₦airaland Forum

Igboid:
Can I see the statistical comparision of Eastern region school Enrolement figures with those of Western region.
I know the Eastern region was ahead of Western region in Enrolement stats, baring One particular year, I use to have the stat and had posted it on nairaland before, but my system crashed and I can't find the stat again.
I had been searching my nairaland posts to retrieve the stats, but it's taking too long.

Do you mind to post where you got the figure of Eastern region Enrolement number in 1955, because I strongly believe it's wrong.

I have the stats for Western region Enrolement figure though, and it wasn't more than 850,000, it actually stood at 811,432.

You won't find the stats for the Eastern region because your half-truths will be busted.....Eastern Region school enrolment only increased tremendously from 1957 when they abolished tuition and got higher than Western Region figure..The policy was eventually stopped in 1959 due to rising costs...

I will refer you to the book by Prof Obaro Ikime,"Groundwork to Nigerian History"....All these are clearly explained there...


Now to explain better, Eastern Region was more populous than the Western Region but had more youths out of the school system than the latter.....When you locate your 'mythical' stats which you claimed were lost, alert me.

My source was actually mentioned NERDC, 1990 report...

Igboid:
I concur.
Because without that, Western region was shaping up to be like the North.
The education Enrolement figures there was poor and lagged behind those of the East, the Awo free education narrowed the gap the East was giving the west, but ultimately, the East remained ahead.

I don't think Nigeria could survive having another Northern illiteracy stats in SW.
So yes, that free education ish, bought Nigeria some time.

Shaping up to be like Northern Nigeria with a school enrolment of over 850k in 1955 while the whole of Eastern Region had only over 300k at the same time?

May be you meant to refer to the Eastern Region.....

Eastern Region copied the Western Region Free Education policy in 1957 to encourage school enrolment...

Why would they have done so if the schools were already full of school-age youths?


You can only deceive gullible minds like your own...

femi4:
Do I need to define "unbiased attitude"? Try and understand a post before quoting

Two of you dey funny

sangresan:
Shaping up to be like Northern Nigeria with a school enrolment of over 850k in 1955 while the whole of Eastern Region had only over 300k at the same time?

May be you meant to refer to the Eastern Region.....

Eastern Region copied the Western Region Free Education policy in 1957 to encourage school enrolment...

Why would they have done so if the schools were already full of school-age youths?


You can only deceive gullible minds like your own...

The East had more children enrolled in school than the west between 1956-63, this is not up for debate, as I had already posted an article backing this Up.

You had so far failed to provide proof of West having more children enrolled in school than the East in those era, only you know where you pulled out the "over 300k" stat for the East.
Post your source or keep silent.

[b]Paul Anber's essay "Modernization and Political Disintegration: Nigeria and the Ibos" published in the journal of Modern African Studies vol. 5, No 2 (Sep, 1967) 163-179. See pp 171-172 for excerpt:


" '' A system of Universal primary education was introduced in Eastern Nigeria in 1953, though the mission schools had already prospered in the Region long before then. Despite the fact that there was a requirement for limited contributory fees, education continued to be very much in demand.

Even at the time when universal primary education was first introduced, the percentage of the population over seven years of age who were literate was higher in the East than in any other Region: East, 10.6 per cent; West 9.5 percent; North, 0.9 percent. Since 1959, the East has had more teachers and pupils than any other area of the country, with the heaviest emphasis on primary education.

Figures for elementary and secondary education indicate that the approximate ratio of teachers to population in 1963 was 1 to every 1,500 in the East, 1 to every 2,500 in th West, and 1 for every 10,000 in the north. Other statistical data reveal how rapidly the standard of living rose among Ibos. The East had the most extensive hospital facilities in the country by 1965, the largest regional production of electricity in the country by 1954, and the greatest number of vehicle registrations by 1963. The economic orientation of the Ibos was also reflected through membership of credit associations:in 1963 the East had 68,220 individual members, the west 5,776, and the north a mere 2,407." ''... His source was the Annual Abstract of Statistics ( Federal Office of Statistics, Lagos, 1965[/b]

sangresan:
You won't find the stats for the Eastern region because your half-truths will be busted.....Eastern Region school enrolment only increased tremendously from 1957 when they abolished tuition and got higher than Western Region figure..The policy was eventually stopped in 1959 due to rising costs...

I will refer you to the book by Prof Obaro Ikime,"Groundwork to Nigerian History"....All these are clearly explained there...


Now to explain better, Eastern Region was more populous than the Western Region but had more youths out of the school system than the latter.....When you locate your 'mythical' stats which you claimed were lost, alert me.

My source was actually mentioned NERDC, 1990 report...

Post the stats of the Eastern enrolment stats if you have them. If you don't, keep your conjectures to yourself.

The East had more pupils enrolled in school than the West, the Western free education closed up the gap on the East, Zik and co tried to stop the west overtaking East by introducing their own free education scheme, but ultimately found out that the advantage in the East was less than the disadvantage, as the Eastern Enrolement stats remained higher than the West stats, even after the Scheme was withdrawn in the East. In order words, Eastern parents didn't need government motivation to send their kids to school, unlike the Western parents.

Igboid:
The East had more children enrolled in school than the west between 1956-63, this is not up for debate, as I had already posted an article backing this Up.

You had so far failed to provide proof of West having more children enrolled in school than the East in those era, only you know where you pulled out the "over 300k" stat for the East.
Post your source or keep silent.

