LIST OF NIGERIAN OFFICERS PROMOTIONS UP TILL 1966 [Re: [Naijanet] Ojukwu: Hero or Villain? RE:The Aburi Meetings Exchanges]
Mobolaji E. Aluko
Afolabi & Netters:
In response to a request by Magnus Ekwueme, I am posting the list below.
Gowon was indeed one of the top five active officers in 1966 that rose
from the ranks, and the only one of those five alive after the 1966 coup.
Bolaji Aluko
============================================================================
Source: Origins, training and promotions up to 1966 of officers in 1944 to
1961 cohorts (From: "The Nigerian Military', by Robin Luckham, Cambridge
University Press, pp. 343-346).
length of time of promotion from
date of commision to the rank
stated (months)
/----------------------------\
Cohort Name Trg ST Region YC Lt Cpt MJ ltC Col.Brig.MG
1951 *Maimalari S'hs psc N 1953 12 60 99 99 124 124 -
p,(idc)
1951 Lawan S'hs N 1953 discharged
1952 *K.Muhammed S'hs psc N 1954 24 72 107 107 132
1952 *Largema S'hs psc N 1954 24 72 108 108 - - -
1954 *Pam S'hs jsc N 1955 11 59 86 93 - - -
1955 Gowon S'hs psc N 1956 9 58 75 103 - do -
jssc
1957 Katsina S'hs psc N 1958 7 27 56 85f - - -
1958 Akahan S'hs psc N 1960 7 26 53 -
1959 Bisalla S'hs N 1961 7 26 - -
(1966)
1959 Ikwue S'hs N 1961 7 26 to Air Force 1965
1959 Mohammed S'hs N 1961 14 38 - -
Shuwa
1959 Muritala S'hs N 1961 7 28 - -
Mohammed
1959 Haruna S'hs N 1961 7 26 - -
1959 Ochefu NCO N 1961 0 36 - -
1959 B. Usuman NCO N 1961 0 36 - -
1960 Kyari S.S. N 1960 18 48 - -
1960 Omananyi S.S. N 1960 18 42 - -
1960 Jalo S.S. N 1960 17 46 - -
1960 M. Usman S'hs N 1961 8 27 to Air Force 1965
1961 Apolo S.S. N 1961 18 48 - -
1961 Adamu S.S. N 1961 18 48 - -
1961 Obeya S.S. N 1961 18 48 - -
1961 Danjuma S.S. N 1961 18 48 - -
1961 Shande S.S. N 1961 17 - - -
1961 A.Abubakar S.S. N 1961 13 38 - -
1961 G.A.Yakubu S.S. N 1961 27 - - -
1961 Remawa S'hs N 1963 2 - - -
1961 Tiku NCO N 1962 ? 28 - -
Acronyms
********
S'hs for Sandhurst
Tfg training
ST staff training
YC Year Commissioned
RT Region/tribe
Lt lieutenant
Cpt Captain
M Major
lTC Lt. Col.
Col. Colonel
Brg Brigadier
MG Major General
Grad. Graduate
N North
E East
Yor. Yoruba
Ibo Igbo
MW Mid-West
psc(p) Pakistan Staff College, Quetta
jssc Joint Services Staff College
idc Imperial Defence College
ss direct entry Short service training
--------------------------------
The "stars" in the above names are not provided in Luckham.
* Killed in January 1966 coup [A Second Lt. James Odu was also killed]
** Killed in July 1966 coup [A total of 40 named executed as well as
another 128 of other ranks were killed]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Fri, 24 Dec 1999, Afolabi Ogunleye wrote:
> Eze Ekwueme,
> You have failed to address the crux of the matter - namely were those
> Majors (or junior officers as you called them) going to hand over power to
> Awo? Ojukwu of 1966 was not the principled soldier that you would have us
> believe he was. He instead was just another milionaire's spoiled scion, a
> military version of Charlie-boy. Its easy enough for us to suffer selective
> amnesia to obliterate events we find uncomfortable. Do you recall that it
> was a certain lt.col. Odumegu Ojukwu in Kano who stymied Nzeogwu's clean
> sweep on the north in Jan. 1966 ably assisted by a certain Major Madiebo
> (who ran with Nzeogu's hares while privilly hunting with Ironsi's dogs.
