Thank you Professor Ugwuanyi for not yet joining the gang of the snails that have recoiled into their shell when truth hit their filaments. You asserted that, "Diala in Igbo is interpreted to mean Son of the soil. The Igbo term for what Kadiri in his uninformed imagination calls Slave master is Nwa Amu, literary meaning 'free born."
My non-Professorship intelligence tells me that the Son of the Soil is equal to free born and an indigenous Igbo person who is neither a son of the soil or free born must be called something. If every indigene in Igbo land is the son of the soil and free born, what necessitates their being stated? Are there not Igbo indigenes who are neither the son of the soil nor free born? If there are Igbo, who are neither sons of the soil or free born, what name(s) are they called in Igbo and what qualify them not to be regarded as sons of the soil or free born?
You asserted that, "A good number of those who have held political power and influence in Igbo land are believed to have come from the Osu world. Many of them are believed to have been sent to school earlier as a form of punishment but it turned out a blessing in disguise!!" What were Osu being punished for or what warranted their being punished?
May I refresh your memory that it was after the end of the civil war that the people of the South-Eastern Nigeria decided that their ethnic group, which up to that time had been spelt IBO should thereafter be spelt IGBO. Reasons for the injection of the alphabet, G, into the spelling of the name of IBO ethnic identity is unknown to me. Therefore, it is not unlikely that the meaning and the use of Osu and its hybrids in Igbo land have changed without my being aware of it. If that is the case, please excuse my ignorance, Professor.
Historically, on 20 March 1956, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe delivered a speech in the Eastern House of Assembly while seconding the motion for the THE SECOND READING OF THE ABOLITION OF THE OSU SYSTEM BILL. Before quoting from what Dr. Azikiwe said, I wonder if abolition of Osu system as being proposed then was intended to stop the Osu from being sent to school as punishment, as you had wanted readers to believe? Here follows some of what Dr. Azikiwe said, "This Bill seeks to do three things: to abolish the Osu system and its allied practices including the Oru or Ohu System, to prescribe punishment for their continued practice, and to remove certain social disabilities caused by the enforcement of the Osu and its allied system. ....//... What is Osu system and why must it be abolished? ... According to this Bill, the Osu system includes any social way of living which implies that any person who is deemed to be an Osu or Oru or Ohu is subject to certain prescribed social disability and social stigma. An Osu may be a person who has been dedicated to a shrine or a deity and that person and his descendants are therefore regarded as social pariahs with no social rights which non-Oru are bound to respect. An Osu may be a person who is descended or can be proved to be descended from a SLAVE and that person and his descendants are for ever proscribed as social pariahs. ...//... Mr. Speaker, this Bill offers a challenge to the morality of the Easterners. I submit that it is not morally consistent to condone the Osu or Oru or Ohu system. I SUBMIT THAT IT IS DEVILISH AND MOST UNCHARITABLE TO BRAND ANY HUMAN BEING WITH A LABEL OF INFERIORITY, DUE TO THE ACCIDENTS OF HISTORY. I SUBMIT THAT HUMAN BEINGS ARE ENTITLED TO THE RIGHT OF SOCIAL EQUALITY (P. 91-94, ZIK-SELECTED SPEECHES OF DR.NNAMDI AZIKIWE)." To the best of my knowledge the cast system in Igbo land vis á vis Diala and Osu and its surrogates, Ohu and Oru are still in practice today despite the efforts of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe to outlaw it already in 1956. The simple logic here is that the existence of Sons of the Soil and Free Borns presume the existence of slaves.
You asked for the source of my information on the executors of the January 15, 1966 military coup and the rolls played by each participants. It would appear as if you read your mind and not everything I wrote. Otherwise, you would have discovered that I referred to the book written by one of the participants in the coup, 'NIGERIA'S FIVE MAJORS : COUP D'ETAT OF 15TH JANUARY 1966, FIRST INSIDE ACCOUNT By Ben Gbulie. For your information, Ben Gbulie was a Captain in 1966 and he worked together with Majors Patrick Chukwuma Nzeogwu and Tim Onwuatuegwu to execute the coup in Kaduna. After General Ironsi had stollen the successful coup of the Majors, all the coup planners, except Major John Obienu and Chude Solei, were detained at Kirikiri Maximum Prison at Apapa. It was there thatCaptain Ben Gbulie had the opportunity to interact with fellow coup executors and to find out what happened in Lagos.
