₦airaland Forum

Katsumoto: Brave Biafrans, please provide a list of other Brave Biafrans who have put their lives on the line.

Katsumoto:

How do you guys in Alaigbo define bravery and cowardice?

Lets look at some Nigerians who have been at the forefront of the struggle against dictatorship and corrupt leadership and have been imprisoned time and time again.

1. Fela
2. Beko Ransome-kuti
3. Gani Fawehinmi
4. Femi Falani
5. Wole Soyinka
6. Baba Omojola
7. Segun Maiyegun
8. Sowore
9. Michael Ajasin
10. Abraham Adesanya

I await your list which 'should' dwarf this list.

It is very unfortunate you have attempted to compare a shooting war and act of dancing Uwambe grove. Please remove Wole Soyinka’s name from the group your posted. Ndigbo are not good at hyperbolic exuberance where ordinary wrestling matches over a dispute about a tuber of yam are turned into great wars such as Kiriji by shameless storytellers.

Anybody who can picture and understand that Oyo-ile, the size of Kwara State, some part of Kogi State and some part of Niger State were lost by Yoruba to Nupe and Fulani will disregard this joke. Thanks goodness to Igbo mercenaries, Ogbomsho and Osogbo axis would have been under the wings of Sokoto Caliphate and jackass such Dayolodo would have been a certified Almajiri.

BetaThings: Again


smile11s: RELIGIOUS BIGOT, I AM NOT!
BY
HABIB BABA HABU,
CONSUL GENERAL OF NIGERIA, NEW YORK


My attention was drawn to an article written by Mr. Chika Onyeani in his weekly online newspaper “The African Sun Time” of August 14, 2012, on the unfortunate accident of 21st July, 2012, which claimed the lives of five Nigerians and left some wounded. My prayers go to the families of those who lost their loved ones. May the Almighty accept them unto His keeping and grant their families fortitude to bear this irreparable sad loss. May God also quicken the recovery of the wounded ones and provide their families succor.


I wish to place on record the fact that Mr. Onyeani tried to contact me while I was attending the Road Show on Aviation hosted by the Honourable Minister of Aviation. At the end of the Road show, I called him. He pointed out the complaints, for which I told him that I received an invitation letter for the church service of Friday, 10th August, 2012. I told Mr. Onyeani that since it was a church service, I wouldn’t know what to do during the service as a Muslim. I have never attended a church service. However, I sent one of the most senior staff of the Consulate General, who incidentally, is an Igbo man and a Catholic, to represent me and the Consulate General.


I wish to point out, for the avoidance of doubt, that since my arrival in New York, I have had the pleasure of attending meetings, dedications, baptismal in churches not only in New York but in other states under the Jurisdiction of the Consulate General. I never ever told Mr. Onyeani that “I can never enter a Church”. I have had the pleasure, both in Nigeria and USA, of joing my friends in all their events held in churches. But I have never attended a church service. This statement can be checked with the leadership of the Organisation for the Advancement of Nigerians, (Organisers of New York Parade) and others whom I have had the pleasure of joining in their events organized in various churches. I have never been, and will never be, a Religious bigot. Anybody that had ever had any direct contact with me will vouch for me on this.


In conclusion, I wish, once again, to state I never ever told Mr. Onyeani that “I can never enter a Church”. I am proud of being a Muslim but it has never ever clouded my judgment of other Religions or people of Religion. Like most Nigerians, I was born into a Religion and grew up to love and appreciate it. If I had been born by Christian parents, I would have grown up being a Christian. Almost all Nigerians were born into a Religion which they adhere to and love. I don’t think Mr. Onyeani whom I had been treating as an elder brother and adviser would descend to the level of insinuating my being a Religious bigot.

The Nigeria’s Consul General in New York is clueless, a liar and a bigot. If he had attended baptismal in churches, the last time I checked though such occasion is performed amidst other church services.

Few Nigerians ridicule Nigeria because the country is ridiculous.

Katsumoto: Yes, Gowon created states to undermine Ojukwu but that was after Ojukwu refused to accept decree 8 because it would have meant that Ojukwu could be replaced by Gowon.


Is Ojukwu a Hero or a Villain? by Max Siollun
[/size]
January is a key month in Nigeria’s history. This January marks the 41st anniversary of the end of the Nigerian civil war, and the 44th anniversary of the Aburi accords – the debate in Aburi in Ghana which nearly pre-empted the war. The pivotal figure in both events is Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

Ojukwu is a man that evokes conflicting emotions. To some he is a born leader and a hero. To others he is an ambitious man that tried to break up his country. Where Ojukwu is concerned, no one is a neutral. The conflicting opinions on him are emblematic of his inconsistent personality and history. Ojukwu is an educated man that entered a profession that many Nigerians regarded at the time as a profession for the uneducated. He is a southerner born in the north who fought a three year long war against the north. He is a man who once led an attempt to secede from Nigeria, but later ran for President of Nigeria.

[size=12pt]A leader must be judged by what benefits or misfortune he has brought to his people. Has Ojukwu brought anything positive to his people? His record is grim. The “accomplishments” Ojukwu has brought his people include:

• Leading them in a brutal civil war they had no chance of winning, and which resulted in a million of them dying.
• Even when it became clear that his people were starving to death in massive numbers, he continued the war which was doomed from the start.
• He fled and left his people after the war.
• The civil war caused his people to be stereotyped as disloyal and led to an unwritten discrimination against them.
[/size]

Yet he is still revered. Ojukwu’s first official involvement in politics came after a group of young army Majors overthrew the democratic government in January 1966. Contrary to what has been written in some quarters, Ojukwu refused to cooperate with the Majors – including Major Nzeogwu. Ojukwu was appointed the Military Governor of the Eastern Region after the coup. This appointment was ironic as he had spent very little of his life in the east. Ojukwu was the most politically active of the four military governors. By mid-1966 the army was imploding and another army coup was staged by northern soldiers during which hundreds of Igbo soldiers (including Ironsi) were killed. A central plank of this coup was the elimination of Ojukwu. The ‘pointman’ who was to execute the coup in the eastern region was a young Lieutenant named Shehu Musa Yar’Adua (the older brother of Nigeria’s former President).

