How Zik stopped Nigeria from breaking up in 1957 –Ralph Uwechue
By The Sun Publishing
Wednesday, March 10, 2010


Chief Uwechue
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As the president of Ohaneze Ndigbo what efforts are you making to unite Igbo in Rivers and Delta States some of who have openly denied their Igbo origin?

First of all it should be understood that these fractions who now deny the fact that they are Igbo did so only after the Civil War; take for instance the Ikwerre people and others fully identified with us during the pre civil war era but because the Igbo lost the civil war, a kind of stigma was smeared on them making a lot of people to start adjusting there names to sound less Igbo but this is natural. Notwithstanding it is important to note that those who say they are Igbo are more in number than those who deny their identity. To start with, I’m from Delta state, and 11 kings and 44 chiefs from Anioma came to identify with us at the last Igbo Day held in Owerri, so I feel that those who matter still identify with their true origin. So we must recognize the ethnic units as the foundation, the blocks that build our country

On the marginalization of the Igbo in Nigeria politics?
Even a blind political analyst will perceive the feelings that today, in the Nigeria polity, the Igbo, as a people, are being deliberately sidelined, especially in the sphere of political leadership of the country. No Igbo person is deemed good enough or trusted enough to be put at the helm of affairs, at the apex management position of Nigeria. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria’s pioneer titular head of state, took a shot at the real thing-the executive presidency, in 1979 and 1983. In spite of his nationally acknowledged role as the foremost crusader for our nation’s independence, he scored abysmally in both electoral tests. Dr. Alex Ekwueme fared no better, even as he teamed up with a scion of the northern oligarchy-Alhaji Shehu Shagari. In this fourth Republic, mention must be made of the efforts of Chief Orji Uzor Kalu the PPA presidential candidate, Prof. Patrick O. Utomi of ADC, Emmanuel Okereke of ALP, Godwin Nnaji of BNPP, Maxi Okwu of CPP, Sunny Okogwu of RPN, our reverend gentleman, Pastor Chris Okotie of Fresh Party Dim Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu of APGA and the highly respected Arthur Nwankwo of PMP. Igbo has always stepped out to give the nation a multiple opportunity to choose from the pool and corrected what seem like a perfectly scripted design to marginalize them from the polity. The Shagari –Ekwueme joint ticket was designed to make Ekwueme the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) presidential candidate after the tenure of Shagari in 1987, a vision which the military never allowed to materialize.


Like today’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the NPN was the dominant party at the time. Securing its presidential candidate’s nomination was as good as clinching the presidential position. Dr. Ekwueme who was poised to replace Shagari in 1987, was eminently qualified and was favoured by Shagari himself for the presidential job ahead. He had to be stopped, hence, the coup of 31st December 1983, which traded in the remaining three years and nine months of Shagari’s second and final term, with all its democratic restrictions, for an eventual collective northern rule of some fourteen years of absolute power, under the successive military governments of Buhari, Babangida and Abacha. Alhaji Umaru Dikko, former Transport Minister in Shagari’s government said this much in an interview he gave in London, before his attempted kidnapping, on the presumed orders of an embarrassed and angry Buhari-Idiagbon administration. Subsequent revelations by former senior northern military officers have since confirmed Umaru Dikko’s candid assertion.

The 1983 coup denied Ndigbo, the largest ethnic group in Nigeria, their deserved right and chance of producing an executive president and constitutionally exercises their presidential right for eight-year period of two terms. This callous and contemptuous treatment meted out to my people is in clear and cruel contrast with the compassionate concession, massively supported by Ndigbo, given to the Yorubas in 1999 to make up for the presidential slot missed by their kinsman, Chief M.K.O Abiola.

But, Your Excellency Sir, some notable Igbo son’s and daughters have been given notable appointments in the past…? (Cuts in)
Sometimes, too much is being simplistically made of these occasional random appointments of talented Igbo technocrats to high profile positions, where demonstrable competence is usually required to tackle certain specific and difficult national tasks. What has been critically absent for years, and still missing today, is fair and effective Igbo participation in the national decision-making process, which is entirely political. Appointees, no matter how highly positioned, only implement decisions already packaged and handed down to them. They are hired and fired at will. Considering their manifest multi-faceted contribution to Nigeria’s political and economic development, Ndigbo deserve better than political crumbs from the master’s table.
At the current foundation laying stage of our national development, control of vital decision-making position and organs easily determines who gets what. If at this critical stage in our nation building enterprise, the Igbo continue to be excluded from such positions, in this case, by discernable design, then no matter how much they struggle, their political marginalization, with all its negative consequences will endure.

Sir, don’t you think that the Igbo political leaders are to be blamed, therefore, the need for the Igbo to first of all look inward before pointing fingers else where?
No doubt, the Igbo people themselves have their share of blame in this unsavoury saga, especially given the individualistic and blindly opportunistic attitude of some Igbo politicians, scrambling for crumbs of public office in total disregard of legitimate Igbo collective interest within the Nigeria family.
The perceived overall aggressiveness of the Igbo in social and business intercourse creates fright among their competitors who tend to gang up against them. However, the core problem for the Igbo today is clearly traceable to the immediate events that preceded the civil war, 1967-70. The military coup of January 1966 is central to it all. It created fear and distrust of the Igbo that are yet to be purged from the national political system. It is for this reason that I chose to base by presentation during the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Day 2009, at Owerri on, ‘Ndigbo: Nigeria’s Nation Builders’ in order to highlight the enormous contribution of Ndigbo to the building and sustenance of the Nigeria project. The aim is to help reassure ourselves, especially the young up-and-coming generation of Igbo that in spite of a few hitches, Ndigbo have, over the years, borne the brunt of the onerous task of nation building in Nigeria and have good cause to feel truly proud of their achievements in that regard.

