It is only through the lens of history one can really appraise the present and attempt to predict or plan for the future. Though history itself, depends on the telescope it was scrutinized and passed on. Therefore, for one to access historical literature, they must expand their sources to come from divergent narratives.
My advise to our youth is to get a grip of their histories if at all they want to make an informed decision about their current realities and be able to navigate towards the future. I would also recommend four books for them in order to appreciate the intricacies and sacrifices our heroes past suffered and the Nigeria they bequeathed to us. The first of those books being Why We Struck written by one of the major participants of the January 15 coup, Ademoyega. Then Obasanjo’s My Command and of course the historical fiction by the literary giant Chinua Achebe’s There Was a Country.
The three authors participated in the same theatre, but their seats being apart, envision the stage from different perspectives. Weaving them together, would enable one understand the different trajectories culminating in one direction.
The fourth book, the greatest of them all was written by another participant/witness of the whole saga. Dr Joseph Muffet, a World War veteran, Order of the British Empire (OBE) recipient, colonial administrator and Harvard Academician. He is different from the other three in being an expatriate and standing on a neutral ground as an observer. Again, in his narrative, by virtue of his many positions during the event and after, was able to bring to the front, for the first time, information that were never printed.
My takeaways from his book are numerous and enlightening. Most of the history books about the January 1966 coup stop short at portraying Ironsi and Ojukwu as somewhat complicit with the Igbo putch, but Muffet showed both were participants. He placed Ojukwu in Kaduna at Shodeinde’s murder and Ironsi in Lagos personally shot his 2iC, Brigadier Maimalari.
Both Sardauna and Tafawa Balewa were warned of the impending coup. Akintola stormed Kaduna in a chartered plane unannounced on the eve of the coup and confirmed to Sardauna the plot and asked him to join him flee into exile, which Sardauna declined. Tafawa-Balewa at the commonwealth conference in Lagos was approached by a Briton who gave him a letter warning him of the plans to topple his government, the letter that was later found in his pocket after his body was found a week later. Our gallant heros decided to stay rather than run like cowards and were both martyred.
Muffet also fingered the Israeli government as the sponsors of the coup with £2,000,000 pounds, while Kwame Nkuruma funded part of the insurgency and training.
The Ata of Igala revealed the whole plan which was scheduled to unfold in four phases tagged: “Damisa” (Tiger) which was the January 15th coup killing Sardauna and others. To be followed by “Kura” (Hyena) that would see the elimination of Northern and Western chiefs schedule in the Ibadan conference. The next phase was “Zaki” (Lion) which would see the elimination of senior civil servants above the grade of Assistant Secretary and lower chiefs. The final phase of the plan, “Giwa” (Elephant) is to carve the whole country into individual districts with an Igbo as the administrator. What gave credence to the above plot as the Ata of Igala revealed, having gotten the information of a member of Igbo union that denounce the move and informed him, was the actual invitation to Ibadan for the convening of Northern and Western first class and second class emirs and chiefs on the 28th of July with Ironsi in attendance.
Ironically, the same meeting, by virtue of the information exposing the Igbo plan, was turned against them as Ironsi was toppled there in a counter coup. After the January coup, the Igbos flooded Tiv land in Gboko and Makurdi demanding land grants, which outraged the Tivs. In the North itself, Igbos taunted Hausa people by showing Nzeogwu’s picture saying ‘Ga maganin ku”.
The January coup set the ball rolling for all the ills we witnessed and are still witnessing in this country. It entrenched tribalism and mistrust, which paved the room for corruption and criminality. It led into one of the greatest loss of life in the continent through the civil war. Nigerians, despite their losses still chose to forgave the Igbos and integrate them back, but having lost the war and their four phase plan, devised new ways of guerilla warfare on the Nigerian society, through the introduction of armed robbery, kidnap, drugs and arms proliferation.
Those are the reasons why Nigerians had never trusted, again, the Igbos with power in the last 60 years. And I doubt if they ever will in the nearest future, not because of mere tribalistic sentiments but because over the last six decades the Igbos imperialistic and selfish stance has not changed one bit. They dominate everywhere without appreciation of their host and they never allowed anyone in their backyard to be on equal footing let alone dominate anything.
Even Obasanjo Southcentric ambitions, having known the Igbos so well, when he insist on foisting a southern president, he only shops the likes of Peter Odili and Jonathan. His recent support for Obi was out of spite for Tinubu and knowing all too well he cannot win the presidency in 2027.
Therefore, I am calling on Northern youth to cherish the memories of Sardauna and Balewa for their sacrifice. Without their opposition, we would by now have become like the Palestinians under the Israelis. The Igbos would have made slave out of us. The Northern christians knows their encounter with the Igbos since the civil war. We can also see the the wave of xenophobic attacks on the Igbos in both South Africa and Ghana, accused of drug trafficking, 419 and other crimes.
Finally, Sardauna is truly blessed despite his shortcomings, he gave the north vision and direction, he sacrificed his own life for it. And we can see God has rewarded his effort in this life by immortalizing his name and also becoming the second person in the whole of Islam whose funeral prayer was carried out in the Kaaba, post-mortem, under the orders of the Saudi monarch, King Faisal. Sardauna died a fulfilled man and history will continue to showcase his contribution to our development, whether we see and appreciate it or not.
Our exuberant youth, ignorant of history and calling for Obi presidency are free to exercise their franchise but lest they forget they would be wasting their votes as far as 2027 is concerned. I am not saying an Igbo will never be president, but unless they jettison their imperialistic tendency and begin to look at all Nigerians as equals, the presidency, a game of numbers and trust under democratic setting, will continue to elude them.
* Sadiq is a commentator on public affairs based in Kano