Aburi – Ojukwu’s Finest Hour

After being dragged to the brink of an abyss by two military coups in 1966, and pogroms which followed them, Ojukwu had refused to attend any meetings of the Supreme Military Council until the Ghanaian leader Lt-General Joseph Ankrah brokered a meeting in the neutral territory of Aburi in Ghana in January 1967. This was Ojukwu’s finest hour. Ojukwu prepared thoroughly and came armed with notes and secretaries. He managed to secure an agreement to devolve power from the federal government to the regions. This turned Nigeria into a confederation. In the words of one writer Ojukwu “secured the signatures of the SMC to documents which would have had the effect of turning Nigeria into little more than a customs union".

[size=12pt]The federal government attempted to implement the Aburi agreement in diluted form by enacting a modified Constitution (Suspension and Modification) Decree (Decree cool which turned Nigeria into a de facto confederation, but which did not incorporate ALL of the agreements reached at Aburi. Federal civil servants argued that to implement all of the Aburi agreements would lead to the dissolution of the federation. Ojukwu declined to accept the initial draft of the Decree and insisted on a full and complete implementation of the Aburi accords.

As the weaker party, could Ojukwu still have showed greater pragmatism to spare further suffering for his people? Even with its flaws, Decree 8 gave him 90% of what he wanted. The U.S. State Department was “impressed by extent to which Decree 8 appears to meet many of East's fundamental demands for much greater regional autonomy. While recognizing that it stops short of granting everything Ojukwu wants, Dept. considers Decree represents genuine effort by FMG and other Mil Govs to implement Aburi agreements and to retain Nigerian unity in form which least objectionable to East…..Consulate Enugu has reported that some prominent and moderate Easterners may incline toward above view".

WINNER TAKES ALL – NIGERIA’S MALAISE[/size]

In the “winner takes all” mentality that is so symptomatic of Nigerian politics, Ojukwu unrealistically held out for 100% of his demands and in the end, received 0%. His refusal to be tactically flexible by considering options other than secession, placed him and his people in a worse position than they started in. Rather than turning Nigeria into a confederation (which is what Decree 8 did), Ojukwu’s give no inch stance gave the federal government an opportunity to overrun the Eastern Region, carve the country into several states and concentrate massive powers in the central government. Forty years later many Nigerians now call for the restructuring of Nigeria, and for devolution of power to its regions. The opportunity to achieve this was squandered 45 years ago at Aburi.

Could Ojukwu have achieved his objectives – albeit at a later date, had he been more patient? The old adage is that “the best comes to those who wait”. Could he have accepted confederation in the short-term, then waited patiently until such time that the Eastern Region had enough weapons and infrastructure to sustain a fully independent state in the future?

WAS SECESSION A MISTAKE?

When armed confrontation with the federal government was imminent, Ojukwu knew that the Eastern Region had absolutely no chance of victory in an armed conflict with the federal government. Where did he obtain the confidence to secede nonetheless? It certainly was not from international opinion. Western diplomats warned him that they would not recognize a new state of Biafra. In a telegram from the US Department of State to the US Embassy in Nigeria dated March 24, 1967, the U.S. warned:

"East making serious mistake if it under assumption that international recognition of independent East would be easily obtained; our info clearly to contrary". This was the consistent US position as far back as July/August 1966. The US had previously noted that “Both US Ambassador Mathews and UKHICOM Cumming-Bruce have made strong representations in opposition to secession of any area of Nigeria. We consider such development would be major political and economic disaster for Nigerian people and severe setback to independent Africa."

Yet he declared secession, knowing full well that powerful countries would not recognize his new state, and that federal troops would invade immediately after secession. Ojukwu doubtless possessed outstanding leadership and motivational skills which he used admirably to pull his people solidly behind the war effort. However, exactly how did he possibly believe that the Eastern Region (armed only with a few elderly World War 2 era rifles) could succeed against an enemy armed with limitless mortars, machine guns, tanks, armoured personnel carriers, trucks and air force jets. One does not have to be a military strategist to see the folly of this decision. [size=12pt]


THE MID-WEST INVASION – A MISTAKE?

Under considerable military pressure from the federal army, in 1967 Ojukwu ordered Biafran soldiers to invade the Mid-West Region as a way to relieve military pressure on Biafra’s land, and to force the federal army onto the defensive. The invasion caught the federal government totally off guard and threatened a stunning military humiliation for it.


However, did the invasion of the Mid-West turn into a public relations disaster? The Military Governor of the Mid-West Lt-Colonel Ejoor had repeatedly stated that due to the multi-ethnic composition of his region, the "Mid-West will not be a battleground". Ejoor had even refused to let federal troops cross through his territory. Hence it was regarded as neutral demilitarised territory. However the invasion forced Ejoor off the fence he had been sitting on. He fled to Lagos, now firmly opposed to Biafra. Ojukwu had alienated a potential figure of friendly neutrality. The Mid-West was neutral until that invasion and may not have joined the war but for it.

Additionally, the invasion gave the rest of Nigeria the mistaken impression that Biafra's cause was not only about survival, but also about territorial conquest. It escalated the conflict and gave the federal army a free hand to start using heavy weapons, artillery and punishing air raids. Lt-Col Murtala Muhammed's 2nd division of the Nigerian army carried out massive reprisals against Igbos and murdered several hundred as punishment.

FLIGHT TO IVORY COAST

During the war, there was a widely held belief (propagated by Ojukwu and other Biafran leaders) that defeat for Biafra would be met by mass genocidal massacres by the federal government. If Ojukwu believed this, then his escape at the end of the war is deplorable. After over a million Igbos were killed (90% of whom were civilians), Ojukwu fled in the last days of the war when his people were at their lowest ebb, despite repeatedly promising throughout the war that he would never leave them to the mercy of the federal troops. If he believed that all his people would be massacred, then his flight to a exile abroad and refusal to stand side by side with them to finish a war he led them into, cannot be applauded.

http://www.pointblanknews.com/Special_Reports/os4390.html

It appears you have fallen out of favor with Nowa Omoigiu. Now, it appears you have found soft landing spot with products of Max Siollun. Look, pal, Max is a good historian and will tell you he does not have the ability to predict what Ojukwu knew or did not know or the outcome of war before it started. It is beyond pale of reasonable imagination for a mere mortal to predict the outcome of a war.

