On Maimalari, 1966, and the Civil War

"American Abroad" wrote this:

The ghosts of 1966 will not lay still, in large part because we compulsively re-exhume them for re-examination. Which is not altogether a bad thing, if only our inquiry was demonstrably honest. It has never been: each opinion is a Rorschach test of the interlocutor, colored by ethnic prejudice, religious bias, regional animus, and in several instances, revisionist politics. Of the several published accounts, the most compelling and closest to factual renditions are Ademoyega's first-person, eye-witness account in Why We Struck, and to lesser but differing degrees, Peter Baxter (Biafra: the Nigerian Civil War), NU Akpan (The Struggle for Secession), John De St. Jorre (The Nigerian Civil War) and Alex Madiebo (The Nigerian Revolution and Biafra Civil War). Frederick Forsyth's account appears too partisan to me, needlessly lionizing the major actors on the Biafran side, whilst Omoigui's internet serialization in gamji.net which contains a lot of "insider" information, betrays his own political persuasions and pro-Northern diffidence. Neither is a route to truthful inquiry.

Maimalari was, like most public officials, a complex character. He was clearly patriotic (or at least, an Arewa version of patriotism), well-informed, and inspirational. He was also craven, acting mostly as an errand boy for the Sarduana and Northern interests. His loyalties were less to the Constitution than to Northern patriarchy, and he was consequently mistrusted by the Establishment and most of his peers. However, he was loved, almost to a fault, by the men serving under him.

Ironsi, affectionately called Ironsides by his side-kicks, was a gruff, apolitical, plain-talking, barely literate, man-at-arms. He found himself embroiled in a plot which he was not equipped to understand or manage, and torn by the contrarian pull of the military "progressives" led by Fajuyi, and the "conservatives" represented by Gowon; thus, he was fated never to return to his favorite life of barracks anonymity, laced with booze, war stories (from Burma, Katanga & Tiv Riots) and loyalty to Queen and Country. He was the truest victim of 1966.

Ifeajuna, the bete noire of 1966, was the instigator and helmsman of the 1966 conflagration. An ambitious, temperamental, but supremely gifted individual, he burnt bright, loud, garish, and also extinguished very fast. His inexplicable blood lust on the night of January 15, led to the gratuitous murders of several leaders who were of no operational import to his putsch. Some were probably killed to settle old scores, a case in point being the execution of Lt Col Arthur Unegbe, his old schoolmate (but not classmate, Unegbe being 1 year his senior in middle school) at DMGS Onitsha, who earned the distinction of being the only senior Igbo military officer to be killed on the night of January 15. Despite the resources available to Ifeajuna at Lagos, his leadership was at best mediocre, and as his putsch unraveled, he was the first to flee into exile in Ghana. More insidiously, he was likely a back-door courier to his kinsman, Azikiwe, whose behavior during the peak of national crisis could only be explained by foreknowledge of an impending military uprising, illustrated by his bizarre sailing vacation across the Carib seas through the Yuletide holidays of 1965. Nzeogwu, who was actually a late conscript but the only successful putschist, became by default the visible "leader" of January 1966.

Lt Col Pam was, by all accounts, a simple, committed, outstanding military officer: he was reportedly killed, based on his close relationship to Ademulegun and Maimalari, but of all the gratuitous murders of 1966, his was probably the least necessary and most egregious.

The greatest tragedy of our common history is the collective entrapment within a bubble of group-think, which has been nurtured by a spectrum of ethnically-colored political thought each tailored specifically to cater to a precise tribal sensibility: My tribe is better (and more innocent) than Yours. Therefore, nobody has to ever consider, much less accept, any contrarian viewpoint. We listen only to those who think like us, bear our same grievances, hate our same well-defined common enemies, repeat the same lies we have been fed since childhood. Hence, 1966 was an Igbo coup (despite the fact the wider Igbo nation knew nothing about it, and if they did would almost certainly have rejected it, given that Igbo had nothing to gain from such strong-arm tactics when they were already on the ascendancy; furthermore, the putschists were about as representative of Igbo as Gideon Orkar represented the Middle Belt, Mamman Vatsa the Nupe, or Abacha the Kanuri); Fajuyi was merely an innocent bystander (though he was clearly a mentor to several within the "progressive" military camp, making him a specific target of the July 1966 revanchists); Ojukwu was a great strategist (no, he wasn't: he played his rather weak hand too often, too openly, and too wrongly, as even Zik testified in his Post interview during the NPP days. However, no one on this side of Paradise could deliver a prepared speech nearly as well as Ojukwu, with the possible exceptions of Winston Churchill after a brace of Scottish best, or Barack Obama in the wake of tragedy); Gowon was an evil genocidalist (again, here we mistake Gowon for Murtala Mohammed, under whose command the infamous Asaba Massacre occurred, ably abetted by Ibrahim Taiwo; but Gowon bears the blame for shutting his eyes to some of the evil perpetrated under the name of his government); July 1966 was otiose (not necessarily, the North needed to vent at the time, as the manhood of Northern officers had been metaphorically challenged, in large part by the snide whispers from "retired" NPC politicians like Inua Wade and Yar'Adua the Elder: but the July 1966 response was clearly excessive, catastrophic, fulminant, precipitate and anarchic); war was inevitable (again, no: if Aburi had been implemented, if Ojukwu had been removed by the simple sleight-of-hand of appointing "cooler" heads to the Eastern governorship such as Hilary Njoku, if the Federal government had quickly stopped the pogrom against ethnic Igbo living in the North, if a state of emergency had been immediately declared and rigorously enforced, if power had been returned to the civilian remnants of NPC-NCNC-AG... the next 3 years of war might have conceivably been avoided); Ojukwu wanted war (finally, no: nobody wanted war, least of all, the outgunned and outmanned Ojukwu; but Ojukwu felt incapable of stopping a rising tide of popular demand amongst the rank and file Igbo who demanded "separation" and protection from the North specifically, following the gut-churning pogrom of July) .

