₦airaland Forum

THE ABURI ACCORD THAT WOULD HAVE SAVED NIGERIA FROM ALL HER PROBLEMS…( but aborted by the Fulani Oligarchy)

By FEMI ADESINA( current spokesperson to President Buhari)

In December 2009, I was at Aburi, while holidaying in Ghana. We Nigerians call it A-b-u-r-i, but the Ghanaians pronounce it as E-b-r-i. For those who have read widely about the civil war that we fought between 1967 and 1970, Aburi is a significant place. This was what I wrote about Aburi, after returning from that journey:

“Aburi. Beautiful, serene Aburi, set daintily atop a hill. It is home to a botanical garden that is 119 years old. But for us in Nigeria, Aburi goes beyond just nature and its preservation. It is the town where General Yakubu Gowon and Odumegwu Ojukwu met, to try and avert the Nigerian Civil War that lasted between 1967 and 1970. They came out with Aburi Accord, which later broke down. And a shooting war started. You could see the Presidential Lodge on a hill, where the Nigerian leaders had parleyed at the behest of Ghanaian leaders. It all ended in futility.”

As one of the key parties to the Aburi Accord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, returns to mother earth today, it is also apposite to return to Aburi, and look at the letter and the spirit of the accord once again, an agreement that was violated by the Federal side, and which made a bloody internecine war inevitable.
For most part of 1966, the northern part of Nigeria, particularly, had been turned to killing fields. Non-natives, especially Igbos, were killed in thousands. Many fled, many others were displaced. There was complete anarchy in the land. The average Igbo looked up to Lt. Col Odumegwu Ojukwu, military governor of the Eastern Region, to provide leadership and direction. He did not fail. He picked the gauntlet and championed the cause of his people.
By January 1967, the drums of war were loud and clear, reverberating across the length and breadth of Nigeria. But there was a last ditch effort to prevent what was imminent. There was a peace meeting hosted at Aburi, in Ghana, by the then Ghanaian head of state, Gen J. A. Ankrah. At the meeting were Gowon, Ojukwu, all the military governors of the regions, and some top civil servants, both from the Federal side and the Eastern region. The meeting held on January 4 and 5, 1967, and came out with what is popularly known today as the Aburi Accord.
The agenda of the meeting consisted of three crucial issues: (i) Reorganization of the Armed Forces (ii) Constitutional agreement (iii) Issues of displaced persons within Nigeria.

The two-day meeting reached consensus that were acceptable to both sides. Among others, it was resolved that legislative and executive authority of the Federal Military Government was to remain in the Supreme Military Council (SMC), to which any decision affecting the whole country shall be referred for determination provided it is possible for a meeting to be held, and the matter requiring determination must be referred to military governors for their comment and concurrence. What does this mean in simple language? The SMC would run the affairs of the country, but not without consulting the regions as represented by the military governors. This was something akin to federalism, even under a military government.

Other terms of the agreement include that appointments to senior ranks in the police, diplomatic and consular services as well as appointment to superscale posts in the federal civil service and the equivalent posts in the statutory corporations must be approved by the SMC. What does this mean again in simple language? Equity, fairness, true federalism.
Other matters like the holding of an ad hoc constitutional conference, fate of soldiers involved in the January 15, 1966 coup, rehabilitation of displaced persons, etc, were also amicably resolved, and the conferees returned happily to Nigeria. Only for the Federal side to deliver a blow to the solar plexus: the Aburi Accord, Gowon said, was unworkable, and he reneged on all the agreements.

Using the Eastern Nigerian Broadcasting Service, Ojukwu played the tape recording of the proceedings at Aburi repeatedly, to educate the populace on who was playing Judas. Later, he made a broadcast in which he said: “we in the East are anxious to see that our differences are resolved by peaceful means and that Nigeria is preserved as a unit, but it is doubtful, and the world must judge whether Lt. Col Gowon’s attitudes and other exhibitions of his insincerity are something which can lead to a return of normalcy and confidence in the country.

“I must warn all Easterners once again to remain vigilant. The East will never be intimidated, nor will she acquiesce to any form of dictation. It is not our intention to play the aggressor. Nonetheless, it is not our intention to be slaughtered in our beds. We are ready to defend our homeland.”

