for me there are three categories when it comes to determining who is sexy. its their swag/character, face, and body.also it should be categorize by their professions and bachelorhood.

Actors:these are actors that when you think of them, you immediately think sex (for the women, i dont know abt some of you men) lol, their whole being character,body, face,swag= sexy.
chris attoh

joseph benjamin

uti

alex ekubo

ikay ogbonna


synonymous to sex ..musicians: these are musicians that when you think of them, you immediately think sex (for the women, i dont know abt some of you men) lol, their whole being character,body, face,swag= sexy.

peter okoye

lynxx

dipp

iyanya

flavour nabania





cute musicians: These are celebrities i just cannot ever see as sexy, but they cute
davido
wizkid
dammy crane
dr.sid
m.i


married celebs that exudes sexiness celebs: these celebs are out of reach, but one can still dream
2face innocent idibia
bright okocha aka basketmouth
eldee the don
darey art alade
steel of styl plus






fine by body: fine by face: fine by swag/ ...sexy in all three
1. dipp 1. chris attoh 1. uti 1. peter okoye
2. peter okoye 2. lynxx 2.lynxx 2. chris attoh
3. lynxx 3. peter okoye 3.peter okoye 3. lynxx
4. chris attoh 4.gbenro ajibade 4.chris attoh 4. gbenro ajibade
5. gbenro ajibade 5. dipp 5. gbenro ajibade 5. dipp

The Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, spoke this week at the Hay Festival in Mexico. In an extract from his talk, he tells Peter Godwin that now is the time to tackle militants in Nigeria.



Professor Soyinka, you’re not an ivory-tower kind of writer. You are not a stranger to danger, and in fact you’ve been imprisoned on at least two occasions, once in solitary confinement. Can you tell me what that was like?

Writing in certain environments carries with it an occupational risk. When I was imprisoned, without trial, it was as a result of a position I took as a citizen. Of course I used my weapon, which was writing, to express my disapproval of the [Biafran] civil war into which we were about to enter. These were people who’d been abused, who’d undergone genocide, and who felt completely rejected by the rest of the community, and therefore decided to break away and form a nation of its own. Unfortunately, the nature of my imprisonment meant that I couldn’t practise my trade because I was in solitary confinement for 22 months out of the 27, and I was deprived of writing material. So I had to somehow break through the barriers, smuggle in toilet paper, cigarette paper, scribble a few poems, pass messages outside. I was able to undertake exercises to make sure that I emerged from prison intact mentally.

There have been high hopes for some African leaders after they were elected – Meles in Ethiopia, or Museveni in Uganda, or Kagame in Rwanda – but who then went to show a more authoritarian bent. Are you an Afro-optimist or an Afro-pessimist?

I’m an Afro-realist. I take what comes, and I do my best to affect what is unacceptable in society. I’ve remarked how similar in many ways Mexico is to Nigeria, and to a number of places: we have the same condition of unstructured, unpredictable violence, both from the state and from what I call the quasi-state. Whether the quasi-state is formed, as its basis, of theocratic tendencies, or secular ideological rigidity, you always have forces, even outside the state, competing for the domination of people. That’s what’s happening on the African continent today. That’s what’s been happening in the Arab states and what led eventually to the Arab Spring. Gradually people come to the recognition after decades of supine submission that they are not whole as human beings.

Your parents were Christians, Anglicans, I understand. How has your own religious belief evolved?

I consider myself very fortunate. I was raised in a Christian environment in Abeokuta, but another side of me was very much enmeshed in African values. I gravitated towards what I saw was a cohesive system of a certain relationship of human beings to environment, a respect for humanity in general. I came through a traditional system, where children not only had rights, but had responsibility. In the Western world today, especially in America, it seems to be forbidden for children to have responsibilities…

I gravitated towards a deeper knowledge of the orisha, which represents the Yoruba pantheon, very similar in many ways to the Greek pantheon. You have reprobate deities, beneficent deities. I found that more honest than a kind of unicellular deity of either Christianity or Islam.

I don’t know if you’ve been following the news, but just a few days ago some of these Islamic fundamentalists butchered close to 50 students of a technical college. I cannot imagine the religion I was brought up in having such complete contempt for human lives. And yet these are supposed to be the world religions. So that’s why I consider myself rather fortunate that I’ve been able to see what other religions had to offer.

How should Nigeria deal with the Boko Haram, the Islamic militants in the north of the country?

All religions accept that there is something called criminality. And criminality cannot be excused by religious fervour. Let me repeat something I first said at the meeting organised by UNESCO a few weeks ago, which was prompted by the recent film insulting the religion of Islam and depicting the Prophet Mohammed in a very crass way.

The first thing to say is that we do not welcome any attempt to ravage religious sensibilities. That can be taken for granted. But you cannot hold the world to ransom simply because some idiot chose to insult a religion in some far-off place which most of the world has never even heard of. This for me is a kind of fundamentalist tyranny that should be totally unacceptable. So a group calls itself the Boko Haram, literally: “Book is taboo”, the book is anathema, the book is a product of Western civilisation, therefore it must be rejected.

You go from the rejection of books to the rejection of institutions which utilise the book, and that means virtually all institutions. You attack universities, you kill professors, then you butcher students, you close down primary schools, you try and create a religious Maginot Line through which nothing should penetrate.

That’s not religion; that’s lunacy. My Christian family lived just next door to Muslims. We celebrated Ramadan with Muslims; they celebrated Christmas with Christians. This is how I grew up. And now this virus is spreading all around the world, leading to the massacre of 50 students. This is not taking arms against the state, this is taking up arms against humanity.

Is freedom of expression something you see as a universal right rather than as some Western construct?

There are many cultures on the African continent where days are set aside, days of irreverence where you can say anything you want about an all-powerful monarch or chief. It’s a safety valve. It’s a recognition of freedom of expression, which perhaps has not been exercised, and bottled up grievances; this is the day when you express your grievances in society. So there is no society, really, which does not boast some form or measure of freedom of expression. Now, it’s true that freedom of expression carries with it an immense responsibility. Well that is why laws of libel exist – that when you carry things too far, you can be hauled up before the community, and judged to see whether you are right to call somebody a thief, or a hypocrite, and damage his reputation. But unless you establish that principle of freedom of expression, we might all just go around with a padlock on our lips.

I read somewhere my freedom ends where your freedom begins. In Europe there have been cartoonists who have mocked the Prophet. Should they limit their freedom of speech?

Religion is also freedom of expression. People want to express themselves spiritually. And they also exercise the right to try and persuade others into their own system of belief. Those nations that say it’s a crime to preach your religion are making a terrible mistake. All they’re doing is driving underground other forms of spiritual intuitions and practices.

If religion was to be taken away from the world completely, including the one I grew up with, I’d be one of the happiest people in the world. My only fear is that maybe something more terrible would be invented to replace it, so we’d better just get along with what there is right now and keep it under control.

The unrest which is taking place as a result of Boko Haram, in my view, has attained critical mass. When a movement reaches that state of total contempt even for universal norms, it is sending a message to the rest of the world, and to the rest of that nation, that this is a war to the end. The president of Nigeria is making a mistake in not telling the nation that it should place itself on a war footing.

There’s too much p***yfooting, there’s too much false intellectualisation of what is going on, such as this is the result of corruption, this is the result of poverty, this is the result of marginalisation. Yes, of course, all these negativities have to do with what is happening right now. But when the people themselves come out and say we will not even talk to the president unless he converts to Islam, they are already stating their terms of conflict.

I believe in sectors like this controlled by the government that it should be made illegal to practice nepotism and croynism, rather it should be a blind interview where everyone is given equal chance regardless of background, I think that if stella is putting people on qualification then there shouldnt be a problem. There should be a bill that demands each government sector offer equal opportunity to all applicants regardless of their tribe,age,gender and religious background. Rather it should be based on merit, academia, ethics and other qualities that will improve the whole country. The fact is that every tribe practice nepotism and croynism, and first step to improving naija is making it illegal when it comes to government dealings.

why is it only open to men, mtchewww chauvanistic people...SMH..why can't there be LOLO or eze, whatever..not pleased at all!!