There was more than enough blame to go round. The trick is to ponder on its abiding lessons to avoid an encore.

chibuzorAbia:
GOD BLESS OBA AKIOLU OF LAGOS!!!!!!

GOD BLESS OBA AKIOLU OF LAGOS!!!!!!

Real 1st class Oba wey no dey take nonsense!!

Lagos should not have an Oba but an Olu according to tradition.
So it really should be the Olu of Lagos, if we are to go by tradition.

The 1999 Nigerian Constitution is the document that governs the government of Nigeria.
Based on this document, the budget is allocated to the 3 tiers of government i.e.
Federal government
36 State governments + FCT
774 Local governments.

However, sovereignty of Bakassi was transferred to La Replublique du Cameroun in 2008.
So, when was the constitution amended to reflect this change and to change the allocation formula accordingly?
Is the current constitution still valid?
Bakassi receives an allocation of over 18 million Naira per month, since 2008
The latest allocation data available to me as at 2015 demonstrates that Bakassi has been receiving 18 million Naira/ month since 2008
when Nigeria ceased to administer Bakassi.

Where is the money going? Is it going to sai Baba?
Any constitutional lawyers here on Nairaland?
I'm going to sue the Federal government of Nigeria for fraudulent revenue allocation.

My Oga at the top, Nnamdi Kanu says we are are going to destroy the Federal Government of Nigeria with the truth.

https://i0.wp.com/takenotenigeria.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Federal-Ministry-of-Finance-Distribution-of-Revenue-Allocation-to-State-Government-Federation-Account-Allocation-Committee-for-the-Month-of-January-2015b.jpg

I no go lie, but i remember when this man dey College of Medicine i.e. UCH for University of Ibadan..
The man collect bribe tire! At least him secretary bin dey use him name dey collect bribe.
Oh, well RIP. Dr O.

The largest community of people from Bayelsa , Cross-River and Akwa-Ibom outside of their homelands in Aba, Abia State.
They have never been harmed or molested, and have freedom of worship, freedom of movement and freedom to carry on their business.
So it bothers me after living in proximity since the war that these cousins (SS and SE) haven't disabused themselves of lingering mistrust, especially when God Almighty has put them together. Thank God the SE/SS governors are coming to their senses.

Yoruba and magical thinking, are like 5&6!

South Sudan = Niger Delta

Niger Delta FC:
First 11:
Itshekiri, vs Urhobo vs Epkeye, vs Ijaw, vs Annang, vs Oron, vs Eket vs Efik vs Ibibio, vs Ogoni, vs Okrika

Bench: Ndoni, vs Kalabari vs Ogba.

Circular firing squad!

Niger Delta Republic ...........................loading.

Looks like the Ooni should be dethroned.
And a true royal put on the throne.
Kini gbogbo nonsense yi?

LAGOS, and Tinubu.
This is the grandfather of all schemes!
People who will pay their hard earned millions for a plot of land here?
There Are None So Blind As Those Who Will Not See.

KingOvoramwen1:




If you read the article you will have noted Boys and Men .... But no you had to jump on and relate Rome to Benin empire because in you gugugaga mind they are opposite each other on your gugugagaga street!!.....

Deny it all you want.
Bury your head in the sand!
Africa has had homosexual Kings in the past, and this story just raises my antenna.
Cultivating young boys (your very title says virgin boys) and men for the King?
Can they say no to the King if he wants to satisfy his unnatural desires on them.
It seems to me like this needs to be properly investigated.
There may be child abuse going on there.
I don't care what happened in the past. Such rubbish should not go on in this day and age.
The catholic church is paying millions now for the same thing.
If catholic priests can do it, I dare say the Oba is not holier than a catholic priest.

From your post:
Meeting an Omueda.
He smiled a lot and even tolerated all of our foolish questions. Let's call him Osaro.
Like why he decided to spend over 11 years of his life in the palace.
“I am proud to serve my kingdom” he said with so much ease.
He wore a light brown sleeveless shirt and matching shorts. Around his neck were tiny white beads, and on his ankles were metal bangles.He hasn't been outside the palace since he signed up 9 years ago.

That sounds like a sex slave to me.