In a piece I did last December, shortly after Ojukwu passed away, I said he was virtually pushed into war by the infidelity of the Federal side to the Aburi Accord. I still stand by that position. Ojukwu was called ‘warlord’ for many decades, but he was by no means a warmonger. He only did what he needed to do for his people–and for the country.

As his earthly remains are interred today, it is tragic that Nigeria is still submerged in the morass that Ojukwu already identified about 45 years ago. Today, bombs go off like firecrackers in the country. There is agitation for the review of the revenue allocation formula. There are strident calls for the convocation of a sovereign national conference. Even some component parts are threatening to pull out of the federation if anything happened to their ‘son’ who is now in power. Didn’t Ojukwu warn of these landmines ahead? Were all these issues not already settled at Aburi? Foremost journalist and media administrator, Akogun Tola Adeniyi, in a recent media interview, explained the Aburi Accord this way: “Let every region be semi-autonomous and develop at its own level.” Yes, that was the spirit and letter of Aburi, but which sadly became a road not taken. And is that not why we are still suffering today, living in a rickety and decrepit country that can burst at the seams any moment? I tell you, Ojukwu was a prophet, and like most prophets, he had no honour in his own country. Pity. But whether we like it or not, there’s no way we won’t return to Aburi. Willy-nilly. I only hope it will be sooner than later, before Nigeria goes to grief. On Aburi I stand.

Federal Government was perfidious and duplicitous on Aburi. It is still the same way today. That is why as Nigerians, we are most times disillusioned, dismayed, dispirited, dejected and depressed. When will change come to this land? Our hearts are getting weary.
Last December, I wrote that Ojukwu should be buried like a hero. I’m glad at the rites of passage so far, culminating in the interment today. Yes, bury him like a true hero. An icon, an avatar, deserves no less. This generation will surely not see another like Ojukwu. He fought not only for his own people, but for a true federation founded on justice, fair play, equity and rectitude. Unfortunately, he did not see the Nigeria of his dreams. Will we? Adieu the Ikemba, the Eze Igbo Gburugburu. May your soul rest in peace. Ka nkpur’obi gi zue ike n’adukwa.

By Femi Adesina
Friday March 02, 2012

Poser by Patriot Carl Oshodi;

“THE QUESTION IS, CAN HE ( FEMI) STILL BOLDLY WRITE THE SAME ARTICLE NOW OR ADVICE HIS PRINCIPAL ON WHAT HE WROTE?

▪This article was written by Femi Adesina the current Spokesperson to President Buhari in 2012 after the demise of Ikemba Odumegwu Ojukwu.

hmm...

Mod. Please help move it to the front page biko
Lalasticlala

Please do the needful

lts possible that feminist adesina must have forgotten this write up, but now he is banging his head for one Nigeria.

he can even deny he didn't write this, just as tinubu will deny he ever talked about restructuring, everyone has changed like the Af on ja that they are.

surely it was gowon that backstabbed the igbos but instead of facing the hausa fulanis they decided out of cowardice blamed everything on Afonjas

Nigeria would revisit aburi accord via restructuring

Hmm

This piece brought tears to my eyes and a frown to my face!
Nigeria it can never be good for you, a war that could have been avoided if only they kept to their own side of the agreement.
The blood sucking northerners were red eyed for the properties and blood of the igbos thinking it would kill our spirit to protect and preserve our people. However, years later we are stronger, bigger and better than them all! indeed who God blesses no man can curse.
The spirit of ojukwu and biafra lives on in the hearts and minds of every true igbo person.
long live biafra!
long live Igbos
long live Kanu
long live Ojukwu

Igbo have always known the solution to this national problem but, Odumegwu Ojukwu suggested it, but greediness won't let the north, it is so far about the oil. If you say we're one Nigeria what is so wrong in adopting Federalism system of government and having every region develope at its level and pace as contained in this article since everyone is still Nigeria as we have in united States and United Arab Emirates and other advanced countries where all states are not equal but, all citizens have equal right to live anywhere and do their business.. Unfortunately It is a road not taken and we'll never stop agitating restructure or referendum..

MyNewJackeT:
lts possible that feminist adesina must have forgotten this write up, but now he is banging his head for one Nigeria.

he can even deny he didn't write this, just as tinubu will deny he ever talked about restructuring, everyone has changed like the Af on ja that they are.

