LegendHero: Today I bring to you a more convincing evidence from the official Gazette of August 1966 that showed Gowon ordered the release of Awolowo and other leaders that are in prison at that time.
He released them under decree 1966 and gave the command under the public seal of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on August 2, 1966.
The leaders Gowon released include: —Chief Obafemi Awolowo —Chief Anthony Eronsele Enahoro —Lateef Kayode Jakande —Michael Adedapo Omisade —Sunday Ebietoma —Effiong Okon Eyo —Samuel Akanbi Onitiri
Below are the links to my former thread where I showed evidence that Gowon released Awolowo from sources which includes, New York Times, Reuters, The Guardian, and Britishpathe.
Here is Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s letter from prison to Major General Aguiyi Ironsi, pressing for his release and that of his colleagues. Unfortunately, this did not happen.
Dated 28th March 1966
CONFIDENTIAL
To: The Supreme Commander and Head of the Federal Military Government, Lagos. Thro: The Director of Prisons, Prisons Headquarters Office, Private Mail Bag 12522, Lagos.
Sir:
Prerogative Of Mercy: Section 101 (1) (A) of the Constitution of The Federation Act 1963
1. I am writing this petition for FREE PARDON under Section 101(1) (a) of the Constitution of the Federation Act 1963, on behalf of myself and some of my colleagues whose names are set out in the Annexe hereto.
2. Before I go further, I would like to stress that the reasons which I advance in support of this petition, in my own behalf, basically hold good for my said colleagues. For they share the same political beliefs with me, and have intense and unquenchable loyalty for the ideals espoused by the Party which I have the honour to lead.
3. There are many grounds which could be submitted for your consideration in support of this petition. But I venture to think that SEVEN of them are enough and it is to these that I confine myself.
(a)In the course of my evidence during my trial, I stated that my Party favoured and was actively working for alliance with the N.C.N.C. as a means, among other things, of solving what I described as ‘the problem of Nigeria’, and strengthening the unity of the Federation. In October 1963 (that is about a month after my conviction and while my appeal to the Supreme Court was still pending), a Peace Committee headed by the Chief Justice of the Federation, Sir Adetokunbo Ademola, made overtures to me through my friend Alhaji W. A. Elias to the effect that if I abandoned my intention to enter into alliance with the N.C.N.C. which, according to the Committee, was an Ibo Organisation, and agreed to dissolve the Action Group and, in co-operation with Chief Akintola (now deceased), form an all-embracing Yoruba political party which I would lead and which would go into alliance with the N.P.C., I would be released from prison before the end of that year.
I turned down these terms because I was of the considered opinion that their acceptance would further widen and exacerbate inter-tribal differences, and gravely undermine the unity of the Federation. TODAY, THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT, OF WHICH YOU ARE THE HEAD, LEAVES NO ONE IN ANY DOUBT THAT IT STANDS FOR NIGERIAN UNITY. BUT IT MUST BE EMPHASISED, IN THIS CONNECTION, THAT IF I HAD PRIZED MY PERSONAL FREEDOM ABOVE THE UNITY OF NIGERIA, I WOULD HAVE BEEN SET FREE IN 1963. IN THAT EVENT, THIS PETITION WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN NECESSARY, AND THE WORK OF CONSOLIDATING THE UNITY OF THE COUNTRY TO WHICH YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES NOW SET YOUR HANDS MIGHT HAVE BEEN MADE EXTREMELY MORE INTRACTABLE AND IRKSOME. As recently as 20th December, 1965, identical peace terms (the only variant being that the alliance with the N.C.N.C. which was now a reality should be broken) were made to me here, in Calabar Prison, by a delegation representing another Peace Committee headed by the self-same Chief Justice of the Federation and purporting to have the blessing of the Prime Minister, with the unequivocal promise that if I accepted the terms my release would follow almost immediately. I rejected the terms for the reasons which I have outlined above.
(b) One of the monsters which menaced the public life of this country up to 14th January, this year is OPPORTUNISM with its attendant evils of jobbery, venality, corruption, and unabashed self-interest. From all accounts, you are inflexibly resolved to destroy this monster. That was precisely what my colleagues and I had tried to do before we were rendered hors de combat since 29th May, 1962. On two different occasions I was offered, first the post of Deputy Prime Minister (before May 1962), and second that of Deputy Governor-General (in August 1962), if I would agree to fold up the Opposition and join in a National Government. I declined the two offers because they were designed exclusively to gratify my self-interest, with no thought of fostering any political moral principle which could benefit the people of Nigeria.
