₦airaland Forum

Beaf: @ACM10
Your interpretation is so faulty that its laughable.
Allow me ask a single damning question:
What was the SMC?

SMC, just like AFRC iz a body of unelected top khaki boyz that are vested with executive and legislative power. But don't be fooled. The person that runs the show iz the Commander-in-chief, while the SMC iz a rubber-stamp body filled with hiz loyalists. Anyone that disagreez with the C-in-C iz either liquidated on trumped-up charges or summarily retired.

Now back to the topic.
1. What provisionz in this decree made Nigeria a Confederation?
2. How does this decree differ from 1999 Constitution?(frankly I see no difference)

CyberG: Cowardly stupi.dly people only run away from their problems or throw up their hands in defeat anytime adversity comes calling.

What are those problems, Valiant man?

Jeez! I never knew that some narcotics are radio-opaque

Beaf: Nigeria was effectively declared a confederacy.

Beaf, I will suggest that you borrow Government textbook from your couzin and note the difference between FEDERATION, CONFEDERATION and UNITARY system of government.
In Confederation, the centre iz at the mercy of the regionz. The region controls security, some aspectz of foreign policy, monetary policy, resources(and payz a token to the centre to keep them alive) and makez its own law without consultin the center.
In Federation, the relationship iz 50:50.
Unitary system iz the reverse of Confederation.
What aspect of Decree 8 iz consistent with Confedracy?

I'm convinced that you did not read the explanation of Decree 8 which u posted. So it becomez necessary that I explain it to u.

Decree No. 8 of 1967:
The main feature of this Decree in the vesting in the Supreme Military Council of both the legislative and executive powers

By this decree, the powers of the presidency and the National Assembly has been collapsed into the hands of the few khaki boyz called the Supreme Military Council headed by Gowon. The implication iz that the balance of power iz lost. The boyz are free to do what they like. Loot as they like with no one to question them.

Decree No. 8 of 1967:
The concurrence of the Head of the Federal Military Government and of all Military Governors is, for the first time made essential in respect of certain matters

For the first time, the exclusive and concurrent list wz introduced. Some areaz like the security, defence foreign policy, monetary policy, appointment of judges, etc are now the sole function of the center. Upon that, the center haz the exclusive right to take over the function of the region in the event of emergency. Just like Obasanjo did in Plateau state.

Decree No. 8 of 1967:
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 of Nigeria

Meaning that any regional law that comes in conflict with the constitution iz automatically declared null and void. Besides, the military governor can only exercize its executive power in close consultation with the center. Itz an offence to commit any act that can put the coutry on the path to disintegration.

Decree No. 8 of 1967:
Section 70 gives power to the Supreme Military Council to take over the executive and legislative functions of the Regional Government during any period of emergency

They can also sack the governor of the region, suspend all right and maintain control of the region for as long as they want.

Also, all the appointments, tenure of office and terms of service of High Court Judges, Public Servive Commission, Police Service Commission, Consolidated Revenues(like tax and mineral resources) are now the functionz of the center.

Besides, the functionz of the Federal Civil Service Commission and Police Service Commission were severely limited.

So Beaf, how does this extreme form of unitarizm relate to confederation?

naptu2: Unfortunately, we've been going back and forth along this path. I was surprised and shocked when I read the 1960 and 1963 constitutions for the first time. They contain most of what we need to solve our problems (state police, resource control and derivation, state constitutions, flags, etc. The regions even conducted foreign affairs!).

Then came Military rule and Ironsi tried to consolidate power by concentrating power at the centre. The document you posted above would have returned things to the way they were pre-Ironsi or even provided a looser federation, but the civil servants and military boys were afraid to lose power and ended up concentrating power at the centre and conferring enormous power on the person of the head of state.

Garba, Yar'Adua and (I forget the name of the third coupist) reduced the power of the head of state and vested more power in the SMC, but we were still running a unitary system.

