Lovely. Expecting counter claim from Igbos on this forum. If this can’t be debunked, the traitors should forever remain silent as long as Nigeria is concerned.
Secondly, this shows Buhari is all out for revenge. Revenge of what happened long time ago. All careless utterances he made was made by former Igbo leaders “Nigeria’s unity is non negotiable” “Charging those who seek for self-determination with felony”.
Whatever problem we have now has been foreseen since the beginning. I think we should start pleading with Buhari to let go off the past and don’t seek revenge. Instead, he should lead us out of this because things will keep getting worse everyday.
This is really sad and pitiful, reading a Yoruba narrative in a deceptive defense of a great country run down to the dust mostly by the political class of SW & Northern Nigeria since their genocidal Victorious war against the Biafrans over fifty years ago.
I just hope, the above deceptive write up only serves one purpose,...to increase the traffic on niaraland, because, the Yorubas more than any other ethnic group in Nigeria contributed more than 80% causes of Nigeria's demise and subsequently, 80% of her curse. The Hausa/Fulani who are 100% hands on & the actual/physical destroyers are bounded by religious obligations to act out. I am probably wrong in my assessment in ascribing to them the remaining 20%, but clearly, they are under an influence. The Igbos are 1000% vindictive of Nigerian demise because, the nature of that demise & how it occurs over a time line as it reaches a threshold were actually acted upon them. Since after the civil war some fifty years ago, the SW & their Northern counter part usurping everything within the federal government to the exclusion of the Igbos, have presided well over $800 billions in oil windfall, with absolutely nothing to show on the country or their lives.
The great Yorubas are now stuck in (poverty capital of the world, abject poverty, no electricity, water, poor health, backwardness, insecurity of all kinds etc). For as long as Nigeria remain in existence, they can only tag on with the Hausa Fulani since they cannot politically change/influence the North whom they tag on for better or worst or the Igbos whom they conspired with the North to commit genocide.
Yorubas contributed 80% of Nigerian Woes because, 1). They introduce tribalism into the body politics by Awo's action 2). The gave the North, and are still giving, their full support in everything and question little. While the jihadist are ravaging the country, Yoruba stay focused on Igbo matters. 3). They worked 100% to enthrone the present government. 4) They have never taken the bull by the horn in addressing Nigeria's myriad of problems like the Igbos to the risk of loosing of lives. They just have to tag on with the Hausa Fulani even when the later are in mad drive of gruesome killings of Nigerians. If they talk or question, the purported monopoly of Lagos State as the international airport gateway and the international seaport gateway can be neutralize asap. The Yorubas can't even show a higher level of aggressiveness in demanding the sovereign State of Oduduwa because of the nature of "tag on" they have with the North
The op is trying to tell us that Zik was such a powerful man that he could over rule Awolowo and Belewa. One man against two? He must have been a great man that Awolowo and Belewa respected him so much that his single opinion was taken in place of the other two
Just like you didn't read how The OP was dragging zik for not allawing secession in constitution.... Is he still alive when you did your 99. So why is it not inserted into it... Nonsense
Think9ja: There's no doubt in my mind that this is the real history. These are facts. I took my time to read this to the very end. I don't normally do that.
I've always suspected Igbos must have done something terrible to this country for them to be treated like this. Thank God I came across this thread. This is the gospel truth.
In my 27 years on earth, I've always thought the Yorubas are the problem of this country for always endorsing these aboki people, but I was wrong.
Truly, Igbos were and are still the problem of Nigeria.
For goodness sake what was Azikiwe and all the igbo leaders thinking? How can you have several opportunities to destroy this contraption by the British and not take it? Worse still, you carried out a coup against aboki people?
It's written in the holy books that children will suffer the sins of their father, this is the case of Igbos.
Someone said why was seccession not captured in the 1999 constitution? The answer is opportunity comes but once. Azikiwe had every opportunity in the world to give the Igbos a better life, but he kicked against any seccession plan by the Yoruba and the abokis, simply because he wanted to show the British how loyal he is. WHAT A FOOL!
The Igbos have lost their chance, nothing for them again
By the way... So it was the British that just sat down and drew map for us and grouped them into subregions? SMH. I always wonder how Kwara state is North Central. Kwara state and a large part of Niger state are no where in the middle. Benue state should not also be in the middle, it is more in the south east. In fact the only states in the middle of Nigeria are FCT and Nasarawa State. All the other middle belt states were just forced into the middle.
Plateau state is called a middle belt state simply because there are more Christians in the state than there are Muslims.
Every thing about Nigeria's foundation is wrong. From the map to the leaders.
Having said that... Nnamdi Azikiwe and all the early Igbo leaders have betrayed their generation simply because of their selfish interests.
Una never see anything.
Nice one OP and more of this type of thread.
Which suffer is Igbos suffering..? You people and your shallow mentality... So because they did not get presidency means they are suffering..?
Are you not ashamed that Igbos wore torn cities have caught up with your continually built city without war relic.?
You shld b ashamed that Igbos have caught up with you on children enrollment in schools,level of professionals etc. You guyz shld go kill all ur stealing leaders......
Again PDP ruled 16years.and Igbos held very good positions.. Plenty of them.. ND all excelled. Now ap. Is ruling less than 8yesras and the Yorubas are shouting enjoiment enjoiment. Cuz of 8years..?..
Yet they are supporting non inclusion of a major tribe in appointment yet blaming them for trying to secceed.
As at 1963.there was no reason for secession. No trouble in naija. And Yorubas with thier tribalistic self are trying to break a virgin country ND expects a gentle man to support them using evidence of things of 40years later as prove and deceiving themselves they saw it coming. Know it today. Awo only wanted breaking cuz he want sto b president of the southwest. ND steal AL the cocoa fund.....
Which suffer is Igbos suffering..? You people and your shallow mentality... So because they did not get presidency means they are suffering..?
Are you not ashamed that Igbos wore torn cities have caught up with your continually built city without war relic.?
You shld b ashamed that Igbos have caught up with you on children enrollment in schools,level of professionals etc. You guyz shld go kill all ur stealing leaders......
Again PDP ruled 16years.and Igbos held very good positions.. Plenty of them.. ND all excelled. Now ap. Is ruling less than 8yesras and the Yorubas are shouting enjoiment enjoiment. Cuz of 8years..?..
Yet they are supporting non inclusion of a major tribe in appointment yet blaming them for trying to secceed.
As at 1963.there was no reason for secession. No trouble in naija. And Yorubas with thier tribalistic self are trying to break a virgin country ND expects a gentle man to support them using evidence of things of 40years later as prove and deceiving themselves they saw it coming. Know it today. Awo only wanted breaking cuz he want sto b president of the southwest. ND steal AL the cocoa fund.....
Think with your head not your leg
Una get time to dey reason random musings from imbeciIes.
I once came in contact with one elderly man in 2017,he was very old and was really disturbed,he was walking home bt branch at a shop where was with a friend of mine,we gave him seat to relax and he told us that he wil wait for his daughter there we agree. later he told us that he is a retired govt worker and the govt havnt paid him his pension for long that this country is in mess today because of nnamdi azikiwe,he further said that he was a personl maid to late awolowo and he was the person taking care of awolowo when he was in prison and b4 his demise. Accordin to him,he said nnamdi azikiwe is not an igboman that his biological father is from senegal but live in enugu where he met and married his wife whom later gave birth to nnamdi azikiwe. he was tellin us these in bitterness the people never knew that nnamdi azikiwe is nt an igboman but was born and brought in igboland n his father never took him back to senegal. He said the death of awolowo is stil affectin him today, and so many things he sed i cnt re
Just like you didn't read how The OP was dragging zik for not allawing secession in constitution.... Is he still alive when you did your 99. So why is it not inserted into it... Nonsense
Mr was it you I quoted? The person I even asked had answered my question with no friction. And please don't quote me again abeg.
How We Got to this Sorry State by The Greed Of a Few*
From the Archives of Intelligence Gathering Vault*
A must read piece to the end.
Igbo political leaders and their past misadventures resulting in current national political problems*
Do you know that when Tafawa Balewa was Prime Minister of Nigeria;
Chief of Army Staff was from SE Chief of Naval Staff was from SE IG of Police was from SE Chief of Defence staff was fron SE Internal Affairs Minister SE External Affairs Minister SE Education Minister South SE Many other key ministries to SE Parliament President SE Unilag VC from SE University of Ibadan VC from SE North resisted same at ABU!
Still there was dissatisfaction by easterners; the officers from the region killed this same Balewa!
Out of all the most senior officers in Nigeria, SE has 37, none was killed. 8 from the north, all of them were killed. 10 from the west, 2 were killed.
Then Ironsi imposed a unitary system of government on the country so that everything can belong to a region who snatched it!
We must know our history so that when we want to make corrections, we will not end up concealing the truth. This has nothing to do with tribalism but everything to do with the truth.....at times when lies litter the streets. There is the tendency to think those are truths and facts.
What follows are documented facts that can be cross checked for authenticity!
Thou shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.
Prof. Ben Nwabueze was the man who drafted the constitution that took away powers from regions and handed it to the central govt because his brother Aguiyi Ironsi was the head of state then. Today, he is shouting restructuring that he helped to destroy. We won’t forget.
Let those who have ears hear. *What Biafrans will never tell you about the real cause of their woes in Nigeria today* The Igbo man is known to enjoy blaming the Hausa-fulanis, Yorubas and indeed every other Nigerian tribe and Lord Luggard/Britain for their seeming claim of being in third class citizen status in Nigeria.
In their perpetual attempts to play the victim card, they recount the political events of Nigeria from 1914 to the present in a half-baked and highly selective manner which cleverly avoids the mention of the roles played by their elite who by all natural laws of judgement were actually responsible for the woes that befell not only the Igbo race but the entire Nigeria nation.
The story told in the post above is one of such selective and distorted accounts of history which the average Igbo man is fond of narrating. However, the national archives have the complete and unedited history of Nigeria regarding the political events beginning way back from even before 1914.
I will therefore proceed to furnish my readers with the complete story for all to read and be endowed with enough facts so as to judge and act from an informed position.
Shortly after the 1914 Amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates, it started getting clear that the country was bound to fail as the amalgamation in question was done with colonial fiat without the consent and consensus of the different tribes which were over 300.
This prompted the political leaders to start asking for de-amalgamation so as to forestall the future danger which the forced amalgamation portended. To that end, Ahmadu Bello, speaking on behalf of the Northern protectorate in 1944 described the amalgamation as:
"The mistake of 1914 which if allowed to remain will ultimately lead to unstoppable bloodshed and a failed country".
Awolowo, speaking on behalf of the Yorubas and Western minorities, described Nigeria as a mere geographical expression not qualified to be called a country let alone a nation. Awolowo added that if the amalgamation could not be reversed, then Nigeria should be structured as a strictly federal state so as to enable each tribe enjoy autonomy this freedom from being dominated by any one single tribe.
But Nnamdi Azikiwe, speaking for the Igbos, denounced Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello, terming them ethnic champions. He accused them of nursing a sectional agenda against the unity of Nigeria, and he declared further that the Unity of Nigeria was non-negotiable.
After moving the motion for independece in 1953, Anthony Enahoro proposed that a secession clause should be incorporated into the future constitution of Nigeria so as to give legal backing for any tribe to peacefully exit the forced union if it feels marginalized in future.
According to Enahoro, such provision in our constitution would instill in all Nigeria's future leaders the fear of the consequences of misgovernance.
But Azikiwe, speaking on behalf of Igbos, rose against him in the parliament and labelled him an agent of disunity, and enemy of Nigeria.
At a later date, Awolowo too made a case for secession clause, but Azikiwe again resisted him and instigated the colonial authorities to threaten him and Enahoro with charges of treasonable felony if they didn't stop proposing secession clause for the future constitution.
While Azikiwe did all these, Igbos cheered and urged him on because they felt the future Nigeria was theirs to dominate and lord it over every other tribe
Before independece, Tafawa Balewa too had in a public speech described Nigeria as a British experiment and Nigeria's unity as a British intention which Nigerians themselves don't believe in.
But Azikiwe kicked and demonized him too. Had Azikiwe co-operated with Enahoro, Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa about the secession clause, Nigeria perhaps would not have been this misgoverned.
For those in doubt, here is a link of one of the numerous instances in which Nnamdi Azikiwe fought against the secession clause proposal for the future Nigeria constitution.
