Part 2:

The question is? Who killed Adaka Boro, after this thread you will be surprised to know that Lit Colonel Adekunle killed Isaac Adaka Boro:

History

Isaac Jasper Boro was born to a Kaiama family in present day Bayelsa State of Nigeria, in 1938 and died in mysterious circumstances on May 16, 1968 while fighting to unite Nigeria. [1,2].
Boro was he who shortly after the Jan. 1966 coup declared the first Republic within Nigeria called the Niger Delta Republic that lasted for 12 days... He was a chemistry undergraduate and the president of the studentsʼ union of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, a police officer and at his death, a commissioned officer of the Nigerian Army. See [4] for more details about this aspect of his life as I concentrate on the subject matter of this piece.
It is no use to repeat that Isaac Boro who was jailed by the Maj. Gen. Aguiyi-Ironsi government on recommendation by the supreme court of Nigeria was pardoned by Lt. Col Yakubu Gowonʼs government and later commissioned by the Nigerian Army as an officer to help liberate southern territories under Biafran control. He recruited Rivers men who volunteered to serve under him and gave them brief training at Escravos. According to Obasanjo on page 47 of [1], Boroʼs one- thousand Rivers men were "hurriedly and poorly trained with little or nothing in the way of training facilities and resources". His group was then attached to the 3 Marine Commando Division (then 3 Marine) under the command of Col. Benjamin Adekunle. Adekunleʼs post-war political ambition was captured aptly by Obasanjo in his book "My Command" thus:
"Col. Adekunle, at this point saw the war not only in terms of crushing a rebellion, but also as a means of building himself up for any future political position or responsibility which he might wish to seek, I knew of people of Western State origin who had felt politically victimized and who saw in Col. Adekunle a saviour and told him so, and he believed them."
Is it possible that Adekunle planned the events that led to Boroʼs death as a scheme to take all the credits of the successes of the division at the time and permanently disconnect Boroʼs relationship with Federal headquarters?
Hear Obasanjo again: "At the entrance to my office (Adekunleʼs former office) there was a warning signboard ‘ Enter at the pain of Deathʼ... I removed the notice and flung it some fifty metres..."
If you are following the foregoing, you will notice that the 3 Marine was not making progress at the time Boro and his men joined them. This informed the "hurried" training. But the fortunes of the group was changed by Boroʼs men and again Obasanjo who showed some disdain towards Boro in the style of his writing about Boro in his book, probably because he did not want to give too much credit to a commissioned officer who did not receive formal military training in order to protect the millitary instutution, captured it this way (page 50 of [1]):
"Eket. Here, Isaac Boro and his Rivers men of ‘Sea School Boysʼ had become a significant factor in the operations of the Division. Their knowledge of the riverine areas, their understanding of the local languages, their ability to live off the land and their SWIFT though tactically less accomplished (?) movement accounted for their HUGE success in areas around Opobo, Andoni, Obodo, Opolom, Oranga, Buguma, etc"
The "etc" in the above statement is Obasanjoʼs which I take to mean that the list of areas where Boroʼs men recorded HUGE SUCCESSES was endless. If you recollect that the then Col. Obasanjo was the head of a division at Ibadan at the time and eventually replaced Col. Adekunle as head of 3 Marine Commando, you will take his words seriously. The gravity of his words weighed heavily on me as I realized (by reading the book) that he was not a fan of Boro. Boro and his men were responsible for the huge success of the 3 Marine Commando for which Adekunle took the initial credits.
The fortunes of the 3 Marine Commando dwindled after Boroʼs deathwhich led to the replacement of Adekunle with Obasanjo. Hear again Obasanjo: [2] " The morale of the soldiers at least of 3 Marine Commando Division was at its lowest ebb. Desertion and absence from duty without leave was rife in the Division. The despondence and general lack of will to fight in the soldiers was glaringly manifest in the large number of cases of self-inflicted injuries thoughout the formation..."
The preceding captures the result of the absence of a winning unit after Boroʼs death. It is glaring that the division commander did a miscalculation of thinking he could hold it together without Boro.
Getting back to why I suspect that Boro might have been killed in a conspiracy organized by Col Benjamin Adekunle, the then commander of the 3 Marine Commando division, it is noteworthy that a good number of the men of Boroʼs Brigade had similar suspicion which made them uncontrollable after his death and subsequent dissolution by the powers that-be. Hear Obasanjo: [1]
"It was here in Okrika that Maj. Isaac Adaka Boro was killed, APPARENTLY (emphasis mine) by a fleeing rebel soldier whom he encountered during a private visit. His death led almost immediately to the dissolution of 19 Brigade which became uncontrollable without him"
I took proper notice of the word "apparently" used by a very senior officer who later became a military head of state before writing the book. In Obasanjoʼs mind therefore, the true circumstances leading to death is unknown.
Despite basing my theory on official record of a senior officer of Obasanjoʼs calibre, some informal account that give credence to this exist. In an article recorded on the web in [3], one Mr. Akpobulokemi B. Oborokumo has the following to say:
"My cousin Jones, a Regimental Sergeant Major during the Nigerian civil war told me over and over again that Major Boro did not die in the heat of battle with the Biafran forces. He said the area had already been captured and secured by his company and Major Boro was on an inspection tour when they came under fire. My cousin swore by the Ijaw gods that it was an ambush by one of Brigadier Adekunleʼs units under the scorpionʼs direct command."
There is enough reason for the government of Bayelsa and the legislators from Bayelsa to get the appropriate federal institition to do a fresh investigation to establish true situation that led to his death. All related documents captured in the course of investigation will become useful for further research by interested persons in future.
At the time of putting this together, my copy of Benjamin Adekunleʼs new book had not arrived and since Boroʼs death anniversary of May 16 is past, I thought it timely to give this opinion now and rekindle public interest on the need to answer the question of "Who Killed Adaka Boro".
Thank you.
Reference:
1. General O. Obasanjo. "My Command." Heinneman, Ibadan, 1980.
2. Mr. A. L. Tare-Otu. http://www.unitedijawstates.com/boro.htm"
3. Mr. A. B. Oborokumo. "http://www.unitedijawstates.com/boro.htm"

