₦airaland Forum

shymmex: [quote author=FSU Beaf]
You're crazy. This is not about oily soup. We are talking Igbo here so buzz off, busy bee.

Logic Mind: I laugh in wonderment.
Apologise for the killing of Sarduana and co? You must be having a laugh. I want to apologise to Biafrans on behalf of our brave majors that they did not kill enough of them abokis.
As you said, there is no proof that biafran soldiers summarily executed people in the midwest. Maybe they should have because some of them never deserved the kindness we showed to them.

"The 18th battalion stationed in that port (Warri) was a ragged, ill-equipped and ill-controlled unit. Reports of their lawlessness in town had been scandalous."

-Why we struck Adewale Ademoyega 1966 coup plotter who took part in the conquest of the Midwest

"Biafran entry into the Midwest was seen by the people, especially the non-Ibos of the State, as an act of foreign aggression."

-Why we struck Adewale Ademoyega 1966 coup plotter who took part in the conquest of the Midwest

"at the slightest prompting, they would desert the front, skip the battalion headquarters and make their way straight to Benin, to sleep in one of the school dormitories or [b]terrorize [/b]civilians in town."

-Why we struck Adewale Ademoyega 1966 coup plotter who took part in the conquest of the Midwest

At the Urhonigbe Rubber Plantation, for example, hundreds of Midwesterners were summarily shot by regular and militia units which had already blazed a 'scorched-earth' trail of terror through Benin-West division

-Ogbemudia, S. O.: Years of challenge. Heinemann Educational Books, 1991.

Gbawe: Even if he is, what has that got to do with the notion of oil thieves in the Niger Delta growing influential enough to call the shots as per who gains political office? Even if we generally dislike IBB, did you see me and others talking about him when we dissected the issue of how OBJ supported an agenda that promoted criminals and thugs into powerful positions throughout the SW? Did you see me , for example, distractively mention Atiku when Jonathan cynically failed to curb the legislative gansterism excess of Gbenga Daniel in Ogun State? Let us learn to keep focus and stick within the ambits of the debate. You should introduce this obsession with Tinubu elsewhere. Not here. ...

mpumalanga: your former attorney general said that the midwesterners murderd igbos
with a lunatic passion and he is not igbo.

Dede1: When region is created, it must have a governor and premier or administrator. This is the reason Europeans acted as governors in certain region before indigenous governor was appointed. Mid western region had an appointed indigenous governor who also acted as administrator of the region in the absence of a premier and the person was not Mariere. Remember the issues in western region when it has administrator without a premier but still have a governor.

Dede1: Hmmm!! The last I checked though, David Ejoor was Urhobo and minority too. Even Ojukwu had to fly to Benin City to have a personal chat with Ejoor. I do not think discounting erroneous statements made by a blind worshipper of the name-Mariere constitutes into insult to the man.

My record indicates that when mid-western region was created in 1963, someone acted as governor and administrator before 1963 special regional election which gave raise to the office of premier.

mpumalanga: you are doing same thing by implying that igbos undermines their neighbors or oppresses minority
instead,igbos are undermined and oppressed by minority because of their EGBE BELU UGO BELU[my apo] tendency that
they are extending in the wrong environment like nigeria.

mpumalanga: I do understand strength and don't see anything as if iam dancing to the drums of any group
because what i want is to know who murdered or helped my people even if devil helped or angels murdered,
i must give credit to whom it is due.

mpumalanga: There is no aura of fear or weakness as iam allergic to that but at the same time,agreeing with you is not
the only demonstration of positive aura but i respect aura that radiates in truth,respect and love and not
based on any nigeria inhuman superiority.please i hope that a mere position of a bishop among Christians will
not be another sign of oppression as some demonstrated recently. Stop doing intellectual exercise with the
death of my people because you are dancing on top of their grave and it is not even 'agaba' dance but ordinary dance

Hate is one thing that education can not remove in nigeria but to look educated,you must hide it because
to admit,will make the educated look less educated but it is the reality.

Dede1: Please try something else because the talk of “he or she is minority” in the contest of Nigeria does not faze me a bit. There were governors who lasted longer in office than Jereton Mariere and their personalities never featured prominently in the pre-civil war meetings as to avert the looming danger of the war. By the way, Mariere was not the first governor of mid-western region and I guess such statement from you is damn reckless. If Mariere contributed his cents to avoid the Nigeria/Biafra war, I say great to his name.

I am being stubbornly adamant to issue of Republic of Igbo land because I truly want to avoid the issue of political significance of minority or lack thereof in case Nigeria embraces disintegration in future.

