₦airaland Forum

AlfaSeltzer:
See an aturu like you. So you papa fought but didn't know what he was fighting for?

Ask your papa who fired the first bullet?

BuddahMonk:
[size=14pt]Imagine the same people that were shouting regional government and regional government during Jonathan, now they have gotten VeePee and all the noise about regional government have been buried automatically, why cant they use the special opportunity their people are influential in the incoming government and help us push for the regional government that will benefit them even most.

its very unfortunate, no regional government again, we are not hearing how cocoa will be more foreign exchange earner than oil, no more agriculture and all the sophisticated goodies regional government will bring, now they are singing new song Sai Baba swimming in ND oil.

spits on Nigeria[/size]

anigold:
Atleast my Dad showed bravery in fighting and supporting his leader.
ATLEAST Ojukwu fought gallantly with the boys for good 3 Years.
Whereas the other "Tribal bigot" could not even man up to a 37 Year old Military boy instead took a very disgraceful route by drinking rat poison, this shows the height of COWARDICE..

Unlike yours that ran away like a fuckenen coward..
When its mattered most your pops and uncles ran away from Abiola.. They could not even fight for what was theirs... nawao..

BuddahMonk:
Yes we all know that Zik failed us big time because he was busy looking at the bigger picture of a united African nay a one Nigeria while others were developing their regions.

Why didn't Awolowo took the opportunity the Biafra secession presented to him to have his own country since he believed Nigeria was not a country but a mere geographical expression, few years later he came back to be the president of a mere geographical area, Sahara Desert, Sambisa Forest and Bermuda Triangle are geographical areas as well he should have contested for election there perchance he might win.

ECOTERRORS:
kindly share some let's analyse please

jpphilips:
How old are you?

coolzeal:
Read this article a long time ago and thought I should post it for those that care to read.
Obafemi Awolowo is the undisputed hero of the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria whose wartime policy of starvation and currency change helped kill the Biafran dream. The post colonial era of Nigerian history was dominated by three actors, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello. Dr Azikiwe was an avowed nationalist who preferred one Nigeria above anything else. Sir Ahmadu Bello was a tribalist who initially preferred a balkanized Nigeria to enable his people live their religious and cultural life without external negative inluence and was later reluctantly convinced to seek an agenda for a united Nigeria. Chief Obafemi Awolowo from the onset did not hide his preference for an Oduduwa Republic.

Chief Awolowo is idolized by the Yorubas because he was able to transform the South West into an educational and industrial hub in Africa and build a robust political climate. He so much understood the value of education that he made it free, affordable and offered a lot of scholarships to Yorubas to advance academically to the highest level. He ran a political system in Action Group whereby people have their say while the leader has his way.

Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, a core nationalist, never received the level of hero worship Awolowo received in the South West because Igbos severally accuses him of not taking them out of Nigeria when Chief Awolowo and Sir Ahmadu Bello were angling for a balkanized nation. Chief Awolowo was the sage whose idea ended the Nigerian civil war. He advised the Gowon Cabinet to block all food supply to Biafra so as to end the war quickly and according to him ” starvation is a legitimate instrument of war ” This led to the starvation of over one million Biafran children. Thus Awolowo’s advice and actions led to the quick end to the Biafran dream. Therefore it is right to say that what the entire armed forces of Nigeria could not do, the wisdom of Awolowo did. Chief Awolowo convinced Gowon that every adult Biafran who managed to survive the starvation deserved only #20 pounds to start life afresh irrespective of economic status before the war, an action perceived as intended to further reduce the ability of Igbos to recover economically.

Another policy of his which frustrated Biafra’s ability to import food and arms was the change of currency which according to Awolowo” And it is on record that Ojukwu admitted that two things defeated him in this war, that’s as at the day he left Biafra.

He said one, the change of currency, he said that was the first thing that defeated him, and we did that to prevent Ojukwu taking the money which his soldiers has stolen from our Central bank for sale abroad to buy arms…So I decided to change the currency, and for your benefit, it can now be told the whole world, only Gowon knew the day before, the day before the change took place”.