To be more emphatic one Mr. Akpobulokemi B. Oborokumo has the following to say:
"My cousin Jones, a Regimental Sergeant Major during the Nigerian civil war told me over and over again that Major Boro did not die in the heat of battle with the Biafran forces. He said the area had already been captured and secured by his company and Major Boro was on an inspection tour when they came under fire. My cousin swore by the Ijaw gods that it was an ambush by one of Brigadier Adekunleʼs units under the scorpionʼs direct command." Mr. A. B. Oborokumo.”http://www.unitedijawstates.com/boro.htm"

christistruth01:




The Truth is that Ojukwu's Biafra had a Policy of Slaughtering all it's own Prisoners of War and because of that wicked Policy failed to release any Federal Prisoners of War after it Surrendered
in 1970

Biafra had already Slaughtered all Military POWs
despite it been a War Crime

That doesn't mean the Federal Troops were like them.

Gen Gowon had given the Federal Troops a standard Code of Conduct order and so the Federal Troops had to keep
Prisoners of War from the Biafran Troops that Surrendered to it.



Below is a Photograph of Biafran Soldiers who were Prisoners of War being fed by federal Troops

I never thought you were smart enough to know the intricate rule of war. Ojukwu and Biafra did not declare war therefore not bided by any treaty of war.

gbami:

Igbo people. Never want to accept the truth.
If South-south helps you to achieve Biafra? What next? Use you oppression to destroy others? Put your tribal and family members in strategic positions?
Let me tell you a secret..There will never be an igbo president of Nigeria. A South-south person from Ikwerre bearing or any other parts will replace you.

at ur age u still believe in something becus u hate the tribe. Why nt research urself to knw the truth. I dnt care if NIGER DELTA BECUM THE PRESDO OR NT

PHijo:


Ijaw people, Ikwerre people, Ogoni and many others were used as forced labour. People were forced to have sex in the public to entertain the Igbo. Whole towns were moved to Igboland to act as human shields. Rape was rampant. Men and boys were buried alive.

Their atrocities were just too much!

Who is in his sane sense would want to rape Ijaw woman? Even in Port Harcourt as sex worker, no job for Ijaw girls.

PHijo:


The link you posted was clear on it, Abacha gave 13 percent and not Abacha.

Sorry but it was implemented. by Obasanjo who never opposed implementing it and it is in the Link too and it was he who rammed it through the National Assembly in the face of opposition


There is a big difference between writing a Law and implenting it

Why didn't Abacha or Abdusalami implement it?


Did the Nigerian Government implement the Law from 1913. giving it the responsibility of feeding all Nigerians during a Pandemic. Lockdown?

Knowledgeable People will tell you Nigeria have some of the Best Law in the World (The British wrote many of it) but they are useless due to none implementation


Be certain that it took Obasanjo to implementthat Law


Abacha and Abdusalami never implemented it

Coldie:


I be igbo guy but I bet u I get bad mouth pass u.

Just say I know say attacking u is like me attacking myself, so lemme just shelf it.

Anything I used against u am giving out out enemies tips to use against me in future since am igbo so I go just close mouth if not the finishing for bloody

NOW U SOUND MORE REASONABLE. I MIGHT FIGHT AGAINST MY BRO , AND THAT DOES MEAN I WILL JOIN HANDS WITH OUTSIDER TO FIGHT AGAINST MY OWN. IF U CAN'T SEPERATE THE FIGHT BTW ME AND MY BRO, THEN DON'T JOIN ME IN BEATING HIM UP UNLER U WANT ME TO CHOP OFF UR NOSE. EVERY OTHER TRIBE IN NIGERIA HATE THE IGBO'S, AND I WON'T JOIN HANDS IN HATING MY OWN. IF EVERY ONE IS CHASING MY BRO, AND I JOIN HANDS IN CHASING HIM TOO...THEN WHO WILL ACCOMODATE HIM ? HAVE A NICE DAY BRO

Restructuring is the best option for peaceful coexistence.

theTranslator:

They only want the SS for their coast and oil

Dude, the anti-Ibo drivel you posted is full of factual inaccuracies...

The CEREMONIAL president Azikiwe was out of power by the time of Boro’s insurrection in February 1966 (having already been removed by the coup that deposed the government of Tafawa-Balewa), so how could the arrest of Boro be to retain “Azikiwe’s one Nigeria”? Meanwhile, the military government that ordered and effected the arrest and trial of Boro had at least two Niger Delta officers in senior positions (Commodore Wey and Lt-Col Kurubo. Furthermore, neither Ojukwu nor Ironsi killed Boro. Rather, he died in so-called “mysterious circumstances” in 1968, long after the murder of Ironsi, when he was a member of the Nigerian army fighting on the federal side for the stated cause of ONE Nigeria.
>

christistruth01:



Sorry but it was implemented. by Obasanjo who never opposed implementing it and it is in the Link too and it was he who rammed it through the National Assembly in the face of opposition


There is a big difference between writing a Law and implenting it

Did the Nigerian Government implement the Law from 1913. giving it the responsibility of feeding all Nigerians during a Pandemic. Lockdown?