It should be noted that there were many Igbo members of the parliament in which Azikiwe fought against Awolowo's secession clause proposal in the link above, but not a single one of them rose against Azikiwe or condemned him.
Igbos initially never wanted to hear anything like secession in Nigeria because they so much believed, though falsely, that they were the most educated tribe. (The first Nigerian tribe to produce a university graduate is the Binis).
As an evidence of Igbo domination agenda hence their initial resistance to the idea of secession; here are some quotes:
"From all indications, the god of us Igbos have destined us to rule the whole of Africa"..... Nnamdi Azikiwe (1945).
"It is getting clearer each day that Igbo domination of Nigeria is just a question of time"... Oscar Onyeamma. (1949)
As at 1900, the whole of the present Benue State, Kogi East Senatorial District and some southern parts of Taraba State called Munchi District back then; were all in the Southern Protectorate.
Whoever doubts this should consult MacMillan Atlas for secondary schools in Nigeria. With that situation the South had a higher population than the North hence always had an upper hand in any democratic bargain.
But as at the early fifties when the regions were being created, common sense dictated clearly that these areas should fall in the future Eastern Region.
But against common sense, the colonial masters decided to gerrymander them into the Northern Region.
While they did that, Azikiwe who was supposed to be in Enugu fighting against it as the leader of the East, was far away in Ibadan struggling with Awolowo to rule the Western Region and also playing the spoiler role against Awolowo's attempts to have Kwara and present Kogi Yorubas carved into the Western Region from the North which was already too large by landmass.
While he abandoned his burning house and was far away in Ibadan struggling against Awolowo for his own (Awolowo's) region, Igbos saw absolutely nothing wrong with that. Rather they applauded him as a nationalist. A nationalist whose house was burning yet busy chasing rats in a far away land.
When opinions became unanimous that Lord Luggard and his government must be forced out of Nigeria and indeed the whole of Africa, it was still the Igbos that frustrated the attempts.
Here is how: In 1948, Anthony Enahoro organized an anti-colonization symposium in Lagos for which Azikiwe and some other Igbos had agreed to deliver the keynote address.
But when the D-day came, Azikiwe was nowhere to be found as he deliberately disappeared into thin air for fear of being arrested and dealt with by Lord Luggard.
Anthony Enahoro then quickly replaced Azikiwe with another person who did the job improptu but perfectly well as he lambasted and lampooned Lord Luggard and the British Government.
However, the British soldiers invaded the symposium venue, arrested the speaker and Enahoro and jailed them for treasonable felony.
Ironically, the next day Azikiwe came out of hiding and granted a radio interview in which he accused Enahoro and the other organizers of suffering from youthful exuberance.
On regaining his freedom few weeks later and being told of Azikiwe's radio interview, Enahoro resigned from his post as Editor of Azikiwe's newspaper - The West African Pilot.
Then he wrote a book titled "Nnamdi Azikiwe: Sinner of Saint".
After launching the book, Enahoro left Azikiwe's party - the NCNC, and moved over to Awolowo's Action Group.
The first military coup in Nigeria was carried out by majority of Igbo army officers.
That was the coup that truncated democracy just six years post Independence and led to a succession of coups which put the country on the reverse gear for 33 years.
Through that first coup, those Igbo army officers who accused the politicians and government of the day of monumental corruption, killed the political leaders of the Northern, Western and Midwestern Regions but allowed all Igbo political figures to escape by tipping them off prior to the D-Day.
In addition to the killing of political figures, they also killed a total of 27 innocent high ranking military officers from every region except their Eastern Region.
*In the end an Igbo man called Aguiyi Ironsi, who was supposed to have been killed alongside other military officers, ended up becoming the new military ruler of Nigeria*
*Rather than immediately arrest and punish the coup plotters, he kept them in detention where they were treated as heroes*
*This was actually what sowed the seed for the eventual Biafra War. On the 23rd of February 1966 (i.e. a month and 8 days after the first coup porpularly but wrongly known as Nzeogwu coup, an Ijaw born Army officer called Isaac Adaka Boro who hailed from Kaima town of present Bayelsa State, declared the secession of the Niger Delta Republic in an attempt to free his Ijaw people from the monumental marginalization they had been suffering under Igbos in the old Eastern Region* *But Aguiyi Ironsi immediately ordered Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu to arrest him and hand him over to the military high command under him in Lagos. Ojukwu went all out against Isaac Adaka Boro with federal military might and within 12 fighting days killed 150 Isaac Boro's soldiers, arrested him, stripped him naked, and had him driven to Lagos and handed to Ironsi who immediately charged him to court and within two months secured against him a conviction of treasonable felony for which he was sentenced to death by hanging fixed for December that year by the Supreme Court*
*His 'crime' was that he declared secession of The Niger Delta Republic from Nigeria. Meanwhile the Igbo coupists who shed innocent blood of other tribes and even sprayed bullets into the bellies of the pregnant wives of Ahmadu Bello and Brigadier Shodeinde were not charged to court or arraigned before any military tribunal*
*Isaac Adaka Boro was in detention waiting for December to come for him to join his ancestors. But God so kind, a revenge coup happened on July 29 by Northern soldiers and Ironsi was overthrown and killed*
Gowon took over and released Isaac Adaka Boro unconditionally, reinstated him into the Army with his previous rank.
Then on May 30, 1967, Ojukwu too declared secession of Biafra Republic from Nigeria and without consulting or apologising to Isaac Boro, drew a Biafra map which included the very areas that made up Isaac Adaka Boro's earlier declared Niger Delta Republic for which he fought against him and killed his soldiers.
Seeing such level of arrogance in Ojukwu, Isaac Boro asked Gowon to provide arms for him to crush Biafra by fighting on the Nigerian side in vengeance for Ojukwu's frustration of his own secession declaration 15 months earlier.
Isaac Boro, as an Ijaw man conversant with the waterways, led the Nigeria Army through the coastal areas into Igboland to finish off thousands of Ojukwu's soldiers thus leading to the crushing defeat of Biafra.
But today, Igbos accuse Ijaws of betraying them in the war. But from the facts as above, who really betrayed the other in all honesty?
Be the judge.
Why Gowon fought against Ojukwu's declaration of Biafra was as follows:
After Ironsi and Ojukwu successfully crushed Isaac Boro's Niger Delta Republic declaration, Ironsi immediately proceeded to promulgate the Anti-secession Decree which made the mere mention of secession from Nigeria punishable with death by hanging.
Ojukwu openly supported and endorsed the decree despite disapproval of it by the general public. So when Ojukwu later declared Biafra secession, he was reminded of the Anti-secession Decree made by him and his brother Ironsi.
Deadly Truth: Igbos frequently reference Aburi Accord to create the impression that the rest Nigerian tribes don't honour agreements. This is a very dishonest narrative from Igbos.
First and foremost Aburi Accord was organized by soldiers and unelected civil servants who should not participate in political exercises like making laws due to the civil service anonymity principle.
Secondly, those civil servants and military men in attendance were not elected by their federal constituencies to the Aburi summit.
In the philosophy of democracy the only universally acceptable way of making laws is through duly elected representatives of the people. But in going to Aburi the peoples' representatives duly elected in the 1965 elections were all sidelined for soldiers to hijack the process.
Where on earth do soldiers make laws for the people? Rather, the civilian populace makes laws that guide the military.
Aburi Accord therefore had no seal of the people's sovereignty hence it was an illegality which shouldn't have been allowed to stand.
Thirdly, in 1957, Nigerians from all federal constituencies democratically elected representatives whom they sponsored to London, paid their flight tickets and hotel cc accommodation for the Independence constitutional conference.
Those representatives all resolved and agreed on federalism marked by regional autonomy and resource control in the Independence Constitution which they brought back home and everyone accepted it.
In that constitution, Nigerians all agreed that on no account shall the military take over power. It was also clearly stated in it that ammendments to it could be done by only democratically elected representatives.
That constitution was the first ever agreement between all Nigerians.
On the day of his inauguration as the Army GoC, Aguiyi Ironsi stood before the whole world and with his own mouth swore to protect and defend that sovereign Independence constitution regardless of the circumstances that may later arise.
But just six years after he manufactured an excuse to clinch power against the clear provisions of that constitution we all agreed to, unilaterally began to amend its provisions with his very offensive Decrees, and ended up dismantling the federalism and resource control therein, and ultimately subverted that constitution we all painstakingly sacrificed to draft.
That was the height of irresponsibility and the dishonoring of sacred agreement. That was how Igbos breached the first agreement, all Nigerians, ever all mutually consented to, thus laying the foundation for violation of future agreements.
So Aburi Accord was only treated exactly the same way Igbos treated the Independence constitution agreement. Obasanjo removed history from the school curriculum hence the reason why many of what we do for a know of the eventualities in Biafra war were altered to suite their narratives.
With the Igbo’s in Yoruba land, “the hand shake has exceeded the wrist”. And as Chinua Achebe said in his book, “it has turned to a fight”
One thing I can about Yorubas is that they are liberal and broadminded. Well I believe God is on our side. We are like givers who will NEVER lack
It’s high time Yoruba nation intelligentsia go to works, see how we can relate and equitably accommodate the Igbos without undermining our own interests. Yes Nigeria is a nation but the Igbo people will not allow a fraction of what we tolerate in Lagos in Ochanja (Onitsha), Aba, Enugu and the likes.
Please kindly send me the link to this article to my whatsapp 07019339722 Thanks
How We Got to this Sorry State by The Greed Of a Few*
From the Archives of Intelligence Gathering Vault*
A must read piece to the end.
Igbo political leaders and their past misadventures resulting in current national political problems*
Do you know that when Tafawa Balewa was Prime Minister of Nigeria;
Chief of Army Staff was from SE Chief of Naval Staff was from SE IG of Police was from SE Chief of Defence staff was fron SE Internal Affairs Minister SE External Affairs Minister SE Education Minister South SE Many other key ministries to SE Parliament President SE Unilag VC from SE University of Ibadan VC from SE North resisted same at ABU!
Still there was dissatisfaction by easterners; the officers from the region killed this same Balewa!
Out of all the most senior officers in Nigeria, SE has 37, none was killed. 8 from the north, all of them were killed. 10 from the west, 2 were killed.
Then Ironsi imposed a unitary system of government on the country so that everything can belong to a region who snatched it!
We must know our history so that when we want to make corrections, we will not end up concealing the truth. This has nothing to do with tribalism but everything to do with the truth.....at times when lies litter the streets. There is the tendency to think those are truths and facts.
What follows are documented facts that can be cross checked for authenticity!
Thou shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.
Prof. Ben Nwabueze was the man who drafted the constitution that took away powers from regions and handed it to the central govt because his brother Aguiyi Ironsi was the head of state then. Today, he is shouting restructuring that he helped to destroy. We won’t forget.
Let those who have ears hear. *What Biafrans will never tell you about the real cause of their woes in Nigeria today* The Igbo man is known to enjoy blaming the Hausa-fulanis, Yorubas and indeed every other Nigerian tribe and Lord Luggard/Britain for their seeming claim of being in third class citizen status in Nigeria.
In their perpetual attempts to play the victim card, they recount the political events of Nigeria from 1914 to the present in a half-baked and highly selective manner which cleverly avoids the mention of the roles played by their elite who by all natural laws of judgement were actually responsible for the woes that befell not only the Igbo race but the entire Nigeria nation.
The story told in the post above is one of such selective and distorted accounts of history which the average Igbo man is fond of narrating. However, the national archives have the complete and unedited history of Nigeria regarding the political events beginning way back from even before 1914.
I will therefore proceed to furnish my readers with the complete story for all to read and be endowed with enough facts so as to judge and act from an informed position.
Shortly after the 1914 Amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates, it started getting clear that the country was bound to fail as the amalgamation in question was done with colonial fiat without the consent and consensus of the different tribes which were over 300.
This prompted the political leaders to start asking for de-amalgamation so as to forestall the future danger which the forced amalgamation portended. To that end, Ahmadu Bello, speaking on behalf of the Northern protectorate in 1944 described the amalgamation as:
"The mistake of 1914 which if allowed to remain will ultimately lead to unstoppable bloodshed and a failed country".
Awolowo, speaking on behalf of the Yorubas and Western minorities, described Nigeria as a mere geographical expression not qualified to be called a country let alone a nation. Awolowo added that if the amalgamation could not be reversed, then Nigeria should be structured as a strictly federal state so as to enable each tribe enjoy autonomy this freedom from being dominated by any one single tribe.