The military were skillful in using propaganda to sustain this system. The Federal Military Government was the big father that was everything to his children. People who clamoured for devolution, privatisation, resource control, etc were greedy people who wanted to break up the family. The people saw the federal government as the symbol of Nigeria. A nice father that was consolidating power in order to protect the interests of the people. They didn't realise that the dictators were consolidating power for their own selfish reasons.

Thank you! What we've been practisin since Jan. 1966 till date iz a unitary system of government. But the military boyz are so smart to tag it federal system of government. At no point in time since 1966 did we return to confedration.

PhysicsQED: @ Acm, can you post a link to the part of the ad hoc conference where secession clauses were requested by the northern region?

Get the book 'Gowon' by J. Isawa Elaigwu. There iz the second book, but I can't remember its title nor the authorz name.

Beaf: History says all troops had been ordered to their states of origin. Northern troops had already been ordered back to their states of origin (due to the confedral structure Decree 8 had enforced on the country amongst other things); there was no need to either invade the Midwest or attempt to invade Lagos.

I'm most disappointed with the bolded. Where do u get these version of history from?

Beaf: 1. Decree 8 was promulgated by Gowon, it contained 95% - 97% of Ojukwu's demands.

This iz total falsehood!

Beaf: 2. The legal meaning of Decree 8 was that Nigeria was effectively broken into 4 independent countries.

Are u for real? Gowon entrenched the unitary system of government in Nigeria. Labellin it 'federal system of government' to appease the western region

Beaf: 3. The Midwest minorities clearly stated they would only back the side that was for decentralisation.

This iz first degree falsehood. Beef, where do u source all these falsehoods from? During the Ad Hoc Constitutional Conference held in Lagos on September 12, 1966;
1. Northern region pressed for confedral system of government with provision that each region or state wz to have the right to secede completely or unilaterally from the union

2. Eastern region led by Prof. Eni Njoku pressed for confedral system of government with embedde clause for unilateral or complete separation from the union. Besides, each region should be granted an exclusive right to issue their currency.

3. Western region wz for federal system of government with loose center. But later compromized on their stand in favour of confedration. Awolowo reason being that 'it iz inappropriate to practise federal system of government at that time given the attitude of the North and East.

4. The Midwestern delegation led by Chief Anthony Enahoro wz unflinchin in their resolve to impose the FEDERAL system of government with STRONG centre within the framework of MORE STATES. He closed his speech by remarkin that 'NO CONFEDRATION HAS SURVIVED'. Therefore, midwest cannot be neutral and in favour of unity at the same time.

Beaf: 4. Decree 8 promised decentralisation and decoupling of the country.

This iz falsehood. In essence, Gowon deepened unitary system of government in the country

Beaf: 5. The Midwest declared itself neutral as a potential country.

Beaf, this is BS! Read the position of midwest at No. 3

Beaf: 6. The Midwest even disallowed federal troops from passing through its territory.

I thought that it iz only Alj Harem that iz good in regurgitatin crap. There were some elements of the federal troops stationed at the midwest. Thatz why the physical meetin between Ojukwu and Gowon wz impossible in any part of Nigeria. Therefore it wz moved to Aburi. Does midwest have their own army?

Beaf: 7. The 1966 coup seems to suggest that the top Biafran soldiers wanted a unitary govt (**this is not solid**).

This iz another piece of sh1yt. But I will forgive you for putting a disclaimer. The coupists were driven by nationalistic feelin. Though the forces saddled with that of east did a messy job. Ironsi introduced the unitary system of government with the intention to 'remove the last vestiges of intense regionalism of the recent past'. Therefore the person that introduced the unitary government did not take part in the coup.

Beaf: 8. A state of emergency could not be declared in the Midwest (after the invasion) because of decree 8.

You can't be serious! A state of emergency wz declared throughout the whole country and Nigeria declared total war. Col. Murtala Mohammed wz put in charge of second division to engage the Biafran forces in the midwest.

Beaf: 9. The Midwest was surprisingly invaded, Ejoor fled to Lagos, Decree 8 was scrapped, the Midwest joined the federal side.

Ejoor went into hidin. Nigeria forced the midwest into their fold with overwhelmin firepower.

