Why should Obi Nwakanma invent a history of how the Nigerian civil war ended when Biafra's Major-General Philip Effiong and Chief Secretary to the Biafran Government and Ojukwu, Mr. N.U. Akpan have bequeathed Nigerians and the world with written accounts of the end of the war? The war ended long before Youtube became a fashion and written words of Akpan and Effiong should be rated higher than Nollywood inspired film posted on Youtube by wishful dreamers of history.
In his book titled, The Struggle For Secession 1966 - 1970, Mr. N.U. Akpan conveyed the following military fate of Biafra on January 8, 1970, "The Governor (Ojukwu) had arrived at Owerri on the evening of Thursday, January 8, in a hurried flight from Madonna, forty miles away, his permanent residence since the fall of Umuahia. It had been a confused and panic-ridden day for everybody. The Federal troops had crossed the Imo River at more than two points. And Imo River had always been regarded as the most effective natural barrier against the enemy. Shells were falling in Madonna. Early in the morning of the said January 8, we had been told that the Federal troops were twenty-nine miles from Owerri along the Aba-Owerri road. By noon they were less than fifteen miles away. I phoned the Commanding Officer, Brigadier Kalu, who told me that the situation was now hopeless and advised that any contingency plans made should be put into immediate effect. Later that afternoon Major-General Philip Effiong (Chief of General Staff, Biafran Armed Forces) called to inform me that Major-General Madiebo, the GOC of the Biafran Army, had told him that the army could no longer hold. It being a 'purely military matter' I advised Effiong to go a tell the Governor. ... At Owerri I told him (the Governor) what I knew of the situation, particularly what Effiong and Kalu had told me. He told me to contact members of the Executive Council resident in Owerri to come for a meeting at midnight. ....//... The Governor opened (the meeting) by describing the military situation and then stressed the need for the 'leadership of Biafra' to leave for safety. Nobody had any objection to the Governor's leaving immediately. It was Sir Louis Mbanefo who suggested that it would be bad taste for the Governor to leave without giving some honourable reason to the people. He then suggested a broadcast saying that the Governor was going out in search of peace. ...//... Thus, when I was talking to the few colleagues and others in Nkwere whom I had managed to contact, none of us even suspected that the Federal troops were less than ten miles away from us, having overrun Owerri early the previous day, and were approaching Orlu from two directions. I came face to face with this reality when travelling with Dr. Pius Okigbo, Mathew Mbu and T.C.M. Eneli to see the Governor at Ogwa, and hand to him the draft broadcast he was to make that evening before leaving. We met, less than five miles from Nkwere, streams of panic-stricken Biafran troops both on foot and in vehicles fleeing in disorder in the opposite direction. Pulling into a side bush-path we managed to learn, after considerable difficulty, what had happened. It was with equal difficulty that we managed to turn about and negotiate our way, through the throngs of civilians and soldiers, back towards Nkwere. ....//.... The journey from Uli to Abidjan took five hours or so. We landed at a military airport at exactly six o'clock in the morning of Sunday, January 11, 1970. .... As soon as our plane touched down, Mr. Mojekwu turned to General Ojukwu and said with elation and a broad smile : We have made it (p.165-175)." Thus, with the above narration, Biafra was militarily defeated and its army was in disarray as at January 10, 1970 and its military officers only emerged from their hideouts to be accosted and transported to Lagos for formal surrender.
In his book, Nigeria and Biafra : My Story, Philip Effiong was introduced as A Brigade Commander in Nigeria before the war, as No. 2 in the Biafran Administration and as the person that led the team that surrendered to the Federal Government in 1970 (p. xvi). In his own personal introduction on page one, Philip Effiong wrote, "These coups also brought in their wake a 30-month fratricidal war with former Eastern Region of Nigeria as its main theatre. The War ended when I signed the Surrender Instrument in Lagos on 15 January 1970." Further on page 299, Effiong wrote, ".... it was at this Owerri meeting that Obasanjo asked if I would like to go to Lagos to finalise the surrender agreement and I said, without hesitation, that I would." Again on page 304 Effiong assured readers of what he was in Lagos to do thus, "At 9.00 am on 15 January 1970, being the 4th anniversary of the January 1966 coup, my entourage and I were taken from Ikoyi Hotel to Dodan Barracks for the signing of the final Surrender Instrument." What happened at Dodan Barracks was recorded by Philip Effiong on page 306 thus, "I then shook hands with members of the Supreme Military Council and was shown by an official usher to where I stood to read my formal Surrender Instrument, which is reproduced hereunder for reference and historic purpose." It is noteworthy that Effiong and his entourage stood up during the reading of the Surrender Instrument while Major-General Gowon and members of the Supreme Military Council sat. Finally under 'Chronology of Events', Philip Effiong noted thus, "15 January 1970 : FORMAL SURRENDER OF BIAFRA AND SIGNING OF THE SURRENDER INSTRUMENT. THE HEAD OF STATE, GENERAL YAKUBU GOWON, MADE A BROADCAST AFTER THE SURRENDER."