Obasanjo robbed the communities through his dirty land use act/decree. Everything that would have benefited the Niger Delta communities Obasanjo destroyed or opposed.

His primary purpose for NDDC was to use it as a conduit to finance his political agenda. It had nothing to do with the peoples of the Niger Delta.

It was Obasanjo who stopped oil companies from giving their host communities electricity as part of their corporate social responsibility.

Have you ever asked why arms were taken up against Obasanjo's administration?

Idiko1:


Who is in his sane sense would want to rape Ijaw woman? Even in Port Harcourt as sex worker, no job for Ijaw girls.

That is a 'job' left to Igbo people. Ijaw people don't trade their bodies as commodities.

Arkmanbuddy:



Hhmmm... you're a true historian!

twisted

PHijo:


Obasanjo robbed the communities through his dirty land use act/decree. Everything that would have benefited the Niger Delta communities Obasanjo destroyed or opposed.

His primary purpose for NDDC was to use it as a conduit to finance his political agenda. It had nothing to do with the peoples of the Niger Delta.

It was Obasanjo who stopped oil companies from giving their host communities electricity as part of their corporate social responsibility.

Have you ever asked why arms were taken up against Obasanjo's administration?

You probably don't even know that it is because of Obasanjo's Land use act that Buhari has not yet turned your Communities in Ruga Settlements

The Land Use Act gives the State Governor all State Land to hold in Trust for the States People

It was during Yaradua's time that the Militants took up Arms


NDDC was for developing the Niger Delta and Obasanjo made sure it received funds separate from the Derivation funds

It has been led by Niger Deltans deal with them for it's failure

What did GEJ do that was more than Obasanjo
who. put him in a Position to become President

GeneralPula:
[s][/s]

Awolowo should have fought on Biafra side, even when biafra army have invaded & attacked Lagos, being the capital of Nigeria?

Stop eating too much Akpu. It destroys brain cells if too much in the body.

I only used the assertion of the guy - jones4190 I quoted to expose his hypocrisy which you have just concurred to.

hahahahaha.


it is very easy to make an assertion but when the same assertion is used against you, you start running from pillar to post.

lol

christistruth01:



You probably don't even know that it is because of Obasanjo's Land use act that Buhari has not yet turned your Communities in Ruga Settlements

The Land Use Act gives the State Governor all State Land to hold in Trust for the States People

It was during Yaradua's time that the Militants took up Arms


NDDC was for developing the Niger Delta and Obasanjo made sure it received funds separate from the Derivation funds

It has been led by Niger Deltans

What did GEJ do that was more than Obasanjo
who. put him in a Position to become President

I can see you were a baby when these events took place!

Was Peter Odili governor under Yar'Adua when Ijaw leaders had intervene when militant leader was on verge of taking government house Port Harcourt?

It was under chief Obasanjo that chief Asari-Dokubo and late chief Alamieyeseigha were locked up. That led to the formation of MEND. Prior to the formation of MEND armed agitation had already started.

So LGAs could not have been " custodians" of our land?
Traditional rulers can't oversee land ownership in their own space.

We know Obasanjo's primary purpose was to steal resources from resource rich communities.

The Fulani have issues with Igbo and Yoruba, not us. If RUGA would take place is it in the creeks that would be done?

It is a lie!
Have you read on the process to award contracts? What about the 100s of billions of Naira Obasanjo owed NDDC?

Who cares? Did we tell you we wanted Nigeria's presidency? Did you see any militant come out because the North west and South west decided to foist Buhari on Nigeria?

Your country is not that important!

If not any other thing, Jonathan pushed the Nigerian Content act which benefited the whole country.

Many of the things he tried to do, you bigots prevented it because you have the parliamentary majority. You thought you were punishing the Niger Delta but you punished yourselves. Locked out investments, made the oil sector less attractive ,emboldened and empowered Boko Haram.

Jonathan did what your law permitted him to do. If he was like Obasanjo or Buhari, he would have disobeyed the law.

What Jonathan did for us was to expose the hypocrisy, jealousy and bigotry of Southern Nigerians.

At least we now know who our real enemies are in Nigeria!

AnanseK:




It is foolish to present the so called Aburi Accord as a Declaration accepted by all Nigerians even without its distortion here, Aburi accord was as illegal and illegitimate as the killer military coupists that made it. They had no mandate to make any such agreements for Nigeria. And If you insist that Military Government has the mandate to make such agreements , you must also agree that another Military Government has the mandate to quash it. Period. Such agreements cannot even be made by a democratic National Assembly. A referendum is required. I’m not aware that Aburi was a Nigerian referendum.

I won't call you a fool but you sure sound like one, a head of a military government can take any decisions what soever with out consulting anybody, if a military government does consultation before deciding on anything, that makes it government of the people which is now democracy. again, why didn't Gowon respect the agreement & implement it first, let see the next government that will quash it. According to you that head of military government is not suppose to take decisions, then what is Nigeria still doing with the 1999 constitution that was given to them by military government, see it baffles me why someone will decide to sound foolish & stupid just to undermind the Igbos.

hollah123:
rugaria, gidgiddy, officialgarri, Eastlink, proeast2, hammervj, Asgard13, afonjaconehead, FSU, Sctests, fahdiga, mayniaa, cynthialove

what do u people have to say?

So tagging me together with IPOB clowns. I don’t follow herd mentality.

Eastlink:
So tagging me together with IPOB clowns. I don’t follow herd mentality.