I guess it is a crass display of irresponsibility for anyone to insinuate that Ojukwu knew what the outcome of Nigeria/Biafra civil war shall become. It is even a brazen display of idiocy for anyone to insinuate that it was remotely cited in the dailies of the two countries that Biafra will not win the war. If Biafra had no chance of winning the war, British Prime Minister would have gone to sleep, USSR would not mind flooding Apapa Wharf with weapons, countries such as Egypt, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Australia, UAL would have shun the war and most combatants on Nigerian side of the war would not have granted series of interviews indicating the result could have gone to either side.

Katsumoto: The problem with some Igbo sons is that they believe they are smarter than others. Zik reneged on several agreements with Awo pre-independence, Zik was part of the government that jailed Awo, yet Awo should have supported Biafra.

It is important to contextualize Awo’s actions before and during the Civil war. To do so accurately, one must scrutinize the actions of all parties pre-Independence, post-Independence, and pre-Civil war.

In 1957, the Governor-General, Sir James Robertson, gave the three regions the choice of self-autonomy and independence but it had to be a majority decision. Awo voted for independence for the Western Region, Ahmadu Bello said the North wasn't ready for self-governance and would prefer to remain under British rule. Zik voted to put off Independence for the Eastern region, preferring to wait for the North to be ready. Zik had the choice of a country for the Eastern region but he wanted Nigeria at all cost. Similarly, at the same constitutional conference in London, Awo wanted a secession clause inserted into the constitution but Zik and Bello refused. Guess who would later want secession.

Now fast forward to the general election in 1959. The North won the most seats in the house. Awo offered to join a coalition with Zik, with Zik as Prime Minister (the PM had the real power) but Zik preferred to form a coalition with the North and accepted a redundant position as Governor-General with no real powers.
When Zik aligned with the North in 1959, guess who got most of the ministerial and administrative positions allocated to the South? Yes, you guessed it, the Igbos. The Yorubas and other Groups were left on the sidelines until Akintola broke away from the AG with the help of who? Zik and Okpara who thought that Akintola would defect to their party but played a fast one by preferring to form his own party and aligning with the North. Now when the situation of the Igbo changed with Akintola joining Balewa's government with positions held by Igbo now going to Akintola's supporters, what do you think happened next? Coup by Igbo officers.

In 1962, there were problems in the Western Region between Awo and Akintola who both belonged to the Action Group. Akintola was sacked but due to actions of NCNC (Zik's Party) members, the removal of Akintola wasn't effected. Balewa and Zik imposed a state of emergency on the West because of chair throwing in the Western House yet there were no states of emergency in the North and East for far more violent actions on the streets there (the TIV crisis and the Okrika riots). Awo was subsequently jailed on trumped up charges.

Now after the imprisonment of Awo, Zik thought that his party NCNC would take control of the Western region but Akintola decided to form his own party (NNDP) rather than join the NCNC. In the elections of December 1964, NNDP took control of the Western region. The NCNC cried that elections were rigged. According to Fazil Ope-Agbe (Akintola's right hand man), the ensuing mayhem in the West was sponsored by Okpara and Zik. With the AG in retreat, NCNC calculated that if Akintola's party fell apart, the NCNC would be in a position to pick the pieces. This is not far-fetched considering Zik's antecedents in the West.

With Akintola holding firm, NCNC didn't gain the advantage it sought. One year later, a group of officers who were predominantly Igbo, executed a coup that eliminated leading politicians and officers from the North and West. Despite the murder of these Northern and Western leaders, the Northerners, who were senior partners in the coalition with the East, picked another leader, Dipcharima, to replace Balewa. The East, even though it was the junior partner, had selected Madiwe. When the North refused to budge to this proposal, Nwafor Orizu, chose to handover to Aguiyi-Ironsi another Igbo man and in the process, Nigeria’s nascent democracy was truncated.
Awo was imprisoned on trumped up charges by the Balewa/Zik government and thrown in prison. Awo wrote to Ironsi in March 1966 requesting to be released from prison but was obviously ignored. Awo would later be released from prison by Gowon and driven home in Murtala Mohamed’s car. Despite his time in prison and his political difficulties with Zik/okpara, Awo would assume the role of a statesman and try to find a solution to the impasse between the North and the East. That speech by Awo to the Western regional house was a very noble one. Awo would also travel to Enugu to advise Ojukwu against armed conflict.

So putting all these into consideration, would any sane person expect Awo to simply just follow the East in a secession bid? Awo's loyalty was to his people. He did what he felt was best for his people concerning the circumstances. Despite all that, Awo advised Ojukwu not to go to war. When Awo offered to organise a meeting with Northern officers, Ojukwu replied, 'On the specific question of whether there is a possibility of contract with the North, the answer is at the battle field.'

Other than trying to play the role of an elder statesman and finding a solution to the problem, Awo owed no loyalty to the East. To betray the East, he would have had to have come to an agreement with the leaders in the East. Other than this speech which the OP and other Biafrans erroneously rely (due to a bad educational system), what other reasons exist to suggest a betrayal? NADA

I thought you have renounced the habit of “copy and paste” senseless falsehood from obscure journals. What was the bone of contention during the 1957 truncated constitutional conference and how was the conflict resolved when it resumed?

Katsumoto: Why must you continue to expose your ignorance?

The Yoruba have been fighting wars since the 13th century.

They have fought wars with the Nupes
They fought and conquered dahomey
They fought and conquered Togo
They defeated the Ashanti at Atakpame in 1761
They Yoruba fought many internal wars with the last war lasting for 16 years
They (Ibadan) defeated the Fulani at Oshogbo (1840) in the last battle between the sides

The battles the Yoruba fought over the last 600 years made them more diplomatic and astute militarily.

When the Yoruba were fighting wars using one of the most organized cavalries in Africa, Ndigbo were still settling inter-village disputes through wrestling contests. No kidding; if you dispute this, then please share your war stories.

Soon Dede1 will come to tell us about a phantom battle with the Fulani in which Ndigbo defeated the Fulani.

Yoruba fought Nupe and lost.
Yoruba fought Fulani and lost
Yoruba fought Dahomy and lost.