Mcleo007: You are spot on there. The addiction for some of us is actually a pleasure.

actually that is a good point, but did you know that kola nut is works better than coffee and less addictive, only bad part it easily leave orange stain on your mouth or teeth.

alj harem: This mimifonwon of an iddeiot woud want us to believe Igbos are better than Yorubas. You must have you head in the clouds. I don't support superiority and any attempt to do so would be resisted be rest assured.I don't want to know if you are igbo yoruba or hausa. Ok I how I have made myself clear

This is not tribalism but fighting for equality. If you are not sure, I have fought for Igbos before both on the internet and real life.

omg see how you think, finally i confirmed your mindset, you are a sorry excuse for an educated man, my father calls your like an educated ignorant illiterate...and looks like you lie to yourself often too, and twist people's words to suit your schema of things. i never said igbos were better than yorubas. All i said is that at some point in our nation history one had an advantage over the other. The yorubas had the upper hand in education and the igbos the economy, my dear it can be proved, so dont fight the truth. Unlike you i dont write fiction or fantasy, i write facts that are well researched. If you dont know what ethnocentricism is then your education is a waste, because my dear you are a tribalist, you are not fighting for any equality, but simply trying to perpetuate lies, unsubstantiated as truths, which would never happen, so for once to thy own self be true.

alj harem:

LOL the girl don craze finally I remember one of her silly thread claiming Ogu dialect as Egba dialect. You know sometimes when Igbos smoke igbo they tell you how Egbas and Ijebus are Igbos originally.

I laugh at your stupidity. The said thread was a question i posed on whether egbas were the original owners of the land knowb as lagos and if they are yorubas, and yes i can through science -geneology prove that some people from ijebu-igbo have igbo bloods and vis versa, the fact is that we are all mixed up. But yes, please stop making yourself look stupid and just accept fact. I have no reason to lie, for after all you are of no importance to me, other than your humanity. So if you choose to dwell in lies, do so, and leave me out of it. once again, PEACE!!

looplat:

egbon, she claimed egba on one thread
now she's claiming ijebu. oniro jati jati ni omo ishi yen.

omg, please show me where i claimed egba, nawooo, you my dear are a true fool, and have shown yourself for what your really are, a liar, and with this am done with you, and please dont go fake and post and say i said it, give me the link and sources to substantiate it, and al harm, i dont care what your believe, as you know you are not a hundred percent yoruba, i have the same right as u in my father's land, so whether you like it or not am a yoruba woman, born to an igbo woman. If you dont like it, go kill yourself!!. Peace!!

looplat:

Can you stop calling yourself yoruba?
Little girl, you are Igbo?
Just cos a yoruba man strayed his prick inside your Igbo mum
that doesn't make you yoruba.

you're a girl and you took after your mom.
you're Igbo. stop the nonsense!

Ashebe is still being haunted by the spirits of okonkwo,
don't take him seriously.

Only a fool speaks what he doesnt know, if you dont know you my dear are not 100% of any tribe, and dont try to argue it, because all i need to do is swab your cheeks for your dna and prove you wrong. I am yoruba by father, for that is how ones tribal identity is determined in nigeria if you dont know. Dont hate cuz am not tribalistic or care to be, I was raised to speak the truth and seek the truth-unbiased, and as a scientist i do that well. I dont grab things out of the air that i cannot backup with facts. So just because i have affinity towards my mother's tribe just as i have for my fathers doesnt make me any less of human being who has the right to speak the truth. Ignorance is a disease and so is tribalism, so go get cured before i put a curse on your whole lineage. Dont h8, just appreciate and learn.

alj harem:

And she is edo as well. I am a lagosian as well thus you can consider me as a neutral if you like. You uncalled hate for the northerners is uncalled for.

Everyone have their short comings and I am not removing even mine but this superiority complex Achebe is displaying here is the dum.best thing a man as Old as him would do. He has no respect from himself and the people writing his article.

Al i have noticed something about you, you are a green snake, and sadly a tribalist. What achebe writes is true, even other historians have written it, it has nothing to do with tribe. And yes am yoruba by the way. So dont try to come at me with any tribalistic bull sh!t. I dont blame you though, i blame our parents generation that passed down these tribalistic thinking to some of us. I have read accounts from international bodies, even the colonizing body, the british affirms the same conclusion achebe is simply rehashing. The yorubas had the advantage for over 50 years for they were the first people to be colonized and get western education,while eastern nigerians, especially the igbos were the last frontier as they tried to resist everything western until they no longer can. But you have to admit ( that is if you choose to do unbiased research and read other historical accounts) the igbos in a short period of time economically surpassed their northern and southwestern counterparts, and even caught up in education in the whiteman's tongue with the west. So before you start abusing a man and a history you know nothing and looks like you care nothing about, please do your research and try and see if you can find any historical record or written work that is contrary to what achebe writes. And you cannot in honest truth not say that since the civil war that the north and southwestern nigeria have not tried to keep any igbo man from becoming a president or even vice president for the fear that he might create another biafra or even worse keep the resources in eastern nigeria to the east. Please dont come at me with, ummm north has this, southwest has that, the truth is that the bulk of nigeria's wealth has always been in the lands that were curved as biafra. Yes i understand you will point out that igbos are not the only tribe in eastern nigeria, and true, but some of those tribes that trusted in nigeria, had their traditional homeland dashed off to another country, so there are consequences to everything we do in life. My dear brother tell the truth, infact accept the truth, swallow it and shame the devil. You know sometimes good medicine can be extremely bitter, but at the end it helps cure the disease of ignorance and lies we have accepted due to tribalistic sentiments. Btw i will not be responding to any of your rude comments, and yes my mother is igbo and so what. All I have to say to you is read other outside historical accounts before you respond to things written by a credible man, who in his old age would not try to ruin his life works with lies. So please always do you research and dont let your emotions lead you, rather allow unbiased un-tribalistic reasoning to guide you. HAPPY SABBATH EVERYONE!!

rafhell: I'll advise you take them to court.

I concur, you have a case, and infact you can even get more than 1million naira from them. You have the right, they lied and took you for a ride, so take them to court with all the evidence you have, and make more public appearances on the issue, write to newspapers about it. No company especially one that has international sponsors like glo wants bad rep, and distrust from their costumers.

CyberG:

Thunder fire that your oversized ibo head! Hope you can go the whole distance on your tribalism journey because some people wil not give-up even if you beg for surrender. I know you iboz like trouble and you will get plenty until you relocate out of Nigerian to Israel. Your post reeks of ignorance and your ilk is that which reads a tenth of the whole story and runs out like a headless chicken shouting victory. Were you alive or saw the war? NO! Were you there at Aburi? Capital NO! How many books or published articles from neutral writers have you read, NONE! Except of course the BS from revisionist baifaransists like dende, onlytruth and co. Don't come here saying you even read Forsythe because his BS story was killed as far back as the 70s by cross referenced accounts by neutral writers. If you go looking for trouble, you might get war or destruction and that is what iboz like you cannot have brains to understand.

See i like dumb-a** like you, if you took time to know someone, you would know that am yoruba. This shows how tribalistic you yourself are, so like i said before..shift, and may you drown in your bath water, ode, kwasiaa...mtcheww...ekwensu... ibi mmagi, omo iya ashawo...mtcheww!!

