Commander Onwurah Zonyanuno Chiazor, the Aide de Camp (ADC) of  Nigeria’s First Republic President, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe who lowered the British Union Jack, is dead. He died in his Atuma Iga village of Delta State in mid September 2022 at the age of 96.[/b]

Commander O.Z. Chiazor, as he’s known in his community, commanded the Guard that lowered the British Union Jack and hoisted Nigeria’s Green-white-green flag at independence on October 1,1960,  62 years ago.

On October 1, 1960, the Union Jack was lowered by Naval Rating Salaudeen Akano, under the command of late O.Z Chaizor, and the Nigerian Flag hoisted at midnight to mark Nigeria”s political freedom.


He however retired from the military in 1964.Engineer Utomi, his younger brother, a retired Naval officer told Prime Business Africa that the 96-year-old took seriously ill the week Queen Elizabeth II was pronounced dead and passed on barely a week later.

PBA gathered that the extended family will announce funeral for the late Commandant Chiazor on October 14. ”His burial is most likely to be early next year,” Engr.Utomi told PBA in a telephone conversation.

The late O.Z. Chiazor was later to become an ADC to Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe  who was Nigeria’s ceremonial president with Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa as Prime Minister from October 1, 1960 to January 6, 1966, until his (Commander Chiazor’s) retirement in 1964.

Nelson Bossman Soroh became the first Nigerian to command a Warship when he took control of HMNS Kaduna from Lt. Commander Watting in December 1960.

However, the first Nigerian to be commissioned as an officer in the navy was Onwura  Zonyeuno [O.Z.] Chiazor. He became a Sub Lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Navy [RCN] in 1957.
Joseph Edet Akinwale Wey who became the first Nigerian Chief of Naval Staff was commissioned in 1958. The former Nigerian national soccer team left back joined the Marine Department in 1939, as a Trainee Junior Technical Assistant. In 1957, he crossed over to the Navy.

Soroh worked in the Marine Department as an Ordinary Seaman in 1948. He was redeployed to the Navy as a Sub.Lieutenant in July 1958. On August 21, 1958 the officer became ‘the first African to be accepted for training at the Royal Navy [RN] for sub-Tech course.’

Chiazor traveled to Canada in 1943, as a stowaway. His mission was to become a medical doctor at the University of Manitoba. A move to the University of Kingston, Western Ontario offered the opportunity to join the University Naval Training Division[UNTD].
It is easy to identify Chiazor as UNTD CATARAQUI “54 U-14505. He became the first African to be commissioned Naval officer by Queen Elizabeth, the Second.

Another Nigerian, Theophilus Uzochukwu Chukwuemeka Okonkwo, who would have passed out from the University of New Brunswick, Canada, as a UNTD officer, pulled out. Okonkwo moved to Patrice Lumumba Friendship University, Moscow. The Soviets, convinced he was an American spy, expelled and ordered him to leave the USSR.

In 1958, Dr.Dennis Osadebe, a prominent politician in the first republic, led a Nigerian delegation to Vancouver.He was accompanied by Chief Jereton Mariere and Mathew Mbu.Chiazor was on duty off the Coast of Hawaii. The Canadians worked out a function that involved the Nigerian delegation and the young officer. When Osadebe saw Chiazor, he thought the latter was an African American.

The officer introduced himself as a Nigerian from Atuma in today’s Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State. Osadebe was pleasantly shocked.
Mbu who was minister in charge of the Navy, was just willing to bring back the officer gentleman to Nigeria to join the Navy.

Chiazor returned to the country, joined the Royal Nigerian Navy [RNN] then headed by Commodore R.A. Kennedy. Both men prepared the Orders and Regulations of the Navy.

Things were smooth in the beginning. Chiazor worked with Governor General Nnamdi Azikiwe as Aide de Camp[ADC]When Cdre Kennedy was leaving, Chiazor recommended Wey to Zik as new Head of the Navy.

By 1960, the Nigerian officers in the Royal Nigerian Navy included Lieutenants Wey, Pearse, Akinloye and Chiazor. Sub Lieutenants Victor Oduwaiye, Oni, Duyile and Martins.