Decree 8 was a fake tool by Gowon and Nigeria as shown by Ojukwu and eastern region through the eastern regional Revenue Collection Edict 11 of 1967 which granted eastern region total control of revenue including crude oil revenue.

blacksta: Mr double speak

These are same people you claim are unhappy abroad and claim to have mental issues

Which one we go believe now

Logic Mind: Who is scared of you?
inconsequential confused set of basttards born of unholy union between aboki invaders and minority whoreholes.

shymmex: You're a very funny chap!!

How many Yoruba were in the Army in 1967??

Why was Yoruba land occupied by the Northerners??

And why should we get involved in a fight between two lovers, who has been in bed together since independence - after the killings of prominent Yoruba men and women in both useless coups??

Dude, you need to grow up - and stop being a hater.

mpumalanga: I share you view on this cue because even the non-verbal cue
from beaf and others from mid west is that we did what
we did and we don't care how you feel so you must live with it
or perish for we don't need you for anything.

mpumalanga: The more you argue with them,the more foolish they take you to be
with the way they will be communicating just to tell you that it serves you right.
AMUMA EGBE ENU IGWE[OJUKWU] is not foolish as some are trying to make
him look and it will very painful if some one is trying to suggest that
just to appease some people that are mocking your pain and existence.

Who told the northerners that from AGBOR upward are igbos
and who led them?the bitter truth is that these people hated the igbos and
they were powerless on their own and used the hausa fulani to accomplish
it when they saw the opporturnity.They were very educated pre biafra war
to know what they want.i repeat,they refused to give relief materials
to mid western igbos before the war.

The only group i can consider to be helpless that time are the yoruba
masses because they showed it through agbakoya,Ayo Ariyo and ibadan farmers
which showed that there was a disconnect in the elites decision and
the masses intention.Check Parry osanyade's current promotion exercise
and you will see the mind set of midwest that time.

shymmex: I'm serious, bruv...

To provide some perspective on the difficulties facing Ogundipe in July 1966, there were 10500 soldiers of which Yoruba contributed only 700 (a mere 6%). Of the 10500, 55% were from the North and Igbo (including mid-western Igbo) contributed 30%. This means that there were approximately 3150 Igbo soldiers but we know that approximately 220 Igbo soldiers were killed in July 1966. So what were the other 3000 or so Igbo soldiers doing in what was a straight and direct fight? Yet they want to accuse Ogundipe who belonged to a group of only 700 (yet he stood there for three days fighting and negotiating) of cowardice.

http://books.google.ca/books?id=hI4OAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Nigerian+Army+1956-1966&hl=en&ei=N5I1TqC6M6POsQLK6p2JCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=700&f=false

Page 27

^^^That's a post from Katsumoto - and it shows Igbos had a huge number of infantry soldiers (excluding the officers).

Dede1: It is an absolute wrong impression to assume that Decree 8 of 1967 meant full autonomy to region as you would want us to believe. First of all, anything coming from the center led by Gowon was illegal as far eastern region was concern.

The insinuation that Decree 8 granted the regions sovereignty is one of the goofiest craps I read on this forum. If you believed Decree 8 granted autonomous sovereignty to the regions, one wanders while federal government of Nigeria went insane when Ojukwu and eastern region followed on March 31, 1967 with eastern regional Revenue Collection Edict 11 of 1967 which granted eastern region total control of revenue including crude oil revenue.

Please stop clutching strew by attempting to defend the indefensible.

However, the home stretch of the final dash to the tape of eastern secession began on March 17, when Decree No. 8 - also known as the Constitution Suspension and Modification Decree 1967 - was promulgated, ostensibly to implement the Aburi agreements. The decree, for all practical intents and purposes, restored much of the autonomy of Military Governors in their respective regions which had been taken away on January 17, 1966 by Decree No. 1 of 1966.

Consistent with agreements reached between military leaders at Aburi, in Ghana on January 4th and 5th, the title of the 'Supreme Commander' of the Nigerian Armed Forces was changed to "Commander-in-Chief"; the executive authority of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which had been vested in the Head of the Federal Military Government, was now vested in the Supreme Military Council. Indeed the SMC could not make laws on some issues without the approval of not only the C-in-C but also ALL regional governors.

However, section 86 of the Constitution was upheld, to ensure that no region could exercise authority in a manner that placed the corporate integrity of the federal government in jeopardy. Furthermore, sections 70 and 71 of the Constitution were invoked to specify that a state of emergency could be declared all over Nigeria by the SMC; and such laws as would be considered "necessary" or "expedient" for maintenance of law and order could be passed with concurrence of three (3) out of the four (4) governors. During such an emergency the federal government reserved to itself the right to overrule any laws that had hitherto been passed by the military government of the region to which the state of emergency applied.

