₦airaland Forum

nku5:
For people who want to learn about the mood in the counyry just after the nzeogwu coup, here is an interview of a Yoruba journalist in Lagos a few days after.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S0F_5ma4lM

That was few hours after the coup and when the heavily lopsided ethnic pattern of the casualties was yet to come to the knowledge of the general public.
That a journalist even justified the sacking of a democratically elected government by the military was an indication of how hopeless the country was.
Ask yourself if the military ever interfered in the democratic experience of advanced countries like US, UK, Germany, Japan, France, etc which are the world economic and military powers today and compare it with very economically backward and near failed countriess like Nigeria, Sudan, etc which had military rule as part of their history then tell me if military intervention in democracy is justified in any way as long as the prosperity, growth and development of a country are concerned.

In political philosophy, ultimate sovereignty is said to reside with the people and not the army and not even the legislature. The people express that sovereignty through the ballot box. So if there is the need for a change of government, only the people have the power to do so. The military came into existence through the sovereign will of the people who created it by law to protect the territorial integrity of their country. So military take over of government is an aberration akin to a situation whereby the parents of a household are quarrelling and the security man employed by the family to protect them decides to kill those parents and then assume the role of new parents over the children. This is how senseless it is to justify military intervention and any genuinely educated person must never have a reason to rationalize or justify such an anomaly except he will tolerate it if his employed security man in his house does it to him and his wife.

nku5:
Focus on your claim that Ejoor had to be "dislodged" from his position. Same Ejoor that boasted that he melted away and rode to Lagos on his bicycle Bring your source ogbeni!

When someone melts away, what does it mean? It simple means to escape from trouble stealthily. Doesn't that now lend credence to the fact that Ejoor was chased after by Biafran soldiers in the process of dislodging him? Do you chase after someone you are not trying to dislodge and or capture in a war?

nku5:
He say na clinging to straws You are describing yourself. I have cited Ademoyega as a source but you are quoting beer parlour gist with no source. You claimed that Ejoor was "dislodged" Who told you this?

So Adegboyega didn't write about the detachments to Warri Auchi Okene Agenebode etc which Ojukwu himself acknowledge yet you hold Adegboyegas book as infallible?

nku5:
The guys weaves lies and truth like magic. Catch him on one he moves to the next. I have counted about 15 lies on this thread

Why not enumerate those 15 lies one by one? Do you just enjoy making accusations? I have asked you why Ojukwu refused to punish those soldiers who detached to Warri, Auchi, Okene, Agenebode, etc all from Benin if it is true Ojukwu only instructed them to move to Lagos and dislodge Gowon. You have not answered me yet you keep claiming I am the one dodging questions.
I am still waiting for your answer on that though.

obynzo:
But you abused me. you were the one throwing abuses. Oga you claim to know the history of the civil war Oya please what was Zik's post in Biafra. you keep denying that i didn't ask you the question.

. you said he was an envoy and I agreed you are genuinely correct. Then I asked you whether he wasn't so appointed by the Biafran Government and then you burst into a fit of anger because you knew the question bursts your claim on why Ojukwu should have given him a position in Biafra secessionist movement knowing fully well his Anti-secession antecedents.

Our original issue is why should Ojukwu give him a position in biafra at all and then expect Awolowo to continue supporting Biafra with Zik an Anti-secession agent having a position or official role to play in the secession movement. This is what you chose to avoid by resorting to playing the devil's advocate.

nku5:
this is pathetic psuedo-intellectual stuff. Ademoyega's account has been upheld by historians as one of the most authoritative accounts of the war but you with your 2MB data plan and NL account have appointed yourself as judge of history.