If Yoruba had already lost to Dahomy, there were no possible contact points which will instigate war between Yoruba and Togo or Ashanti unless the Togo or Ashanti had conquered Dahomy in order to square off with Yoruba. Oshogbo would have been lost for good like Illorin and Oyo-ile if not the help from Igbo mercenaries.

I am not surprise though about chest beating from a Yoruba. After all, the wrestling matches engaged to settle dispute over a yam tuber have been recorded by Yoruba as the greatest wars and termed Kiriji.

BinghiNya: The Yoruba nation fought inter tribal wars unparalled in the world. Tye Yoruba man is wiser than both Igbos and Hausas thats why we have been having less of deaths when religious crisis brews. Is there any Igbo territory outside Nigeria? Yoruba nations is light years ahead of the Igbos. Let the separation start now

Yoruba fought Nupe and lost the capital of the Oyo Empire. Yoruba fought Fulani and lost half of Oyo Empire. Yoruba also lost a war to Dahomians. It is funny any reasonable person will invoke lost wars as cardinal achievements. There were also intra-tribal wrestling matches called Kiriji Wars.

@OP

You can shove Nigerian presidency where Sun light does not reach. Anybody true Igbo man who wished to be the president of the cesspit called Nigeria should be shot.

van bonattel: If the yoruba man do not boast, then his mother lied about who his father is it is in their gene

Gbam!!!! You must have lived in Yoruba land.

CyberG: So ojukuw is too big to answer questions the only thing he did in his life which ended up to be a big disaster leading to 3 M dead? But hausa killed 30,000 you screamed but he killed 3,000,000 and he should be too busy to answer questions about it? Like dede1_foolish blinder than a dingbat, shut your putrid mouth!

Cyberfool

You are one of the reasons I despise Nigeria so much and urgently wanted its disintegration. I can not possibly share the same nationality with a drooling ninny such as you.

tomakint: What is your taste in life? You write like someone with no taste! That's strange to me not even a monkey will reason the way you just did now. Change your taste about life and be more reasonable. I am just startled by your take on the outburst from your Aboki Elders, who are they advising, you better go and see how u will tame your many Almajiris before they mature into Boko Harams!

I guess monkey has a better taste of life than you, lazy wood, if you think loudmouthed Dokubo makes sense. I do not give a hoot about Dokuba or Northern Muslims Elders. The fact remains Dokubo should endeavor to brush up on historical facts about Nigeria.

CyberG: Dingbat blinder than a bat, provide the authentic letter for vetting or shut your BIG cancerous trap you call mouth! Tell your losers to leave back to their Biafra village, I am calling in a "Police Action" against them with immediate effect!

Cyberfool,

I remembered you claimed to be the son of a soldier and wise enough to know there is no such thing as

“Yours very sincerely,

signed Lt. Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu,

Military Governor and Commander in Chief of Biafran Armed Forces”

Katsumoto: That letter was published in a book several decades before Ojukwu died but Ojukwu did not respond to it. If someone claims you did something as eventful as ordering an invasion, then you MUST respond to it, if its not true. Ojukwu granted many interviews, never addressed that letter preferring to lie about freeing Awo from prison.

Also during the interviews you alleged Ojukwu granted, he made it as a duty not to honor rumors and innuendoes such as this letter. I guess you are the only creature that did not know Gowon had no power of influence in eastern region of Nigeria.

[quote author=Rhino.5dm]Below is the letter from Ojukwu displaying his love for south west. Read and tell why should any sane person support these greedy fools.



if this is not occupation of our land then what?

LETTER FROM LT.COL. OJUKWU TO LT. COL.BANJO


22nd AUGUST 1967

From:

The Military Governor,Republic of Biafra Enugu,22nd August, 1967

.My dear Victor,

1. For some time now, you and I have been discussing the circumstances that have led to the current and inevitable disintegration of what was the Federation of Nigeria. We have been fully convinced that the aim of the Hausa/Fulani complex has ever been, and will ever remain, the total domination of every other part of what was known as the Federation of Nigeria.


It is impossible to forget that the crisis which led to the army take over in January 1966, the coup of the Northern soldiers led by Gowon in July 1966, the wholesale and indiscriminate massacre of the people of what is now Biafra- and, to a less degree, the people of the Mid-West and West, including the Yorubas, were all the direct result of Hausa/Fulani attempt to subjugate and use as tools, the gallant people of Western Nigeria namely the Yorubas.


We do not need to remind ourselves of the heavy losses in life and property suffered by the Yoruba people in their fight for justice and freedom during 1965.

2. Sharing.our belief that the people of Yorubaland have a right to live a life of equality and self-respect and justice free of domination and dictatorship from any quarter, you have both identified with the cause of the Biafra struggle for survival and expressed your determination to see the people of Yorubaland freed from Hausa/Fulani domination.We, the people of Biafra, for our part are willing and have decided to give you and the people of Yorubaland every assistance to achieve your aim.

3. After clearing the whole question with my Executive Council, I, as the Commander in Chief of the Biafran Armed Forces, have decided to place at your disposal Biafran forces, for the liberation ofYorubaland on the following clear conditions:-

(i) You will have nothing to do with the Military Administrator in the Mid-West Territory during your sojourn there prior to your move to the West.

(ii) The willingness and preparedness of Biafra to assist any part of the former Federation of Nigeria wishing and willing to liberate itself from the Hausa/Fulani domination, does not in anyway whateverimply any inclination on her part to compromise her sovereignty or preserve what remains of the defunct Federation of Nigeria. In other words, our sovereignty and break with Nigeria is irrevocable. Nothing must, therefore be said or done by you or any member of the Liberation Army to give a contrary impression.

(iii) Biafra is determined to maintain and safeguard her sovereignty and ensure that her integrity and safety are never again threatened

.(iv) Biafran troops will, after the liberation of the Yorubaland, remain in that territory only for as long as we in Biafra consider it necessary for the Yorubas to consolidate their position and sovereignty against any external threat.

(v) On the liberation of the Yorubaland, you will be appointed as the Military Governor of that territory.

(vi) The liberation of Western Nigeria will be a prelude to the liberation of all Yorubas up to the River Niger and the severance of all connections between the West and the North at Jebba.

(vii) During the period of Biafrans troops’ presence in your territory, all political measures, statements or decrees shall be subject to the approval, in writing by myself or on my authority.

