It seems the Omokri School of History may not be coming to an end anytime soon as the bestselling author and former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, continued to dish out history on Biafra, a partially recognised secessionist state that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970.
And his students seemed to be the new generation of Igbo people, who are very active on social media.
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In one of his lectures and in response to a claim surrounding the war, an internet troll stated that the head of state and military leader at the time, Yakubu Dan-Yumma “Jack” Gowon, should be blamed for not granting the Biafrans’ desire when they demanded for independence. According to him, ‘declaring independence of Biafra was not a crime.’
In an unexpected response, Omokri went back a year earlier in 1966 when Isaac Adaka Boro declared the secession of the Niger Delta Republic from Nigeria.
A native of Umuahia in Abia State, Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, who was then the military of head of state, quashed what he called the Isaac Boro mutiny using primarily troops of Eastern Nigeria origin led by its governor, Chukwuemeka Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the very same man who later declared Biafra.
Omokri lectured;
Dear Onyekwelu,
Thank you for your feedback. On February 23, 1966, Isaac Adaka Boro declared the secession of the Niger Delta Republic from Nigeria. After he did this, there was outrage in the Eastern Region, which almost resulted in riots. Please go and research it. The then Head of State, Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, quashed what he called the Isaac Boro mutiny using primarily troops of Eastern Nigeria origin.
When his ‘rebellion’ was crushed twelve days later, there was celebration in Nigeria and especially in the Eastern Region. Reason being that if Boro had been allowed to secede, the resources of the Eastern Region would have plummeted by over 80%. At that time, the regions still controlled their resources. It was not until May 24, 1966, that Ironsi passed Decree Number 34, which seized all resources and domiciled them with the Federal Government, which continues today.
My question to you, Onyekwelu, is this: If Boro’s declaration of the Niger Delta Republic was seen as a crime by the then Head of State, Ironsi, and the rest of the country, especially the Eastern Region (Isaac Boro’s part of the Niger-Delta was then under Eastern Nigeria), why should the declaration of the Republic of Biafra be seen as lawful?
The brutal way Ojukwu and Ironsi crushed Boro’s rebellion was a major reason for the abandoned property saga against Igbos in Rivers state.
Colonel Emeka Ojukwu was the military Governor of Eastern Nigeria who first moved against Isaac Boro with the assistance of the Ironsi central government. If both Ojukwu and Ironsi fought Isaac Boro for attempting to secede from Eastern Nigeria and Nigeria, why are you blaming Gowon and Nigeria for fighting Colonel Ojukwu when he declared Biafra?
And by the way, Isaac Boro had boats and was living in the creeks of the Niger Delta. He had ample opportunities to flee from Ironsi’s forces by water. But he stayed and fought till the end. Some other people japa’ed when federal troops surrounded them. I did not call any names. Who the cap fit, let them wear it.
Thanks again, and may God bless you.
Not pacified, one Uchenna Okupeudo challenged Omokri by claiming that Biafra had the right as a ‘complete region’ than Niger Delta to secede.
In response, the former presidential aide explained to the troll that there was nowhere in the constitution that supported such claim.
Dear Uchenna,
Thank you for your feedback. Actually, the facts don’t support your claims. Under Nigeria’s 1963 Constitution, no region had the right to secede. They had complete control of their resources, of which they paid a 25% tax to the Central Government to create a pool account.
Resource Control was ended in Nigeria after Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi promulgated Decree Number 34 of May 24, 1966, through which his military government seized all assets and gave them to the Federal Government, which continues until today.
The idea for a secession clause was mooted by Chief Obafemi Awolowo in 1954 during the Lagos Constitutional Conference, but Nnamdi Azikiwe rejected it and galvanised a majority of the conference attendees to kill the idea.
After this was rejected, Chief Awolowo again wrote to the then Secretary of State, who rejected the clause on the grounds that the majority, led by Nnamdi Azikiwe, was not in support of it.
It was because of Nnamdi Azikiwe that section 86 was inserted into our constitution with the proviso that if any region seceded, it would be an act of treason.
Nnamdi Azikiwe himself wrote about this in an essay, which was published by the New Nigerian Newspapers in 1975, and has since been republished by other papers and by Mr Azikiwe himself before he died, may God bless his memory.
Were it not for Azikiwe, Biafra would have had the legal right to secede.
Thank you again, and may God bless you.
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