Oya let me help you. Being another source contrary to Ademoyega. I dey wait

You see yourself? Haven't we had cases in the world over where historians upheld a particular notion and then later discoveries proved them wrong? There are at least 10 self contradictory claims I spotted in Adegboyega's books when I read it. I will just mention one here for you to know that your theory that historians upheld it doesn't make it infallible.
Adegboyega claims in the book that they had started planning the coup right from 1961. In another line he claims that the coup was inspired in them by the corruption rampant in Government circles.
Now, a government that came to power late 1960 and in mid 1961 was already adjudged as having plundered the treasury so much meaning that within the space of 8 months, give and take, the new Government had stolen so much of the nation's wealth. In the first instance how did Adegboyega and the rest come about such information when there was no probe of that government let alone a report being published to that effect? And Adegboyega wants you to believe that they were guided by principles and reason in the conception and execution of the coup?

obynzo:
But the same you were quick to use a reference in wikipedia to talk about NYM and another link too. see how you are indicting yourself here

And did I stop you or anyone else from faulting that wikipedia claim with logic?

obynzo:
He is a liar. I have asked him to answer certain questions and he has been avoiding it. people always spread lies claiming they are versed in Nigeria's history

I don't know which question you asked me that I have not answered. On the other hand I have been asking you how Azikiwe was made an envoy to Biafran whether by appointment or by self imposition but rather than answer me you have been throwing insults and innuendos. The liar is he who is first to resort to abuses in a debate anchored on facts and logic.

nku5:
This is not true. What is the source of your information. Ojukwu had no plans to appoint any administrator and nobody dislodged Ejoor oh

On the contrary Banjo instead of continuing to Lagos , wasted valuable hours in Benin trying to convince Ejoor to remain in charge. Ejoor ran away to Lagos so Banjo chose Lt. Col Trimnell (an Itsekiri). When that too did not work, Okonkwo was appointed. This information is from Ademoyega's book.

On your quick reference of Adegboyega's book: Every educated person knows that no author writes a book to indict himself especially if the topic has to do with a misadventure that ended up in chaos and bloodshed, so you don't expect Adegboyega or any other author of any book on this matter to narrate a 100% honest story.
As in intellectual therefore, you read and aggressively task your cerebrum to filter the lies away from the truth. That exactly is what we are doing here. So stop quoting Adegboyega as if his own account was specially written from heaven.

nku5:
The way you spin lies and truth together is wonderful. Where did you get this lie that there was a deployment because of Zik

The Western region was in a state of civil war due to operation wetie and the thousands of people that had been roasted alive in the Awo vs Akintola fight prompted the state of emergency by Balewa and the deployment of northern soldiers to stop the carnage. Is it Zik that started the war in the West? Zik was even a figure-head and had no real power. Why all this propaganda and fake gist?

The anarchical situation in the West (Operation Wetie) started in 1965 courtesy of the heavily rigged general elections. All before then there wasn't yet a resort to full scale violence to the Balewa-Zik illegal interference in the purely internal affairs of the Western Region.
If Zik wasn't ever in support of Balewa's misrule against the West, then how come he couldn't resign from the Balewa government as far back as 1962 when Balewa began his illegalities by first declaring a state of emergency in the entire West over a mere political crisis localized within the Western House of Assembly?

nku5:
This is not true. What is the source of your information. Ojukwu had no plans to appoint any administrator and nobody dislodged Ejoor oh

On the contrary Banjo instead of continuing to Lagos , wasted valuable hours in Benin trying to convince Ejoor to remain in charge. Ejoor ran away to Lagos so Banjo chose Lt. Col Trimnell (an Itsekiri). When that too did not work, Okonkwo was appointed. This information is from Ademoyega's book.

You speak as if it was only Benin that Biafran soldiers diverted to. Didn't some detachments also divert to Warri, Auchi, Okene, Agenebode, etc? And Ojukwu who, according to you, only instructed them to go to Lagos and overthrow Gowon could not met any single disciplinary action on the commanders of those troops that so detached to all these towns from the Lagos bound battalion? You people just love clinging to straws during these debates.

obynzo:
Oga stop trying to be smart you disputed my claim on Zik's role as an envoy so please what was Zik's post in Biafra?