Citing what he considered a serious violation of the Aburi accord, and the need to have absolute control over the question of safety and security for his people, the Military Governor of the Eastern region (Lt. Col. CO Ojukwu) rejected it. In taking this stance, he overruled the reservations of the Secretary to the Eastern Regional Government (NU Akpan) and a few senior eastern army officers (like Col Hilary Njoku). Ojukwu felt that the decree had the potential to deprive him of having a say in what steps might or might not be acceptable within his own region in the event of a state of emergency being declared. Conceivably such steps might even include replacing him with another Eastern officer.

However, those who lobbied that the Eastern region accept Decree No. 8 based their arguments on the fact that the decree gave Ojukwu "over 90%" of what he wanted at Aburi as well as providing a way to avoid the horrors of war. (Col Hilary Njoku's disagreement with Ojukwu on this point cost him the command of the Biafran Army and bagged him a sentence to jail without trial for almost the entire duration of the war. However, Mr. NU Akpan who was also pro-Decree No. 8 held on to his job as Secretary to the Government of the eastern region (and Biafra) to the very end.) Back on Feb 25, Ojukwu threatened to take unilateral action by March 31 if there were persistent delays in announcing the new decree as he understood it to have been agreed at Aburi. On March 1st Gowon met with the diplomatic corps to discuss the ABuri agreement and reservations the government had about certain implications of the Ojukwu interpretation. On March 10 the SMC met in Lagos without Ojukwu - for reasons of personal safety - in order to discuss the draft text. This was followed on Mar 12 by a meeting in Benin of all Law officers from the different regions - and the subsequent release of the decree.

However, the home stretch of the final dash to the tape of eastern secession began on March 17, when Decree No. 8 - also known as the Constitution Suspension and Modification Decree 1967 - was promulgated, ostensibly to implement the Aburi agreements. The decree, for all practical intents and purposes, restored much of the autonomy of Military Governors in their respective regions which had been taken away on January 17, 1966 by Decree No. 1 of 1966.

Consistent with agreements reached between military leaders at Aburi, in Ghana on January 4th and 5th, the title of the 'Supreme Commander' of the Nigerian Armed Forces was changed to "Commander-in-Chief"; the executive authority of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which had been vested in the Head of the Federal Military Government, was now vested in the Supreme Military Council. Indeed the SMC could not make laws on some issues without the approval of not only the C-in-C but also ALL regional governors.

However, section 86 of the Constitution was upheld, to ensure that no region could exercise authority in a manner that placed the corporate integrity of the federal government in jeopardy. Furthermore, sections 70 and 71 of the Constitution were invoked to specify that a state of emergency could be declared all over Nigeria by the SMC; and such laws as would be considered "necessary" or "expedient" for maintenance of law and order could be passed with concurrence of three (3) out of the four (4) governors. During such an emergency the federal government reserved to itself the right to overrule any laws that had hitherto been passed by the military government of the region to which the state of emergency applied.

Citing what he considered a serious violation of the Aburi accord, and the need to have absolute control over the question of safety and security for his people, the Military Governor of the Eastern region (Lt. Col. CO Ojukwu) rejected it. In taking this stance, he overruled the reservations of the Secretary to the Eastern Regional Government (NU Akpan) and a few senior eastern army officers (like Col Hilary Njoku). Ojukwu felt that the decree had the potential to deprive him of having a say in what steps might or might not be acceptable within his own region in the event of a state of emergency being declared. Conceivably such steps might even include replacing him with another Eastern officer.

However, those who lobbied that the Eastern region accept Decree No. 8 based their arguments on the fact that the decree gave Ojukwu "over 90%" of what he wanted at Aburi as well as providing a way to avoid the horrors of war. (Col Hilary Njoku's disagreement with Ojukwu on this point cost him the command of the Biafran Army and bagged him a sentence to jail without trial for almost the entire duration of the war. However, Mr. NU Akpan who was also pro-Decree No. 8 held on to his job as Secretary to the Government of the eastern region (and Biafra) to the very end.) Back on Feb 25, Ojukwu threatened to take unilateral action by March 31 if there were persistent delays in announcing the new decree as he understood it to have been agreed at Aburi. On March 1st Gowon met with the diplomatic corps to discuss the ABuri agreement and reservations the government had about certain implications of the Ojukwu interpretation. On March 10 the SMC met in Lagos without Ojukwu - for reasons of personal safety - in order to discuss the draft text. This was followed on Mar 12 by a meeting in Benin of all Law officers from the different regions - and the subsequent release of the decree.

