Former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon has
alleged that late Biafran warlord, Odumegwu
Ojukwu caused the civil war by announcing a
different thing from what was agreed upon at
the Aburi Conference which preceded the
struggle.

Gowon shared the first-hand narration in a
small version of “General Gowon’s War
Memoirs”. He opened up on some incident
that occurred just before the nation was
plunged into a three-year civil war.


He said in the memoir;

“The purpose of going to Aburi was to
try and find a means of coming
together again and know ourselves
and try to co-operate and work
together in the interest of the
country. And so, we went there with
no set position but to be able to
discuss generally and work together to
restore the trust and confidence that
we used to have in the army which
unfortunately was broken by the
event of January 1966 of which I was
the only lucky beneficiary to be alive
among the senior officers from the
same school, from Barewa College.

The coup plotters happened to have
come from Umuahia Government
College. For me, this is quite
interesting. And of course, I went to
Sandhurst with quite a number of
them like Alex Madiebo and Pat
Anwuna. They were together at
Sandhurst but they were not part of
those who did the coup.

“At the Aburi Conference, Ojukwu was
the only one who came with set
papers and a list of demands, what
he wanted to be done. And every
demand was read from that particular
paper. And it was written on a pink
paper. And during our staff college
training days, if you have anything
written on pink paper, it means it is
the S-solution, the staff-solution
answers to the subject that you are
discussing. And so we joked about
that, his solution to the problem.

With the rest of us, myself and the
other governors from the West, from
the North, from the Midwest at that
time, I said let us go there with an
open mind to discuss the issues or
whatever it is with a view to bring us
all back together. Because as at that
time Ojukwu had really cut off from
the meeting with the rest of us all this
time and even after Aburi.


“After the Aburi meeting, we
scheduled a meeting to discuss the
agreement that we reached at Aburi
and to bring out a decree that would
really represent the decision that we
took there but Ojukwu would not
come to that meeting. Instead, he
came immediately after that meeting
to Benin to meet with David Ejoor to
know the outcome of our meeting
which he deliberately absented
himself from. And the outcome of
that decree was honestly to give
Ojukwu practically everything that he
wanted in order to have him back to
the team so that we can work
together to try and solve the problem
of the country. My stand was this:

You cannot undo what had already
happened. I mean the crisis that
we’ve had from that coup to all the
killings that took place in the northern
part of this country at that time.

Those things you cannot undo but at
least we can now work together to try
and get to the bottom of it and deal
with any perpetrator and try to
ensure that it does not happen again
in the country.

"This was the essence of that decree
which if agreed to would have given
us that opportunity. The only thing
that I added was a clause—the non-
secession clause. From the
intelligence gathered at that time, we
knew that there were plans by the
Eastern Region to break away. And
that was part of the reason Ojukwu
had not been coming or agreeing to
our meeting all the time.

"We had sufficient intelligence that
this was what was going to happen.
And so, I added one clause which is
that there would be no secession. It
was on that score that they rejected
that decree but I can assure you that
the decree represented the honest
view of everything that was agreed to
at Aburi which gave Ojukwu
practically everything. As the head of
state, if any governor refuses any
decision that I thought was for the
good for the country, it cannot be
carried out. I had the veto power as
head of state but I had to forego
some of my powers for peace to
reign.”


The former Head of State also disclosed that
he attended the Aburi Conference in Ghana
sick, as he recalled how Ojukwu announced a
different thing from what was agreed upon at
the peace conference convened by Ghana's
first President Kwame Nkrumah.


He said;

“Unfortunately for me at that time I
was having a very serious attack of
malaria fever. But I went through the
meeting all the same. The decision
we took was that when we come
back, I am going to make a statement
to the nation before any of the
governors make any statement
concerning Aburi. But still, the fever
was there and I was down. As such, I
was unable to make any statement on
that day or the following day.

Whereas Ojukwu when he came back,
he went straight to the radio station
to say that he got everything and we
even agreed to separate.

So I was woken up in the early hours
of the morning by the governor of the
Midwest who asked: “Have you heard
the news or the comments by Ojukwu
over the air concerning Aburi?”

“No,” I replied. “What did he say?”
And then I was told what he had
said. So I asked the Midwest
governor: “Was that what we agreed
upon?”
“No, that was not,” he replied. “But
Ojukwu has gone ahead to announce
a different thing to his people and to
the whole world.”


Gowon also expressed belief of the civil war
being predestined in spite of all effort to
prevent it. The former Head of State said;


“Today, with the benefit of hindsight,
I believe honestly that that was
fortuitous. God probably meant it to
happen so that at least that
agreement we got into in Aburi would
not strangle the country. Which
meant that Ojukwu could have easily
decided to secede. And there is
nothing that you could do with it
because we had agreed to everything
at Aburi, except of course when I put
in that clause. That was the only
additional thing that I added.
“Well, they can say that at Aburi,
Ojukwu won the argument but as far
as I was concerned, I was honest and
sincere in dealing with this thing.

