MayorofLagos:


So where did Ojukwu get his authority to release him on August 3rd?

Federal Prisons, at whatever time, is a Federal Institution under Interior Ministry and no regional governor, military or civilian had authority to release an inmate, particularly one in the calibre of Awo.

Now, Ojukwu loved the camera and the power of photo imagery and cinemas. Everywhere he went cameras followed him. An important event such as releasing Awo from prison is a political marker and Ojukwu could not have missed that. No one has presented any record evidence of Ojukwu releasing Awo. All we hear is hearsay through the village rumor mill.

GoroTango:
I will not be drawn into the larger part of your argument as to whether or not Ojukwu was responsible for Awo's release or not. That doesn't concern me in the very least. I clearly made mention of that when i first brought it to your attention. I've only pointed out to you that he had no power to do so but for a few days before August 3 1966

omonnakoda:
According to your argument's logic he never had the power AT ANY TIME

omonnakoda:
The other claim I have to deal with here is this business of Ojukwu as governor being in control of the Eastern region and everything in it.That is rubbish. We know that several months after the coup there was negotiation for troops to return to their places of origin.Immediately after the coup Ojukwu did not feel safe until this happened

BabaRamota1980:


We had a minister of interior who was the overall custodian of prisons. He took orders from Gowon not Ojukwu.

Develpeast:


Took orders from Gowon without the acknowledging the governor general of a particular region?

Have you held a post before which entails a little bit of politics?

Why will such a big thing happen in my region and I won't be a signatory to?

Go into governance and see what it takes.

GoroTango:
Read the last sentence of what you just quoted and edit your response with an apology

Develpeast:


Took orders from Gowon without the acknowledging the governor general of a particular region?

Have you held a post before which entails a little bit of politics?

Why will such a big thing happen in my region and I won't be a signatory to?

Go into governance and see what it takes.

omonnakoda:
Naff off!!

BabaRamota1980:


Ogbeni yi, go and sit in one corner.

Wetin concern Governor-General for matter between Head of State and Governor?

omonnakoda:
Stop talking Nonsense! Ojukwu took over from Michael Okpara. What did Michael Okpara have to to with the running of federal prisons.
Those of us who are old enough to have lived through several coups in Nigeria know that in the immediate days after a coup every one is looking to Lagos.

Goowon took over August 1 and announced the release of Awolowo and he was released on 3 August. Absolutely nothing to do with Ojukwu.He was not in the loop. How could he be .? Why would he think of Awolowo at that time if he did why would he send him to Lagos ? He was a convict and so he would be going back straight to prison.
What did Ojukwu gain by releasing him if he had such power?

dudebuck:
Gown NEVER EVER ANNOUNCED THE RELEASE OF ANYBODY, history revisionists are worse than the devil himself, no wonder history is no longer taught in schools across the Zoo, where humans are locked up and animals roam freely

CandyDiamond:
You are on your own,[/b]even Gowon himself said that it was Ojukwu that release Owolowo from prison[b].It was on record, don't twist fact.

CandyDiamond:
You are on your own,[/b]even Gowon himself said that it was Ojukwu that release Owolowo from prison[b].It was on record, don't twist fact.

zendy:
If Awolowo was released on the 3rd of August 1966, it actually supports the belief that Awolowo was released by Ojukwu.

Even though Ironsi was overthrown on the 29th of July, no one was really incharge of Nigeria for the next few days.

The first time Nigerians knew that Gowon had taken over was when he made his first announcement on the 4th of August 1966. So there is no way Gowon could have released Awolowo. For Gowon to have released Awolowo, he would have been in a position of authority for much longer.

The only person in a position of authority to have released Awolowo on the 3rd of August was Ojukwu

SirJeffry:
Awolowo was released by Ojukwu but not freed. Eastern Region as at then wasn't taking orders from Lagos no more. Even after released, Awolowo was still a prisoner to the then Nigerian government.

Calabar Prisons being part of the then Biafra could not have held a prisoner sentenced by a Nigerian government. It wasn't only Awolowo that was released. Many were released and given the options of going back home and staying back of which many stayed.

