TonyeBarcanista:

Oba of Benin and Governor Obaseki won't be happy to see this but there is nothing he could do about it.

Meanwhile, this is a welcome development

Ijaw traditional rulers and leaders from the six states of Bayelsa, Edo, Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Ondo on Friday converged in Yenagoa to discuss issue of collective interest and well beings of the people.

@emboldened
-traditional rulers
-leaders

Could be the later

wilcox:
We have not really gotten any positive impact from this traditional rulers. Qoute me anywhere, this men only represent their selfish interest.

No one with a good knowledge of the nation's past would argue against this. Lord Lugard had made their ancestors ethnic champions. For them to be relevant, they have to hide in the veneer of "custodians of traditions" to forment ethnicity.

Deadlytruth:


I really don't share the sentiment that a military administration cannot operate by a decentralized structure.
Please recall that Gowon's administration actually restored the regions to status quo ante through his own Decree 56 which repealed Ironsi's Unification Decree 34 thus reversing Ironsi's centralization of civil service. In fact Gowon intended to continue like that till the proposed time of return to civil rule. But as soon as Ojukwu made it clear that there was no going back on Biafra, he began to reverse himself in order to be able to successfully pursue the agenda of neutralizing and frustrating Ojukwu.
Please also recall that the same Ojukwu, who together with Ironsi, invented and peddled the argument that decentralized structure was alien to and impossible to the military, would later at Aburi make Confederacy proposals which even involved a highly decentralized army for Nigeria's future. He obviously "forgot" that he had once argued to the contrary just few months prior to that Aburi Summit. You can now see that decentralized system is not truly alien to the military but that only the pursuit of an abnormal agenda makes any military regime, Ironsi's inclusive, argue that such structure is alien to them.

It's logical that that centralization could have been a démarche since the NCNC before then (1950 in Ibadan and 1951 in London) has always fronted the idea of a strong central center not because it was the best but because the South as a whole with their academic acumen stood the chance of benefiting more. The north on the other hand (educationally disadvantaged) had been threatening secession whenever any issue of centralization came to the negotiation table.

To argue that Decree 56 enshrined or made a genuine step towards decentralization is a fallacy - a false argument that shouldn't be propagated by an intellectual like you, sir! There were so many technical clauses which gave Gowon the leverage to call the shot whenever the tides fall. The agreement at Aburi was a loose central government not the provisions of Decree 56.

I agree that the South could have been greedy with the centralization démarche. So was the north when it suddenly embraced what it had rejected since 1914 (centralization) because there was an opportunity to introduce asymmetrical policies like quota system and as well make the new found oil in the East a national property. You see? It has always been about regional interest and diffidence than Nigeria. We are all accomplice to the mess we find ourselves. The unfortunate shock is that we've failed to accept that we have problems and we've also failed to learn from History.

Deadlytruth:


Why did he centralize the system when no one was complaining against the decentralized pattern?
Let us critically examine the circumstances:
The crisis which attracted Ifeajuna coup was a fallout of an attempt by the government at the center to arrogate power to itself unduly and abuse same towards influencing the outcome of the internal affairs of the supposedly autonomous Western Region over which it was not concerned at all. Put in another way the centre violated the principle of regional autonomy enshrined in the constitution.

Now, common sense and simple logic dictates that anyone sincere and honest about rescuing the situation had no option but to reduce the powers of the central government to prevent future abuse of state power thus forestall any invitation to coups and chaos in future.
But, ironically, Ironsi decided to, through his Unification Decree, further concentrate more powers on the very center whose abuse of power had just plunged the country into a mess.
Was that an indication that Ironsi sincerely came to rescue the situation or to implement an agenda hidden up his sleeves all along?

