BETWEEN NIGERIA AND BIAFRA: THE ABURI ACCORD
•Official record of the minutes of the meeting of Nigeria’s military leaders held at Aburi, Ghana on January 4 & 5, 1967.
Saturday December 10, 2011
Opening
The Chairman of the Ghana National Liberation Council, Lt. General J.A. Ankrah, declaring the meeting open, welcomed the visitors to Ghana and expressed delight that Ghana had been agreed upon by the Nigerian Military leaders as the venue for this crucial meeting. He considered the whole matter to be the domestic affair of Nigeria, and as such, he refrained from dwelling on any specific points. The General, however, expressed the belief that the Nigerian problems were not such that cannot be easily resolved through patience, understanding and mutual respect. Throughout history, he said, there has been no failure of military statesmen and the eyes of the whole world were on the
Nigerian Army.
He advised that soldiers are purely statesmen and not politicians and the Nigerian military leaders owe it as a responsibility to the 56 million people of Nigeria to successfully carry through their task of nation building. Concluding, the General urged the Nigerian leaders to bury their differences, forget the past and discuss their matter frankly but patiently.
Lt.-Col. Gowon invited the Nigerian leaders to say a joint thank you to their host, and all said thank you in unison in response to Lt.-General An krah’s address.
At this point the General vacated the conference table.
Importation of arms and resolution renouncing the use of force Lt.-Col. Ojukwu spoke next. He said that the agenda was acceptable to him subject to the comments he had made on some of the items.
Lt.-Col. Ojukwu said that no useful purpose would be served by using the meeting as a cover for arms
build-up and accused the Federal Military Government of having engaged in large scale arms deals by sending Major Apolo to negotiate for arms abroad. He alleged that the Federal Military Government recently paid £1 million for some arms bought from Italy and now stored up in Kaduna.
Lt. Col. Ojukwu was reminded by the Military Governor, North and other members that the East was indulging in an arms build up and that the plane carrying arms, which recently crashed on the Cameroons border, was destined for Enugu. Lt.-Col. Ojukwu denied both allegations. Concluding his remarks on arms build up, Lt.-Col. Ojukwu proposed that if the meeting was to make any progress, all the members must, at the outset, adopt a resolution to renounce the use of force in the settlement of Nigerian dispute.
Lt.-Col. Gowon explained that as a former Chief of Staff, Army, he was aware of the deficiency in the country’s arms and ammunition, which needed replacement.
Since the Defence Industries Corporation could not produce these, the only choice was to order from overseas and order was accordingly placed to the tune of £3/4 million. He said to the best of his knowledge, the actual amount that had been paid out was only £80, 000. As to why these arms were sent up to the North, Lt.-Col. Gowon referred to lack of storage facilities in Lagos and reminded his
military colleagues of the number of times arms and ammunition had been dumped in the sea. This was why, he said, it became necessary to use the better storage facilities in Kaduna. The arms and ammunition had not been distributed because they arrived only two weeks previously and have not yet been taken on charge.
After exhaustive discussion to which all members contributed and during which Lt.-Col. Ejoor pointed out that it would be necessary to determine what arms and ammunitions had arrived and what each unit of the Army had before any further distribution would take place, the Supreme Military Council unanimously adopted a declaration proposed by Lt.-Col. Ojukwu, that all members:
• renounce the use of force as a means of settling the Nigerian crisis;
• reaffirm their faith in discussions and negotiation as the only peaceful way of resolving the Nigerian crisis; and
• agree to exchange information on the quantity of arms and ammunition available in each unit of the Army in each Region and in the unallocated stores, and to share out such arms equitably to the
various commands;
• agree that there should be no more importation of arms and ammunition until
normalcy was restored.
The full text of the declaration was signed by all members:
The Supreme Military Council, having acknowledged the fact that the series of dis turbances since January 15, 1966, have caused disunity in the Army resulting in lack of discipline and loss of public confidence, turned their attention to the question of how best the Army should be re-organised in order to restore that discipline and confidence. There was a lengthy discussion of the subject and when
the arguments became involved members retired into secret session. On their return, they announced that agreement had been reached by them on the re-organisation, administration and control of the Army on the following lines:
• Army to be governed by the Supreme Military Council under a chairman to be known as Commander-in
-Chief of the Armed Forces and Head of the Federal Military Government.