(viii) Should our troops arrive and liberate Lagos, the government of the Republic of Biafra reserves the right to appoint a Military administrator for the territory. Such an Administrator will remain in office until a merger of that territory with Yorubaland is effected by Biafran troops.

(ix) As soon as possible after your appointment as the Military Governor of Western Nigeria and separation of that territory from Nigeria, you and I must meet to discuss:

(a) the duration of stay of Biafran troops in your territory;

(b) the areas and subjects of cooperation between the liberated sovereign states of Western Nigeria, or by what name it may call itself, and Biafra.

4. I do not need to remind you that Biafra regards all Yoruba as friends. As such everything should be done, to ensure the minimum force and loss of life are involved in achieving the objective of liberation.

5. It is essential, in order to avoid misunderstanding or confusion, that all subsequent requests for support be formally made to me by you in writing.

6. Will you please signify in writing, your acceptance of the above conditions so that you may leave for Western Nigeria and lead the army of liberation.

Yours very sincerely,

signed Lt. Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu,

Military Governor and Commander in Chief of Biafran Armed Forces.

culled from " A Break in the Silence : Lt. Col. Victor Adebukunola Banjo, pp.66-68, by F. Adetowun Ogunsheye, Spectrum Books, Ibadan, 2001" . Provided by Prof. Olufemi Ojo.[/quote]Only a moronic dingbat will regard the alleged letter from Ojukwu to Banjo as remotely genuine. This is another handiwork of western Nigerian regional publication of 1967 that planted the crap about Francis Fajuiyi wanting to die with Ironsi.

Heads of State and Commander in Chiefs do not write personal letters to field commanders. All correspondents between the C-in-C and field commanders go through the Army Headquarters.

In the aforementioned fraud called letter from Ojukwu to Banjo, there was no coat of arms of Biafra or government of eastern region yet foolishly enough, the instigators of this crap forgot that Ojukwu could not address to himself as Lt Col, Military Governor and Commander in Chief of Biafran Armed Forces as the conclusion of the letter suggested.

When Ojukwu was Lt Col, he properly addressed himself as Military Governor of Eastern Region of Nigeria. When Biafra was declared, he also properly addressed himself as General and Commander in Chief of Biafran Armed Forces.

What makes you think whoever ”they” that is refereed in the post will not trick you again?

Katsumoto: There is no big deal in that; all empires lose wars and battles.

In any case, Alaafin Ofinran defeated the Nupe to take back Oyo-Ile and Alaafin Orompoto would complete annhilation of the Nupe. When will Ndigbo revenge its crushing loss to Nigeria?

Did you remotely expect me to believe your historical mumbo-jumbo? When Nupe sacked Oyo-ile and Yoruba took their heels southward, Yoruba did not look back talk less of recapturing the capital city.

onomeasike: if you read the history of the Yorubas,you will know they are naturally gifted in the art of war.They even had their own civil war before the Nigerian civil war!they constitute the greatest number of Africans recruited by britian for the first world war(see BURMA BOY by Philip Barnaby of Aljazeera.Clearly,they are more war-tested than their southern neighbours.It is not an accident that even the biafran forces that made the greatest impact in the biafran war was led by a Yorubaman .Clearly,that it took the Yoruba stopping him was not an accident.A northerner would never had matched the sophistry of Banjo!!

I could have given this ridiculous nonsense a second look if I did not know that Oyo –ile, the old capital of Oyo Empire, was 30 miles north of Illorin, Kwarra State. Nupe sacked it and sent Yoruba running southward.

Best advice to Asari Dokubo came from the Northern Nigerian Muslim Elders when they told the loudmouthed ignoramus to “Go and Read Your Histroy”.

Even though Fani-Kayode tends to tilt toward hyperbolic exuberance in his 98% suggestion of Yoruba composition of 3MCDO, the factual facts remain that Yoruba, Ijo, Efik, Ejagham, Edo, Esan, Urhobo and Itsekiri constituted the bulk of the division. I had repeatedly maintained that 3MCDO was built up to a division caliber in Escravos in the defunct Midwestern region but stark tribal irredentists on this forum bent to shout otherwise. Besides Aliyu Abubakar, most of the brigade and battalion commanders of 3MCDO were Yoruba, Efik, Ibibio, Esan, Edo, Urhobo, Ijo or Itsekiri.

I knew with time and unforeseen circumstances blowing across Nigeria, the truth must come to the surface.

Obiagu1: I think you're the person that's wrong. All the names you mentioned are being contested by the Ijaws who in turn have changed those names to Ijaw sounding ones. Bonny is being claimed by the Ijaws and all the big players were mostly in Bonny. They worked with their Ijaw neighbours and the Ijaws claim them. So the Ijaws and others have this feeling of being in control and have always dealt directly with the British rather than with the Igbos.

Secondly, in the old Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria, Warri was the administrative capital of Central Province and Calabar Eastern Province. In fact, some part of Igboland were not yet in British control. So when Eastern Region was created and rather than make Calabar the capital, Enugu was chosen. That, to Asari, was the genesis of the problem in Eastern Region. A similar thing happened when Asaba, rather than the defacto capital of Delta, Warri, was made the capital, Deltans blamed it on IBB's wife who was Igbo. This has made Delta government, who mostly are non-Igbos, to run a parallel state capital since they can't reverse it. In the case of Enugu, they feared the Igbos would dominate them with our sheer number and rapidly expending literate and wealthy class, so envy and fear of domination set in.

Bros, Obiagu 1, it is good to note you started your post with the phrase “I think you're the person that's wrong”. Please I suggest you use google when in doubt. From 1885 – 93) Calabar was the administrative headquarter of Oil River Protectorate, Niger Coast Protectorate (1893 -1900) and Southern Protectorate (1900 – 1906). Also, Lokoja served as the British administrative headquarter of Northern Protectorate. British consolidated its administrative headquarters in Lagos in 1906. Remember that Lagos was the main headquarter of British administration and Colony too. There was no time British administrative headquarter was moved from Calabar to Enugu. Besides administrative headquarter does not equate to capital city as Asari Dokubo would want us to believe.