You are absolutely correct in your analysis!
I think what necessitated the centralization was the fact that he (Ironsi) was superior in rank to all the regional military governors appointed. It was a formal declaration of what was practically on operation since none of the regional military governors could take any decision without his input or consent. More so, when the Northerners protested against the decree, he pointed out that it was a temporal gesture. Btw, why do you think every other military head of state pursued that centralized structure even to the point that it led us to a civil war?

gidjah:
i have said it from the beginning replying you is a big waste of time and resources,its like sharing my bananas with monkies, you obviously do not even have in-depth of knowledge about how politics and religion with ethnicity is been played in this nation.you are been blinded by your writing to eat attitude or rather cut and paste manner of journalism.i give up on your matter.abeg pass over my case.dont attempt to take panadol over my head ache.if the way jonathan led this nation is your definition of 'perfect light of the day'!oh sorry how dark your path would have been then!

You and your likes hate Jonathan for no just reason. He's no longer in power. I hope you can now have a life and move on with your sore throat. I pray you don't blame Jonathan for the insomnia you're about having. Ethnic bigots everywhere

CorrectionFLuid:


Lol if Delta people hear this from you eh, you go produce that thousands of Delta men he massacred.

It was a war crime! Ojukwu committed same by sending unarmed troops to the front line. Did he think it was a football match?

gidjah:
i shouldn't have reply you but i shall just clear little of the contaminated air surrounding the matter and help u see this in my light since u couldn't see it from that angle.have you by any means pass through the walls of the military barracks ,or even had a formal millitary training or have families who are fully into the military sector ?if you dont then you dont have any grounds to reply me bros.how many military personnel's under the united states soil have been massacred by internally trained born and bred terrorists ?i hope you know what leadership entails,and you also have a full knowledge of the evil role your jonathan played? ,was he able to manage the situation ?or rather aggravate the matter by empowering few political individuals to worsen the situation?.bros abeg i.dont wanna say things here,mau be you are just a writer cum journalist who makes living out of writing ,you source for information right ?,but i am an informant my self and also every information you need .i just poured out my grief i am very much responsible for my actions,may your life never be ruled the way Jonathan ruled nigeria while he was in power

I have extensively researched Boko Haram, Brother! Jonathan was so reluctant to deploy troops until situations deteriorated. If you still believe Jonathan instigated a religious fanatic group just to send in troops so they could be killed, then you have a prejudice problem. Channel your grievances to Sherrif et al who used the group for political campaigns and even paid them 10 million naira for a couple of months... You can't create a monster and then turn around to criticize the approach of which it is to be killed. Don't be dump, Yar'ardua fought Boko Haram, GEJ fought Boko Haram, Buhari is fighting Boko Haram. Soldiers are killed everyday. What if Ipob reacted the same same way Boko Haram did upon troop deployment, would you blame Buhari for taking that necessary step? Wake up and eschew that your prejudice so you can behold the perfect light of reality

connkg:
@Cekpo34 :I was looking to see if I could find two other cogent matters - Col. V. Banjo and the three strike teams for four targets. Please add that there was one strike team each for Kaduna and Ibadan and a third strike team for both Lagos and Enugu. Lagos team drove all night to strike Enugu, leading to gory treatment of bodies along the way.
Where's V. Banjo in your write up?

Concision had culminated in a lot of redaction. Banjo was abroad on the execution date but consented to the whole procedure before traveling. On his arrival, he was framed up and arrested for attempting to meet Ironsi with a gun...

PrecisionFx:






A very incomplete list.


Add these to it.

1. Major Chukwuma Kaduna
Nzeogwu(Delta Igbo)
2. Major Adewale Ademoyega
(Yoruba) author of "Why we
struck"
3. Capt. G. Adeleke(Yoruba) 4. Maj. Ifeajuna(Igbo)
5. Lt. Fola Oyewole(Yoruba)
author of "The reluctant rebel"
6. Lt. R. Egbiko(Esean)
7. Lt. Tijani Katsina(Hausa/
Fulani) 8. Lt. O. Olafemiyan(Yoruba)
9. Capt. Gibson Jalo(Bali)
10. Capt. Swanton(Middle Belt)
11. Lt. Hope Harris Eghagha
(Urhobo)
12. Lt. Dag Warribor(Ijaw) 13. 2nd Lt. Saleh Dambo(Hausa)
14. 2nd Lt. John Atom Kpera
(Tiv).

