NIGERIAN STORY 2: Am weighing the facts before me, comparing the histories for accuracy.... CIVIL WAR BEGINS : In his speech to the nation on August 1st, Gowon said, among other things: “This is Lt. Col. Y. Gowon, Army Chief of Staff, speaking to you……I have been brought to the position today of having to shoulder the great responsibilities of this country and the armed forces with the consent of the majority of the members of the Supreme Military Council as a result of the unfortunate incident that occcurred on the early morning of 29th July, 1966…..” and from this history book Shortly thereafter, on the same day, Lt. Col. Ojukwu, Military Governor of the East, made a counter-broadcast from Enugu. The next morning Gowon signed an instrument of pardon for Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Anthony Enahoro, and others who had been convicted and jailed in September 1963 for treasonable felony, conspiracy to commit a felony and conspiracy to effect an unlawful purpose in 1962 with the object of forcefully removing Alhaji Tafawa Balewa from office as Prime Minister. Even while Gowon tried to restore order.. Gowon or no Gowon, northern NCOs were still running amock killing people arbitrarily, even threatening northern officers who stood in their way. A northern corporal at Ikeja was reported to have motivated people summarizing his own motives for the mutiny by telling Norman Miners: The Ibos killed our leaders in January; they were taking all the top jobs; we had to get rid of them. Now we have only got Northerners in this barracks; all the Southerners have run away. they say that northern NCOs and soldiers were in the habit of taking uniforms of dead Igbo officers and NCOs and wearing their ranks. And On August 8, all Igbo soldiers at the Army workshop in Yaba were expelled.But as the nation was to find out, the worst was yet to come.Colonel DS Abubakar (rtd) recalls: it is reported that At that time, if an other rank does not like the face of another person he will just kill him like an animal and nobody will do anything....( sighs )... A war was brewing as Ojukwu arranged for series of meetings... I take a pause.....we do not need no violence...not at all..violence is for animals..Humans should learn to sit down together and talk..reason..i believe in reason..
Posted on: Wed, 16 Apr 2014 18:21:41 +0000
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