Beaf: 10. Before the shock invasion, the Midwest had been very friendly with Biafra and a possible ally.

C'mon, are u this naive? Plz can u mention some of those friendly overtures? Again, this iz a lie from the pit of hell.

Beaf: 11. The general conclusion of scholars is that there was no need for the war, due to Decree 8.

Decree 8 facilitated the war. Gowon wz secretely building up arms and engagin in massive recruitment into the army. Which he quadrupled after the invasion of midwest.

Beaf: 12. Biafra's invasion of the Midwest gifted the FG strategic territory from which to launch horrible attacks.

Midwest has alwayz been the territory of the federal government. The invasion only turned minor skirmishes into an overt war.

Beaf: 13. The war was lost due to the invasion of the Midwest.

You might be right in a way.

Those governors must have entered Awka with helicopter. Had it been that they travelled to Awka with carz, their opinion on Peter Obi's achievements would have changed.

^
What I meant by the term 'aggressively ignorant' iz that you projects your ignorance aggressively durin debate

alj harem: So want me to be bring out section by section the names of Northerners that have made this country proud ??

My friend you can do research on that yourself

You are such an aggressively ignorant fellow who considerz himself smart

.

alj harem: ^^^^^^

You are even lazier



did you even read at all

Let me help you out.

Sportz
Chioma Ajunwa - Olympic gold medlist
Kanu Nwankwo - UEFA Champions League winner, etc

Arts
Wole Soyinka - Nobel prize winner

Government
Emeka Anyaoku - Former Commonwealth Sec. Gen.

Etc

I hope that these few examples will stimulate you to think.

You are a lazy debater. I asked for specific namez together with their achievement(s) and you are tellin me to google. I'm not gonna respond to your next comment if it izn't productive

alj harem: we have trashed this topic loads of time on Nairaland

1. Amina and Isa Odidi - Pharmaceutical science

2. Jelani Aliyu - General motors top exterior designer

etc I can keep going on and on

I've met some dumb people here. But yourz iz dumb+. Plz what haz Amina and Aliyu achieved that we can be proud of?

alj harem: ACM10 I am not a Northerner.

Now lets ask what the yorubas and igbos have contributed as well ?

Assuming we believe the lies here (NL) then I guess it is safe to assume that yorubas and Igbos are not different from hausas and fulanis ? You can correct me if I am wrong.

You talk of leadership, well GEJ is a SS man and he is the leader now, very soon Insha Allah Igbo too would have their turn then we fall back to the original equation that we are not different.

Humility my brother, pride comes before a fall.

ACM10:
What haz North contributed to the betterment of this country except the clamour to be in leadership position and intimidation of the rest of the country?

I don't have time for long story Mr. Harem. Plz mention the namez of Northernerz and their specific achievement(s) in the area of science, arts, medicine, government, sports, etc

alj harem: What comment, I commend the man but all this noise making that Yoruba and the Igbo are the best thing that ever happened to Nigeria is wash my brother.

I see Nigeria

What haz North contributed to the betterment of this country except the clamour to be in leadership position and intimidation of the rest of the country?

alj harem: be deceiving yourselves, Just cause others don't make noise does not mean they do not even achieve higher.

With all the Yoruba Igbo achievement, what have you two groups invented ? How have these two groups improve the lifes of their people not to talk of Nigeria ?

All these achievements are attributed to Nigeria not yoruba or igbo.

With comments like this, it iz eazy to determine where your true loyalty lies.

Congratulation to the cardiologist!

+

T9ksy: [i][/i]Oh and i suppose ibo writers are are not also guilty of revisionism? The fact of the matter is , each

group will swallow info. that paints them in a good light. So, am i now suppose to accept biafran's version of events which

exonerates them of any wrongdoing?

If for instance, fajuyi was not killed because he offered to die with his boss, WHY THEN WAS HE EXECUTED along with Ironsi?

If it was because he was complicit in the jan 15th coup so then was Ironsi and Ojukwu who admitted (in one of his old

interviews), not remembering if he had pre-knowledge of the coup or not!Ojukwu is as cagey as hell!

