₦airaland Forum

GBTYO:
Rubbish.

Nigeria's problems are you Ibos and nothing else.

Your write up is filled with your usual lame lies.

I have said my own and that is that you Ibos are the architects of Nigeria's failure brought about by your greed.

And don't tell me to do advocacy for your useless Biafra . You of all people know I will not hesitate to drive you all out if it was down to me. Go and arrange yourselves in your yeast and come and tell Nigerians with one voice and action that you want out and see if anyone will stop you.

GBTYO:
Rubbish.

Nigeria's problems are you Ibos and nothing else.

Your write up is filled with your usual lame lies.

I have said my own and that is that you Ibos are the architects of Nigeria's failure brought about by your greed.

And don't tell me to do advocacy for your useless Biafra . You of all people know I will not hesitate to drive you all out if it was down to me. Go and arrange yourselves in your yeast and come and tell Nigerians with one voice and action that you want out and see if anyone will stop you.

gidgiddy:
The short version:

1. Gowon changed the structural arrangement of Nigeria by abolishing the Region's, and creating states

2. Gowon introduced unitary rule by abolishing resource control

3. Gowon caused the civil war by breaking the Aburi agreement

4. Gowons 9 years in power marked the period Nigeria earned the most from oil, yet had nothing to show for it

The long version:

Gowon came to power in early early August 1966 when Northern elements of the Nigerian Army staged a military coup that claimed over 300 lives. However, the Eastern Region's Military Governor,
Lt Colonel Ojukwu, refused to recognise him as head of state, stating that the most senior officer of the time and chief of general staff , Brigadier Ogundipe, should take over.

Because the 4 Regions of the time controlled their resources, and were financially independent of the federal government, Gowon was forced to meet Ojukwu in a neutral territory outside Nigeria. They met in Aburi, Ghana, where Ojukwu pledged keep the unity of Nigeria and recognise Gowon as head of State, as long as certain conditions were met.

One of the 12 conditions Gowon agreed and signed to(that would be later known as the Aburi agreement or accord), was that during the period of Military rule, Gowon would not change the structural arrangement of Nigeria. This ensured that the 4 Region's maintained their financial independence of the Federal government Without fear that any Region would dominate the other through the centre

However, within weeks of returning to Nigeria, Gowon broke the agreement he signed by enacting Decree 14, which abolished the 4 Region's, and replaced them with 12 brand new states, half of which went to the North. Gowon followed this up with Decree 15 that abolished resource control,and made the newly created states financially dependent on the federal government. Subsequent military dictators would continue this trend until Nigeria had 36 states

With the Aburi accord broken, Ojukwu had no other choice but to declare the Eastern Region The Republic of Biafra, and war followed.

After the war, Gowons government saw the largest oil boom era in the history of Nigeria. However, Gowons administration was riddled with massive corruption, financial recklessness, cronyism and poor judgment which led to future economic disaster

Gowon did not fight to keep Nigeria one, he fought to make the North masters of Nigeria. Had Gowon wanted to keep Nigeria one, he would have kept to the agreement he signed in Ghana. But he could not keep to the agreement because it prevented him and his fellow Northerners from taking control of Nigeria

There is nothing to celebrate about Gowon, he was just a military dictator, war monger and a terrible administrator.

gidgiddy:
I don't think you have worry much. All that is happening now, the insecurity, the economic downturn and the disunity are all pointers that Nigeria is heading down no other road than that of collapse and disintegration

Nigeria will collapse and disintegrate just like USSR, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia all did, and everyone can finally go their way and stop this head we have been giving each other since 1960 .

Omowale2023:
I asked ChatGPT to analyse your post. This what it said.

My prompt/What I asked ChatGPT:

Act as a professor of History with Extensive experience in Nigeria government system(from 1960).
Using an Analytical and Social-Demand Approach, create a judgement after reviewing and analysing the answer. At the end, state whether Yakubu Gowon caused more harm than good in Nigeria.

Furthermore you can use these points below to guide you to make an unbiased opinion/Judgement.

The points:
1. Gowon changed the structural arrangement of Nigeria by abolishing the Region's, and creating states
2. Gowon introduced unitary rule by abolishing resource control
3. Gowon caused the civil war by breaking the Aburi agreement
4. Gowons 9 years in power marked the period Nigeria earned the most from oil, yet had nothing to show for it.

CHATGPT'S RESPONSE:

To provide an in-depth analysis of Yakubu Gowon’s tenure and his impact on Nigeria, it is crucial to draw from well-established sources. The analysis of Gowon's regime in relation to state creation, centralization of resource control, the civil war, and economic mismanagement draws on historical, political, and economic insights from various scholarly works.

