AN INTERESTING HISTORICAL NARRATIVE OF HOW IGBO SOLDIERS PLOTTED COUP FROM INDEPENDENCE DAY – BY DAVID EJOOR
December 24, 2020 | News
Every human endeavour is accompanied by events, which are recorded, stored and retrieved when needed. This advance preservation of knowledge through research, references, securing information, and sustenance of cultures through generations.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
AN INTERESTING HISTORICAL NARRATIVE OF HOW IGBO SOLDIERS PLOTTED COUP FROM INDEPENDENCE DAY – BY DAVID EJOOR
Every human endeavour is accompanied by events, which are recorded, stored and retrieved when needed. This advance preservation of knowledge through research, references, securing information, and sustenance of cultures through generations. These, in turn, facilitate discovery of fresh facts, interpretation of old facts, reconstruction of events, resolution of conflicts through emergence of facts, advancing the process of negotiations between individuals, groups and nations. In other words, it is our ‘history’ that helps us to preserve our culture and civilization. Sadly, we, as a nation, have treated our history like something that does not matter or has no relevance in our wellbeing and therefore, needs nobody’s attention. And that is why we have in our hands, many young Nigerians that are already out of university and busy thinking of next steps in their lives, but who know next to nothing about the history of their country.
It is in our bid to bridge this gap as much as we can, and as lovers of history, that we decided to render this three-part narrative that is sure to send historians about the Nigerian Civil War back to library shelves; by the Military Governor of the defunct Midwest Region, Major General David Akpode Ejoor, when he said military coups in Nigeria began right from independence in 1960. In an interview with Bimbo Ogunnaike and Azeez Folurunsho, the retired General, shredded several claims and set-positions about the country’s past and future as he maintains that the political and military leaders of Igbo extraction had nursed the ambition of upturning the Nigerian political space because their leading light back then, in the person of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, emerged only as a ‘nominal Governor-General’ while ‘power’ resided in another geo-political zone.
When asked if he shares the view that Biafra was a tragic mistake in Nigeria ´s history? Ejoor narrated in these lines: “First of all, let me tell you this, when the British were here, we were the last Nigerian officers to be commanded by the British soldiers. The senior person to me in Nigeria was Bassey, the second was Aguiyi Ironsi. The Igbos wanted to rule. Why they wanted to rule was that (Nnamdi) Azikiwe was the then Governor-General and more or less Head of State. The constitution did not give any power to Azikiwe. So, this annoyed the Igbo people and they used to say: “How can we run a constitution in which the Head of State cannot advise the government, the government cannot contact the Head of State for any advice?” So, the answer was well to take over since they were already leading and yet they had no control over the government. That was why the Igbo soldiers decided to organise a coup. But at that time, there were four major leading officers which included me, Yakubu Gowon, Bassey and Ojukwu. Igbo people relied on Ojukwu for the coup and they were able to convince the Yoruba. Ojukwu and Banjo now contacted me and Gowon for a coup. But we refused.
“Gowon and I refused and they went on their own. But we then reported to that European officer, General Foster. I and Gowon reported to him that some people were trying to plan a coup. He called all of us — the Nigerian Army officers — and advised us not to organise any military coup. When Ojukwu´s father heard about this, he put a memo into House of Assembly that all Europeans should leave the army. It was that year that all the Europeans in the army were sent back to their country. Then, Ironsi, who was Number Two, took over the command of the army. While he was there, Ojukwu still had the coup plot in his mind. He told Ironsi that he should not allow Ejoor and Gowon to be in Army Headquarters, saying as long they remained in Army headquarters, they would not be able to execute the coup. So, Ironsi sent Gowon on a course in the United Kingdom but he left me alone. When Igbos were worrying him that Ejoor was still there, he told them that: “This man from that small state, minority state? You can handle him, he cannot do anything. Go away, and leave me.” So, he left me. By December when Gowon came back, it was like a small war in Ironsi´s office. Some army officers told Ironsi that: “We told you to send these two people away, now Gowon has come back. What can we do now? Ironsi was embarrassed and after Gowon came back on the 20th and on the 23rd of that month, Ironsi now sent me away from Army headquarters to Enugu, saying: “He should be hidden there.” I went there and then they tried again but the one they tried was in January 1966 after I had left the Army headquarters. But at that time, they said whatever happened, Ejoor and Gowon must die. They threatened the person who was to organise a coup on behalf of the Igbos in Lagos side. That person was Emmanuel Ifeajuna. The one in Kaduna , Nzeogwu. I think you know that one. Ifeajuna was holding a very big post in the Brigade then. He was a Chief of Staff to Maimalari.”