Look who's talking...

skybeauty:

Igbo history
This is Isaac Adaka Boro from Rivers state, A man who killed over 1.2 million igbos in defence of one Nigeria during the Biafra Nigeria civil war, the properties belonging to igbos were taking away by his men n some Rivers state elders... is unfortunate most igbos are bad student of history and history might repeat it self again because right now I can see thousands and one Isaac Adaka Boro in ijaw land. Let me explain something most igbos don't remember: Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro, from Kaiama (in present day Bayelsa State), was born in September 10, 1938 in Oloibiri.
Isaac Boro,was a Chemistry student at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, he became the Student Union President of the University. Despite this support and political patronage he got from his Igbo brothers at the university yet he hate the igbos with passion, Boro led the first revolution of resource control in Nigeria few months after Aguiyi Ironsi became the Head of State of Nigeria.
He formed the Niger Delta Volunteer Force (NDVF), the first armed militia of only Ijaw extraction. On February 23, 1966, Boro and his NDVF declared the Niger Delta Republic. This was the first time any part of Nigeria tried to secede. He believed that the Ijaw people deserved a fairer share of proceeds of the oil wealth than they were getting from the Federal Government.
For twelve days Boro and his militias battled the Federal forces before they were finally defeated by the far superior Federal firepower. Isaac Boro and some of his men were convicted of treason and sentenced to death, but aguiyi Ironsi out of mercy and love the igbos have for the ijaw people decided to jail him instead of killing him as demanded by the Northern leaders and some South West elders.
On the eve of the Biafran-Nigerian war in May 1967, Yakubu Gowon granted him political amnesty and drafted him into the Nigerian Army as were advice by the British Government. He was afterwards commissioned as a major in the Nigerian Army. With his army of 1000 Ijaw soldiers he fought alongside Col. Benjamin Adekunle, who was heading the 3rd Marine Commando Division of the Nigerian army. With their deep knowledge of the Niger Delta creeks, Boro and his men guided the federal forces and killed over 1.2m Biafrans in the Region. Boro fought with the Nigerian forces thinking as they had promised him he was liberating the Niger Delta from Biafran forces. He however never realised he was handing his people and the huge resources in the region into the hands of Hausa-Fulani and Yorubas who pillaged the region for years to come and impoverished his people till date..

Sensible Igbos see Ijaws for what they are.
Deluded IPOB and their leadership are playing the Ostrich.

PHijo:


I can see you were a baby when these events took place!

Was Peter Odili governor under Yar'Adua when Ijaw leaders had intervene when militant leader was on verge of taking government house Port Harcourt?

It was under chief Obasanjo that chief Asari-Dokubo and late chief Alamieyeseigha were locked up. That led to the formation of MEND. Prior to the formation of MEND armed agitation had already started.

So LGAs could not have been " custodians" of our land?
Traditional rulers can't oversee land ownership in their own space.

We know Obasanjo's primary purpose was to steal resources from resource rich communities.

The Fulani have issues with Igbo and Yoruba, not us. If RUGA would take place is it in the creeks that would be done?

It is a lie!
Have you read on the process to award contracts? What about the 100s of billions of Naira Obasanjo owed NDDC?

Who cares? Did we tell you we wanted Nigeria's presidency? Did you see any militant come out because the North west and South west decided to foist Buhari on Nigeria?

Your country is not that important!

If not any other thing, Jonathan pushed the Nigerian Content act which benefited the whole country.

Many of the things he tried to do, you bigots prevented it because you have the parliamentary majority. You thought you were punishing the Niger Delta but you punished yourselves. Locked out investments, made the oil sector less attractive ,emboldened and empowered Boko Haram.

Jonathan did what your law permitted him to do. If he was like Obasanjo or Buhari, he would have disobeyed the law.

What Jonathan did for us was to expose the hypocrisy, jealousy and bigotry of Southern Nigerians.

At least we now know who our real enemies are in Nigeria!

In Short you mean Obasanjo is a jealous bigot

Sorry but you are Wrong

hollah123:
rugaria, gidgiddy, officialgarri, Eastlink, proeast2, hammervj, Asgard13, afonjaconehead, FSU, Sctests, fahdiga, mayniaa, cynthialove

what do u people have to say?

The same Nigeria killed those two people thereby rendering obscure all that help they gave them which helped to leave their people in perpetui inimici

GreatEbonyi:
I won't call you a fool but you sure sound like one, a head of a military government can take any decisions what soever with out consulting anybody, if a military government does consultation before deciding on anything, that makes it government of the people which is now democracy. again, why didn't Gowon respect the agreement & implement it first, let see the next government that will quash it. According to you that head of military government is not suppose to take decisions, then what is Nigeria still doing with the 1999 constitution that was given to them by military government, see it baffles me why someone will decide to sound foolish & stupid just to undermind the Igbos.

Gowon could quash the agreement or respect it. He chose to quash it. As you pointed out “a military head of state can take any decisions whatsoever without consulting anybody.” Your own words. QED. So what’s your problem?

Blackman7:


I dey laugh. Which cambridge, or the one in orlu? U gullible brainwashed demented sickly pigs have idiolized you god king scammer cownu that u believe every word he says and he milks u dry. What business does he own and what has he ever done for a living.

You just described your self. Congratulations

Eastlink:
So tagging me together with IPOB clowns. I don’t follow herd mentality.

Shut up you are the clown here

AnanseK:


Gowon could quash the agreement or respect it. He chose to quash it. As you pointed out “a military head of state can take any decisions whatsoever without consulting anybody.” Your own words. QED. So what’s your problem?