There was no cover up in our decision
and my feelings towards finding
solution to the problem which
required honesty and sincerity as well
as carrying along all your colleagues in
the interest of the country. Once that
is broken, I am afraid I know my
duty, I swore allegiance to defend the
unity of the country, the sovereignty
and the integrity of my country. And
as a soldier, this is what I am
supposed to do.”



https://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2020/1/biafran-war-ojukwu-announced-a-different-thing-from-what-we-agreed-on-at-aburi-gowon-opens-up-50-years-later-2.html

Why now ojukwu is Dead

Chai !!!

Gowon is just a perpetual lier. He had a copy of the Aburi agreement same as Ojukwu. What did Ojukwu announce that was different from what was agreed?

Gowon caused the civil war with his decree 14 of 1967 where he abolished the 4 Regions and replaced them with 12 states. Gowon did this so as to increase the power at the centre as the Regions were too powerful.

Of course, Ojukwu was not about to let Gowon and his fellow Northerners implement their "divide and rule" programme without a fight

Rubbish.....

If Gowon truly wrote this, then I'm calling him a slanderer, shameless liar and fool memmmu

Why he never brought this up when Ojukwu was alive truly calls to question the truth and sincerity in this version of the story.

This man is just making a big fool of himself when the permanent secretaries that went to aburi have already confessed on how they jettisoned aburi to save Nigeria's unity

This old man should not do this to himself. Gowon waited until Ojukwu died to start spewing all these silly lies. So where are the original meeting papers? Lets see what they agreed upon at Aburi

We are not surprised. Sensible Igbos do not trust him that is why when he came back from where he ran to, he contested election as President of the nation he wanted to break and Obasanjo defeated him in all eleven states of the South-East and South-South which he once forced into unwarranted war

Gowon never wrote a book about the civil war because there is no way he could have done so without implicating himself

Gowon went to Aburi and signed an agreement with Ojukwu. Gowon came back and broke the agreement, which caused the civil war

Gowon just peacefully die in your usual shame and regrets instead of these well streamlined lies.

You disappointed us.

Igbo always allow their emotion to rule them. They will reason in one direction and take important decisions even in politics.

Okpueze1:
Gowon just peacefully die in your usual shame and regrets instead of these well streamlined lies.

You disappointed us.

Gowon won the war, so when he eventually dies, he will die with pride and smile on his face for keeping Nigeria one and humiliating the enemies

He sang National Anthem before he died from heart attack
God will never forgive FFK for what he did to Ikpu Bianca

nku5:
This old man should not do this to himself. Gowon waited until Ojukwu died to start spewing all these silly lies. So where are the original meeting papers? Lets see what they agreed upon at Aburi

If he said this while Ojukwu was alive, what would Ojukwu have done? Go and fight Gowon again? I am sure he will on his own just as he was on his own when he contested for President in 2003 and lost all SS and SE states to Obasanjo. Gowon won the war, so he is not afraid of anyone.

efighter:


Gowon won the war, so when he eventually dies, he will die with pride and smile on his face for keeping Nigeria one and humiliating the enemies

Which pride? His homeland Plateau and geo-political zone has become a killing field by the same people who used him to fight the war

Noerection:
He sang National Anthem before he died from heart attack
God will never forgive FFK for what he did to Ikpu Bianca

Why nah? Is helping a sex starved female friend now a sin?

If ojukwu announced the wrong thing, why did Gowon led federal government refuse to announce the right thing, there was a federal commissioner for Information , what was he job.

Now even if ojukwu announced the wrong thing, there were foreign signatories to the aburi accord in Ghana, all the federal government needed to do was request another Aburi to re interpret the first Aburi accord

efighter:


If he said this while Ojukwu was alive, what would Ojukwu have done? Go and fight Gowon again? I am sure he will on his own just as he was on his own when he contested for President in 2003 and lost all SS and SE states to Obasanjo. Gowon won the war, so he is not afraid of anyone.

There is no dignity in him talking about a dead man. It shows cowardice.

Gowon kept mute for fifty years and waited until the man passed away before he started talking

Lies he betrayed ojukwu , Gowon came back from Ghana and never wanted to implement what they agreed upon , and started dividing the eastern region which ojukwu was governor , ojukwu then called for separation

Smokeeeee...

Rubbish, after killing millions of innocent people you still have the guts to open your silly mouth and utter this rubbish God will punish you guys, Nigeria is now ruled with lies. Every day we get to hear one lies from another from the so-called useless leaders.

This is clear evidence that Hausa/ Fulani are doing everything to make sure other parts see us as culprit and enemy whereas we're innocent.

efighter:


Gowon won the war, so when he eventually dies, he will die with pride and smile on his face for keeping Nigeria one and humiliating the enemies

What kind of war did gowon win, a war where Soviet union, Egypt, Britain, Niger republic, east Germany, Ireland, Cameroon, where all involved yet rather than fight an engage the enemy the Nigerian military was busy starving women and children

Well, here was Ojukwu affirming the ON ABURI WE STAND speech, back in 1969

The actual Aburi decisions read as follows:
=========
Members agree that the legislative and executive authority of the Federal Military Government should remain in the Supreme Military Council, to which any decision affecting the whole country shall be referred for determination provided that where it is possible for a meeting to be held the matter requiring determination must be referred to military governors for their comment and concurrence. Specifically, the council agreed that appointments to senior ranks in the police, diplomatic, and consular services as well as appointment to superscale posts in the federal civil service and the equivalent posts in the statutory corporation must be approved by the Supreme Military Council.