But Nnamdi Azikiwe, speaking for the Igbos, denounced Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello, terming them ethnic champions. He accused them of nursing a sectional agenda against the unity of Nigeria, and he declared further that the Unity of Nigeria was non-negotiable.
After moving the motion for independece in 1953, Anthony Enahoro proposed that a secession clause should be incorporated into the future constitution of Nigeria so as to give legal backing for any tribe to peacefully exit the forced union if it feels marginalized in future.
According to Enahoro, such provision in our constitution would instill in all Nigeria's future leaders the fear of the consequences of misgovernance.
But Azikiwe, speaking on behalf of Igbos, rose against him in the parliament and labelled him an agent of disunity, and enemy of Nigeria.
At a later date, Awolowo too made a case for secession clause, but Azikiwe again resisted him and instigated the colonial authorities to threaten him and Enahoro with charges of treasonable felony if they didn't stop proposing secession clause for the future constitution.
While Azikiwe did all these, Igbos cheered and urged him on because they felt the future Nigeria was theirs to dominate and lord it over every other tribe
Before independece, Tafawa Balewa too had in a public speech described Nigeria as a British experiment and Nigeria's unity as a British intention which Nigerians themselves don't believe in.
But Azikiwe kicked and demonized him too. Had Azikiwe co-operated with Enahoro, Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa about the secession clause, Nigeria perhaps would not have been this misgoverned.
For those in doubt, here is a link of one of the numerous instances in which Nnamdi Azikiwe fought against the secession clause proposal for the future Nigeria constitution.
It should be noted that there were many Igbo members of the parliament in which Azikiwe fought against Awolowo's secession clause proposal in the link above, but not a single one of them rose against Azikiwe or condemned him.
Igbos initially never wanted to hear anything like secession in Nigeria because they so much believed, though falsely, that they were the most educated tribe. (The first Nigerian tribe to produce a university graduate is the Binis).
As an evidence of Igbo domination agenda hence their initial resistance to the idea of secession; here are some quotes:
"From all indications, the god of us Igbos have destined us to rule the whole of Africa"..... Nnamdi Azikiwe (1945).
"It is getting clearer each day that Igbo domination of Nigeria is just a question of time"... Oscar Onyeamma. (1949)
As at 1900, the whole of the present Benue State, Kogi East Senatorial District and some southern parts of Taraba State called Munchi District back then; were all in the Southern Protectorate.
Whoever doubts this should consult MacMillan Atlas for secondary schools in Nigeria. With that situation the South had a higher population than the North hence always had an upper hand in any democratic bargain.
But as at the early fifties when the regions were being created, common sense dictated clearly that these areas should fall in the future Eastern Region.
But against common sense, the colonial masters decided to gerrymander them into the Northern Region.
While they did that, Azikiwe who was supposed to be in Enugu fighting against it as the leader of the East, was far away in Ibadan struggling with Awolowo to rule the Western Region and also playing the spoiler role against Awolowo's attempts to have Kwara and present Kogi Yorubas carved into the Western Region from the North which was already too large by landmass.
While he abandoned his burning house and was far away in Ibadan struggling against Awolowo for his own (Awolowo's) region, Igbos saw absolutely nothing wrong with that. Rather they applauded him as a nationalist. A nationalist whose house was burning yet busy chasing rats in a far away land.
When opinions became unanimous that Lord Luggard and his government must be forced out of Nigeria and indeed the whole of Africa, it was still the Igbos that frustrated the attempts.
Here is how: In 1948, Anthony Enahoro organized an anti-colonization symposium in Lagos for which Azikiwe and some other Igbos had agreed to deliver the keynote address.
But when the D-day came, Azikiwe was nowhere to be found as he deliberately disappeared into thin air for fear of being arrested and dealt with by Lord Luggard.
Anthony Enahoro then quickly replaced Azikiwe with another person who did the job improptu but perfectly well as he lambasted and lampooned Lord Luggard and the British Government.
However, the British soldiers invaded the symposium venue, arrested the speaker and Enahoro and jailed them for treasonable felony.
Ironically, the next day Azikiwe came out of hiding and granted a radio interview in which he accused Enahoro and the other organizers of suffering from youthful exuberance.
On regaining his freedom few weeks later and being told of Azikiwe's radio interview, Enahoro resigned from his post as Editor of Azikiwe's newspaper - The West African Pilot.
Then he wrote a book titled "Nnamdi Azikiwe: Sinner of Saint".
After launching the book, Enahoro left Azikiwe's party - the NCNC, and moved over to Awolowo's Action Group.
The first military coup in Nigeria was carried out by majority of Igbo army officers.
That was the coup that truncated democracy just six years post Independence and led to a succession of coups which put the country on the reverse gear for 33 years.
Through that first coup, those Igbo army officers who accused the politicians and government of the day of monumental corruption, killed the political leaders of the Northern, Western and Midwestern Regions but allowed all Igbo political figures to escape by tipping them off prior to the D-Day.
In addition to the killing of political figures, they also killed a total of 27 innocent high ranking military officers from every region except their Eastern Region.
*In the end an Igbo man called Aguiyi Ironsi, who was supposed to have been killed alongside other military officers, ended up becoming the new military ruler of Nigeria*
*Rather than immediately arrest and punish the coup plotters, he kept them in detention where they were treated as heroes*
*This was actually what sowed the seed for the eventual Biafra War. On the 23rd of February 1966 (i.e. a month and 8 days after the first coup porpularly but wrongly known as Nzeogwu coup, an Ijaw born Army officer called Isaac Adaka Boro who hailed from Kaima town of present Bayelsa State, declared the secession of the Niger Delta Republic in an attempt to free his Ijaw people from the monumental marginalization they had been suffering under Igbos in the old Eastern Region* *But Aguiyi Ironsi immediately ordered Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu to arrest him and hand him over to the military high command under him in Lagos. Ojukwu went all out against Isaac Adaka Boro with federal military might and within 12 fighting days killed 150 Isaac Boro's soldiers, arrested him, stripped him naked, and had him driven to Lagos and handed to Ironsi who immediately charged him to court and within two months secured against him a conviction of treasonable felony for which he was sentenced to death by hanging fixed for December that year by the Supreme Court*
*His 'crime' was that he declared secession of The Niger Delta Republic from Nigeria. Meanwhile the Igbo coupists who shed innocent blood of other tribes and even sprayed bullets into the bellies of the pregnant wives of Ahmadu Bello and Brigadier Shodeinde were not charged to court or arraigned before any military tribunal*
*Isaac Adaka Boro was in detention waiting for December to come for him to join his ancestors. But God so kind, a revenge coup happened on July 29 by Northern soldiers and Ironsi was overthrown and killed*
Gowon took over and released Isaac Adaka Boro unconditionally, reinstated him into the Army with his previous rank.
Then on May 30, 1967, Ojukwu too declared secession of Biafra Republic from Nigeria and without consulting or apologising to Isaac Boro, drew a Biafra map which included the very areas that made up Isaac Adaka Boro's earlier declared Niger Delta Republic for which he fought against him and killed his soldiers.
Seeing such level of arrogance in Ojukwu, Isaac Boro asked Gowon to provide arms for him to crush Biafra by fighting on the Nigerian side in vengeance for Ojukwu's frustration of his own secession declaration 15 months earlier.
Isaac Boro, as an Ijaw man conversant with the waterways, led the Nigeria Army through the coastal areas into Igboland to finish off thousands of Ojukwu's soldiers thus leading to the crushing defeat of Biafra.
But today, Igbos accuse Ijaws of betraying them in the war. But from the facts as above, who really betrayed the other in all honesty?
Be the judge.
Why Gowon fought against Ojukwu's declaration of Biafra was as follows:
After Ironsi and Ojukwu successfully crushed Isaac Boro's Niger Delta Republic declaration, Ironsi immediately proceeded to promulgate the Anti-secession Decree which made the mere mention of secession from Nigeria punishable with death by hanging.
Ojukwu openly supported and endorsed the decree despite disapproval of it by the general public. So when Ojukwu later declared Biafra secession, he was reminded of the Anti-secession Decree made by him and his brother Ironsi.
Deadly Truth: Igbos frequently reference Aburi Accord to create the impression that the rest Nigerian tribes don't honour agreements. This is a very dishonest narrative from Igbos.
First and foremost Aburi Accord was organized by soldiers and unelected civil servants who should not participate in political exercises like making laws due to the civil service anonymity principle.
Secondly, those civil servants and military men in attendance were not elected by their federal constituencies to the Aburi summit.
In the philosophy of democracy the only universally acceptable way of making laws is through duly elected representatives of the people. But in going to Aburi the peoples' representatives duly elected in the 1965 elections were all sidelined for soldiers to hijack the process.
Where on earth do soldiers make laws for the people? Rather, the civilian populace makes laws that guide the military.
Aburi Accord therefore had no seal of the people's sovereignty hence it was an illegality which shouldn't have been allowed to stand.
Thirdly, in 1957, Nigerians from all federal constituencies democratically elected representatives whom they sponsored to London, paid their flight tickets and hotel cc accommodation for the Independence constitutional conference.
Those representatives all resolved and agreed on federalism marked by regional autonomy and resource control in the Independence Constitution which they brought back home and everyone accepted it.
In that constitution, Nigerians all agreed that on no account shall the military take over power. It was also clearly stated in it that ammendments to it could be done by only democratically elected representatives.
That constitution was the first ever agreement between all Nigerians.
On the day of his inauguration as the Army GoC, Aguiyi Ironsi stood before the whole world and with his own mouth swore to protect and defend that sovereign Independence constitution regardless of the circumstances that may later arise.
But just six years after he manufactured an excuse to clinch power against the clear provisions of that constitution we all agreed to, unilaterally began to amend its provisions with his very offensive Decrees, and ended up dismantling the federalism and resource control therein, and ultimately subverted that constitution we all painstakingly sacrificed to draft.
That was the height of irresponsibility and the dishonoring of sacred agreement. That was how Igbos breached the first agreement, all Nigerians, ever all mutually consented to, thus laying the foundation for violation of future agreements.
So Aburi Accord was only treated exactly the same way Igbos treated the Independence constitution agreement. Obasanjo removed history from the school curriculum hence the reason why many of what we do for a know of the eventualities in Biafra war were altered to suite their narratives.
With the Igbo’s in Yoruba land, “the hand shake has exceeded the wrist”. And as Chinua Achebe said in his book, “it has turned to a fight”
One thing I can about Yorubas is that they are liberal and broadminded. Well I believe God is on our side. We are like givers who will NEVER lack
It’s high time Yoruba nation intelligentsia go to works, see how we can relate and equitably accommodate the Igbos without undermining our own interests. Yes Nigeria is a nation but the Igbo people will not allow a fraction of what we tolerate in Lagos in Ochanja (Onitsha), Aba, Enugu and the likes.
Saint whatever you call your self, this is called one side story. I know is ok for u and they Yoruba. Did u go to Onitsha, Aba and Enugu to rent a shop and any one stops you?. Your write is calling for war and believe you be reached soon.
How We Got to this Sorry State by The Greed Of a Few*
From the Archives of Intelligence Gathering Vault*
A must read piece to the end.
Igbo political leaders and their past misadventures resulting in current national political problems*
Do you know that when Tafawa Balewa was Prime Minister of Nigeria;
Chief of Army Staff was from SE Chief of Naval Staff was from SE IG of Police was from SE Chief of Defence staff was fron SE Internal Affairs Minister SE External Affairs Minister SE Education Minister South SE Many other key ministries to SE Parliament President SE Unilag VC from SE University of Ibadan VC from SE North resisted same at ABU!
Still there was dissatisfaction by easterners; the officers from the region killed this same Balewa!
Out of all the most senior officers in Nigeria, SE has 37, none was killed. 8 from the north, all of them were killed. 10 from the west, 2 were killed.
Then Ironsi imposed a unitary system of government on the country so that everything can belong to a region who snatched it!
We must know our history so that when we want to make corrections, we will not end up concealing the truth. This has nothing to do with tribalism but everything to do with the truth.....at times when lies litter the streets. There is the tendency to think those are truths and facts.
What follows are documented facts that can be cross checked for authenticity!
Thou shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.
Prof. Ben Nwabueze was the man who drafted the constitution that took away powers from regions and handed it to the central govt because his brother Aguiyi Ironsi was the head of state then. Today, he is shouting restructuring that he helped to destroy. We won’t forget.
