10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? - Politics (13) - Nairaland
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| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by 9jaDoc(f): 4:45am On Oct 28, 2017*. Modified: 7:32am On Oct 30, 2017 |
Asaba Massacre: Seeking Healing 50 Years After OPINION By Azuka Onwuka On Oct 6, 2017 It is not a good sight watching an adult fight tears. Even though the event happened 50 years ago, it was hard for Dr Ify Uraih to recount without being weighed down by emotions. Like he testified in 2001 at the Nigerian Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission (popularly known as Oputa Panel), which was commissioned by President Olusegun Obasanjo and charged to consider the history of human rights abuses from 1966 to May 1999, Uraih, over the weekend at the palace of the Asagba of Asaba, recounted how he and his father and two brothers faced a hail of bullets on October 7, 1967 at the Ogbe-Osowa Square in Asaba, where they had gathered to welcome the federal troops during the Nigerian Civil War. He was lucky to escape but his father and brothers were not lucky. The casualties were not soldiers or combatants. They were not caught by friendly fire or accidental discharge. They were gathered together and gunned down in what remains one of the most callous incidents of the Nigerian Civil War. When the Nigerian troops pushed out the Biafran troops from the Midwestern Region during the war, the Biafran troops retreated across the River Niger and broke the Niger Bridge. The Second Division of the Nigerian Army, led by Lt. Col. Murtala Mohammed, entered Asaba on October 4, 1967. Between October 4 and 6, there were reports that the Nigerian soldiers killed men and boys of Asaba, on the allegation that they were sympathetic to the Biafrans or collaborated with the Biafran soldiers. In a bid to stop these killings, the elders of Asaba decided to embark on a parade through Asaba streets on October 7, which would culminate at the Ogbe-Osowa Square, to pledge their support for “One Nigeria.” The towncrier went round the community to inform the people, to come out dressed in their traditional white attire called akwa ocha for the ceremony. On the fateful day, the people trooped out, dressed in their traditional white Asaba attire, chanting “One Nigeria,” waving the Nigerian flag and pledging their loyalty to Nigeria. At the town square, they were addressed by Major Ibrahim Taiwo, who tongue-lashed them and accused the people of Asaba of hiding Biafran soldiers and sympathising with the Biafran soldiers. He threatened to kill all of them. Soldiers mounted machine guns and automatic rifles around the square facing them. It looked like a joke to many of those gathered there. Some Asaba men, including the father of Mrs Maryam Babangida, former First Lady, Mr Nwanonye Okogwu, spoke on behalf of the Asaba people, telling the soldiers that they were civilians who were not taking part in the war. The Asaba people requested that the civilian population be allowed to leave town, so that the soldiers could take care of those they were after. The Nigerian soldiers asked that the crowd march around the town to ask all those who were inside to come out, so that anybody not at the square would be taken as a dissident. The men and boys were separated from the women. The men and boys were marched out. A few metres away, those who had returned from the North and therefore understood Hausa heard a soldier tell other soldiers to take them in little groups of 10 for elimination. Dr Uraih recalled that his elder brother resisted joining the first group of 10 people. He was shot in the back and killed. Some people wanted to flee but were gunned down. And so the guns began to boom as the men and boys were mowed down. Those who were mortally injured raised their hands and asked to be killed. They were obliged with bouts of gunfire. Long after the shooting stopped and the soldiers left, leaving death and blood behind, the few lucky survivors and the injured dragged themselves out of the place of death. Uraih, who was about 15 years old then, survived but his father Mr Robert Uraih, and his two brothers, Emma and Paul, lay dead. The next day, he came back with a wheelbarrow to take away the bodies of his father and brothers for burial to avoid having them buried in mass graves or eaten by scavengers. It is estimated that after the three-day killing of civilians in Asaba by the soldiers, over a thousand fell victim. Asaba was left with widows and orphans. Almost every family lost a son or father. The only male survivors were those who had earlier fled Asaba before the arrival of the Nigerian troops or those who were too old or sick to come out to the square. The strangest part of this massacre was that it was unprovoked and done in cold blood and in deceit. The victims had no inkling that such a fate awaited them. Who could imagine that people dressed in white, chanting their allegiance to One Nigeria would be gunned down by the same soldiers they were pledging allegiance to? For decades, Asaba has lived with this horrific and traumatic experience in silence. Their story was swallowed by the events of the Nigerian Civil War, especially the starving children of Biafra. Most Nigerians have never heard of the fate that befell Asaba people on October 7, 1967. Ironically, those who led this massacre rose to become national heroes, with monuments named after them and beautiful tales told about them. The Asaba people have decided to commemorate the 50th anniversary of this ugly incident in a way that will galvanise them towards rebirth and healing. Accordingly, the Asaba October 7 Memorial Group, led by Mr. Alban Ofili-Okonkwo, plans a four-day anniversary that will start on October 4 and end on October 8, with its theme as “Remembrance and Forgiveness”. The high points being the October 7 colloquium featuring Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah as keynote speakers as well as the