Chief Awolowo has been variously accused of introducing tribalism into the Nigerian politics. He chased Dr Azikiwe out of the Ibadan in 1954 when the NCNC headed by Azikiwe won majority seats in the West Nigerian House of Assembly and through a palace coup called cross carpeting Zik was denied the Premiership of Western Nigeria, at a time when Professor Eyo Ita, an Efik was premier of Eastern Region and Alhaji Umoru Altine , a Fulani, was Mayor of Enugu. Dr Azikiwe, following the footsteps of Awolowo, had to frustrate Professor Eyo Ita out of Enugu. Chief Awolowo and Sir Ahmadu Bello seems to have a deeper understanding of the Nigerian complexities than Dr Azikiwe.

While Awolowo never trusted the Igbos, the north never trusted Awolowo and theYorubas. The northern oligarchy instigated crisis in Western Nigeria in the same manner President Obasanjo used the Uba brothers to instigate crisis in Anambra State. This crisis led to the trumped up charges leading to the trial and imprisonment of Awolowo . Reports has it that he was to be poisoned in prison before the military coup altered the state of affairs.

Awolowo was released from Calabar prison by Biafran leader Odumegwu Ojukwu and there was an agreement that while Ojukwu declares Biafra in the East, Awolowo would declare Oduduwa Republic in the West. The British establishment, sensing the dangers of Awolowo declaring Oduduwa Republic in the West, convinced Gowon and the north to checkmate Awolowo’s secessionist agenda by appointing him the Vice Chairman of Federal Executive Council. This strategy worked effectively and Awolowo was deceived that after Gowon’s tenure he would be given the opportunity of ruling Nigeria. Awolowo thus had to checkmate the Biafran dream to clear any obstacle to his ruling Nigeria while the north was looking for the right opportunity to throw him into the dustbin. In frustration, Awo resigned from Gowon’s cabinet when he realized he has been politically duped.

Awolowo quashed the Biafran dream while the northern establishment killed the Oduduwa dream and betrayed Awolowo’s presidential ambition thrice. This fact was aptly captured by a prominent Yoruba leader and Nigeria’s former minister of aviation Chief Femi Fani-Kayode while replying to a boastful statement by another prominent northern leader, Alhaji Usman Farouk on how the north dominated the Yoruba people and conquered the Niger Delta.

According to Fani Kayode, “the north literally begged Awolowo not to declare Oduduwa Republic and go the way of Biafra even though that was his original intention…Fourthly it was the support that the south west gave to the north that allowed Nigeria to win the war. Fifthly it was the lie that Gowon and the northern leaders fed to Awolowo that he would be made President of the country after the war and after being effectively being made de facto Prime Minister under Gowon during the war that got Awolowo to support them”, invariably, the Igbos and Yorubas were effectively dribbled, divided, manipulated and overpowered.

The ascension of Awolowo’s kinsman Obasanjo as Head of State was another opportunity for him to realize his dream of ruling Nigeria. The 1979 election result was decided in the infamous judgement where the Supreme Court refused Awolowo’s plea that 2/3 of 19 is 13 states therefore declaring Alhaji Shehu Shagari the winner of the election. The north led by Generals Shehu Yaradua and Theophilus Danjuma convinced Obasanjo on why Awolowo should never be the president of Nigeria. Therefore, instead of a runoff election, which some believe could favour Awolowo,the Supreme Court declared Alhaji Shehu Shagari the winner.

