foresight, he would not have wanted out of Nigerian backwardness or promoted regionalism.
Gowon had no foresight, no leadership skill, nothing. He was merely an appendage of colonialism. He stood for regionalism in ghana, came back and then changed his mind. That is not a sign of leadership.
Ojukwu made many mistakes, a few of them very shocking indeed, but he was a greater leader than all his peers.
Btw, ojukwu was the military head of state of the oil rich eastern region and there is no record of him stealing oil blocs like many of his northern counterparts. That is leadership uncommmon to Nigeria.

Volksfuhrer:


...laughable submission. Were we not practicing regional autonomy before Ojukwu proposed his in Ghana? What happened to the previous regional system that Ironsi's government abolished? Wasn't Ojukwu part and parcel of that government? Ojukwu's foresight never condemn the abolition of regional autonomy when Ironsi was in power but became its strong advocate after Irons was ousted! Could we call this "oscillating foresight?" or just self-serving hypocrisy! There was nothing noble in Ojukwu's new-found regionalism when he earlier consented to its abolition. A noble officer would have stepped aside as governor if he hadn't consented.

Ojukwu was never a great leader, and that's the simple truth. My proposition has already been tested in any case: that Ojukwu was advised against a war he hurriedly rushed into, a war in which he was soundly defeated. That's Ojukwu's unenviable CV in summary.

Kindest regards.

pazienza:



This logic is redundant. Government is made for the people and not the people for the government.

When Ojukwu supported Ironsi Central government, there was not yet open massacre of Easterners with the FG looking sideways, and Ojukwu was not alone in supporting the Ironsi plans. The military governors of Western region ie Fajuyi and that of the North were not against Ironsi decision, if they were not condemned for such, why then is Ojukwu.

Ojukwu didn't demand for regional autonomy because Ironsi was ousted, he did so because Ndiigbo were massacred all over Nigeria and the FG did nothing to stop that. Such FG Ojukwu reasoned can't be trusted with powers to protect Ndiigbo, and he was right.

Ironsi was killed for his plans for centralized civil service, why then did those that killed him adopt the same?

...

Volksfuhrer:


Your post is irrelevant, even misleading. The crux of this discussion is Ojukwu's foresight as a leader. Spare me the B.S about why Ojukwu supported unification under Ironsi and retraced his steps after Ironsi's ouster. Ironsi and Ojukwu were quite aware of the negative attitude and disillusionment of Northerners (including northern military officers!)about the unitary decree. Ironsi and co forged ahead with the decree anyway. Reports even have it that Katsina and Fajuyi counseled Ironsi to have a rethink, that wise counsel fell on deaf ears. The massacre of Igbos started in May 1966, did Ojukwu and Ironsi have a rethink? No they didn't. But immediately Ironsi was toppled, Ojukwu found his voice!

It's obvious why Ironsi and Ojukwu stuck to their guns (pun intended). Their Northern military colleagues saw through it too...they eventually struck back and took advantage of the decree. Therefore, whatever Ojukwu later proposed thereto was seen by the North as mere "hot air"! Power had changed hands, if Ironsi didn't listen to wise counsel to rethink the unitary decree, why should the northerners listen to Ojukwu.

abioyeolaide:
He did it at his tender age but still alive watching all dis mess happening in Nigeria

pazienza:





What reports are you talking about? Same Ogbomosho/ Sagamu beer parlour that spurned the story of Fajuyi begging for Ironsi's life? Lol, propaganda report.

If Fajuyi and Katsina were not in sync with Ironsi decisions, they always had the option of opting out of the government, they didn't.


No, the massacre of Igbos started in earnest after the counter coup which occurred in July and not May . And even then, Ojukwu was still disposed to the idea of a United Nigeria, that was until the massacre of Igbos that Ojukwu sent back to North after the first wave of massacres.

And moreover, Ojukwu insisted that the highest ranked military officer, Ogundipe take over the government following the disappearance of Ironsi.

The Ironsi ran military, which included Fajuyi and Katsina, stuck to a central government settings, cos under normal circumstances, that's how military regimes work, though you are free to give it your own interpretions, as long as we all accept that those interpretions represent only your sentimental opinions and not in anyway represent the fact on ground, I am cool with that.

Volksfuhrer:


What facts on the ground? The ones you choose to ignore? Let me first address your monumental gaffe. How could you not know there was an Igbo massacre on May 29, 1966? The pogrom in the North started long before Ironsi was put away, which puts some question marks on Ojukwu's reversion to regional autonomy only after power changed hands!

You are utterly out of your depths. If I had known you were this shallow with the facts, I would have ignored your earlier post.

I seriously advise that you read up and stop being cool with lies!

Volksfuhrer:


What facts on the ground? The ones you choose to ignore? Let me first address your monumental gaffe. How could you not know there was an Igbo massacre on May 29, 1966? The pogrom in the North started long before Ironsi was put away, which puts some question marks on Ojukwu's reversion to regional autonomy only after power changed hands!

You are utterly out of your depths. If I had known you were this shallow with the facts, I would have ignored your earlier post.

I seriously advise that you read up and stop being cool with lies!

T8ksy:



Finally, the penny dropped!!!

Oh well, better late than never.

The poster you are responding to is well known here on NL for his ibotic logic hence most of us avoid him like the plague.

Whilst he is unable to present superior argument to back up his premise, he will simply wear you down with his juvenile reasoning (dis)ability.

pazienza:


Ironsi never dissolved the regions. He left the regions intact, he only centralized the civil service.

Every Tom, Dick and Harry knows that military regimes work in centralized format, Ironsi was a military man, he needed a form of control over the regions, but he never desolved the regions.

It was Gowon and not Ironsi that killed the regional system, and in turn created dysfunctional entities he called states with aim of dividing the East and proliferating the number of governmental units in the North.

It boggles my mind when Odua elements jump in to defend their Northern masters even with the use of propaganda.