> Perhaps the biggest of Biafra's many misfortunes was having its fate in the
> hands of a crass opportunist like these. Do you really believed that if
> Ifeajuna had had the guts to kill Ironsi and ogundipe had taken the reins
> that ojukwu would still have scutttled a fellow Igbo's show and saluted
> Ogundipe?? Answer yes and let me have a good laugh at your expense. All that
> belated story about OIgundipe following the counter-coup of july66 was just
> plain Grandstanding. He knew the coupists had already announced it would be
> the Chief of Army staff (Gowon)and a Northerner, and no one else. He also
> knew the hapless Brigadier had already been humiliated by a non commissioned
> sergeant who would not take his orders untill 'his captain' came. The truth
> is that weeks earlier he was quite happy with the notion of a one, unitary
> Nigeria. Barely 4 weeks after the may riots of 1966 and the wholesale
> slaughter of easterners -mainly igbos- in the north Ojukwu had installed The
> emir of kano as chancellor of UNN having removed Azikwe from that office.
> All his efforts then was maintaining the status quo.. Ironsi was in power
> and the propotion of Eastern officers in the army had moved up from 60% (JAN
> 1966) TO 73% (mARCH 1966) and the most sensitive military posts were theirs.
> That the tide turned and brutally too and that he quickly lost faith in one
> nigeria are matters of history. Afolabi.
>
>
> --- Magnus wrote: > Chief Ogunleye: > > I stand by what I wrote down. The
> West was in > flames and the Abubakar > Tafawa Balewa government was not
> doing anything. > There was destruction all > over Lagos, Ibadan. People
> traveling to the East > were stopped and searched, > monies taken. On the
> whole, there was threat to > life and property in the > West. Four junior
> army officers took it upon > themselves to act. They > happened to be Igbo
> officers and everything they did > was attributed to > ndiigbo in general.
> Yes, we learned that the Majors > sought to install Awo. > > From the papers
> introduced here by your uncle, > Bolaji Aluko, has shown us > that Ojukwu
> advised Ogundipe that it was his place > to be the Supreme > Military
> Commander in the absence of Ironsi. He > went as far as to advise > that
> should he (Ogundipe) announce he was taking > over, the East would >
> announce support immediately. We were sure that the > West and Midwest would
> > not object. If things had gone this way, there > would not have been a >
> Biafra. There would have been no war. We would not > have lost all the lives
> > lost on both sides. But as saw, Ogudipe > conveniently went on vacation
> and > the next most senior person, a Yoruba, we were just > told, was
> satisfied > being governor of the West. > > You don't believe me, read the
> papers sent up by > Bolaji again. It was now a > military government. All
> discussion in Aburi > centered on military > government. Some time in the
> past, someone had > posted the names and ranks > of the top ranking Nigerian
> Military officers up > till 1966. I am not sure > but Gowon is not in the
> top five. Could this > information be posted once > more? Anyhow, the way I
> understand the military, in > the face of a mutiny > (which was what
> happened that removed Ironsi), and a > semblance of order is > restored, the
> next most senior officer in position > takes over. This fell on > Ogundipe.
> There is no abegi, take am. He has to > take it or he is court > marshaled,
> imprisoned and removed from the Army. > Next, I think, was Col. > Adebayo.
> How everybody was running away beats me > and Ojukwu was there > making sure
> that these men understood what was > happening. > > Rgds, > Magnus
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -- Easily schedule meetings and events using the group calendar!
> -- http://www.egroups.com/cal?listname=naijanet&m=1
>
>
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Magnus
It seems you only posted the officers of Northern extraction. Please post
from Ironsi, Ogindipe down. Then show, if deceased, date. To give you a
hand, please refer to Madiebo, p30 and find Lt. Col Imo, Lt. Col Okoro, Lt.
Col Madiebo, Col. Bassey, Lt. Col Kalu, Lt. Col Shuwa and Lt. Col Akagha
alongside General Ironsi. What I am arriving at is that there are several
high ranking officers and you cannot prove to me that Gowon is superior to
all of them. If it is within your reach, please publish all the names and
we can then place Gowon where he belongs. See also p53 and find
Onwuatuegwu, Gowon and Anwunah in Sandhurst.