Correct! For concision, I only mentioned the principal actors

gidjah:
Usimg this medium and opportunity to remember The fallen hero,my younger brother my friend my blood : D1 and my elder brother (colonel AB Salisu ) .who were both KIA at NE in d quest to defend this nation from d evil claws of hausa aboki boko haram under the admi istration of fisher man professor Jonathan goodluck.may the heavens visit you all with rage and justice,may sorrow and pains be your paths ,as i shed tears today your generations shall shed more yearly.LIVE ON MY BLOOE BROTHERS,I LOVE U ALL

I sympathize with you Bro! Your relative made his choice to join in the Defence of the nation - he became national asset henceforth. He died as a hero! Sadly, you are apportioning your virulence to the wrong source. Did Jonathan cause Boko Haram? Was he right or wrong to deploy troops? Was your relative serving Jonathan or Nigeria? See how we keep sticking to our ethnic groups than the national? With your mindset, Nigeria is in trouble.

Okoyeebos:
A day of hard facts and inconvenient truths.

That's deep Bro! As long as the facts are left sacrosanct, let the interpretations come...

bakynes:

That was a retaliatory coup by Northern officers because they were the most affected by the January 15 coup so there was no need to term it a Northern coup but in actual fact it was a Northern coup.

Thank you! Perhaps the scores was settled. Let's not be virulence against each other again...the worst had happened but it isn't that bad that we can't move on. Tell your children about this past in such a way that their minds would be open for genuine reconciliation. #peace

omijorisheriff:
I love history

I do too. I've just started an Initiative to promote the study of History. Search for History4NationBuilding on Facebook. #peace

BruncleZuma:


The genocide that followed the counter-coup was as a result of a rumour peddling British journalist passing insinuations as news and hijacked by the northern elites.

Since most bigots on this thread have reading problems I would have recommended them to read "Why We Struck" By Maj. Adewale Ademoyega

A treatise that must be read by all Nigerians, young and old!

bakynes:


You need to realize that it cannot be termed a Northern coup because a Northerner ousted another Northerner. That is not the case of the Igbo coup.

The Igbos need to realize that what they are suffering today in Nigeria is a result of what their military leaders did in that coup.

When Murtala Muhammad and T. Y. Danjuma ousted and brutally murdered Aguyi Ironsi in 29 July, 1966, was it labelled a "northern" coup? We've all made mistakes...Let's spread the correct history and encourage our children to reconcile genuinely with their "prodigal" brothers. #peace

uchman48:
i have learnt something from you today, lets just say it was a co-incidence that such a thing happened after the speech, but look at that hateful speech. What do you think about it

These are all terrible démarche which one keeps wondering why and for what purpose they were actually intended. One thing is certain: so much damage was done but believe me, we've all hurt each other in the drama of 1966-1970. We really have to move on and chart a sincere Reconciliation so our children will be proud to call this country theirs. #peace

Okoyeebos:


One simple question: why did Ironsi refuse to try the Igbo Coup plotters and instead moved them to the Eastern Region where they were merely detained for a whole 5 months after the coup?

He was never a politician and had paranoia issues about appeasing or further hurting some divides in the polity. Mind you, Northern participants in the coup, as stated above were not arrested....see the appeasement? I know he made a fundamental mistake by not trying them but we all know that what led to the counter coup was less of the trying, but the Unification Decree which attempted to centralize the system

Okoyeebos:


You can only run from the truth, you can't hide from it. That coup was an Igbo Coup for 4 major reasons.

1. Majority of the Coupists were Igbos.

2. No single Igbo leader was killed in that coup. In fact, they hinted Azikiwe and allowed him run out of the country. This same Azikiwe that stole funds meant for the Eastern Region and used it to establish ACB bank.