As for Obasanjo, he recorded the followings in Chapter XI of his 'MY COMMAND' under the title, SURRENDER, "... I formally reported the accomplishment of my mission to the Commander-in-Chief and I presented Philip Effiong, the officer administering the Government of Republic of Biafra and his colleagues to the Head of State.
Philip, who was wearing a brownish gabardine round-necked 'buba' with trousers, marched forward and stood in front of Head of State. He read out in a clear voice, under the strong light of cameras and cine-cameras, THE TEXT OF THE DOCUMENT OF SURENDER AND SUBMISSION. It was one of the finest moments of Nigerian history. The Head of State and Commander-in-Chief, General Yakubu Gowon, made a significant speech to accept formally THE SURRENDER AND DECLARE THE END OF THE CIVIL WAR (p.135)." In not less than six occasions, Philip Effiong stated categorically in his book, Nigeria and Biafra: My story, that he signed surrender instrument in Lagos on January 15, 1970. He has been corroborated by Obasanjo who actually bundled the rebel officers from Port Harcourt to Lagos. Mr. Akpan, the Chief Secretary to the Biafran Government gave very clear account of the defeat of the Biafran army that disbanded in disarray. I don't know what Obi Nwakanma stands to gain by twisting and denying facts of history.
S. Kadiri
Skickat: den 5 juni 2017 09:43
Till: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Ämne: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Surrender message of Biafra warlords
Ibukunola Babajide, you may believe what you like about Biafra and surrender, it doesn't alter the facts that the Biafrans did not surrender, but agreed to a cessation of conflict. But if Biafra really surrendered go get the proof. Ferret out the document or treaty using the words "surrender." The only documents available are in the words Philip Effiong read, crafted and agreed upon by the Biafran leadership, and it is in the public domain. But for YouTube, the internet, and other new means of circulating once "secret" documents, photos, or films, you'd put words in Philip Effiong's mouth that he did not say. Listen again to the statement of the Biafrans, and listen again to the careful choice of the words of the parties - Gowon, Obasanjo, and Effiong himself - and you will, if you have the capability, discern the truth. But I do not think you want the truth. And so, I say again, it is your cup of tea to believe whatever makes you get up from bed in the morning about Biafra. And meanwhile, keep your wit around you, do not grow hoarse yet. You have all the time to talk Biafra and Biafra surrender all you want. It doesn't make a difference or alter the fact that those on the Biafran side of that conflict believe very firmly that the Federal side of that war has reneged on all the basis of the compact of restoration that re-established the federation in 1970. What you personally believe is therefore immaterial to them.
Obi Nwakanma
Sent: Monday, June 5, 2017 2:01 AM
To: USAAfricaDialogue
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Surrender message of Biafra warlords
For the umpteenth time: Biafrans did not "surrender." The Biafran leadership opened the corridor from Port-Harcourt, through Owerri to Amichi for Obasanjo for two nights of negotiation from Jan. 10 to January 12. The Biafran delegation went to Lagos on Jan. 14, and met Gowon and his cabinet at Dodan Barracks on Jan. 15. Part of the language of the agreement was that there would be "no victor, no vanquished." It was a policy crafted by Zik and relayed by Ukpabi Asika as the grounds of the compact for the end of secession. Every careful move was made to obliterate the word "surrender" from any statement made by the parties. Neither Gowon, nor Obasannjo, nor Effiong in his final statement ending the war used the word surrender, and it was deliberate. As one who interviewed Effiong at least twice in Ikot-Ekpene on this question, I have to say that the misuse of the word, "surrender" at various quarters has given left-handed credence to a lot of spurious assertions about the end of that war and the mechanisms that ended it. There was no signed instrument with the word "surrender" and none exists anywhere in Nigeria's official war archives. There is no document of cession, there was no inquisition; there was an agreement to end the conflict, and to reassert the unity of the federation, on one crucial condition: that after Gowon's transitional government everybody, including the former Biafrans would all be part in creating a new constitution and a new civil order for the federation. It was a statement clearly made in Effiong's speech. Biafra existed until that very moment when Effiong, who by the way addressed himself in his full ranks as Major-General said it had ceased to exist. It was as part of this compact that Gowon announced his transitional program which was to end in 1974, but which he reneged upon wit a new 1976 date, which also was uncertain. It was reneging that followed a pattern, because it was not long after de-escalation and the demobilization of Biafra's S Brigade, that the Federal government began to dismantle various parts of that agreement. Those who talk about surrender are full of shaving cream. They clearly have been unable to read the minutes of our last meetings.Obi Nwakanma
From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com > on behalf of Segun Ogungbemi <seguno2013@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 4, 2017 6:36 PM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Surrender message of Biafra warlords
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