Let those who have ears hear. *What Biafrans will never tell you about the real cause of their woes in Nigeria today* The Igbo man is known to enjoy blaming the Hausa-fulanis, Yorubas and indeed every other Nigerian tribe and Lord Luggard/Britain for their seeming claim of being in third class citizen status in Nigeria.
In their perpetual attempts to play the victim card, they recount the political events of Nigeria from 1914 to the present in a half-baked and highly selective manner which cleverly avoids the mention of the roles played by their elite who by all natural laws of judgement were actually responsible for the woes that befell not only the Igbo race but the entire Nigeria nation.
The story told in the post above is one of such selective and distorted accounts of history which the average Igbo man is fond of narrating. However, the national archives have the complete and unedited history of Nigeria regarding the political events beginning way back from even before 1914.
I will therefore proceed to furnish my readers with the complete story for all to read and be endowed with enough facts so as to judge and act from an informed position.
Shortly after the 1914 Amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates, it started getting clear that the country was bound to fail as the amalgamation in question was done with colonial fiat without the consent and consensus of the different tribes which were over 300.
This prompted the political leaders to start asking for de-amalgamation so as to forestall the future danger which the forced amalgamation portended. To that end, Ahmadu Bello, speaking on behalf of the Northern protectorate in 1944 described the amalgamation as:
"The mistake of 1914 which if allowed to remain will ultimately lead to unstoppable bloodshed and a failed country".
Awolowo, speaking on behalf of the Yorubas and Western minorities, described Nigeria as a mere geographical expression not qualified to be called a country let alone a nation. Awolowo added that if the amalgamation could not be reversed, then Nigeria should be structured as a strictly federal state so as to enable each tribe enjoy autonomy this freedom from being dominated by any one single tribe.
But Nnamdi Azikiwe, speaking for the Igbos, denounced Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello, terming them ethnic champions. He accused them of nursing a sectional agenda against the unity of Nigeria, and he declared further that the Unity of Nigeria was non-negotiable.
After moving the motion for independece in 1953, Anthony Enahoro proposed that a secession clause should be incorporated into the future constitution of Nigeria so as to give legal backing for any tribe to peacefully exit the forced union if it feels marginalized in future.
According to Enahoro, such provision in our constitution would instill in all Nigeria's future leaders the fear of the consequences of misgovernance.
But Azikiwe, speaking on behalf of Igbos, rose against him in the parliament and labelled him an agent of disunity, and enemy of Nigeria.
At a later date, Awolowo too made a case for secession clause, but Azikiwe again resisted him and instigated the colonial authorities to threaten him and Enahoro with charges of treasonable felony if they didn't stop proposing secession clause for the future constitution.
While Azikiwe did all these, Igbos cheered and urged him on because they felt the future Nigeria was theirs to dominate and lord it over every other tribe
Before independece, Tafawa Balewa too had in a public speech described Nigeria as a British experiment and Nigeria's unity as a British intention which Nigerians themselves don't believe in.
But Azikiwe kicked and demonized him too. Had Azikiwe co-operated with Enahoro, Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa about the secession clause, Nigeria perhaps would not have been this misgoverned.
For those in doubt, here is a link of one of the numerous instances in which Nnamdi Azikiwe fought against the secession clause proposal for the future Nigeria constitution.
It should be noted that there were many Igbo members of the parliament in which Azikiwe fought against Awolowo's secession clause proposal in the link above, but not a single one of them rose against Azikiwe or condemned him.
Igbos initially never wanted to hear anything like secession in Nigeria because they so much believed, though falsely, that they were the most educated tribe. (The first Nigerian tribe to produce a university graduate is the Binis).
As an evidence of Igbo domination agenda hence their initial resistance to the idea of secession; here are some quotes:
"From all indications, the god of us Igbos have destined us to rule the whole of Africa"..... Nnamdi Azikiwe (1945).
"It is getting clearer each day that Igbo domination of Nigeria is just a question of time"... Oscar Onyeamma. (1949)
As at 1900, the whole of the present Benue State, Kogi East Senatorial District and some southern parts of Taraba State called Munchi District back then; were all in the Southern Protectorate.
Whoever doubts this should consult MacMillan Atlas for secondary schools in Nigeria. With that situation the South had a higher population than the North hence always had an upper hand in any democratic bargain.
But as at the early fifties when the regions were being created, common sense dictated clearly that these areas should fall in the future Eastern Region.
But against common sense, the colonial masters decided to gerrymander them into the Northern Region.
While they did that, Azikiwe who was supposed to be in Enugu fighting against it as the leader of the East, was far away in Ibadan struggling with Awolowo to rule the Western Region and also playing the spoiler role against Awolowo's attempts to have Kwara and present Kogi Yorubas carved into the Western Region from the North which was already too large by landmass.
While he abandoned his burning house and was far away in Ibadan struggling against Awolowo for his own (Awolowo's) region, Igbos saw absolutely nothing wrong with that. Rather they applauded him as a nationalist. A nationalist whose house was burning yet busy chasing rats in a far away land.
When opinions became unanimous that Lord Luggard and his government must be forced out of Nigeria and indeed the whole of Africa, it was still the Igbos that frustrated the attempts.
Here is how: In 1948, Anthony Enahoro organized an anti-colonization symposium in Lagos for which Azikiwe and some other Igbos had agreed to deliver the keynote address.
But when the D-day came, Azikiwe was nowhere to be found as he deliberately disappeared into thin air for fear of being arrested and dealt with by Lord Luggard.
Anthony Enahoro then quickly replaced Azikiwe with another person who did the job improptu but perfectly well as he lambasted and lampooned Lord Luggard and the British Government.
However, the British soldiers invaded the symposium venue, arrested the speaker and Enahoro and jailed them for treasonable felony.
Ironically, the next day Azikiwe came out of hiding and granted a radio interview in which he accused Enahoro and the other organizers of suffering from youthful exuberance.
On regaining his freedom few weeks later and being told of Azikiwe's radio interview, Enahoro resigned from his post as Editor of Azikiwe's newspaper - The West African Pilot.
Then he wrote a book titled "Nnamdi Azikiwe: Sinner of Saint".
After launching the book, Enahoro left Azikiwe's party - the NCNC, and moved over to Awolowo's Action Group.
The first military coup in Nigeria was carried out by majority of Igbo army officers.
That was the coup that truncated democracy just six years post Independence and led to a succession of coups which put the country on the reverse gear for 33 years.
Through that first coup, those Igbo army officers who accused the politicians and government of the day of monumental corruption, killed the political leaders of the Northern, Western and Midwestern Regions but allowed all Igbo political figures to escape by tipping them off prior to the D-Day.
In addition to the killing of political figures, they also killed a total of 27 innocent high ranking military officers from every region except their Eastern Region.
*In the end an Igbo man called Aguiyi Ironsi, who was supposed to have been killed alongside other military officers, ended up becoming the new military ruler of Nigeria*
*Rather than immediately arrest and punish the coup plotters, he kept them in detention where they were treated as heroes*
*This was actually what sowed the seed for the eventual Biafra War. On the 23rd of February 1966 (i.e. a month and 8 days after the first coup porpularly but wrongly known as Nzeogwu coup, an Ijaw born Army officer called Isaac Adaka Boro who hailed from Kaima town of present Bayelsa State, declared the secession of the Niger Delta Republic in an attempt to free his Ijaw people from the monumental marginalization they had been suffering under Igbos in the old Eastern Region* *But Aguiyi Ironsi immediately ordered Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu to arrest him and hand him over to the military high command under him in Lagos. Ojukwu went all out against Isaac Adaka Boro with federal military might and within 12 fighting days killed 150 Isaac Boro's soldiers, arrested him, stripped him naked, and had him driven to Lagos and handed to Ironsi who immediately charged him to court and within two months secured against him a conviction of treasonable felony for which he was sentenced to death by hanging fixed for December that year by the Supreme Court*
*His 'crime' was that he declared secession of The Niger Delta Republic from Nigeria. Meanwhile the Igbo coupists who shed innocent blood of other tribes and even sprayed bullets into the bellies of the pregnant wives of Ahmadu Bello and Brigadier Shodeinde were not charged to court or arraigned before any military tribunal*
*Isaac Adaka Boro was in detention waiting for December to come for him to join his ancestors. But God so kind, a revenge coup happened on July 29 by Northern soldiers and Ironsi was overthrown and killed*
Gowon took over and released Isaac Adaka Boro unconditionally, reinstated him into the Army with his previous rank.
Then on May 30, 1967, Ojukwu too declared secession of Biafra Republic from Nigeria and without consulting or apologising to Isaac Boro, drew a Biafra map which included the very areas that made up Isaac Adaka Boro's earlier declared Niger Delta Republic for which he fought against him and killed his soldiers.
Seeing such level of arrogance in Ojukwu, Isaac Boro asked Gowon to provide arms for him to crush Biafra by fighting on the Nigerian side in vengeance for Ojukwu's frustration of his own secession declaration 15 months earlier.
Isaac Boro, as an Ijaw man conversant with the waterways, led the Nigeria Army through the coastal areas into Igboland to finish off thousands of Ojukwu's soldiers thus leading to the crushing defeat of Biafra.
But today, Igbos accuse Ijaws of betraying them in the war. But from the facts as above, who really betrayed the other in all honesty?
Be the judge.
Why Gowon fought against Ojukwu's declaration of Biafra was as follows:
After Ironsi and Ojukwu successfully crushed Isaac Boro's Niger Delta Republic declaration, Ironsi immediately proceeded to promulgate the Anti-secession Decree which made the mere mention of secession from Nigeria punishable with death by hanging.
Ojukwu openly supported and endorsed the decree despite disapproval of it by the general public. So when Ojukwu later declared Biafra secession, he was reminded of the Anti-secession Decree made by him and his brother Ironsi.
Deadly Truth: Igbos frequently reference Aburi Accord to create the impression that the rest Nigerian tribes don't honour agreements. This is a very dishonest narrative from Igbos.
First and foremost Aburi Accord was organized by soldiers and unelected civil servants who should not participate in political exercises like making laws due to the civil service anonymity principle.
Secondly, those civil servants and military men in attendance were not elected by their federal constituencies to the Aburi summit.
In the philosophy of democracy the only universally acceptable way of making laws is through duly elected representatives of the people. But in going to Aburi the peoples' representatives duly elected in the 1965 elections were all sidelined for soldiers to hijack the process.
Where on earth do soldiers make laws for the people? Rather, the civilian populace makes laws that guide the military.
Aburi Accord therefore had no seal of the people's sovereignty hence it was an illegality which shouldn't have been allowed to stand.
Thirdly, in 1957, Nigerians from all federal constituencies democratically elected representatives whom they sponsored to London, paid their flight tickets and hotel cc accommodation for the Independence constitutional conference.
Those representatives all resolved and agreed on federalism marked by regional autonomy and resource control in the Independence Constitution which they brought back home and everyone accepted it.
In that constitution, Nigerians all agreed that on no account shall the military take over power. It was also clearly stated in it that ammendments to it could be done by only democratically elected representatives.
That constitution was the first ever agreement between all Nigerians.
On the day of his inauguration as the Army GoC, Aguiyi Ironsi stood before the whole world and with his own mouth swore to protect and defend that sovereign Independence constitution regardless of the circumstances that may later arise.
But just six years after he manufactured an excuse to clinch power against the clear provisions of that constitution we all agreed to, unilaterally began to amend its provisions with his very offensive Decrees, and ended up dismantling the federalism and resource control therein, and ultimately subverted that constitution we all painstakingly sacrificed to draft.
That was the height of irresponsibility and the dishonoring of sacred agreement. That was how Igbos breached the first agreement, all Nigerians, ever all mutually consented to, thus laying the foundation for violation of future agreements.
So Aburi Accord was only treated exactly the same way Igbos treated the Independence constitution agreement. Obasanjo removed history from the school curriculum hence the reason why many of what we do for a know of the eventualities in Biafra war were altered to suite their narratives.
With the Igbo’s in Yoruba land, “the hand shake has exceeded the wrist”. And as Chinua Achebe said in his book, “it has turned to a fight”
One thing I can about Yorubas is that they are liberal and broadminded. Well I believe God is on our side. We are like givers who will NEVER lack
It’s high time Yoruba nation intelligentsia go to works, see how we can relate and equitably accommodate the Igbos without undermining our own interests. Yes Nigeria is a nation but the Igbo people will not allow a fraction of what we tolerate in Lagos in Ochanja (Onitsha), Aba, Enugu and the likes.
