₦airaland Forum

horsepower101:
Focusing on the decree while ignoring the context surrounding that decree is one of the most evil things Nigerians have done to Ironsi legacy.

A military man who saw chaos happening to his beloved country did what any person in his position will do and that was to first and foremost bring order to his country.

The easiest way to stop the national bleeding was to bring the regions under his control since their leaders were assassinated by a south south man.

RillJ:
Bro, you really have no idea what is killing this country. Check this out!

“Of the 193 UN member states, 165 are governed as unitary states”

China, France, UK, Italy, Spain
are some of the notable countries that practice Unitary Form of Govt in the world today. Do these countries have the kind of challenges that Nigeria has self-inflicted upon herself?

Ironsi was/is not our problem unless we want to continue in the pathetic delirium of boot-licking our oppressors while blaming their wickedness on those manly enough to heap dirt on.

Deadlytruth:
You seem not to understand the context of Wirinet's argument. Creating States is not the problem. After all the eventual breakdown of the regions into 12 and more regions or states had already started under the democratically elected government of Balewa. The creation of Midwest had sparked off demands for Middle Belt, COR and other new regions which couldn't have been ignored by the civilian government.
Ironsi's creation of over 35 provinces was therefore not a misstep in light of that. But the issue is with the autonomy which Ironsi took away from the regions hence centralizing the authority which constitutes this your very idea of altering the structure.
Had he created 1 million provinces but left their civil services under their control, allowed them to operate exactly as the former regions were operating; no one would have been accusing him of foisting unitary system on the country today.
Why centralize a hitherto uncentralized authority? This is the single real question the whole argument revolves around.

Shayetet13:
And which history book have you been reading? In that your history book, what agreement did Ojukwu reach with Awolowo after he released him from Calabar prison?

gidgiddy:
You don't get it. Military rule is always temporal. What is permanent is civilian rule. So if Ironsi centralised power using decree, the same decree would have been removed whenever civilian rule returned since civilians don't take military decrees into democracy. But when Gowon came, he divided the 4 Regions into 12 states, Murtala came after him and increased it to 19 states. The result of this state creation is that by the time civilians were returning, it was impossible to return to the regionalism of 1966. Had Gowon, Murtala and IBB kept the 4 Regions they way Ironsi left them, all the civilians would have had to do is to decentralised government and continue with 4 Regions. Ironsi only changed the style of governance, but he did not tamper with the structure of Nigeria. Gowon came in and destroyed the structure.

Deadlytruth:
Ironsi's military junta was as crude as all those of his successors because he armtwisted the civilians and subverted a sovereign people's constitution to land himself in power unlike his predecessors who only took over from fellow military governments. Secondly he was impervious to public opinion throughout his six months reign unlike his successors who allowed themselves to be guided by public opinion in one or two instances. So his was the crudest.

On the punishing of the coup plotters,
he set up a panel to investigate it and was waiting for the report according to you. Beautiful defense! But why couldn't he do same with Isaac Adaka Boro's mutiny which even happened after Jan 15, but quickly charged him to court and got him convicted and sentenced to death by hanging all within two months? Double standards?
Again, based on Isaac Boro's mutiny Ironsi quickly promulgated the Anti-secession Decree in his constitutional amendment that followed. However, he refused to promulgate a Decree of capital punishment for future coupists in that raft of new Decrees. Why?

gurnam:
Get out of here with your rubbish

A statement made OPENLY should have an audio record. Can you please give a link to such ?

You guys are born to lie without shame

nku5:
Isaac Boro's adventure was not a mutiny please. He was a civilian at the time he gathered about 150 men, attacked a police station and declared Niger Delta Republic. That is treason in a simple form and he was tried in a court at Port Harcourt. You can't compare it to the Nzeogwu coup that destroyed an entire government, took down the Prime Minister, Premiers, Ministers, Army Generals etc

Deadlytruth:
Okay can you tell me exactly what Ironsi meant with the following utterances in his May 24 1966 national broadcast?:



1. ...the problem of Nigeria whose last vestiges needs to be removed is intense regionalism...
2. The former regions are hereby abolished and Nigeria broken down to smaller provinces..
3. Nigerian ceases to be what is called a federation thus her official name is now no longer " Federal Republic of Nigeria" but just "Republic of Nigeria"..
4. The Civil Service is now unified and therefore every civil servant must now see himself working for Nigeria rather than to for his region....