You asked, "Who could these infiltrators be (that were Ironsi's moles among the Majors)?" If you did not just gloss over my previous post, you would have discovered that I mentioned Majors Don Okafor and John Obienu as well as Captain Ogbo Oji as General Ironsi extended arms within the plotters. Not only that, I also quoted from p. 125-126 of Ben Gbulie's Nigeria's Five Majors to support my claim of Ironsi's foreknowledge of the coup and he monitored the steps of the coup plotters. When he was in captivity, the British television was allowed to interview Major Patrick Chukwuma Nzeogwu in January 1966. This is what he told his interviewer, "We wanted to get rid of rotten and corrupt ministers, political parties, trades unions and the whole clumsy apparatus of the Federal system. We wanted to gun down all the bigwigs on our way. This was the only way. We could not afford to let them live if this was to work. We got some but not all. GENERAL IRONSI WAS TO HAVE BEEN SHOT. BUT WE WERE NOT RUTHLESS ENOUGH. AS A RESULT HE AND THE OTHER COMPROMISERS WERE ABLE TO SUPPLANT US (P.32-33, The Nigerian Military: Sociological Analysis of Authority and Revolt 1960-67, By Robin Luckham)"
Contrary to your claim, I am not equating Zik to Ironsi. Certainly, both are different persons. However, it was not accidental that Ironsi opted for unitary form of government in Nigeria as it had been propagated by Azikiwe since the 50s. If it was not his will to seize power, he could have stopped the Majors from executing the coup or when he claimed, through the Lagos Radio, at 14:30:00 hours of 15 January 1966, that he was loyal to the Federal government, he should have provided security for the Parliament to meet and elect a Prime Minister from the party that commanded the support of majority members of the House.
Normally, no one expects Professors of English, of Philosophy, of History, of Geography or of Literature to refine crude oil, produce potable water, construct motor-able roads, generate and distribute electricity, treat patients in the hospitals or procure medicines for the sick. We know that educated Nigerians of various academic disciplines are employed and remunerated to perform those functions, but so far, Nigeria remains where it is economically and industrially. Those who claim that they possess the knowledge to produce what we need have been given the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, but at every point of failed delivery Nigerians have been blindfolded, or rather fooled, with ethno-religious dichotomy by the so-called educated class. Therefore, when you averred that I am not properly educated in the Nigerian sense of what being educated implies, I responded that I have no regret for that because of what they have done with Nigeria. No pawn was meant, at least, from my side to any professor.
S. Kadiri
Skickat: den 25 september 2017 18:49
Till: Usaafricadialogue
Ämne: Re: SV: SV: USA Africa Dialogue Series - News Release: Military Invasion Of Igboland
"Positions which stand as a follow-up to my comments on a clear case of prejudice and bias wearing the gown of truth was published here some days ago but some duties have affected my desire for some comments on the comments. I am glad I now can.
First, let me acknowledge the fact that Kadiri collaborated with one of my principal claims that an Igbo army officer was also killed in the coup with his submission that "Major Anuforo killed Lieutenant Colonels Arthur Chinyelu Unegbe". To other claims made let me provide some response.
Kadiri:"Traditionally and culturally, the Southeast is composed of the minority Diala (Slave Masters) and majority, Osu (Slaves)".
Ugwuanyi: Diala in Igbo is interpreted to mean Son of the soil. The Igbo term for what Kadiri in his uniformed imagination calls Slave master is Nwa Amu literary meaning "free born". What is held to be slaves in Igbo context is miles away from this articulation of the idea. Many of the Osu are those dedicated to deities for falling short of one demand or the other from the deity. The predominant feature of the slavery in Igbo context, at least judging from the Igbo world I very well know is discrimination in matters of leadership and marriage.
Kadiri: "Now, let me respond to your diversionary comment. Contrary to your claim, I did not assert that the Majors staged Igbo coup, rather, I stated that their coup was stolen by the Dialas and I did not mention the Igbo".
Ugwuanyi: Except you are merely figurative here- this is a fearful ignorant assertion. A good number of those who have held political power and influence in Igbo land are believed to have come from the Osu world. Many of them were believed to have been sent to school earlier as a form of punishment but it turned out a blessing in disguise!
Kadiri : "Although Dialas are Igbo, just like Osu, stealing of the Majors' coup by Dialas would not make the coup theft of 1966 a theft by all Igbo".
Ugwuanyi :Refer to my earlier reply above.
Kadiri : "You wrote that the young officers that staged the coup were beyond one ethnic group. Personally, I am not interested in the ethnic composition of the planners of the coup but their political ideology.