• Establishment of a Military Headquarters comprising equal representation from the regions and headed by a Chief of Staff.
• Creation of area commands corresponding to existing regions and under the charge of area commanders.
• Matters of policy, including appointments and promotion to top executive posts in the Armed Forces and the Police to be dealt with by the Supreme Military Council.
• During the period of the military government, military governors will have control over area commands for internal security.
• Creation of a Lagos Garrison, including Ikeja Barracks.
In connection with the re-organisation of the army, the Council discussed the distribution of military personnel with particular reference to the present recruitment drive. The view was held that general recruitment throughout the country in the present situation would cause great imbalance in the distribution of soldiers. After a lengthy discussion of the subject, the Council agreed to set up a military committee, on which each region will be represented, to prepare
statistics, which will show:
• Present strength of Nigerian Army;
• Deficiency in each sector of each unit;
• The size appropriate for the country and each Area Command;
• Additional requirements for the country and each Area Command. The committee is to meet and report to Council within two weeks from the date of receipt of instructions. The Council agreed that pending completion of the exercise in paragraph 7 further recruitment of soldiers should cease. In respect of item 3 (b) of the Agenda, implementation of the agreement reached on August 9, 1966, it was agreed, after a lengthy discussion, that it was necessary for the agreement reached on August 9 by the delegates of the Regional Governments to be fully implemented. In particular, it was accepted in principle that army
personnel of Northern origin should return to the North from the West. It was, therefore, felt that a crash programme of recruitment and training, the details of which would be further examined after the Committee to look into the strength and distribution of army personnel had reported, would be necessary to constitute indigenous army personnel in the West to a majority there quickly. Non-recognition by the East of Lt.-Col. Gowon as Supreme Commander 10. The question of the non-recognition by the East of
Lt.-Col. Gowon as Supreme Commander and Head of the Federal Military Government was also exhaustively discussed. Lt.-Col. Ojukwu based his objection on the fact, inter alia, that no one can properly assume the position of Supreme Commander until the whereabouts
of the former Supreme Commander, Major General Aguiyi-Ironsi, was known. He, therefore, asked that the country be informed of the whereabouts of the Major-General and added that in his view, it was impossible, in the present circumstances, for any one person to assume any effective central command of the Nigerian Army. Lt.- Col. Ejoor enunciated four principles to guide the meeting in formulating an answer to the question of who should be Supreme Commander.
There were the:
a. Problem of effective leadership;
b. Crisis of confidence in the Army;
c. Disruption in the present chain of command;
d. Inability of any soldier to serve effectively in any unit anywhere in the country.
Lt.-Col. Gowon replied that he was quite prepared to make an announcement on the matter and regretted that a formal announcement had been delayed for so long but the delay was originally intended to allow time for tempers to cool down. He reminded his colleagues that they already had the information in confidence.
After further discussion and following the insistence by Lt.-Col Ojukwu that Lt.-Col Gowon should inform members of what happened to the former Supreme Commander, members retired into secret session and subsequently returned to continue with the meeting after having reached an agreement among
themselves.
11. At this point the meeting adjourned until Thursday, January 5, 1967.The Power of the Federal Military Government vis-a-vis the regional governments
12. When the meeting resumed on the January 5, it proceeded to consider the form of government best suited to Nigeria, in view of what the country has experienced in the past year (1966). Members agreed that the legislative and executive authority of the Federal Military Government should remain in the Supreme Military Council to which any decision affecting the whole country shall be referred for determination provided that where it is not possible for a meeting to be held the matter requiring determination must be referred to military governors for their comment and concurrence. Specifically, the Council agreed that appointments to senior ranks in the Police, Diplomatic and Consular Services as well as appointments to super-scale posts in the Federal Civil Service and the equivalent posts in Statutory Corporations must be app roved by the Supreme Military Council. The regional members felt that all the decrees or provisions of decrees passed since January 15, 1966, and which detracted from the previous powers and positions of regional governments should be repealed if mutual confidence is to be restored. After this issue had been discussed at some length, the Council took the following decisions: The Council decided that:
i. on the reorganization of the army:
a. Army to be governed by the Supreme Military Council under a chairm an to be known as Commander-in-
Chief of the Armed Forces and Head of the Federal Military Government.