Chief MKO Abiola at one point was used by the northern dominated NPN to oppose the presidential ambitions of Awolowo . He used his Nigerian Concord newspaper and enormous wealth to fight Awolowo and UPN and when they finished using him to deal with Awolowo, they frustrated Abiola’s presidential ambition and he had to resign from the party in 1982. Alhaji Umaru Dikko, then transport minister, sent message to Abiola that the presidency is not for sale to the highest bidder. When Babangida annulled the election of Abiola in 1993, Yorubas alluded to a certain curse Awolowo released on Abiola, in the heat of the later’s opposition to his presidency “that even if Abiola was to be given the presidential seat, he would not sit on it”

In 1999, after the suspicious death of Abiola, the northern establishment sensing that Chief Olu Falae was the choice of the Yoruba people, rigged the polls in favour of Obasanjo . It is obvious that the North had shown evidence of being deadly political strategists than their Yoruba and Igbo compatriots, having used the political suspicion between the duos to dribble them. Conclusively, the north is not as dumb as people assume; they used Awolowo to checkmate Biafra and then dealt with Awolowo and his ambitions.

BuddahMonk:
Atleast Biafra lasted for three good years, when you tried your gra gra in 1993 it did not even last for two days because people deserted your cities and towns, that was when you realized your paper champions.
You started June 12 and was expecting Igbos to fight your wars, Ralph Obioha and Bobo Nwosisi were the only people around Aare Ona kakanfo when he declared himself president elect, when the two dudes left him his people couldn't even protect him or at worst sneak him out

PAINGAIN:
Chai! I don laff tire. And for d record, igbos might be arrogant, boastful, flamboyant but one thing d igbos are not is "coward". See how awolowo abandoned everything he believed in bcus he was made head of FEC and promised d presidency. Hausas used him to get what they wanted just like they are using tinubu now to get what they want. When will d yorubas stop licking hausa a5s?

OoduaVanguard:
Thanks for educating him about how an Igbo man, in the person of Ironsi, dismantled the whole regional gov't apparatus, upon assuming power as the beneficiary of a coup largely led by Igbo officers of the Nigerian army. Some of these folks think the rest of us are stupid.

OoduaVanguard:
You flatt heads are a bunch of cu.nts. When are you going to do the needful and declare your Biafra? Bloody cowards. Perhaps you all should go and resurrect Ojukwu to lead you on another suicide mission.

We know you hate us (Yoruba) and frankly we don't like you either, we're merely tolerating your whiny behinds. Sorry losers.

PenSniper:
Honestly, the Ibos are a race of despicable people. No wonder they are being singled out as notorious in places like Britain, USA, South Africa, Ghana, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, etc, for the very base things of life. They are equally notorious for arrogance, pompousity, falsehood and playing the victim for propaganda. Recently discovered in them is blatant falsification of facts and history. Of all the tribes in this country, only they are guilty of this act.
Since Chief Awolowo died in 1987, there has never been a controversy as to the fact that he died in his sleep until when the Ibos started the falsehood to spite the dead due to their hatred for him and the Yoruba race. They claimed he was involved in a coup against IBB but commited suicide to avoid court-marshall. For the sake of argument let us admit that as the truth. A man who took such an action in the circumstance to me, is a man indeed, a macho man of stanner stuff. Having said that, if the story is true, what then happened to their other accomplices ? Why were they not court-marshalled and why did not become public then ? Was IBB magnanimous enough to let go free the others ? Or did Awo alone planned the coup ? I dare say that apart from Gowon, Awolowo enjoyed the greatest cordial relationship with no other head of Nigeria except IBB. When the old man died, i read the eulogy delivered by IBB of him. No man in his right senses would ever say such things about a man who was supposed to have been planning a coup against you, not least IBB.
Those claiming Awo commited suicide when he did not are incuring a perpetual suicide curse of God and Karmah upon themselves and generations yet unborn

AlfaSeltzer:
In Biafran Army.

A General in Biafran Army carried by Generals in Nigerian Army. Man pass man.

olaniyanc:
That is a silly comment by a bigot nairalander.AWO CAN ONLY BE COMPROMISED WITH GREAT WORLD LEADERS LIKE ABRAHAM LINCOLN OF AMERICA, MAHTMA GANDHI OF INDIA, WINSTON CHURCHHILL OF ENGLAND, NELSON MANDELA, INKRUMAH OF GHANA ETC.
AWO OSELU BABA IKENNE.R.I. P.

anigold:
Oga all these billionaires are billionaires cos of Niger delta oil.. They romanced with the military boys of the day to acquire all those Petro-billions..