Oga, you have been challenged to bring out your lost claim. Prove yourself. Look for it.

Igboid:
Post the stats of the Eastern enrolment stats if you have them. If you don't, keep your conjectures to yourself.

The East had more pupils enrolled in school than the West, the Western free education closed up the gap on the East, Zik and co tried to stop the west overtaking East by introducing their own free education scheme, but ultimately found out that the advantage in the East was less than the disadvantage, as the Eastern Enrolement stats remained higher than the West stats, even after the Scheme was withdrawn in the East. In order words, Eastern parents didn't need government motivation to send their kids to school, unlike the Western parents.

He should post it for you, your are arguing with someone and you are asking him to post what you can use as your own back up for you after he had done for his own side. You people arnd una way of thinking. Same way you were fighting war with people and still want them to feed you.

[s]

Igboid:
[b]Paul Anber's essay "Modernization and Political Disintegration: Nigeria and the Ibos" published in the journal of Modern African Studies vol. 5, No 2 (Sep, 1967) 163-179. See pp 171-172 for excerpt:


" '' A system of Universal primary education was introduced in Eastern Nigeria in 1953, though the mission schools had already prospered in the Region long before then. Despite the fact that there was a requirement for limited contributory fees, education continued to be very much in demand.

Even at the time when universal primary education was first introduced, the percentage of the population over seven years of age who were literate was higher in the East than in any other Region: East, 10.6 per cent; West 9.5 percent; North, 0.9 percent. Since 1959, the East has had more teachers and pupils than any other area of the country, with the heaviest emphasis on primary education.

Figures for elementary and secondary education indicate that the approximate ratio of teachers to population in 1963 was 1 to every 1,500 in the East, 1 to every 2,500 in th West, and 1 for every 10,000 in the north. Other statistical data reveal how rapidly the standard of living rose among Ibos. The East had the most extensive hospital facilities in the country by 1965, the largest regional production of electricity in the country by 1954, and the greatest number of vehicle registrations by 1963. The economic orientation of the Ibos was also reflected through membership of credit associations:in 1963 the East had 68,220 individual members, the west 5,776, and the north a mere 2,407." ''... His source was the Annual Abstract of Statistics ( Federal Office of Statistics, Lagos, 1965[/b]

[/s]Bring out what you were asked.

MightySparrow:
What are his achievements? Awo talked for three days trying to convince him about secession clause which he vehementy rejected.; the result? IPOB

Awolowo was, at best, a British stooge.

Strikethem:
Oga, you have been challenged to bring out your lost claim. Prove yourself. Look for it.

Paul Anber's essay "Modernization and Political Disintegration: Nigeria and the Ibos" published in the journal of Modern African Studies vol. 5, No 2 (Sep, 1967) 163-179. See pp 171-172 for excerpt:


" '' A system of Universal primary education was introduced in Eastern Nigeria in 1953, though the mission schools had already prospered in the Region long before then. Despite the fact that there was a requirement for limited contributory fees, education continued to be very much in demand.

Even at the time when universal primary education was first introduced, the percentage of the population over seven years of age who were literate was higher in the East than in any other Region: East, 10.6 per cent; West 9.5 percent; North, 0.9 percent. Since 1959, the East has had more teachers and pupils than any other area of the country, with the heaviest emphasis on primary education.

Figures for elementary and secondary education indicate that the approximate ratio of teachers to population in 1963 was 1 to every 1,500 in the East, 1 to every 2,500 in th West, and 1 for every 10,000 in the north. Other statistical data reveal how rapidly the standard of living rose among Ibos. The East had the most extensive hospital facilities in the country by 1965, the largest regional production of electricity in the country by 1954, and the greatest number of vehicle registrations by 1963. The economic orientation of the Ibos was also reflected through membership of credit associations:in 1963 the East had 68,220 individual members, the west 5,776, and the north a mere 2,407." ''... His source was the Annual Abstract of Statistics ( Federal Office of Statistics, Lagos, 1965

The onus is on you to disprove those stats by providing a stat stating otherwise.

femi4:
wasn't the first in the Country but the first independent University. Ibadan was the first University in Nigeria

University College Ibadan was established on 17th November 1948 with three founding faculties; Arts, Science and Medicine

It was not the first Nigerian university. It was not first owned and run by Nigeria.

femi4:
He was given based on merit and not where he came from. Such can't happen in igboland cos its a rare level of exposure/maturity..... Deal with it!

Are you alright? Yari.ba peeps were not involved when such decision was taken. In fact, when the university was turned onto Nigeria, the Yari.ba immediately rebirthed their tribal politics in the university.

Throwback:
The same people who created unitary government because it would finally give them access to control the North and Western regions from the center, were the same people who opposed it a few months later when the center was still occupied by the same military, but a Northern head.

You confuse issues due to goofy stuffs from news media housed in western region of Nigerian. The central government of Nigeria in 1960 still controlled from the center. Tafawa Belawa declared state of emergence in western region and appointed a regional administrator. Most Nigerians come across as ill-educated trolls.

nwabobo:
You see how idiotic you are?

UNN was the first Nigerian university, established in 1955 and formally opened in 1960.

UI was established as a COLLEGE of the University of London and became an independent university with powers to award its own degrees in 1962. UNN already produced 2 sets of its own graduates before UI produced its first.

Most Nigerians are not creative thinkers. UNN became Nigerian university in 1960 while UI became Nigerian university in 1962. I really do not know why most Nigerians do not understand the cardinal method of counting days, months and years.

