₦airaland Forum

Another perspective on the Nigerian civil war


Someone on social media, a lady, pointed out that the No Victor no vanquished posture of the federal government after the Biafran surrender should have meant that Biafra would be allowed to secede if they want.

This actually is true because Nigeria was not created by force. It started as a voluntary union and if some stake holders back then did not want the union, then it would not have been formed. It was formed because people back then were enthusiastic about the union. Sir Macaulay the acknowledged founder of Nigerian nationalism once made a statement to the effect that as his moustache can not be separated from him, so will Northern and Southern Nigeria remain inseparable. He had plans and a vision for a big nation because of the advantages.

However the North was the first to threaten a breakup during negotiations prior to independence. Sir Ahmadu Bello publicly exclaimed that the mistake of 1914 has come to light referring to the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates of 1914. Dr Azikiwe calmed him by saying we should forget our differences. The Northern delegates during negotiations said they will only agree to join the union if they get the PM position as well as half the federal seats and the westerners and Easterners agreed. This was a mistake especially for the western region because the budget of the western region was up to three times or thereabouts of the combination of the budgets of the East and the North as at 1960. The western state's budget was 55 million pounds, East 12 million pounds and the North 7 million pounds in 1960.

The union started having problems immediately. The leadership of the West was in opposition while the East and North's leadership were ruling. By 1963, the leadership of the West that were the opposition were in prison for treasonable felony purportedly aided by Kwame Nkrumah's Ghana.

There was a coup in 1966 led by Easterners and political leaders were massacred by young soldiers. A military head of state of Eastern origin became the head of state after the coup failed and as a result of what many call his own technical coup. There was then a counter coup led by Northerners after six months in which the head of state and the western governor were assassinated. The war cry then was Araba by the Northern soldiers which means separation especially after many Igbos had been massacred in the North by Northern mobs responding to the massacre of their leaders during the first coup. The Northerners that led the second coup were originally no longer interested in one Nigeria even as there were no Igbos in the North again. That was the second attempt to break up the country. However on reflection and on consultation with politicians and diplomats and after a short power vacuum, the most senior military man, General Ogundipe a Yoruba and westerner took up appointment in the Nigerian embassy in the UK and allowed the next person in rank that was trusted by the coup plotters in person of Lt Col Gowon who was chief of Army staff to resume as head of state.

The second coup was not successful in the East and Colonel Ojukwu the governor of the East understandably declared that he will not go anywhere where there are Northern soldiers for any kind of meeting. Aburi, Ghana was therefore agreed upon by Lagos and Enugu as a neutral venue for a meeting.

At Aburi, both parties signed an agreement on several things including that no major decision will be taken without all governors agreeing.

However the FG later decided to create new states and the East did not agree for any new state to be created out of the East while those that asked for those states in the East agreed. There was actually an armed struggle for one of such states before the military head of state General Ironsi was assassinated during the second coup

The East then declared independence from Nigeria in order to preserve the integrity of it's territory. The new state was called Biafra. Some indigenes of the states created out of Biafra served in the Biafran forces while others joined the federal forces.

After almost three years of struggle and after Biafra opened a new war front that drew into the war the western and Midwestern regions of Nigeria leading to an amphibious landing of the Nigerian army at Calabar and after a blockade that led to hundreds of thousands of death, the Biafran forces were forced to surrender.

The FG proclaimed a policy of No Victor No vanquished. Going back to the comment of the lady I read on social media awhile back, the true no Victor no vanquished posture should mean that after the Biafran surrender, the whole of Eastern Nigeria would then be free. Biafra can remain but without forcing any land to be part of it. No matter any clause that is in any constitution, the fact is that the North could have seceded in 1959 as well as in 1967 or 1966 because Nigeria was formed voluntarily even with enthusiasm and it was never meant to be what it has become today.

There were many coups after the civil war and all were led by Northerners as they dominated the army. One led by Major Gideon Orkar a Christian Northerner had a coup speech that broke up Nigeria but the coup failed and he was arrested and executed.