You mean all these were temporary?

gidgiddy:
I don't care what Ironsi said, I'm after what he did.

gidgiddy:
I don't care what Ironsi said, I'm after what he did.

Ihateyoumod:
To make pple like u believe that it wasn't Igbo's killing Yoruba's n Hausa's

T9ksy:
LOBATAN!!!

Ironsi, like you wrote ruled the country by decree as a military man whose only aim was to stabilize an hitherto fragile union of strange bedfellows.

What Ironsi SAID/announced/broadcasted to nigerians during the course of his rule immediately became a decree and hence put into action-which invariably is "what he DID".

QED

PrecisionFx:
instead of running around stark silly, help ur self by reading "why we struck" by Major Ademoyega n "The reluctant rebel" by Captain Adeleke

gidgiddy:
I don't care what Ironsi said, I'm after what he did.

gidgiddy:
Whatever decree that was passed by Ironsi is not the issue. The issue is how Nigeria went from a structure of 4 Regions to a structure of 36 states. Who abolished the 4 constitutionally created Regions we had? Today, not one of the 36 states in Nigeria was constitutionally created. So the narrative is that whoever abolished the 4 Regions is the person who destroyed the structural arrangement of Nigeria. Gowon abolished the 4 Regions and created 12 states, Murtala Mohammed took it from 12 states to 19. IBB also created some states. Ironsi was the only person who met 4 Regions and left 4 Regions. Therefore, anybody who accused Ironsi of being the one who destroyed the structure of Nigeria is an ignoramus.

Uchek:
Ironsi is not the founder of unitary system of government. Gowon/Awolowo government destroyed Nigeria's federalism. Go educate yourself for the benefit of your unborn generation.

Deadlytruth:
But Ironsi himself reportedly wept uncontrollably on hearing about the brutal murders of Balewa, Bello, Akintola and his own fellow high-ranking officers like Ademulegun, Maimalari, Shodeinde, Largema, etc.... meaning that he knew deep down within him that the coup was both morally and legally wrong. So why should a reasonable and rational leader of the army allow the public's sentiments affect and sway his resolve to punish some mutinous junior officers who committed such havoc against innocent officers in brazen violation of military ethics of which he (Ironsi himself) was the chief custodian?

Deadlytruth:
Ironsi met 4 strong regions but left 35 powerless and centre-dependent provinces.
Gowon abolished those 35 provinces with another decree which returned Nigeria to 4 regions. He restored the civil service back to the regions as against your argument that the military can't operate a decentralized system. This subsisted for 11 months.

However, Ojukwu's declaration secession over the rejection of Aburi Accord by the sovereign public pushed Gowon into creating 12 states in order to weaken Ojukwu's power base towards the war.

redflame:
See, it is not as easy as you presume. They needed to be tried in court before any judgement will be passed. And mind you the coup was initially celebrated by the public, go and read about the event again.

What I think is that the northern elites were impatient and angry that they were no longer holding power. They only used ironsi careful but slow method in following up the incidence as an excuse.

gidgiddy:
You should go back and learn Nigerian history because you simply don't know what you are talking about. It's unfortunate that people come here to talk nonsense when Google can help them be better informed. Can you name just one of the 35 so called Provinces you claim Ironsi created? Ironsi never abolished the Regions. Also, it is was the failure of Gowon to keep to the Aburi agreement that forced Ojukwu to declare session. One of the points of the Aburi agreement was that if Gowon wanted to change the structure of Nigeria, he had to get the agreement of all 4 Military Governors of the time including Ojukwu. But Gowon did not do this and went ahead to announce the creation of 12 new states on the 26th May 1967. Ojukwu then declared Biafra on the 30th of May.