b. Establishment of a Military Headquarters comprising equal representation from the Regions and headed by a Chief of Staff.
c. Creation of Area Commands corresponding to existing regions and under the charge of Area Commanders.
d. Matters of policy, including appointments and promotion to top executive posts in the Armed Forces and the Police to be dealt with by the Supreme Military Council.
e. During the period of the Military Government, military governors will have control over area commands for internal security.
f. Creation of a Lagos Garrison, including Ikeja Barracks.
ii. on appointment to certain posts: The following appointments must be approved by Supreme Military
Council:
a. Diplomatic and Consular posts.
b. Senior posts in the Armed Forces and the Police.
c. Super-scale Federal Civil Service and Federal Corporation posts.iii. on the functioning of the Supreme Military Council: Any decision affecting the whole country must be determined by the Supreme Military Council. Where a meeting is not possible, such a matter must be referred to military governors for comment
and concurrence.
iv. that all the Law Officers of the Federation should meet in Benin on January 14 and list out all the decrees and provisions of decrees concerned, so that they may be repealed not later than January 21 if possible;
v.that for at least the next six months, there should be purely a military government, having nothing to do whatever with politicians. Soldiers involved in disturbances on January 15, 1966 and thereafter
13. Members expressed views about the future of those who have been detained in connection with all the disturbances since January 15, 1966, and agreed that the fate of soldiers in detention should be determined not later than end of January 1967.Ad Hoc Constitutional Conference
14. The Council next considered the question of the resumption of the Ad Hoc Constitutional Committee and the acceptance of that Committee’s recommendations of September 1966. After some exchange of views, it was agreed that the Ad Hoc Committee should resume sitting as soon as practicable to begin from where they left off, and that the question of accepting the unanimous recommend ations of September 1966 be considered at a later meeting of the Supreme Military Council.The problems of displaced persons
15. The Council considered exhaustively the problems of displaced persons, with particular reference to their rehabilitation, employment and property. The view was expressed and generally accepted that the Federal Government ought to take the lead in establishing a National Body, which will be responsible for raising and
making appeal for funds. Lt.-Col. Ojukwu made the point, which was accepted by Lt.-Col. Katsina, that in the present situation, the intermingling of easterners and northerners was not feasible. After each military governor had discussed these problems as they affected his area, the Council agreed:
a. On rehabilitation, that Finance Permanent Secretaries should resume their meeting within two weeks and submit recommendations and that each region should send three representatives to the meeting.
b. On employment and recovery of property, that civil servants and Corporation staff (including daily paid employees) who have not been absorbed should continue to be paid their full salaries until March 31, 1967 provided they have not got alternative employment, and that the military governors of the East, West and
Mid-West should send representatives (Police Commissioners) to meet and discuss the problem of recovery of property left behind by displaced persons. Lt.-Col. Ejoor disclosed that the employment situation in his region was so acute that he had no alternative but to ask no ne Mid-Westerners working the private sector in his region to quit and make room for Mid-Westerners repatriated from elsewhere.
Lt.-Col. Ojukwu stated that he fully appreciated the problem faced by both the Military Governor, West, and the Military Govern or, Mid-West, in this matter and that if in the last resort, either of them had to send the easterners concerned back to the East, he would understand, much as the action would further complicate the resettlement problem in the East. He assured the Council that his order that non-easterners should leave the Eastern Region would be kept under constant review with a view to its being lifted as soon as practicable.
16. On the question of future meeting of the Supreme Military Council, members agreed that future meetings will be held in Nigeria at a venue to be mutually agreed.17. On the question of government information media, the Council agreed that all government information media should be restrained from making
inflammatory statements and causing embarrassment to various governments in the federation.
18. There were other matters not on the agenda, which were also considered among which were the form of government for Nigeria (reported in paragraph 12 above) and the disruption of the country’s economy by the lack of movement of rail and road transport which the regional governors agreed to look into.
19. The meeting began and ended in a most cordial atmosphere and members unanimously issued a second and final Communiqué.