Your Excellency, Sir, don’t you think that our Igbo founding fathers are to blame for our present predicament, Awo to me was wise, he wanted to build a great nation from sub-ethnic nationality, while Zik tried to build a great nation from the centre to the sub ethnic level, in the long run the Igbo are worse off for it?
It was not a mistake from my own point of view because even long before independence the Igbo political and economic role in Nigeria has been consistent in the pursuit of national unity and inter-ethnic cooperation. The average Igbo trader or business person loves to spread his or her tentacle far and wide that is why you see them in Lome, Cameroun, Accra and all round the globe.

Politically, under the leadership of the late Owelle of Onitsha, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Igbo played the role of bridge builders in the fledgling Nigeria nation. The great Zik of Africa, as he was fondly called, accepted the leadership of the legendary Yoruba political activist, Herbert Macaulay to form and direct the first truly significant national political party, National Council of Nigeria and Cameroun (NUNC). With respected nationalist Yoruba leaders like Dr. Ibiyinka Olorun-Nimbe, the first and only Mayor of Lagos, Sir Odeleye Fadahunsi, the first national vice-president of the NUNC and second indigenous Governor of Western Region, Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu, the lion of Ibadan politics, and others including Chief Adeniran Ogunsanya, Chief Mojeed Agbaje and Otumba T.O.S Benson, the then Igbo leadership forged a political alliance which cut across ethnic boundaries. Such was the extent of their success that Zik was poised, after the regional election of 1951, but for a last minute hitch, to become the premier of the Western Region, the home ground of the Yoruba nation. The party which he led, the NUNC and its allies won a majority of seats in the Western House of Assembly. In the Eastern Region, the Igbo-dominated NUNC, true to its pan-Nigeria orientation and commitment, elected as the first mayor of Enugu metropolis, Mallam Umoru Altini, a Muslim from Katsina.

Again, in 1957 when the British Colonial Government, under intense pressure from Southern politicians pressing for independence, attempted to uncouple the union between the North and South forged through Lord Lugard’s Amalgamation of 1914, with the offer of independence to the three Regions individually provided any two accepted the offer, a political crisis loomed large on the national horizon. The Northern Region, led by the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) took the position that the North was not ready for that level of political and economic independence. The Western Region, led by Chief Awolowo’s Action Group (AG) promptly, declared its readiness to accept the offer. It was the Igbo-led NUNC that held the balance. It was an issue that could make or break Nigeria if the three Regions chose to go their separate ways to independence.

The NUNC leader, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe took the stand that although the Eastern Region was ready to assume the responsibilities of Regional independence, its attainment without the North would lead, in his own words, to the ‘’Baalkanization of the Nigeria Nation’’ and conceivably a break-up of the country. The Eastern Region would rather suppress it’s appetite for independence and the obvious gains it would entail until the Northern Region was ready. That was how Nigeria Independence was delayed until 1960. In short, the Igbo-led Eastern Region would rather forgo the advancement of its own political economic interests than risk the break-up of Nigeria.

Had the Eastern Region opted for Independence at that time, the territory under its control would have comprised in today’s terms the following nine States with their enormous human and natural resources: Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Rivers state. It would also probably include Southern Cameroun with the oil rich Bakassi Peninsula. If not for Zik, by 1960, the three Regions would have become separate sovereign states and there would have been no question of Biafra’s attempted secession in 1967 from a non-existing Nigeria federation and the devastating civil war fought to stop it.
Similary, when Zik moved to the Federal scene as Governor-General and later titular President of Nigeria, the NUNC, under the leadership of Dr. Michael Okpara, of blessed memory, continued faithfully in his giant and indelible footsteps, the political bridge-building and nation building enterprise of the Igbo.

At independence, the Igbo-led NUNC shunned the attraction of being the senior partner in an East-West Alliance with Chief Awolowo’s Action Group (AG) and chose to team up instead as the junior partner, with Sir Ahmadu Bello’s Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) in order to consolidate the frail and insipid attachment of a wary and skeptical North to Southern Nigeria. At that time Chief Awolowo’s Yoruba dominated Action Group (AG) was viewed with considerable suspicion by the Hausa Fulani-led NPC for its ambition and role in the then Middle Belt, under Congress (UMBC). However, when the Yoruba Leader Chief Obafemi Awolowo was accused of treason and incarcerated in 1963, on charges which many Nigerians believed were trumped up to silence him politically, the Igbo leadership of NUNC switched side and came to his rescue.

Dr. Michael Okpara teamed up with Alhaji Dauda Adegbenro, the acting leader of the Action Group, to fight what the Igbo perceived as political injustice that could threaten the unity of Nigeria. They formed the United Peoples Grand Alliance (UPGA). The leadership, suspicious of NPC’s conceivable dark intentions, insisted that Chief Awolowo must be transferred from Kaduna to Calabar for his physical safety. The reason was that considering the overwhelming popularity of the Yoruba leader in the Western Region, the stability and unity of Nigeria could face jeopardy if something untoward happened to him. The Igbo were not ready for that risk. For them, the unity and stability of Nigeria was paramount.

Looking back, don’t you think the 1966 military coup led by Col. Nzeogwu was the greatest undoing of Ndigbo?
The 1966 coup was not an Igbo coup. The military intervention of January 1966, which was to a considerable degree a consequence of the persisting political turmoil in Western Nigeria, put an abrupt end to the political activities of the various parties. That coup, most regrettably, took the lives of many prominent national leaders both military and civilian. Behind the façade of general jubilation which greeted the January coup among the progressives in the country, particularly in the South, there was the ominous reality of an embittered North, the most powerful region in the Federation, whose overall representation in the army itself kept good pace with its political dominance in the country. Northern interest had suffered heavily both in the political and military spheres. Once it recovered from the shock, the North was bound to reassert itself in both domains.