The learned Judge who presided over the Treasonable Felony Trial, commented unfavourably on my non-acceptance of one of these posts and held that my action lent weight to the case of the Prosecution against me. I must say, however, that in all conscience, I felt and still feel that a truly public-spirited person should accept public office not for what he can get for himself — such as the profit and glamour of office — but for the opportunity which it offers him of serving his people to the best of his ability, by promoting their welfare and happiness. To me, the two aforementioned posts were sinecures, and were intended to immobilise my talents and stultify the role of watch-dog which the people of Nigeria looked upon me to play on their behalf, at that juncture in our political evolution.
(c) This leads me to the third ground. From newspaper reports, it would appear that you and your colleagues — like all well-meaning Nigerians are anxious that on the termination of the present military rule, Nigeria should become a flourishing democracy. Now, democracy is a political doctrine which is very intimately dear to my heart.
fatdon1: Here's a bit of history - Chief Obafemi Awolowo(left) with Lt. Col Yakubu Gowon(right), when Chief Obafemi Awolowo was released from Calabar Prison, AUG 3, 1966.
By His Excellency Lieutenant Colonel Yakubu Gowon, Head of the National Military Government, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Nigeria.
WHEREAS Chief Obafemi Awolowo, having been duly convicted of the offences of treasonable felony, conspiracy to commit a felony and conspiracy to effect an unlawful purpose, and sentenced to imprisonment for ten, five and two years respectively on all three counts:
AND WHEREAS the said Chief Obafemi Awolowo, having served a portion of the sentence originally imposed on him in September 1963:
AND WHEREAS the Supreme Military Council after reviewing his case, is pleased to remit the sentence and to grant a full pardon: NOW THEREFORE, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 101 (1) of the Constitution of the Republic and of all other power enabling it in that behalf, the Supreme Military Council do hereby remit unexpired portion of the sentence imposed on the aforesaid chief Obafemi Awolowo and grant him a full pardon.
GIVEN UNDER my hand and the Public Seal of the Republic of Nigeria at Lagos this 2nd day of August, one thousand nine hundred and sixty-six. I had decided to reproduce this to end the argument on the person who ordered the release of Awo. However, we needn't go this far to prove by deductive reasoning alone that Ojukwu could not have been the person.
1. Awo was a federal prisoner and no regional administrator had a say in the affairs of this category of prisoners. Ojukwu did so once (the release of the boys connected to the Jan 66 coup who were imprisoned in the east), but this was shortly b/4 the war started and when the East was already acting as if it were a separate nation from Nigeria.
2. When Awo was released, Ojukwu was still busy fighting for his own life. Following the July 29, 1966 coup, Ojukwu moved from the state House to Enugu Police Headquarters (it was rumoured that he was briefly in hiding at Onitsha but there is no record to prove this) on the evening of July 30 for his own security. It was from here that he carried out all his negotiations with Ogundipe and later, Gowon. In order to return to the State House, he requested for the removal of the Northern troops in the east and for the return of those of the of the east serving in other parts of the nation. Subsequently, this would be one of the key decisions adopted at the regional representatives' meeting which took place in Lagos on 9th August. It was only after this meeting and the subsequent removal of Northern troops in the following days, that Ojukwu felt safe enough to return to his State House.
3. Gowon went to meet Awolowo at the Airport, welcoming with the now famous statement, "we need you for the wealth of your experience." Note: I had mentioned Ikoyi prison (and I querried it) in the previous rebuttal, which I wrote off hand.
At that time, it was 3rd August, 1966 when Gowon said Awolowo should be freed, but I didn’t allow him to be released on that day. That day, I went to the prison, he had heard in the news that he was to be set free that day. When I got there, I said “Papa, I hope you would not be annoyed if I won’t let you go today.” He said: “no, as a law student, you know that unlawful imprisonment is when you are detained against your wish, but, right now, I have been set free. Nobody is detaining me now against my wish. It is my own wish. So at your pleasure, I can stay here until it pleases you to release me.” And I said, “thank you sir.”
There is this narrative that it was the Eastern Nigerian Government under Odimegwu-Ojukwu that released Awolowo?
It’s not true. Awo’s imprisonment was not a state issue, so he could not have been released by Ojukwu. It was [General Yakubu] Gowon that released him. It was the Federal Government, which was in charge of the prisons that released him.