20. In his closing remarks, the Chairman of the Ghana National Liberation Council expressed his pleasure at the successful outcome of the meeting and commended the decisions taken to the Nigerian leaders for their implementation. Lt.-Col.Gowon on behalf of this colleagues thanked the Ghanaian leader for the excellent
part he had played in helping to resolve the issues. The successful outcome of the meeting was then toasted with champagne and the Nigerians took leave of the Ghanaians.
21. The proceedings of the meeting were reported verbatim for each regional government and the Federal Government by their respective official reporters and tape-recorded versions were distributed to each government.
FINAL ABURI COMMUNIQUE
The Supreme Military Council of Nigeria resumed its meeting in Ghana on the 5th of January and continued and concluded discussion of the remaining subjects on the Agenda. The Council reached agreement on all the items.
On the powers and functions of the Federal Military Government, the Council reaffirmed its belief in the
workability of the existing institutions subject to necessary safeguards.
Other matters on which agreements were reached included the following:
• Re-organization, administration and control of the Army
• Appointments and promotions to the senior ranks in the Armed Forces, the Police, Diplomatic and Consular Services as well as appointments to super-scale posts in the Federal Civil Service and the equivalent posts in the Federal Statutory Corporations.On the question of displaced persons, the Supreme Military Council
agreed to set up a committee to look into the problems of rehabilitation and recovery of property. In this connection, the Military Governor of the East assured the Council that the order that non-Easterners should leave the Eastern Region would be reviewed with a view to its being lifted as soon as practicable.
Agreement was also reached that the staff and employees of governments and statutory corporations who have had to leave their posts as a result of recent disturbances in the country should continue to be paid their full salaries up to the end of March 31, 1967, provided they have not found alternative employment.
The Council agreed that the Ad Hoc Committee on the constitutional future of the country should be resumed as soon as practicable and that the unanimous recommendations of the committee in September 1966, will be considered by the Supreme Military Council at a later meeting.
The Council unanimously agreed that future meetings of the Council should be held in Nigeria at a venue to be announced later.
The entire members of the Supreme Military Council express profound regret for the bloodshed, which has engulfed the country in the past year and avow to do all in their power to ensure there is no recurrence of the unhappy situation.
The members of the Supreme Military Council place on record their profound appreciation and gratitude for the constructive initiative and assistance rendered by the Chairman of the National Liberation Council, the Government and people of Ghana.Statement by the Supreme Council on the Reorganization of the Army, and the Approval of Senior Appointments, and its Declaration on the use of force
I. The Supreme Military Council now meeting in Ghana has agreed on the following reorganization of the Army:
• The Army is to be governed by the Supreme Military Council the Chairman of which will be known as Commander-in-Chief and Head of the Federal Military Government.
• There will be a Military Headquarters on which the Regions will be equally represented and which will be headed by a Chief of Staff.
• In each Region there shall be an Area Command under the charge of an Area Commander and corresponding with the existing Regions.
• All matters of policy, including appointments and promotions of persons in
executive posts in the Armed Forces and Police shall be dealt with by the Supreme Military Council.
• During the period of the Military Government, Military Governors will have control over their Area Commands in matters of internal security.The following appointments must be approved by the Supreme Military Council:
• Diplomatic and Consular posts.
• Senior posts in the Armed Forces and the Police.
• Super-scale Federal Civil Service and Federal Corporation posts.
• Any decision affecting the whole country must be determined by the Supreme Military Council. Where a meeting is not possible such a matter must be referred to Military Governors for comment and concurrence.II. We the members of the Supreme Military Council of Nigeria meeting at Accra on 4th day of January, 1967,
hereby solemnly and unequivocally: DECLARE that we renounce the use of force as a means of settling the present crisis in Nigeria, and hold ourselves in honor bound by this declaration. REAFFIRM our faith in discussions and negotiation as the only peacefu l way of resolving the Nigerian crisis. AGREE to exchange
information on the quantity of arms and ammunition in each unit of the Army in each Region, and also on the quantity of new arms and ammunition in stock.
(Signatures of the nine leaders).