Rgds,
Magnus
Mobolaji E. Aluko
Magnus:
We are flogging a dead horse here, but you have given me an opening in
this chess game to checkmate you.
First, the detailed information that you ask for is out of my reach. So
you may have to provide it yourself.
But let us use simple arithmetic logic here: I do not believe that you
would argue that Lt.-Col. Ojukwu (let us denote him by B) felt that he
should be superior to Lt.-Col Gowon (let us denote him by A). There is NO
PLACE where Ojukwu argues that "Look, Jack, even I should be Supreme
Commander even before you, not to talk of you over-stepping Ogundipe or
Adebayo".
SO let us agree that:
A > B
Now, let us take all these other Igbo/Eastern officers that you mention:
Lt.-Col. Imo, Lt.-Col Okoro, Lt.-Col Madiebo, COLONEL Bassey,
Lt.-Col Kalu, Lt.-Col. Akagha, Lt.-Col. Onwuatuegwu,
(Lt. Col?) Anwunah
Let is collectively refer to them as C.
Is A > B > C ?
WAS OJUKWU SENIOR TO ALL OF THEM OR NOT? If they were all junior to
Ojukwu, then going by Ojukwu's argument vis-a-vis Gowon, Ogundipe and
Adebayo, Ojukwu's own position as Governor of Eastern Nigeria was tenable.
If at least one of them was not - AND BASSEY WAS A COLONEL, was he not? -
why was Ojukwu Governor of Eastern Region and not that person? Why was
Colonel Bassey not Governor of Eastern Region?
So, you see, for Lt.-Colonel Ojukwu to be INSISTING that Lt.-Col. Gowon
should not be Head of State (because there were people senior to him in
the pecking order) is SPECIOUS unless HE HIMSELF WAS THE MOST SENIOR
OFFICER IN THE EAST, otherwise he should not have been Governor of Eastern
Region.
I want to see your come-back on that: WAS OJUKWU THE MOST SENIOR EASTERN
NIGERIAN MILITARY OFFICER? Is Lt.-Col senior to Colonel? If Ojukwu, why
not Bassey?
Have a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year as you provide this forum with that
answer.
Bolaji Aluko
Amaelemuwa ****
If you answer yes to my question, then I pray why was Fajuyi the governor of Western Nigeria instead of Ogundipe?
Your argument is faulty and doesn't stand for anything.
Amaelemuwa
Mobolaji E. Aluko
Amaelemuwa:
1. Please not the personnel of the Ironsi administration:
Head of State: Maj-General Aguiyi-Ironsi
Chief of Staff, Supreme HG: Brig. Babatunde Ogundipe
Chief of Army Staff: Lt.-Col. Yakubu Gowon
Chief of Naval Staff: Commodore J. Wey
Dep. Insp. of Police: Ahaji Kam Selem
Sec. to Military Govt: Alhaji Ali Akilu
Gov. of Western Region: Lt.-Col. Adekunle Fajuyi
Gov. of Eastern Region: Lt.-Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu
Gov. of Northern Region: Lt.-Col. Hassan Katsina
Gov. of Mid-Western Region: Lt.-Col. David Ejoor
So Ogundipe, as Chief of Staff, Supreme HQ, was in already a superior
position to "mere" state governors! :-) Even though Gowon and Ojukwu
were promoted to Lt.-Colonel on the same date (April 1, 1964), it appeared
that he was considered senior to Ojukwu in terms of military experience.
2. The fact of the matter is that EXCEPT for the Eastern Region, THE MOST
SENIOR ACTIVE MILITARY PERSON in that region was chosen as the Governor in
January 1966. For the Western Region, ONLY Col. Adebayo was senior to
Fajuyi, but Adebayo was AWAY in Britain in January 1966, and had to be
recalled to be Governor when Adekunle Fajuyi was murdered along with
Aguiyi-Ironsi in July 1966. In the East, however, the following persons
were SENIOR to Ojukwu:
Commodore Adekunle Edet Wey - he was from Calabar actually
(Lt.-)Colonel Bassey (some references cite him as substantive Colonel)
Lt.-Colonel Imo; Lt.-Col. Njoku.