How We Got to this Sorry State by The Greed Of a Few*
From the Archives of Intelligence Gathering Vault*
A must read piece to the end.
Igbo political leaders and their past misadventures resulting in current national political problems*
Do you know that when Tafawa Balewa was Prime Minister of Nigeria;
Chief of Army Staff was from SE Chief of Naval Staff was from SE IG of Police was from SE Chief of Defence staff was fron SE Internal Affairs Minister SE External Affairs Minister SE Education Minister South SE Many other key ministries to SE Parliament President SE Unilag VC from SE University of Ibadan VC from SE North resisted same at ABU!
Still there was dissatisfaction by easterners; the officers from the region killed this same Balewa!
Out of all the most senior officers in Nigeria, SE has 37, none was killed. 8 from the north, all of them were killed. 10 from the west, 2 were killed.
Then Ironsi imposed a unitary system of government on the country so that everything can belong to a region who snatched it!
We must know our history so that when we want to make corrections, we will not end up concealing the truth. This has nothing to do with tribalism but everything to do with the truth.....at times when lies litter the streets. There is the tendency to think those are truths and facts.
What follows are documented facts that can be cross checked for authenticity!
Thou shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.
Prof. Ben Nwabueze was the man who drafted the constitution that took away powers from regions and handed it to the central govt because his brother Aguiyi Ironsi was the head of state then. Today, he is shouting restructuring that he helped to destroy. We won’t forget.
Let those who have ears hear. *What Biafrans will never tell you about the real cause of their woes in Nigeria today* The Igbo man is known to enjoy blaming the Hausa-fulanis, Yorubas and indeed every other Nigerian tribe and Lord Luggard/Britain for their seeming claim of being in third class citizen status in Nigeria.
In their perpetual attempts to play the victim card, they recount the political events of Nigeria from 1914 to the present in a half-baked and highly selective manner which cleverly avoids the mention of the roles played by their elite who by all natural laws of judgement were actually responsible for the woes that befell not only the Igbo race but the entire Nigeria nation.
The story told in the post above is one of such selective and distorted accounts of history which the average Igbo man is fond of narrating. However, the national archives have the complete and unedited history of Nigeria regarding the political events beginning way back from even before 1914.
I will therefore proceed to furnish my readers with the complete story for all to read and be endowed with enough facts so as to judge and act from an informed position.
Shortly after the 1914 Amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates, it started getting clear that the country was bound to fail as the amalgamation in question was done with colonial fiat without the consent and consensus of the different tribes which were over 300.
This prompted the political leaders to start asking for de-amalgamation so as to forestall the future danger which the forced amalgamation portended. To that end, Ahmadu Bello, speaking on behalf of the Northern protectorate in 1944 described the amalgamation as:
"The mistake of 1914 which if allowed to remain will ultimately lead to unstoppable bloodshed and a failed country".
Awolowo, speaking on behalf of the Yorubas and Western minorities, described Nigeria as a mere geographical expression not qualified to be called a country let alone a nation. Awolowo added that if the amalgamation could not be reversed, then Nigeria should be structured as a strictly federal state so as to enable each tribe enjoy autonomy this freedom from being dominated by any one single tribe.
But Nnamdi Azikiwe, speaking for the Igbos, denounced Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello, terming them ethnic champions. He accused them of nursing a sectional agenda against the unity of Nigeria, and he declared further that the Unity of Nigeria was non-negotiable.
After moving the motion for independece in 1953, Anthony Enahoro proposed that a secession clause should be incorporated into the future constitution of Nigeria so as to give legal backing for any tribe to peacefully exit the forced union if it feels marginalized in future.
According to Enahoro, such provision in our constitution would instill in all Nigeria's future leaders the fear of the consequences of misgovernance.
But Azikiwe, speaking on behalf of Igbos, rose against him in the parliament and labelled him an agent of disunity, and enemy of Nigeria.
At a later date, Awolowo too made a case for secession clause, but Azikiwe again resisted him and instigated the colonial authorities to threaten him and Enahoro with charges of treasonable felony if they didn't stop proposing secession clause for the future constitution.
While Azikiwe did all these, Igbos cheered and urged him on because they felt the future Nigeria was theirs to dominate and lord it over every other tribe
Before independece, Tafawa Balewa too had in a public speech described Nigeria as a British experiment and Nigeria's unity as a British intention which Nigerians themselves don't believe in.
But Azikiwe kicked and demonized him too. Had Azikiwe co-operated with Enahoro, Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa about the secession clause, Nigeria perhaps would not have been this misgoverned.
For those in doubt, here is a link of one of the numerous instances in which Nnamdi Azikiwe fought against the secession clause proposal for the future Nigeria constitution.
It should be noted that there were many Igbo members of the parliament in which Azikiwe fought against Awolowo's secession clause proposal in the link above, but not a single one of them rose against Azikiwe or condemned him.
Igbos initially never wanted to hear anything like secession in Nigeria because they so much believed, though falsely, that they were the most educated tribe. (The first Nigerian tribe to produce a university graduate is the Binis).
As an evidence of Igbo domination agenda hence their initial resistance to the idea of secession; here are some quotes:
"From all indications, the god of us Igbos have destined us to rule the whole of Africa"..... Nnamdi Azikiwe (1945).
"It is getting clearer each day that Igbo domination of Nigeria is just a question of time"... Oscar Onyeamma. (1949)
As at 1900, the whole of the present Benue State, Kogi East Senatorial District and some southern parts of Taraba State called Munchi District back then; were all in the Southern Protectorate.
Whoever doubts this should consult MacMillan Atlas for secondary schools in Nigeria. With that situation the South had a higher population than the North hence always had an upper hand in any democratic bargain.
But as at the early fifties when the regions were being created, common sense dictated clearly that these areas should fall in the future Eastern Region.
But against common sense, the colonial masters decided to gerrymander them into the Northern Region.
While they did that, Azikiwe who was supposed to be in Enugu fighting against it as the leader of the East, was far away in Ibadan struggling with Awolowo to rule the Western Region and also playing the spoiler role against Awolowo's attempts to have Kwara and present Kogi Yorubas carved into the Western Region from the North which was already too large by landmass.
While he abandoned his burning house and was far away in Ibadan struggling against Awolowo for his own (Awolowo's) region, Igbos saw absolutely nothing wrong with that. Rather they applauded him as a nationalist. A nationalist whose house was burning yet busy chasing rats in a far away land.
When opinions became unanimous that Lord Luggard and his government must be forced out of Nigeria and indeed the whole of Africa, it was still the Igbos that frustrated the attempts.
Here is how: In 1948, Anthony Enahoro organized an anti-colonization symposium in Lagos for which Azikiwe and some other Igbos had agreed to deliver the keynote address.
But when the D-day came, Azikiwe was nowhere to be found as he deliberately disappeared into thin air for fear of being arrested and dealt with by Lord Luggard.
Anthony Enahoro then quickly replaced Azikiwe with another person who did the job improptu but perfectly well as he lambasted and lampooned Lord Luggard and the British Government.
However, the British soldiers invaded the symposium venue, arrested the speaker and Enahoro and jailed them for treasonable felony.
Ironically, the next day Azikiwe came out of hiding and granted a radio interview in which he accused Enahoro and the other organizers of suffering from youthful exuberance.
On regaining his freedom few weeks later and being told of Azikiwe's radio interview, Enahoro resigned from his post as Editor of Azikiwe's newspaper - The West African Pilot.
Then he wrote a book titled "Nnamdi Azikiwe: Sinner of Saint".
After launching the book, Enahoro left Azikiwe's party - the NCNC, and moved over to Awolowo's Action Group.
The first military coup in Nigeria was carried out by majority of Igbo army officers.
That was the coup that truncated democracy just six years post Independence and led to a succession of coups which put the country on the reverse gear for 33 years.
Through that first coup, those Igbo army officers who accused the politicians and government of the day of monumental corruption, killed the political leaders of the Northern, Western and Midwestern Regions but allowed all Igbo political figures to escape by tipping them off prior to the D-Day.
In addition to the killing of political figures, they also killed a total of 27 innocent high ranking military officers from every region except their Eastern Region.
*In the end an Igbo man called Aguiyi Ironsi, who was supposed to have been killed alongside other military officers, ended up becoming the new military ruler of Nigeria*
*Rather than immediately arrest and punish the coup plotters, he kept them in detention where they were treated as heroes*
*This was actually what sowed the seed for the eventual Biafra War. On the 23rd of February 1966 (i.e. a month and 8 days after the first coup porpularly but wrongly known as Nzeogwu coup, an Ijaw born Army officer called Isaac Adaka Boro who hailed from Kaima town of present Bayelsa State, declared the secession of the Niger Delta Republic in an attempt to free his Ijaw people from the monumental marginalization they had been suffering under Igbos in the old Eastern Region* *But Aguiyi Ironsi immediately ordered Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu to arrest him and hand him over to the military high command under him in Lagos. Ojukwu went all out against Isaac Adaka Boro with federal military might and within 12 fighting days killed 150 Isaac Boro's soldiers, arrested him, stripped him naked, and had him driven to Lagos and handed to Ironsi who immediately charged him to court and within two months secured against him a conviction of treasonable felony for which he was sentenced to death by hanging fixed for December that year by the Supreme Court*
*His 'crime' was that he declared secession of The Niger Delta Republic from Nigeria. Meanwhile the Igbo coupists who shed innocent blood of other tribes and even sprayed bullets into the bellies of the pregnant wives of Ahmadu Bello and Brigadier Shodeinde were not charged to court or arraigned before any military tribunal*
*Isaac Adaka Boro was in detention waiting for December to come for him to join his ancestors. But God so kind, a revenge coup happened on July 29 by Northern soldiers and Ironsi was overthrown and killed*
Gowon took over and released Isaac Adaka Boro unconditionally, reinstated him into the Army with his previous rank.
Then on May 30, 1967, Ojukwu too declared secession of Biafra Republic from Nigeria and without consulting or apologising to Isaac Boro, drew a Biafra map which included the very areas that made up Isaac Adaka Boro's earlier declared Niger Delta Republic for which he fought against him and killed his soldiers.
Seeing such level of arrogance in Ojukwu, Isaac Boro asked Gowon to provide arms for him to crush Biafra by fighting on the Nigerian side in vengeance for Ojukwu's frustration of his own secession declaration 15 months earlier.
Isaac Boro, as an Ijaw man conversant with the waterways, led the Nigeria Army through the coastal areas into Igboland to finish off thousands of Ojukwu's soldiers thus leading to the crushing defeat of Biafra.
But today, Igbos accuse Ijaws of betraying them in the war. But from the facts as above, who really betrayed the other in all honesty?
Be the judge.
Why Gowon fought against Ojukwu's declaration of Biafra was as follows:
After Ironsi and Ojukwu successfully crushed Isaac Boro's Niger Delta Republic declaration, Ironsi immediately proceeded to promulgate the Anti-secession Decree which made the mere mention of secession from Nigeria punishable with death by hanging.
Ojukwu openly supported and endorsed the decree despite disapproval of it by the general public. So when Ojukwu later declared Biafra secession, he was reminded of the Anti-secession Decree made by him and his brother Ironsi.
Deadly Truth: Igbos frequently reference Aburi Accord to create the impression that the rest Nigerian tribes don't honour agreements. This is a very dishonest narrative from Igbos.
First and foremost Aburi Accord was organized by soldiers and unelected civil servants who should not participate in political exercises like making laws due to the civil service anonymity principle.
Secondly, those civil servants and military men in attendance were not elected by their federal constituencies to the Aburi summit.
In the philosophy of democracy the only universally acceptable way of making laws is through duly elected representatives of the people. But in going to Aburi the peoples' representatives duly elected in the 1965 elections were all sidelined for soldiers to hijack the process.
Where on earth do soldiers make laws for the people? Rather, the civilian populace makes laws that guide the military.
Aburi Accord therefore had no seal of the people's sovereignty hence it was an illegality which shouldn't have been allowed to stand.
Thirdly, in 1957, Nigerians from all federal constituencies democratically elected representatives whom they sponsored to London, paid their flight tickets and hotel cc accommodation for the Independence constitutional conference.