Agumbankembu:


If Biafra was an independent state, it would have been an example for Africa, this Rwanda you see takes STEM and research seriously, they invested so much in waste processing uses bio fuel to create mini power station that generate electricity.
You can attest to the highly powered scientific team during the time of Biafra.
I am not happy I tell you, we ought to be competing with the rest of word in Science and technology, but we are more concerned with who wins Jollof rice with Ghana.
Ghana no be our mates in Research and Science, they have so many opportunities for people into those fields, even Gambia too.
Let me stop here, I am just annoyed.

I whole heartedly agree with you!

Shhhh.
Oba of Benin, raping little Bini boys since 20 BC!
Why would a virgin boy serve the Oba for 14yrs?


Just like the homosexual king of the historical/mythical Buganda Kingdom in today's Uganda.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/ugandas-martyrs-were-murdered-for-spurning-a-homosexual-king-shhhh

SweetJoystick:
Madness, enough of this zoning thrash by political parties, let the best and generally appealing man win the party's primary then the general elections. It because of zoning that's why the north Is hell bent of completing their alleged zoned presidential time

While I agree with you in principle, I find it interesting that you only at this time find the zoning principle detestable when it involves Igbo.
Do I sense Igbophobia?

Champele:
1. South East Governors Forum

2. South South Governors Forum

3. SouthEast- South South Governors Forum

4. South West Governors Forum

5. South North Governors Forum

6. North East Governors Forum

7. North West Governors Forum

8. North North Governors Forum

9. North South Governors Forum

Yet Nigeria is in this condition
You say our governors get brain

Nigeria governors are the no. one problem of Nigeria

http://static.tumblr.com/dc6f6917859f914f226357351a5d3e41/pbbsu51/dHYmpezx5/tumblr_static_tumblr_m301k78j3c1r7bg6wo1_500.jpg

Its not the first time its being said!

austinvsb1:


I think you mentioned the wrong person.

cc: GQman's father

Take your pills and then go take a nap.
Maybe the hallucinations will cease when you wake up.
e-warrior!

austinvsb1:


You tell your godfathers to try the slightest of things! If they have any GUTS in them, they should go ahead and try to remove the vice president. You HAVE NO F**CKING IDEA! Nuff Said!

Chest-thumping orangutan!
You lie, you are not picking up any weapons anytime soon.
By the way, did you take your pills this today? I hope you are not hallucinating again today.
e-warrior!

austinvsb1:
if this stupidd set of thieves think for a minute that they can remove the acting president from the way, they have not the slightest idea what they got coming! Osibanjo has the support of majority of honest and hardworking nigerians who would not shy away from taking up arms if necessary to defend the nation against this thieves and oppressors!

WE ARE WATCHING!

Na lie!
You are not picking up arms anytime soon. Stop deceiving yourself.

Nigeria is crashing and burning and this ode is twiddling his thumbs!

fabuloz1:
Atleast,one aboki has been bestowed with brain, he's using it well

No he is not Aboki, he is an Alhaji from Rivers state!

Tales by the moonlight!

omohayek:

This is ridiculous - how are goods going to get to any other part of the country if this road isn't repaired? Does Nigeria have any other major ports in good working condition? Is it only Yorubas who use the port at Apapa?

This is exactly what I'm getting at when I say many Nigerians are too tribalistic to think straight.

Must everything run through Lagos port?
We have Warri, PH and Calabar ports that are barely functional. Of all the infracture projects in the country, Why is the Lagos-Ibadan expressway the most pressing infrastructure project in the country?. Oh I see, former Lagos governor under the titulage of Asiwaju thinks this SW project is the most pressing national project while there is no other functional project being carried out in the other 5 geopolitical zones, and its not tribalism. Then I don't know what tribalism is.
Whether or not its tribalism, he should run far away from anything that has the appearance of trbalism. He did not pass that test here.
What is the needs assessment by which he judged this to be the most pressing infrastructure project in the country?
And what other projects did he not even bother to assess?

omohayek:
Of the three reasons given, only the first two have any truth to them: that the Senate's actions are motivated purely by Saraki's attempt at evading justice. In that sense, it's also incorrect to say this fight isn't about Magu, as Saraki, Melaye and the other thieves in the Senate clearly hate and fear the man; they would block Magu's appointment even if Saraki didn't have the CCT to worry about.

The bit about Fashola is just the same old tired attempt by Saraki and his circle of thieves at using tribalism as a weapon against an opponent they are finding difficult to overcome - the 2nd Niger-Delta bridge is not in the SW, and how is the rest of the country going to transport its imports and exports if the Lagos-Ibadan expressway goes unrepaired? Of course, I expect lots of semi-literate tribalistic fo.ols to take the bait and buy the rubbish Saraki is selling, just as they've taken up his defense online out of a malignant sense of partisanship.

Dont be quick to dismiss the tribalism angle.
Why is it that the only project Fashola is working on, of all the infrastructure needs in Nigeria, is the Lagos-Ibadan road?

With all the clamor for Biafra, we keep hearing that Nigeria is indisoluble and indivisible.
If that is the case, Why did we give away Bakassi?
Maybe Biafra will go just like Bakassi, and Nigeria will keep remaining indivisible and indisoluble.




Thank God for organic Chemistry and My "Ababio" chemistry textbook!