Posted by
Let me start by saying that I was in Osun in 2001 when the state was burning due to the desperation of the then DG to succeed his boss, the undiplomatic man called Akande. The truth is Omisore was becoming popular in the state at the time because of the undiplomatic ways Akande was managing the affairs of the state. He madly sacked many workers and started using very bad language against the same people that voted him into power, in fact some people died because of Akande’s style of governance that time. Bola Ige did not help the matter, he also was arrogantly lambasting the state civil servants, especially the teachers, what adjective did Ige not use to qualify them, we all know the real Ige for his nature. The masses in Osun were already complaining bitterly and openly against their unpopular governor, his then known unofficial DG, Lere Adebayo (the worst and most corrupt man in Akande’s administration) and AD god father, Ige. Of course Akande is not a corrupt man, but he did not display any diplomacy or wisdom throughout his time as governor.
AD created the problem from begining, as APC may end up doing if care is not taken. Omisore, a man not known for anything than fronting for those in government shouldn’t have been made to deputise the like of Akande, but because AD people were looking for money to finance their campaign at the time, there was desperation to woo whoever was ready to finance the party, the price AD ended up paying for that was Ige! So AD killed Ige.
Now APC is touring the same route, sometimes I sit down and just laugh at our politicians, they don’t learn anything from the past, except how to loot.
The bottom line is that, PDP, OBJ AND OMISORE SHALL ONE DAY PAY THE PRICE OF THEIR DEEDS FROM GOD. AMEN.
THAT DAY OF RECKON SHALL COME SOONEST.
EVEN AUDU OGBE LEFT PDP BECAUSE OF THEIR EVIL DEEDS AND TO SAVE HIS LIFE AND THAT OF HIS FAMILY.
PDP IS AN EVIL PARTY. PERIOD.
So someone committed a murder in this life and we could not put them to trial and we ask them to ask forgiveness from God that we don’t physically see? Now you see where our wahala gets deeper everyday… some people we agree amongst ourselves that they are too big/famous to be thrown into life imprisonment?
How do you suppose bad people change? By prayers? No! People change their attitude when they realise that the consequenses of their actions is way greater that the little pleasure they derive from their actions.
I am convinced Nigeria God is a different one from the rest of the world.
Thanks
MY QUESTION IS THAT WHAT IS GOVERNMENT OF LAM ADESINA DOING THAT TIME?
WHAT IS THE WHOLE A.D DOING THAT TIME?
WHERE IS OLUSEGUN OSOBA THAT TIME/
IS THERE NO ANYONE THAT CAN TELL THE TRUTH?
WHAO IS BEHIND THE DEATH OD ODUNAYO OLAGBAJU?
WE NIGERIAS ARE NOT FOOL, TINUBU SHOULD GO AND SEAT DOWN SOMEWHERE, WHAT HAPPEN TO FUNSHO WILLIAWS, WHY DID HER WIFE TOOK APOINTMENT FROM OBASANJO’S GOVERNMENT? WHY DID ABRAHAM ADESANYA DAUGHTER TOOK APOINTMENT FROM OBASANJO’S GOVERNMENT.
WHAT A.D DID TO OMISORE IN AD, THEY WANTED TO DO IT TO OLUSEGUN OSOSBA IN IJEBU IGBO, BUT HE TOOK AGBERO TO BABA ADESANYA’S HOUSE THAT TIME, SO THEY COULD’N'T STOP HIM.
ALL OF YOU SHOULD GO AND SIT DOWN.
I know what he’s capable of; there’s a general saying that Short people foment trouble to seek attention, so it’s not a doubting story or incident.
You wanna know why he lost out in the last Osun polls?
Because rigging was not ALLOWED to rein like previous elections, he also lost in his ward!…people needed change NOT money sharing to some sycophants and they term that dividend of democracy?
state budget is for ALL not for selective persons.
He would be defeated once again (BACK GROUD!) like it happened in 2011.
He has NEVER perfomed and has NO goodwill for the people of Osun State.
Keyamo and you put Baba oni Pofpof ,we now have the copy of the check paid to Keyamo and it will be released soon.
AAkande and Keyamo thought they were doing good things when they sacrificed Bola death case for money .They made the killers on the loose.
After senator Omisore must have finished with yo state it will be Keyamo turn..Ika logo Keyamo yen