Afis: The Stubborn Reality. IBK to school. The Valor of Ndigbo...

Dear Afis:

For the sake of well meaning people and out of respect of Yorubas who desire a cerebral approach in discussing Nigeria's geopolitical dispensations, especially on matters that can stir sentiments, I will give you nothing but facts and context to chew on. Any school boy can curse and taunt. But let's assume you are the better you, grown and self-respecting.

Credit can be attributed to the fact that the Nigerian /Biafra war stands as an example of a civil war that ended without formal postwar reprisals and recriminations. Gowon's policy of “no victor no vanquished" aided a permissible environment of reconstruction -- both materially and psychologically. Yes, the Ndigbos apparently grew influential, mainly economically -- even through marginalized with  subtle  repression on national, political fronts. But their dynamism and unbridled resilience contributed greatly to healed wounds, for those that can be called so. The ignorance and simplemindedness with which a complex situation is presented, complete with insults, is the point I address.

In your perpetual reflex actions, you insult the Ikemba as dimwitted and the Ndigbos as worse. The questions for you, in red, examine your ability to face reality. After your vituperations, if you choose to, the stubborn reality stays.

Between 1962 and 1965, the Northern-controlled Federal Government (FG) manipulated the split in the Awolowo led Action Party and rendered it practically ineffective and useless. Further,  the FG invalidated a nationwide census, which allegedly indicated that the combined Southwest and Southeast had outstripped the North. The FG proceeded to flagrantly rig two elections in order to perpetuate their control of the country and of the Western Region, which they gained after neutering the Action Group. Organized disorder was the order of the day, a beckon to the military.

I would not insult anybody by saying the North "colonized" a compliant and pliable Western Nigeria. The Ndigbos were noted for both audacious and subliminal challenges to authorities, even during the colonial era. Eastern Region was dominated by the National Convention of Nigeria Citizens with mostly the Igbos  under Chief M. I. Okpara, who was very close to  Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. The Northern Region was ruled by the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC), led by Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, the Sarduana of Sokoto, and had mostly Northerners in its membership.

Given your uncontrolled impluses of calling the Ikemba dimwitted, you beg the question: Where did the smartness of the Western Region, which was made a political hostage, go? Would mere commonsense not tutor the Southwest to understand that Southeast was neither a foe nor an impending threat to confront?  

The idea of a manageable, democratic Nigeria had proven to be an illusion and independence was a disenchanting reminder, as a writer captured it: "The Federation was sick at birth and by January 1966,  the sick, bedridden babe collapsed." This had nothing to do with the Ikemba of Nnewi, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

After the Major General J. T. U Aguiyi Ironsi take-over, an Igbo toehold and control of the government began to gain some manner of credence, which produced more political unrests, enraging the Northern dominated and already angered army. There it happened - on July 29, 1966,  Northern soldiers mounted a  counter coup, killing Ironsi and executing about  400 Igbo officers.

Colonel Yakubu Gowon came to power. Anti-Igbo riots ensued, which resulted in systemic massacres and massive exodus of approximately 1 million Igbos from the North to the East; some with barely clothing on their backs to nowhere. Reportedly, soldiers were involved in killings and Gowon read a statement to that effect. Of course, General Odumegwu Ojukwu, the military Governor of the Eastern Nigeria naturally came under intense pressure to safeguard his people. Nobody denies that reprisal killings occured in the East.

Question for you: Now, even the most rabid believer in falsehood and fairy tales would understand that a people slayed and hunted would develop a sour taste for unity within a federation. Do you know what effective measures the goverment took to guarantee safeties?
 
It adds nothing to repeat the known - as frantic efforts to hold the fragile nation in one piece moved on various fronts, including the Aburi Summit in Ghana. In the words of Walter Schwarz, “Ojukwu got his way with little effort, by being the cleverest”  Ojukwu  advocated a looser confederation, which was accepted. Opinions have it that either Ojukwu was the only one who was fast to discern what autonomy meant or his peers from the two regions understood this too late.

Realizing after the fact, variant versions of what happened at the Aburi Summit in Ghana can be debated but the turbulent facts are clearer. At least the Midwestern region, which now includes Abuja, indicated its preferred neutrality in the event of a civil war. Awolowo demanded the removal of all northern troops in the West, and threatened to secede if the East did so first. Certainly, he was not a man sold on a glorious, united Nigeria but he only lacked the willpower; he was not prepared to fight for anything. He was eyeing expediency - let Ojukwu go first.

Afis, the questions?  What, in your estimation, is conviction? Is indecision the opposite of dimwittedness? Do you elevate gambling and chance to astuteness? If the stage had every ingredient for war, how could Ojukwu be the dimwitted trouble rouser?

I know you will come back with a diatribe and how the Ikemba married a 15 year old. But let us still assume that you are a grown up, self-respecting, and busy with your own beautiful and brainy woman, who can be an asset to the nation and on the world stage.

Question for you: Why did the Federal Miliatray Government subsequently remove northern troops from the West and issued a decree resurrecting the idea of a confederation discussed at Aburi - if Ojukwu's position was not accepted? 