Those representatives all resolved and agreed on federalism marked by regional autonomy and resource control in the Independence Constitution which they brought back home and everyone accepted it.
In that constitution, Nigerians all agreed that on no account shall the military take over power. It was also clearly stated in it that ammendments to it could be done by only democratically elected representatives.
That constitution was the first ever agreement between all Nigerians.
On the day of his inauguration as the Army GoC, Aguiyi Ironsi stood before the whole world and with his own mouth swore to protect and defend that sovereign Independence constitution regardless of the circumstances that may later arise.
But just six years after he manufactured an excuse to clinch power against the clear provisions of that constitution we all agreed to, unilaterally began to amend its provisions with his very offensive Decrees, and ended up dismantling the federalism and resource control therein, and ultimately subverted that constitution we all painstakingly sacrificed to draft.
That was the height of irresponsibility and the dishonoring of sacred agreement. That was how Igbos breached the first agreement, all Nigerians, ever all mutually consented to, thus laying the foundation for violation of future agreements.
So Aburi Accord was only treated exactly the same way Igbos treated the Independence constitution agreement. Obasanjo removed history from the school curriculum hence the reason why many of what we do for a know of the eventualities in Biafra war were altered to suite their narratives.
With the Igbo’s in Yoruba land, “the hand shake has exceeded the wrist”. And as Chinua Achebe said in his book, “it has turned to a fight”
One thing I can about Yorubas is that they are liberal and broadminded. Well I believe God is on our side. We are like givers who will NEVER lack
It’s high time Yoruba nation intelligentsia go to works, see how we can relate and equitably accommodate the Igbos without undermining our own interests. Yes Nigeria is a nation but the Igbo people will not allow a fraction of what we tolerate in Lagos in Ochanja (Onitsha), Aba, Enugu and the likes.
At the end your bias and ethnic leaning messed your hitherto thought provoking piece.
I would have given it the attention I believed it deserve until your yorubaness made it all about your nepotistic bend.
Another trash that should be consigned albeit permanently to the dustbin of history!
I should be asking you that question.This is from the post.and I quote below.
After moving the motion for independece in 1953, Anthony Enahoro proposed that a secession clause should be incorporated into the future constitution of Nigeria so as to give legal backing for any tribe to peacefully exit the forced union if it feels marginalized in future.
According to Enahoro, such provision in our constitution would instill in all Nigeria's future leaders the fear of the consequences of misgovernance.
But Azikiwe, speaking on behalf of Igbos, rose against him in the parliament and labelled him an agent of disunity, and enemy of Nigeria.
I ask you again now that you know I read the post,Did Zik wake up from his grave to oppose Yoruba and Hausa people that wrote 1999 constitution from inserting secession clause into our new constitution? Why must you all continue living in the past when you can make tomorrow better?
Enahoro is Bini.
The fact that Igbos opposed the succession clause is part of the reason why Nigeria is a mess today.
This is really sad and pitiful, reading a Yoruba narrative in a deceptive defense of a great country run down to the dust mostly by the political class of SW & Northern Nigeria since their genocidal Victorious war against the Biafrans over fifty years ago.
I just hope, the above deceptive write up only serves one purpose,...to increase the traffic on niaraland, because, the Yorubas more than any other ethnic group in Nigeria contributed more than 80% causes of Nigeria's demise and subsequently, 80% of her curse. The Hausa/Fulani who are 100% hands on & the actual/physical destroyers are bounded by religious obligations to act out. I am probably wrong in my assessment in ascribing to them the remaining 20%, but clearly, they are under an influence. The Igbos are 1000% vindictive of Nigerian demise because, the nature of that demise & how it occurs over a time line as it reaches a threshold were actually acted upon them. Since after the civil war some fifty years ago, the SW & their Northern counter part usurping everything within the federal government to the exclusion of the Igbos, have presided well over $800 billions in oil windfall, with absolutely nothing to show on the country or their lives.
The great Yorubas are now stuck in (poverty capital of the world, abject poverty, no electricity, water, poor health, backwardness, insecurity of all kinds etc). For as long as Nigeria remain in existence, they can only tag on with the Hausa Fulani since they cannot politically change/influence the North whom they tag on for better or worst or the Igbos whom they conspired with the North to commit genocide.
Yorubas contributed 80% of Nigerian Woes because, 1). They introduce tribalism into the body politics by Awo's action 2). The gave the North, and are still giving, their full support in everything and question little. While the jihadist are ravaging the country, Yoruba stay focused on Igbo matters. 3). They worked 100% to enthrone the present government. 4) They have never taken the bull by the horn in addressing Nigeria's myriad of problems like the Igbos to the risk of loosing of lives. They just have to tag on with the Hausa Fulani even when the later are in mad drive of gruesome killings of Nigerians. If they talk or question, the purported monopoly of Lagos State as the international airport gateway and the international seaport gateway can be neutralize asap. The Yorubas can't even show a higher level of aggressiveness in demanding the sovereign State of Oduduwa because of the nature of "tag on" they have with the North
To correct something's your wrote up there, Was it the Yoruba or the Igbo that join forces with the north in 1966?? Which tribes won the 1979 election?? Was it not a union of Fulani/Igbo?? Yoruba and Hausa first ever combination came in 2015 if am not wrong, so how are they the sell out??
Truth is we must all drop these blame games. Our fore father's were all selfish and brought us here, what ever happens now we have to accept first that every tribe contributed to where we are right now and it's either we decide to take a titanic shift or remain adrift
Which suffer is Igbos suffering..? You people and your shallow mentality... So because they did not get presidency means they are suffering..?
Are you not ashamed that Igbos wore torn cities have caught up with your continually built city without war relic.?
You shld b ashamed that Igbos have caught up with you on children enrollment in schools,level of professionals etc. You guyz shld go kill all ur stealing leaders......
Again PDP ruled 16years.and Igbos held very good positions.. Plenty of them.. ND all excelled. Now ap. Is ruling less than 8yesras and the Yorubas are shouting enjoiment enjoiment. Cuz of 8years..?..
Yet they are supporting non inclusion of a major tribe in appointment yet blaming them for trying to secceed.
As at 1963.there was no reason for secession. No trouble in naija. And Yorubas with thier tribalistic self are trying to break a virgin country ND expects a gentle man to support them using evidence of things of 40years later as prove and deceiving themselves they saw it coming. Know it today. Awo only wanted breaking cuz he want sto b president of the southwest. ND steal AL the cocoa fund.....
Think with your head not your leg
There was no reason for secession but Niger Delta wanted out abi?? There was no reason for secession and there was already killing in the north? Now how does adding a secession clause amount that there must be secession??
The op did exaggerated some things but the point is zik wanted a presidential system of government something more like a USA but truth is for a heterogeneous group like ours a more UK style is preferred, UK has secession clause have they divided ever since??
How We Got to this Sorry State by The Greed Of a Few*
From the Archives of Intelligence Gathering Vault*
A must read piece to the end.
Igbo political leaders and their past misadventures resulting in current national political problems*
Do you know that when Tafawa Balewa was Prime Minister of Nigeria;
Chief of Army Staff was from SE Chief of Naval Staff was from SE IG of Police was from SE Chief of Defence staff was fron SE Internal Affairs Minister SE External Affairs Minister SE Education Minister South SE Many other key ministries to SE Parliament President SE Unilag VC from SE University of Ibadan VC from SE North resisted same at ABU!
Still there was dissatisfaction by easterners; the officers from the region killed this same Balewa!
Out of all the most senior officers in Nigeria, SE has 37, none was killed. 8 from the north, all of them were killed. 10 from the west, 2 were killed.
Then Ironsi imposed a unitary system of government on the country so that everything can belong to a region who snatched it!
We must know our history so that when we want to make corrections, we will not end up concealing the truth. This has nothing to do with tribalism but everything to do with the truth.....at times when lies litter the streets. There is the tendency to think those are truths and facts.
What follows are documented facts that can be cross checked for authenticity!
Thou shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.
Prof. Ben Nwabueze was the man who drafted the constitution that took away powers from regions and handed it to the central govt because his brother Aguiyi Ironsi was the head of state then. Today, he is shouting restructuring that he helped to destroy. We won’t forget.
Let those who have ears hear. *What Biafrans will never tell you about the real cause of their woes in Nigeria today* The Igbo man is known to enjoy blaming the Hausa-fulanis, Yorubas and indeed every other Nigerian tribe and Lord Luggard/Britain for their seeming claim of being in third class citizen status in Nigeria.
In their perpetual attempts to play the victim card, they recount the political events of Nigeria from 1914 to the present in a half-baked and highly selective manner which cleverly avoids the mention of the roles played by their elite who by all natural laws of judgement were actually responsible for the woes that befell not only the Igbo race but the entire Nigeria nation.
The story told in the post above is one of such selective and distorted accounts of history which the average Igbo man is fond of narrating. However, the national archives have the complete and unedited history of Nigeria regarding the political events beginning way back from even before 1914.
I will therefore proceed to furnish my readers with the complete story for all to read and be endowed with enough facts so as to judge and act from an informed position.
Shortly after the 1914 Amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates, it started getting clear that the country was bound to fail as the amalgamation in question was done with colonial fiat without the consent and consensus of the different tribes which were over 300.
This prompted the political leaders to start asking for de-amalgamation so as to forestall the future danger which the forced amalgamation portended. To that end, Ahmadu Bello, speaking on behalf of the Northern protectorate in 1944 described the amalgamation as:
"The mistake of 1914 which if allowed to remain will ultimately lead to unstoppable bloodshed and a failed country".
Awolowo, speaking on behalf of the Yorubas and Western minorities, described Nigeria as a mere geographical expression not qualified to be called a country let alone a nation. Awolowo added that if the amalgamation could not be reversed, then Nigeria should be structured as a strictly federal state so as to enable each tribe enjoy autonomy this freedom from being dominated by any one single tribe.
But Nnamdi Azikiwe, speaking for the Igbos, denounced Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello, terming them ethnic champions. He accused them of nursing a sectional agenda against the unity of Nigeria, and he declared further that the Unity of Nigeria was non-negotiable.
After moving the motion for independece in 1953, Anthony Enahoro proposed that a secession clause should be incorporated into the future constitution of Nigeria so as to give legal backing for any tribe to peacefully exit the forced union if it feels marginalized in future.
According to Enahoro, such provision in our constitution would instill in all Nigeria's future leaders the fear of the consequences of misgovernance.
But Azikiwe, speaking on behalf of Igbos, rose against him in the parliament and labelled him an agent of disunity, and enemy of Nigeria.
At a later date, Awolowo too made a case for secession clause, but Azikiwe again resisted him and instigated the colonial authorities to threaten him and Enahoro with charges of treasonable felony if they didn't stop proposing secession clause for the future constitution.
While Azikiwe did all these, Igbos cheered and urged him on because they felt the future Nigeria was theirs to dominate and lord it over every other tribe
Before independece, Tafawa Balewa too had in a public speech described Nigeria as a British experiment and Nigeria's unity as a British intention which Nigerians themselves don't believe in.
But Azikiwe kicked and demonized him too. Had Azikiwe co-operated with Enahoro, Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa about the secession clause, Nigeria perhaps would not have been this misgoverned.
For those in doubt, here is a link of one of the numerous instances in which Nnamdi Azikiwe fought against the secession clause proposal for the future Nigeria constitution.
It should be noted that there were many Igbo members of the parliament in which Azikiwe fought against Awolowo's secession clause proposal in the link above, but not a single one of them rose against Azikiwe or condemned him.
Igbos initially never wanted to hear anything like secession in Nigeria because they so much believed, though falsely, that they were the most educated tribe. (The first Nigerian tribe to produce a university graduate is the Binis).
As an evidence of Igbo domination agenda hence their initial resistance to the idea of secession; here are some quotes:
"From all indications, the god of us Igbos have destined us to rule the whole of Africa"..... Nnamdi Azikiwe (1945).
"It is getting clearer each day that Igbo domination of Nigeria is just a question of time"... Oscar Onyeamma. (1949)
As at 1900, the whole of the present Benue State, Kogi East Senatorial District and some southern parts of Taraba State called Munchi District back then; were all in the Southern Protectorate.
Whoever doubts this should consult MacMillan Atlas for secondary schools in Nigeria. With that situation the South had a higher population than the North hence always had an upper hand in any democratic bargain.
But as at the early fifties when the regions were being created, common sense dictated clearly that these areas should fall in the future Eastern Region.