You are the one that has a problem by trying to defend rubbish, of course Gowon quashed it no doubt every body knows that, so it is also right to say that Gowon was the one responsible for the civil war that claimed over seven million lives & the genocide melted against the Igbos, he should be ready to face the ICC when the time comes, & he is also the one to be blame for the mess the zoo called Nigeria is in today by that his stupid action of not implementing the aburi agreement, hope you concur.

Truthwords:


Before you start taking go and find out about Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. He is a graduate of political science from Cambridge. He comes from a rich family and you are busy comparing dead meat buhari to him. I dey laugh

Rich family?! We all saw the shack that his father called a palace that the Nigerian Military attacked with only two guns and the whole edifice crumbled. Cambridge indeed.

This thread was about the Aburi agreement. Most of those who have commented so far have side stepped the Aburi agreement to talk about unrelated matters

I expected this. To talk about the Aburi agreement is to expose the fraudulent foundation of the current Nigeria

gidgiddy:
This thread was about the Aburi agreement. Most of those who have commented so far have side stepped the Aburi agreement to talk about unrelated matters

I expected this. To talk about the Aburi agreement is to expose the fraudulent foundation of the current Nigeria

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thenewsnigeria.com.ng/2019/10/12/blast-from-the-past-why-the-aburi-accord-failed-philip-asiodu/amp/


The NEWS
Posted in National News
Blast from the Past: Why the Aburi Accord Failed- Philip Asiodu



Philip Asiodu

For many Nigerians, the failed implementation of the famous accord reached in Aburi, Ghana by leaders of the contending federal and secessionist forces during the internecine hostilities that led to the civil war in Nigeria 45 years ago, is at the root of the crisis of structure and federalism in the country today. The accord, was allegedly breached by then Head of State, Gen Yakubu Gowon, acting on the advice of permanent secretaries. Chief Philip C. Asiodu, one of the central Super permanent secretaries of the era, and prime actor of the day, recounts the details, no holds-bared, revealing and insightful.

Excerpts:

Nigeria is at a crossroads. Some blame it on the amalgamation of 1914. Some blame it on the constitution. Some blame it on so many things. Military intervention and all that. What do you think is responsible for the instability in the country?

I think what we are suffering from in Nigeria is a failure of leadership. Because if you look at Nigeria, you are practically one race. Our appearances too don’t vary too much. Countries which are great today, keep trying and taking their steps. The United States of America is a fantastic example of how we can get people from diverse backgrounds. Why do I say it is a failure of leadership? What are people reacting to? Suppose in this country with the enormous endowments God gave us- natural resources- we are moving forward, developing ourselves with it, that people get requirements as human beings, they want shelter, they want food, they want a situation in which you know that your child has good prospect to be better off than yourself. These are the things people demand. And if you give it to them, they do not ask where you came from.

In this country, when we started in the first republic, with the accommodation made by the leaders, we started developing. Before then, under the British, it didn’t matter where you came from. I was the son of a civil servant. Born in Lagos, within three months posted to Calabar. Back to Lagos. Southerners were in different parts in the North. Northerners were here. Even at the eve of independence …What went wrong?


You just posed the question back to me but I will return it to you. What went wrong?

This is what I am going to address. Supposing we had a leadership, which continued to preach as, they did in mobilizing us towards independence. Preach of the great role for Nigeria as a catalyst for African renaissance. As a catalyst for re-establishing the pride and respect of the black man, so thunderously and criminally destroyed in the three hundred years of colonialism and slave trade. Supposing we have leadership pointing to a greater height.

When I was a student, we used to pay with our own pocket money to go and listen to Dr Zik, it wasn’t the politics we have today. People were telling us that when we become independent, life would be better. And as soon as they got regional self-government in the West, in the East, and the North. What did we see? Scholarship schemes, much more than the British ever did. New schools. Industrial estates. And progress was there. If you were around in the fifties, in the run up to independence, so great was the expectation. So happy were the people, because things were literally improving.

Immediately after the independence, before the crisis, we were growing at more than six per cent per annum. Inflation was less than 2 per cent. So you could see visible improvement and people were happy.


Gowon and Ojukwu at Aburi, Ghana

Unfortunately, we had this terrible military intervention in 1966. Maybe well intentioned by the young boys; but extremely naive and extremely disastrous to expect that four majors had the answers to the great problems of Nigeria. And they began the destruction of African liberation. Because, after that political parties were banned then there was a counter coup, July 1966, which then destroyed what was left of the Nigerian Army. And put us in the hands of servile officials, who had not reached the level in the Army at which officers used to be brought into council with civilians to determine the affairs of state. Luckily, the first two military leaders, Ironsi and Gowon led the government which was able when things looked very bad to keep semblance of normalcy to get government restored. But those coups as it were has effectively terminated our political revolution. The views of the founding fathers which would have lifted us above our dreams, because man does not live by bread alone. You must be inspired to join this hype. But what happened? In 1975, there was a coup against General Gowon.

The military destroyed the state. They then proceeded to remove ten thousand civil servants- the best amongst them. Destroyed institutional memories. Destroyed continuity. Destroyed commitment to service- selfless service. Destroyed respect for public funds and public property. And having now got the civil service prostrate, no checks and balances. Worse than that, they then abandoned the 75-80 plan which was to introduce the transformation of the economy radically . That plan talked about moving on to produce capital good.

Having a solid base for industrialization and value added economy, they abandoned it. I am sad to say, the leading members of that government which succeeded Gowon, Murtala and Obasanjo, were members of Gowon’s cabinet which approved this plan. Why did they abandon it? And it is that abandonment of the plan (75-80) which initiated our divergence from the good path of the Asia Tigers. Up till that time, we were not behind Malaysia. We were not behind Singapore. In fact, Malaysia came here to take palm seedlings to begin their economy after they succeeded in beating back the communist insurrection. Malaysia had even more serious problems than ourselves ……they do not take religion the way some of us take it, Christians and Muslims. But they had faith go to that place now, you will be proud of what they have achieved.