Ejoor noted that: “The civil war was straightforward. the Igbo wanted to take over the ruling of Nigeria. When all these cunny-cunny actions that people who were preventing them from organising a coup had not been killed, that is Gowon and I, the only thing left was to have a civil war. That was why there was a civil war and in the civil war, the first place Ojukwu attacked was the Mid-West. Now, I do not know that he was already in league with all the officers from Anioma area. When the Federal Government was suspecting them, most of them ran away to the East and joined Ojukwu in the Biafran army. At that time, Banjo himself, being a friend to Ojukwu because they joined the army the same day and commissioned, was suspected to be organising a coup. Ironsi had sent him, well not to prison but more or less arrested but sent to the East where he was detained in one of the prisons there. But being a friend to Ojukwu, Ojukwu released him and made him the Commander of the Biafran troops. And he was the one who commanded the Biafran soldiers to come and attack Mid- West before moving to Lagos. The Igbo tried to rule Nigeria by force, what they cannot do through the ballot box; they tried it through coup. They tried the coup, it failed and now decided to do a civil war. It was a contract. That is the basic thing.”
For those who do not know, that Major General David Akpode Ejoor (rtd) parades an intimidating profile is an understatement. Commissioned in 1953 in the United Kingdom, he is a Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) and an Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR). Ejoor also holds the prestigious Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS), UK; a Pass Staff College (PSC) and a honorary Doctor of Letters (LL. D), of the University of Benin (UNIBEN). He was a member of the Supreme Military Council from 1966 to 1975, the first Military Governor of Mid-Western State between 1966 and 1967; Chief of Army Staff, from 1972 to 1975, when he retired. His medals include the Congo, Independence, Republic, Defense Service, General Service and National Service. He is a Grand Commander of the Republic of Togo, and has received the Order of the two Niles-1st Class Sudan, the Grand Officer O.N. Du Lion Senegal and Kt. Order of the Crown, Belgium. His chieftaincy titles include the Olorogun Oloho of Olomu, Okakuro-Egbe of Agbon, Okakuro of Ovu, Onotuku of Ebor and Orhuerakpo Ru Ughelli.
We hope the above narrative has added to our existing knowledge of the country’s history. The truth is that when we start having young Nigerians who do not know the history of the Nigerian civil war, the author of Things Fall Apart, the martyrs of the struggle for democracy, and those who have never heard of Lord Lugard, Ahmadu Bello, Aminu Kano, Shehu Shagari, Tafawa Balewa, Samuel Ladoke Akintola, Adegoke Adelabu, Michael Okpara, Francis Akanu Ibiam, Dennis Osadebay, Jereton Mariere, Bola Ige or Kaduna Nzeogwu, etc, then let us realize that indeed, we do have a problem in our educational system. A very famous quote from Confucius (a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher of C 550-478 BC) noted thus: “Study the past if you would divine the future.” It is based on the premise that one cannot just throttle into the future which starts today, without first seeking to understand what were the things that must have led or contributed to one’s present status.
To conclude, with what is currently going on in the Nigerian political terrain, the Nigerian elites and politicians seriously need to call themselves to order and stop all the uncalled for ‘hate speeches’ and political propaganda stunts via different channels here and there. War, be it of any kind, is never a solution to the development of any country. Rather, it sets back development on a retrogressive path. The different tribes in Nigeria must find a way to work together as One nation, and not be singing war songs of disunity and hatred just to get political power. Anyone can become the President of the country at any point in time, same thing applies being a Governor or aspiring for any political positions across the country. But unfortunately, many have allowed the quest for political power to make them do the unthinkable. All the Political Parties cannot win the Presidency seat and the Governors’ seats at the same time. They should learn from the above Ejoor narrative.
The appetite for political power has driven many Nigerian politicians crazy. That is why Nigerian politics is “do or die” for many of them, as some of them cannot do without having political power or being in the corridors of power and Government. For such politicians, a life without being involved in government is useless. However, these kinds of politicians should learn to stay out of Nigerian political power and stop singing the songs of wart and disunity. We should learn from our past mistakes as a country that was once respected in Africa and across the world. Recently, the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, while in the UK presenting a paper, cited Nigeria as a country that was once booming with high hopes of economic development. But today, all of that is history. Nigerians should listen to what our neighbouring countries are saying about us and learn from there.