CyberG: Only if greedy, stupid and war monger ojuku did not sabotage it. This poster has become tribalistic and I hope no one cries of attack on a woman even though she's gone where only eagles dare!

dude i am the least tribalistic person you will find here on nairaland. I just tell the truth and shame the devil. if you cannot handle it, do me a favor and just shift!! mtchewwwwwwwwww!!

you guys forgot Olurotimi Akinosho, know as Rotimi- kai that boy fine. igbo mom /yoruba dad...best combo ever- but with igbo skin tone( sterotypical) -yoruba nose(stereotypical), but still hot.. He is an actor( boss tv show)an rnb singer ...and he models for akoo-ti. clothing label..infact face of it. And he is just damn hot!! Northwestern graduate (my fellow alumni).

shymexx: SAS Eurogang(Mayhem and Mega) - the London pioneer rapping duo. They were born in London but partly raised in New York and Italy... They have a Yoruba father and an Igbo mum - what's more Nigerian than that?

i just think yoruba and igbo mixes mostly produce super hot beautiful gorgeous children

gidiMonsta: Hugo Weaving (Mr. Smith in The Matrix, Elrond in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, "V" in V for Vendetta) was born in UCH, Ibadan. That makes him part Nigerian, no

his nigerian by nationality, not by ethnicity... So his nationality is nigerian.

afam4eva:
He has an Igbo name but i don't know if he's a Nigerian.

his dad is igbo/african american...chimere is his fathers lastname, but his mom gave him her paternal lastname. So in all addition neyo is igbo. sorry guys!!! no wonder he started balding at 13yrs old...lol igbo head. joking. Plus he hung out with mostly igbo people as a child, even formed a group with one of his child hood friends chinma oriji. Even his ex jessica white wanted to please him so she named her child chimere, but the baby ended up not being neyos, so he doesnt use it often.

See many people who have not studied nigerian history in entirety would always blame the east for the biafran war, but the fact is as the aburi agreement which the east was willing to follow dictates that the east looked for a more peaceful resolution BEFORE WAR BECAME AN OPTION. But 9ja members wanted to take things by forced. I pray that this generation unearths the things that have been hidden and truly look at nigerian history with non-tribalistic sentiments. Here are the minutes and Aburi agreement!! The fact is that nigeria and eastern governement had agreed to this aburi act in ghana, but once they got back to naija Gowon changed his mind and didnt abide by it, but the east did. Am sure some of you will have read or heard somewhere where Ojukwu and easterners saID "on Aburi we stand." So to understand what they stand on, here are the facts:




THE MEETING

OF THE

SUPREME MILITARY

COUNCIL

AT

ABURI ACCRA GHANA

4-5 JANUARY 1967

1967

PRINTED BY THE GOVERNMENT PRINTER

ENUGU

CONTENTS

PAGE

I Introduction ... ... ... ... ... ... 1

II The Aburi Meeting ... ... ... ... ... 4

III Implementation of Aburi Agreements ... 8

IV Bad Faith of Lt.-Col. Gowon ... ... .. 16



APPENDICES



I ,,Official Minutes of the Supreme Military Council

- held in Ghana on 4th and 5th January, 1967 ... 19

Annexure A: Agenda ... ... ... ... ... 28

Annexure B: Declaration on Use of Force .29

Annexure C: Statement on the Supreme Military

Council ... ... ... ... ... ... 30

Annexure D: Communique ... ... ... 31

Annexure E: Second and Final Communique ... 32



II Address by the Military Governor of Eastern Nigeria, His Excellency Lt.-Col. C. Odumegwu Ojukwu at a Press Conference held on Friday, 6th January,

1967 ... ... ... ... ... ... 33



III Report of the Meeting of the Law Officers of the

Federation held in the office of the Solicitor-

General, Mid-Western Nigeria, Benin City, on

Saturday and Sunday the 14th and 15th January,

1967 ... ...- ... ... ... . 37



IV "Comments on the ‘Accra decisions’ of the Meeting of the Supreme Military Council" by the Permanent Secretaries of the Lagos Government ..



THE MEETING OF THE SUPREME MILITARY COUNCIL

AT ABURI, GHANA, JANUARY, 1967



INTRODUCTION



ON 17 JANUARY, 1966, the former civilian Federal Government of Nigeria handed over power to the Armed Forces. Major-General J. T. U. Aguiyi-Ironsi as the General Officer Commanding the Nigerian Army assumed the headship of the Federal Military Government and established the Supreme Military Council. Subsequently, on 24 May, 1966, he promulgated the Decree No. 34 putting into effect the decisions of the Supreme Military Council to establish a centralized administration for the country. Six days later widespread violence and riots broke out in Northern Nigeria. Thousands of Easterners were massacred.

2. On 29 July, 1966, a group of Northern Nigerian Army personnel kidnapped and, as was later revealed, murdered Major-General J. T. U. Aguiyi-Ironsi, the Supreme Commander and Head of the Federal Military Government. At the same time they attempted to annihilate all Eastern Nigerian Army Officers and men at Ibadan, Abeokuta and Ikeja in Western Nigeria and at Kaduna, Zaria and Kano in Northern Nigeria. Nearly 200 officers and men of Eastern Nigeria origin were slaughtered. Those who escaped but later returned to their posts following assurances of safety were also murdered. The pogrom was soon extended to Eastern Nigerian civilians resident in Northern Nigeria, Lagos and the West; and by September, 1966, the killings and molestations carried out by the combined forces of Northern Nigerian soldiers and civilians had assumed such large proportions that Easterners everywhere outside the East sought protection within their home Region.



3. All these massacres, which claimed the lives of over 30,000 Easterners, jolted the conscience and aroused the indignation of the world. They were also fraught with tragic consequences for the country. The bond of comradeship which had previously held the Nigerian Army together completely severed. Mutual fear, suspicion and hatred have prevailed to such an extent that Army Officers and men Eastern Nigeria origin cannot now co-exist with those of Northern Nigeria origin. The massive movement of population which has resulted from these tragic events has also posed serious economic and social problems.



4.The fleeing Easterners had abandoned their homes, businesses for and employments and swelled the population of Eastern Nigeria by den nearly two million. As they returned a potentially explosive situation arose in the East and in consequence the Government of Eastern Nigeria was obliged to ask non-Easterners residing in the East to leave to the Region in the interest of their own safety. The flight of Easterners has also radically altered the machinery and structure of the Federal Government, for Easterners have been forcibly excluded from participating in the Federal Government, Federal Statutory Corporations and the other Federal Organizations outside the Eastern Region.



5.The disintegration of the Army and the mass movement of population, coupled with the necessary measures taken to prevent further friction, conflict and killing, have intensified Regional loyalties and made it impossible today for any one person to command the loyalty of all sections of the country.


6. It has been the view of the Government and people of the East

that a solution can and must be found quickly to the country’s present problems and in doing so full cognizance must be taken of the stark realities of the present in order to avoid future conflict and bloodshed. The East has accordingly co-operated with the rest of the country in efforts to find a realistic solution. But progress in this direction has been frustrated by incessant exhibition of bad faith on the part of the Military Leaders in Lagos and the North. A few examples will serve to illustrate this.



7. The disappearance of the Supreme Commander on 29 July, 1966, demanded that the next senior Military Officer should temporarily assume command of the Army and the headship of the Federal Military Government until the Supreme Military Council should determine the leadership of the Army and the country. But on 1 August, 1966,
Lt.-Col.Yakubu Gowon, Chief of Staff, Army Headquarters, announced that he had assumed the Offices of Supreme Commander and Head of the Federal Military Government, although there were at least half-a- dozen Military Officers who were senior to him. The Military Government of Eastern Nigeria found it impossible to recognize this seizure of power; nevertheless it was prepared to co-operate with Lt.-Col. Gowon in order to prevent further bloodshed.

8. On 9 August, a meeting of representatives of the Military -Governors of the East, Mid-West, West, North and Lt.-Col. Gowon met and unanimously reached agreement on five issues which were vital


for reducing the tension then existing in the country. The first demonstration of bad faith on the part of Lt.-Col. Gowon was his non-implementation of a number of these agreements which concerned him, particularly the one stipulating that soldiers should be repatriated to their Regions of origin and confined to barracks. Lt.-Col. Gowon

had also agreed with the Military Governor of Eastern Nigeria that soldiers returning to the North from the East and vice versa should carry their arms and some quantity of ammunition for self-defence but that these arms and ammunition should be returned to their original armoury immediately the soldiers had reached their destination. Eastern soldiers returning from the North were not even given arms and ammunition for self-protection as stipulated. Furthermore, when Northern soldiers arrived at their destination they failed to return the arms and ammunition given to them in the East.