3. After the northern leaders were killed, Igbos in the North were taunting the Hausas that their leaders were killed and dragged Kuje pigs in Lagos.

4. After the Coupists were arrested and handed over to Ironsi, he refused to try them and moved them to the Eastern Region where they were locked up for 5 months without any form of punishment.

I had stated all these above. Why do you aggressively embrace the "facts" that incriminate the Igbos and reject with passion the ones that state otherwise? Btw, why were subsequent Coups like the one of July 29, 1966 not labelled "Northern" coup? Let's learn the lessons associated with this gory tales and move on. #peace

uchman48:
i know it was never an igbo affair but the leaders then refused to see it that way because they were blinded with vengance, even till now they still harbour that resentment for the igbos. I dont think the issue of one Nigeria will be possible if the mind of the northen leaders are not cleasned of hatred for the igbos.

They had reasons to make those assumptions since there were no official briefings on the state of things. Rumours flow when official sources of information is blocked. The scenario is that even when the northern elders were abreast with the facts that say otherwise, they found the previous sophistries rather useful for the furthering of northern political interest. It was even rumoured that before the killing of the Sardauna, he had cursed the Igbo and had said that they won't rule Nigeria for the next 25 years - a position prominent Northerners still hold till today

bakynes:

Another article or report stated that, the coup plotters planned to lay siege in the three regions and kill their premiers. Why was that of the Eastern region left alive and no siege was layed in the East?

One of the coup plotters Ifeajuna was Azikiwe's cousin.
Zik travelled for vacation and should have returned before the coup but never returned until after the whole situation died down as reported by his personal assistant who went with him and came back home before the coup.

Why did Ironsi not court martial the coup plotters and execute them instead threw them in Eastern prisons?

All these questions begging for answers is why the whole Nigeria believed it was an Igbo coup.

Exactly! These your observations, coupled with others listed above make the whole thing fishy. I agree there could have been a leak. The book I have quoted up there suggest that someone even called Ironsi to warn him before his assassins got close. However, there are other indices that pointed otherwise. Whichever way, let's embrace the lessons by avoiding such mistakes again

uchman48:
The igbos were not stupid then just that they did not suspect that their northen brothers will rise against them. What happened than is just to let us know that we should always rise to fight for our right by dusting your pvc and show them that we are not stupid.

It was never an Igbo affair...there's more than enough evidences to debunk that Igbo Coup theory. Caveat: I'm not Igbo

ademusiwa3r:


The igbos cross international line to execute a coup in 1966. It is considered illegal

The money in your account would not disappear if you read.
If after reading the post, you still hold to your conviction of the Igbo Coup theory, then there's a foundational problem

nairavsdollars:
Ojukwu is the best and finest officer Nigerian Army ever produced. OBJ is a villain

Ojukwu is too controversial to be accorded that acumen. I would give it to Murtala Muhammed or leave it hanging

romeluukak:
soldier come, soldier go,barrack go still dey

Barracks still de but the repercussions of "soldier come, soldier go" is still hunting the nation even after about 3.5 million lives had been sacrificed. When shall we learn from History?

deepwater:
Lol

Not funny Bro!
January 15 is a day Nigeria would wish never to have existed

kettykings:


when igbos were really stupid and dumb. May God forgive that foolish and stupid generation of igbos who allowed themselves to be killed like goats more especially Aguiyi ironsi who was highly too dumb to have surrounded himself with his enemies

Ironsi was a disciplined soldier who met virtually all the standards enlisted by "Samuel Huntington". He was nationalistic and was too innocent or naive to have believed that his appeasement politics would forestall a counter coup. Succinctly, he was neither a politician nor a tribal bigot (though he was speculated to have been influenced by the NCNC) and never acted like one.