There have been a total of four attempts to break up Nigeria. Three from the North and one from the old Eastern region without counting the attempts by Boko Haram and others.

Ask Nnamdi Azikwe why he insisted that Nigeria should be one without secession clause as advocated by Chief Awolowo

Very good summary. Where you failed is "No matter any clause that is in any constitution".

The only way you can ignore a constitution is through force of arms. Either you change the constitution legally or you set it aside by force.
That someone said "No Victor no, vanquiched" has nothing to do with the constitution

lawani:
Another perspective on the Nigerian civil war


Someone on social media, a lady, pointed out that the No Victor no vanquished posture of the federal government after the Biafran surrender should have meant that Biafra would be allowed to secede if they want.

This actually is true because Nigeria was not created by force. It started as a voluntary union and if some stake holders back then did not want the union, then it would not have been formed. It was formed because people back then were enthusiastic about the union. Sir Macaulay the acknowledged founder of Nigerian nationalism once made a statement to the effect that as his moustache can not be separated from him, so will Northern and Southern Nigeria remain inseparable. He had plans and a vision for a big nation because of the advantages.

However the North was the first to threaten a breakup during negotiations prior to independence. Sir Ahmadu Bello publicly exclaimed that the mistake of 1914 has come to light referring to the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates of 1914. Dr Azikiwe calmed him by saying we should forget our differences. The Northern delegates during negotiations said they will only agree to join the union if they get the PM position as well as half the federal seats and the westerners and Easterners agreed. This was a mistake especially for the western region because the budget of the western region was up to three times or thereabouts of the combination of the budgets of the East and the North as at 1960. The western state's budget was 55 million pounds, East 12 million pounds and the North 7 million pounds in 1960.

The union started having problems immediately. The leadership of the West was in opposition while the East and North's leadership were ruling. By 1963, the leadership of the West that were the opposition were in prison for treasonable felony purportedly aided by Kwame Nkrumah's Ghana.

There was a coup in 1966 led by Easterners and political leaders were massacred by young soldiers. A military head of state of Eastern origin became the head of state after the coup failed and as a result of what many call his own technical coup. There was then a counter coup led by Northerners after six months in which the head of state and the western governor were assassinated. The war cry then was Araba by the Northern soldiers which means separation especially after many Igbos had been massacred in the North by Northern mobs responding to the massacre of their leaders during the first coup. The Northerners that led the second coup were originally no longer interested in one Nigeria even as there were no Igbos in the North again. That was the second attempt to break up the country. However on reflection and on consultation with politicians and diplomats and after a short power vacuum, the most senior military man, General Ogundipe a Yoruba and westerner took up appointment in the Nigerian embassy in the UK and allowed the next person in rank that was trusted by the coup plotters in person of Lt Col Gowon who was chief of Army staff to resume as head of state.

The second coup was not successful in the East and Colonel Ojukwu the governor of the East understandably declared that he will not go anywhere where there are Northern soldiers for any kind of meeting. Aburi, Ghana was therefore agreed upon by Lagos and Enugu as a neutral venue for a meeting.

At Aburi, both parties signed an agreement on several things including that no major decision will be taken without all governors agreeing.

However the FG later decided to create new states and the East did not agree for any new state to be created out of the East while those that asked for those states in the East agreed. There was actually an armed struggle for one of such states before the military head of state General Ironsi was assassinated during the second coup

The East then declared independence from Nigeria in order to preserve the integrity of it's territory. The new state was called Biafra. Some indigenes of the states created out of Biafra served in the Biafran forces while others joined the federal forces.

After almost three years of struggle and after Biafra opened a new war front that drew into the war the western and Midwestern regions of Nigeria leading to an amphibious landing of the Nigerian army at Calabar and after a blockade that led to hundreds of thousands of death, the Biafran forces were forced to surrender.

