₦airaland Forum

VillageWinch:
They had their commanding officers

He was the Cmmander In Chief

9jaDoc:
He was the Cmmander In Chief

Doesn't mean he gave the order

9jaDoc:
He was the Cmmander In Chief

In that case why is Murtala considered responsible
for Asaba massacre and not Gowon

VillageWinch:
Doesn't mean he gave the order

He was the ultimate commander. He bears responsibility

VillageWinch:
In that case why is Murtala considered responsible
for Asaba massacre and not Gowon

That was durring war time.

9jaDoc:
That was durring war time.

What's the difference

VillageWinch:
What's the difference

Durring war time the field commanders have the final say

9jaDoc:
I think this neatly summarizes the whole thing

Thanks I think that's a succinct summary of the why

9jaDoc:
Durring war time the field commanders have the final say

Says who?

VillageWinch:
Says who?

Says history

9jaDoc:
Says history

Which history. The C in C is always blamed for atrocities of those within his command

VillageWinch:
Which history. The C in C is always blamed for atrocities of those within his command

Except durring war time. Otherwise some US Presidents would have gone to jail for war crimes

9jaDoc:
Except durring war time. Otherwise some US Presidents would have gone to jail for war crimes

So how come Charles Taylor is in jail for war crimes?

VillageWinch:
So how come Charles Taylor is in jail for war crimes?

He was physically in the war front

9jaDoc:
He was physically in the war front

Obadanjo was physically in the "war front" too.
He was in Lagos same as Fela

So he must have acquiesced to what was going on

9jaDoc:
Na wa o. Forcing someone to associate with u. Never seen anything like that

Sincerely I don't understand ur post.

9jaDoc:
He was physically in the war front

Presidents don't go to war front.

PrecisionFx:
Sincerely I don't understand ur post.

We are actually agreeing with each other. I simply posted what Awo said. Which is this:

"If any region should opt out of the Federation of Nigeria, then the Federation should be considered to be at an end, and that the Western Region and Lagos should also opt out of it."

And this:

"We have neither military might nor the overwhelming advantage of numbers here in Western Nigeria and Lagos. But we have justice of a noble and imperishable cause on our side, namely: the right of a people to unfettered self-determination."

Then I posted:
"Na wa o. Forcing someone to associate with u. Never seen anything like that"

Which is same as what u r saying: they were forcing Biafra to be in a union they don't want to be in.

Here is a photo of OBJ in those days:

PrecisionFx:
Presidents don't go to war front.

Charles Taylor did. He was on the run with his boys.

I think it is obvious the army would not have been able to maltreat Fela if OBJ was against it

Back to the question at hand: Did Gowon promise Awo rulership of 9ja once the war was won?

It depends on how u look at the available evidence

Awo obviously had a dramatic change of heart within a few short weeks.

Going from a perfect pacifist to sabre-rattling war monger

Add to that the fact that he abruptly resigned in 1971 after Gowon said he was not handing over to civilians.

You can make a very good case that he was promised rulership.

But that Awo sef. So it was presidency or nothing

WetinConsignMe:
Charles Taylor did. He was on the run with his boys.

Being on the run isn't same as being a soldier or a general.