T9ksy:

Quote from: Dede1 on Today at 07:37:13 PM
No doubt that the ndigbos would have been elevated had Zik aligned with AG but definately not at the expense of the yorubas who had enough capable and educated leaders at their disposal. At that particular moment in our history, each region was working assiduously to promote the lot of their people within the colonial contraption. No one wants to be ruled by an outsider. What good does Zik have in mind for the yorubas that they can't do (and as it transpired they can and did) for themselves?  Remember, the yorubas did not believe in One nigeria and neither did the north. Only the igbos were for One nigeria.

Zik did not even campaign in the north. can you imagine Zik aspiring to be premier of the north? who born am? even before that the north was already massacring the ndigbos in their region based solely on their perceived fear of ndigbo's neocolonialism. The sardunna refferred to the igbos in the north then, as invaders!

Those who have accused Awo of tribalism forget one thing: Awo was elected to defend the interest of the Western region. It was somebody else’s to do the same for the Eastern region. At various times, each region has threatened to secede from the Nigerian federation. When in 1957 Nigeria was to be granted independence the North said it was not ready. Awo was said to have had discussions with Zik saying the South should go ahead with independence because the North will never be ready even if given a hundred years. Zik turned around and formed an alliance with Ahmadu Bello and the South waited three years for the North to prepare for independence (Similarities between Pakistan and India. The British divided India into two nations –India and Pakistan because of religious differences).

This is the origin of our problems. Awo never forgave Zik for this. This pattern of alliance and betrayal was to repeat itself until their death. They could no longer trust each other on issues of South-South dialogue as Zik was always prone to renege at the last moment only to emerge with a Northern alliance. Because of this, Awo fought tooth and nail to gain ascendancy over Zik in the West. He played a role in the carpet crossing in the West that deprived Zik the leadership. He was accused of exploiting tribal sentiments to further his purpose but he was a man who acted according to the dictates of his time. To do otherwise is to suffer perdition. Zik learnt quickly from this episode, made a dash to the East and practically threw Eyo Ita out of the Eastern house to become the premier.

It is against this background that I see Awo as a leader who loved his people and this should not be seen as hatred for others. Those who also say that the Yorubas gained ascendancy of industry because of the marginalization of the Igbos fail to see the fact that most institutions in the West had been built before independence under the captainship of Awo.

Awo is a man who looked for the long term interest of his people. The sooner the Igbos stop using him as an excuse for the failure of Biafra, the easier it is for them to discern good leadership that would serve them.

CONCLUSION: The Igbos should understand that the crisis facing the South today was directly or remotely caused by them. But because their leaders had not been sincere to them, they have continuously propagated the lie that the West is responsible for their problem. A few facts should illuminate this:

1. In 1957, the North threatened to secede if independence was granted to Nigeria because they were not ready. Zik, was supposed to have reached an understanding with Awo to let the North go. But to Awo’s consternation, Zik formed an alliance with the North which succeeded in delaying independence and allowed the North to get ready.
2. In 1966, a group of young Igbo officers planned a coup that killed only non-Igbo politicians. Included among the politicians was Ahmadu Bello who was a god-like figure to the Northerners. Before you could say Jihad, all the Sabongaris were on fire and the pogrom that would lead to the civil war has started,
3. Instead of trying to seek immediate political solution to the crisis, the Igbos declared Biafra. They war lasted for 30 months. The Igbos lost everything. The Hausa-Fulani oligarchy took this defeat of Biafra as the conquest of the South. Since then, they have transformed the privilege of leadership into that of a birthright and they have used it not only to stunt the growth of the South but also to subject their people to a state of perpetual servitude and feudalistic iniquities.

1. In 1957, the North threatened to secede if independence was granted to Nigeria because they were not ready. Zik, was supposed to have reached an understanding with Awo to let the North go. But to Awo’s consternation, Zik formed an alliance with the North which succeeded in delaying independence and allowed the North to get ready.

eku_bear:


Zik, simply an asshat. F him.

fstranger1:

Where are all my Igbo internet warriors

They've all suddenly grown wings!