Ugwuanyi: How do I know except by reading your ideas. It does not suggest otherwise at least with the effort to misuse Igbo words to your favour! You might, if you wish, do a study of majority of your claims in this forum or elect someone else to do so, and see how far it can be seen to be something different from ethnic sentiments!
Kadiri : "Since you are interested in the ethnic composition of the coup planners of January 15, 1966,Major Patrick Chukwuma Nzeogwu led the coup in the then capital of Northern Region, Kaduna. He was assisted by Major Timothy Onwuatuegwu and Captains Ben Gbulie and Goddy Ude. Major Nzeogwu killed the Premier of the North Ahmadu Bello and two of his wives, while Major Onwuatuegwu killed Brigadier Samuel Adesujo Ademulegun as well as his eight months pregnant wife in their bedroom. He also killed Colonel Ralph Shodeinde and wounded his wife fatally in their bedroom. Captain Gbulie led troops to take command of strategic buildings in Kaduna. Thursday night, 13 January 1966, Captain Goddy Ude was issued with a .38-calibre pistol and ample live ammunition in Kaduna with instruction to proceed by road to Kano. He was to kill the commander of the 5th Battalion Kano, Lieutenant Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu but on getting there, Goddy Ude turned pacifist and did not want bloodshed, understandable, of a fellow Igbo man.
In Lagos, the capital and seat of government at that time, Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna led the coup in the South. He was assisted by Majors Adewale Ademoyega, Humprey Chukwuka, Don Okafor, Chris Anuforo, John Obienu, Chude Sokei as well as Captains Emmanuel Nwora Nwobosi, Ogbo Oji, and G.S. Adeleke.
Major Ifeajuna captured Prime Minister Balewa and Finance Minister Okotie-Eboh. While he killed Balewa, Major Anuforo killed Okotie-Eboh. Major Don Okafor was assigned to kill Brigadier Maimalari but exchange of fire between Okafor's men and the guards around Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari's house provided him the opportunity to escape through the backdoor. While Maimalari was walking towards Doddan Barracks, he saw Major Ifeajuna and beckoned to him to stop. Ifeajuna stepped out of his car and gunned him dead. Major Anuforo killed Lieutenant Colonels Arthur Chinyelu Unegbe and Arbogo Largema. Major Humphrey Chukwuka killed Lieutenant Colonel James Yakubu Palm and Colonel Kuru Mohammed. Major John Obienu was assigned the duty of coming to Lagos with armoured cars to neutralise the 2nd Battalion, Ikeja. He reneged and linked up with Ironsi who had infiltrated the coup plotters with his men and had monitored their movements all along. Captain Emmanuel Nwora Nwobosi killed the Premier of Western Region Samuel Ladoke Akintola. Major Adewale Ademoyega was to lead and assign troops to occupy and control all strategic locations in the Federal Capital, such as Police Headquarters, Post and Telecomunication, Telephone Exchange, Parliament Building and Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. He was to be assisted by Captain Ogbo Oji. Captain G.S. Adeleke was to provide arms and ammunition.
In Enugu, Major Chude Sokei was assigned the duty to kill Premier of the East, Michael Okpara, and Premier of the Midwest, Dennis Osadebay. He was to be assisted by Lieutenant Jerome Oguchi. Both Sokei and Oguchi turned pacifists that did not want bloodshed."
Ugwuanyi: This is perhaps the most informative effort you have made and supplied. However I am not sure you are aware that the story about the coup and the war is believed to have been summarily burnt after the war as volunteered by an eminent historian a year ago at a lecture in a Nigerian University. Since this position became a public knowledge, it has become clear to me why any story can make round about the coup and the war. Hopefully historians will further probe this issue and institute intellectual criminal proceedings against this historical evil. Now this does not mean that we should dismiss all available stories about the war but perhaps be curious and scholarly in seeking and sifting the truth about what happened-by at least citing our sources and the collaborations about the sources. In the light of this one would have expected you to supply all your sources on this matter. To point an illustration: Compare these two positions you provided:
"In Lagos, the capital and seat of government at that time, Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna led the coup in the South. He was assisted by Majors Adewale Ademoyega, Humprey Chukwuka, Don Okafor, Chris Anuforo, John Obienu, Chude Sokei as well as Captains Emmanuel Nwora Nwobosi, Ogbo Oji, and G.S. Adeleke."