Now, they abandoned not only the plan, but the discipline of planning. And once, you abandon the discipline of planning, which gives you priority that when money comes, this is what abc will do. When money comes, it disappears and there would be nothing to show for it. And it was that combination that resulted in declining activity

Before the coup of 1975, the country was growing at 11.75 per cent per annum after the civil war. Imagine, if we had continued on that trajectory for 10 more years, 20 more years, we would not be talking about poverty today. We will be nearing first world. We will be with the big countries. Now, that plan was abandoned and the discipline of planning. And then what happened? Money came but not with planning. Things would have continued evolving, people having quality education. Up till 1975-1980, Nigerian Universities was ranked then among the first 200 in the world. Now, we are not even up to the first 1500. See the decline, because of no planning and coups.

This Boko Haram, this instability has just crept up consequently out of the failure of leadership and good governance. Not that we are not able as we were six years ago. If you are not responsible to the peoples need, you may still have power. But the leadership and commitment are not there.

So, coming back to what I am saying, what is the failure of leadership? I have told many people, you can go and look at the books. Throughout British stay in Nigeria, revenue never rose more than 40 million pounds a year. Forty million pounds a year for the central government. Under Balewa and Okotie-Eboh, it reached 60 million pounds a year. Under Gowon in the second year, we were already in the civil war, that was when it reached 100miilon pounds. We fought that civil war and came out of it without borrowing. Now what did the British, what did the first republic do with the little resources they had. The habours of Lagos, Warri, Sapele, Port Harcourt, Calabar were built under the British.

CONTINUATION Part 2


The NEWS
Posted in National News
Blast from the Past: Why the Aburi Accord Failed- Philip Asiodu

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thenewsnigeria.com.ng/2019/10/12/blast-from-the-past-why-the-aburi-accord-failed-philip-asiodu/amp/

When I left kings college, I went straight to Oxford University. Can you do that today? The five thousand kilometres of telegraph lines, crisscrossing the county. And the four thousand kilometres of railway crisis crossing the country. Thousands of kilometres of telegraph lines, were constructed under Gowon, and since Gowon nothing has been added and mark you, it was only in 1975 that after negotiation, we agreed with partial nationalization of shell and other oil companies did we begin to think of these oil revenue that you are talking about. And under Gowon, in that 1975 revenue was to come to about 4bilion naira. But he was removed three months of implementation, but I know that from January 1999 to 2007, because of the unprecedented escalation of oil prices, this country must have earned about 300billion US dollar.What have we done? …Abuja. That is all. But even Abuja is about 60 per cent private investment in property and all that. So, you see the consequences of leaders not adhering to the discipline of planning.

Two, they rail roaded us to the destruction of our political evolution. Because after 13 years in 1979, the Army said politicians should come back to power. At that time, Zik was still alive. Shagari, others. So, the politicians of the second republic still had the dreams and motivation of our founding fathers. Then came the terrible coup of December 1983. Politicians , many of them were locked up. 24 months, 27 months, no questions asked. Everybody scattered. Then in 1985 another coup, Babangida came to power. He was nice, his intention would have been good, but it was in turn characterized by things beginning to happen without base. People talk about the age of settlement. It seemed as if integrity, honesty, respect for public property, use of public fund went backward. Finally, the civil service having been practically destroyed in the 1975 putsch, this time introduced a new reform whereby permanent secretaries were no longer to be called permanent secretaries but director generals. They were no longer accounting officers. And the principle of having accounting officers who are permanent secretaries is because ministers come and go. Parliament come and go, but the officials should be there to account to subsequent Public Accounts Committee of subsequent parliaments. That was the system. But worse than that, ministers now think they could hire and fire civil servants. And if there is anything, the British did to where they were, to India, Canada, Australia, Malaysia, it was that professional, objective civil service, tenure guaranteed, rules upheld, if you breach those rules, you are punished instantly. We now politicised our civil service, made them impermanent, made them insecure, and of course what has happened? They have been cohorts with the rest of the politicians in the total abuse of public funds. As we are now reading, scams of billions, it is unthinkable.

You spoke about the coup, Ojukwu and the famous Aburi accord which tried to address some of these problems. What in your opinion led to the collapse of the Aburi Accord.

You see unfortunately, the dramatist personae of the time, many of them have gone. Anything not founded on objectivity , transparency and truth cannot last. Somehow, Ojukwu persuaded Gowon that they were going to Aburi as gentlemen of the Nigerian Army to discuss certain things. Acknowledgement of what happened. Already, of course he knew that after the pogrom against Easterners, against Igbo in 1966, the Army, except in Lagos and the West had gone back to their places of origin. Now, no need bringing officials. So, guys we’re going to talk as officers and gentlemen. Of course Gowon did not inform his secretary to government. He did not tell anybody, until the eve of the day he was going. So, if you were going to a conference, you will normally say what is the agenda. You will prepare, with the assistance of the agenda.

Think about them. Think about various scenarios, and go and discuss. That didn’t happen. Lo and behold when they reached Aburi, there was Ojukwu with a battery of permanent secretaries and one of the most formidable intellectual this country has ever produced, Dr Pius Okigbo. All in the delegation. Who went with Gowon? Nobody. Not even secretary to the government. None of the so-called permanent secretaries. And they went there and talked and said they reached agreement. He stepped down as supreme military commander and they talked about the divisions in the Nigerian army and if Nigeria was attacked, then they will consult and decide whether they are going to fight.