Throwback:
As usual, we would always have an Igbo cry that Awolowo introduced tribalism into Nigerian politics by daring to compete to become premier of his own ethnic region.

You never shame to complain that others did not let you have your way in their own region. Yet when you have your way, you turn round to gloat that others were stupid to have let you dominate on their own turf while you held on to your own turf. Isn't it?

What is my business if Zik was far popular allover Nigeria, yet he couldn't get his party to win enough votes to become Prime Minister?

That Zik won his seat in Lagos to be a member of the Western Parliament, does that make him more popular than Awolowo in the West?

Or you think if not for the parliamentary system we practiced, Azikiwe could have secured votes in his own name alone to compete with a Westerner in the West? Who knows Zik in Ibadan or Ondo or Ogbomosho or Ekiti. Zik only stood a chance because he had other Yorubas from his party wining their own seats in a parliamentary system, and Zik being the party leader would also lead them in a government if they form a majority.


But when it came to the federal government, Zik as Governor General/President, ensured he Igbonized every position that was of value, such that those Igbos appointed to high offices ensured they used their position to get more Igbos into federal offices and employment. Yet you say that was meritocracy while Awolowo was a tribalist in a tribal region. How absurd is that?

The joke is on you.


CC: Jollymizzle

You have fallen prey to the blunder of ignorance. A party leader cannot talk of premiership if he or she was not elected into the house of assembly. Zik was duly elected into the western Nigerian regional house of assembly.

seunmsg:
I really don't get your point. Are you saying Awolowo shouldn't have contested for the western region premiership position because Zik was more popular? Did Zik's party win the majority of seats in the western region Parliament to enable him become premier? What the fvck is tribalism in a Yoruba man asking Yoruba people to vote for him?

Awolowo did not contest for the premiership of western region of Nigeria. Zik equally did not contest for the position of premiership. However which ever party that won the majority of seat in the parliament is expected to produce the premier.

Deadlytruth:
Here it is below. It is very long on account of its being very detailed in order to put an end the lie that Zik won and Awolowo used tribalism to deny him of victory.


