Modphase:
This is how gullible 2 million foolish Igbo perish for a lunatic that fooled them only to run to Ivory Coast when it was time for him to stand up for you.

IDnoble1:

Can you pls share with the the link to the Sahara reporters where this is being said. I will like to read on how Babagana was involved

franchasng:
Awolowo had more Yoruba followership than any other Yoruba politician or even the then Western Governor Fajuyi.

Awolowo had the power to influence the outcome of the 1967 events in Southwest, he wielded so much power and influence in Southwest Nigeria which was why he was jailed by Tafawa Belewa, and part of what pushed the young soldiers (from Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Kanuri, Ijaw, Bini, etc) to carry out the first coup of 1966 that was later wrong labeled as Igbo coup.

Biafra soldiers didn't invade western Nigeria to kill or conquer, it was a plan initiated by a brave Yoruba officer fighting on the side of Biafra, as a way to end the war fast, so the few trained professional Biafra soldiers were deployed to capture Lagos the seat of power so that Gowon could relocate the Nigerian government to Kaduna and allow Biafra to go in peace.

Mind you, this happened when Gowon mobilized Nigerian soldiers to attack Biafra from Calabar and Enugu, so Biafra soldiers decided to attack Nigeria from Lagos the seat of power.

It was never meant to capture or kill Yorubas, at least a Yoruba man was the one heading that operation and there was no way he could have allowed the killing of his own people, which was also the reason he halted the advancement of Biafra soldiers and which made some Biafra military intelligence to accuse him and Ifeajuna and others of coup, and they got executed for that.

Favor99:

I don’t remember what Awolowo exactly did that people branded him a traitor. But one mans mistake does not mean the whole tribe are traitors.
I have plenty of Yoruba friends, and I’m sure they would never backstab me

franchasng:
Awolowo had more Yoruba followership than any other Yoruba politician or even the then Western Governor Fajuyi.

Awolowo had the power to influence the outcome of the 1967 events in Southwest, he wielded so much power and influence in Southwest Nigeria which was why he was jailed by Tafawa Belewa, and part of what pushed the young soldiers (from Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Kanuri, Ijaw, Bini, etc) to carry out the first coup of 1966 that was later wrong labeled as Igbo coup.

Biafra soldiers didn't invade western Nigeria to kill or conquer, it was a plan initiated by a brave Yoruba officer fighting on the side of Biafra, as a way to end the war fast, so the few trained professional Biafra soldiers were deployed to capture Lagos the seat of power so that Gowon could relocate the Nigerian government to Kaduna and allow Biafra to go in peace.

Mind you, this happened when Gowon mobilized Nigerian soldiers to attack Biafra from Calabar and Enugu, so Biafra soldiers decided to attack Nigeria from Lagos the seat of power.

It was never meant to capture or kill Yorubas, at least a Yoruba man was the one heading that operation and there was no way he could have allowed the killing of his own people, which was also the reason he halted the advancement of Biafra soldiers and which made some Biafra military intelligence to accuse him and Ifeajuna and others of coup, and they got executed for that.

franchasng:
Have there ever been any rehabilitation or restitution paid to Igbos by Nigerian government since the end of the war Instead there has been gang up against Igbos to ensure they do not ever rise to become President in Nigeria by all tactics.

Do you know Awolowo also made a policy that seized all the money Igbos had in Nigerian banks before the war such that no matter how many million an Igbo person owned in Nigerian banks before the war, they were given just 10 shillings or so, is that not wickedness of man to fellow man

He also made the indigenization policy that took over all industries in Lagos and handed it to himself Awolowo and other Yorubas to ensure Igbos don't get hold of any industry they owned in Lagos before the war started and to ensure only indigenes of a state can own an industry in their state. This made Awolowo rich then. Awolowo glass house Ikeja, so many industrial layouts in Lagos, etc.

Do you know after the 1st world war, European court fined Germany millions of Euros they must pay to other smaller European nations they destroyed their properties, infrastructures, humans, etc as compensation, which was part of what also caused the 2nd world war.

Germany still paid huge sum of money to some European nations as compensation after 2nd world war ended.

Total forgiveness comes after restitution.