9. Another agreement reached on 9 August, was that a conference of Regional delegations should be held to recommend in broad outline the future form of political association for Nigeria. The Ad Hoc Constitutional Conference duly met from 12 September to 3 October when it adjourned for three weeks. By the time it rose it had reached a measure of agreement on a number of issues. But while the Conference was still in session, Northern soldiers with the aid of civilians massacred thousands of Eastern Nigerians in the North and some even in Lagos,

the venue of the Conference.

10. As the date of resumption of the Ad Hoc ConstitutionalConference approached the question of the safety of Eastern delegates came to the fore. The Eastern Nigeria Military Government insisted on the immediate implementation of the agreement of 9 August whereby all military personnel were to be posted to barracks within

their respective Regions of origin. The Eastern position was unanimously supported by the Leaders of Thought Conference of Western Nigeria. But the proposal was not acceptable to Lt.-Col. Gowon, and without further consultations with all the Military Governors he dismissed the Constitutional Conference on 30 November, 1966.

At the same time he declared that he was appointing a "drafting committee" to draw up a constitution on lines which would be suitable to him, and threatened to mobilize enough forces to deal with anyone who opposed his will.



11. The Military Government of Eastern Nigeria thought that Gowon events were taking a dangerous turn and that it was essential for the Supreme Military Council, which had not been convoked since 29 July,

to meet. Since the situation in the country made it impossible for the Military Governor of the East to attend a meeting in any area occupied by Northern troops, various suggestions of alternative venues were put forward by him. So anxious indeed was he to attend the meeting that he purchased an executive plane to facilitate his journey to any acceptable venue. For long, however, his suggestions were treated with levity by Lt.-Col. Gowon, but eventually it was unanimously agreed that the meeting should hold outside Nigeria.




THE ABURI MEETING

12. The Supreme Military Council subsequently met at Aburi, Ghana, on 4 and 5 January, 1967. It had been recognized by the Military leaders that the meeting would:

(a) resolve the question of leadership within the army, restore the chain of command which had become badly disrupted, and examine the crisis of confidence amongst the officers and soldiers which had rendered it impossible for them intermingle;

(b) evolve ways and means of carrying on the responsibility of administering the country until a new constitution had been determined; and

(c) tackle realistically the problems of displaced persons. These considerations were reflected in the agenda which was agreed upon by members of the Supreme Military Council (see Appendix I Annexure A).

13. 0n the first day of the meeting the Military Governor of the East put forward a resolution, which the meeting endorsed, calling -on the military leaders to renounce the use of force as a means of settling the Nigerian crisis. It was this resolution which was embodied in a communique issued by the Council at the end of the first day of

the meeting (see Appendix I Annexure B).

14. After deliberating anxiously and seriously on the reorganization, administration and control of the Army the meeting reached aft agreements on the following lines (see Appendix I for the Official Minutes of the Conference):



"(a) Army to be governed by the Supreme Military Council under a chairman to be known as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Head of the Federal Military Government.



"(b) Establishment of a Military Headquarters comprising equal representation from the Regions and headed by a Chief of Staff.

"(c) Creation of Area Commands corresponding to existing Regions and under the charge of Area Commanders.

"(d) Matters of policy, including appointments and promotions to top executive posts in the Armed Forces and the Police, to be dealt with by the Supreme Military Council.



"(e) During the period of the Military Government, Military Governors will have control over Area Commands for internal security.



"(f) Creation of a Lagos Garrison including Ikeja Barracks."

15. It was further agreed by the Supreme Military Council that a Military Committee comprising representatives of the Regions should meet within two weeks from the date of receiving instructions to prepare statistics which would show:



"(a) Present strength of Nigerian Army;

"(b) Deficiency in each sector of each unit;

"(c) The size appropriate for the country and each Area Command;

"(d) Additional requirement for the country and each Area Command."



Pending the completion of the work of the Committee, it was agreed by the Council that further recruitment of soldiers throughout the country should cease.



16. On the implementation of the agreement reached by representatives of the Military Leaders on 9 August, 1966, the Council reaffirmed the principle that Army personnel of Northern origin should return to the North from the West. In order to meet the security needs of the West it was agreed that a crash programme of recruitment and training was necessary but that the details should be examined after the Military Committee had finished its work. -



17. It was in the course of discussing the reorganization of the Army that the crucial issue of the assumption by Lt.-Col. Cowon of the offices of Supreme Commander and Head of the Federal Military Government arose. The Governor of the East, in explaining why it was impossible for him to recognize Lt.-Col. Gowon as Supreme



Commander, pointed out that the fate of Major-General Aguiyi-Ironsi, the legitimate Supreme Commander, was yet unknown and so no one could succeed him; that in the absence of Major-General Aguiyi-Ironsi whoever was the next senior officer in rank should manage the affairs of the country; and that the East was never party to any decision to appoint Lt.-Col. Gowon Supreme Commander. Subsequently, Lt.-Col. Gowon volunteered information regarding the murder of the MajorGeneral and his host, Lt.-Col. Adekunle Fajuyi, on 29 July, 1966. The Supreme Military Council decided to accord the late military leaders the full honours due to them.



18. The Supreme Military Council recognized that with the demise of Major-General Aguiyi-Ironsi no other Military Leader could command the support of the entire Nigerian Army and that a new arrangement was necessary for an effective administration of the whole country. The Council also took cognizance of the fact that extreme centralization had been the bane of the Military Regime in the past and that it was essential to re-define the powers of the Federal Military Government vis-a-vis the Regional Military Governments in order to ensure public confidence and co-operation.

19. When the Supreme Military Council resumed its deliberations at Aburi on 5 January, after members had spent the night at their various posts with their advisers, it proceeded to discuss the powers of the Federal Military Government vis-a-vis the Regional Governments. -The upshot was that the Council re-affirmed its previous decisions on the reorganization of the Army and also took the following additional decisions: -

"(ii) On appointments to certain posts.

The following appointments must be approved by the Supreme Military Council:

(a) Diplomatic and Consular posts.

(b) Senior posts in the Armed Forces and the Police.

(c) Super-scale Federal Civil Service and Federal Corporation posts.


"(iii) On the functioning of the Supreme Military Council Any decisions affecting the whole country must be determined by the Supreme Military Council. Where a meeting is not possible such a matter must be referred to Military Governors for comment and concurrence.

"(iv) That all the Law Officers of the Federation should meet in Benin on the 14 January and list all the Decrees and provisions of Decrees concerned so that they may be repealed not later than 21 January, if possible.



"(v) That for at least the next six months, there should be purely a Military Government, having nothing to do whatsoever with politicians."



20. The next item discussed was the Ad Hoc Constitutional Conference which Lt.-Col. Gowon had unilaterally dissolved on 30 November, 1966. The Council agreed that the Conference should resume sitting as soon as practicable to continue from where it left off, and that the question of implementing the unanimous recommendations of the Conference in September, 1966 should be considered at a later meeting of the Supreme Military Council.



21. Finally, on the problem of displaced persons, the relevant section of the Official Minutes of the Council reads as follows:



"(a) on rehabilitation, that Finance Permanent Secretaries should resume their meeting within two weeks and submit recommendations and that each Region should send three representatives to the meeting;



"(b) on employment and recovery of property, that civil servants and Corporation staff (including daily paid employees) who have not been absorbed should continue to be paid their full salaries until 31 March, 1967 provided they have not got alternative employment, and that the Military Governors of the East, West and Mid-West should send representatives (Police Commissioners) to meet and discuss the problem of recovery of property left behind by displaced persons."



22. On his return from the Aburi meeting the Military Governor of the East held a press conference to reassure Easterners who had considerable apprehension about the meeting and its outcome. (For the full text of the Military Governor’s press statement see Appendix 2.) He emphasized at this conference that the Aburi meeting had been worthwhile and gave the assurance that provided the agreements reached were ~implemented much progress would have been made towards relieving tension and banishing fear within the country.