In the meanwhile, you guys can continue with your "victim" game but the rest of us have moved on. No group in the country owes

the ibos, nada.

And am waiting patiently for ibo writers to provide their own evidence of the election won in western nigeria by the ibos in 1953.

Dede, over to you.

Before Dede1 gives you hiz response, I'm gonna quote Lt Walbe in hiz own word. By the way, J. Isawa Elaigwu is from Plateau state. He wz formerly a lecturer in the dept. of Political Science, Univ. of Jos.

According to Lt Walbe

Lt Walbe: As far as I am concerned it was a lie(Yoruba publications). We arrested him as we arrested Ironsi. We suspected him of being party to the January coup. You remember the Battle Group Course which was held at Abeokuta . . . Fajuyi was Commander of the Battle Group course. He ran the course. All those who took part in the January coup were those who had taken part in that course. It gave us the impression that the Battle Course was arranged for the January Coup, so he had to suffer it too. I am sorry about that but that is the nature of the life of the military man

tosank: Why is it that a few Ibos seem to be more intrested in this thread than the. Concerned gropus themselves? With all respect, I implore my Ibo brothers and sisters to excuse us as we thrash issues out with our esteemed cousins, the Edos. Thanks.

Point of correction!
Edos are Yoruba neighbours and never their couzin. We will be most happy if you can present any linguistic, cultural, or archaelogical evidence that proves that Yoruba iz remotely related to Edos. Edo iz a distinct tribe with a proud history and we Igbos demand that you respect that. Edos should not be treated as Yoruba backyard neighbour or Yoruba sub-group.
Yorubaz haz been treatin Edos with disrespect since the dayz of regionalizm, and we demand that it stop. Awolowo ordered Oba of Benin to take a crash-course in Yoruba language. What a disrespect to someone who iz the chief custodian of Edo language and culture!successive Yoruba generation continuez to treat Edos with contempt. Plz limit your arrogance to the borderz of Oduduwaland. Edo iz Edo and can never be or feel like Yorubaz.

remark D: I am glad i read through the thread cause some things i hadbelieved/heard from that Omoiygi guy is wrong. i dont understand why he would make up a fake letter of Ojukwu... i mean, what point is he trying to prove. i respected his website, but now feel cheated. i am glad he was challenged to provide evidence by the NNWDC group...
and Fajuiyi didnt choose to die with Ironsi as has been propagated? Gees, i've believed so many lies

So with me. I believed a lot of lies for too long. Yoruba writers are not helping matters. They've been the only source of information for far too long. But internet is seriously challengin their strangle-hold on the source of information. Then they turned to the internet to propagate falsehood. Most of them here will be most willin to quote those falsehood online as fact whenever u debates with them. Nowadays, I find it hard to believe any Nigerian history I reads on the web. Below is an excerpt from the book 'Gowon' by J. Isawa Elaigwu. You can find it on page 65.

Isawa Elaigwu: On 29th July, Lt Walbe and Major Danjuma were in effective contact at the State House after the change of guards. It was then that both officers walked up to Ironsi, saluted, and brought both Ironsi and Fajuyi downstairs. they were handed over to Lt Walbe(by Major Danjuma) to take charge. Lt Walbe and his troops took the two men to an area of bush at Ibadan where they subjected Ironsi to questions about the January coup and the Northern leaders and officers who died then. From the accounts of those who were there, Ironsi played the part of a very good soldier. Contrary to many publications suggesting that he made confessions, there seem to be no evidence of such confessions.
Similarly there was no evidence that Fajuyi was killed because he interceded for his host or that he refused to 'abandon his guest,' as reported by some publications. He was reported to have been very scared, and had been one of those marked down for elimination. By the time Major Akahan phoned Gowon in Lagos and received instructions to ensure that nothing happened to Ironsi, it was late. Even Major Akahan and Major Danjuma(then at Ibadan) had lost control over their boys.