Can you quote where I disputed your claim on Zik's role as an envoy? If you can't then shame onto you.

nku5:
I thank God a Yoruba person has finally agreed that there was a plan by the north to wallop the west. However Zik was not involved because the alliance between the NCNC had already crashed and there was already the alliance between the north and Akintola.

When did Awo ask for northern troops to leave yoruba land? I am not aware of this. Awo was known to have told Ojukwu that the West was under occupation by northern soldiers and as such could not join the East to fight.

Unfortunately for you I am not a Yoruba person. The soldiers in question started being deployed to the west in trickles beginning from 1962 when the Akintola vs Awolowo rift started and Zik was still in cahoots with Balewa at the center fueling the whole fire from behind the scenes in his calculation to have AG decapitated and clear the coast for the realization of his long nurtured objective of NCNC taking over the reign of power in the West officially. It was much later that Zik fell out with Balewa when all hopes of having a formidable Southern alliance had been lost.

Awolowo's telling Ojukwu of Western occupation by Northern soldiers was actually one of the backgrounds to the agreement he had with Ojukwu on how to go about the joint secession which Ojukwu later failed to keep his own side while Awolowo was, as agreed, demanding of Gowon to order those soldiers out of the West.

OROSUNBOLB:
Ride on sir ! I'm following you bumper to bumper ! You're simply too hot for these Igbo comedians to handle.

Can you please write a book on the subject matter ? It is important you do so as to debunk some of the ageless lies and propagandas of our brothers from the other side of the Niger. The danger in it is that these lies and propaganda are being passed from generation to generation and that corrupt the mind of an average Igbo person who now sees other Nigerians,especially,the Yorubas ,as enemies.

Please sir,consider my suggestion; let's have all these facts in a book for ease of reference.

Thank you.

Thanks for the suggestion. I have actually been considering such a project given the fact that my being neither Yoruba not Igbo confers on me a reasonable level of neutrality and detachment in my viewpoint.
Igbos have been rewriting history of Nigeria to conceal the truth of the misadventures of their political leaders which plunged us into this state of hopelessness. So any factual contrary expose irritates and upsets themm so much that the only way to find succor is to resort to abusive language and Yoruba labeling. Ironically in their quest to vindicate themselves they are very quick to reference "Why we struck" which was authored by a man from the same Yoruba tribe. Their own Igbo brothers too have written books on the issues but it is this Yoruba man's own they love best and regard as most authentic yet in their eyes Yorubas are revisionists. How self contradicting can a people be?
I will actually start developing a manuscript as you suggested.

obynzo:
Oga it is you that is rarher inconsistent, younjave been shifting goal posts because you have seen boys that can match you with your lies first you lied on Zik and NYM and then another lie on secession clause now you have avoided talking about Zik's post in Biafra because you will be exposed as a liar and again you are not midwestern you are full blooded Yoruba stop being a liar and be a man and provide facts and stop being clever by dodging

You really need to look at the mirror now about this inconsistency. I have showed you at least some instances of your double speak here. Like I said we have agreed with you that Zik was an envoy to Biafra but now wanting to know how he became an envoy.... whether through self imposition or through due process of appointment. This is what you have been avoiding like a plague because you know the question has boxed you to a tight corner. What is the lie in the fact that Zik fought against the inclusion of secession clause in the constitution? I guess you are too ashamed to accept that Zik and by extension you Igbos sabotaged all efforts made about the secession referendum you so desperately seek today. Karma is indeed a bitch.
Yes, in your deluded brain it only takes being Yoruba for one to be able to logically tackle you Easterners on the blunders committed by your forebears against all attempts to lay a foundation for a free, just and equitable Nigeria that would thrive on citizenship dignity. I actually am not Yoruba and I don't want to assume you are that intellectually lazy not to have gone through my posts before conclusion. Anyway the incurable disease of the average Igbo person is the tendency to assume that whichever Southerner doesn't agree with their political philosophy and politics of myopia must be a Yoruba. What a way to reason.