IMPLEMENTATION OF ABURI AGREEMENTS

23. The Military Government of Eastern Nigeria was represented at the meeting of the Solicitors-General held in Benin on 14 and 15 January. (For the Report of the Law Officers see Appendix III). The Eastern delegation received full briefing in the light of the Aburi decisions to which its views strictly adhered. Since some other delegations had not been fully briefed it became necessary to refer a number of issues back to the Supreme Military Council. One of the most important was section 69 of the Nigerian Constitution in respect of which the Report of the Law Officers’ meeting reads—

"As regards the powers of the Federal Military Government

vis-a-vis the Regional Government, all the Law Officers, excepting those from the East, are of the view that effect would be fully given to the Accra decision in this regard by repealing section 3 of

Decree No. 1 and restoring the provisions of the suspended section 69 with necessary modifications whereby the Federal Military Government will now have power to make Decrees to the following extent:

(a) With respect to the Federal Territory of Lagos, on any matter whatever;

(b) With respect to the whole of Nigeria, or any part thereof (other than Lagos), on
matters included in the Exclusive Legislative List and the Concurrent Legislative List; provided that where there is an inconsistency between a Federal Decree on a Concurrent matter and a Regional Edict on the same matter, the Federal Decree will prevail.



"Under this arrangement the Military Governors will have no power to make Edicts on matters on the Exclusive Legislative List but will have powers to make Edicts on matters in the Concurrent Legislative List and on residual matters."



"The view of the Eastern Law Officers is that the introduction of the element of Regional consent in Federal legislation must necessarily modify the position as it was before 17 January in the sense that there will be a lacuna in the legislative activities of both the Supreme Military Council and the Regions where consent is not given. It appears, therefore, to be the intention of the Accra decision that such a lacuna should be filled by the Regions. With respect to matters on the Concurrent Legislative List, it is their view that the Regions can legislate in relation to Federal Law."



24. The views of the Eastern Nigerian Law Officers quoted above from the Solicitors-General Report clearly reflect the spirit and letter of the Aburi decision on this matter. One of the main areas of friction between the Regions and the Central Government during the last civilian regime concerns the exercise of powers over matters on the Concurrent List. The controversial issue was the provision whereby a law passed by the Federal Government superseded any other law passed by a Regional Government on the same subject. This problem was fully recognized by most delegations to the meeting of the Ad Hoc Constitutional Conference in Lagos in September, 1966. It was the objective of the Aburi meeting to eliminate such sources of friction, hence the decision that "the legislative and executive authority of the Federal Military Government should remain in the Supreme Military Council (not in one man) to which any decision affecting the whole country (whether on the Exclusive or Concurrent List) shall be referred for determination provided that where it is not possible for a meeting to be held the matter requiring determination must be referred to Military Governors for their comment and concurrence." There can be no doubt that this modified the position before 17 January, 1966, when the Military Regime took over, and that it provides a new governmental arrangement needed for Nigeria "in view of what the country has experienced in the past year (1966)."





25. Since the receipt of the Report of the Law Officers by the members of the Supreme Military Council, the Military Governor of Western Nigeria has vindicated the stand of the Eastern Nigerian Law Officers as regards section 69. He commented—
"In the light of what has been stated at pages two to three of the

Report, it is considered that only the Supreme Military Council should have power to make laws on matters on the Exclusive Legislative List. As regards matters on the Concurrent Legislative List, it is felt that the exercise of powers concurrently by the Supreme Military Council and the Military Governors of the Regions with respect to the same subjects could lead to conflict or friction of a type which ought to be avoided under the present Military Regime. It seems that one sure way to avoid such conflict or friction would be by making new provisions whereby the Supreme Military Council will have power to make laws on matters on the Concurrent Legislative List in respect of Lagos only whilst the Military Governors will have power to make laws by Edict on those matters in respect of their Regions."







26. The Law Officers held divergent views on such questions as the machinery for the meetings of the Supreme Military Council and the manner in which the concurrence of the Military Governors, as members of the Council, should be signified in the making of Decrees. On these questions the Military Governor, West, has again vindicated the stand of the East when he commented as follows:



"...a meeting of the Supreme Military Council will be properly

constituted and can properly be held if any Military Governor is
absent, but as agreed at Accra, any Military Governor not
present will be given the opportunity to express his comments
on, and concurrence with, the decisions taken in his absence
before they are implemented.



"(b) Where all the Military Governors are present at a meeting of the Supreme Military Council decisions should now be taken only with the concurrence or unanimity of all the Military Governors. Decisions by majority would have been the best thing in ordinary circumstances but in the present situation in the country, one has to admit that such a rule could lead to open disagreements and conflicts and so to the revival of tension which everything must be done now to reduce."





27.Again, the Eastern Military Government readily sent representatives to the meeting of the Committee of Army Officers at Benin which, as was agreed at Aburi, would discuss matters relating to the quantity of arms and ammunition available in each Unit of the Army in each Region and in the unallocated stores, as well as the sharing out of such arms equitably to the various Commands. The Committee - -could not progress with its work for lack of co-operation from the representatives of Lt.-Col.Gowon.

28. While the Military Government of Eastern Nigeria has been making a determined and sincere effort to act according to the spirit and

decisions of Aburi, Lt.-Col. Gowon has
deliberately set out to ignore both.
Ten days after the Aburi meeting the Gowon
Government issued a booklet, entitled Nigeria 1966, parts of which attacked and libelled
the Military Governor of the East. The booklet also contained tendentious statements the sole aim of which could only be to inflame passions and cause disaffection within the country. This booklet was launched in New York, London and other capitals of the world.


29. Worse still, three weeks after the meeting, at a press conference which he held on 26 January, 1967, Lt.-Col. Gowon reproduced a truncated and distorted version of the agreements reached at Aburi. The source of Lt.-Col. Gowon’s statement was not the official minutes of the meeting, which had been prepared by his own officials, but a hostile commentary on the Aburi decisions prepared afterwards by people with vested interests in Lagos—men who were neither members of the Supreme Military Council nor were present at the meeting. These people were in a position to advise Lt.-Col. Gowon before the meeting since the agenda for the Aburi meeting were agreed to well beforehand. Furthermore, most of the major decisoins at Aburi were taken on the second day of the meeting after members had spent the night at their respective stations, consulting with their advisers.



30. A few days after Aburi some Permanent Secretaries in Lagos met to criticize the decisions reached by the Supreme Military Council, the highest authority in the land. With regard to the reorganization of the Army they objected to the new title of "Commander-in-Chief" on the grounds that—

"(1) it would be a subtle way of either abolishing the post of Supreme Commander or declaring it vacant to be filled by unanimous decision of the Supreme
Military Council... and

(2) The Accra decision transfers the
Executive Authority of the Federal Military Government from the Head of the Federal Military Government and Supreme Commander (in accordance with Decree No. 1) to the Supreme Military Council. The implication of this is that the Commander-in-Chief would have no power of control or dismissal over the Regional Governors..."

On the establishment of Military Headquarters, the Permanent Secretaries stated that "the establishment of Military Headquarters with equal representatives from the Regions headed by a Chief of Staff amounts to confederation". They made no effort to define what they meant by a "confederation". As regards the creation of Area Commands the Permanent Secretaries took exception to what they considered to be "dividing up the Nigerian Army into Regional ones, without links with or effective unifying control over the Army by the ‘Supreme Commander’." This advice, which was clearly motivated by selfish interests, ignored the anxiety of the Nigerian public for a workable and effective settlement of the crisis and a quick return to normal conditions. In strict compliance with this advice, however, Lt.-Col. Gowon, true to his well-known characteristic of ignoring solemn agreements, made a volte-face at his press conference. On the issue of the reorganization of the Army he declared—

"We reviewed the situation in- the Nigerian Army and we all

agreed that there should be one Nigerian Army under a unified command as at present. We recognized that in the context of the events of 1966, the most practical way of achieving this aim is to organize the Army into area commands. The preponderance of T the army personnel in each command will be drawn from the re indigenes of that area. Each area command will be under an P Area Commander who will take operational instructions from the Military Headquarters which will be directly under me as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Under the proposal, the Military Governors can use the area command for internal security purposes but this will normally be done with the express permission of the Head of the Federal Military Government. We definitely decided tit against Regional armies."