presentation of a book on the carnage entitled, The Asaba Massacre – Trauma, Memories, and the Nigerian Civil War, authored by renowned anthropologist, Prof. S. Elizabeth Bird and co-authored by historian, Prof. Fraser M. Ottanelli, both of the University of South Florida. Ofili-Okonkwo emphasises that in the spirit of forgiveness and rebirth, a maternity and school of midwifery would be established at the spot where the people were massacred and it will be named The Place of My Birth Hospital. The hospital will serve everybody from all walks of life and from all parts of the nation and the world. This hospital will save life and bring forth life in a place where life was snuffed out. The group believes that with the sensitisation and citizen engagement programmes, healing and closure would be achieved to signal the collective resolve of Asaba indigenes to leave behind the memories of their tragic past and walk resolutely into a more promising future. Even though Asaba people have decided to forgive and move on, Nigeria has not been able to find a solution to its lack of respect for human lives. Because it has never taken any decisive step to punish those, especially government agents, who waste human lives, the impunity to kill at will has continued over the decades in different parts of the country, whether in Odi or Zaki-Biam. This lack of punishment for cold-blooded murder of civilians has emboldened more government agents to kill more civilians. That those who murdered defenceless civilians in Asaba have never been reprimanded in life or in death, neither has Nigerian government acknowledged that its troops massacred its citizens without provocation is a dent on Nigeria’s image. It is never late to do a good thing.
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| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by 9jaDoc(f): 5:39am On Oct 28, 2017*. Modified: 5:57am On Oct 28, 2017 |
WetinConsignMe:@coloured. Awo was referring to the Aburi Accord that Gowon had declared "unworkable". Here is the accord: FULL TEXT OF THE ABURI ACCORD. (i) A military committee comprising representatives of the regions should meet to take statistics of arms and ammunition in the country. Unallocated stores of arms and ammunition held in the country should be shared equitably between the various commands in the federation. (ii) The Army should be reorganized in order to restore discipline and confidence, Specifically, a. the army should be governed by the Supreme Military Council which would be chaired by a Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the Head of the Federal Military Government; b. Area Commands under Area Commanders and corresponding to existing Regions should be created. c. During the period of the military goverment, Military Governors should have control over Area Commands, for internal security. d. A military headquarters, comprising equal representation from the regions and headed by a Chief of Staff, should be established. e. A Lagos Garrison, including Ikeja Barracks, should be created. (iii) In accordance with the decision of August 9, 1966, Army personnel of Northern Nigerian origin should return to the North from the West. In order to meet the security needs of the West, a crash programme of recruitment and training is necessary but the details should be examined after the Military Committee has finished their work. (iv) The Supreme Military Council should deal with all matters of policy including promotion to top executive posts in the Armed Forces and the Police. (v) The legislative and executive authority of the federal Military Government should be referred for determination, provided that, where a meeting was not possible, such a matter must be referred to the Military Governors for their comments and concurrence. (vi) Appontments to the Diplomatic and consular posts as well as to superscale posts in the Federal Public Service and equivalent posts in the Federal Corporations must be approved by the Supreme Military Council. (vii) With a view to promoting mutual confidence, all decrees or provisions of decrees passed since January 15, 1966, which detracted from the previous powers and positions of the Regional Governments should be repealed. Law officers of the Federation should meet in Benin on January 14, 1967, and list all the decrees or provisions of Decrees concerned, so that they may be repealed not later than January 21, 1967, if possible. (viii) A meeting of Permanent Secretaries of the Ministries of Finance of all the governments in the federation should be convened within two weeks to consider ways and means of resolving the serious problems posed by displaced persons all over the country. (ix) Displaced civil servants and corporation staff (including daily-paid employees) should continue to be paid their full salaries until March 31, 1967, provided they have not secured alternative employment. The Military Governors of the East, West and Mid-West should send representatives (Police Commissioners) to meet and discuss the problems of recovery of property left behind by displaced persons. (x) The Ad Hoc Constitutional Committee should resume sitting as soon as practicable, and the question of accepting the unanimous recommendations of September 1966 should be considered at a later meeting of the Supreme military Council. (xi) For at least the next six months there should be purely a Military Government having nothing to do with politicians. (xii) The deceased military leaders should be accorded full military honors due them. (xiii) All government information media should be restrained from making inflammatory statements and causing embarrassment to various Governments in the Federation. (xiv) Lt.-Col Ojukwu should keep his order – that non-Easterners should leave the Eastern Region – under constant review with a view to its being lifted as soon as practicable. (xv) The next meeting of the Supreme Military Council should be within Nigeria at a venue to be mutually agreed.