nku5:
The West was under occupation by northern soldiers. To the extent that a General (Ogundipe) of Yoruba extraction was disobeyed and told to get lost by a Fulani lance corporal. How is this even up for debate. Ademoyega and others have stated this fact in their books

And those Northern soldiers were drafted there earlier on by the Azikiwe-Balewa coalition Government to wallop the AG.
Nevertheless, did Awolowo whom Ojukwu was consulting about the West's participation in the War ever demand Biafran soldiers' assistance in flushing out those Northern soldiers from the West? Recall that Awolowo was already demanding of Gowon that all soldiers be ordered to return to their home regions?

obynzo:
Oga are you a midwestern? if you are not then shut the hell up because your plan of spreading hate against igbo would not work. Did Enugu and Aba ask for liberation but the story was that they were liberated from Federal troops. Oga go and sit down jare yoy have no talk. You think there are no igbos online with knowledge of their history? and again i am still waiting for your answer to my question what was Zik's post in Biafra? don't dodge it ooo otherwise you will be seen for who you are a malicious propagandist.

I am a Midwesterner, yes and most Nairalanders know this.
You aren't answering my questions because they logically remove the rug from your feet.
Your likes always tell us here that the Eastern Assembly was convened and from there a decision was reached that Ojukwu should declare Biafra to free the East from Nigeria. I have seen that argument many times here on NL and that is why I now ask you who did same in the Midwest and West to warrant Biafra's invasion of both.
My own is not long talk but to use simple logic to kill a fabricated claim.

obynzo:
Bros stop being half clever. Since you are here throwing hate comments against the igbo that means you know a lot, so please correct me by telling everyone here what was Zik's post in Biafra?

I thought we have agreed that Zik was an envoy in Biafra and now only trying to find out who appoints an envoy in any nation and who an envoy works on behalf of and whether the post of an envoy is an administrative one or not?

Dedetwo:
Where did you get the bolded?

Obynzo said so and I only quoted him. Check the comment of his which I referenced.

obynzo:
Oga go and read the statements from Bernard Odogwu the objective was liberation of the west from the northern stronghold. Banjo was to take command of the west. Oga stop trying to spin history to suit your prejudiced hatred of igbos. You are the real comedian here that is why you are so uneasy having a conversation with me devoid of insults

And when did the West or the Midwest tell you they were in captivity and needed extrication? In one line you claim Biafra's westward push was only to dislodge Gowon so as to weaken the FG in order that Biafra might more easily win their freedom. In another line you argue that Biafra wanted to liberate the West from Northern stranglehold. Which do we believe now? You are just inconsistent hence it is clear you are the one twisting history to suit your subjective narratives.

obynzo:
So what was Zik's post in Biafra? Answer the question and stop playing smart. You come here and distort history to spread lies

You said he was an envoy and I asked you whether he imposed himself as such or was duly so appointed by the Biafran Government.

obynzo:
You forgot to mention that Banjo was never suppose to invade Benin the plan was to head to Lagos to unseat Gowon and it was Banjo and Ifeajuna that were killed because they wanted to negotiate a ceasefire with Nigeria. You smartly tried to dodge the role of Banjo in this

Banjo was not supposed to invade Benin but when he invaded it and captured Osadebey House, Biafran soldiers dislodged David Ejoor and tried to capture him alive yet Ojukwu didn't investigate that but even gave approval for Ejoors replacement in the person of Okonkwo? When I call you a comedian you would accuse me of insulting you.

obynzo:
You have no talk my brother. you are just shifting goal posts. check my previous comments you would see why Zik was made an envoy for Biafra. Again you have failed to answer what was Zik's post in Biafra?