I know a yoruba family in my town today that came to be thanks that arrangement.

onyidon22:
Stop twisting facts guy.Ojukwu and other heads of regional governments were not paid by federal government because at that time Nigeria was practicing true federalism

omonnakoda:


I wonder o

The Man was in office from January 17 and did not release him

Gowon came in on August 1 he was released on August 3 and we are to believe it was Ojukwu

These folk are truly shameless

BudeYahooCom:


Ask a yoruba man if Ojukwu ever recognized Gowon as leader, he'll say 'no.'

Ask him if Ojukwu took orders from 'Gowon', he'll still say 'no'.

Now ask him how then did Gowon release Awo in Ojukwu's territory according to yoruba folklore. He will scratch his head and call you an 'Ipob' in frustration. Mass delusion of the yoruba race is incurable.

omonnakoda:
How was it Ojukwu's territory? Awo was released within 2 days of Gowon coming to office.
Before you can talk of Ojukwu accepting or rejecting Gowon's authority first we must be clear when did Ojukwu first speak with Gowon after August 1. What we know to be facts are these
1. Gowon Took over 1 August
2. He signed Awo's release 2 August
3. Awo was released 3 August

So we are being told that somewhere between 2 and 3 August Ojukwu being set in his head that he did not accept Gowon's authority stlll released Awo and sent him off to Lagos to Gowon

That is FANTASY

Military Governors were not Brigade commanders or anything like that they were not even in the Barracks.

Ojukwu was in Government House Enugu. At the time of the Coup ,July 27 he was not in operational command of the soldiers in Enugu not to talk of Calabar before we start talking of the prison.
Nigeria was relatively backward then. No express roads ,the Airforce base in PH was the main airport.

This idea that Ojukwu as Governor of the East or the other Military governors were Military commanders of the regions is PURE FANTASY. The military chain of command did not work that way. That is like suggesting Brigade Commanders or GOCs took orders from governors.

omonnakoda:
How was it Ojukwu's territory? Awo was released within 2 days of Gowon coming to office.
Before you can talk of Ojukwu accepting or rejecting Gowon's authority first we must be clear when did Ojukwu first speak with Gowon after August 1. What we know to be facts are these
1. Gowon Took over 1 August
2. He signed Awo's release 2 August
3. Awo was released 3 August

So we are being told that somewhere between 2 and 3 August Ojukwu being set in his head that he did not accept Gowon's authority stlll released Awo and sent him off to Lagos to Gowon

That is FANTASY

Military Governors were not Brigade commanders or anything like that they were not even in the Barracks.

Ojukwu was in Government House Enugu. At the time of the Coup ,July 27 he was not in operational command of the soldiers in Enugu not to talk of Calabar before we start talking of the prison.
Nigeria was relatively backward then. No express roads ,the Airforce base in PH was the main airport.

This idea that Ojukwu as Governor of the East or the other Military governors were Military commanders of the regions is PURE FANTASY. The military chain of command did not work that way. That is like suggesting Brigade Commanders or GOCs took orders from governors.

omonnakoda:

Loud, unruly,ignorant and proud of it!

Awolowo's release was officially ordered and announced by

Government Notice No. 1207/1966 ordering the release of Awo on August 2, 1966.

Develpeast:


Since you are throwing out conjectures here and there, let us follow logical lines and see where we will head to with this argument.

Do you accept the fact that Ojukwu did not recognise gowon as head of state?

dudebuck:
this is what is called revision of history to fit a particular propaganda. No such thing ever happened, ojukwu himself released that double faced man, not gown, nonsense, go and insult your father and mother not me.

BudeYahooCom:

[s]
International Biafran war journalists and historians like Forsyth, Otannelli, Auberon Waugh had it on record that Emeka Ojukwu never recognised Gowon hausa government let alone taking orders from him but yoruba revisionists like you wants us ignore these facts from historian on ground and believe the make-me-happy folktales you tell yourselves while swallowing your amala. You are jokers in that part of country.

T9ksy:



The mere fact that Awo was jailed for federal felon in calabar prison, part of nigeria as at the time, the case was adjudicated. Ojukwu as a regional administrator was still under the payment of the national govt (including the prison governor in calabar).

Logic demands that Awo would have been re-arrested the moment he stepped foot in yorubaland and sent back to prison unless of course, he Awo, had already been pardoned by the national govt which gowon then represents.

Develpeast:


Since you are throwing out conjectures here and there, let us follow logical lines and see where we will head to with this argument.

Do you accept the fact that Ojukwu did not recognise gowon as head of state?