First Nigeria Regional Elections:
Western Nigeria 1951 Elections
Matthew Mbu and history:
Ambassador Mathew Mbu is a well-
respected Nigerian. But in this piece,
veteran journalist, Mr Felix Adenaike
challenges some of his claims about
Nigeria's past 'Falsehood may have
its hour, but it has no future' -
Francois D. Pressense
In what seemed his 48th
independence anniversary gift to
Nigerians, Dr. Matthew Tawo Mbu,
politician, lawyer and diplomat, gave
The Nation an interview run in its
October 1 edition addressing some
political issues in Nigeria of which he
had been a key player. Among
others, he spoke on the Western
Nigeria election held in 1951, two
generations ago, and repeated the
claim of the National Council of
Nigeria and the Cameroon (NCNC)
that it won that poll, but had been
robbed of victory. Then as now, Dr.
Mbu did not provide any evidence to
substantiate the NCNC claim.
Dr. Mbu said of that election held on
24 September 1951 that: "Dr.
Nnamdi Azikiwe was betrayed by the
Western Region of Nigeria, not by
the electorate, but by the leaders.
The NCNC won the election against
the Action Group (led by Chief
Obafemi Awolowo), but the Action
Group introduced what was
unknown to Nigerian history",
namely, "carpet crossing. They
Action Group bought members of
the NCNC to join the Action Group
after these people had won election
on the platform of the NCNC. Zik, the
leader of a majority party in the
Western Region became the Leader
of Opposition overnight".
Reminded by the interviewer that the
late Chief AMA Akinloye had
maintained in his lifetime that he
and his group had contested the
election on a neutral platform from
the NCNC, Dr. Mbu said: "That is his
version. He is entitled to say what he
wants to say. I don't want to say ill of
the dead. He knew he was NCNC and
his group was NCNC. Adelabu
remained NCNC. He stuck on to
NCNC till he died".
The late Dr. Kingsley Ozumba
Mbadiwe said in his autobiography,
Rebirth of a nation, among others
that: "But in pursuance of the policy
of creating a political climate healthy
enough to make one a citizen
wherever he lived, Dr. Azikiwe
contested and won the general
elections in 1951 into the Western
House of Assembly. To stultify this
policy of one Nigeria in favour of his
tribally-based philosophy, Chief
Awolowo got some elected members
to cross carpet from the NCNC to his
AG side. Zik the victor lost. And
Awolowo's party was able to form the
government of the Western Region."
At a news conference in Lagos on 20
September 1989, more than two
years after Chief Awolowo's death,
Dr. Mbadiwe returned to the topic
saying: "Dr. Azikiwe and his party
won the majority of seats in the
Western House of Assembly. He was
due to be elected the Leader of
Government Business, when
overnight, the Action Group
introduced the notorious carpet-
crossing. By this manipulation,
members who won under the NCNC
crossed over to the Action Group
building it to become the majority
party in the West. As a result of this,
Chief Awolowo was elected Leader of
Government Business and Dr.
Azikiwe had to resign."
Neither Dr. Mbu nor Dr. Mbadiwe
named the members of the NCNC
who contested the election on the
party's platform and later joined the
Action Group to enable Chief
Awolowo form the government to
the exclusion of Dr. Azikiwe. These
are weighty allegations such that
they would have assisted their
readers to clear the issues rather just
repeat their own version of the
events at that time in the hope that
such repetition would turn
falsehood into facts.
To avert conflicting claims over
candidates, Mr. Harold Cooper, the
Government Public Relations Officer,
wrote to the parties to furnish a list
of the candidates contesting election
on their platforms. Only the Action
Group complied with this request
and its list of candidates was as
follows:
1. Ijebu Remo Division - Obafemi Awolowo and M.S. Sowole;
2. Ijebu Ode Division - S.O. Awokoya,
Rev. S.A. Banjo and V.D. Phillips;
3. Oyo Division - Chief Bode Thomas,
Abiodun Akerele, A.B.P. Martins, T.A.
Amao and SB Eyitayo;
4. Osun Division - SL Akintola, JO. Adigun, JO Oroge, S.I. Ogunwale, I.A. Adejare, J.A.
Ogunmuyiwa and S.O. Ola;
5. Ondo Division - P.A. Ladapo and G.A. Deko;
6. Okitipupa Division - Dr. L.B. Lebi, CA
Tewe and SO Tubo;
7. Epe Division - SL Edu, AB Gbajumo, Obafemi Ajayi and
C.A. Williams;
8. Ikeja Division - O. Akeredolu-Ale, SO Gbadamosi and FO
Okuntola;
9. Badagry Division - Chief
CD Akran, Akinyemi Amosu and Rev.
GM Fisher;
10. Egba Division - J.F.
Odunjo, Alhaji A.T. Ahmed, CPA Cole,
Rev S.A. Daramola, Akintoye Tejuoso,
SB Sobande, IO Delano and A
Adedamola.
The others were as follows:
11. Egbado Division - J.A.O. Odebiyi, D.A.
Fafunmi, Adebiyi Adejumo, A. Akin
Illo and P.O. Otegbeye;
12. Ife Division -
Rev S.A. Adeyefa, D.A. Ademiluyi, J.O.
Opadina, and S.O. Olagbaju;
13. Ekiti Division - E.A. Babalola, Rev. J Ade
Ajayi, S.K. Familoni, S.A. Okeya and D
Atolagbe;
14. Owo Division - Michael
Adekunle Ajasin, A.O. Ogedengbe, JA
Agunloye, LO Omojola and R.A.
Olusa;
15. Western Ijaw Division - Pere
EH Sapre-Obi and MF Agidee;
16. Ishan Division - Anthony Enahoro;
17. Urhobo Division - WE Mowarin, J.B. Ohwinbiri
and JD Ifode;
18.Warri Division - Arthur
Prest and O. Otere, and
19. Kukuruku Division - D.J.I. Igenuma.
Of the names on the list, only MA
Ajasin from Owo Division, which
comprised Akoko then, did not run
because of party solidarity and unity
in Owo. He stood down for A.O.
Ogedengbe and R.A. Olusa to contest
two of the three seats, which they
won, while D.K. Olumofin won the
third for the NCNC.
Three secretaries of the Action Group, who ran as independents and won were:
1. Egba Division- Alhaji D.S. Adegbenro
2. Ekiti Division - J.O. Osuntokun, and
3. Epe Division - S.O. Hassan.
At the close of polls on 24 September
1951, the Action Group had won 38
of the 72 seats in contention out of the total of 80 in the Regional Assembly. The shortfall was due to the fact that elections had been postponed in Lagos and Benin due to security concerns. Lagos had five seats in the West Regional Assembly all later won by the NCNC in the election of 20 November 1951, while Benin had three all later won by Otu Edo candidates in the election of 6 December 1951.
Of the 68 candidates on the list furnished by the Action Group to the Government PR
Department, 38 of the elected AG
members were from that list, and were as follows:
1. Ijebu Remo - Obafemi Awolowo and M.S. Sowole;
2. Ijebu Ode - Rev. SA Banjo and S.O. Awokoya;
3. Oyo - Bode Thomas,
Abiodun Akerele, ABP Thomas, TA Amao and SB Eyitayo;
4. Osun - S.L. Akintola, J.O. Adigun, JA Oroge, S.I. Ogunwale, I.A. Adejare, J.A.
Ogunmuyiwa and S.O. Ola.
Other elected AG members from the
list were:
5. Egba - J.F. Odunjo, Alhaji
AT Ahmed, Rev. S.A. Daramola and
Prince Adedamola;
6. Egbado (now Yewa) - J.A.O. Odebiyi, D.A. Fafunmi and A. Akin Illo;
7. Ekiti - E.A. Babalola
and Rev. J. Ade-Ajayi; Badagry - Chief
CD Akran and Rev. G.M. Fisher;
8. Ikeja - SO Gbadamosi and O Akeredolu-
Ale;
9. Ife - Rev. SA Adeyefa and SO Olagbaju;
10. Owo - AO Ogedengbe and RA Olusa;
11. Epe - Safi Lawal Edu;
12. Okitipupa - C.A. Tewe;
13. Western Ijaw - M.F. Agidee;
14. Ishan - Anthony Enahoro, and
15. Warri - Arthur Prest.
In addition to the Action Group and
the NCNC, there were local/divisional
parties such as the Ibadan People's
Party (IPP), led by Chief AMA
Akinloye; Ondo Improvement
League, and Otu Edo of Benin. At the
end of poll, the standing of the
parties was as follows:
1. Action Group - 38;
2. NCNC and its loyal Independents - 25;
3. IPP - 6
4. Ondo Improvement League - 2.
5. Otu Edo candidates won the three
Benin seats, namely, Chief SO
Ighodaro, Chief Humphrey Omo-
Osagie and Chief Chike Ekwuyasi.
Chief Ighodaro opted for the AG,
while the latter two went to the
NCNC. And of the six IPP elected
members, only Adegoke Adelabu
joined the NCNC. The rest of them:
AMA Akinloye, Chief DT Akinbiyi
(who later became the Olubadan of
Ibadan), Chief SO Lanlehin,
Moyosore Aboderin and SA
Akinyemi, opted for the Action
Group. The NCNC National Secretary,
the late Chief Kola Balogun had sent
declaration forms to the IPP
assemblymen asking them to declare
for the NCNC but Chief Akinloye
returned all the forms uncompleted.
The three AG secretaries who had
run as independents - Adegbenro,
Osuntokun and Hassan, five IPP
members, one Etu Edo, and one
Ondo Improvement League, Chief
F.O. Awosika; and Chief Timothy
Adeola Odutola (Independent, Ijebu
Ode) had swollen the number of the
AG elected members. All the
transactions had taken place before
the inauguration of the Regional
Assembly on 7 January 1952. These
were not known members of the
NCNC, nor did the party publish their
names on the list of its candidates,
but claimed them as its "members,
supporters or sympathisers",
according to inimitable Zik in his My
Odyssey, " It takes more than
speculation to claim a person as a
member of your political party". You
cannot just be under the
"impression" as Zik had claimed that
they were and go ahead to field them
as electoral candidates.
For over a
half century, the NCNC is yet to
provide evidence to back its claim
that it had won the West Regional
election in 1951.
Mr Cooper absolved his department
of responsibility for the controversy
generated by the NCNC after the
election. At a post election news
conference in Lagos he said that "Of
the winning candidates, the names
of 38 were on the list sent to me by
the Action Group. The six successful
candidates at Ibadan were all among
those who had been identified to me
as representing the Ibadan People's
Party. No claim of any kind had
reached us about the party affiliation
of the remaining successful
candidates." Why did the NCNC not
send a list of its candidates for the
poll to the Government PR
Department before that poll? And
why have Dr. Mbu and the others not
published the list of NCNC
candidates to substantiate their
electoral victory claim in over 50
years but merely kept reaping false
claims? The records of the poll
conducted in the West and all over
Nigeria by the colonial administration are available at the National Archives and can be accessed by any honest researcher.
In this matter, it is facts that speak,
not what some political/ethnic
partisan said or did not say.
Dr Azikiwe's frustration was not only
in losing the regional election, he
also lost the election to the House of
Representatives held on 10 January
1951 at the House of Assembly, Ibadan, among NCNC members. The total tally for the 1951 poll in the 80 member Western Regional Assembly was as follows:
1. Action Group - 38;
2. Independent/AG - 15;
3. NCNC - 24;
4. Independent/NCNC - 3.
Three
members of the NCNC who had been
elected to the House changed party
allegiance that day ahead of the
House of Representatives vote. They
were: Chief SY Kesington-Momoh, JG
Ako, and Awodi Orisaremi, from
Urhobo and Kukuruku Divisions.
They were running for the House of
Representatives and wanted Action
Group votes. Kesington-Momoh and
Ako were elected, but Orisaremi went
back to the NCNC. That was all the
carpet-crossing that took place on 10
January 1952, namely, three at first
to the AG and one back to the NCNC.
From the vote tally, it is clear that the
NCNC and the Independent /NCNC
totalling 27 seats altogether out of
80 seats could not have formed the
Government of Western Nigeria.
Even if the local/divisional parties
had chosen the NCNC, it would still
be some seats short of 41 required to
form the government. The Action
Group won 38 seats; its independent
candidates - Adegbenro, Osuntokun,
Hassan and Odutola won four seats
making a total of 42 seats. The AG
could have formed the government
without the support of the other
small parties. It did not have to
"bribe" anybody to join it to form the
government. Since politics is a game
of number, only few principled
politicians would not be disposed to
joining the winning party, in this
case, the AG.
Dr. Mbadiwe also claimed in his
book: "Successful NCNC men who
were not Yoruba were scared away.
Dr. Azikiwe who won a seat to the
Western House (of) Assembly from a
Lagos constituency decided to resign.
Since membership of the House of
Representatives was by an electoral
college in the regional house, no
NCNC from the West came to the
House of Representatives in Lagos".
This is blatantly false. Zik resigned
because he lost election to the
federal house from the West, while
Prince Adeleke Adedoyin, Dr. Ibiyinka
Olorun-Nimbe, Chief Frank Oputa-
Otutu, Chief Denis Osadebey and Sir
Odeleye Fadahunsi were elected
from Ibadan to Lagos. Who ever
scared non-Yoruba NCNC people
from the West? Chief Denis
Osadebey succeeded Adegoke
Adelabu as Opposition Leader in the
West and the likes of Humphrey
Omo-Osagie, Festus Okotie-Eboh,
Chike Ekwuyasi, Fidelis H Utomi, Obi
Osagie, Yamu Numa, GO Oweh and
GB Ometan were non-Yoruba NCNC
in that Assembly.
As Mme De Stael says: The "search
for the truth is the noblest
occupation of man; its publication is
a duty". Dr. Mbu and his political
entourage have chosen their own
side of history. It remains to be seen
whether or not history will absolve
them. Their contemporary audience
is composed of intelligent people
who will search after the truth
without inheriting the political
prejudice and stereotype of their
lying grand-parents. That is the way
ahead for Nigeria. And "the greatest
friend of truth is time; her greatest
enemy is prejudice". - CC Calton