In modern days it took like 24 hours to finish Poland. You will still be consulting. Anyway, be that as it may, nobody could make ambassador, nobody becomes a super scale officer, senior assistant secretary, group 7 except there was a unanimous agreement. And if you know history, there was once in history where a single member of the parliament can exercise veto.

They did this and they came back. Just like they looked at the proposal after the second coup of July 66, some of the northern assistants in Nigeria, were saying we will blow up Carter bridge, blow up the second mainland bridge.

When they subjected this Aburi accord to simple analysis, it was simply saying Nigeria is no more practically. And civil war or no civil war, then chaos would have started later. All the same, we said look, … if we still want to be a country….authority which deals with customs, currency, federal trunk roads, foreign and external defences, that is more than enough for a government. But it must be able to act. You can not say that in the Ministry of Defence, you can not promote somebody a Lt Col, except you have a unanimity. You cannot move one plane to another place except through unanimity. Even when you have those limited powers, they must be able to function. And you cannot function in the context of those things they said. And then what you have is four countries.

And the permanent secretaries vetoed it?

No . the permanent secretary made analysis and said look, if you are really serious, if you say you are having Nigeria, you must have central function which must be fulfilled. There is no need saying this is central function and you cannot fulfill it. So, we analysed and said these were based on incorrect premises. People came with proper papers, well formulated. The other side just went thinking they were going to do initial breaking of the ice. Therefore, please try to reconcile this to ensure that we still have a country. Gowon in fairness, vetoed that approach, and still proceeded to have decree number 8 of 1967. If you go and read that decree, and if the East had accepted that decree, there would have been no need for secession. Nigeria would have disintegrated within three months. And you cannot move anybody without unanimity. You collect revenue, you cannot transfer it…

Decree 8 was an affirmation of Aburi accord?

It was an affirmation of the Aburi accord which gave the East under Ojukwu, more than 95 per cent of what Aburi meant. But because there were maybe one or two phrases which they didn’t like, if they read that thing and it is still there, they have got what they wanted. But if it was such, that hostilities would have broken out among four independent countries. Not one on one.

And I think, we don’t have much time now. With the present challenges in the country and the lack of serious effort to address the issue, we may even be in worse position if we are not careful. Because, this time, it will not be federal versus Biafra, but among 110 million people. So we are going to end up with warlords, if authorities should finally break down and I appeal to God that we avoid that, by stopping all these jokes as if we can continue milking this country forever. What we are doing is not sustainable. And the sooner we address, try to create a new national austerity programme, discipline ourselves, decide that we cannot be millionaires, billionaires in little islands with a whole ocean of poor wretched people, there would be this tsunami which will overwhelm all of us.

So, the leadership now has a big challenge to begin to readdress things. We can’t carry on like this. But I am saying that whereas in 1967 we had an authoritative civil service which commanded respect, across Nigeria and internationally, we still had a fairly disciplined Police Force. We still had fear. People didn’t take government fund and use it with impunity. There was shame to be jailed or detained for corruption. All these underpinnings of society must be respected and because the things to prevent us from horrendous, murderous anarchy are not in place and we should not over try our luck.

But coming back from what I was saying. Go and read decree 8, if we had implemented it in three months, we would have had four independent states.

Why was it not implemented?

Because, it didn’t satisfy the Easterners. The decree had been promulgated by Gowon. It was to be implemented then. But it was seen by Ojukwu as not being sufficient. I am saying that politics is something which has to be played with some tact. Sometimes my brothers there see black and white where there is immediately green in between. Sometimes, there is really no finesse in politics. They will think the reality is not important as how you get there. The reality was that Nigeria was finished under decree number 8. The reality is that although it was finished, they didn’t proclaim ‘we hereby dissolve Nigeria’. But that was of no effect. You go and read it. But it was rejected . Having been rejected, these people have no obligation to it anymore.

And that led to the civil war and Gowon now declared Police action on Biafra?

Ojukwu now called his people and said we went to Aburi , Aburi has not been respected. We must defend ourselves. We must think a way of saving Nigeria, and if it came to secession. I want your mandate. He got the mandate.

Gowon then replied. Before then, he had told the Northerners that the killings had gone too far, and must have to stop. He then said everything will be done to make amends. He said we will bend backwards, implement certain decision these soldiers, go back to your places of origin. But then, he added that if it becomes necessary to defend the integrity of Nigeria by force of arms, he will do so.

I was a friend of Emeka Ojukwu from Kings College, we were friends in Oxford. And when he was made military governor, he invited me to go with him. And I told him, that I do not believe in regional politics. And of course, at that time in fairness to Ojukwu and co, nobody was talking about regions. He said we will abolish the regions in a few months. Obviously, like Army men, they still talked of unitary structure and all that. And I simply told him that by the time you live with a people, participate in their hopes and dreams, you are a different person. That is that.

Then few of us- Alison Ayida, late Aliu Martins, myself, Abdulaziz, who served in the East, ‘we went to ask Ojukwu what is it you want so that we could prepare the ground for a meaningful conference, where every side would know what they are saying.’ Eventually, just as Ojukwu was warming up to tell us what he wanted , so that we could have come back to Lagos, sell those ideas to Gowon, and see if we can reach agreement, C. C. Mojekwu came and broke up the meeting.