Uncommon is the fact that one cannot put his finger on anything Zik accomplished in Igbo-Land during his stint at Governor-General-ship position. But we remember late Dr. M. I. Okpara’s accomplishments: industrialization and establishment of infrastructures, infrastructures that have collapsed today due to lack of maintenance culture. Some point at University of Nigeria Nsukka [UNN]—but, if really UNN was made possible under his whips and caprices, but one still cannot put hand on any single thing he accomplished since hypothetically UNN was federal.

Zik’s quest for a false-one-Nigerianism profited his coffers and those of his family, while Igbo-Nation suffered the consequences of such “ignorance and lunacy.” Visiting and photo-ops with the Queen of England was dignifying for him than celebrating Daa-Nnedia-Nno-nulo [Grandma at home]. Generational-evils and lack of national-pride, shamelessness in the face of visiting medical facilities overseas funded by fed during his era while domestic medical facilities in our shores where left dilapidated was most-disgraceful. I still think that Awo increased industrialization and free-education in West that benefited her citizenry/region.

Awo’s never pretended altruism founded on strong-tribalism while, Zik’s idealism at—One-Nigerianism was “hot Air”—a charade—an epicenter of self/disillusionment. His rhetoric at glamorizing grammar was an unnecessary distraction. For example: “I have no symbol to symbolize my symbolism,” or “I am not here to Zikify my Zikism, etc, were recipe to under-development/de-industrialization and collapse, etc. A crowd pleaser appellation, which preferred “Zik of Afrikka identifications” over industrialization for the citizenry is “a moral lunacy” at the highest order. The charade which is Pan-Africanism was another “irrelevance”—empty rhetoric that is NEPAD today. The rhetoric—“Pan-Africanism” was by Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah unrealistic. Thusly a jettisoned idealism of “Pan-Africanism—of One Currency State.”

This he did and launched Ghana-Nation into an Independent State with a separate currency away from the façade—“Pan-Africanism.” His false-claims at Independence 1960 as an accomplishment benchmarked on “peaceful overtures” is another national-calamity at best falsehood. The altruism is that Nigerian Students [led by indefatigable NUNS] gave blood that was littered in the streets of Lagos, Ibadan, Enugu in defense the Nation-hood, while Zik’s group attempted to mortgage their future [ like it’s mortgaged from the beginning under imperial-colonialism] in a Technical-Part [code word for Military-Agreement] with Britain in the 60s.

actually a lot of igbos are not really in the habit of defending the likes of zik and ironsi

Who then are the igbos fond of defending?  
Awo, perhaps?   

A MASS MEETING OF IGBOS IN LAGOS (CIRCA 1947/48) RESOLVED THAT ANY FURTHER ATTACKS ON ZIK WILL BE SEEN AS ATTACKS ON THE IGBO NATION ‘CAUSE IF A HEN WERE KILLED, THE CHICKENS WILL BE EXPOSED TO DANGER (COLEMAN 1986: 346)

Hmmmmmm. . . . I wonder what's transpired since then? I wonder, indeed  

T9ksy:

Posted by: asha 80 Today at 09:23:54 PM
Who then are the igbos fond of defending?  
Awo, perhaps?   


Hmmmmmm. . . . I wonder what's transpired since then? I wonder, indeed  

well maybe from hindsight they know better.as for the first question i am sure you already know the answer.

T9ksy:

No I don't!! Pls. indulge me.
On second thought, don't bother, don't really care,

fstranger1:

Another Becomrich = PhysicsMHD

PhysicsMHD:

?

What does this mean exactly?

PhysicsMHD:

Who is "Another Becomrich"? Never seen that username on here.

fstranger1= Another Ezeuche

PhysicsMHD:

Yeah. He recently posted a profile of who he is, in fact. Map genius and Yoruba Beninese philosopher. Electricity engineering guru and childhood friend of most of Nigeria's politicians and their relatives. And of course he is the great mind behind this globe dot com. He may also own several planes.

fstranger1:

What exactly did you not understand about the initial post?