The so-called Ijo, especially the ones from eastern region, have continued to carry on with their mischievous attitude of denial either by changing certain names or adopting English name. For example, Amaikiri is now Amachere, Ama Onyeabo is Amayenabo, Ubani is Bonny, Opu Obu is Opopo and the ones they could not change or anglicized were dropped entirely.

Warri was never a capital or administrative headquarter of Southern Protectorate. Even the Royal Niger Company, which was a forerunner in British machination of colonial rule, did not make Warri administrative HQ. In 1886, Asaba became the administrative headquarter of the Royal Niger Company while Lokoja became the military headquarter of the company. One wonders where was Warri when Benin City was made the capital of Mid-western region and Bendal State?

The one problem of Ndigbo is their uncanny ability to support nonsensical craps and political idiocy that militate against them.

Bliss4Lyfe: @ Dede1, Wat part of the history highlighted is out of place?

I guess you did not read my response to the original post hence this misguided question. Ijo never had alliance with Northern Peoples Congress or Northern region of Nigeria. There were other political parties in northern region beside Northern Peoples Congress during the era in discuss. Again, I think you should agree with me that NPC did not equate northern region of Nigeria..

During 1956 - 1959 federal elections, Melford Okilo ran as NDC member under the platform of NPC to represent Brass constituency in the federal house of representative. I am very sure that Brass was not the only federal constituency in Niger Delta region or axis and also Brass constituency does not equate to Ijo as goofy Asari Dokubo and you would want us to believe.

There was no time in the history of Nigeria that British moved its administrative headquarter from Calabar to Enugu.

There has been no time in history of Nigeria that Igbo is subjugated to any ethnic nation in the former British colony. During the slavery period, the trade along the Oil River was dominated by Igbo. I have listed few names of interest with respect to the trade activities along the Oil River in my previous post.

I guess when one is wrong such as“The Biafra civil war, an effort by eastern Ibo people to secede” many are suspects. It was Nigeria/Biafra civil war and the effort to secede was by people of eastern region not Igbo people.

Please pull down this trash.

Gen. Chukwuemaka Ojukwu followed by Julius Nyerere

@OP

The dude called Joseph Evah is a political nonentity and historical midget. Evah’s analogical nonsense with references to Azazi, Ironsi, Jonathan, Arunmah Oteh and
bad advisers is a comment devoid logic.

Bliss4Lyfe: Asari is a good historian. Talk about diagnosing a problem from its origin.(Genesis)

Your post above indicated you are as dumb and clueless as Asari Dokubo.

supereagle: Perhaps, never before has the former President of Ijaw Council (IYC) and leader of the Niger Delta People Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Mujaheed Dokubo- Asari spoken in such a fierce manner.

To him, recent issues that have bedeviled the polity, ranging from the state of insecurity and threats against the presidency of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to the persistent calls for convocation of a nation conference need to be addressed.

And Asari during the week in Abuja engaged Journalists on these turbulent national issues. JOHN BULUS was there for Saturday’s Vanguard.

The Genesis
Let us come to the issue that is threatening the existence and survival of every one of us. Economically, Nigeria is at the lowest level of economic activity. Everything is comatose, why; because some people feel that by right, they have the power to rule over others.

This is happening because when the British came, they introduced a divide-and-rule style of government. Those who opposed and fought them for that were punished for fighting them.

When the entity called Nigeria came to be, the British did everything to support the north, and they did that very perfectly and promoted them over and above others, including the kings of Kalabari who have had diplomatic relations with other nations of the world before the British came. The records are there for anybody that wishes to find out if what I am saying is the truth.

Independence was granted to Nigeria on the premise that the north was more populated than the south, which is strange because there is nowhere in the world, where the dry Savannah is more in population than forest wet land, nowhere. But in Nigeria , all these empirical and geographical laws were set aside and a bogus population figure was foisted on us.

North and Niger Delta relationship

The Niger Delta people, especially the Ijaws had an alliance with the north against the Igbos who they perceived as their enemies. The Ijaws, the Efiks and Ishekiris were the leading slave traders. They were the people that controlled the trans-Atlantic slave trade and bulk of the slaves came from the hinterland, the Igbos, the Ibibios, the Anans. So, there was this kind of we-will-get-back-at-you. So, when the administrative capital of the British was moved from Calabar to Enugu, the Igbos got ascendancy over the Efik, the Ijaw and the Ishekiri.

This is where the problem started. The Ijaws and the Efiks, because of their small population, started to align outside the former Eastern region.The Ijaws alignedwith the north during Northern People’s Congress (NPC) days. During election then, NPC won only one seat outside the north, and it was in the Ijaws hinterland, the Efiks supported the Awolowo Action Group in the west.

When the civil war came, the Ijaws backed Gowon’s call for one Nigeria . My family supported Biafra . If the Ijaws had supported Biafra , we would not be in the condition that we are today.

Coming to pressing issues now, I am a Muslim. September 17 this year will make me 24 years as a Muslim, and I will stake my life for my Islam as an Ijaw man, and I have done that every time. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, an Ijaw man, by providence, by manipulation and by Olusegun Obasanjo, became Vice President to a Fulani aristocrat, Musa Yar’Adua. We all are aware of the drama that took place, we saw it.

They said the man ws sick, others said he was not sick; they refused to handover power, until Goodluck Jonathan became Acting President against the constitution because there was no provision for acting president. They came again and say doctrine of necessity. The law is supreme, and there is nothing like doctrine of necessity. What they called doctrine of necessity was a fraud. When something is fraudulent, it will continue to be fraudulent all the way, that is what Nigeria is, and that is what it will be.

55 years of misrule

As a sitting president, every political party will make offer to you to either continue in office by contesting election, but in Nigeria some people say they are larger than life and decided that Goodlcuk Jonathan cannot be President.

To them, he is too small. And Lawal Kaita clearly said that if Goodluck wins the PDP ticket by any means, even by default and goes on to win the presidential election, that they will make the country ungovernable for him. So Lawal Kaita, speaking on behalf of the north, said they will make the country ungovernable for Jonathan. Nigerian has been having headache since then because they are the ones who will tell who will rule.

During the national conference, Umaru Dikko said to our people, “did your fathers not tell you the relationship between us”. So I went to Chief Edwin Clark to ask him what sort relationship do we have with the north? Did you people sell us as slaves to them? Let us know so that we will confront you people before you die. Chief Clark and Melford Okilo were the pro-northern politicians in Ijaw land. So, if today the north is critizing Chief Clark, it makes people like us to dance because it has turned a full circle.