1. Creation of States and Structural Changes

Gowon’s decision to create 12 states from the existing regions in 1967 was intended to address ethnic tensions and reduce the dominance of regional powers. This move was supported by the works of scholars like Tamuno (1991) and Adebayo (2011), who both highlight the role of state creation in managing Nigeria's diverse ethnic landscape. However, it also created long-term issues by entrenching federal control, which is explored in Olorode's analysis of state creation as a political tool in Nigeria.

Tamuno, T. N. (1991). Nigerian Federalism in Historical Perspective. Ibadan University Press.

Adebayo, A. G. (2011). Ethnicity and the Politics of State Creation in Nigeria. African Studies Review, 54(3), 77-91.

Olorode, A. (1999). The Politics of State Creation in Nigeria. Ibadan: Spectrum Books.

2. Introduction of Unitary Rule and Resource Control

The centralization of resource control under Gowon was a wartime measure, but it had long-lasting consequences for Nigeria’s federal system, particularly in the oil-rich Niger Delta. Obi (2001) critically examines the implications of Gowon’s policies on resource allocation and regional autonomy, while Ukeje (2004) focuses on the growing discontent in the Niger Delta due to the federal government's control over oil revenues.

Obi, C. I. (2001). The Changing Forms of Identity Politics in Nigeria under Economic Adjustment: The Case of the Oil Minorities Movement of the Niger Delta. Nordic Africa Institute.

Ukeje, C. (2004). Oil, Resource Conflict, and Postwar Reconstruction: Revisiting the Civil War Legacy in the Niger Delta. Africa Development, 29(4), 46-70.

3. The Civil War and the Aburi Agreement

The failure of the Aburi Accord and Gowon’s role in precipitating the civil war is widely discussed in Nigerian political history. The civil war caused deep ethnic divisions and human suffering, which are well documented in the works of Kirk-Greene (1971) and Falola and Heaton (2008). They both address Gowon’s reneging on the Aburi Accord and its impact on the war. Nwokolo (2014) offers a deeper exploration of how the failure to resolve the issues peacefully contributed to the conflict.

Kirk-Greene, A. (1971). Crisis and Conflict in Nigeria: A Documentary Sourcebook 1966-1970. Oxford University Press.

Falola, T., & Heaton, M. M. (2008). A History of Nigeria. Cambridge University Press.

Nwokolo, N. (2014). The Aburi Accord: Negotiating Nigeria's Future or Delaying Civil War?. Journal of African History, 55(3), 397-419.

4. Economic Mismanagement During the Oil Boom

Gowon’s mismanagement of oil revenues during the oil boom of the 1970s is well documented by scholars such as Olukoshi (1995) and Adejumobi (2002). They highlight how corruption, poor planning, and the absence of a coherent development strategy resulted in missed opportunities for Nigeria. Forrest (1993) provides a detailed account of how the oil wealth during this period was squandered, while Watts (2008) examines how this legacy of mismanagement has influenced contemporary resource governance in Nigeria.

Olukoshi, A. O. (1995). The Politics of Structural Adjustment in Nigeria. Heinemann Educational Books.

Adejumobi, S. (2002). Oil and the Political Economy of the Nigerian State. African Development, 27(3), 25-48.

Forrest, T. (1993). Politics and Economic Development in Nigeria. Westview Press.

Watts, M. (2008). Curse of the Black Gold: 50 Years of Oil in the Niger Delta. Powerhouse Books.

Conclusion: Did Gowon Cause More Harm Than Good?

In summarizing Gowon’s impact, it is clear that while his actions helped preserve Nigeria’s unity, they also left a legacy of systemic issues that continue to affect the country. Scholars such as Falola, Heaton, and Obi provide critical insights into the long-term consequences of Gowon’s leadership. His leadership preserved Nigeria's territorial integrity, but the failure to address ethnic tensions, manage resources equitably, and build a sustainable economy points to more harm than good during his regime.

Falola, T., & Heaton, M. M. (2008). A History of Nigeria. Cambridge University Press.

Obi, C. I. (2001). The Changing Forms of Identity Politics in Nigeria. Nordic Africa Institute.

The combined weight of scholarly analysis shows that Gowon’s regime caused more harm than good, leaving a legacy of mismanagement, unresolved ethnic tensions, and structural issues that continue to challenge Nigeria today.