Ah, on the way to Ibadan and Abeokuta, funny things can happen. Who traded and bargained? History notes that Gowon unilaterally pronounced the creation of 12 states without consultations and nary a protest came from Chief Awolowo who had asked for troop removals.  

Afis, what did Chief Awolowo mean when he indicated that the West will secede -- if the East did?

Chief Awolowo, having climbed to a top civilian post with the Gowon government, scurried to the side of the Federal Military Government and rallied many Yoruba leaders who had favored the secession of the West. Facts: Yoruba and Hausa-Fulani peoples, in cohort with minority populations in their regions, united in fright and with anti-Igbo emotions, went to war against Eastern Nigeria, which had declared the State of Biafra.

As John F. Kennedy allowed: Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate. Afis, if more regional had the bravery and intellect of Ojukwu, a Perestroika and Glasnost many have accomplished a more equitable federation without a shot or three different countries with less human blood spilled.  But when Ojukwu offered Awolowo his wish, Awolowo developed cold feet with the hots for a government post.  

Do you think the Nigerian Hausa-Fulani Army could have defeated anybody in 1970 or negotiated a more respectable and equitable dispensation?

Today, there are various noises for national conference, constitutional this, hoha here, protest there, cup in hand to get allotments from Abuja - on natural resources produced in other people's state and local areas. Forty years ago, Ojukwu was ahead of his time in seeing the need....to tame the beast.

 Bye, Afis...get aquatinted with reason -- the Ndigbos carried the cross for the meager concessions you got. Use any metaphor to decode that.  But you make no impression with childlike recalcitrance and taunts in furtherance of ignorance.

Regards,

MsJoe




IBK...Kunle, the  veterans of the Biafra war deserve more respect. They fought and Nigeria was never the same. Even the way Gowon was leapfrogged to power over more senior officers changed. When Murtala was killed, Obasanjo came to power. In more ways that certainly escape your lazy mind, Ndigbos banished complacency as it was known.  You all are beneficiaries of their bravery."   MsJoe
Ike
There is so much heat generating noise on these fora that when some insight is shared those interested in learning new things tend to miss it.

As a student of power relations I have always wondered why  Danjuma and YarAdua chose to make OBJ head of state. There was no zoning pressure. OBJ himself had gone into hiding and could have been declared AWOL.  Yet the people that had power freely gave it to him.

MsJoe's assertion above is the first reasonable explanation I am getting. Maybe Nowa can chime in here!

Joe





These efulefu guys are hiding under a woman's skirt, wishing she could by proxy achieve what they could not achieve? Since when do you have a woman leading the Igbos to Cyber-war or any war? you guys should at least have some dignity, even with your wrapper and Gele to match. stop assuming the position called Bend-over, abi and Landover Maryland sef.
Na una sabi ojare.

Ike Agbor, what Msjoe is regurgitating may be new to ignorants like you, and she may really be schooling Condensed and corroded-minds like yourself, but she's not saying anything new.
The only thing it shows, all these crap she's regurgitating ad nauseam, shows at least she is more Nigerian than her true birth place or she went to school and stumbled on world history. Nothing more nothing less. I really don't see any big deal, anything that says "wow! this is new and creative", just mere vomits that we already heard from Igbo coorrosions like Nwo-bai-bai, abi na Nwo-kanma-kanma?  Who cares? 

I think where I come from, people don't believe in someone that carries other people's loads on her head, and forgets her own load at the bus stop.
A case of crying louder than the bereaved?
Hmmm........ ....."nma ba baba rele ni"......... I'll go to heaven with our papa (utters a crazy neighbor).


Also, Ike Agbor, could you tell us in few words, five things that Ojukwu ever achieved and done successfully for the progress of Igboland.
And while you're at this game of "my-Brokus-Big- pass-yours" , could you tell us what five things Azikwe was able to do for the progress of Igboland, not his personal achievements such as "he was Governor-General and he declared IBO day (I-before-Others) ".
Let me help you start with Azikwe, he kind of participated in founding Nsukka Univ.
Oya, over to you......

Please do not say Ojukwu declared the State of Biafra and married 15yr old Yellow Fever-Bianca, and Bianca was the first lady Nigeria never had, that may be laughable.
I won't want other Nigerians to laugh at you, Ike Agbor, okay?



If there are are two people like you to tell the home truths, then half of the job of the dream of restructuring Nigeria would have been achieved.

On count one, the depth of the technological advancement of Biafra seem to be diminished by the likes of the people you are trying to educate.

On other counts they fail to realize that Biafra stood for something; that a time comes in one's life when you retort to "give me freedom or death"

If George Washington didn't stand up to the British then "these United States" wouldn't be beckoning to hoardes of immigrants.. .

And anyone who is in doubt of Biafra's prowess should ask the the people that "saw war"; for Ojukwu who personally directed the fighting in several war fronts without minding his personal safety....who in Nigeria could match his bravery.

The British, the Russians and other Nigeria's supporters knew then and today the fiber the people they all  joined hands to defeat are made of..

MsJoe thanks for educating them all...
Ike