Kingzizzy Nigeriabiafra80 pls read that link... The man isn't a Yoruba man o
Gabriel Egho... The man in charge of awolowo at the prison
Gowon can’t release awolowo in the region he doesn’t have control over August 17 1966 awolowo was released and gowon federal government loss control of eastern region after the coup of july 1966 when igbos were massacred and they left the north in droves Ojukwu failed to recognize gowon Police officers sent to Eastern region by federal government was attacked by easterners due to their grievances and they left so tell me Did gowon flew to calabar to release awolowo? You can’t just post white paper here as evidence Who released awolowo? One thing is to sign paper one thing is to execute the aforementioned Please name the prison warder that release awolowo on gowon directive
It would have been impossible for Gowon to release Awolowo from a Region that did not recognize Gowon as head of state
It does matter what the gazette said. Regional system is not the state system we practice tiday. When there were Regions, the Regions were almost powerful as the federal government. So it does not matter what the gazette said or who clamed to release who. Gowon could not have released Awolowo in the Eastern Region as the Eastern Region did not recognize Gowon and only listened to Ojukwu
Oju Iku, Chinua ashebi abi na ashebe and other coward biafra.ud losers lied aggressively to their mumu children just to cover up for their failures. They told all sorts of senseless lies and their akpu guzzling offspring swallowed all. Many of them that were as poor as a church rat claimed they had properties all over Nigeria that were seized and that they were given 20£. All these lies to make their children not see them as failures. Awon weyrey alaso.
nokatakata: Oju Iku, Chinua ashebi abi na ashebe and other coward biafra.ud losers lied aggressively to their mumu children just to cover up for their failures. They told all sorts of senseless lies and their akpu guzzling offspring swallowed all. Many of them that were as poor as a church rat claimed they had properties all over Nigeria that were seized and that they were given 20£. All these lies to make their children not see them as failures. Awon weyrey alaso.
They didn't deserve the 20 pounds as their money was with Biafra bank.
Gowon can’t release awolowo in the region he doesn’t have control over August 17 1966 awolowo was released and gowon federal government loss control of eastern region after the coup of july 1966 when igbos were massacred and they left the north in droves Ojukwu failed to recognize gowon Police officers sent to Eastern region by federal government was attacked by easterners due to their grievances and they left so tell me Did gowon flew to calabar to release awolowo? You can’t just post white paper here as evidence Who released awolowo? One thing is to sign paper one thing is to execute the aforementioned Please name the prison warder that release awolowo on gowon directive
nokatakata: Oju Iku, Chinua ashebi abi na ashebe and other coward biafra.ud losers lied aggressively to their mumu children just to cover up for their failures. They told all sorts of senseless lies and their akpu guzzling offspring swallowed all. Many of them that were as poor as a church rat claimed they had properties all over Nigeria that were seized and that they were given 20£. All these lies to make their children not see them as failures. Awon weyrey alaso.
Igbo hate truth. They only listen to their elders (who only knows that part of the story which they witnessed). They never made research, so they can't set things right.
SaintBeehot: Igbo hate truth. They only listen to their elders (who only knows that part of the story which they witnessed) They never made research, so they can't set things right.
Which they witnessed
This was the paper given to him at Lagos on 1966. It's written there, he wasn't imprisoned at Lagos.
Awolowo was a criminal and deserved to rot in jail... Just like tinubu.
So you think Calabar prisons in the Eastern Region was under federal might? No it wasnt. Regional system was different. There is no way Gowon could possibly have released Awolowo in a Region that did not recognize him as head of state, a Region that only listened to Ojukwu.
So you think Calabar prisons in the Eastern Region was under federal might? No it wasnt. Regional system was different. There is no way Gowon could possibly have released Awolowo in a Region that did not recognize him as head of state, a Region that only listened to Ojukwu.
It is simply impossible
You these guys with your 2by2 stance on situation won’t cease to amaze me.
So Ojukwu took command of a federal prison after 2-3 days of Ironsi’s demise? Ironsi whose corpse was even missing when Gowon took over.
Ojukwu was Governor for several months while Ironsi was head of states for several month and yet they both don’t deem it fit to release Awolowo.
Gowon came to power and released him in 2-3 days.
Yoruba say aje ke lana, omo ku lo ni, ta ni ko mo pe aje ana lo pa omo je!
Have you heard the saying that critical situation requires desperate attention. Not only did Gowon embraced Awolowo with open hands, he equally released Adaka Boro from federal prison in western region and gave him field commission as a major in Nigerian armed forces. You have to recall that Adaka Boro has never worn a fatigue uniform in his sorry ass life. Be weary of blunders which certain desperate fools are capable. From 1966 to 1970, federal government of the shithole called Nigeria did not have civil operation in eastern region. Gowon could not even venture toward Benin and had no iota of authority to chase a house fly in the defunct eastern region of Nigeria.
YES, after being jailed by Nnamdi Azikiwe , Tafawa Balewa and Ahmadu Bello in conjunction with Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola and High Chief Remi Fani Kayode. You now know whom FFK inherited betrayal from.
. what Op is trying to make clear to is that, Gowon and not Ojuwku released Awolowo.