Dafresh:
Clap on your ignorances

DaddyCoool:
OK, let's put it to you another way. What were the EFFECTS of Ironsi's unitary govt before Gowon came along? List them

confusedlady:
Counter with facts and figures. Not words full of sound and fury signifying NOTHING.

aswani:
I know that Ironsi promulgated the Unitary government decree. That is what you are supposed to rebuff, all ya jara big grammar nor bi am bikonu.

gidgiddy:
It's one of the reasons they will never teach Nigerian history.

spearman:
When they do that, just know you've taken their Biafrauud scalp.
Simply look at the "40 states Biafra" and one can see Ibos are getting increasingly desperately psychotic lately.

confusedlady:
I cannot understand how a whole tribe will continue to lament and cry about Biafra and their hatred for the zoo nation,while at the same time shouting Peter Obi for President of Nigeria.
The hypocrisy is mind numbing.
How does a rational human being call a country a zoo/shat nation while at the same time calling for your tribesmen to contest for the presidency of a zoo country? It just boggles the mind and shows a very unstable,greedy hypocritical group of people.

gidgiddy:
You mean the way some people are currently agitating for Oduduwa Republic even though Tinubu is currently President? 😆 🤣 😂 😹

DaddyCoool:
So if you're asked whose fault it is that there is unitary govt in Nig today, what would be your honest answer as a Muslim?

aswani:
My honest answer will be that I am not a Muslim, neither is Gowon as it happens.

confusedlady:
Have the Oduduwa agitators waged a treasonous war against their mother country or declared a demented Monday sit at home policy or slaughtered their own people in a quest to get an independent nation. Have the Oduduwa agitators called their country a shat /zoo nation?
Did any of the Oduduwa agitators abolish the regional government through a decree 34 of 1966 like Aguiyi Ironsi?
Did the Oduduwa agitators declare a demented Mondays sit at home policy to destroy the economic survival of their region?
When you answer these questions in a responsible manner you will see the difference in agitation for a goal in a reasonable way and agitation for a goal in a hypocritical,Irresponsible and demented way.

gidgiddy:
Yeah, Yorubas can seek Oduduwa Republic and still produce Tinubu as President of Nigeria.

Fulani herdsmen can massacre Nigerians in all 6 geopolitical zones so that their cows can graze freely, but still Produce a Fulani man called Buhari as President

This 'one Nigeria' is really something 😆 🤣 😂

We have wasted too many years on a disastrous union that has never worked, and we look foward to when the British colony called Nigeria will come to an inglorious end so everyone can go their way

DaddyCoool:
Aah, but you're wrong - everyone is a Muslim.😎
It is clearly NOT Ironsi's fault - he disappeared before he barely knew what he was doing. Let's say Ironsi had decreed all heads of state would serve 20 years then died almost immediately. And the next leader signed an Aburi accord abolishing it, then reneged on it and took steps to establish tradition of all HoS serving 20 years. Who's faul would it be??

aswani:
When I did Government at school, the multiple choice answer to a question about who introduced Unitary government would not have been Gowon, it would have been Aguiyi Ironsi.

I like and admire your debating style actually because it is pretty robust and comprehensive, maybe needlessly tinged with insults but I have learnt a thing or two from your posts so that's ok.

And with that, I bid our debate a fare thee well and leave the floor to you to roll and up if you feel the need to.

I also wish you a blessed week ahead.

DaddyCoool:
TBH their names and customs and even appearance seem suspiciously Igbo to me as an outsider. But if they themselves say they are from Benin... why would they say that? My question is WHY.

DaddyCoool:
Also wishing you the best in the week ahead.
There has to relevancy to things. The relevant question is, who's fault is it we are in the uber-unitary mess we're in today (even US is not this unitary)? Who established, entrenched, and expanded it? Answer: Gowon and his advisers, NOT Ironsi!

T8ksy:
The assertion bolded above is not entirely true. Agreed that Gowon did entrenched and also expanded on the unification decree with the aid of his advisers however, it was Ironsi who established the notion as advised by his *3-men advisory team who incidentally, were all igbos like himself.

DaddyCoool:
Look, decree 34 (which was promulgated under coup conditions) was promulgated in May and Ironsi died exactly two months later, in July. There was no effect WHATSOEVER from the decree. There was no unitary government. The person who established unitary government in Nigeria is Gowon! 100%! He could have easily rescinded the decree, but not only did he not do that, he reneged on Aburi accord that did just that!

* I thought it was said Ironsi surrounded himself with Notherners. Can you name this all-Igbo advisory team?