But against common sense, the colonial masters decided to gerrymander them into the Northern Region.
While they did that, Azikiwe who was supposed to be in Enugu fighting against it as the leader of the East, was far away in Ibadan struggling with Awolowo to rule the Western Region and also playing the spoiler role against Awolowo's attempts to have Kwara and present Kogi Yorubas carved into the Western Region from the North which was already too large by landmass.
While he abandoned his burning house and was far away in Ibadan struggling against Awolowo for his own (Awolowo's) region, Igbos saw absolutely nothing wrong with that. Rather they applauded him as a nationalist. A nationalist whose house was burning yet busy chasing rats in a far away land.
When opinions became unanimous that Lord Luggard and his government must be forced out of Nigeria and indeed the whole of Africa, it was still the Igbos that frustrated the attempts.
Here is how: In 1948, Anthony Enahoro organized an anti-colonization symposium in Lagos for which Azikiwe and some other Igbos had agreed to deliver the keynote address.
But when the D-day came, Azikiwe was nowhere to be found as he deliberately disappeared into thin air for fear of being arrested and dealt with by Lord Luggard.
Anthony Enahoro then quickly replaced Azikiwe with another person who did the job improptu but perfectly well as he lambasted and lampooned Lord Luggard and the British Government.
However, the British soldiers invaded the symposium venue, arrested the speaker and Enahoro and jailed them for treasonable felony.
Ironically, the next day Azikiwe came out of hiding and granted a radio interview in which he accused Enahoro and the other organizers of suffering from youthful exuberance.
On regaining his freedom few weeks later and being told of Azikiwe's radio interview, Enahoro resigned from his post as Editor of Azikiwe's newspaper - The West African Pilot.
Then he wrote a book titled "Nnamdi Azikiwe: Sinner of Saint".
After launching the book, Enahoro left Azikiwe's party - the NCNC, and moved over to Awolowo's Action Group.
The first military coup in Nigeria was carried out by majority of Igbo army officers.
That was the coup that truncated democracy just six years post Independence and led to a succession of coups which put the country on the reverse gear for 33 years.
Through that first coup, those Igbo army officers who accused the politicians and government of the day of monumental corruption, killed the political leaders of the Northern, Western and Midwestern Regions but allowed all Igbo political figures to escape by tipping them off prior to the D-Day.
In addition to the killing of political figures, they also killed a total of 27 innocent high ranking military officers from every region except their Eastern Region.
*In the end an Igbo man called Aguiyi Ironsi, who was supposed to have been killed alongside other military officers, ended up becoming the new military ruler of Nigeria*
*Rather than immediately arrest and punish the coup plotters, he kept them in detention where they were treated as heroes*
*This was actually what sowed the seed for the eventual Biafra War. On the 23rd of February 1966 (i.e. a month and 8 days after the first coup porpularly but wrongly known as Nzeogwu coup, an Ijaw born Army officer called Isaac Adaka Boro who hailed from Kaima town of present Bayelsa State, declared the secession of the Niger Delta Republic in an attempt to free his Ijaw people from the monumental marginalization they had been suffering under Igbos in the old Eastern Region* *But Aguiyi Ironsi immediately ordered Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu to arrest him and hand him over to the military high command under him in Lagos. Ojukwu went all out against Isaac Adaka Boro with federal military might and within 12 fighting days killed 150 Isaac Boro's soldiers, arrested him, stripped him naked, and had him driven to Lagos and handed to Ironsi who immediately charged him to court and within two months secured against him a conviction of treasonable felony for which he was sentenced to death by hanging fixed for December that year by the Supreme Court*
*His 'crime' was that he declared secession of The Niger Delta Republic from Nigeria. Meanwhile the Igbo coupists who shed innocent blood of other tribes and even sprayed bullets into the bellies of the pregnant wives of Ahmadu Bello and Brigadier Shodeinde were not charged to court or arraigned before any military tribunal*
*Isaac Adaka Boro was in detention waiting for December to come for him to join his ancestors. But God so kind, a revenge coup happened on July 29 by Northern soldiers and Ironsi was overthrown and killed*
Gowon took over and released Isaac Adaka Boro unconditionally, reinstated him into the Army with his previous rank.
Then on May 30, 1967, Ojukwu too declared secession of Biafra Republic from Nigeria and without consulting or apologising to Isaac Boro, drew a Biafra map which included the very areas that made up Isaac Adaka Boro's earlier declared Niger Delta Republic for which he fought against him and killed his soldiers.
Seeing such level of arrogance in Ojukwu, Isaac Boro asked Gowon to provide arms for him to crush Biafra by fighting on the Nigerian side in vengeance for Ojukwu's frustration of his own secession declaration 15 months earlier.
Isaac Boro, as an Ijaw man conversant with the waterways, led the Nigeria Army through the coastal areas into Igboland to finish off thousands of Ojukwu's soldiers thus leading to the crushing defeat of Biafra.
But today, Igbos accuse Ijaws of betraying them in the war. But from the facts as above, who really betrayed the other in all honesty?
Be the judge.
Why Gowon fought against Ojukwu's declaration of Biafra was as follows:
After Ironsi and Ojukwu successfully crushed Isaac Boro's Niger Delta Republic declaration, Ironsi immediately proceeded to promulgate the Anti-secession Decree which made the mere mention of secession from Nigeria punishable with death by hanging.
Ojukwu openly supported and endorsed the decree despite disapproval of it by the general public. So when Ojukwu later declared Biafra secession, he was reminded of the Anti-secession Decree made by him and his brother Ironsi.
Deadly Truth: Igbos frequently reference Aburi Accord to create the impression that the rest Nigerian tribes don't honour agreements. This is a very dishonest narrative from Igbos.
First and foremost Aburi Accord was organized by soldiers and unelected civil servants who should not participate in political exercises like making laws due to the civil service anonymity principle.
Secondly, those civil servants and military men in attendance were not elected by their federal constituencies to the Aburi summit.
In the philosophy of democracy the only universally acceptable way of making laws is through duly elected representatives of the people. But in going to Aburi the peoples' representatives duly elected in the 1965 elections were all sidelined for soldiers to hijack the process.
Where on earth do soldiers make laws for the people? Rather, the civilian populace makes laws that guide the military.
Aburi Accord therefore had no seal of the people's sovereignty hence it was an illegality which shouldn't have been allowed to stand.
Thirdly, in 1957, Nigerians from all federal constituencies democratically elected representatives whom they sponsored to London, paid their flight tickets and hotel cc accommodation for the Independence constitutional conference.
Those representatives all resolved and agreed on federalism marked by regional autonomy and resource control in the Independence Constitution which they brought back home and everyone accepted it.
In that constitution, Nigerians all agreed that on no account shall the military take over power. It was also clearly stated in it that ammendments to it could be done by only democratically elected representatives.
That constitution was the first ever agreement between all Nigerians.
On the day of his inauguration as the Army GoC, Aguiyi Ironsi stood before the whole world and with his own mouth swore to protect and defend that sovereign Independence constitution regardless of the circumstances that may later arise.
But just six years after he manufactured an excuse to clinch power against the clear provisions of that constitution we all agreed to, unilaterally began to amend its provisions with his very offensive Decrees, and ended up dismantling the federalism and resource control therein, and ultimately subverted that constitution we all painstakingly sacrificed to draft.
That was the height of irresponsibility and the dishonoring of sacred agreement. That was how Igbos breached the first agreement, all Nigerians, ever all mutually consented to, thus laying the foundation for violation of future agreements.
So Aburi Accord was only treated exactly the same way Igbos treated the Independence constitution agreement. Obasanjo removed history from the school curriculum hence the reason why many of what we do for a know of the eventualities in Biafra war were altered to suite their narratives.
With the Igbo’s in Yoruba land, “the hand shake has exceeded the wrist”. And as Chinua Achebe said in his book, “it has turned to a fight”
One thing I can about Yorubas is that they are liberal and broadminded. Well I believe God is on our side. We are like givers who will NEVER lack
It’s high time Yoruba nation intelligentsia go to works, see how we can relate and equitably accommodate the Igbos without undermining our own interests. Yes Nigeria is a nation but the Igbo people will not allow a fraction of what we tolerate in Lagos in Ochanja (Onitsha), Aba, Enugu and the likes.
How We Got to this Sorry State by The Greed Of a Few*
From the Archives of Intelligence Gathering Vault*
A must read piece to the end.
Igbo political leaders and their past misadventures resulting in current national political problems*
Do you know that when Tafawa Balewa was Prime Minister of Nigeria;
Chief of Army Staff was from SE Chief of Naval Staff was from SE IG of Police was from SE Chief of Defence staff was fron SE Internal Affairs Minister SE External Affairs Minister SE Education Minister South SE Many other key ministries to SE Parliament President SE Unilag VC from SE University of Ibadan VC from SE North resisted same at ABU!
Still there was dissatisfaction by easterners; the officers from the region killed this same Balewa!
Out of all the most senior officers in Nigeria, SE has 37, none was killed. 8 from the north, all of them were killed. 10 from the west, 2 were killed.
Then Ironsi imposed a unitary system of government on the country so that everything can belong to a region who snatched it!
We must know our history so that when we want to make corrections, we will not end up concealing the truth. This has nothing to do with tribalism but everything to do with the truth.....at times when lies litter the streets. There is the tendency to think those are truths and facts.
What follows are documented facts that can be cross checked for authenticity!
Thou shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.
Prof. Ben Nwabueze was the man who drafted the constitution that took away powers from regions and handed it to the central govt because his brother Aguiyi Ironsi was the head of state then. Today, he is shouting restructuring that he helped to destroy. We won’t forget.
Let those who have ears hear. *What Biafrans will never tell you about the real cause of their woes in Nigeria today* The Igbo man is known to enjoy blaming the Hausa-fulanis, Yorubas and indeed every other Nigerian tribe and Lord Luggard/Britain for their seeming claim of being in third class citizen status in Nigeria.
In their perpetual attempts to play the victim card, they recount the political events of Nigeria from 1914 to the present in a half-baked and highly selective manner which cleverly avoids the mention of the roles played by their elite who by all natural laws of judgement were actually responsible for the woes that befell not only the Igbo race but the entire Nigeria nation.
The story told in the post above is one of such selective and distorted accounts of history which the average Igbo man is fond of narrating. However, the national archives have the complete and unedited history of Nigeria regarding the political events beginning way back from even before 1914.
I will therefore proceed to furnish my readers with the complete story for all to read and be endowed with enough facts so as to judge and act from an informed position.
Shortly after the 1914 Amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates, it started getting clear that the country was bound to fail as the amalgamation in question was done with colonial fiat without the consent and consensus of the different tribes which were over 300.
This prompted the political leaders to start asking for de-amalgamation so as to forestall the future danger which the forced amalgamation portended. To that end, Ahmadu Bello, speaking on behalf of the Northern protectorate in 1944 described the amalgamation as:
"The mistake of 1914 which if allowed to remain will ultimately lead to unstoppable bloodshed and a failed country".
Awolowo, speaking on behalf of the Yorubas and Western minorities, described Nigeria as a mere geographical expression not qualified to be called a country let alone a nation. Awolowo added that if the amalgamation could not be reversed, then Nigeria should be structured as a strictly federal state so as to enable each tribe enjoy autonomy this freedom from being dominated by any one single tribe.
But Nnamdi Azikiwe, speaking for the Igbos, denounced Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello, terming them ethnic champions. He accused them of nursing a sectional agenda against the unity of Nigeria, and he declared further that the Unity of Nigeria was non-negotiable.
After moving the motion for independece in 1953, Anthony Enahoro proposed that a secession clause should be incorporated into the future constitution of Nigeria so as to give legal backing for any tribe to peacefully exit the forced union if it feels marginalized in future.
According to Enahoro, such provision in our constitution would instill in all Nigeria's future leaders the fear of the consequences of misgovernance.
But Azikiwe, speaking on behalf of Igbos, rose against him in the parliament and labelled him an agent of disunity, and enemy of Nigeria.
At a later date, Awolowo too made a case for secession clause, but Azikiwe again resisted him and instigated the colonial authorities to threaten him and Enahoro with charges of treasonable felony if they didn't stop proposing secession clause for the future constitution.
While Azikiwe did all these, Igbos cheered and urged him on because they felt the future Nigeria was theirs to dominate and lord it over every other tribe
Before independece, Tafawa Balewa too had in a public speech described Nigeria as a British experiment and Nigeria's unity as a British intention which Nigerians themselves don't believe in.
