The outcome, would it have been any different?
Ifejuna manuscript : Ifejuna wrote on the issue of the first coup and why the military stroke citing in it the perpetrators of that agenda. Subsequent works on the first military coup that plunge the nation into over thrity years of military dictatorship reveal the tribes those military officers were all from. His work was surpressed, discredited the merit it earned and denied the historic importance it posed to the furture of Nigeria people. Key players in the execution of that agenda were extricated from the burden of their irresponsiblities while the same was placed on the Ibos - not on the Ibo military personals involved but on the entire race . the intent of such removal was to legitmaize their subsbsquent action - ethnic cleansing and mean while denying the legitimacy that it was not a one-tribe coup but militry interference to democractic process. The purpose of that tag was the legitimacy of Ibo massacre in Nigeria.
When Awo, was released from prison by Ojukwu, he went to Lagos, after several meets were held, he saw opportunity in that chaos to pursue his political carrier in line with the yoruba’s agenda. Prior to the break out, the Ibos politician with the north played key role in the creation of midwest region….something Awo has never forgotten, and majorities of his royalist and lagos believed the Ibos aided in the destablisation of the region….they called it.
Awo meeting with Ojukwu to convince him from seceding and that the yorubas are not ready to secede from Nigeria given to the strong militry presence in Lagos. Could there have been any other ulterior motives….if any, his subsequent actions and inactions speaks volume to that regards.The publishers said, he acted because he was looking out for yoruba’s interest. The question would be, was he also looking out for the interest of the yorubas after the war to enforce monetry policies against the Ibos?
Lagos delegation to Enugwu preceded Aburi convention, so why did it not fly in Lagos ? what was the difference between what Awo allegedly offered Ojukwu in Enugwu and what Ojukwu and Gowon’s government agreed upon for Nigerians in Ghana?
If Awo came to Enugwu to convince Ojukwu to remain and not pull out the region from the federation and that seceding is not in the best interest of Nigerians and more also for his people at that time. Why was it impossible for him to convince Lagos on Aburi?
Gowon with the Nigeria delegates went to Ghana to meet with Ojukwu and the Biafra delegetes on the need to resolve the Nigeria problems amicably….they agreed in Aburi on certain terms and when the Nigerian side came back, advice from politicians and ambarsadors in Lagos was to refuse and not go ahead to honour those agreements and his brother wrote, the man died.When they disregarded and rejected the Aburi arrangment, it was a sin not against the Biafrans alone but against the Nigeria Children… when they rejected that arrangment the negective impacts on the Nigeria populance was as it may of high proportion. This is because they mortaged the future of all Nigeria-ethnic tribes and her children forever- The Ibo man offered Nigeria Aburi….they called it an Ibo arrangment. What did the international community or the leadership of the western Nigeria say about Aburi?
Be it as it may, it is supprising how that international community would tell the world they do not interfer in other countries internal offer or domestic issues (conflict) but they would rally around within the same context to protect their interest in which side of the conflict it may fall….regardless of the price and the cost of such reckless decision.
Britain, USA, France, Russia and some African countries played major role in the defect of Baifrans. Few years after the war, Awo’s monetry policies affected and strugulated the British investment in Nigeria to the extent that the Ambarssador and London regreted to an extant her role in the prosecution of the war.. after all it was an unforseen collateral damage for the Queens government. But they maintained their rights to oil businesses with Nigeria government- the spoil of war.
Some African leaders are unwise enough to believe such preposterous under tone of political and deplomatic manoeuvrings were to their own advantage.
Some fifty years later, the yorabas and many Nigerians and some of her minority tribes are crying out, in Aburi we stand, holding meetings in Ibandan and counter meeting in other parts of the country against the present structure, while they call on the Ibos for the restructuring of the republic. If your fathers disregarded Aburi and did not speak out even when the tape and transcript were published by Ojukwu, do you expect the new Igbo men and children to yield to such a call as this and now.
When Aburi was rejected, Nigeria offered the Ibo man and the eastern region no other option but- Biafra. Today Nigerians and the different tribes are linning up together calling for Aburi arrangment. While the Ibo man has gone ahead, past Aburi and is demonstrating,calling for referendum, crying out to the outside world, calling for Biafra and you are offering him today what he had offered you, fifty years ago.
Some few months ago some yorubas elites held a meeting and came out with a communique, an agenda for the west – to pursue restructure based on regional autonomy or if you like Aburi. The second part of that agenda was to persuade other ethnic minorities and the Ibos to give their voice to that struggle.
Few Ibo elites believe in the Nigeria project, many of these few have been persuded by their Yoruba colleauges in the government, and ministries, and pastors to push for restructuring and not Biafra. Such could be seen from the recent articles by the present Deputy Senate President, and the Ohanezes and some politicians. Some Ibo clergy men are also pushing this agenda in the region…..should this come to fruition it will be good but to whom?
This is beacause these people running around calling for restructuring do not have the madate of the masses. They are put in position of public offices in no meritorius ground but by a fraudulent electoral and political process.The failure of our electoral institution, the Nigeria electoral commission allows unscreened bodies to contest, qualify unqualified party registrations, unverified voters registration, and qualifies individuals not meeting minimium qualifications to vie for any political office and allows unqualified persons (under-age) to vote.
The third phase of the Biafran struggle is about to commerce which will eventurally lead to the formation of the republic not as figment of any man’s imagnation but the reality itself. the script is ready, the platform is set, every actor is set, and the next is the play – referendum and the declaration of the people’s republic.
Igwe Chijioke P.