This, it did brutally in July 1966, sweeping General Ironsi, who was murdered at Ibadan, out of power. Some 214 Igbo officers and men were reported killed across the nation in a wholesale massacre, which also took the life of Col. Adekunle Fajuyi, the popular Yoruba military governor of Western Region, an articulate Ironsi confidant, known to be a sympathizer of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Thus, the circumstances of the January event and the largely one-sided killing that marked the bloody aspect of that coup practically made such a vengeful situation inevitable. For the Northern political leadership, the January 1966 event was a plot conceived and hatched by the entire Igbo nation to seize political power in Nigeria.

Yet, the stark reality of that historic episode is that, as the British writer, Walter Schwartz put it succinctly in his classic book ‘Nigeria’ which appeared at the time, ‘’…the coup was Ibo led, but national in objective’’. Many prominent Igbo officers, starting with the head of the Army, General Aguiyi Ironsi to Col. Emeka Ojukwu, who was the commanding officer in Kano, were not involved. Indeed, Col. Arthur Unegbe, the Quarter-Master General, was killed in Lagos for refusing to cooperate with the coup makers, who came to him and demanded the keys to the armory.

This very act on the part of Col. Unegbe, a thorough-bred Igbo patriot, of giving his life for Nigeria and his absolute loyalty to the northern NPC controlled Balewa government, played a decisive role in bringing about the collapse of the coup in Lagos itself-the very seat of the Federal Government. Unable to secure the armory, the coup leaders were automatically denied control of the most important means- arms and ammunition of carrying out their plan in the supremely strategic Lagos area. It was, indeed, exactly this situation that gave a loyal General Ironsi his chance on that fateful night of 15th January. The troops he rallied at dawn to thwart the coup had the arms and ammunition to support him. Such was the extent of active and effective opposition mounted by high ranking Igbo officers to ensure the failure of the unfairly branded ‘Igbo coup’ of January 1966.

The putsch was aimed at dislodging those who held the levers of federal power and their allies in the Regions. Most unfortunately, in Lagos it took the lives of the NPC Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Balewa and his close confident, the Finance Minister from the Mid-West Region, Chief Festus Okotie Eboh of Zik’s NUNC party. In the Regions, the NPC Premier of North, Sir Ahmadu Bello, was killed. So also was the Premier of the Western Region, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, an ally and protégé of the Balewa government and a bitter political enemy of opposition leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, then languishing in prison? Troops loyal to the plotters moved to Enugu, but the Eastern Region Premier Dr. Michael Iheonukara Okpara was speared because President Makarios of Cyprus, who had attended the Commonwealth prime ministers’ conference at Lagos was Okpara’s guest at Enugu.

In fact, informed rumuors at the time, had it that the young officers, with a clear patriotic national perspective, had in mind to release the Yoruba leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, from detention and install him as the head of an interim government, pending a constitutional review and elections. Indeed, the renowned educationist and civil rights activist, Tai Solarin, came close to confirming that view in an interview he gave to a national daily a few years before his death. Nzeogwu himself, the widely acclaimed coup leader put the record this way in an interview he gave to the magazine ‘Africa And The World’ in May 1967, ‘’Our purpose was to change our country and make it a place we could be proud to call our home. Tribal considerations were completely out of our minds. But we had a set back in the execution’’ In other word, the intervention of this group of idealistic young officers, which included many Igbo, was to help build a better, united and prosperous Nigeria for all her citizens, totally regardless of ethnicity or other affiliations.

In relevant retrospect, the similarity between the Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu led coup of January 1966 and that led by Major Gideon Orkah in April 1990 against the government of General Ibrahim Babangida stands out in astonishing relief. Both coups were carried out by young and idealistic middle-ranking officers; intent on transforming what they sincerely believed was a rotten Nigeria society. Neither coup was prompted or supported by senior officers of their respective ethnic groups. But there is a painful difference in their socio-political aftermath. Nzeogwu’s coup was branded an ‘Igbo’ coup, for which the entire Ndigbo must pay a heavy and recurrent political price. Orkah’s coup was not seen as a ‘Tiv’ coup and justly so, and has no perceivable penalizing political price tag for the Tiv ethnic group.
For this clearly discriminatory attitude towards Ndigbo, and in sharp contrast with the concession given to the Yorubas over the M.K.O Abiola case, it is only right to assert that our beloved co-citizens of Nigeria owe the Igbo Nation unreserved fraternal apology for visiting an unjust and sustained capital political punishment on the entire Igbo nation, vis-à-vis their constitutional right to exercise power as president of our country. This is a fundamental right already too long denied, for which the entire Ndigbo as one united and indivisible family, no matter their individual political affiliations, must come together to fight.

Are you still nursing a political ambition?
Certainly not

What are your reasons?
I have tried it twice and have seen what has happened

What happened?
The political elites are not ready to get people who they cannot manipulate

Your answer gives credence to the opinion that the political elites always look for some one they can easily remote control to hand over power to.
In what ways were you asked to compromise that made you relinquish your ambition of becoming president?
I was part of PDP and the process was on… and they all can testify that if there is one person who can not compromise his principles Uweche is the one. All the presidential aspirants paid a fee of 5 million and 10 thousand naira, we were all paraded that day and I remember one Mrs. Jubril who was begging for us to be allowed to address the people at the convention but they refused. Obasanjo personally and alone chose Yar’Adua from among us at the nomination level and there was no contest

But there was this rumour that you people were settled heavily to step down for Yar’Adua, is that not part of compromise?
It was certainly not Uweche, I was not settled and I don’t need to be settled either. They didn’t even apologize to us, and as for our financial losses, I didn’t get back my 5 million and I don’t think anybody did, and as far as I am concerned that nomination at Eagle Square was a personal thing by Obasanjo, he singlehandedly picked Yar’Adua. This is the truth, I can tell you more, in 1993 I contested for presidency under Humphrey Nwosu’s Option A4, and I was the SDP flag bearer for Delta state, Abiola was for Ogun state while Atiku was for Adamawa, we were only 30 who could be president but we decided to zone it to Southwest and Northeast that was how Abiola and Kingibe emerged. That election was perfect because one had to win first at the ward level, then the local government level, in Delta state where only one third of the population are Igbo I got 81 percent of the total vote cast; so if we could have a perfect election as far back as 93 what stops us from repeating it not to talk of improving on it. The last general elections were adulterated starting from the nomination of candidates at the party level. This is what I mean by manipulation.