Dede1: Are you serious by stating “they did not invite us”? Do you mean Biafra should wait until Nigeria and Gowon invite it to attack? Was Mid-western region sovereign country outside the entity called Nigeria? Was eastern region consulted when Gowon, while sitting on a chair in Lagos, ordered LGO to move to Escravos for pending invasion of eastern region? What stopped the mid-western region and western region from kicking Gowon and soldiers from northern region out their countries since mid-western and western region suddenly become sovereign countries? Did eastern region invite Nigeria and Gowon to Gakem, Obudu, Bonny, Obolo Afor and Enugu Ezike?

Nigeria/Biafra civil war had been fought and lost as well as mortal enemies created. There should be no attempt disingenuously mounted by revisionists that could change the scar of the war. As far as I am concerned, the remedy to old wound of the Nigeria/Biafra civil war is disintegration.

Elderstatesman Dede1, I must confess that I'm moved by your passion, commitment and total loyalty to our dear tribe, Igbo. You are one of the few men who I respect their opinion here. You narrated how Ironsi wz captured and executed which iz different from the lies and propaganda that were fed to us by the Yoruba writers. Dede1, your account wz right. Two of the books that I read that were written by the Northerners corroborated your account. One of them is "Gowon" by J. Isawa Elaigwu. This is one of the few examples where I discovered that your narration and analysis wz right and in fact, objective.
I may want to raise some objection. But itz disrespectful for any true Igbo son to argue with his elder.

omoabike: I stopped supporting the doctors when I heard on STV News that one of their requests to call off the strike is that they should not be made to pay income tax on the money that they were asking to be paid.
That to me is delusional to say the least.

This iz totally inaccurate. You must have heard from Fashola's propagandist. They are requestin for the exclusion of income tax from the salary that they agreed to compromise.

Fashola did not consider his newly employed doctorz competent enough to manage his father's condition. To the ecxtent that he secretly sent him abroad to obtain medical care. While some folkz are here defendin his action. But the NUPENG workerz were able to see thru his ploy. Who will like to be used for on-the-job learnin?

This topic has been thrashed exhaustively in one thread last year originated by Obiagu

Oyedepo should simply seek to settle out of court. The motive of this case iz clear. They wants to extract money from his organization. The slap iz innocuous, but the comment that followz it iz where the problem lies. I wonder how Oyedepo's attorneyz will be able to argue that case. Besides, there iz a damnin video evidence against him which iz even available on public domainz. His attorneyz are simply wastin their time with annoyin legal manoevres

Onlytruth: I didn't know that this thread would go past 4 pages. Well well.
Agbachakwa egwu o naa n'ukwu -every dance moves must culminate in hip movements.
I advised that we should leave revisiting the past as far as minority (especially the eastern ones) involvement in the war is concerned. My reason remains simple, and it seems that only few of my brothers understood it.
I love Ojukwu and would fight anyone dissing his legacy. I would also be foolish if I say that he was infallible. He was a man too.
The midwest incursion (as every good historian already knows) was a mistake and a miscalculation. Simple and short.

As for the Eastern minorities, as early as August 1966, there was already an Eastern consultative assembly formed to bring everybody on board in the East. It did not achieve much. The next in October of same year didn't achieve much also. There was no SOLID agreement in the East until the shooting war started, and there could not have been that agreement because there were Ijaw elements such as Dappa Biriye and Isaac Adaka Boko who were mentally allied with the Hausa/Fulani North, and there was nothing anyone could have done to persuade them otherwise. For me, after that assembly in 1966, I would have gone to seek an alliance with a STRONG foreign country who would agree to support Biafra with a naval and air force, knowing that these elements were already planning to sabotage Biafra.
If I couldn't get that foreign support, I would have dropped ALL plans of secession and called it a day.