We want Chief Clark and others to repent and beg our people, because they collaborated with our enemies to put us down. Goodluck has been there for two years, and every problem since 1956 when Nigeria got self-government, 57 years today, for 55 years they have been ruling.

But only two years, he is clueless, he is dumb…so if he is clueless, with the intelligence Balewa had, Gowon had, Muritala Mohammed had, Olusegun Obasanjo had, Shagari had, Buhari had, Babangida had, Abacha had, Ernest Shonekan had, then Abudulsami Abubakar, then Obasanjo again, for 55 years, they destroyed everything. No road, no electricity, our education is the worst thing that anybody can give to us. What did they achieve?

Speaking for President Jonathan

I am not holding brief for Goodluck Jonathan, but I want to lay a foundation and set the records straight. I want to ask, what has Jonathan done that makes him the worst president of Nigeria ? I am an Ijaw man, the only attachment I have with Jonathan is that I am an Ijaw man.

Anti-north

People say I am anti-north, but I have a northern Fulani wife, from Yobe State . She has children for me. My lawyer, one of the closest people to me, who handle my businesses, is a northerner from Bida.

On the security crises

On the issue of security and Boko Haram, the north will lose. In this battle, the north will lose. And I feel pain because I am a Muslim, and I know that the North will suffer. The people should think. When I engage my northern friends, I always tell them, may be you people are not seeing the hand writing on the wall. This war, as I am talking, is not a joke, I saw it coming and the north will lose.

There will be no national army to prosecute the Biafra type of civil war, because Ijaw people in the army will leave, Igbo people in the army will leave, and everybody will form loyalty to his tribe. The Yoruba people that the north is relying on, you know their history, Ojukwu is dead. He would have told you about them.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/08/nothing-must-happen-to-jonathan-dokubo/
It is better for us to trade the path of peace. We can live together and create a greater nation, but there must be a dialogue. I was one of the first persons to say government should dialogue with Boko Haram.

There should be dialogue. For over 40 years, the north ruled Nigeria , but today, there is nothing to show for it in the north. The ordinary northern is poorer than any other person. I just returned from northern Cyprus , one of the biggest farms in Cyprus belongs to an incumbent governor from the north.

If that governor builds that farm in the north, will it not help the zone? They keep taking their wealth outside their region, who do they expect to come and develop their region for them? But if Goodluck attempts that kind of thing and refuses to develop and attract investment in our area, we will show him.

On the call for Jonathan to become a Muslim or resign

The arrogance of Shekau and his group is unislamic. Which President if not Goodluck, will accept somebody to tell him to become a Muslim or resign?

What kind of insult? Is that what the Prophet Sallalahualihiwassalam did? Become a Muslim or this…? That is an insult. You don’t push somebody beyond the point he can go. The insult is too much. Did you do it to Abacha, IBB? They are not
the only ones that can kill. I don’t know why they will not listen.

They are behaving like the deaf, the dumb and the blind. Death and starvation are coming to their house, yet they are showing arrogance. Let nothing happen to Goodluck, because if anything happens to him, the world will know.

What Jonathan must do

Goodluck must correct the 55 years of injustice. He must be fair to all. Goodluck must convocate sovereign national conference. Goodluck has every power, every moral responsibility to convene a national conference, where we will all sit down and talk. We can live together peacefully, but we must dialogue. Goodluck and those in his government should live by example.

I don’t see any reason why Goodluck should be traveling up and down, instead of sitting down to do what he was elected to do. Somebody who is carrying an elephant on his head cannot be looking for snail with his legs. We have endured with him for two years, we can endure more, not everybody will continue to endure. We need to build our capacity. Goodluck should know this.

For us as a people, over dependence on government for everything will not help us. I know that government is the greatest distributor of wealth in Nigeria, but I still believe that depending on government for everything will not help us. That is why Goodluck must ensure that this government builds a capacity where the people will do something to create wealth without looking into the direction of the government.

We ended the anti- subsidy protest in Lagos ; therefore we will impress it on Goodluck to do what is right for the people. In Edo State , we saw a good government that thinks of the people, we moved in and supported the Comrade Governor.

IBB and Edwin Clark face-off over Boko Haram

I want to be fair to Buhari and IBB. I want to say that there is nothing they can really do about what is happening in the North.

There is nothing. I want also say that Chief Clark is right in saying that the North, especially the political elite in the North which includes Gen. Babangida and Buhari, has not done enough in condemning and isolating Boko Haram. Let me remind them that Boko Haram is destroying the North. Boko haram is not destroying us even if they kill Goodluck, they cannot destroy us. We know how terror group operates.

After sometimes, they splinter. They continue to splinter because there will be disagreement on the modus-operandi of the group, and other people will start to leave, some people within the group will accuse even the founders of being responsible for the sufferings of the people they are fighting for.

So, I don’t think that IBB and Buhari can do anything. They can only talk and put their lives at risks. Nobody wants to commit suicide. But if IBB said he is ready to wear his khaki to keep Nigeria together, he should also be ready to sacrifice his life by telling Boko Haram to stop. These are the issues that we have to look at.

Way out

The easiest way to solve the problem is to convocate a national dialogue where we will all sit down and talk. But if we continue to postpone it, we are only postponing the doomsday because as the attacks continue in the North, and if they continue to kill the Igbos, one day, one mad Igbo man will get up and say enough is enough, and he will go to Ama Hausa (Hausa Community) in Enugu, Owerri, Aba and in all the Igboland and attack and kill innocent northerners. Then, there will be reprisal this way and that way.

Then, Goodluck will not be able to hold anybody again. If they see any Ijaw man to kill in the North, maybe a Police Officer, Immigration or Customs or Managerial staff in NNPC in the North, but if Ijaw people decide to kill Northerners, every major household in the North will cry because in Bonny Island alone, all the prominent Northern families are there in LNG and in other oil companies there.

I can go home today and ask them to close up Bonny Island and the place will be closed. There will be no way for anybody to escape and they will all be killed. If that happens, the cream of majority of North in the oil and gas business will be affected. So what we are saying is that it is the north that needs peace more than us. We have the resources in our hand, even the presidency is in our hands now, so they are the ones that need peace.