Arrant nonsense. This was tableted after the carpet-crossing. One major plank of the episode that the author deceitfully omitted were the platform and manifesto the mushroom parties used during the election. It must be noted that parties that did not have national coverage or presence were not allowed to contest election. Those who crossed carpet included individuals who ran under the NCNC's platform and manifesto.

Deadlytruth:
Though I am neither Yoruba nor Igbo, my open minded research of Nigeria's history leads me to the conclusion that Nigeria's current failure as a country is 95℅ attributable to the self delusions, short-sightedness/greed and stupidity of Zik and Ironsi.
These two figures did a lot of damage to the future of the entire Southerners in the context of the North-South dichotomy.
While there are generally no heroes in Nigeria in the true sense of the word, Zik and Ironsi are relatively the worst villains whose choices and actions laid the foundations of all the present confusion, bloodshed, misrule, etc that have come to define Nigeria as a Shithole.

I really do not know how far in research your open mind attended. I hope it included when Zik called for confederation for Nigeria in 1950 Ibadan conference. With the backing of British who had written unfounded attributes of Awolowo in certain quarters, Awolowo threatened the members of conference with secession. Awolowo wanted Nigeria the way the British had prescribed, deceitful federalism with all the powers at the center. It was the first time any would-be Nigerian used the word in threatening remark.

DerideGull:
Awolowo was, at best, a British stooge.

Anyway, better than others: today sw is the hub of commerce and civilization in Nigeria.

DerideGull:
Arrant nonsense. This was tableted after the carpet-crossing. One major plank of the episode that the author deceitfully omitted were the platform and manifesto the mushroom parties used during the election. It must be noted that parties that did not have national coverage or presence were not allowed to contest election. Those who crossed carpet included individuals who ran under the NCNC's platform and manifesto.

Stupid remarks....In the Parliamentary System, a local party could contest elections into the regional house of assembly...Don't expose your ignorance further.


Ibadan People Party was a party formed to protect Ibadan interests...There were also local parties in the Ondo and Edo provinces...


There was also a room for independent candidacy which Nigerians are just clamouring for in the present Republic....

Independent candidacy ensured that you could contest for a post without belonging to any party...After the election, if you emerged the winner, you could form alliance with other parties to form the govt.
Many political gladiators used that route after disagreements with their parties...

No party had presence in the whole of Nigeria even though the NCNC was the largest...They only had areas of strength and sundry political alliances....NPC had no candidate in the South but it was still considered a political party....Ditto the NCNC and the Action Group.....

Many of you don't even understand the Parliamentary System not to talk of arguing intelligently....
This isn't a political tutorial anyway...

Igboid:
Post the stats of the Eastern enrolment stats if you have them. If you don't, keep your conjectures to yourself.

The East had more pupils enrolled in school than the West, the Western free education closed up the gap on the East, Zik and co tried to stop the west overtaking East by introducing their own free education scheme, but ultimately found out that the advantage in the East was less than the disadvantage, as the Eastern Enrolement stats remained higher than the West stats, even after the Scheme was withdrawn in the East. In order words, Eastern parents didn't need government motivation to send their kids to school, unlike the Western parents.

You have seen me posting figures...I deal with figures....I quoted in thousands and millions for both regions...I haven't seen you even quote a single relevant figure to back up your claims....Repeating dubious percentages isn't acceptable since you can't show us the total figures from which those percentages are calculated from...


Or your essayist didn't provide the total figures in his essay?

It is very easy to deceive laymen with percentage figures especially if they aren't given the totals from which the calculations are being made..


..What were the total (primary + secondary) school enrolments in Eastern Nigeria in 1953,1954,1955 to 1957(when free tuition was introduced)?

You never answered me sef...What was the basis of imitating the Western Region and introducing the costly free education policy in 1957 if the Eastern Region was already ahead in terms of educational development?

The Eastern Region had to abandon it in 1959 due to rising costs..

sangresan:
You have seen me posting figures...I deal with figures....I quoted in thousands and millions for both regions...I haven't seen you even quote a single relevant figure to back up your claims....Repeating dubious percentages isn't acceptable since you can't show us the total figures from which those percentages are calculated from...


Or your essayist didn't provide the total figures in his essay?

You have not quoted any credible figures. The one you quoted, I had already proved to be wrong, by providing a better source.

"Even at the time when universal primary education was first introduced, the percentage of the population over seven years of age who were literate was higher in the East than in any other Region: East, 10.6 per cent; West 9.5 percent; North, 0.9 percent. Since 1959, the East has had more teachers and pupils than any other area of the country, with the heaviest emphasis on primary education"


From the above. we already know the East had not just more pupils, but more teachers than the western region, despite not having a free education scheme.
The onus is on you to prove a source proving that the West has better figures than the East, and so far, you had failed to do that.

sangresan:
It is very easy to deceive laymen with percentage figures especially if they aren't given the totals from which the calculations are being made..


..What were the total (primary + secondary) school enrolments in Eastern Nigeria in 1953,1954,1955 to 1957(when free tuition was introduced)?

I don't have them at this moment, but I once had them, and I know they were better than those of the SW.