The FG proclaimed a policy of No Victor No vanquished. Going back to the comment of the lady I read on social media awhile back, the true no Victor no vanquished posture should mean that after the Biafran surrender, the whole of Eastern Nigeria would then be free. Biafra can remain but without forcing any land to be part of it. No matter any clause that is in any constitution, the fact is that the North could have seceded in 1959 as well as in 1967 or 1966 because Nigeria was formed voluntarily even with enthusiasm and it was never meant to be what it has become today.

I quite agree with you and want to emphasis that the Southern leaders both from the Eastern region and the Western region were complacent and very parochial in their position, there wa no justification at all to have allowed the north to be joined to the South, there was no basis for it that it will benefit the future southerners.

Fast forward to 1979 constitution that was crafted to favour the north and later fused into the 1999 constitution that has been the albatross of the crises bedeviling the country today,

The question is what were the Southern leaders thinking that made them agree to a worthless document that only favour one section of the country.

It is on this premises that one should conclude that the Southern leaders only acted to suit their parochial and persona interest at the expense of the Southern populace.

Presently, the same selfishness is driving the Southern leaders and their lackey followers who abandon the pressing danger the South face in the hand of the Fulani that are killing, maiming and taking the land of the indigenous people of the country.

For how long will the South continue to look helplessly when it is glaring that the agenda is to subjugate the South and overun them?

What stops the Southern leaders from taken a decisive decision over the killing and kidnapping of their people by declaring to go their way if the killins is not stopped?

What future is the present Southern leaders building for their generation unborn?

Like past leaders, like the current ones, the Southern leaders have failed if they can't agree to put a permanent stop to the insecurity in Nigeria. Yes, I blame the South for enduring abnormality when it is clear that it will only get worse.

Lifestone:
Ask Nnamdi Azikwe why he insisted that Nigeria should be one without secession clause as advocated by Chief Awolowo

That's not necessary right now, what are the Southerners doing to put a stop to the killing going on presently?

Ttalk:
I quite agree with you and want to emphasis that the Southern leaders both from the Eastern region and the Western region were complacent and very parochial in their position, there wa no justification at all to have allowed the north to be joined to the South, there was n basis for it that it will benefit the future southerners.

Fast forward to 1979 constitution that was crafted to favour the north and later fused to into the 1999 constitution that has been the albatross of the crises bedeviling the country today,

The question is what were the Southern leaders thinking that made them agree to a worthless document that only favour one section of the country.

It is on this premises that a one should conclude that the Southern leaders only acted to suit their parochial and persona interest at the expense of the Southern populace.

Presently, the same selfishness is driving the Southern leaders and their lackey followers who abandon the pressing danger the South face in the hand of the Fulani that are killing, maiming and taking the land of the indigenous people of the country.

For how long will the South continue to look helplessly when it is glaring that the agenda is to subjugate the South and overun them

What stops the Southern leaders from taken a decisive decision over the killing and kidnapping of their people buy declaring to go their way if the killins is not stopped?

What future is the present Southern leaders building for their generation unborn?

Like past leader, like the current ones, the Southern have failed if they can't agree to put a permanent stop to the insecurity in Nigeria. Yes, I blame the South for enduring abnormality when it is clear that it will only get worse.

There was even no justification for joining the East to the west on an equal footing considering the variance in revenue. It is like joining the US to Canada today and giving both the same representation in the federal government. It is true between the East and the west not to talk of between the North and the south. They ought to generate the revenue co-measurate with the share of seats they expect at the center. If they can't, it can only mean the people are not there to be taxed.

QuinQ:
Very good summary. Where you failed is "No matter any clause that is in any constitution".

The only way you can ignore a constitution is through force of arms. Either you change the constitution legally or you set it aside by force.
That someone said "No Victor no, vanquiched" has nothing to do with the constitution

The current constitution is illegal and people have been raising the alarm for years. If nothing is done by those that should do something then they know that some other people will come sooner than later to do the right thing by force. It is only a matter of time. They may not break Nigeria immediately as was planned by Major Orkar but they will not force it together too. At best or at worst, there will be a timetable for breakup

Thank God for the USA as well as other onlooking powers