PhysicsMHD:

Katsumoto, I did not have the books on hand to reply with a source, but I made a visit to the library recently for other reasons, and found the sources of what I earlier stated.


1. My original reference to a tip was not to the same tips that you are apparently referring to. I would like to see the source(s) of your claim about the two different tips (Ifeajuna to Zik and Akintola to Bello to Balewa) as I can't recall reading about such tips.


"The concept of a coup in Nigeria was not new. In the constitutional crisis of December 1964, several lieutenant-colonels, mainly Ibos, and including Ojukwu, had talked of military intervention but nothing had come of it and the army, true to its British traditions, had kept out of politics. However, as the situation deteriorated, some of the younger officers began to plot seriously and it seems probable that the 'inner circle' of the January group had its genesis in August 1965, even before the disastrous, catalytic elections in the Western Region ahd taken place. Contrary to popular belief and Nzeogwu's own claim, it appears that the original caucus did not include him. Majors Ifeajuna (the high-jumper) and Okafor (commander of the Federal Guard) were the principal plotters and they brought Nzeogwu - dubbed by one writer, 'the Brutus of the coup' - in later since they needed an efficient and strongly motivated man to direct operations in the North. By the end of October 1965, there were seven officers in the conspiracy: five majors and a captain were Ibos and the remaining major was a Yoruba."- John De St. Jorre, The Nigerian Civil War




"The roles of Ironsi and Ojukwu-both Ibos from the East-have also caused a great amount of speculation; subsequent propaganda has either implicated (Federal) or exonerated (Eastern) them. The favourite interpretation of Ironsi's part is that he was told of the plot by the conspirators and replied something like this, "O.K., boys, if you pull it off, I'm with you, but if you don't, you're on your own.' In a manuscript written by Ifeajuna after the coup, and now believed lost, he claimed 'our general, whom we expected to help us, let us down', but there is no real evidence for this. Ironsi, who had first commanded the Nigerian military contingent then the entire United Nations force in the Congo, was already at the pinnacle of success and was no radical firebrand. In fact, when he had heard that a military move against the government was in the offing in December 1965, he had informed the Prime Minister, but the story was discounted for lack of proof and the general feeling that military coups could not happen in 'stable' Nigeria. Ironsi, 41 years old at the time of the coup and a former N.C.O. in the colonial army, who had risen to be the first indigenous commander of the Nigerian army a year earlier, was poles apart in background, education and temperament from the idealistic and hot-headed young majors, even though he came from the same tribe. His actions on the night of the coup - the fact that he was at a party on a ship in Lagos harbour probably saved his life - and his shock at the death of his comrades (among other deficiencies, Ironsi could list acting) were too genuine to be written off as a clever piece of dissimulation. Moreover, he took quick and brave action, at some personal risk, to crush the coup as soon as he knew about it."- John De St. Jorre, The Nigerian Civil War



Clearly, in December 1965, information about the coup leaked and Ironsi moved to inform the government and was ignored.

Zik decided to get out of there (late 1965) and stay out. Balewa didn't. That was my point. In doing so, he made himself seem like less than a "father of the nation" by running away when things got too hot. Not to say that it wasn't ultimately the right decision. But it was bad for public relations, is what I was saying.

PhysicsMHD:

As for the Akintola to Bello tip of a coup, that's not clear to me so if you could provide a source, I would appreciate it.