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| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by ElsonMorali: 6:37am On Oct 28, 2017 |
9jaDoc:I am yet to see the correlation between the long post you posted of Asaba massacre and the starvation of kids in biafra? During war, horrific things happen. That's why we keep telling you to go about your secession drive in a more civilized manner But you'd rather prefer to call Yorubas cowards. Still, you just made an assertion that some groups made sure the relief material got to those that needed them (like as If you were there) and I'm supposed to take your words at face value? If three relief materials got to the children then why are there pictures of malnourished children and overfed Ojukwu and family and friends? You were lied to. Awolowo on getting to the war front expressed shock at the starving kids and it's on record that he asked why relief materials didn't get to the desired destination because the food corridor was open and active. He eventually closed it Because according to him,"we can't be feeding the soldiers of the opposition so that they have more strength to prolong the war" (paraphrased) Children starved to death, yet many more were saved by Awo's policy. |
| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by 9jaDoc(f): 7:20am On Oct 28, 2017 |
ElsonMorali:How u were lied to! The war would have ended anyway. Stopping the Red Cross and other Charities from feeding innocent little children did not shorten the war. OHHH YES, STARVATION INDEED IS A VERY LEGITIMATE WRAPON OF WAR!! (I DON'T THINK AWO COMMITED SUICIDE BECAUSE OF BABANGIDA. HE COMMITED SUICIDE BECAUSE THESE IMAGES WON'T LEAVE HIM ALONE!)
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| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by 9jaDoc(f): 7:23am On Oct 28, 2017 |
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| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by ElsonMorali: 7:28am On Oct 28, 2017 |
9jaDoc:You are only fooling yourselves If you think Awolowo caused the starvation of those kids. Go and dust your history books. Show me the pictures of underfed biafran soldiers or underfed children of Ojukwu and the other elites like Chinua Achebe. I'm waiting for the pics... The war would have ended anyway, with the Igbos decimated to a quarter or even less of their original number. Maybe someone like you won't be alive today If your grandparents had been killed in the war If it had dragged on a few more months. You have Awolowo to thank for your existence. |
| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by 9jaDoc(f): 7:34am On Oct 28, 2017*. Modified: 5:07pm On Oct 28, 2017 |
Tell me the truth. YOU YOURSELF. Looking at these images would YOU have had the heart?