As could be seen from the Minutes of the Aburi Conference, no decision was taken that the Area Commands should be directly under Lt.-Col. Gowon "as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces" nor that the Military Governors should obtain his permission to use the Area Commands for internal security.


31. Again, instead of emphasizing that the Supreme Military

Council, in recognition of the fact that no single government in the

Federation has its writ running throughout the country, has introduced the element of Regional consent into the process of reaching its decisions, Lt.-Col. Gowon merely stated—
"We, however, agreed to return to the status quo ante 17 January, 1966, and this is in keeping with my earlier public pronouncements that Decrees or parts of Decrees which tended towards over- centralization should be repealed. We will continue to operate the existing Federal Constitution and the Federal system of government until a new Constitution is drawn up. A decree is now under preparation which will give effect to the decision to return to the Constitutional position before 17 January, 1966..."


32. Turning to the problem of displaced persons the Permanent Secretaries suggested:

"(a) when the meeting of Permanent Secretaries of the Ministries of Finance resumes, the principle of revenue allocation should not be discussed as it was not mentioned in the minutes of the Accra meeting.



"(b) the decision to continue to pay salaries till the end of March, 1967, does not take into consideration economic factors which are linked with it . . . Secondly, it does not make sense to include daily paid workers among those whose salaries should continue to be paid. The decision should therefore be reconsidered."



The insistence of the Permanent Secretaries that "the principle of revenue allocation should not be discussed" at any future meetings of Permanent Secretaries, Finance, is clear evidence that they intend to strangle the East economically since they are well aware of the mass return of nearly two million Easterners to the Region, the loss of £20,000,000 in property by refugees from the North and the forcible

exclusion of Easterners from the Federal Civil Service, the Federal Statutory Corporations, the Foreign Service and other Federal institutions. - Surely they cannot expect the East to survive economically in these circumstances under the existing system of revenue allocation. Moreover, whatever economic factors are linked with the Supreme Military Council’s- decisions on this matter it is patent that the displaced employees are in no way responsible for their present plight. And the inequitable treatment suggested by the Permanent Secretaries in respect of daily paid workers can only remind the country of the industrial strife which such an application of double standards caused in the days of the former civilian regime.



33. In spite of all these Lt.-Col. Gowon in his press conference defers to the recommendations of the Permanent Secretaries on this head. Although the decision at Aburi was that the salaries of all displaced persons who had not obtained alternative employment should, without qualification, be paid until 31 March, 1967, Lt.-Col. Gowon stated that "each case is to be considered on its merit" and that Federal Corporations would find it "very difficult" to continue to pay their displaced employees.



34. With respect to appointments to certain posts in the Federal Public Service, the Permanent Secretaries commented as follows:



"(a) whichever category of officer is meant, the effect of this decision will tend to paralyse the functions of the Federal Public and the Police Service Commissions;



"(b) if Regional Governors have power to appointments, the loyalty of Federal Officers would be to their regions of origin—meaning in effect that there will be no Federal Civil Service;

"(c)the acceptance of this decision would also require, as the law officers have reported, amendments to those sections in the
Constitution dealing with appointment to Nigeria Police,Federal Public Service
Commission and sections of various acts dealing with appointment in Federal Statutory
Corporations;

(d) furthermore, it is observed that while Military Governors will have power to appoint, or approve appointments of
Federal Government Servants, there is no corresponding power of the Supreme Military Council to even influence
the appointments to senior posts in the Regional Public Services. This clearly makes the Federal Military Government."

Obviously the Permanent Secretaries are not concerned with the peace, stability and even the survival of Nigeria; their sole interest is to maintain the status quo because any attempt at a fair distribution of posts -in the Federal Civil Service, the Federal Corporations, the Foreign Service and other Federal institutions would mean a diminution of the powers they now enjoy. The East must remain permanently excluded from these services and institutions for the selfish ends of Federal Permanent Secretaries. The East must be relegated to obscure embassies abroad where they will- be ineffective and unheard. In his press statement Lt.-Col. Gowon, in his attempt to keep to the advice of the Permanent Secretaries, was caught up in contradictions. In one and the same breath he said that these appointments should be approved by the Supreme Military Council and that the Federal public Service and Police Commissions should retain their present functions. His exact words were-

"There have been some speculations about the effect of our decisions on senior appointments and - promotions in the Federal Public Service. It was agreed that top posts such as Permanent Secretaries and Ambassadors will have to be approved by the I ship Supreme Military Council. I would like to explain that the Armey Federal Public Service Commission as well as the Police Commission and i will continue to function as at present."



35. Finally, on the Ad Hoc Constitutional Conference the Permanent Secretaries stated that it was rather advisable for Gowon stick to their previous recommendations and advice, namely:



"(a) that the Ad Hoc Constitutional
Conference should stand adjourned indefinitely;

"(b) that the immediate political programme announced to the nation on 30 November, 1966, by the ‘Supreme Commander’ should be implemented and the country must be so informed."



The Permanent Secretaries have here revealed that the origin of Lt.Col. Gowon’s
"political programme"
of 30 November, 1966, was "the recommendations and advice" given to him by these Permanent Secretaries. In accordance with this advice, however, Lt.-Col. Gowon, while not appearing to re-affirm "that the Ad Hoc Constitutional Conference should stand adjourned indefinitely", said— "So far I have not set up the Drafting Committee and the Constituent Assembly promised in my broadcast (of 30 November, 1966) because it was the intention that normal conditions should be fully restored before they begin to function... I am carrying... on the necessary consultations with all sections of the Nigerian - community and when eventually the names we are screening are announced the general public will be satisfied."

In this context, the indications are that Lt.-Col. Gowon would rather take steps to implement his pet programme than facilitate the resumption of the Ad Hoc Constitutional Conference as decided at Aburi. This is borne out by the draft Decree which he produced after Aburi.



36. This draft Decree, which has been circulated to the Regional Military Governors by Lt.-Col. Gowon, accordingly by-passes or ignores all the major decisions taken at Aburi. It seeks to return Nigeria to the constitutional position before 17 January, 1966, while in fact the decisions of the Supreme Military Council were on specific issues and were not limited by dates. In the draft Decree the title of "Supreme Commander" is still retained contrary to the decision at Aburi to alter it to "Commander-in-Chief". The draft Decree also retains the word "President" instead of "Chairman of the Supreme Military Council" as was agreed at Aburi. Again it enlarges the membership of the Supreme Military Council to include "Head of the Nigerian Army (a non-existent post), the "Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces" and the "Chief of Staff of the Nigerian Army". No such decisions were taken at Aburi. It was merely agreed that there should be one Chief of Staff at Headquarters.



37. In addition, contrary to the Aburi accord, the draft Decree vests executive and legislative powers either in the Federal Military Government or in the Federal Executive Council. But the Aburi meeting clearly decided that the legislative and executive authority of the

Federal Military Government should devolve on the Supreme Military Council to which any matter affecting the whole country should be referred for determination.


38. The draft Decree also completely ignores the decision at Aburi that appointments and promotions within the upper hierarchy of the Army, Police, the Public Service and Corporations must be approved by the Supreme Military Council.


39. Lastly, the draft Decree proceeds to restore sections 70, 71 and 86 of the old Constitution, which had been suspended, without also restoring the safeguards provided in that Constitution. By this action Lt.-Col. Gowon, contrary to the spirit and letter of the Aburi agreements, arrogates to himself the power to declare a state of emergency anywhere in Nigeria.





BAD FAITH OF LT.-COL. GOWON


40. The failure of Lt.-Col. Gowon to adhere to the decisions unanimously reached at Aburi is only the latest evidence of his bad faith, inconsistency and lack of realism.