"If you have them, post them, if you don't, we would have to stick with this:
Even at the time when universal primary education was first introduced, the percentage of the population over seven years of age who were literate was higher in the East than in any other Region: East, 10.6 per cent; West 9.5 percent; North, 0.9 percent. Since 1959, the East has had more teachers and pupils than any other area of the country, with the heaviest emphasis on primary education".

Stick with the lies you conjured from nowhere....?

Abeg take your "tales" to Alaba where you could get money for them....

sangresan:
You never answered me sef...What was the basis of imitating the Western Region and introducing the costly free education policy in 1957 if the Eastern Region was already ahead in terms of educational development?

The Eastern Region had to abandon it in 1959 due to rising costs..

To ensure we remained ahead of Western region, that's why the East attempted to introduce free education.

But by 1959, Eastern leaders found out that we didn't need free education to stay ahead of Western region, as even though the scheme was withdrawn, the East remained ahead of Western region in Enrolement stats.

Our people didn't need free education to enrole in primary schools, unlike Western region, so the free education scheme money was better spent on other important aspects of governance.

Igboid:
To ensure we remained ahead of Western region, that's why the East attempted to introduce free education.

But by 1959, Eastern leaders found out that we didn't need free education to stay ahead of Western region, as even though the scheme was withdrawn, the East remained ahead of Western region in Enrolement stats.

Our people didn't need free education to enrole in primary schools, unlike Western region, so the free education scheme money was better spent on other important aspects of governance.

Ignorance is blissful...Continue to entertain your gullible kinsmen....


Meanwhile ,in the Wikipedia post on Eastern Region of Nigeria, it is clearly stated that:

In 1956, there were about six thousand primary schools and fifty four secondary schools. [37]

YOU MAY NOT KNOW THAT I HAVE ALL THESE FIGURES WITH ME..JUST WAITING FOR YOU to provide your "mythical" stats....


Meanwhile ,in that same 1956,according to the Western Region of Nigeria Annual Abstract of Education Statistics 1953-1958:

The West had 6,603 Primary schools
106+ Secondary Modern schools
91 Secondary Grammar Schools
96 Grade II & III Teacher Training Schools
0 Vocational Schools..


So much for your tales.....

Deadlytruth:
Where did I even mention neutrality in my very first comment that attracted your response? For your information neutrality is not about apportioning blames equally but correctly which is what I did. The blame for the pioneership of the events which led Nigeria astray rests squarely on Zik and Ironsi's myopic quests for unitary system disguised as a call, albeit dubious, for One-Nigeria. Note the term pioneership
As a minority person, why should I not be igbophobic when the unitary system which Igbos brought into Nigeria through the backdoor has perpetually endangered the minorities? Are you expecting them to send you kisses and thank you cards for for being the first to dismantle federalism which guaranteed their protection from the overbearing attitude of the majorities?


1. Stop being clever by half. As long as the Ifeajuna (not Nzeogwu) coup was unsuccessful it can't be the originator of military rule. Ironsi's coup which actually took power from the civilians was.

2. You personally agree that Ironsi brought unitary system? But some of your brothers here go all lengths to deny it. So who should we believe now?
The Core North's objective for toppling Ironsi was not primarily to correct his blunders but to further perpetrate them so that Igbos might through practical experience understand why unitary system is not desirable for a multi-ethnic nation and therefore unlearn their belief in it. On that account, Gowon's 9 year stay was not even enough to purge Igbos of their over 40 year old fixation with unitary system against every reality on ground.
3. Gowon, on a personal note, had actually begun to reverse Ironsi's blunders until it was overtaken by Ojukwu's intransigence.
4. A party is as good as its leader. Besides that, majority of those asking for one Nigeria were Igbos both in NCNC and outside it. The few Yorubas who joined Zik in that stupid One-Nigeria sloganeering did so to avoid being guilty of anti-party activities. Don't forget that the quest for unitary system disguised as the call for One-Nigeria was initially not in the NCNC's ideology until Zik became its leader.

By the way, how did all your diversion on this answer my question as to why Zik decided to take NCNC into an alliance with the NPC despite the entire South and especially the East rejected it at the polls? What sort of nationalism was Zik pursing by acting against the will of the entire South in favour of the North? Was Nigeria made up of the North alone? In which Southern voter's interest did he do such?
Let us even take it hypothetically that Awolowo was treacherous. Should that have justified going into an alliance that would on a platter of gold give absolute powers to those who had made themselves clear that they would not mind killing and subduing Southerners and even proving it with the 1945 and 1953 Jos and Kano massacres respectively?
Was the independence alliance question about Awolowo or about the need to forestall the impending second class citizen status of all of Southerners spelt by the North's born to rule philosophy?
It is just like how the same Zik gave Ojukwu's egocentric leadership style as excuse for his defection to the federal side during the Biafra War. Was the war in question was about Ojukwu or the freedom, safety and dignity of a whole race?