Will there be Igbo President by 2011?
Well I don’t know yet how many Igbo people are interested in the presidency but the important thing is that we as Ohaneze want to see the rotation of power in a fair manner. Igbo have not had their fair share of power at the apex level

As one who served under President Obasanjo who some section of Igbo believe did not favour them, did you at any time find your self being instruct to work against the interest of Ndigbo in order to please the ex-president?
Obasanjo had Igbo in his cabinet outside myself, people like Okonjo Iweala, Soludo and others, so I feel that this idea of Obasanjo hating the Igbo could be a personal view of individuals. I don’t personally believe that Obasanjo singled out the Igbo to hate them, he may have had clashes with some Igbo but there are also Igbo who are his friends. As a matter of fact, I think Obasanjo’s regime favoured the Igbo in terms of appointment the way no regime have done in recent time. We can not single out one or two isolated cases and try to judge him from that.

What is your relationship with people like Chief Joe Irukwu who no longer identify with Ohaneze, what are you doing about this?
The issue of Joe Irukwu and his colleagues was that after the expiration of their tenure which according to Ohaneze’s constitution ought to be two years, Joe Irukwu and co demanded for another two years, and a committee headed by Iwuanyanwu supported this move but Ikedife vehemently withstood this, at the end Irukwu gave way though we had a kind of parallel administrations but the Southeastern governors stood for Ikedife who completed his tenure and handed over to me, and on the day of my installation Irukwu sent me a congratulatory message. You see people support Ohaneze in the way they deem fit, but I would want to see Ohaneze metamorphose into a more popular organization where the common people both show interest and contribute to her welfare. Presently, we are coming forward with a platform where people can make donations and their names and funds would be properly recorded and we’ll also issue receipts so as to be as transparent as possible. When this is achieved we’ll be able to achieve any project without financial constraints.

One of my pet projects is to build a multi national hospital in Igboland; it has been proved that 80% of what is spent by those travelling abroad for medical care is spent on transportation and hotel bills so I intend reducing the much talked about brain drain of our medical practitioners by encouraging our brothers who are rated very high in international standards to retire in Nigeria so when that hospital is built they will come with very high standards which our local medical doctors working in the hospital would be encouraged to maintain, when this is done we expect that one can spent just 20 percent of what is spent in America and get exactly the same treatment. If President Yar’Adua shuttles to Saudi Arabia for medical treatments what stops people from shuttling to Nigeria from other parts of the globe, this is what I wanted to do as Nigeria’s President but since I’m not, let me do it for those who have asked me to be their leader

How do you intend giving birth to such a gigantic dream without the y basic infrastructure in the country?
We are sure that this infrastructural decay would not continue for ever, look at me in my hometown today, I believe that when more and more knowledgeable people come home and start asking questions, things would change. For me what matters is determination and the project is as good as accomplished, things will come to a level where the governors would become afraid of the people and start working for them. In this house for instance, I have my generators which I use most of the time, I spend between 8 to 12 thousand naira daily on diesel, I was told that if I bought my own transformer I would be able to tap direct from the high tension wire so I bought one that cost me over 3.7 million but it is just there lying dormant; this would not remain forever, since I’ve been away in Britain and Abuja and just spend one or two weekends here it didn’t matter but I can’t afford certain things now so we’ll mount pressure on people to do something

During Ikedife’s regime we learnt that Ohaneze sat and urged the southeasterners not to vote for PDP, so now you’re talking of building Ohaneze are we going to witness the emergence of a body that dictates who become who in the Igbo community?
Not at all, Ohaneze is a cultural organization, I told you earlier that we received the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), but I told them that we do not agree with their idea. PDP has their own idea just like every other party but that is not Ohaneze’s interest, we are rather concerned about fielding the best candidates in the Igbo community. We would give our advises but they wouldn’t be partisan


The well manicured flowers covering over 100meters before the main building makes the environment to look inviting, the Africa House, with a 2,000 capacity multi-purpose hall at Ogwasi-Uku has excellence clearly imprinted all over. The hall was structured in such a way that a visitor will not realize that over 2,000 other visitors are gathering at the same building unless you are informed of their presence.

It was a beautiful morning, over a cup of coffee when HIS EXCELLENCY CHIEF (AMB.) RALPH UWECHUE(OFR) Ogwuluzame of Ogwashi-Uku, Author, Publisher, two-time presidential aspirant under SDP in 1993 and PDP in 2007, and the President of the apex body of all Igbo socio-cultural associations, Ohaneze Ndigbo, sat defending and making case for the Igbo interest with Peter Agba Kalu. Probably, this is his hottest interview in recent times

You are seen in the international circle more as an activist because of your Pan Africanist crusade than a politician, can you please define the basis of your activism and the extent of achievement you’ve recorded?
As far as I’m concerned, I’m a pan Africanist, I believe very strongly in African Unity and cooperation this is why I named this house Africa House, my book on reflection on the Nigeria Biafra war is dedicated to the true and thoughtful African not to my wife or any other person.