You are the one without a point. Who is an envoy and who appoints an envoy?

obynzo:
Oga you are trying to play smart. Invasion of Benin was what made Ojukwu sentence Banjo and Ifeajuna to death am sure you failed to explain that the head of the midwest invasion was a Yoruba man. the objective was for him to dislodge Gowon from Lagos

This is revisionism par excellence. Ojukwu sentenced Ifeajuna to death for trying to negotiate a cease fire and compromise with Nigeria on behalf of Biafra without being so authorized by the Biafran high command. Banjo's was for a similar reason.

ibietela2:
So why didn’t they LEAVE since it’s 2 against 1?
Don’t mention the British because they have always favored the fulanis

All that the British needed was just one dissenting voice which they always found in the East.

obynzo:
Bros you should know better than to trade insults and envoy's role is translate the state's diplomatic policies, and that what Zik was doing for Biafra. please if i am lying can you tell me Zik's post in Biafra otherwise you have just suceeded in messing yourself and introducing yourself in this forum as the real comedian

Did Zik impose himself on Biafra as envoy? Wasn't it the Biafran Government that appointed him as envoy in the first instance?

obynzo:
Also i stated that if Awolowo had stated that the West was neutral and remained so and not allow any Yoruba person take part in that war, then that would have forced Gowon to the negotiation table and would have allowed for confederation and true federalism that Awolowo wanted.

I see unconscious bias that is why you are not reading and understanding my comments clearly. I never in my comments said awolowo was in Aburi

David Ejoor the governor of Midwest declared that the Midwestern Region was neutral yet Biafra soldiers invaded the Midwest. So how would Awolowo have trusted Biafran soldiers not to also invade the West if he had declared neutrality for the West?
You are putting forward all these propositions obviously because you have never heard Awolowo's side of the story of the agreement between him and Ojukwu which he later narrated and Ojukwu didn't counter till he died.

obynzo:
Zik was used as an envoy in Biafra to ensure that diplomatically Biafra can have legitimacy. Zik, Kobani(an Ogoni man) and Mbu were the envoys for Biafra. Zik was never involved in administration of Biafra

So being an envoy seeking legitimacy for a movement is not tantamount to being part of the administration of that movement?
Why are you wasting your comedy skills online when inferior comedians like I go die and Teju baby face are raking in millions daily with their dry jokes?

obynzo:
So if you have not researched this. Why then did you state that Zik scattered NYM? How can you present what you cannot prove as a statement of fact? defending your people is one thing, but selfishly trying to exclude other Nigerians is another thing, so bros easy with the lies, there are igbos here who know their history very well.

I said I will search out the link...... this means the story already exists. You don't search for a non-existent thing.

obynzo:
You seem to be highly ignorant of the political manoeuvres that went on before independence. The british made it clear that the colonial borders would never be changed and as such Zik had to use the non-secession clause in the constitution. And again you failed to report that even Ojukwu disagreed with Zik and you also failed to report that Ojukwu admired Awolowo's stand on confederation. Awolowo accepting the role of finance minister and even proposing using starvation as a weapon of war by imposing a blockade of PH to prevent supplies coming from thw coast to eastern Nigeria put paid to the unity of the south

If Ojukwu admired Awolowo's stand on confederation, then why involve Zik, a unitary system advocate, in a secession movement for which he was courting Awolowo's support and was expecting Awolowo to really agree to work with Zik the Anti-secessionist who thwarted all secession moves in the past and was still likely to thwart that of Biafra which he was made to head? This is the simple question you are refusing to address.
And didn't Zik eventually move to the federal (One-Nigeria) side eventually without any British interest being involved this time around as the British had returned to their land and left Nigeria to herself?

obynzo:
As expected you still have not been able to prove how Zik scattered the NYM. and again i was right with a small margin of error that Zik came from using within 1938 as that was the time west african pilot was launched and the link you put stated that Zik mobilised igbos who were excluded so how can NYM be nationalist if they were excluded? saying that Zik made himself a leader of igbo union when he was a nationalist shows that you arr equally ignorant of how the igbos function outside the igboland. the igbo union was a unification of various town groups that were formednto ensure togetherness of igbos and to assist with projects back home. in the 40s through the activities of the Onitsha Union. Onitsha as a township had streetlights. Please once again do your research and go easy on the lies