So in fact, Lt.-Colonel Ojukwu was FIFTH in the pecking order in the
Eastern region to be governor.
So again, the governors in each region were appointed on the basis of
seniority EXCEPT FOR THE EASTERN REGION, within the above caveats.
3. Ojukwu's initial insistence on Ogundipe or someone other than Gowon
was unnecessarily stubborn. It was really ANYBODY BUT GOWON FOR SUPREME
COMMANDER, possibly because they were both promoted to the same rank on
the same day. I have now checked some references to ascertain that in
fact Ogundipe had RESIGNED his commission from the army during all of the
melee, and took off to London. Whether Ojukwu knew that or not is not
certain, but as we can read, Ogundipe's name did not come up during the
Aburi discussions - and Ojukwu was still insisting on anybody but Gowon
five-six months after Aguiyi-Ironsi was missing.
Bolaji Aluko
==========================================================================
Matthew Uzukwu
I have been following up on your valiant effort to
reason with certain Yoruba folk on all the weighty matters pertaining to our
people in Nigeria. Some Yorubas are fair minded and normally will not resort
to playing ostrich games with the facts and figures of history. Relative to
the incorrigible, ethnic jingoistic and Igbo-hating ones among them such as
Bolaji and Yinka, who spells Biafra with a small letter "b," I just think it
is a waste of time engaging them in any meaningful discussion. These guys
see the world through the prizm of virulent Yoruba nationalism a key facet
of which is the demonization of Ndiigbo and Alaigbo and consequent
condemnation of Ndiigbo. Thus they engage in spurious reasoning, sophistry,
and provocative shenanigans ( notice Bolaji's mischivous posting of only the
names of Northern Officers, when you asked for all the names of
contemporaries of Gowon, who were Gowon's seniors in the army) in this anti
Igbo crusade.
Actually, Bolaji makes sense sometimes, when his irredeemable Igbophobia is
not getting the best of him. The mendacious and Igbophobe-besotting ways of
Bolaji, Yinka and folks of their ilk aside, I still believe the sensible
political strategy of the future ought to be some form of an alliance
between us and the Yoruba. This means we have to try very hard to find
reasonable and honorable people like Adeniran Ogunsanya( may his soul rest
in peace) and Olu Akinfosile to work with.
Mazi, Bolaji and Yinka are die-in-the-wool Yoruba nationalists and I do not
fault them for loving Oduduwaland and fellow Oduduwarians. Indeed, Alaigbo
could use some of their fervor in Ala Ikwerre and Ala Ika in Delta. I just
find extremely offensive their continual spewing of anti Igbo venom in this
medium. But I will not respond to them as you have been doing. What's the
use in the face of obduracy?
I am supremely confident that the dynamism and irrepresible spirit of our
people will enable us prevail in the end in spite of the hostility and
heartlessness of small-letter-"b"-Biafra-Yinka and Oduduwarians like him.
Jisie ike,
nwa Uzukwu.
Matthew Uzukwu
From: Amaelemuwa **** <amael...@smartisp.com>
To: mal...@scs.howard.edu <mal...@scs.howard.edu>
Cc: Magnus <mekw...@flash.net>; Afolabi Ogunleye <afo...@dolphin.upenn.edu>; naij...@egroups.com <naij...@egroups.com>; Nigerian NewsGroups <akwa-cr...@lists.stanford.edu>; annang...@egroups.com <annang...@egroups.com>; IgboNet <igbo...@lists.cc.utexas.edu>; Rivnet <RIV...@siue.edu>; yorub...@onelist.com <yorub...@onelist.com>
Date: Friday, December 24, 1999 8:12 PM
Subject: Re: LIST OF NIGERIAN OFFICERS PROMOTIONS UP TILL 1966 [Re: [Naijanet] Ojukwu: Hero or Villain? RE:The Aburi Meetings Exchanges]
Amaelemuwa
Mobolaji E. Aluko wrote:
Magnus:
A > B
Bolaji Aluko
Magnus
No, no! I ask a simple question: The list of all senior military officers
as of January 1, 1966. If you know the date of their last promotion, put it
alongside the names and ranks period. There is really no need for A<>B
here. From the posting you gave us, I deduced that Ojukwu meant for
Ogundipe to take over the government. If Ogundipe did that, maybe our
history would have turned out different. At Aburi, a Lt. Col. cannot be
addressed as Supreme Commander in the presence of a Colonel unless of course
the Colonel was threatened elsewhere that he must accept everything as they
were. This is my argument.