Someone on this thread raised a strong point that southern groups were not Biafra's biggest threats initially. It was Hausa/Fulani. If Biafra had focused on them and dealt with them seriously, no southern element would have even thought about fighting Biafra. All these accusations and counter accusations to me sounds like nothing more than lame attempts at revisionism.
I warn my Igbo brothers to always think strategically.
When I hustle for international airports in SE, join me in that campaign and use the vigor you have wasted here to hustle along with me. Those are strategic investments. I wish you would give 10% of the energy you gave on this thread to such strategic efforts, instead of abandoning it, making it to look like an Onlytruth venture. Save your energy for efforts that would empower us. Campaign for worthy empowerment of our section of Nigeria. When we get empowered, all things shall be added onto us.
You cannot get that empowerment without international access. You are all keeping quiet when you see all the international airports located outside Igbo land. Tomorrow you will start complaining that those people did not join our efforts. When you plan a war, you put it WAY BEYOND THE REACH of failure. That is how we should be thinking, not cherry picking history and cutting and dicing fault-lines.

I agree with most of your comments here. All the books that I've read pointed out that midwest incursion wz a military success, but a political and diplomatic blunder. But I disagree. The midwest incursion wz a resoundin failure from any angle one intends to view it from. It squandered the goodwill that other Nigerians has for us after the massacre. We were not invited by them. As a matter of fact, we were seen as an invadin force. I cannot vouch for the behaviour of our troops in their desperate attempt to pacify the restive populace of those region. The midwest incursion wasted our scarce resources that could have been tapped to defend the homeland effectively. I wonder how we could be able to maintain our hold on the areas we captured without expozin our rear to attack. Had it been that we ended up capturin Lagos, Nigerians counterattack would have left our troops isolated with their supply lines cut off. I can never really say what wz our real aim in invadin Lagos.
It will be an act of sheer dishonesty if we continue to hound the minorities in our midst for the roles they played durin the war. We must look inward to find the reason why we lost the civil war. We should also remember that a sizeable portion of those minorities fought, bled and died with us. So why should we blame them for the actionz of few of them? Inasmuch as I revere Ojukwu, I must state it here that the mistake that cost us the war lies in his hand or that of his advisers or both. The fact that Nigerians were able to convince the bitter enemies of Britain and Soviet Union to back them iz enough for me to question the quality of the diplomatic corps at Ojukwu's disposal. The minorities weren't left with much choice. Either they team up with Nigerians or were massacred. Either way, Nigeria will still win the war. Like Onlytruth said, let us concentrate and reform our homeland and set it on the path to progress. Our success will be enough to convince them to identify with us.

rokiatu: In response to this thread. https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-608634.0.html

I am a sucker for love songs. These are my absolute favourites. Please feel free to add yours.

20/ Ronan Keating - If tomorrow never comes

19/ Alicia Keys - No One

18/  Keith Urban Only You Can love me This Way

17/Usher ft Alicia Keys my boo

16/ Just the way you are - Billy Joel or Bruno Mars (Whatever rock your boat) Love them both.

15/ Enrique Iglesias - Hero

14/ Marc Anthony - I Need You

13/ lady in red chris de burgh

12/ if aint got you alicia keys

11/ when a man loves a woman



And the top 10. . .

10/ Jesse McCartney - Beautiful Soul

9/ It's Your Love - Tim Mcgraw && Faith Hill

8/ 98 Degrees- I Do (Cherish You)

7/ Because You Loved Me - Celine Dion

6/ Keith Urban- Making Memories Of Us

5/ Please forgive me Bryan Adams

4/ Adele - Someone Like You

3/ Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You

2/ forever aint enough j holiday

And number 1,



















[size=14pt]1/ Shayne Ward - Breathless (OMG I luv this song. My most favourite love song of all time. This song just leave me breathless.)[/size]

Ooopsss!
No Naija songz? Damn it. You must be a foreigner. Plz squeeze these tracks into your rankin fast.

Onyeka Onwenu - One luv

Brackets - Yori Yori

Brackets - Me and u

Psquare - No one like u.

Tufaze - African Queen

I can still come up with many others, but let stop on these ones.

scopusng: GEJ is not a genuine PHD holder from a reliable source. A committee need to be set up to determine the genuiness of GEJ PHD.

Wheneva u makes such a damagin allegation, the onus iz on u to provide proof. I spit on this thread if u fails to provide one