I will take my time and search for the story of how Zik scattered NYM. Just be patient.
All tribal associations and tribal actions are of the same objective (to protect and promote their home developmental interest) as you credited Igo State Union with. I don't know of any tribal association ever formed to promote the interest of other tribes or the interest of Nigeria to the detriment of theirs. So how does Awolowo's concern for Yoruba land's socioeconomic development differ from that of ISU you enumerated above to warrant Awolowo being a tribalist and Zik a non-tribalist for defending his just like Awolowo did about his own too?

obynzo:
Zik introduced the non-secession clause because he was arm twisted to do so. Mind you the British point was clear do not split Nigeria beyond the borders created from the amalgamation or you get no independence, and the founding fathers Awo inclusive didn't want bloodshed even though Awo suggested it.


Where Awo is blamed was the Biafra impasse was a perfect opportunity to declare the western region's neutrality and as such force Gowon to accept Aburi accord which would have made the West amd Eastern regions go far ahead that what we have now. But he changed tune the moment he was made finance minister (with the hopes of becoming head of state). That was the last opportunity for the south to speak with one voice. That is why it is easy for the north to hold power because they simply bait one prominent southern politician and it is game over. case of Tinubu comes to mind

Zik was not armtwisted to do anything. His rejection of secession clause was from his mind. I thought you people claim that Zik was the most fearless and boldest in the agitation for independence? So how come the bravest person of that era was armtwisted on the issue of secession clause? Please recall that before the secession clause debates Zik had always declared that he was ready to pay the price to have Northerners as part of Nigeria. In one of the 1954 parliaments he discouraged the North from seceding with a long speech. I guess he was as well armtwisted into all that?

Your accusations against Awolowo on Aburi Accord issue are products of the usual propaganda that has been peddled for ages. First of all Awolowo didn't attend the Aburi summit. In fact he was not even invited or consulted during the planning stage. So how could he have had any input in the non-implementation of an agreement he was never part of? The video of Aburi summit is available online and no where in it does Awolowo appear. It was after the Accord hit the rocks completely that Ojukwu began to court Awolowo's support for secession obviously for the fact that he remembered that Awolowo once made a case for secession in the parliament some years back. Moreover, Awolowo joined Gowon's Government much much later when the war was fully in motion hence he couldn't have played any role in anything which happened between Ojukwu and Gowon prior to the war.
Secondly, Awolowo didn't betray Ojukwu as has been repeatedly alleged. It was even Ojukwu that betrayed Awolowo in the whole saga according to the details later narrated by Awolowo which Ojukwu never countered till he died. If you want those details I will furnish you with them.
Thirdly, in addition to Ojukwu flouting the agreement he had with Awolowo on how to go about a joint secession of the South, Awolowo abandoned Ojukwu and the East to fight the secession war all alone because in the early days of Biafra secessionist movement Ojukwu gave Azikiwe a very important post by which he was calling the shots and even drafting the Biafran national anthem. How do you expect Awolowo to be comfortable seeing Azikiwe who frustrated his secession clause motion now suddenly heading a secession movement he (Awolowo) was supposed to be part of? Ojukwu knew quite well that Awolowo and Azikiwe were ideological enemies even on the issue of secession so why did he involve Zik at all in the movement despite knowing Zik's Anti-secession credentials, and yet expected Awolowo to feel comfortable with that decision? Put yourself in Awolowo's shoes and see if you would work in a secession movement under the leadership of the very person who once killed your own earlier attempt to make a case for secession in the constitution?

Lastly, I don't see how this issue concerns Tinubu. We are discussing the past and Tinubu is of the present. How his politics turns out in 2023 is not relevant to this issue.