…Says ambition to be head of state, not one Nigeria pushed him to war
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Igbo women under the aegis of Igbo Women Assembly, IWA, have again, hit back at the former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, over his recent claims that he fought the civil war to keep Nigeria united.
Countering the former Head of State, IWA said Gowon’s ambition to rule Nigeria, and not love for One Nigeria pushed him into the 30-month civil war.
IWA, had earlier challenged Gowon “not to die with the unconfessed truth about the civil war,” and the agreement he signed with the Biafran Leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, in Ghana, otherwise known as “Aburi Accord.”
According to IWA, contrary to Gowon’s claims, his quest to be Head of State at all costs pushed him into the war.
National President of IWA, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, in a statement on Sunday, countered Gowon’s claims that he went to war to keep Nigeria one, accusing him of standing truth on the head.
She said: “You didn’t fight to keep Nigeria one but you fought because of your desperation to rule Nigeria.”
Lolo Chimezie recalled that there was a protest against Gowon becoming the Head of State after the 1996 coup as he was not the most senior military officer then.
IWA said the counter-coup that led to the tragic death of Gen. Thompson Aguiyi Ironsi, and the emergence of Gowon as Head of State, were confirmation that desperation to rule Nigeria was Gowon’s real motive for waging the 30-month civil war.
The statement made available to Ikengaonline read in part: “In military hierarchy, he (Gowon) was not supposed to be the Head of State then because he wasn’t the most senior Officer. Late Col. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu was among the officers that protested against that.
“In the Biafra war, Ojukwu was fighting in defense of his people (Biafrans) who became targets of the pogroms that triggered the war while Gowon was fighting to protect his office.”
IWA further claimed that some forces including Nigeria’s colonial masters were envious of the Igbo and unhappy with their role in actualising Nigeria’s independence in 1960, hence they saw the 1966 coup as an opportunity to blackmail the Igbo through propaganda and misinformation.
“For some people and the British who saw the Igbos as a threat, the war had nothing to do with keeping Nigeria one. They embarked on a false propaganda that the 1966 coup was Igbo coup but it was a lie as was recently affirmed by former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida in his autobiography. They used their powerful radio station to brainwash the North that Igbos staged the coup to eliminate Hausa military officers which was all lies.
“Remember that it was the Aba women riot that sparked the campaign for the British to leave Nigeria, and Britain was yet to forgive the Igbo for that. So, the coup presented them with an opportunity to punish the Igbo and cause disunity in Nigeria so that the 1960 political independence of the country would be a mess.
“Because Gowon wanted to be Head of State at all costs, he was just willing to dance to the tune of the British. That was why he jettisoned the Aburi Accord he had earlier reached with Ojukwu.
“Gowon knowing that he came from the minority (Middle Belt), if sustaining his position as Head of State means sacrificing the Igbos, he was willing to do that. So, Gowon was willing to please the North and Britain at the expense of the Igbos. That was why he went to war, and not the claims he is now trying to make.”
Lolo Chimezie argued that the civil war was avoidable if Gowon had considered the merits of the proposal for regional Government in the face of the senseless killings of the Igbo in parts of the country.
She said that those who out of envy, saw the Igbos as a threat, instigated Gowon to jettison the Aburi Accord that would have resolved the rising tension in the country then, and the lingering agitation for restructuring.
“They saw the Igbos to be more powerful, intelligent and domineering, and needed to be stopped. Then other selfish individuals from other tribes who resented the Igbos and wanted to get rid of them out of envy joined in the war against an innocent people.
“So, the war was never about Nigeria’s unity nor to keep Nigeria one because I can’t remember any tribe that made more contributions than the Igbos in the struggles for independence. How can you turn around to accuse the same people that played key role to get independence for Nigeria of breaking up the same country?”
Lolo Chimezie noted genuine efforts of a former Head of State, General Aguiyi Ironsi, an Igbo, to engender peace and reconciliation after the 1966 bloody coup by some zealous young military officers from different regions who had wanted to sanitize the excesses of the then political class.
“After the 1966 coup, Gen. Aguiyironsi as Head of State, was busy going up and down trying to reconcile Nigeria. If it was truly Igbo coup contrary to misconceptions, he would have simply taken advantage of it to declare Igbo Republic. Again, if indeed it was Igbo coup, it wouldn’t have been foiled by an Igbo. It was in one of those efforts to reconcile Nigeria that Aguiyironsi was killed in Ibadan and Gowon took over.”
The Igbo women group accused Gowon of doing nothing to protect the Igbo against genocidal attacks before the war, if truly he cared for the country’s unity.
“Now, as the Head of State, what did Gowon do to continue with the reconciliation process that Aguiyironsi initiated? Why did he not prevent the pogrom against the Igbo? Why were the Igbo singled out for annihilation during the pogrom?”
IWA which emphasized the need for the teaching of history in schools, insisted that the civil war was “instigated to punish the Igbo for no justifiable reasons.”
“The war was all about hatred and resentment against the Igbo. There was a premeditation to kill the Igbo unjustifiably. Why would even friends of the Igbo turn against them during the pogrom?
“After the pogrom when the Igbo returned home to the Eastern region, they were abandoned by Nigeria including the Head of State, Gowon. Anybody in the shoes of Ojukwu as the Governor of Eastern Region, would have no option than defend his people against the genocidal attacks?
“As the Head of State, Gowon should have stopped the massacre of Igbos and pacify them if truly he was interested in the unity of Nigeria.”
IWA regretted that if Gowon had agreed to regional Government as proposed by the Old Eastern Region delegation at the Aburi peace talk, the current agitation for restructuring in Nigeria would have long been solved.
“Regional Government as supported by Ojukwu in Aburi Accord was a system that would have saved Nigeria from the present day chaos if Gowon had seen it then from his prism. Regional Government was the best panacea that would have healed Nigeria because the way the country was configured by the Britain during amalgamation made it difficult if not impossible to work. The current system and configuration of Nigeria pose serious threat to her workability. How can you lump many nations with divergent cultures and religious beliefs, understandings and expect it to work?
“At the Aburi Accord other African nations that participated in the accord were sincere and understood that regional government was the best option for Nigeria but Britain out of hatred for the Igbos advised Gowon against it and he reneged from the Aburi Accord. If Gowon is countering us let him publish the content of the Aburi Accord and tell Nigerians why he suddenly backed out of it upon his return to the country.
“Today, those who kicked against Aburi Accord are clamouring for regional Government and devolution of power. What an irony! This was the reality that the Igbo saw many decades ago, but instead of supporting them, they were rewarded with the civil war.
“History should be taught in schools so that the younger generation will learn and avoid the mistakes of their parents. The civil war was unnecessary and avoidable if Gowon had implemented the Aburi Accord which he signed in Ghana. Unknown to him that those who advised him against the accord were the real enemies of Nigeria that wanted her to be perpetually down.
“So, if the civil war was for Nigeria’s unity as Gowon is now trying to claim, he would have accepted Aburi Accord.”
IWA challenged Gowon to deny knowledge of war crimes by the federal troops during the civil war, wondering why he had not apologised to the victims since then.