Zik Gbemre.
May 25, 2017
We Mobilize Others to Fight for Individual Causes as if Those Were Our Causes
AN INTERESTING HISTORICAL NARRATIVE OF HOW IGBO SOLDIERS PLOTTED COUP FROM INDEPENDENCE DAY – BY DAVID EJOOR
Every human endeavour is accompanied by events, which are recorded, stored and retrieved when needed. This advance preservation of knowledge through research, references, securing information, and sustenance of cultures through generations. These, in turn, facilitate discovery of fresh facts, interpretation of old facts, reconstruction of events, resolution of conflicts through emergence of facts, advancing the process of negotiations between individuals, groups and nations. In other words, it is our ‘history’ that helps us to preserve our culture and civilization. Sadly, we, as a nation, have treated our history like something that does not matter or has no relevance in our wellbeing and therefore, needs nobody’s attention. And that is why we have in our hands, many young Nigerians that are already out of university and busy thinking of next steps in their lives, but who know next to nothing about the history of their country.
It is in our bid to bridge this gap as much as we can, and as lovers of history, that we decided to render this three-part narrative that is sure to send historians about the Nigerian Civil War back to library shelves; by the Military Governor of the defunct Midwest Region, Major General David Akpode Ejoor, when he said military coups in Nigeria began right from independence in 1960. In an interview with Bimbo Ogunnaike and Azeez Folurunsho, the retired General, shredded several claims and set-positions about the country’s past and future as he maintains that the political and military leaders of Igbo extraction had nursed the ambition of upturning the Nigerian political space because their leading light back then, in the person of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, emerged only as a ‘nominal Governor-General’ while ‘power’ resided in another geo-political zone.
When asked if he shares the view that Biafra was a tragic mistake in Nigeria ´s history? Ejoor narrated in these lines: “First of all, let me tell you this, when the British were here, we were the last Nigerian officers to be commanded by the British soldiers. The senior person to me in Nigeria was Bassey, the second was Aguiyi Ironsi. The Igbos wanted to rule. Why they wanted to rule was that (Nnamdi) Azikiwe was the then Governor-General and more or less Head of State. The constitution did not give any power to Azikiwe. So, this annoyed the Igbo people and they used to say: “How can we run a constitution in which the Head of State cannot advise the government, the government cannot contact the Head of State for any advice?” So, the answer was well to take over since they were already leading and yet they had no control over the government. That was why the Igbo soldiers decided to organise a coup. But at that time, there were four major leading officers which included me, Yakubu Gowon, Bassey and Ojukwu. Igbo people relied on Ojukwu for the coup and they were able to convince the Yoruba. Ojukwu and Banjo now contacted me and Gowon for a coup. But we refused.
“Gowon and I refused and they went on their own. But we then reported to that European officer, General Foster. I and Gowon reported to him that some people were trying to plan a coup. He called all of us — the Nigerian Army officers — and advised us not to organise any military coup. When Ojukwu´s father heard about this, he put a memo into House of Assembly that all Europeans should leave the army. It was that year that all the Europeans in the army were sent back to their country. Then, Ironsi, who was Number Two, took over the command of the army. While he was there, Ojukwu still had the coup plot in his mind. He told Ironsi that he should not allow Ejoor and Gowon to be in Army Headquarters, saying as long they remained in Army headquarters, they would not be able to execute the coup. So, Ironsi sent Gowon on a course in the United Kingdom but he left me alone. When Igbos were worrying him that Ejoor was still there, he told them that: “This man from that small state, minority state? You can handle him, he cannot do anything. Go away, and leave me.” So, he left me. By December when Gowon came back, it was like a small war in Ironsi´s office. Some army officers told Ironsi that: “We told you to send these two people away, now Gowon has come back. What can we do now? Ironsi was embarrassed and after Gowon came back on the 20th and on the 23rd of that month, Ironsi now sent me away from Army headquarters to Enugu, saying: “He should be hidden there.” I went there and then they tried again but the one they tried was in January 1966 after I had left the Army headquarters. But at that time, they said whatever happened, Ejoor and Gowon must die. They threatened the person who was to organise a coup on behalf of the Igbos in Lagos side. That person was Emmanuel Ifeajuna. The one in Kaduna , Nzeogwu. I think you know that one. Ifeajuna was holding a very big post in the Brigade then. He was a Chief of Staff to Maimalari.”