Gowon caused much of the problems we have today. Gowon abolished the Regions, created states and caused the war by going back on the agreement he signed in Ghana.l

Deadlytruth:
The bolded is no justification for laxity in punishing the coup makers. I always wonder which public celebrated such carnage. Could it be the Northern public which lost their cream de la cream political leaders and top echelon finest army officers or the Western public which lost their two biggest military wigs or the Midwestern public which lost their cynosure finance minister who, in the thick of the crisis suddenly regained his humanity hence began to caution his boss, Balewa, to retrace his steps from the path of wanton abuse of power against political opponents?
How exactly was the public approval statistics gathered to warrant such generalization?
There must always be a handful of demons in human form who would celebrate and justify any degree of carnage but that doesn't cut it.
When Obasanjo invaded Odi and killed thousands of innocents did few unrepentant Obasanjo worshippers not come on air to defend it as the only possible way to maintain peace in the Niger Delta? Did that represent the genuine public's perception of that genocide?

gidgiddy:
You should go back and learn Nigerian history because you simply don't know what you are talking about. It's unfortunate that people come here to talk nonsense when Google can help them be better informed. Can you name just one of the 35 so called Provinces you claim Ironsi created? Ironsi never abolished the Regions. Also, it is was the failure of Gowon to keep to the Aburi agreement that forced Ojukwu to declare session. One of the points of the Aburi agreement was that if Gowon wanted to change the structure of Nigeria, he had to get the agreement of all 4 Military Governors of the time including Ojukwu. But Gowon did not do this and went ahead to announce the creation of 12 new states on the 26th May 1967. Ojukwu then declared Biafra on the 30th of May.

Gowon caused much of the problems we have today. Gowon abolished the Regions, created states and caused the war by going back on the agreement he signed in Ghana.l

Shayetet13:
You are speaking as though Ojukwu woke up one day without any provocation to declare biafra? When you want to condemn Ojukwu's action, atleast consider the totally unprovoked massacre of Igbo race severally in the north. As the leader of the eastern states, what other option is there to react to the senseless killings? Order killing back? He is no animal! So what other option is there? Cower and accept the continuous killings? Igbos we know are no cowards. His decision to succeed was the best line of action. His mistake probably was that he trusted a certain tribe so much to keep up to their end of an agreement. If that tribe didn't agree at first, he would have considered other options towards the succession declaration.

Deadlytruth:
What you fail to understand is that Aburi Accord was a historic illegality and a very dirty slap on the face of the sovereign will of Nigerians who had earlier on with their own resources and from each federal consituency sponsored duly elected civilians to London to draft a genuinely we-the-people constitution for themselves. How does it even make sense to you that an accord hurriedly and illegally put together and foisted on us by the military which had violated and subverted our own sovereign constitution should be implemented? Do you know what sovereignty is all about at all?
Did that military establishment explain to you why they subverted your own sovereign constitution before they drafted another one for you without your consent?
Who represented your federal consituency in Aburi as it was in London in 1957? You mean a constitution drafted by soldiers who should be in the barracks or borders, and unelected civilians and civil servants who, by virtue of the civil service anonymity principle, should not participate in politics cum legislative business should be accepted by the public whose duly elected politicial representative were all sidelined in the process of making the so-called Accord? Are you for real or you are just joking? Was that the kind of country you want? A country where some power hungry soldiers and can just wake up one day from the wrong side of their beds, cite national disunity and subvert the people's sovereign will, pack themselves to a far away country, and entirely on their own bring up a new document with the help of unelected civilians and civil servants and then force it down your throat, and go scot free, then after some years another set of power hungry soldiers repeat same and it keeps going on like that? Is that how nations grow in from what you were taught in school?

Was that how the democracies of America, Russia, UK, Canada, China, Germany, Australia, etc grew to the enviable standards we all admire today?

Deadlytruth:
It is you rather suffering from ignorance. Here are the provinces as broadcasted by Ironsi himself:

The Unification Decree: No. 34 of 1966
Decree No. 34
[24 th May 1966]
THE FEDERAL MILITARY GOVERNMENT hereby decrees as follows:
1. Subject to the provisions of this Decree, Nigeria shall on 24 th May 1966 (in this Decree referred to as ‘the appointed day’) cease to be a Federation and shall accordingly as from that day be a Republic, by the name of the Republic of Nigeria, consisting of the whole of the territory which immediately before that day was comprised in the Federation.
2. 1. As from the appointed day—
a. the Federal Military Government and the Federal Executive Council shall be known respectively as the National Military Government and the Executive Council;
b. the Federal territory shall be known as the Capital territory;
c. the provinces, including Kaduna capital territory, in schedule 1 of this Decree which immediately before the appointed day were respectively comprised in Northern Nigeria, Eastern Nigeria, Western Nigeria and Mid-Western Nigeria shall be known respectively as the Northern group of Provinces, the Eastern group of Provinces, the Western group of Provinces and the Mid-Western group of Provinces;
d. for the purposes of administration each group of provinces shall subject to the authority of the Head of the National Military Government, be under the general direction and control of a Military Governor appointed by the Head of the National Military Government;
e. Act No. 20 of 1963 (that is to say the Constitution of the Federation) may be cited as the Constitution of the Republic.
1. Without prejudice to section 8 of this Decree, the person who immediately before the appointed day holds the office of Military governor of a Region shall be deemed to have been appointed by the Head of the National Military Government as Military Governor of the corresponding group of provinces with effect from the day.
2. The National Military Government may either conditionally or unconditionally delegate to the Military Governor of a group of provinces power to make laws by edict for the peace, order and good government with respect to any matter specified in the delegation in relation to that group of provinces.
3. Subject to this day and any other Decree, a Military Governor of a group of provinces[/b]may exercise by way of edict or, as the case may be, by regulation, order, or instrument the powers and functions vested in the Executive council of the Government of [b]a former Region, or of the Governor, Premier, or Minister (except in relation to criminal prosecutions) of a government of a former Region under any existing law with respect to that group of section 4 (6) of the Constitution (Suspension and Modification) Decree 1966 (in this Decree referred to as ‘the principal Decree’) shall cease to have effect.
4. Subsection (4) shall be without prejudice to section 8 of this principal Decree shall not affect the operation of that provision in relation to any time before the appointed day.
5. Any Edict made by the Military Governor of a Region which is in force immediately before the appointed day shall, as from that vinces which corresponds to that Region; and references to a Decree shall be construed accordingly.

Deadlytruth:
I don't share this sentiment that it was Ojukwu that released Awolowo.
Both Awolowo, Enahoro and many other political prisoners in prisons located in different regions of the country were realeased at the same time on a single order. Now, who between Gowon and Ojukwu could have issued an order that would be implemented in different regions simultaneously?

Shayetet13:
You can share any sentiments you want to share. There was no single order. Secondly, Ojukwu was the Governor of the East and not Gowon and with the configuration at that time, the east took orders from Ojukwu and only Ojukwu. There is no disputing that! But you may dispute so if you wish. Your choice

gidgiddy:
If military rule is illegal and all that was done under military rule is illegal for not being democratic then Ironsi is the best of a bad bunch. Only Ironsi maintained the 4 Regional structure he met. In fact, under Ironsi, the Regions still kept 50% of what accrued in each Region. Ironsi was the best military ruler for the following:

Ironsi never conducted a coup to get to power, all others after him conducted coups for the purpose of taking power

Ironsi did not subdivide the 4 Regions he met, all others subdivided until 4 Regions turned to 36 states.

Deadlytruth:
I, personally, would not have breaking point when it comes to the issue of killing of my kinsmen. I will begin to take action immediately after the first incident. Ojuwku and Ironsi should have known that a person who can even kill without it being for the purpose of self defense will never one day see reason to stop killing. To such people, killing is fun hence they deserve not patience in the hope that they will change. In fact the practical truth of life is that the earlier you demonstrate to your enemy that you posses the capacity to retaliate to a greater degree whatever he does to you, the more careful he will be about you. That is the essence of the Former USSR's MAD treaty and the US philosophy of "War is the path to peace". Were Ironsi and Ojukwu not aware of these principles?

gidgiddy:
Northern group of provinces, Eastern group of provinces, Western group of provinces, Midwest group of provinces.

They are still the 4 Regions Ironsi met and kept. The term used for them in the decree does not matter. Back then, every Region was made up of a group of provinces. The Eastern Region had 20 provinces such Yenagoa province, Aba province and Portharcourt province. All The decree did was reduce the autonomy of the Regions and centralize governance. The 4 Regions still remained. Had others who came after Ironsi kept those 4 Regions, we would have reverted back to Regionalism when military rule ended and civilians returned

schoolboij:
Ojukwu, a regional leader would release a federal prisoner. How does that make sense to you? You choose to be dumb even when confronted with the fact that all other federal prisoners were all released at the same time from different prisons. Is it ojukwu that released them also?

You ibo fools will not cease to amaze us with your shallow propaganda.