Chiazor commanded the Navy platoon that lowered the Union Jack and hoisted the Nigerian Flag during Independence in 1960. He ordered Salaudeen Akano, an Ordinary Seaman, to lower the British flag.

In 1962, a Royal Canadian Navy squadron of two frigates, Fort Erie and New Waterford, led by Commander L.E. Jenson, visited Lagos. Chiazor was the Liaison officer between the Nigerian Navy and Canadian Navy.

Shortly after, Chiazor ran into trouble. He was a Supply officer, but allegations of misappropriation emerged.  A Court Martial followed and he never recovered from it before crisis began in 1966.

Today, at over 90 years, Commander Chiazor is not a happy old man. Confined to a wheelchair in Atuma and relying on villagers for daily bread, he complains of neglect by the Navy. History, the senior citizen believes, has not been fair to him.

Chiazor feels sad to hear Akano get credit for lifting the Nigerian flag in 1960. Would it be nice to give it to Commander Chiazor who gave the order and not a lowly seaman who merely obeyed orders?

[i]In a twist of fate, Akano rose to become a Commodore and was known as ‘Akano Jack,’ for lowering the Union Jack. At home in Ogbomosho, he was popularly known as  ‘ka sama se daadaa’ [let us be doing good]. Akano died on October 1. He hoisted the Nigerian flag on October 1.

I would not know where to place ‘Nnayi’ Chiazor now. He was for Biafra and he was also for Nigeria during the war. So he said in different interviews.[/i]

Chiazor told Author and Activist, Emma Okocha, in 2014 that: “History will write it that it was me, Commander O.Z. Chiazor, who because of my position, denied the Biafrans victory over Nigeria.”

Biafran Navy commandos were about blowing up NNS Nigeria, commanded by Soroh when Chiazor alerted the Nigerians. Biafra could not react effectively in sea battles due to this.

NNS Nigeria propelled Nigerian battle ships: NNS Bonny, NNS Ogoja and NNS Calabar, among others to deal with Biafra. In the sea campaign, Mike Adelanwa and Akin Aduwo were outstanding. Aduwo had to destroy the Biafran ship of his course mate & buddy, Paschal Jacob Odu. In a show of love, the former asked his pal to come safe. The latter disappeared into the sea and escaped.

The same Chiazor said to journalist, Ahaoma Kanu, in 2015: “But during the war, I had another boy, Anuku, from Agbor, who was in charge of the Biafran Navy.

“ Anuku was my boy and there was no way I could go and serve under him so Ojukwu asked me to be in charge of the Sector in Port Harcourt. I was there during the war…I fought on the Biafran side. I was very close to Ojukwu.”

Captain Wilfred Anuku trained at Dartmouth with Adelanwa. When the Biafran Navy was grounded, he fought in Oguta as a Brigade Commander. He could also have been a GOC.

Strange enough, the Navy will not forget the name Chiazor. On October 4, 2013, Mrs Jean Chiazor-Anishere of Jean Chiazor chambers, led a 5-man team of lawyers to torpedo the Navy for dismissing some top officers in 2007.

The affected officers were: Rear Admirals J.Kpokpogiri, F. Akpan, S.Baje. Cdre E. Omakwu. Captains G. Ohuabunwa, George Alily, H. Efenudu, Cdr. A. Oforibo and Lt. Cdr. Abdullahi.

MY DEDUCTIONS ABOUT THE LIFE AND TIMES OF COMMANDER ONWURA ZONYEUNO CHIAZOR:

-1). "However, the first Nigerian to be commissioned as an officer in the navy was Onwura Zonyeuno Chiazor. He became a Sub Lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Navy [RCN] in 1957....."

Lt Louis Victor Ugoma was the first Nigerian to be commissioned in the Queen Own Royal Nigerian Regiment( present day Nigerian army). While Lt Col.Chukwuemeka Ojukwu was the first graduate to enlist into the Nigerian army,

Meanwhile while Commander Chaizor commanded the Union Jack flag lower party on the night of 1st Oct 1960, then Captain David Ejoor( another Deltan) was parade commander of the troop involved in the historic event the same Night. (Igbo Kwenu!)