And everybody must impress it on them that they need peace. This road they are going will not help them. They say he who the gods want to destroy, they first make him deaf. So, the north must understand they need peace more than any other person. We can live together but we need to sit down and dialogue.

This arrogance will not help them. They see the truth and refuse to say it. The north should ask their leaders: the IBBs, Buharis, Abdusalamis and all of them, what did they do at the period they were ruling? Why did they fail to develop the North? So, what I am trying to say is that Goodluck must convoke a national conference whether he likes it or not.

This is the truth that they have not learnt. People will pay VAT in Lagos , and you will share the VAT from Lagos in Yobe. Then somebody says he does not drink alcohol. It is haram to drink alcohol, to buy alcohol, to receive proceed from alcohol. So, everybody in the north has been eating haram. VAT from alcohol is being distributed. Why? Is that justice? So, please, let us sit down and talk.

There is need for national discourse. It is only by sitting down and dialoguing that we can find solution to our problem. In the North, they should set up Neighborhood Vigilante and make sure that this Vigilante protects the people: the Church, the Mosques and palaces of the traditional rulers. Because, the people throwing bombs are human beings like them.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/08/nothing-must-happen-to-jonathan-dokubo/

I shall pray someone to studiously inform delusional Asari Dokubo to abstain from
historical facts beyond his intellectual pedigree. There is no way on
earth certified porters for the first Europeans to the coast of West Africa shall become controllers of Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.

All the principal figures during the slave trade in Niger Delta such as Nwagbara, Kamalu, Ejike, Mbakamba, Azumiri, Edimiri , Owerre adada, Ediabali, Okpara, Amaikiri, Odum and Jojo were not Ijo or Efik or Itsekiri. In addition, the names of their domain from the Ngwa's outpost of Ubani (Bonny) to Opu Obu (Opopo) and Obuama were not Ijo or Efik or Itsekiri. Jojo which has morphed into Jaja was not Ijo either. Talking about slave trade, British or other Europeans will not buy Ijo as a slave due to lack of certain physical qualities.

It will be good to note that British did not move their administrative headquarter from
Calabar to Enugu as erroneously postulated by Asari Dokubo. Thank goodness the loudmouthed Dokubo knew that NPC won only one seat in eastern region via Melford Okilo, an Ijo. There is no doubt Ijo have been carrying loads both politically and socially for their masters-Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri and Europeans. I guess when one is a porter, one remains porter forever even one's lineage too.

[quote author=ndu_chucks]How would the annexation of 'Bakassi' differ from colonization? Are the Bakassi people Igbo? It is becoming clearer what the biafrans were up to: essentially forceful capture of other people's oil rich territories.[/quote]I never thought you will slide to this low during fundamental discussion of Bakassi issue and innocent fellows subjected to modern slavery. Must everybody in Biafra be an Igbo? The last time I checked, Biafra was populated by the ethnic nations in defunct eastern region of Nigeria.

Until after 1970, Cameroon never placed a claim to the Bakassi because it was an integral part of eastern region. Biafra, being a product of devoid of any colonial nonsense such as Scramble for Africa and Anglo-German over dinner table arrangement, would have not listened to the moronic ICJ or delusional and liberal-minded International goons.

Cameroon must not be allowed to have Bakassi.

After reading certain posts with respect to Bakassi, I concluded that colonialism has more adverse effect on Africans than Arabs. During the scramble for Africa, it was noted that Queen of England signed treaty of Protection with Obong of Akwa Akpa, Old Calabar, which included Bakassi.

I guess the Protection treaty was in place to prevent other Europeans such as German, French and Spaniard from annexing Old Calabar. If this treaty was engaged between the Obong of Akwa Akpa and Queen Victoria, why did the ICJ negate the implication of such treaty and based its ruling on manifestation of scrambled Africa by colonists?

Bakassi debacle is a result of Nigeria/Biafra civil war. Nigeria under the leadership of Gowon, aided by Justice Department headed by T O Elias and northern Nigerian born head of state of Cameroon, Ahmadu Ahidjo signed away Bakassi to Cameroon to ensure the defeat of Biafra.

If Biafra had lived, Bakassi would still be part of Biafra and colonists in ICJ would have no chance to rekindle their colonial wickedness. Where is ICJ in places such as Palestine where Anglo-Franco-German colonial lines of boundaries are rubbished?

@OP

I am not a fan of the perennial fool-at-forty such as Edwin Clark or Asari Dokubo but it is foolhardy on the part of ninnies who are members of Arewa Youth Forum to insinuate they have monopoly on the Nigeria’s history. It is a borderline idiocy that certain scoundrels- Arewa Youth Forum insinuated northern region was the mainstay of Nigerian economy before discovery of crude oil. Let it be known to these goons that northern region was not and shall never be the mainstay of Nigerian economy.

Also on the issue of starting a war in Nigeria, I guess youthful idiocy tends block the useful memory of certain blockheads within Arewa Youth Forum. It is on record that northern region led western and mid-western regions to start and precipitate a war against eastern region.

Amaechi and few other governors in Southern provinces of Nigeria are moronic dingbats. This useless declaration is one of the factors that embolden Muslims from Northern provinces of Nigeria to behavior as if Nigeria belongs to them.

How many governors from Northern provinces of Nigeria have picked up courage to make such declaration while observing prayers in a mosque at the back drop of Boko Haram menace?

I do not give a hoot how dingbats in Nigeria become millionaires. However, it is matter of idiocy to label Rochas Okorocha as good governor after 1 year or more in office while involved in everything which signifies failure and bad governance.

Acts of praise singers and hack writers do not a make a good governor.

nateevs: I had to go over the posts 4 times to find out exactly who and where someone has blamed GEJ.
I know people defend GEJ blindly after things are said. However, this is going to a new level now, defending him even before blames are apportioned.

It's the minister's fault but not GEJ's. For some strange reason, it's not GEJ's duty to ensure that the appointed Minister is competent.
Let's blame the incompetent minister but not the guy who employed him. Gosh!


@OP

You are right in every sense.

Why would any reasonable fellow blame GEJ when, in fact, it was Nigeria’s despicable society that produced GEJ.