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| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by sexaddict08(m): 7:51am On Oct 28, 2017 |
9jaDoc:what is this where, when?? |
| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by 9jaDoc(f): 7:59am On Oct 28, 2017*. Modified: 8:17am On Oct 28, 2017 |
sexaddict08:Where have you been? These are Biafran children. Victims of "Starvation is a legitimate weapon of war"! |
| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by WetinConsignMe(op): 8:08am On Oct 28, 2017 |
9jaDoc:The truth is that Awo got carried away. He told himself what he wanted to believe. The truth is that the Red Cross, UNICEF, Caritas and other charities have a way of making sure their supplies get to non-soldiers especially children. |
| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by WetinConsignMe(op): 8:26am On Oct 28, 2017 |
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| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by 9jaDoc(f): 8:35am On Oct 28, 2017 |
GhanaMustGoo:I don't think so. I don't think any neighboring country would have been a match for Biafra. With all that oil money plus Igbo ingenuity? Impossible. |
| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by WetinConsignMe(op): 2:23pm On Oct 28, 2017 |
9jaDoc:
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| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by GhanaMustGoo: 3:38pm On Oct 28, 2017 |
9jaDoc:This useless country. Any other place they would put systems in place to make sure.this NEVER happens.again. Fight and kill each other all u want JUST LEAVE INNOCENT LITTLE CHILDREN OUT OF IT!! |
| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by GhanaMustGoo: 3:44pm On Oct 28, 2017 |
WetinConsignMe:Happy birthday dear |
| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by GhanaMustGoo: 3:48pm On Oct 28, 2017 |
9jaDoc:I have to admit u r right. They won't have a chance against Biafra. |
| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by WetinConsignMe(op): 4:03pm On Oct 28, 2017*. Modified: 4:30pm On Oct 28, 2017 |
ElsonMorali:Here are the fat and well-fed Biafran soldiers u kept referring to:
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| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by WetinConsignMe(op): 4:29pm On Oct 28, 2017*. Modified: 4:51pm On Oct 28, 2017 |
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| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by Ofemannnu: 9:20pm On Oct 28, 2017 |
What did you gain posting those children's pictures.Stop that nonsense and get a life! |
| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by 9jaDoc(f): 12:00am On Oct 29, 2017 |
Ofemannnu:Oh it's for those who are wondering why Awo didn't just go on exile instead of killing himself. This is the real reason why. Babangida was just a convenient excuse. (I DON'T THINK AWO COMMITED SUICIDE BECAUSE OF BABANGIDA. HE COMMITED SUICIDE BECAUSE THESE IMAGES WON'T LEAVE HIM ALONE!) |
| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by VillageWinch: 12:45am On Oct 29, 2017*. Modified: 1:26am On Oct 29, 2017 |
9jaDoc:This Awo sef na one kind guy so |
| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by GhanaMustGoo: 1:04am On Oct 29, 2017*. Modified: 1:43am On Oct 29, 2017 |
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| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by GhanaMustGoo: 1:08am On Oct 29, 2017 |
9jaDoc:This is an.eye opener. So why do they keep saying Igbo! |
| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by VillageWinch: 1:35am On Oct 29, 2017 |
9jaDoc:So, in short, ojukwu and Gowon would be killed and Awo made prime .minister Banjo would take over the West while Ifeajuna would take over the East. How about the North? |
| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by VillageWinch: 1:42am On Oct 29, 2017 |
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| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by GhanaMustGoo: 6:51am On Oct 29, 2017 |
VillageWinch:Why are these coup makers obsessed with making Awo prime minister. Na only Awo waka come? 66 coup they wanted to release Awo from jail and make him PM. Cou p DURRING the war, the same Awo. Haba! |
| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by GhanaMustGoo: 6:57am On Oct 29, 2017 |
9jaDoc:Why is it 90% of the time rumours always turn our to be true. No smoke without fire, I guess |
| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by WetinConsignMe(op): 7:32am On Oct 29, 2017*. Modified: 8:45am On Oct 29, 2017 |
9jaDoc:
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| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by Leez(m): 8:12am On Oct 29, 2017 |
IRONY OF AWO PAYING BIAFRANS 20 POUNDS AND DIEING COURTESY OF 20 NAIRA RAT POISON:- "Before he gave up the ghost, he said his prayers and then took the poison which killed him almost immediately but the public was not fully aware as they were given a different account of what happened. "We were simply told that he died while he was brushing his teeth in his bathroom at his Park Lane,Apapa residence here in Lagos EXPOSING HOW MUCH AWOLOWO STOLE FROM NIGERIA (1) He was stupendously wealthy during his lifetime, infact there is NO company at Oba Akran in Ikeja ,Lagos where he does not have at least a five percent equity, Dideolu Court in Ogba alone cannot be valued at less than N10 Billion ,that was the place that he had in mind to be his Seat of power if he was elected as Nigeria's President. (2) He owned Shonibare Estate but the man he was using as a front and who later went to prison over some issues which Awolowo himself was privy to eventually laid claim to the estate. "He got all of this wealth due to a great measure of goodwill and tax waivers he gave to investors whenever they come to establish their business ![]() |
| Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by WetinConsignMe(op): 9:42am On Oct 29, 2017 |
fergie001:How it ought to be... Love one another not hate United as black African brothers United and moving together as one nation Co-operation not division and fighting
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where, when??