So, I’m a very confident African, I’m an Nkrumaist, I’ve been since school days and I still am; so my vision is that Africa should come together and promote their religious interest and develop their economy, when we join hands to do something it would be better done than if we had done it as individuals. We talk about economic development and unemployment, what nonsense? For every mouth there is to feed, God has provided two hands to do the feeding; Japanese did not invent cars or Koreans, what is a car? Piece of metal, iron and plastic cut to certain specifications and put together no more no, less; so if you and I sit here and import everything we want, we are giving employment to people in air-conditioned factories in Europe or elsewhere at the expense of our graduates who are unemployed, so we need a government with vision that knows what the masses need. As great as America is, she exports only 6 percent of her products, the rest are consumed locally. Nigeria is not just any country it is the leading Black Country in the whole world

Zik's nationalism has done Igbo more harm than good. People like Zik are supposed to emanate from a mono-tribal country not a poly-tribal one like ours.

mekusxxx:

Zik's nationalism has done Igbo more harm than good. People like Zik are supposed to emanate from a mono-tribal country not a poly-tribal one like ours.

i have told you before that zik was never a good leader.

Very informative article.

mekusxxx:

Zik's nationalism has done Igbo more harm than good. People like Zik are supposed to emanate from a mono-tribal country not a poly-tribal one like ours.

Zik wanted to rule over a bigger nation involving Yoruba and Hausa/Fulani rather than just an Eastern Nigeria nation. It had little to do with nationalism.

Katsumoto:

Zik wanted to rule over a bigger nation involving Yoruba and Hausa/Fulani rather than just an Eastern Nigeria nation. It had little to do with nationalism.

Please remind me again, what size of country did Awo want to rule over? Did he ever contest elections to lead Nigeria?

@ mekusxxx,

Thanks for posting.

Katsumoto:

Zik wanted to rule over a bigger nation involving Yoruba and Hausa/Fulani rather than just an Eastern Nigeria nation. It had little to do with nationalism.

You see Katsumoto, I knew it would come to this, once you find it difficult to defend your tribally motivated posts you resort to making unsubstantiated or even ridiculous allegations. Even before the events of the 66 - 70 this man has been called Zik of Africa, maybe he also wanted to become the president of Africa.

Interesting times ahead indeed on this forum.

One by one the mask is being taken off and we are beginning to see the real faces.

Afam:

You see Katsumoto, I knew it would come to this, once you find it difficult to defend your tribally motivated posts you resort to making unsubstantiated or even ridiculous allegations. Even before the events of the 66 - 70 this man has been called Zik of Africa, maybe he also wanted to become the president of Africa.

Interesting times ahead indeed on this forum.

One by one the mask is being taken off and we are beginning to see the real faces.

Unlike you, I analyse issues with logic and facts; I do not analyse issues with emotions. Making a comment after each post I make amounts to immature stalking. If one makes a comment about an issue which is connected to Ndigbo, you immediately get a fit. It appears that you prefer to discuss the errors and sins of the leaders of other tribes ignoring the errors and sins of Igbo leaders. Please read below and tell me that Zik's actions did not amount to personal ambition. Why was Zik trying to keep the three regions together in one country if not because he wanted to rule Nigeria? The North said they were not ready, the west said they were ready for self autonomy; why did Zik say the East wasn't ready? In the process delaying Independence by three years only to serve as a ceremonial head of state in a government ruled by people that were junior to him in all facets of life?

After he found out the limited range of his powers, he tried to use the military in 1965 against his coalition partners and was told bluntly by Wey that they do not report to him. 'Coincidentally', some Igbo officers organised a coup a year later with the leader reported to be his cousin. Amazingly, Zik was holidaying in the Caribbean when the coup took place. He even preferred to miss the first Commonwealth leaders conference being held for the first time in his country and he was the President. Would the Queen of England be absent from London if a commonwealth conference is held in the UK? Where was his nationalistic fervour? I know what I think and I leave others to make up their minds as well.

"The Northern Region, led by the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) took the position that the North was not ready for that level of political and economic independence. The Western Region, led by Chief Awolowo’s Action Group (AG) promptly, declared its readiness to accept the offer. It was the Igbo-led NUNC that held the balance. It was an issue that could make or break Nigeria if the three Regions chose to go their separate ways to independence.

The NUNC leader, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe took the stand that although the Eastern Region was ready to assume the responsibilities of Regional independence, its attainment without the North would lead, in his own words, to the ‘’Baalkanization of the Nigeria Nation’’ and conceivably a break-up of the country. The Eastern Region would rather suppress it’s appetite for independence and the obvious gains it would entail until the Northern Region was ready. That was how Nigeria Independence was delayed until 1960. In short, the Igbo-led Eastern Region would rather forgo the advancement of its own political economic interests than risk the break-up of Nigeria."



Constitutional crisis of January 1965: Following the controversial Federal Election of December 1964, ceremonial President Azikiwe of the NCNC, urged by radical intelligentsia, refused to invite Prime Minister Balewa of the NPC to form a government and issued orders mobilizing the Army to enforce his authority to suspend the government, annul the elections and appoint a temporary interim administrator to conduct elections.  However,
the oath of allegiance of the officer corps was not only to the Commander in Chief but also to the government of Nigeria. The Army Act (#26 of 1960) and the Navy Act (#9 of 1960) were also clear on lines of authority and control.
While the Army and Navy were "under the general authority" of the Defence Minister in matters of "command, discipline and administration", the authority for operational use and control was vested in the Council of Ministers and the Prime Minister.  President Azikiwe and the service chiefs were so advised by the Chief Justice and Attorney General of the Federation.
Thus the Navy Commander, Commodore Wey politely told the President that the Navy (under him), the Army (under Major General Welby-Everard) and the Police (under Louis Edet) had decided to refuse his orders.   After a week of cliff hanging tension, in which the military stood aside, a political compromise was eventually reached and a government of "national unity"
formed under Prime Minister Balewa.

http://www.dawodu.com/omoigui5.htm

mekusxxx:

Please remind me again, what size of country did Awo want to rule over? Did he ever contest elections to lead Nigeria?