PhysicsQED: http://books.google.com/books?id=bShcJmKDm3EC&pg=PA105&lpg=PA105&ots=ULLnC3vD_j&dq=gowon+decree+8+veto&output=html_text

Beaf, read this and you'll understand why Ojukwu rejected it. It was not about his ego/personality or Gowon's but the actual details/specifics.

If you believe that any sub unit of a country whether it's called a region, province, state, or whatever should be able to do whatever it wants without any subordination to a higher federal law - then you'll agree with Ojukwu. If not, then you automatically and necessarily agree with Gowon no matter how many concessions you think you're willing to make.

I think the problem here may have been the different patterns of social organization different groups are inclined toward, but that's just my theory.

Logic Mind: I don't know if we could agree on this subject of our relationship with our south south neighbours. You think and act like we need them. They take the cue and act like we need them. I say we don't need them. I have given some of my reasons previously. Your stance is making us look subservient to these southerners.
If you are going to lead the igbo people you should at least accomodate our mentality: we do not like being seen as subservient to anybody. We have too proud a history for that.

Dede1: The so-called Chief Mariere was nobody and his personality carried no water with respect to the debacle between Nigeria and eastern region during the period of interest to this debate. The meeting in Aburi, Ghana constituted the only major hurdle toward peace yet Nigeria used it as a smokescreen to build up formation for the invasion of eastern region. In fact, the last time I checked, Chief Mariere was not qualified to man the door at Aburi, Ghana.

ACM10: This iz total falsehood!

ACM10: Are u for real? Gowon entrenched the unitary system of government in Nigeria. Labellin it 'federal system of government' to appease the western region

ACM10: 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.

ACM10: This iz falsehood. In essence, Gowon deepened unitary system of government in the country


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

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?

ACM10: 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.

ACM10: 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.

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

ACM10: 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.

ACM10: 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.

ACM10: Midwest has alwayz been the territory of the federal government. The invasion only turned minor skirmishes into an overt war.

You might be right in a way.

Four of us want to assure you that you lose nothing by it; as a matter of fact, you gain a lot in prestige and status. You have spoken about the means of transport to the place.......they can only come by land. If you say that the meeting can be held somewhere else other than Lagos, that can be arranged and we will go back and say, "very well, our friends in the East are attending provided the meeting will be held at Benin, Ibadan, Akure or Ifo and their safety is guaranteed. Nobody can tell when life will be lost but I think, speaking the minds of the entire people of Western Nigeria and Mid-Western Nigeria, that if anybody can at this stage take the life of an Ibo man or an Easterner, or if any outstanding Easterner loses his life by the act of someone else, the whole of the Western Region and the Mid-Western Region will take it as the end of Nigeria. I can give that assurance on behalf of Western Nigeria and Lagos. So, they can come and we will sit down together. Chief Mariere:...We did say that our role is to try to see whether we can live together and retain the name Nigeria and we found ourselves using the words loose federation,...We used it before When your Excellency was kind enough to grant us an audience and have repeated it a few day ago when the meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Mid-West had discussions on it. It may be difficult for us to define
what is loose and what is tight, but what we meant was that we wanted a Nigeria where one group will not dominate the other where even if we have a centre it will be on equal representation; where certain powers will be transferred from the centre to the Regions so as not to make the centre too strong.

We do not quarrel with whatever name it is called.... Having told the world that we will not allow our area to be used as a battle ground, that explains that we are not really pitching our tent with any group particularly except the group that says, " Let us have Nigeria, but take this out or that, so that we can freely move to all the area in the country and still retain the Image of Nigeria" His Excellency: I thank you very much. As I said, what I intend is in fact to hold a brief discussion with you in order to give clear indications of the whole spectrum of the discussion we shall go into tomorrow. But before we finish I feel that for this meeting to yield fruit we really must understand that we cannot really take postures or talk in elliptical terms, that we must get down to the crux of the matter. I do not believe anything can be achieved when you go into a dirty room, lifting the carpet and sweeping the dirt under it. For this reason, I would like to make certain points partly by way of clarification, and partly to complete the picture. The first thing that occurred to me through this

PointB: E no easy oo my brother, to become a legend in Nairaland; a god of the Arena!!

I am praying for you. May you also attain Nairaland immortality!!
When the stories of Nairaland titans, gladiators, and legends are told a thousand years from now, may jmaine, through his different clones be equally idolised!

I am gloating.