TarOrfeek:
Happy Igbo Vilification Day.


hahahaha

We are in this together if we must progress....We've all made mistakes as a people. It's high time we moved on for the benefit of our generations yet unborn

Please read empathetically and avoid ethnic wars. As a nation, we've hurt ourselves enough. It's high time we moved on and learn from our history.

Lalasticlala
Mynd44
This post is meant for January 15

2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day: The First Of The January 15s

Nigerians woke up on the dawn of Saturday January15, 1966 to behold the rear reality of the gory escapade by some hot-headed Majors who seek to impose reforms by exterminating every element that could hinder it – it was the first putsch in the most populous black nation on earth! This January 15, 1966 coup would culminate in a civil war that would end on another January 15, 1970.

Who were the Principal Actors?
The following Majors and Captains played preponderance roles in the organization and execution of the January 1966 coup:
• Maj. Christian Anuforo (General Staff Officer (Grade II), Army Headquarters, Lagos)
• Maj. Chukwuma K. Nzeogwu (Chief Instructor, NMTC, Kaduna)
• Maj. Donatus Okafor (Commanding Officer, Federal Guards, Lagos)
• Maj. Emmanuel Ifeajuna (Brigade Major, 2 Brigade, Lagos)
• Maj. Humphrey Chukwuka (Deputy Adjutant-General, Army Headquarters, Lagos)
• Maj. Timothy Onwuatuegwu (Instructor, NMTC, Kaduna)
• Maj. Adewale Ademoyega (NMTC (sub-unit), Abeokuta)
• Capt. Ben Gbulie (Commander, Army Engineers, Kaduna)
• Capt. Ogbonna Oji (Army Headquarters, Lagos)

What were the Alibis?
• A faulty and fragile structure bequeathed the country by Britain which created room for intense regional politics and perilous inter-ethnic diffidence. This was evidenced in the vituperations of the so-called national leaders, the Kano Riot of 1953, the Census Crisis of 1962/63, the handling of the Action Group Crisis of 1962, “Do or Die” politics as demonstrated by the handling of the 1964 Federal Elections, overt emasculation of opposition as evidenced in the 1965 Western Election, acute corruption, cronyism, nepotism, ominous ethnic chauvinism and other leadership malfeasances.

What were the Facilitating Factors?
• The premature “Nigerianisation” of the Nigerian Army in 1965 which saw the rapid promotion of Nigerians into the vacuum created by the exit of colonial experts who served in the Nigerian Army corps.
• The politicization of the army due to [1] the constant deployment of the army in political crises (e.g Tiv Crisis) [2] the commissioning into the army, of university graduates (with Marxist-Leninist inclinations) [3] the politicians’ insidious gimmicks in the army corps with regards to the introduction into the army of quota system, etc. Both Sani Abacha and Bukar Dimka were profiteers of this policy.

Were there Casualties?
The putsch was indeed a very gory one characterized by “high quality” killings. Some of the heavyweight victims include:
• Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello (Sardauna of Sokoto)
• Alhaji Sir Abubakar T. Balewa (Prime Minister)
• Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh (Federal Finance Minister)
• Chief Samuel Akintola (Premier of the Western Region)
• Brigadier Samuel Ademulegun
• Brigadier Zakari Maimalari
• Colonel Ralph Shodeinde
• Colonel Kur Mohammed
• Lt. Colonel Abogo Largema
• Lt. Colonel Yakubu Pam
• Lt. Colonel Arthur Unegbe

Evidence of Ethnic Colouration?
The January 15, 1966 coup is often adjudged some ethnic interpretation because:
• A plethora of the principal actors were of the Igbo ethnic group
• While the Premier of the North and the West were shot and killed, that of the East and Mid-West somehow escaped.
• While top ranked officers of the North and West suffered casualties, only one (Arthur Unegbe) of the Eastern stock was eliminated.
• The climax of the putsch saw the emergence of an Igbo (Aguyi Ironsi) as the Head of State
• The above sentiment speculated by the North is best captured by Siollun's (Oil, Politics and Violence…2009:79) thus:

“why was it that no Igbo politician had been killed? Why was it that only one Igbo soldier had been killed? Why was it that Aguyi Ironsi managed to survive the January coup and emerge as head of state? Why were the northern region’s two most prominent politicians and four highest ranking soldiers killed?”