Ejoor noted that: “The civil war was straightforward. the Igbo wanted to take over the ruling of Nigeria. When all these cunny-cunny actions that people who were preventing them from organising a coup had not been killed, that is Gowon and I, the only thing left was to have a civil war. That was why there was a civil war and in the civil war, the first place Ojukwu attacked was the Mid-West. Now, I do not know that he was already in league with all the officers from Anioma area. When the Federal Government was suspecting them, most of them ran away to the East and joined Ojukwu in the Biafran army. At that time, Banjo himself, being a friend to Ojukwu because they joined the army the same day and commissioned, was suspected to be organising a coup. Ironsi had sent him, well not to prison but more or less arrested but sent to the East where he was detained in one of the prisons there. But being a friend to Ojukwu, Ojukwu released him and made him the Commander of the Biafran troops. And he was the one who commanded the Biafran soldiers to come and attack Mid- West before moving to Lagos. The Igbo tried to rule Nigeria by force, what they cannot do through the ballot box; they tried it through coup. They tried the coup, it failed and now decided to do a civil war. It was a contract. That is the basic thing.”
For those who do not know, that Major General David Akpode Ejoor (rtd) parades an intimidating profile is an understatement. Commissioned in 1953 in the United Kingdom, he is a Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) and an Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR). Ejoor also holds the prestigious Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS), UK; a Pass Staff College (PSC) and a honorary Doctor of Letters (LL. D), of the University of Benin (UNIBEN). He was a member of the Supreme Military Council from 1966 to 1975, the first Military Governor of Mid-Western State between 1966 and 1967; Chief of Army Staff, from 1972 to 1975, when he retired. His medals include the Congo, Independence, Republic, Defense Service, General Service and National Service. He is a Grand Commander of the Republic of Togo, and has received the Order of the two Niles-1st Class Sudan, the Grand Officer O.N. Du Lion Senegal and Kt. Order of the Crown, Belgium. His chieftaincy titles include the Olorogun Oloho of Olomu, Okakuro-Egbe of Agbon, Okakuro of Ovu, Onotuku of Ebor and Orhuerakpo Ru Ughelli.
We hope the above narrative has added to our existing knowledge of the country’s history. The truth is that when we start having young Nigerians who do not know the history of the Nigerian civil war, the author of Things Fall Apart, the martyrs of the struggle for democracy, and those who have never heard of Lord Lugard, Ahmadu Bello, Aminu Kano, Shehu Shagari, Tafawa Balewa, Samuel Ladoke Akintola, Adegoke Adelabu, Michael Okpara, Francis Akanu Ibiam, Dennis Osadebay, Jereton Mariere, Bola Ige or Kaduna Nzeogwu, etc, then let us realize that indeed, we do have a problem in our educational system. A very famous quote from Confucius (a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher of C 550-478 BC) noted thus: “Study the past if you would divine the future.” It is based on the premise that one cannot just throttle into the future which starts today, without first seeking to understand what were the things that must have led or contributed to one’s present status.
To conclude, with what is currently going on in the Nigerian political terrain, the Nigerian elites and politicians seriously need to call themselves to order and stop all the uncalled for ‘hate speeches’ and political propaganda stunts via different channels here and there. War, be it of any kind, is never a solution to the development of any country. Rather, it sets back development on a retrogressive path. The different tribes in Nigeria must find a way to work together as One nation, and not be singing war songs of disunity and hatred just to get political power. Anyone can become the President of the country at any point in time, same thing applies being a Governor or aspiring for any political positions across the country. But unfortunately, many have allowed the quest for political power to make them do the unthinkable. All the Political Parties cannot win the Presidency seat and the Governors’ seats at the same time. They should learn from the above Ejoor narrative.
The appetite for political power has driven many Nigerian politicians crazy. That is why Nigerian politics is “do or die” for many of them, as some of them cannot do without having political power or being in the corridors of power and Government. For such politicians, a life without being involved in government is useless. However, these kinds of politicians should learn to stay out of Nigerian political power and stop singing the songs of wart and disunity. We should learn from our past mistakes as a country that was once respected in Africa and across the world. Recently, the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, while in the UK presenting a paper, cited Nigeria as a country that was once booming with high hopes of economic development. But today, all of that is history. Nigerians should listen to what our neighbouring countries are saying about us and learn from there.
Zik Gbemre.
May 25, 2017
We Mobilize Others to Fight for Individual Causes as if Those Were Our Causes