-2). "Commander O.Z. Chiazor commanded the Guard that lowered the British Union Jack & hoisted the Nigeria’s Green-white-green flag at independence on October 1,1960(62 years ago).

The Union Jack was lowered by Naval Rating Salaudeen Akano, under the command of late O.Z Chaizor, and the Nigerian Flag hoisted at midnight to mark Nigeria”s political freedom.

-3). Commander Chiazor also served Governor General Nnamdi Azikiwe as Aide de Camp[ADC].

-4). While Commander "Chiazor returned to the country, joined the then Royal Nigerian Navy [RNN] headed by Commodore R.A. Kennedy.

Both men prepared the Orders and Regulations of the Navy. When Cdre Kennedy was leaving, Chiazor recommended Wey to Zik as new Head of the Navy.

This is an act of selfless patriotic act by this man. He didn't lobbied the CNS position for himself as would have been the case in today's Nigerian military.
Meanwhile, "By 1960, the Nigerian officers in the Royal Nigerian Navy included Lieutenants Wey, Pearse, Akinloye and Chiazor. Sub Lieutenants Victor Oduwaiye, Oni, Duyile and Martins..."

Commander Chiazor was the first to enlist into the RNN between him and his fellow Lieutenants then as the most senior in the navy. Perhaps he deferred to Joseph Wey because he has been a rating before being commissioned but after him.

-5). Commander Chiazor also played some diplomatic role for the then RNN; "...in 1962, a Royal Canadian Navy squadron of two frigates, Fort Erie and New Waterford, led by Commander L.E. Jenson, visited Lagos. Chiazor was the Liaison officer between the Nigerian Navy and Canadian Navy....."

-6). So unfortunately, he was to also become a victim of the injustice that Nigeria is made of even when he helped the Nigerian state during the water wars of the Nigerian civil war.

"...it was me, Commander O.Z. Chiazor, who because of my position, denied the Biafrans victory over Nigeria. Biafran Navy commandos were about blowing up NNS Nigeria, commanded by Soroh when Chiazor alerted the Nigerians. ...." (Blood is always thicker than water). Perhaps he was framed up in the spurious court marshal and thrown out of the force. Too bad.

As if not enough, he was even neglect by the Navy and Nigerian government in old age. "...At over 90 years, Commander Chiazor is not a happy old man. Confined to a wheelchair in Atuma and relying on villagers for daily bread, he complains of neglect by the Navy. History, the senior citizen believes, has not been fair to him...."

-7 ). While, Salahudeen Akano will later rose to become a Commodore in the navy, Commander O.Z. Chiazor who commanded the Guard that lowered the British Union Jack and hoisted Nigeria’s Green-white-green flag at independence on October 1,1960, including Akano, ended up a Commander.

-8 ). Strangely, his wife will be the one to fight for some unjustly dismissed senior Naval officers against the same body that unjustly treated her husband like trash.

"...Strange enough, the Navy will not forget the name Chiazor. On October 4, 2013, Mrs Jean Chiazor-Anishere of Jean Chiazor chambers, led a 5-man team of lawyers to torpedo the Navy for dismissing some top officers in 2007.

The affected officers were: Rear Admirals J.Kpokpogiri, F. Akpan, S.Baje. Cdre E. Omakwu. Captains G. Ohuabunwa, George Alily, H. Efenudu, Cdr. A. Oforibo and Lt. Cdr. Abdullahi..."

-9). And ironically again for the umpteenth time, "Commander Chiazor became the first African to be commissioned Naval officer by Queen Elizabeth, the Second....

However, in another twist of fate, "the 96-year-old took seriously ill the week Queen Elizabeth II was pronounced dead and passed on barely a week later."

May your soul continue to rest in peace in so much your sacrifice for fatherland was never appreciated. Respect sir. My condolence to his grieving family.

longetivity:
RIP to a HERO

Corridon:
So FFK is no longer your hero?

waterpouroverfl:
The people you tried to save ended up

Well

waterpouroverfl:
The people you tried to save ended up leaving you for your fate.Well you were only short sighted, while the rest whom fought for Biafra could see from afar

9jaBloke:
Fare thee well sir.

Your generation liberated Nigeria from colonists.