5. As at independence the NCNC's operational base had shifted to the East thus it had become an Igbo party and representative of Igbo interests considering the fact that other Southern tribes had found reasons to break away from it into splinters like OIL, IPP, Otu Edo, Niger Delta Congress, etc. Moreover Zik had tribalized it by making an Igbo man his successor as leader despite he himself succeeded a non-Igbo.
The story of Awolowo's double dealing with NCNC and AG was an afterthought account seeking to transfer responsibility of their blunder of aligning with the North after it boomeranged explosively on them.
It was obvious to common sense that two fractions had always existed in AG and that Akintola's faction's visit to Ahmad Bello was independent of Awolowo's faction's visit to Zik. Moreover, Akintola was already a minister under the Balewa headed shadow government set up by the colonial masters in 1957 and was therefore in pursuit of sustaining his power relationship with the North into independence. Knowing fully well that AG was already a fictionalized party between Akintola and Awolowo,
what stopped Zik from just placing a call across to Awolowo to ascertain his awareness and approval of Akintola's visit to Bello if not prejudice?
If Zik's decision to team up with the North was based on a conviction that Awolowo was treacherous, then how come just four years later the same Zik would enter into the UPGA alliance with the same Awolowo to displace the same North? Also, why would Okpara later openly regret ever advising Zik to reject the proposed AG-NCNC alliance at independence? Why would Okpara, a staunch Zik loyalist, later travel from Enugu to Ibadan to mend fences and make peace with Awolowo's wife and AG members?
If Awolowo were treacherous how could he have turned down Balewa's offer to release him from jail on the condition that he ordered his faction within the AG to back out of the UPGA deal with Zik and align with the NPC going into the 1965 elections?
Awolowo's major mistake was that he bent over backwards too much just to forge that Southern unity with Zik who was rather a Northerner in mind. Had he accepted Balewa's offer, secured his release and dealt with Igbos decisively, he would not have been labeled a traitor today. I don't pity him. Tinubu obviously learnt from Awolowo's experience hence he never seeks any Southern unity deal with Igbos and consequently he is not termed treacherous.

7. Do you read what you write at all? Did I say that the gerrymandering was done in 1900 to warrant the reasoning that a yet unborn Zik could not have undone or prevented it?
Can you see how far your quest to defend Zik's gaffes have driven you into illogicality?

Go back and read that comment again. I made it clear that those three territories were parts of the Southern Protectorate from 1900 and that they remained in the Southern province post amalgamation until early fifties when regions were being created. Was Zik still yet unborn during the time of regions creation? By all available evidences Zik was at least 46 years and was the leader of the East as at when the regions were being created. What stopped him from rushing back to Enugu to checkmate the gerrymandering? Can't you see that Kanu's current quest to have Benue and Kogi East in Biafra is a pointer to Zik's failure to resist the gerrymandering back then?
You probably never read that while Zik was indifferent to the excision of part of the East to the North back then Awolowo was busy mounting irredentist pressure over the present Kwaras and Kogi Okuns with Zik acting as a spoiler all in his blind quest for a phantom One-Nigeria through which he hoped to acquire the very mundane "Zik of Africa" title.

When you can't address the posers I raise based on your own claim you call it diversion.

1. Nzeogwu coup, Ifeajuna coup, Ademoyega coup. Anyone that tickles your Igbophobic brain cells, is the first military rule, as it took power off the civilian government.
Ironsi met no citing civilian government. Dipcharima was not in power, and Orizu was on the run. The government had been sacked and were no longer functional.
They civilians were plotting a comeback, but Ironsi snuffed it out in its bud. Simple.
So No, Ironsi took power from Nzeogwu and co, not from dead Saraduna, run away Zik, and hiding and yet to be sworn Orizu or Dipcharima.

2. The argument of my brothers, was that Ironsi didn't destroy the vestiges of the regional system and structures before he left, when Ironsi died, the Regions were still intact. And all had military governors.
Gowon it was who finally eviscerated the regional structures with his creation of abominations called states.


3." The Core North's objective for toppling Ironsi was not primarily to correct his blunders but to further perpetrate them so that Igbos might through practical experience understand why unitary system is not desirable for a multi-ethnic nation and therefore unlearn their belief in it".

How do we reconcile you above vomitus with your below vituperation :

"Gowon, on a personal note, had actually begun to reverse Ironsi's blunders until it was overtaken by Ojukwu's intransigence".

On one hand, you claim the North had no plans of reversing Ironsi "blunders", on second hand, you claim Gowon was already reversing Ironsi "blunders", you just can't keep your ish straight, can you?


Regardless of your meandering, Gowon didn't reverse Ironsi "blunders " in the end, he had 9yrs to do that, and didn't.
You can't run away from this.


4. The Nigerian unity project was an NCNC project. Zik spoke on the conference as an NCNC leader, and not an Igbo leader.
NCNC was a multiethinic national party with many non Igbo henchmen, and not one of them of note, opposed Zik and NCNC one Nigeria project.
On why NCNC and NPC chose to dump AG and go into alliance with Each other, blame Awolowo treachery for that.
No one wants to go into alliance with someone with trust issues.
Awo and AG through their shenanigans, proved not to be trust worthy. It's simple as that.

6. But the event you speak of, the constitutional conference and NCNC one Nigeria stance, occurred pre independence, so even if we accept your lie, that NCNC became an Igbo only party post independence, how exactly does it help your argument of trying to prove that NCNC one Nigeria stance in pre independence represents Igbo stand and not NCNC , a multiethinic national party, stance?
You see, you had maneuverd your self into a cul-de-sac.


7. You are a liar, no part of Kwara or Kogi was part of Southern region by 1906.
Here is the proof:https://www.nairaland.com/1019602/dont-blame-1914-amalgamation-rather/1

Stop wasting my time on redundant arguments.
The regions were created in 1939 by Bernard Bourdillion.
Stop wasting my time.