41. On the first day of his seizure of power he had pleaded for co-operation from the East Military Government, and had promised to retain power only temporarily in order to normalise the extraordinary conditions created by himself and his fellow Northerners, military and civilian. Thereafter the Military leaders were to meet and decide on the leadership. Lt.-Col. Gowon has never fulfilled that promise. The breach of his promise to see to the return of arms and ammunition by Northern soldiers evacuated from the East has already been mentioned in paragraph 8 above. Lt.-Col. Gowon also assured the Military Government of the East in August, 1966 that he would stop the killings in the country, but these killings subsequently increased in organization and ferocity until they reached the proportions of a pogrom. He moreover promised that the inquiry set up by Major-General Aguiyi Ironsi into the May massacres of Easterners in Northern Nigeria would "certainly go on as scheduled". Nothing has been heard again about this inquiry ever since. So also most of the difficulties preventing the return to normal conditions in the country have stemmed from Lt.-Col. Gowon’s bad faith in not implementing the unanimous decisions reached by the representatives of the military leaders at their meeting in Lagos on 9 August.



42.Early in September 1966, armed soldiers of Northern origin from Ibadan raided Benin Prison and removed soldiers who had been detained as a result of their
alleged involvement in the attempted coup of

15 January. The Northerners among the detainees were set free and repatriated to the North; the remainder, mainly Easterners, were murdered under brutal circumstances. And although Lt.-Col. Gowon gave assurances that the murderers would be brought to justice, so far the perpetrators of the atrocities have gone unpunished.



43. It was exactly this same sort of bad faith that Lt.-Col. Gowon exhibited in September, 1966. In his opening address to the Ad Hoc Constitutional Conference, he had himself instructed the delegates to choose one of the following alternatives in formulating a new Constitution for Nigeria:

"(a) A Federal system with a strong Central Government;
"(b) A Federal system with a weak Central Government;
"(c) A Confederation ;or

"(d) An entirely new arrangement which may be peculiar to Nigeria."

At the same time Gowon disavowed any intention of dictating to the country a particular constitution. When, however, he saw that the delegations were veering towards the second or third alternative, he adjourned the conference indefinitely. He thereupon
announced that "the idea of a temporary confederation is unworkable" and that he was appointing "a drafting committee" to prepare a constitution which "will reflect the generally expressed desire for a stable federation". it will be recalled, however, that the delegations to the Ad Hoc Conference went to Lagos in September, 1966, after extensive consultations among the people in each Region. Thus each delegation went
with a mandate representing the "expressed desire" of its people. But, true to type, Lt.-Col. Gowon placed a dubious construction on the submissions
of the delegations to suit his purpose and that of his advisers.



44. Contrary to the decisions at Aburi recruitment into the Army has continued in different parts of the country except the East; contrary to these agreements, Lt.-Col. Gowon has proceeded to appoint Ambassadors without reference to the Supreme Military Council; contrary to the agreements, purchase and importation of arms have continued. Lt.-Col. Gowon unilaterally postponed the meeting of Military officers to discuss the reorganization of the Army as agreed at Aburi. The proposed meeting of Finance officials on the problem of rehabilitation of displaced persons has not even been held because Lt.-Col. Gowon’s Finance Permanent Secretary does not think that such a meeting will serve any useful purpose. -


45. In the light of the foregoing and since there is clearly no hope of a change of attitude on the part of Lt.-Col. Gowon, the East Military Government considers that the time has come when it must take a final stand against a regime which cannot abide by agreements voluntarily arrived at. The Military Government of the East is irrevocably committed to the task of ameliorating the suffering of its struggling people and providing them with the peace, order and good government which are their overriding needs. To this end the Government will publish shortly its future policy towards the implementation of the Aburi agreements.



SO MY FELLOW GENERATION, KNOW THAT YOUR GENERATION UNLIKE THAT OF OUR PARENTS IS A CONSCIOUS ONE THAT MUST SEARCH FOR TRUTH AND CHALLENGE EVERYTHING WE READ, FOR HISTORY IS BEING WRITTEN EVERYDAY AND WE RATHER THE UNBIASED TRUTH BE OUR ARMOR IN HELPING SAVE OUR BELOVED FATHER LAND.

playboy19: This act is called bittching, so dr sid is a biatch!

This is what i dont like about nigerians, the fact is that DAVID recorded a private conversation between him an a friend, in some other countries this can put him in jail, because he did it without dr.sid's permisiion,which is bad and betrayal. Dr. Sid is entitled to his opinion no matter how much you like him or not, the person who records a conversation between him and a friend is the biatch, so for once nigerians look at the guy who did wrong, and not the victim.SMH. Nigerians never focusing on the main issue. I feel sorry for this generation.

So my male cousin who just relocated to naija( abuja specifically) called me yesterday, telling me he quit his job at a bank he just started working at mainly because of the type of request and approaches his boss and female customers made towards him. He was livid that women as old as 45 and older were making pass at him, even trying to bed him before they would make deposits. When i first heard this i laughed, i always thought it was only female bankers that were forced to go through this. The worst part of it was that his boss threatened to fire him if he didnt date one of their major customers, and he refused and told his boss if thats what they expect him to do that he is quitting. See i commmend my cousin, first of all to repartriate back to naija to work after working for bank of america and chose to accept to work in nigeria so he can be around his girlfriend more..( stup!d !d!ot thinks his inlove). His 24 and i feel he made a wrong choice by accepting to work for naija's banking industry. he used to model when he was in uni, his very hot i would say, if he wasnt my maternal cousin i would definitely tap that-lol,joking, but yeah so i can understand the attention he gets.But why is it that nigerian bank industry is synonymous to prostitution or high price escort service ---> my view----->, so anyone who works in the banking industry why do you work in such conditions, and is this associated to all banks in 9ja or just some?

you all fail to realize the main thing here, davido recorded his conversation between him and a friend. I call that betrayal, and i will warn people to be careful what they say around him, you never know he might be recording you. Am just shocked he could do such a thing. it is sad when you have enemies amongst your friends.

just get over it. you are igbo and have rights in igbo land like anybody if your father is igbo-that is a given. but in some igbo clans if your mother is the first daughter or of royality, you are igbo even if she marries into another tribe, your maternal uncles and family will always see you as one of them and protect you. but in most cases you are always what your father is, that is why families always want sons because they carry the lineage..tribe and clan. it all depends on which society you are coming from, and in nigeria which is a patrilineal society, your identity is gotten from one parent, the man. but Nneka!!- in ghana though in the ashanti tribe a child's identity is the identity of the mother... because its a matrilineal society. you got it now nairalanders its all based on the type of society you come from.

you are yoruba if you father and his paternal lineage is, whatever your mother is dont matter.

Antivirus92: nri/eri ,the founder of igbo people have nothing in common with ijebu-igbo. Maybe the ijebu-igbo have many things in common with the cross-river people now called ngwa not igbos. And by the way, i thought chinenye said that ngwa doesn't have nze na ozo na ichie. But you boldly pointed out that ur grand father,an ngwa man is one of the ndiichie.

i dont know what chinenye said, but i know that nde ngwa nwere nde okemadu and nzuko nde ichie(the returners). my grandfather bears the title proudly. i grew up in ngwa land so i know what am saying. plus i attend ngwa convention each year and happen to be one the youth leaders in my chapter. So i know what am saying, and i can back it up with facts. it is this clan mentality that is ruining you igbo people. igbo mbu igbo no matter the clan, because every clan has been mixed with others over the years get over yourselves. know your history, and dont try to rewrite it to appease your ideology of things. if you read the story of moremi and the igbo king you would understand why i said the things i did .