But Azikiwe kicked and demonized him too. Had Azikiwe co-operated with Enahoro, Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa about the secession clause, Nigeria perhaps would not have been this misgoverned.
For those in doubt, here is a link of one of the numerous instances in which Nnamdi Azikiwe fought against the secession clause proposal for the future Nigeria constitution.
It should be noted that there were many Igbo members of the parliament in which Azikiwe fought against Awolowo's secession clause proposal in the link above, but not a single one of them rose against Azikiwe or condemned him.
Igbos initially never wanted to hear anything like secession in Nigeria because they so much believed, though falsely, that they were the most educated tribe. (The first Nigerian tribe to produce a university graduate is the Binis).
As an evidence of Igbo domination agenda hence their initial resistance to the idea of secession; here are some quotes:
"From all indications, the god of us Igbos have destined us to rule the whole of Africa"..... Nnamdi Azikiwe (1945).
"It is getting clearer each day that Igbo domination of Nigeria is just a question of time"... Oscar Onyeamma. (1949)
As at 1900, the whole of the present Benue State, Kogi East Senatorial District and some southern parts of Taraba State called Munchi District back then; were all in the Southern Protectorate.
Whoever doubts this should consult MacMillan Atlas for secondary schools in Nigeria. With that situation the South had a higher population than the North hence always had an upper hand in any democratic bargain.
But as at the early fifties when the regions were being created, common sense dictated clearly that these areas should fall in the future Eastern Region.
But against common sense, the colonial masters decided to gerrymander them into the Northern Region.
While they did that, Azikiwe who was supposed to be in Enugu fighting against it as the leader of the East, was far away in Ibadan struggling with Awolowo to rule the Western Region and also playing the spoiler role against Awolowo's attempts to have Kwara and present Kogi Yorubas carved into the Western Region from the North which was already too large by landmass.
While he abandoned his burning house and was far away in Ibadan struggling against Awolowo for his own (Awolowo's) region, Igbos saw absolutely nothing wrong with that. Rather they applauded him as a nationalist. A nationalist whose house was burning yet busy chasing rats in a far away land.
When opinions became unanimous that Lord Luggard and his government must be forced out of Nigeria and indeed the whole of Africa, it was still the Igbos that frustrated the attempts.
Here is how: In 1948, Anthony Enahoro organized an anti-colonization symposium in Lagos for which Azikiwe and some other Igbos had agreed to deliver the keynote address.
But when the D-day came, Azikiwe was nowhere to be found as he deliberately disappeared into thin air for fear of being arrested and dealt with by Lord Luggard.
Anthony Enahoro then quickly replaced Azikiwe with another person who did the job improptu but perfectly well as he lambasted and lampooned Lord Luggard and the British Government.
However, the British soldiers invaded the symposium venue, arrested the speaker and Enahoro and jailed them for treasonable felony.
Ironically, the next day Azikiwe came out of hiding and granted a radio interview in which he accused Enahoro and the other organizers of suffering from youthful exuberance.
On regaining his freedom few weeks later and being told of Azikiwe's radio interview, Enahoro resigned from his post as Editor of Azikiwe's newspaper - The West African Pilot.
Then he wrote a book titled "Nnamdi Azikiwe: Sinner of Saint".
After launching the book, Enahoro left Azikiwe's party - the NCNC, and moved over to Awolowo's Action Group.
The first military coup in Nigeria was carried out by majority of Igbo army officers.
That was the coup that truncated democracy just six years post Independence and led to a succession of coups which put the country on the reverse gear for 33 years.
Through that first coup, those Igbo army officers who accused the politicians and government of the day of monumental corruption, killed the political leaders of the Northern, Western and Midwestern Regions but allowed all Igbo political figures to escape by tipping them off prior to the D-Day.
In addition to the killing of political figures, they also killed a total of 27 innocent high ranking military officers from every region except their Eastern Region.
*In the end an Igbo man called Aguiyi Ironsi, who was supposed to have been killed alongside other military officers, ended up becoming the new military ruler of Nigeria*
*Rather than immediately arrest and punish the coup plotters, he kept them in detention where they were treated as heroes.
It’s high time Yoruba nation intelligentsia go to works, see how we can relate and equitably accommodate the Igbos without undermining our own interests. Yes Nigeria is a nation but the Igbo people will not allow a fraction of what we tolerate in Lagos in Ochanja (Onitsha), Aba, Enugu and the likes.
OMG!!!! This is truly revealing... Had to sit with a wiser elder who is wist of details described. Be it as it may, the past is gone; our (current generation) teeth needn't be set on edge for the sour grape taken by our fathers.
Way forward remains either TRUE FEDERALISM (if we wanna maintain Nigeria) or SECESSION (if need be).
God bless O'dua People God bless Niger Delta God bless Arewa God bless Biafra God bless NIGERIA
I should be asking you that question.This is from the post.and I quote below.
After moving the motion for independece in 1953, Anthony Enahoro proposed that a secession clause should be incorporated into the future constitution of Nigeria so as to give legal backing for any tribe to peacefully exit the forced union if it feels marginalized in future.
According to Enahoro, such provision in our constitution would instill in all Nigeria's future leaders the fear of the consequences of misgovernance.
But Azikiwe, speaking on behalf of Igbos, rose against him in the parliament and labelled him an agent of disunity, and enemy of Nigeria.
I ask you again now that you know I read the post,Did Zik wake up from his grave to oppose Yoruba and Hausa people that wrote 1999 constitution from inserting secession clause into our new constitution? Why must you all continue living in the past when you can make tomorrow better?
You should be smart enough to know that prevention is easier, cheaper and better than cure
This is really sad and pitiful, reading a Yoruba narrative in a deceptive defense of a great country run down to the dust mostly by the political class of SW & Northern Nigeria since their genocidal Victorious war against the Biafrans over fifty years ago.
I just hope, the above deceptive write up only serves one purpose,...to increase the traffic on niaraland, because, the Yorubas more than any other ethnic group in Nigeria contributed more than 80% causes of Nigeria's demise and subsequently, 80% of her curse. The Hausa/Fulani who are 100% hands on & the actual/physical destroyers are bounded by religious obligations to act out. I am probably wrong in my assessment in ascribing to them the remaining 20%, but clearly, they are under an influence. The Igbos are 1000% vindictive of Nigerian demise because, the nature of that demise & how it occurs over a time line as it reaches a threshold were actually acted upon them. Since after the civil war some fifty years ago, the SW & their Northern counter part usurping everything within the federal government to the exclusion of the Igbos, have presided well over $800 billions in oil windfall, with absolutely nothing to show on the country or their lives.
The great Yorubas are now stuck in (poverty capital of the world, abject poverty, no electricity, water, poor health, backwardness, insecurity of all kinds etc). For as long as Nigeria remain in existence, they can only tag on with the Hausa Fulani since they cannot politically change/influence the North whom they tag on for better or worst or the Igbos whom they conspired with the North to commit genocide.
Yorubas contributed 80% of Nigerian Woes because, 1). They introduce tribalism into the body politics by Awo's action 2). The gave the North, and are still giving, their full support in everything and question little. While the jihadist are ravaging the country, Yoruba stay focused on Igbo matters. 3). They worked 100% to enthrone the present government. 4) They have never taken the bull by the horn in addressing Nigeria's myriad of problems like the Igbos to the risk of loosing of lives. They just have to tag on with the Hausa Fulani even when the later are in mad drive of gruesome killings of Nigerians. If they talk or question, the purported monopoly of Lagos State as the international airport gateway and the international seaport gateway can be neutralize asap. The Yorubas can't even show a higher level of aggressiveness in demanding the sovereign State of Oduduwa because of the nature of "tag on" they have with the North
Did you think and write these? This is no way a defensive write up, no, you have to think again, the Nigerian political story is no news to the older ones and readers, a structure is bent you're complaining, have checked the foundation? The genesis of the whole problems is the Igbos, they owe the country an apology not a display of arrogance and lack of remorse from the new borns, the civil war and the first coup which come first? the Ironsi's constitution alterations and 1999 constitutional amendment which come first? Now the problems gave birth to all these corrupt leaders we have today which cut across the entire country, I think what we should be discussing here is the solution, how we can forge ahead positively, because before we are race we've been human, and before we are tribe we've been race, for God's sake let's rather think and develop Africa which is far lagging behind in the community of continents... My take though.
You should be smart enough to know that prevention is easier, cheaper and better than cure
Nigeria failure can not be blamed on one man only more especially, when they were in a democracy where minority like Zik will have his say while majority have their way.So, even if Zik did oppose that secession clause( of course a fabricated lies by those who are still in love with one Nigeria)why didn't majority vote in favour of it?. Okay assuming our past leaders made a mistake then,Are we still using 1959 constitution or 1999 constitution,If 1999 is not good for us why can't we write a new constitution?Must you cowards continue to blame a dead instead of facing reality of the day?
Did you think and write these? This is no way a defensive write up, no, you have to think again, the Nigerian political story is no news to the older ones and readers, a structure is bent you're complaining, have checked the foundation? The genesis of the whole problems is the Igbos, they owe the country an apology not a display of arrogance and lack of remorse from the new borns, the civil war and the first coup which come first? the Ironsi's constitution alterations and 1999 constitutional amendment which come first? Now the problems gave birth to all these corrupt leaders we have today which cut across the entire country, I think what we should be discussing here is the solution, how we can forge ahead positively, because before we are race we've been human, and before we are tribe we've been race, for God's sake let's rather think and develop Africa which is far lagging behind in the community of continents... My take though.
The same people who are saying that Igbos are the genesis of the problem of Nigeria are the ones who have been in the corridors of power for the last 55 years. An Igbo man has not led Nigeria since July 1966.
The people who said that Igbos opposed secession have not put secession in the constitution in the last 55 years they have been in charge. In fact, they dont want to hear anything secession today. They are even the ones that will send python dance after people who want secession
The same people who say that Ironsi changed the constitution are the ones who came along and made the constitution much worse. At least during Ironsi's time, we still had 4 Regions and resource control. Today, the 4 Regions are long gone and so is resource control. The same decree 34 they shout about is now practiced on a much wider scale than Ironsi ever did
The same people who say that Igbos conducted a coup, went on to conduct far more bloody coups that had far more ethnic connotations
Those who criticise Igbos today are the same people who have used the last 55 years to turn Nigeria into the terrorist prone poverty capital of the world it is today. Everything they said Igbos did wrong, they went on to do far much worse when they took over from Igbos.
But the most shocking thing about their 55 years of total failure is that their excuse, "Igbos started it and we came along and made it worse".
You came along and made Nigeria far worse, in all aspects, for the last 55 years, than Igbos ever did but your excuse is that it Igbos that started the problem?
The stupidity of such excuse is beyond comprehension
Nigeria failure can not be blamed on one man only more especially, when they were in a democracy where minority like Zik will have his say while majority have their way.So, even if Zik did oppose that secession clause( of course a fabricated lies by those who are still in love with one Nigeria)why didn't majority vote in favour of it?. Okay assuming our past leaders made a mistake then,Are we still using 1959 constitution or 1999 constitution,If 1999 is not good for us why can't we write a new constitution?Must you cowards continue to blame a dead instead of facing reality of the day?
Didn't you read where he implored the British authorities (Colonists, pre independence) to threaten the duo with treason? Enahoro and Awolowo
toolovely: The op is trying to tell us that Zik was such a powerful man that he could over rule Awolowo and Belewa. One man against two? He must have been a great man that Awolowo and Belewa respected him so much that his single opinion was taken in place of the other two
No he wasn’t a powerful man, he was just a stooge used by the British, hear it from the British themselves.
Didn't you read where he implored the British authorities (Colonists, pre independence) to threaten the duo with treason? Enahoro and Awolowo
And you think it's true? Even if it is true,are we still using that 1959 constitution? Why can't this generation write their own constitution than blaming someone that died 24 years ago.
The whole truth about Nigeria's history may never be known as all parties keep trading blames and throwing mud. Well what we should be asking is why those that won the war failed miserably and are still failing to make the nation a supposed Eldorado it was meant to be. It's only monumental failures that seek out people to blame instead of acknowledging the fact that they have failed. Truth is Nigeria was founded on faulty foundation and as such the cracks may exceed the temporary fixes which will most certainly lead to a massive failure which no tribe may survive.