The regional members felt that all the decrees passed since January 15, 1966, and which detracted from previous powers and positions of regional governments, should be repealed if mutual confidence is to be restored. It is difficult to understand the introduction of the word “veto” into the matter.

The Aburi Agreement was that any decision which affected the whole country must receive the concurrence of all the military governors because of their special responsibilities in their different area of authority and so to the country as a corporate whole.

On the reorganization of the army, it is for Lieutenant-Colonel Gowon to explain to the world what he means by the “army continuing to be under one command,” when in the very next sentence of his statement he also speaks of an agreement to establish area commands corresponding with the existing regional boundaries. This contradiction in itself tells the truth, and one does does not need to belabor the point.

The actual decision of the Supreme Military Council as recorded in the official minutes reads as follows: The Council decides that: (i) on reorganization of the army:

(a) Army to be governed by the Supreme Military Council under a chairman to be known Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Head of the Federal Military Government.

(b) Establishment of a military headquarters comprising equal representation from the regions and headed by a Chief of Staff.

(c) Creation of area commands corresponding to existing regions and under the charge of area commander.

(d) Matters of policy, including appointments and promotions to top executive posts in the armed forces and the police, to be dealt with by the Supreme Military Council.

(e) During the period of the military government, military governors will have control over area commands for internal security.

(f) Creation of a Lagos garrison, including Ikeja barracks.

It is clear from the Aburi decisions that what was envisaged was a loosely knit army administered by a representative military headquarters under the charge of a Chief of Staff and commanded by the Supreme Military Council, not by Lieutenant-Colonel Yakubu Gowon as he claimed in his present statement to the diplomats. According to the Aburi Agreements “the following appointments must be approved by the Supreme Military Council;

(a) diplomatic and consular posts;
(b) senior posts in the armed forces and the police;
(c) superscale federal civil service and federal corporation posts.”

Everyone with even the most superficial acquaintance with the Nigerian civil service knows what those expressions mean and connote. To confuse issue, Lieutenant-Colonel Gowon gave the impression that the main difference between him and me on this particular decision was that I insisted on canceling the appointments of existing civil servants. I can think of nothing more slanderous. It is clear from Gowon’s statement in question that he is prepared to distort the verbatim reports of the Aburi meeting.

To keep the public informed, the Eastern Nigerian Broadcasting Service will be playing the tape records of the proceedings live at scheduled times…. Arrangement have been completed to transform those tape recordings to long-playing gramophone records … We are also going ahead to print and publish the documents and records of Aburi meeting.

We in the East are anxious to see that our difficulties are resolved by peaceful means and that Nigeria is preserved as a unit, but it is doubtful, and the world must judge whether Lieutenant-Colonel Gowon’s attitudes and other exhibitions of his insincerity are something which can lead to a return of normalcy and confidence in the country. I must warn all Easterners once again to remain vigilant.

The East will never be intimidated, nor will she acquiesce to any form of dictation. It is not our intention to play the aggressor. Nonetheless, it is not our intention to be slaughtered in our beds, We are ready to defend our homeland. Fellow countrymen and women, on Aburi We Stand. There will be no compromise. God grant peace in our time.
===============

Ojukwu restating commitment to Aburi Accord on May 30 1969

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/11/on-aburi-we-stand-the-distortion-of-accord-by-ojukwu/

gidgiddy:
Gowon is just a perpetual lier. He had a copy of the Aburi agreement same as Ojukwu. What did Ojukwu announce that was different from what was agreed?

Gowon caused the civil war with his decree 14 of 1967 where he abolished the 4 Regions and replaced them with 12 states. Gowon did this so as to increase the power at the centre as the Regions were too powerful.

Of course, Ojukwu was not about to let Gowon and his fellow Northerners implement their "divide and rule" programme without a fight

A fight he lost miserably and left his people in perpetual marginalization for 50 years and counting with no end in sight!!!!

God bless Ojukwu for fighting like a man than sitting and agreeing on every deceitful words of the almajiris...
Ajonjas can only side talk and painfully admire our struggles

Sirjamo:
A fight he lost miserably and left his people in perpetual marginalization for 50 years and counting with no end in sight!!!!

Better to fight for freedom and lose, then become marginalised, than to willingly become a marginalised without a fight

It is great people who fight for their freedom. Slaves accept slavery without a fight

ojukwu was a greedy basterd who believe that everybody must bow to him,he tot GOWAN was a push and start president unfortunately GOWAN proof to him that there are men among men.
Any idiot that wanted to destabilize this country will surely meet ojukwu in hell.
GOD BLESS GOWON
GOD BLESS BUHARI