It seems you did not read the article you posted. If you did, you would have read that the AG agreed to self autonomy for the West while the NCNC refused.

"The Northern Region, led by the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) took the position that the North was not ready for that level of political and economic independence. The Western Region, led by Chief Awolowo’s Action Group (AG) promptly, declared its readiness to accept the offer. It was the Igbo-led NUNC that held the balance."

Katsumoto:

Unlike you, I analyse issues with logic and facts; I do not analyse issues with emotions. Making a comment after each post I make amounts to immature stalking. If one makes a comment about an issue which is connected to Ndigbo, you immediately get a fit. It appears that you prefer to discuss the errors and sins of the leaders of other tribes ignoring the errors and sins of Igbo leaders.

I cannot remember responding to any of your posts for more than 2 weeks apart from today where posts that I responded to that had anything to do with you amounts to less than 5% so stop feeling important and stop telling stupid lies.

Your views are largely inconsequential considering the fact that most times you don't even have any solid information or facts to back up anything you put down, hence your constant rant that this forum is a place for us to learn and as such we can make mistakes while expecting others to correct them.

So, when it comes to serious issues trust me your views don't count. Unfortunately for you today I felt like exposing some of the lies, inconsistencies, lack of knowledge and hypocrisy that are usually inherent in your comments.

Afam:

I cannot remember responding to any of your posts for more than 2 weeks apart from today where posts that I responded to that had anything to do with you amounts to less than 5% so stop feeling important and stop telling silly lies.

Your views are largely inconsequential considering the fact that most times you don't even have any solid information or facts to back up anything you put down, hence your constant rant that this forum is a place for us to learn and as such we can make mistakes while expecting others to correct them.

So, when it comes to serious issues trust me your views don't count. Unfortunately for you today I felt like exposing some of the lies, inconsistencies, lack of knowledge and hypocrisy that are usually inherent in your comments.

If indeed this forum is a place for us to learn and as such we can make mistakes while expecting others to correct them, as you put it, then why don't you respond to Katsumoto's questions directly, why dodge the issue?


Here are the questions you were asked and a link to the post itself:

Katsumoto :


Unlike you, I analyse issues with logic and facts; I do not analyse issues with emotions. Making a comment after each post I make amounts to immature stalking. If one makes a comment about an issue which is connected to Ndigbo, you immediately get a fit. It appears that you prefer to discuss the errors and sins of the leaders of other tribes ignoring the errors and sins of Igbo leaders. Please read below and tell me that Zik's actions did not amount to personal ambition. Why was Zik trying to keep the three regions together in one country if not because he wanted to rule Nigeria? The North said they were not ready, the west said they were ready for self autonomy; why did Zik say the East wasn't ready? In the process delaying Independence by three years only to serve as a ceremonial head of state in a government ruled by people that were junior to him in all facets of life?

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-411126.0.html#msg5670250

ndu_chucks:

If indeed this forum is a place for us to learn and as such we can make mistakes while expecting others to correct them, as you put it, then why don't you respond to Katsumoto's questions directly, why dodge the issue?

Pay attention to details, your error rate is getting embarrassingly high.

What you are attributing to me was a reproduction of what the guy had stated on several occasions whenever his lies are exposed.

On my part I believe that people should do well to verify information they have rather than making ridiculous statements and expecting others to correct them.

Again, take time to read and understand posts before jumping into conclusions.

Afam:

Pay attention to details, your error rate is getting embarrassingly high.

What you are attributing to me was a reproduction of what the guy had stated on several occasions whenever his lies are exposed.

On my part I believe that people should do well to verify information they have rather than making ridiculous statements and expecting others to correct them.

Again, take time to read and understand posts before jumping into conclusions.

If you've already responded to the questions in my last post, I apologize for missing your response. Kindly post me a link to your response.

Afam:

I cannot remember responding to any of your posts for more than 2 weeks apart from today where posts that I responded to that had anything to do with you amounts to less than 5% so stop feeling important and stop telling silly lies.

Your views are largely inconsequential considering the fact that most times you don't even have any solid information or facts to back up anything you put down, hence your constant rant that this forum is a place for us to learn and as such we can make mistakes while expecting others to correct them.

So, when it comes to serious issues trust me your views don't count. Unfortunately for you today I felt like exposing some of the lies, inconsistencies, lack of knowledge and hypocrisy that are usually inherent in your comments.

I am but one man; my views can not be more important than the next man. Why do you need to label people who disagree with you? Resorting to name calling is petty. You claim that I never have solid information. Anyone, who has followed my posts on these forums will attest to the fact that I always provide links to back my posts up. A lot of people on these forums argue based on what was handed down to them by fathers and uncles. I never do that. I suspect you are aware of that but you decided to 'give a dog a bad name in order to hang'. On this thread alone, I have provided a link to support my argument. Why don't you provide a link or source to back your position instead of trying to discredit me?

ndu_chucks:

If you've already responded to the questions in my last post, I apologize for missing your response. Kindly post me a link to your response.

I did not even read the guy's response in full so didn't even see the questions until you reproduced them.

I stopped reading his entry when the first few sentences were just lies and I hit the reply button and quoted the relevant parts that I addressed.

I don't have time to read nonsense from people who lie and have no integrity and I do this to a lot of people here.

Facts must be respected. We must be sincere and honest in our discussions otherwise we will be wasting our times here.

So, I never responded to his questions and I am not under any obligation to do so because he has twisted and told several lies here on issues that are common knowledge.

Katsumoto:

I am but one man; my views can not be more important than the next man. Why do you need to label people who disagree with you? Resorting to name calling is petty. You claim that I never have solid information. Anyone, who has followed my posts on these forums will attest to the fact that I always provide links to back my posts up. A lot of people on these forums argue based on what was handed down to them by fathers and uncles. I never do that. I suspect you are aware of that but you decided to 'give a dog a bad name in order to hang'. On this thread alone, I have provided a link to support my argument. Why don't you provide a link or source to back your position instead of trying to discredit me?