He said the truth but the person who brought this out is a big fool. How can he do anything about what he wrote or even buahari doing anything as a person. For me femi spoke well but again we should realise that he did not push it down the throat of jonathan as our president why should he do so now. He only said what he thought without being pushed. If you read the article you will discover he gave the reasons why ojukwu went to war but did not support such approach in our today politics. Moreover things can be achieved much easier in a military govt than a civilian govt. This town cryer who posted this should also tell us if femi accused jonathan or any particular govt of not implementing the aburi accord in form of devolution of power cum federalism. As far as am concerned this is a blackmail and its uncalled for. Look at it very well bro. Femi did not blame anybody aside gowon.Only biased illiterates will call this a piece from a double faced femi. The question for mr oshodi is did femi write the article because he felt sorry for the igbos or because he was eulogising a hero with a regret tag that ojukwu never saw the nation of his dream. Again , did kanu not see this heroic mention of the greatest igbo man that ever lived before he took to slandering the yorubas. Well he may not have seen it because he has since established himself as a bad student of history. The thing to realise here is that agreement was easilly jettisoned by gowon because it was not written in the constitution then or passed as a decree as popular with the military. It was just a recording and maybe a few pages of signed documents held by both sides as at then. That's why I always say pple should be clever by when they ask for anything from those who have demonstrated repeatedly why they can not be trusted.
Again, the OP is shallow. You can take that to the bank and thank me later.

Gowon disappointed me a big time. the useless people he was keeping Nigeria as one for are thesame people decimating his people on the plateau.

But his regret now would be" if I had known, I would have implemented aburi accord to the later"

Basic123:
surely it was gowon that backstabbed the igbos but instead of facing the hausa fulanis they decided out of cowardice blamed everything on Afonjas

Igbo's faced the Hausa Fulani, but it was the Yoruba's, the willing tools cowards, the skull mining afonjas that destroyed Igbo's... From diabolical adeleku, scopio, aka kill anything that moves, to the awo, okapiapai aka starvation is tool for war and 20 pounds... How then, can igbos blame Gowon

truth4u:
Igbo's faced the Hausa Fulani, but it was the Yoruba's, the willing tools cowards, the skull mining afonjas that destroyed Igbo's... From diabolical adeleku, scopio, aka kill anything that moves, to the awo, okapiapai aka starvation is tool for war and 20 pounds... How then, can igbos blame Gowon

They dealt with you that much and you still call them cowards

This children of prostitutes can make mouth and chestbeat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ2UzZrgwxg

Aburi accord is a gimmick from the Igbo to avoid the consequence of plotting the first coup in Nigeria. It is a senseless selfish gimmick not to bear consequences of plunging Nigeria tru the civil war. Britain left Nigeria with strong confederating units, each unit control virtually every aspect of governance independent of the federal. The West fundef free education, North had groundnut prymains and the East n SS had cash crop like timber cocoa rubber etc.

Nigeria became the giant of Africa from this path but some Godforsaken Igbo wanted the wealth of the other regions for themselves so they orchestrated the first coup in the country, aolished Confederacy and established Unitary system of govt where resources of the entire federation comes to the Federal before it's share with the owner exceedingly shortchanged but before they could amass any wealth with the devilish plan the northerner strike with a counter coup.

The northern led coupist never reverted back to the old order since they now have the wealth of the nation in their pocket. This was what instigated the first civil war. The Igbo wanted the wealth of the entire nation to themselves but instead they lost the little wealth from their region. The hardish from the lost was why Ojukwu instigated the Biafra war. The war ended with Igbo as vivid losers and they demand the Aburi accord to regain what was lost but we are know losers don't dictate the settlement of a war they just lost. I ask every Igbo historian what does Aburi accord entails that is lacking from a CONFEDERATE system of govt ? Aburi Accord I insist is a gimmick by Igbos eaten their cake but still want it.

They never anticipated the discovery of crude oil. With confederalism the federal govt would never dare to give the SS 13% derivates, instead the oil producing will only pay taxes and royalties to the FG just like Kano was doing for it's groundnut pyramid and Cocoa from the West. This what what the Igbos lost due to impatience, lack of foresight wisdom and most importantly selfishness and this what Biafra is all about today.