₦airaland Forum

Destroying Age Old Myths About The Nigerian Civil War

Myth one: Yorubas are betrayers

A lot of this angst, which has refused to fade away decades after the dramatis personae exited this world, is centred around a supposed betrayal of Emeka Ojukwu and the Igbos by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

And sadly, this has now become an emotive issue, where fiction has been fed to many young people as fact.

The truth is that Chief Awolowo went on a peace meeting to Enugu, to try to persuade Igbo leaders to adopt a peaceful way out of the crisis that had unfolded in Nigeria after the January 15, 1966 coup and the July 29, 1966 counter coup.

Awolowo met with the leaders of the Eastern Region for two days between May 6-7, 1967. THERE IS A TRANSCRIPT OF THAT MEETING, WHICH WAS PUBLISHED WHEN BOTH AWOLOWO AND OJUKWU WERE ALIVE.

Please note that this transcript was taken from a tape recorded by then Colonel Ojukwu’s own recorder.

I encourage those who are still bitterly accusing Chief Awolowo, and by extension all Yorubas, of betrayal, to please read that transcript.

At the time Emeka Ojukwu wanted Chief Awolowo to follow his lead by announcing the secession of the Western Region after his own declaration of secession of the Southeast, there were tens of thousands of armed Northern troops all over the West. It does not take a genius to guess what would have happened if Awolowo had gone that route.

Moreover, unlike Ojukwu, Chief Awolowo had no control over any troops. He was also not the Governor of the Western Region (Adeyinka Adebayo was then the military Governor). As a result, he had no executive powers. Whatever powers he had were at best residual and persuasive.

Chief Awolowo had earlier called a meeting of Yoruba officers of the Nigerian army, and key officers of Yoruba stock refused to attend, with one of them sending a message to him that he was a Nigerian soldier, not a Yoruba soldier.

So given all of that, it was rather naive for anybody to have expected him to declare the secession of the Western Region from Nigeria.

It would have been like expecting Nnamdi Azikiwe to usurp Ojukwu’s powers as Governor of the Eastern Region, and announce the secession of Eastern Nigeria, and the creation of a new Biafran nation. The Ojukwu we know may have even arrested, and probably executed Zik if he had done that.

If the grudge against Chief Awolowo is founded on the £20 pounds payment to persons of Igbo origin, then I can understand it. But even that grudge is also not well founded. Because the £20 policy only affected those whose bank records could not be verified. I hazard a guess that if another person other than Awolowo was on that seat, the payment may have been £0.

But to hold a grudge against the Yorubas stemming from that Enugu meeting is in my view an injustice to a man who only went there to seek a way to avoid bloodletting.

In any case, have those who hold this view ever considered that the man, Emeka Ojukwu, for whom they hold this torch, after his return to Nigeria on May 18, 1982, joined the National Party of Nigeria, the very same party that was peopled, sponsored and supported by the very same people who prosecuted the Nigerian Civil War against him and Eastern Nigeria?

The NPN was a Northern Party that did not win a single state in Western, Midwestern (Bendel) and the Igbo states of Eastern Nigeria. The same people who founded the NPN were the very same people who advised and perhaps tele-guided Gowon.

In fact, the first National Leader of the NPN was Makaman Bida, a former member of the inner caucus of Ahmadu Bello’s Northern Peoples Congress.

This is the party that Ojukwu joined, contested for election into the Senate (and lost), and campaigned for during the 1983 Presidential election.

Taking all of this into consideration, there is no way the myth of Chief Awolowo, and all Yorubas being betrayers, can stand.

#TableShaker

Lalasticlala
Mynd44
nlfpmod
Seun

TemplarLandry:
With these punchlines, His Excellency Wike should have been a rapper. 😁

I dedicate this 2011 jam titled “Cutlass” by Timaya feat. 2 Solo & Wrecoba to him. Great jam!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efy_VqcPrRk

Thank you for bringing back old good days

After September una eyes go clear....

Last kick of a dying horse that is what i tagged people who are embarassing Nigeria for their own selfish interest

Genius

biyiwyle:
Another one is Gbogunmi knew Gbotija could talk and command trees yet he dropped the sword and used a wooden knife. He might have sacrificed himself knowing what Gbotija has not told anybody except him

Hmmmm great observation

Only fools will pay 5-7k for a round of sex, that’s too much to deal with public holes

In as much as I want Tinubu to preside on base on his vast experiences but there are so many secrecies attach to his personality

So many secrecy on one man.

This is strange

Which one be Abeg, must you eat yam?

See weytin Innocent kissing don turn to!

As a Yoruba man, I don’t support this.


Let love lead


Na the situation of Nigeria cus am.


Although
No region in Nigeria will tolerate Non indigene to head a newly Created LCDA

It started 2 years ago whenever i noticed that my 10 years old FB account has been hacked. Comment, likes, shares, post in fact everything was changed to Chinese except my name. All my post disappeared. Someone advised me to change my password since i can still have access to the account, i tried to do it but i was told to wait till 90 days b4 it can be possible, i opened another account so after 3 months i successfully changed the password and i regained evevything i lost.
i login today everything has changed to Chinese again


PLEASE, WHAT CAN I DO TO FINALLY SECURE THIS ACCOUNT?

HELP A BROTHER


lalasticlala
Mynd44
Nlfspmod
Mukina2
Obinoscopy
Semid4lyf
Lordzouga
Ajanlekoko
Yamakuza
Debosky

Men of Valor

May God Forgive their souls and make their dream come true soon enough

Sire, I am not making mouth.

I have handle SERMON in my church couple of times. My teaching experience gives me the Confidence to do that without shivering.

TrustNone:
dey make mouth

It looks staged

i be BABA for this kind teaching situation i don dey this field for like 10 years now,
even if you be Professor i go mesmerize you except if i am given a topic i dont know even at that you will see the teaching confidence in me..

Igbo people no need any useless palliative from the useless gvt.....
Ndi Anambra are financially okay make them take their useless Palliative to the far north

Great Movie

Carry out this election 10 times, APC would win as long as the major players do not change.

Comrade Comrade oil dey your head

mariovito:
Pothole to pothole connectivity

Thank God it end in Testimony

The clubbing no go sweet of guys no dey

Shey dis one na news now?

The same D'Tigress a particular person here said dominated by Igbo, meanwhile 13 platers made up the squad, we have like 5 Yoruba, South South and Northerner there

I guess it it DSS or Fulani that burn down those properties

Nilon:
I want to fúck wakama

Hope you’re financially Okay?

OP tell us how the 200,000 metric tonnes will be share;

Will FCT be given the largest or all share

Abi

36 and FCT will share it squarely

Nonsense

Naso Mmesoma for steal this bright girl glory soooo.......

Glory be to Almighty God for using Ishaq Oloyede and his JAMB team to checkmate her

i watched the program yesterday evening

sometimes you need to ask yourself this simple question "is this how i am going to be complaining all the time"?