Trying to discredit you? So, linking to online entries by anyone that has access to the internet and a web hosting space amounts to factual information even when some of the man's positions have been exposed as lies in the past?

I believe you are educated so please make use of your initiative when reading content online before seeing them as facts.

A worthy national hero

Afam:

Trying to discredit you? So, linking to online entries by anyone that has access to the internet and a web hosting space amounts to factual information even when some of the man's positions have been exposed as lies in the past?

I believe you are educated so please make use of your initiative when reading content online before seeing them as facts.

This is an online forum and the only way we can back up our arguments is by providing a link to online sources. It is not the best but it should do. If you have a contrary argument and source, please provide it instead of attacking others.

Katsumoto:

This is an online forum and the only way we can back up our arguments is by providing a link to online sources. It is not the best but it should do. If you have a contrary argument and source, please provide it instead of attacking others.

In other words, if it cannot be found online it does not exist? I am not attacking you by the way. I am only responding to issues raised.

You are the one that has this strange feeling that I am attacking you abi na stalking you.

Afam:

In other words, if it cannot be found online it does not exist? I am not attacking you by the way. I am only responding to issues raised.

You are the one that has this strange feeling that I am attacking you abi na stalking you.

As I stated previously, online links are easier for online forums because readers can quickly and easily digest the information. Off-line sources are equally credible but more difficult because it would require all readers to go out and get the source. That being said, nothing stops you from providing the names of books, articles, or journals that you have as proof. Any reader that wants to learn will simply take the time to find the source and read.

By the way, you are yet to respond to my argument which is related to this particular thread. Ndu_chuks was kind enough to provide a reminder.

Katsumoto:

By the way, you are yet to respond to my argument which is related to this particular thread. Ndu_chuks was kind enough to provide a reminder.

Seems you missed this

Afam:

I did not even read the guy's response in full so didn't even see the questions until you reproduced them.

I stopped reading his entry when the first few sentences were just lies and I hit the reply button and quoted the relevant parts that I addressed.

I don't have time to read nonsense from people who lie and have no integrity and I do this to a lot of people here.

Facts must be respected. We must be sincere and honest in our discussions otherwise we will be wasting our times here.

So, I never responded to his questions and I am not under any obligation to do so because he has twisted and told several lies here on issues that are common knowledge.

Afam:

Seems you missed this

What a way to dodge the question. You attempt to discredit people who disagree with you by name-calling so as to avoid answering legitimate questions. When people express opinions that are contrary to yours, you immediately label them liars and without integrity and honour. If people are wrong, then the right thing to do is to correct them and back it up with facts. If people are intentionally twisting facts, then again the right thing to do is to present your own argument and back it up with proof. When they ask you to correct 'wrong' posters, you say you are not here to educate anyone and that people should go and get the facts for themselves. When you are asked to provide proof to what may seem purely conjectural, you reply that your argument is public knowledge. What are you really here to do? Instead of engaging in debate, you are constantly accusing people. I challenge you to ignore irrelevant chit-chat and focus on the issues being discussed on the thread because name-calling simply derails the thread. Name-calling is so juvenile; I assume you are a grown man, concentrate on what is relevant. All these talk about other posters being liars, dishonest, without integrity is just a pathetic attempt at avoiding intelligent debate. All I hear is empty air.

You are not the embodiment of knowledge and if a poster is being disingenuous, then you are not the only one who can find him out. There are several intelligent and knowledgeable posters and readers on these forums and they know whether one is lying, telling the truth or simply ignorant. This thread is about whether Zik was a nationalist or not. What is your take on that? I am sure you are going to ignore the purpose of the thread and focus on me calling me a liar and a charlatan.

Katsumoto:

What a way to dodge the question. You attempt to discredit people who disagree with you by name-calling so as to avoid answering legitimate questions. When people express opinions that are contrary to yours, you immediately label them liars and without integrity and honour. If people are wrong, then the right thing to do is to correct them and back it up with facts. If people are intentionally twisting facts, then again the right thing to do is to present your own argument and back it up with proof. When they ask you to correct 'wrong' posters, you say you are not here to educate anyone and that people should go and get the facts for themselves. When you are asked to provide proof to what may seem purely conjectural, you reply that your argument is public knowledge. What are you really here to do? Instead of engaging in debate, you are constantly accusing people. I challenge you to ignore irrelevant chit-chat and focus on the issues being discussed on the thread because name-calling simply derails the thread. Name-calling is so juvenile; I assume you are a grown man, concentrate on what is relevant. All these talk about other posters being liars, dishonest, without integrity is just a pathetic attempt at avoiding intelligent debate. All I hear is empty air.

You are not the embodiment of knowledge and if a poster is being disingenuous, then you are not the only one who can find him out. There are several intelligent and knowledgeable posters and readers on these forums and they know whether one is lying, telling the truth or simply ignorant. This thread is about whether Zik was a nationalist or not. What is your take on that? I am sure you are going to ignore the purpose of the thread and focus on me calling me a liar and a charlatan.

The diversions will remain ineffective.

You have told several lies that I pointed out and you did not deem it fit to acknowledge them let allow apologize for the lies.

On another thread I provided proof to show that you are a hypocrite and you think you can continue to avoid the issue.

You have severally stated that Igbo soldiers planned a coup but when a Yoruba soldier was referenced you shamelessly claimed he was a Nigerian soldier and and not Yoruba soldier.

You don't have integrity and every single time you avoid the issue you make this fact more obvious.

While not under any obligation to answer your questions I will do so to prove that we don't belong to the same class.