"In Enugu, Major Chude Sokei was assigned the duty to kill Premier of the East, Michael Okpara, and Premier of the Midwest, Dennis Osadebay. He was to be assisted by Lieutenant Jerome Oguchi. Both Sokei and Oguchi turned pacifists that did not want bloodshed."
Kadiri:The revolutionary Majors did not plan Igbo coup but Ironsi infiltrators that consented only to killing non-Igbo soldiers and civilians and the way Ironsi stole the coup of the Majors turned it to an ethnic coup.
Ugwuanyi: Who could these Ironsi's infiltrators be, except perhaps the one that is reported to be against his death- as supplied by you. Is it Chukwuka who went to kill him or the one who was in Kano to kill Ojukwu. If they were against the lives of Igbos why would they agree to go for these mission in the first place. How do you balance this with your claim that "Major Anuforo killed Lieutenant Colonels Arthur Chinyelu Unegbe", both of whom are supposed to be Igbos!
Kadiri :First of April Nigerian intellectuals continue till date to claim that Ironsi quelled the Major's coup. He stole the coup of the Majors and supplanted them.
Ugwuanyi: This is merely re-enforcing a position that is not founded. It is wrong to believe that anyone who got power in Nigeria wanted it! You might refer to the famous phrase "not my will" by then young Gen.Obasanjo with reference to assuming the Head of State in 1976! Without a good knowledge of the antecedents of Gen. Ironsi it is significantly wrong to hold this position. You need to provide more solid facts on Ironsi e.g his personal love for power to hold this view. For example if you had read Ironsi's biography Ironside written by Chuks Iloegbunam and have grounds to support your view with books such as this or from any psycho-analytic narrative on this matter it will make more sense. For now these views are groundless hypothesis!
Kadiri : I had expected a Professor like you to correct me if the Igbo led NCNC had not advocated unitary form of government for Nigeria since inception in 1943. You should have contradicted me that Major General Aguiyi Ironsi did not promulgate Decree No. 34 of 24 May 1966, in accordance with the recommendation of his one-man commission of enquiry on unitary form of government headed by Francis Nwokedi, that abolished regions.
Ugwuanyi:I am afraid that you are aligning Zik's NCNC with Ironsi .This is may mean that you don't share the view that the military have a different disposition with Civilians and that even if both are Igbos these are different institutions capable of shaping thoughts differently.
Kadiri: Instead, you responded that I am not properly educated because of my asserted views.
Ugwuanyi: I had cause to question the education that leads to a thinking that subverts truth and abhors the rigour and pains involved in searching for it. The simple answer to this would have been to outline the schools attended in which case you might not be at fault as much as formation received. Assuming that one's education is heavily ideological-chances are that faults with views canvassed can easily be located-in which case understanding where the person is coming from (interpreted to mean knowledge, ideas and ideals received ) becomes a way of understanding how and why he or she could hold some views.
Kadiri :In Nigerian daily experiences, properly educated Nigerian Professors are not able, to generate and distribute electricity (they generate and distribute darkness), to refine crude oil (they export crude oil and import fuel and even get money for fuel subsidy without importing fuel), to mine iron ores at Ajaokuta and work them into metals, to construct and maintain motor-able roads etc. With those demonstrated popular qualities of properly educated Nigerian Professors, I cannot but thank my Creator for not being properly educated and for not being a Professor.
Ugwuanyi: You have labelled me a Nigerian Professor on the ground that I am lecturing in a Nigerian University. I thought you could have imagined that I may well be a non-Nigerian working in a Nigerian University in which case it will only be safe to locate me as a Professor in a Nigerian University. Furthermore, would you for a while rethink the clause "properly educated Nigerian Professors". Is this not a big class covering nearly all Professors that are Nigerians including perhaps those working outside Nigeria but are Nigerians! Are you safe enough to allow this broad category to be covered by your claims? Now assuming that you narrow it to Nigerian Professors of Nigerian University, my simple worry is whether you can provide any idea of University that locates the job of a Professor as to "generate and distribute electricity… to refine crude oil …to mine iron ores at Ajaokuta and work them into metals, to construct and maintain motor-able roads etc." Can you make reference to any theory of a University and University Professorship that supports your claim? What is your idea of a University and your idea of a University Professor? Yearly or so there is always this South African conference that eminently theorises on the idea of the African University, the latest of which was held some months ago. I hope it is not wrong for one to recommend that you attend this conference. Perhaps your claim here could lead you to search more about the University idea and the idea of a University Professor through such conference.
Listserv moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To subscribe to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Current archives at http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
Early archives at http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
No comments:
Post a Comment