Yorubas and Hausa-Fulanis hardly show empathy to the plight of Igbos, instead they brag about what they did to Igbos during the war, so u see why forgiveness is difficult here

stinggy:


Yes, Awolowo has civilian followership. Does that translate to military strength? Did he control the military or the security apparatus? If he had declared like you people claim he promised, how would he have ensured the safety of his people? Can he even command an army unit as a civilian "leader" under military rule? Or should he have declared first, waste some Yoruba lives and then wait for Biafran army (that was under the easy control of Ojukwu) to arrive after like 5 days to save the remaining Yorubas

I believe you have listened to the full transcript of their discussion in Enugu and deep down, you know Awo never promised any secession but then that fact doesn't suit the tales who want your children to hear about 1967.

About Banjo and the Yorubas that fought on the Biafran side, they fought based on their beliefs and allegiances, never as a part of the grand scheme that the secession was supposed to be a whole southern affair. I do not begrudge them for their choices and I would have made same choice too based on my belief. But the claim that it was agreed that Awolowo would declare secession in the West is nothing but lie!

Banjo's advice to march fast into the West before the Nigerian army form any resistance (which would have ensured no Yoruba life was wasted and endear the Yorubas to the Biafran army) was rebuffed twice by Ojukwu. It was after the Nigerian army had set up formations that Ojukwu asked Banjo to proceed, which the latter naturally advised against. There wasn't any way million lives would not be wasted if the West turned to battleground.

Like I said, you know the truth but you're not just ready yet to tell the whole world.


***Sorry for the late reply, I had a busy day

stinggy:


Igbos who had saving in the West withdrew their money and left with their properties with the aim for going to back to their country, never to return to Nigeria, at least, not so soon. When the war settled down and they returned to Lagos, the same Awolowo you like to hate came out with a policy of giving each of them 10 shillings to help resettle them. Giving money back to those who willingly emptied their accounts before leaving.
Name one Igbo company that was not returned. Name one Igbo street that was renamed to Yoruba.
Was it the same situation in Mid-west The now "Okpe road" in Sapele was before the war known as "Igbo road". All the shops in Bendel and many other places owned by Igbos were taken over by the indigenes. Did the Yorubas do that to you? Have you for once criticized these people for renaming your streets and illegally taking over your properties? Are you afraid to confront them?

franchasng:
Not really. Igbo peoples' anger against Yorubas didn't start today, it started between 1966 - 1969 when Ojukwu and Awolowo had an unofficial agreement that as Ojukwu declares Biafra freedom, Awolowo will declare Odudua freedom so that there won't be any need for north to drag or fight so that Nigeria will peacefully divide in 1966/67.

Ojukwu and other Eastern officers believed and trusted Awolowo because Awolowo always stood for Yoruba interest and always against Nnamdi Azikiwe and Akintola and co who preferred Nigeria remaining one, so they believed Awolowo will declare Odudua republic and make the division of Nigeria easy and peaceful without war.

This was the reason Ojukwu facilitated the release of Awolowo from jail at Enugu where Tafawa Belewa/Azikiwe jailed Awolowo for treason, and Ojukwu gave him special escort back to Western region.

But Awolowo got to Lagos and Gowon offered him mouth watering political appointment as Finance Minister, Awolowo reneged on the unofficial agreement he had with Ojukwu.

So when Ojukwu declared Biafra as an independent state amidst a widespread pogrom against Igbos living in Northern Nigeria, Gowon first didn't want to go after Biafra until British government told Gowon not to accept it, so Gowon declared Police action to return Biafra back to Nigeria and that was how he mobilized Nigeria military to invade Biafra and return them back to Nigeria and the war broke out after several negotiations at Aburi Ghana failed.

And when the war started, Biafra was gaining ground, almost winning the war before British government and Egypt stept in with massive military support for Nigeria, and Nigeria also sold Bakasi oil rich land to acquire military weapons to defeat young Biafra which was proving difficult for Nigerian army, until Awolowo again suggested a harsh hunger policy to Gowon, which involved changing Nigeria's currency so it will be difficult for Biafra government to import food and drugs for her citizens as the war intensified and this led to mass hunger and malnutrition in Biafra land, causing Biafra soldiers to start turning to saboteurs leaking secrets to Nigerian soldiers just to get food to eat.

This torn Biafra apart and Biafra government officials and commanders started persuading Ojukwu to surrender to avoid further hunger and deaths of Biafrans, at the end, Ojukwu was forced to board a flight to go on exile in Ivory Coast while his vice from today Akwa-Ibom, Philip Effiong surrendered Biafra to Nigeria, and the war ended.

So Igbos saw Awolowo as a great betrayal that betrayed Biafra and Ndigbo, that was the beginning of the distrust