Rgds,
Magnus
Ugo Anakwenze
Is this the Northern Nigerian Army or the regular NA? The names that are missing from this list seems rather too glaring.
Ugo Anakwenze
Amaelemuwa ****
If Ojukwu was fifth in the "pecking order" to be governor of eastern region, could it be that those four ahead of him were assigned to posts better than being "mere" (your word) governors? Judging from your earlier statements regarding Ojukwu's rise in the military, one gets the impression that you feel that Ojukwu did not deserve the post of governor of eastern region. Well, I do not think so. In any military establishment worth its salt, do you expect that a college educated individual that joins the military will not rise in ranks faster than those that made the officers rank through the ranks? Ojukwu deserved his post and position. If his position were to due to influence peddling (as your mind believes), Lt. Col. Imo should have been the governor of the east because he hails from the same Umuahia area as Aguyi Ironsi. Imo was a closer kin to Aguiyi than Ojukwu despite the fact they are all Ndigbo.
Now may I suggest one thing to you? Sometime ago somebody suggested that through influence peddling by your dad, you were granted admission into the University of Ife when you were below the minimum age limit. What was your response? It seems more plausible (that you got into Ife through influence peddling) than Ojukwu being made a governor because of his parents. - I know what your answer will be - you got into Ife b/c you made the grades. Exactly why Ojukwu rose in ranks rapidly and became a governor. He made the grades too.
Emopin Ayenuro-Lawrence, Student FB 07
ist the post of the head of state on the basis of seniority? If Ojukwu
can claim what he is actually not then he's a cheat, a chameleon and a
blatant opportunist. If the Governors were not to be appointed on the
basis of Seniority, don't the head of state either. If Ojukwu wanted to
be fair, he should have given his post to Bassey. Think your argument is
also faulty and lack any foresight in it and stand for nothing but folly
either Sir Amaelemuwa! Stupid arguement!
Omo Oodua
Emopin Ayenuro-Lawrence, Student FB 07
many of your kinsmen are just getting yourself misled. In my whole life, I
haven't seen or hear that my people speaks anything bad about Ibos at one time
or another. As a matter of fact, I have lived and associated with many of them
to tell of the unending stories of their arrogance. You have made yourself be
hated, created a phatom picture of Yoruba betrayer which is not true. You
acclaimed yourself what is not due to you, rent shop in "Isale-Eko" and refuses
to pay your rent by inventing many stories etc. These all can be done by other
ethnic group but the Igbos are better zealed in this than others.
I actually share your view of working together for the benefit of all but my big
Q. is: How can we get it started? We mistrust each other like Hitler and Stalin
and yet we should sign a pact? How far and how long will the pact go? Do you
think there wouldn't be betrayal at the end like in the case of the crazy Stalin
and the blood thirsty Hitler? Is it really neccessary to get us both Nation
together and who is righteous in Igboland and who is trustworthy in Oodua?
Nna, first you guys got to stop painting the Yorubas bad picture at both
Igboland and Abroad, stop preaching a betrayal which never was because there was
no deal reached between Awolowo and Ojukwu. For example, in 1993/94, in the
cause of the wahala of the June 12; I happened to know a mobile police officer
who hailed from Benue/Plateau and who served a while in Igboland. During the
mayhem of June 12, he was posted to Lagos where I met him. He told me that
before he came to the WEST, and this guy was really a nice guy, he told the
friends he won over there in the EAST that he was being posted to the WEST. Can
you imagine what he said he was told? He said the people told him not to go to
Yorubaland, that is a dangerous place to be and the Yorubas are bad people and
that they would kill him.
When he arrived (he could not turn down a command even if he never wished to see
the border of the West not to say Lagos based on this misinformation), he was
surprised at how he was handled by the Yorubas he came across, this ultimately
made him pour out his heart. Due to the misinformation and the bad pictures the
Yorubas have been painted, he was expecting the worst but when he came he saw
the BEST. This is a true story. God bless us all with people of foresight.
Omo Oodua