Was the Coup Actually an Igbo Coup?
Ordinarily, the echelon of the putschist’s composition, the victims and the aftermath of the January coup should wake Goosebumps, considering the ethnic tension and diffidence that existed then. However, there are some indices to conjecture that the whole scenario could have been more of an “innocent coincidences” than “evidences of a Machiavellian Igbo plot”.
• Firstly, though the Igbo Majors dominated, there were influential Yoruba (Maj. Ademoyega, Capt. Adeleke, Lieut. Oyewole and Olafimihan) and over 20 northern NCOs who were utilized by Nzeogwu. It should be noted that coup planning is often between officers of close-knit to avoid leak. Federal character as an argument here is flawed.
• Secondly, the coup as acknowledged by Ademoyega (and corroborated by Ifeajuna) was primarily to forestall the planned “plummeting” of the Western Region by the FG.
• Thirdly, the foremost profiteer of the coup as maintained by Ademoyega (and corroborated by Odia Ofeimum – Awolowo’s former secretary in 2007) was to be Chief Obafemi Awolowo who was to be freed and made the President.
• More so, it took the coordination and gallantry of Igbo officers such as Aguyi Ironsi, Alex Madiebo and Emeka Ojukwu to ensure that the coup attempt was crushed with Major Unegbe even paying the ultimate price.
• Also, the coup dismissed an Igbo President, Vice President, President of the Senate, Foreign Minister, Minister of Education, Transport and Aviation and two Premiers.
• Furthermore, when Ironsi assumed power, he arrested and incarcerated politicians from the past regimes EXCEPT those of the NPC. Also, of a FEC of 20 members, only 2 were Igbos. Again, non-Igbo participants such as Captain Swanton and 2nd Lieutenants Kpera, Eghagha, Ibik and Waribor were not arrested.
• Succinctly, there no evidence to indicate that the coup had Eastern political or civilian backings.

Was there any Implication Thereafter?

• Yes! The coup was seen as a ploy against the north by the Igbo to enshrine a new order – the order of the “Igbo planet”.
• Ironsi’s policies with regards to the treatment of the January 15 mutineers, the Unification Decree, alleged cronyism and faulty promotions in the army, coupled with sophistries on a planned Igbo genocide against the north, amongst others, led to a counter mutiny in July 29, 1966.
• This mutiny culminated in the killing of about 200 soldiers of Eastern origin (including Aguyi Ironsi) and another 30,000 civilians by the northerners.
• The fracas between the Igbo and North led to the civil war which started on the 6th of July, 1967 and ended on 15th January, 1970.

What is the Present Situation?
The July, 1966 massacres of the Igbo and the concomitant Civil War altered the dynamism of Nigeria’s political evolution, leaving the north as the sole determinant of the nation’s political trajectory. There exists a strong cold war between the north and the east – a situation which is crystallized in the emergence of groups such as MASSOB, BZM, BZF, and IPOB.

What needs to be done?
As it stands, the root problem is never about “One Nigeria” but the gimmicks by the major ethnic groups to outmaneuver each other and tilt the levers of political power to their favour. Hence, any form of government that would encourage “separate development” would ease the tension and concomitantly, rid the country of several contradictions.

Charles E. Ekpo
Coordinator, History4NationBuilding Initiative
history4nationbuilding@gmail.com


https://www.facebook.com/charlybite/posts/1733601003364688

Newpride:
I am proud to be a responsible Yoruba man...... the best tribe in the world is Yoruba, we are peace loving, we habor evil...... Yoruba Man and woman are the best to marry.

You meant "abhor evil"?