Here is what I've read:

"As long as he remained Premier, it became necessary for Akintola to continue to act tough. Plans were made with the Prime Minister and the Sardauna to use force to break the back of the resistance in the West. Akintola and Chief R.O.A. Akinjide, the Federal Minister of Education and Secretary General of the NNDP, went to meet the Sardauna in Kaduna on January 13, 1966. Present at the meeting were the Commander of the Fourth Battalion of the Nigerian Army stationed in Ibadan, Lt. Colonel A. Largema who was a regular visitor to the Premier's lodge and had become a friend of Chief S.L. Akintola. The visit to Kaduna was apparently made to review the security position in the West and to devise what other steps were needed to be taken to guarantee life and property. By this time, the security forces had been stretched to their limits. All the NNDP leaders were by permission of the police acting on instructions from the Prime Minister, provided not only with armed police but also with revolvers which they carried individually. Akintola and his Ministers were told to expect armed attacks by thugs of the UPGA and they were prepared for the worst. The situation was so terrible that when travelling, Ministers of State were followed by armed guards while they themselves carried revolvers. There were frequently armed ambushes of political opponents particularly in areas that the AG refused to give up. Houses of opponents were put to torch while opponents waited at the entrance to kill people trying to escape the fire. Cars of opponents were burned at random; traditional rulers who remained on the side of Chief Akintola were driven away from their thrones. AG and NCNC thugs, particularly the latter, went about on party orders spraying their opponents with petrol and then igniting them with matches. The situation became intolerable for everybody. All the attempts of both the federal and state governments to put down the rebellion proved abortive. It should, of course, be remembered that this chaos was not region-wide, but the disaffection in Abeokuta, Ijebu and Ondo provinces was such that the normal functions of government virtually ground to a halt. The options were few. The Federal Government could again take over the running of the affairs of the region under emergency powers conferred on the Prime Minister by the Constitution or the Prime Minister could back Akintola by force which would be tantamount to a military government in the West. He could let things drift and adopt a "wait and see" policy. He chose the second option of supporting Akintola at all cost.
During the crisis in the West, Chief Akintola had the habit of spending the weekend in his home town of Ogbomosho where he had a huge mansion. He went there apparently for the peace of mind which he never had in the Premier's lodge. He knew that in Ogbomosho, no matter what the situation was, he could count on his own people. It was also his style to be close to his Ogbomosho roots partly out of pride. He knew he would never have been what he was without the support of his people. It was therefore strange when he told his wife on the weekend beginning Friday, January 14, 1966, that he would stay in Ibadan, and that she should go to Ogbomosho, presumably to prepare their mansion for a private visit from Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, who was then on official visit to Nigeria. Mrs. Faderera Akintola left Ibadan and stopped at Igbajo, her home-town, on a circuitous route to Ogbomosho. Chief Akintola had just returned by then from a meeting with the Prime Minister and the Premier of the North, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto in Kaduna. Nobody is sure of what was discussed in Kaduna. Opponents of the three of them claimed that they were preparing to instigate a coup d' etat which would favour their political goals and aspirations. But what was most likely to have been decided was the increased use of the police and the army to subdue and suppress opposition forces in the West. But of course Akintola and the others were in possession of intelligence reports that the NCNC and the AG were planning a military putsch in conjunction with their sympathisers in the army. This report may just have been a figment of their imagination. Whether the tip was dismissed outright or countermeasures were being prepared is not clear to this day. What is certain is that Chief Akintola had just arrived from Kaduna on January 15, 1966, and saw to it that everybody had a cup of Ovaltine with Paludrine, a prophylactic against malaria - a practice he seems to have believed in religiously." - Akinjide Osuntokun, Chief S. Ladoke Akintola: His Life and Times

PhysicsMHD:

Ok, with regard to the Akintola thing, I guess he did try to warn others.


However, as much as I appreciate Omoigui's articles, such as that one the Midwest referendum or the Federal Military Blunders articles or the interviews of people from that era, I have to ask, is there is any actual source of an allegation that Omoigui references when he says "after allegedly being tipped off by his cousin"? Who's alleging?

If we are to take the special branch report as being mostly accurate on things like targets of the coup, this same report, which Omoigui posted and is aware of, says that Zik was never a target, so why would Zik even have to be tipped off by one of the coup members?

I think this is just rumor mongering, but I would happy to see evidence to the contrary.

fstranger1:

Very good conclusion. You must be a Bristol Alum, No?