He destroyed that last chance, and we flew back empty handed. Before they started cooking up the Aburi, they went there with unequal preparation. But before then, General Gowon was only communicating with him as an officer. He did know that behind Ojukwu, people were working. So, we didn’t want Ojukwu to get the wrong impression. In anyway, we then agreed that a letter be prepared, addressed from my house, signed by Alison Ayida,who was in Oxford (cuts in, he was in Oxford too?) at the same time? Two of us signed this letter trying to spell out to him the consequences of what will happen if secession was declared. That there would be war and if there is war, until you vanquished federal authority, you will not get recognition which will give you access to the sea, and so on.

I can be embittered. I can feel for my people. But I have a duty to make sure that every step I take, I have calculated all the scenarios and make sure that in the worst scenario , I am not taking them to a worst decision.

If one was there, one would have pointed out certain things. He knew that we proclaimed a state for Rivers people, Ogoja people. One thing the federal government did was to order a sea blockade. And instead of making loose speeches like no power in black Africa can stop Biafra, you had to sit down and count what guns you have. Igbos were three quarter of the officer corps before the coup of 1966. But I doubt if they were even 5 per cent of those carrying guns. Fulani maybe five per cent of the officer corps. But the people carrying guns were mainly from Benue / Plateau area.

But the critical thing is that the man who said they can’t be blockaded; didn’t do much. If at that time Igbos probably went and bought two merchant ships, with Igbo captains who were ready to risk their lives, it is a different thing. But to have no boats, and think a white man or a blue man with captain will risk his life against NNS Nigeria? No.

These were some of the things. One thing is to draw up an agreement. Rhetoric. Our job as good civil servants was to see how this can be implemented. How it can be monitored to achieve what you say is your purpose? I am sorry, that was not quite there. Hence, we went into what we went into.

I still believe that when you go and read it and see all the powers which had been conceded, and all the things which were subject to veto by just one person because it required unanimity, decree number 8 promulgated by Gowon had given 95 percent of the substance. And if it was taken, it was only a matter of three months for everybody to realize that there was no Nigeria.

But as night follows day, we have become used to economic integration. So, the point is whether 1914 was described by whoever, was it Sar’duana, I don’t know, as a mistake, and has been taken up by some southern irredentists as a mistake, the point is that we have gotten used to certain extremes, which we cannot wish away. Which if we wish away will bring us to a lower standard of living than we are used to now.

-nigerianvoice.com

This was the Decree 8 of 1967 which Gen Gowon issued in accordance with what was agreed at Aburi but which was completely rejected by Col Ojukwu




Decree 8 of 1967

The main feature of this Decree in the vesting in the Supreme Military Council of both the legislative and executive powers of the Government of the Federation. The Federal Executive Council which has hitherto exercised these powers has now been divested of them and it is henceforth to discharge those functions that are specifically delegated to it by the Supreme Military Council.

2. In the exercise of these legislative and executive powers, the concurrence of the Head of the Federal Military Government and of all the Military Governors is, for the first time, made essential in respect of certain matters which are set out in section 69 (6) of the Constitution. These are, to mention a few, matters affecting or relating to trade, commerce, industry, transport, the Armed Forces, the Nigerian Police, Higher Education, and the territorial integrity of a Region and the provisions of the sections listed in the proviso to section 4 (1) of the Constitution.

3. On the other hand, the legislative and executive powers of the Regions have been fully restored and vested in their respective Military Governors. But the provisions of section 86 of the Constitution of the Federation ensure that no Region shall exercise its executive authority so as to impede or prejudice the exercise of the executive authority of the Federation or to endanger the continuance of federal government in Nigeria.

4. The provisions of section 70 of the Constitution of the Federation give powers to the Supreme Military Council to take over the executive and legislative functions of a Regional Government during any period of emergency which might be declared in respect of that Region by the Supreme Military Council, while those of section 71 give the Supreme Military Council power to take appropriate measures against a Region which attempts to secede from the rest of the Federation, or where the executive authority of the Region is being exercised in contravention of section 86 of the Constitution.

5. On the question of amendment to a Regional Constitution, section 5 of the Constitution of the Federation has been suitably modified to the effect that in respect of certain matters mentioned in the section like, the appointment, tenure of office and terms of service of High Court judges, the functions of the Public Service Commission, the establishment of a Consolidated Revenue Fund, etc., andy Edict made shall come into operation only with the concurrence of the Supreme Military Council.

6. The Advisory Judicial Committee established under Decree no. 1 of 1966 and which before now tendered advice to the Supreme Military Council regarding appointment of judges all over the Federation ahs been abolished. Each Military Governor now controls appointment of judges of the High Court of his Region. But the appointment of the judges of both the Supreme Court of Nigeria and the High Court of Lagos is made the sole responsibility of the Supreme Military Council.

7. All appointments to posts in the superscale group 6 and above in the Public Service of the Federation and appointments to posts of Deputy Commissioner of Police and above in the Nigeria Police Force are now to be made by the Supreme Military Council. The functions formerly discharged under sections 110 and 146 of the Constitution of the Federation by the Federal Public Service Commission and the Police Service Commission respectively are now to that extent limited. 8. Appointments to the offices of Ambassador, High Commissioner and other principal representatives of the Republic in countries other than Nigeria are now, under the Decree, to be made by the Supreme Military Council.


Compiled by NOWAMAGBE AUSTIN OMOIGUI, MD

gidgiddy:


What Asiodu never told you, or the rest of Nigeria, is that Gowon took back that "97%" on the 27th of May 1967 when he enacted Decree 14 which dissolved all 4 Regions, replaced them with 12 states, took away resource control and fiscal federalism.

That was the final straw that broke the camels back and made Ojukwu to declare Biafra three days later

Stop telling lies it was after Ojukwu’s rejection of Gowons decree 8 implementation of Aburi that Gowon announced 12 States in reply.