NRI PRIEST: Y


As a woman,you are too aggressive for my liking; What makes you think you know Igbo culture more than I do ?? I'm telling you this once again; I'm a decendant of the Igbo that invented most of the revered,respected and widely known Igbo cultural practices like "Nze na Ozo","Ikpu Alu","Iwa ji","Ofalla","Igu Aro","Eke,oye,afor na nkwo weekdays,"Igu onwa" and so many other inventions that made the Igbo nation to tower above the rest. How dare you speak of knowledge you know not olf ? Look,Ngwa is not really considered true Igbo,hence,you see ppl like Chinenye badmouthing the Igbo. Tell me one Ngwa tradition that is known accross Igboland...Ngwa has no defined culture! They are just bunch of wanderers that came from Imo areas and settled with out a proper organized traditions...I have an "Ozo" title and its a violation of the "Ozo" principle for an unmarried woman to question my knowledge on Igbo traditions. You see why I said you aren't Igbo ??

lmaooo look at this okoro, who told you to like me, sorry bro, we are not all meant to be liked jor by everyone. kisses:0 ..wouldnt it be funny if you find out one day that you are not even igbo. decendant my foot. lmaooo see yourself talk about the ngwa people, please dont hate cuz they are the largest clan in igbo land, dont hate appreciate and stop having clan mentality. lmao@ozo title, stop decieving yourself. i hope they gave you a dna test first, cuz i suspect your lineage. Fact is you need to sharap and swallow the fact that i know your culture more than you.. am stilll laughing at the ozo title, if you dont know that only applies to women from your land, omo yoruba ni mi se egbo? lmaoo Ozo title, ibu ozu' ewu, akpala okuku. mtchewww. ga ga rashia otila nne ghi. I hope you liked my little direction there for you. cuz dont try me, cuz ngwa and ijebu-igbo combo is deadly. i fear no man, title my foot. mtcheww!!!! if you dont know each igbo land have its own traditions... and omenala nke ghi abughi nke mama'm.hoha!!

afam4eva: One thing i noticed with the Nigerian government is that they always want to look good in the eyes of the international community without protecting the bpeople that they're mandated to protect. I guess Jonathan will get an award for not appealing this Bakkassi case. I wonder if Obasanjo was from Bakkassi, if he would have just let it go like that...Will Jonathan also have failed to appeal if he was from there? It shows how selfish and unreasonable the Nigerian government is.

I think what the Bakkassi people need to do is to weigh their options that take the one that will be most beneficial to them even if it means being sovereign, i support them 100%. If they're waiting for the Nigerian government to come to their aid, then they can as well wait for satan.

I so support this people, maybe when they secede and then igbo people follow, then what will nigeria do, start another war against the efik for protecting their human rights...lmaooo..nigeria is finished by 2015..lmaooo!! Chai i love my country. What a drama it is. Best show in all of africa.

NRI PRIEST:


Where did you get these rubbish from? Mikel Obi's mumm is an Igbo woman from Anambra. We Anambrarians don't even accept other Igbos in marriage talk more of non Igbo. Ask Imolites ....You meant Imo, Abia,River and Anioma intermarry a lot ?? And no,the Nri are not cousins to all these ethnic groups you mentioned above.I think you shoild just concentrate on "Ngwa" because it seems like that's all you know about. You are a YORUBA little girl and I consider it an insult whenever you talk like you are an authority in Igbo history. This is the height of disrespectfulnessn! Is this what your mumm taught you??

wait nri priest are you mad because it looks like i know more about your igbo culture than you...awww... please go to orimiri and drown. I dont understand some men's mentality at times, for your info i grew up in igboland then to usa and my grandmother(igbo) raised us in the states while my parents worked. yes my father is yoruba and so? You yourself if you dont know are not 100% igbo. There is nothing like 100% yoruba or igbo or hausa or any tribe. Yes given am a yoruba girl cuz my dad is, but ndi igbo says nneka and truly i have valued my maternal history as much as my paternal, maybe even more. My grandfather is one of the ndichie in his village and everything i know about the igbos come from him and books i have read. He is 98 now and very strong old man, with sharp memories, so when i tell part of the igbo history i know, know that i have not only books to back it up, but first hand treasured accounts, that many people can dream of, and i will say am lucky for that. so dont hate, appreciate that there are people who value your culture as much as you do.

NRI PRIEST:


Where did you get these rubbish from? Mikel Obi's mumm is an Igbo woman from Anambra. We Anambrarians don't even accept other Igbos in marriage talk more of non Igbo. Ask Imolites ....You meant Imo, Abia,River and Anioma intermarry a lot ??

y

WAXXSTAXX: The Ibibio word "Nyibi" which means turn in English, is the root of Nyibidi. Nyibidi means turning. The play was usually accompanied with drummings. The drum is called Ibit. The drum for the ruling Crown is called Ibit Itam. Itam means crown, hat, or headgear. Ekpe was indeed the governing deity and Ibit Itam was one of their major plays. Ukara means governance or government in Ibibio. Ukara cloth is worn by those in the government of Ekpe. The Ekpe and even Ekpo masquerade of old used to dance in a circular motion in order to induce a trance-like effect or feeling. Hence Nyibidi. Ibibio is the largest language of the Cross River and Akwa Ibom territories. Efik, Ekoi, Annang, Oron, Eket, Qua, Ibeno, Okobo, etc. are all variations of Ibibio. The Ibibio owned and controlled Arochukwu until they lost it in 1634 to the allied forces of the migrating Igbo and the Akpa. The Igbo slaves of the Ibibio rebelled and joined forces with the Akpa who were themselves of Ibibio origin. The Ibibios left both Arochukwu and their ancient Long Juju, but those who remained continued to run the oracles and influence the Igbo converts/practitioners of Ekpe. The Ibibios and Efiks taught Nsibidi to the Igbos through the Ekpe society. The chief language used in Ekpe is Ibibio. The Ibibios and Efiks knew Arochukwu as Ibom and Mbot Abasi. Mbot means creation. Abasi means God. Therefore, Mbot Abasi means the creation of God or, simply, the people of God. I understand that the Igbos kept the original Ibibio name for Arochukwu, but merely translated it into Igbo language. So, MBOT ABASI(Ibibio for God's creation or the people of God) became ARO CHUKWU which literally means GOD'S CREATION or GOD'S PEOPLE in the IGBO LANGUAGE. While in Arochukwu, the Ibibio leaders had a secret society called Ekpe. Ekpe means leopard or lion. The leadership operated (and still does)in an esoteric manner. Only members are privy to the innerworkings of the group. They developed an elaborate system of logograms through which their ideas, knowledge, and activities awere recorded. Nyibidi which means turning (going in circles), evolved into Nsibidi. Nsibidi is Ibibio for what is at play or, what's playing? Nso = what. I(as in letter "e"= is. Bidi = play or playing. NSO-I-BIDI (NSIBIDI) or NSO-I-BIRI(NSIBIRI) means what's playing? What's at play? Therefore, Nsibidi means what is playing or, what's at play? Nsibidi was later adopted as the name for the writings associated with Ekpe society. It is true that the Europeans found most of the Nsibidi script among the Ekoi, but it is really of Ibibio origin. The Igbos could not fully adapt Nsibidi because translation from Ibibio into Igbo had too many constraints. Original meanings of Ekpe society's Nsibidi often got lost in translation.
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[color=#770077]"There was no war between Aros and Ibibio -what happened was what one would accurately describe as a coup. The Aros who were assistants (slave by Europeans) at the Ibritam Shrine organized a coup with the help of Ekoi, Akunakuna and Igbos and seized the shrine from their Ibibio masters. Talbot** put the date at 1300 -1400 based on the geneology and calculation of the ages of relatives of informant who claims their forebears were in charge of this shrine -we dispute this because the informant forebears couldn't have been incharge since religious affairs in Ibibio land was entrusted to the group known as Annang today ,and this informant came from a different group. However, Talbot also based his date from Aro informant. We still think that the date was much earlier. However the consensus is that the Aros were in possession of the shrine before trade with the Portuguese and later Slave trade with Efik and later the Ijaws-Bonny and kalabari when Ibibios prohibited transportation of people across their territory."

http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/WorldIgboCongress/message/15772

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lmaooo who ever wrote this thing you posted on here must be high on drugs. guy you try sha with this fiction..chai i would give you an award, but i dont reward stupidity. anyone who hasnt studied igbo history would actually believe this nonsense, but your info its half baked, the igbos you speak of with aro origin a bit were slaves to the igbos, therefore they were called osu- outcast usually gotten during war as collateral. so my dear stop putting excerpts here without explaining the context. The first info i higlighted in red you falsified, cannot find it anywhere, so prove me wrong it has nothing to do with the link you put only the last part i highlighted in purple are part of that link. So next time know that there are people more tech savy than you, dont feed any body that their grandfather is traditional priminister that nonsense, cuz i know more about igbo culture than you could ever. btw am not even igbo.lmao.aint that sad a yoruba gal has to correct you. mtchewww inyamiri!! onye arolala!!