Why was Zik trying to keep the three regions together in one country if not because he wanted to rule Nigeria? The North said they were not ready, the west said they were ready for self autonomy; why did Zik say the East wasn't ready? In the process delaying Independence by three years only to serve as a ceremonial head of state in a government ruled by people that were junior to him in all facets of life?

Your first question sounds ridiculous since you provided your answer to your question. The premise the question was based on remains faulty and as such your conclusion will always remain faulty.

Zik fought for independence (before 1960) and believed in one Nigeria. That remains his choice and will explain why a lot of his people will tell you that Zik was part of the problem of the Igbos as he kept fighting for Nigeria whereas others were busy fighting for their tribes alone. This is why his name keeps coming up when people talk about national hero, not tribal hero.

His works are well document and he is respected even outside Nigeria, hence the name Zik of Africa.

Would you also accuse him of wanting to be the president of Africa?

Afam:

The diversions will remain ineffective.

While not under any obligation to answer your questions I will do so to prove that we don't belong to the same class.

Your first question sounds ridiculous since you provided your answer to your question. The premise the question was based on remains faulty and as such your conclusion will always remain faulty.

Zik fought for independence (before 1960) and believed in one Nigeria. That remains his choice and will explain why a lot of his people will tell you that Zik was part of the problem of the Igbos as he kept fighting for Nigeria whereas others were busy fighting for their tribes alone. This is why his name keeps coming up when people talk about national hero, not tribal hero.

His works are well document and he is respected even outside Nigeria, hence the name Zik of Africa.

Would you also accuse him of wanting to be the president of Africa?

I am not here to prove class but to debate. Lets stick to the issue on hand.
There is nothing worng with my first statement. I stated that Zik wanted to rule over Nigeria for personal reasons and I supported that assertion with information to support it. The question was about why did he delay the freedom of his people for three years? The Eastern region could have had self-autonomy by 1957 if Zik had voted for it like Awo did. What was it about Nigeria that Zik loved so much in 1957?

We are not discussing his public PR profile but rather, insights as provided by Ralph Uwechue as well as other actions. Who told you Zik was a national hero? Where did you get that from? He wasn't fighting for Nigeria, he was fighting to have a country which included the North, the East and the West rather than just the East. You say he was fighting for Nigeria; what did he achieve for Nigeria? The North said it was not ready for self-rule, the West said it was ready for self-rule but Zik wanted a big country? Are we not all witnesses to this debacle called Nigeria? No wonder Gowon and the North fought to keep Biafra within Nigeria and no wonder the West wanted to stay out of the war.

Answer my questions
1. What was so special about Nigeria that Zik had to have it at all costs?
2. Was the self-autonomy of the East not more important than his personal ambition to rule Nigeria?
3. Why did Zik form a government with NPC and become a junior partner in the coalition when he was offered a senior position with the AG? Please don't answer with the tale about not trusting Awo because he was reaching out to the other two parties.
4. Why was nationalistic Zik holidaying in the Caribbean when his reported cousin Ifeajuna was murdering his fellow Nigerians and Nigeria (the country he supposedly fought for) was hosting the first Commonwealth Heads of State conference.
5. Was Zik really unaware of the limited nature of his powers when he attempted to use the military to deny Balewa power?
6. Was it mere coincidence that the Ifeajuna coup took place approximately one year after he lost out in the power play to Balewa/Sardauna?

This are legitimate questions and only reasonable answers will do; no 'we all know his good works in Africa' BS. If we are to genuinely address all issues that laid the foundations for mistrust, genocide, war, etc in Nigeria, then we should start at the beginning.

Katsumoto:

I am not here to prove class but to debate. Lets stick to the issue on hand.
There is nothing worng with my first statement. I stated that Zik wanted to rule over Nigeria for personal reasons and I supported that assertion with information to support it. The question was about why did he delay the freedom of his people for three years? The Eastern region could have had self-autonomy by 1957 if Zik had voted for it like Awo did. What was it about Nigeria that Zik loved so much in 1957?

We are not discussing his public PR profile but rather, insights as provided by Ralph Uwechue as well as other actions. Who told you Zik was a national hero? Where did you get that from? He wasn't fighting for Nigeria, he was fighting to have a country which included the North, the East and the West rather than just the East. You say he was fighting for Nigeria; what did he achieve for Nigeria? The North said it was not ready for self-rule, the West said it was ready for self-rule but Zik wanted a big country? Are we not all witnesses to this debacle called Nigeria? No wonder Gowon and the North fought to keep Biafra within Nigeria and no wonder the West wanted to stay out of the war.

Answer my questions
1. What was so special about Nigeria that Zik had to have it at all costs?
2. Was the self-autonomy of the East not more important than his personal ambition to rule Nigeria?
3. Why did Zik form a government with NPC and become a junior partner in the coalition when he was offered a senior position with the AG? Please don't answer with the tale about not trusting Awo because he was reaching out to the other two parties.
4. Why was nationalistic Zik holidaying in the Caribbean when his reported cousin Ifeajuna was murdering his fellow Nigerians and Nigeria (the country he supposedly fought for) was hosting the first Commonwealth Heads of State conference.
5. Was Zik really unaware of the limited nature of his powers when he attempted to use the military to deny Balewa power?
6. Was it mere coincidence that the Ifeajuna coup took place approximately one year after he lost out in the power play to Balewa/Sardauna?

This are legitimate questions and only reasonable answers will do; no 'we all know his good works in Africa' BS. If we are to genuinely address all issues that laid the foundations for mistrust, genocide, war, etc in Nigeria, then we should start at the beginning.

Handling your type is easy and I have been doing it for a long time now.

After answering questions you initiate others no matter how irrelevant without any end in sight.

What did you do with the answers already provided to your previous questions? Nothing but proceeded to ask another 6.

With all due respect I cannot waste my time debating with you because you are insincere. I will only address some obvious inconsistencies and misinformation from you and others let those that have the time and energy continue to debate with you.

Zik was stupid.