TeamSimple:
The fact he fought along Biafran army doesn't take away the fact he was a general in the Nigeria Army.

AlfaSeltzer:
No, he wasn't.

EUROBOMBER:
Interesting! So two Igbos stood beside Abiola when he declared himself President?

TeamSimple:
End of discourse.

lastpage:
[b]Stop trying to re-write HISTORY!

By declaring another state, within a National boundary (termed seceding), Ojukwu declared war on himself and his people.
He committed an act of treason for which he should have been shot at Bar beach if not that Obasanjo and Gowon were merciful on his poor soul.


Yes, he was a poor tactician in all aspects of warfare ... and the result was a massive slaughter of his people at Oore and everywhere else.

if he had any iota of shame and dignity, he should have taken the "Japanese Option" ......
(Just like Awolowo is reputed to have done; "Death is always a preferred choice, than Disgrace, for those who have a sense of shame and Dignity) ....by falling on his own sword.

What manner of shameless and selfish "general" looses a war with the slaughter and complete annihilation of his rag-tag Biafran Army, yet still has the effrontery to want to rule the same Nigeria, the same "entity" for which you wasted millions of your people's life?

If not for anything, for the sake of the "dead millions of Igbos", he should just have come back quietly, ... and probably still continue to work for "what he believed-in" (assuming he BELIEVED IN SOMETHING) .............but his intentions and actions afterwards shows that it was all about GREED and LUST FOR POWER.
Shame on him.[/b]


Lastpage!


@Mods: You can delete my post and ban me as you have always done to my robust rebuttal of those who try to manipulate history but then, since l am only responding to what was posted, l guess l cant be more guilty that the original posters... except ofcourse if you wan to confirm your "ethnic agenda"

GenIgrigi:
**grins** Yes, but yorumbas will never tell you that. Just as they will never tell you that the Igbo Quartermaster-General of the Nigerian Army Col. Unegbe was killed by the "Igbo coup plotters"-Wale Ademoyega and Ifeajuna in '66 "Igbo coup". Very sleazy revisionist creatures. Trust a yoruba at your own risk.

OoduaVanguard:
Unlike you f*ools, we were strategic in our resistance during June 12 and pick our battles carefully. We only fight battles we can win. Awo realized Ojukwu was a fraud hence his alliance with the north instead of u losers.

And what do you have to show for those 3-yrs? 3-million wasted lives.

sweetgala:
Ojukwu was not cut out for military front line fact, I've read credible accounts that the man was never any where near the front line throughout the three years.

OoduaVanguard:
Unlike you f*ools, we were strategic in our resistance during June 12 and pick our battles carefully. We only fight battles we can win. Awo realized Ojukwu was a fraud hence his alliance with the north instead of u losers.

And what do you have to show for those 3-yrs? 3-million wasted lives.

thotsofnaij:
For those of you talking about Ore know the facts. First Ojukwu realised that when Murtala marched towards the east that the seat of government in Lagos was exposed as that was the division that was stationed in the west. He saw it as a way to end the war. If he could sack Gowon he could send the northerners out of power and empower the yorubas. Gowon heard the troops had gotten to Ore and was already preparing to flee(true fact). Gowon was already getting ready to evacuate.

Unfortunately the troops were betrayed by VICTOR BANJO, who was put in charge by Ojukuw cause he did not want the yorubas to feel that it was an action against the yorubas and a yoruba commander would ease peoples minds that lagos was coming under siege and was going to be destroyed. Victor banjo turned traitor, and started communicating with Awolowo and stopped the march and almost had the other Igbo commanders who questioned this action almost killed, where some had to escape to avoid death. He stopped at Ore for a good 3 days which was enough time to have gotten to lagos as Lagos was only hours away. He kept communicating to Ojukwu when asked why the delay that all was well.

Eventually after days of stalling and treachery Nigerian troops regrouped and were able to push back. And honestly that betrayal by VIctor Banjo was how that war was lost and countless millions of children lost their lives.