The country called Nigeria was no latecomer to these changing times and developments as world indicators show that there was no room for British recoil, redeployment and spoil. By 1960, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Mbonu Ojike, Aminu Kano and many others joined the political-revolution. These personalities zeroed-in on manifesto destiny to confront British colonialism. Not long after 1960’s purported Independence, the land became besieged by widespread corruption a record high under the leadership of Tafawa Belewa—then Prime Minister. A new-revolution was emerged, a revolution driven by nationalism and idealism. Major C.K. Nzeogwu, Major A. Ademoyega and others of Corps De-Spirit made their intentions known in 1966. According to insiders’ reports, the corruption was so rift in the land that there were competing revolutionary-planners gearing-up toward new-leadership-change in other to restore and bring about a new order. The movement was successful half-way—but was betrayed by cowards and traitors whose loyalty changed hands uncharacteristically and severally. These scurrilous changes of allegiances provoked suspicions that led to the mis-conceptualization of the revolution—and goes as-far-as painting the movement as Igbo-Nationalism by its detractors.

 

Ademoyega refuted these allegations even up till his passing-away last month February 2007 at the age of 74; his documentaries and other publications affirmatively supports 60s movement based on idealism and patriotism. According to some commentaries, the man Ademoyega stated however the obvious, “Ademoyega had in an interview described the 1966 coup as nationalistic one motivated by idealism and a desire to tackle corruption and end the anarchy and mindless violence that was raging then.”
 

Anthropologists, historians, scholars and political analysts must realize that last month historical passage of Major Adewale Ademoyega, one of the 1966 revolutionaries must not be trivialized by any means for history will absolve them for taking initiative to cleanse the land. It is note-worthy that their days were made of men of respectable belief-system strong values, ethics, and nationalistic idealism; they were rare spirits for their time that ever walked planet earth. Appreciating their relevance is of historical jives that will allow new thinkers to rummage deeper in other to de-classify hidden communications of 1966 Era. Initiating this for posterity is not too much to ask for. Fresh re-examination of some of the dysfunctional governmental archives and gazettes scattered across the land will expose some erroneous proclamations and cover-ups, thusly enriching our minds. It will allow truth to reign supreme for truth is self-evident. It by application, dislodge institutional discredited reports and bring to a closure past mischaracterizations and mis-identifications and present-to-fore the relevance of these comrades. Some of us are for or against their roles during the actions but their idealistic and nationalistic revolutionary spirits remains undisputed. In whatever side of the argument you find yourself, it is critical to take into cognizance the suffocating corrosive corruption then and the suffocating toxic-corruption today. Historical re-examine these events, its fallouts will assist us make adjustments for our children; this is something they will forever show gratitude for. Failure is not an option, if we fail to take stocks of lessons learned at these institutional theaters, we will historically be damned to repeat it—says George Santayana. In other to strategically deploy forward-looking-strategy, it is imperative and appropriate to make assessment of lessons learned during those heady periods and comparatively weigh their merits and demerits under the current trend of circumstances; doing so, examining consequences, do the costs and effects analysis, examine the challenges and difficulties that we face today will save millions from harms way tomorrow.  

 

Conversely, at issue is revisiting records presented as far as 1966 revolution goes, accepting the construct that it was driven by—Igbo-Nationalism is debatable. However, the thought provoking question remains, if revolutionary blemishes were squarely—Igbo-nationalism which its fallout[s] triggered the pogrom then, but what have engineered the butchering of folks of Igbo-extraction from 1966 through 2007? Can someone explain to this audience the reason why citizens of Igbo-stock and those that resembles them get butchered at every slightest national and international religious crisis, etc? Why have Oligarchic-leadership failed to repudiate these genocidal acts against Igbo-nation? If it was Igbo-revolution, what galvanized the argumentations of Ademoyega that countered these discourses that places them on false-chart-sheet[s]? May his camaraderie and nationalistic-revolutionary spirit live-forever; as he lived, he distanced himself from reactionary remarks and identified the revolution to have been driven by nationalism to quell a chaotic, lawlessness that ravaged the times at a bewildering magnitude? As far as fairness is concerned, why would comical cartoon published in far away Denmark of Mohammed striped with detonations down his waist become catalyst for satanic-expressions against citizens of Igbo-extraction and those that look like them? If there is no infer-faces, there is definitely unconstitutional cliffhangers that have hanged on with this entity since is creation that threatens her corporate existence; it is equally note worthy that the conceptualization of the movement into Igbo-revolution is discredited, defeated as the aforementioned argumentations has no merits whatsoever but a conspiracy theory advanced by its detractors to disparage honorable men who meant well for our time—it is part of enemies character assassination-machines to diminish the ideals of nationalism and existentialism against institutional-evils of feudalism and cronyism.   

 

The personalities involved during the movement records have it that, there were no disputations about the needed change in the 60s. It was a governmental comparative praxis with history and mankind vis-à-vis the crumbling British imperialism at the time at the turn of 19^th century was dying-out. The foregoing data commenced a bewildering sweep across the landscape that unfortunately snuffed many lives away. Optimistically though, had the revolution succeeded, there would have been alterations of many things to usher in people-based-nationalism centered on good practices agendas. There is no doubt the pitfalls were, but the outcome would have been different today. Ademoyega and his comrades have played their part and moved on; but it became the turning-point and marked the beginning of a rapid ethical-attempt to rid the land of a corrosive corruption then. Imagine what they would have done today if they were still around. As fate will have it, the human hope was interrupted by satanic-verses, other grandstanding operators were factored into every abnormality that goes beyond academic scholarships,  and humane-conversation time and space but implicates traditional establishments, religion and ethics—destiny. The legacy we bequeath this generation will come back to hurt our conscience if we fail today. The time is now to right the wrongs of generational lapses and satanic-legacies in other to replace them with liberating constitutional legacies of law and order. In 2007, where do you stand on these national and regional matters?   

 

May I state here that treachery and cowardice will always remain the greatest enemy to a successful resistance if we were to present a water-tight compartment, an order to usher in a-true-nationalism; but these treacheries are assiduously-rampant especially when locals handover their economic management to foreigners. As long as our economic security remains in the hands of Chinese, Europeans and Americans then we are finished as a people. Our economic security is in the hand of these entities today because this dysfunctional administration and those before them refused to control government spending and have irresponsibly negotiated trade deals around the world. Every geopolitical-bloc nationally, at the state level and local government level have betrayed and sabotaged our economic security. Nevertheless, these antithetical behaviors—in the hands of these reactionaries can never dismantled an idea which time is come. As the republic languish in bogus-nationalism with amassed uncertainties many revolutionaries inside and outside our shores will remember Major Ademoyega and his fellow compatriots. They will be remembered for their incorruptible character while they lived and died for their friends, fans and families. They were the cream of creams that visited our beleaguered polity; their generation never amassed public funds for self-aggrandizements. They were rather protectionists of public coffers to a point of sacrificing their lives for it. They were pure men who never compromised their integrity and honor in discharging their stately duties. Can that be said of material driven corrupt politicians that has plundered the land dry, corrupt politicians whose ill-practices now distress—and threaten the singularity of the Union.

 

What-else can I say than to say praise is the man or woman who commune with Jehovah.

 

Since the botched revolution ended, the nation has gravitated toward untold hardships, mental-bankruptcy and narcissism. Inept and incompetence could be said to be at statistical 99% of all national and local bureaucratic institutions found in what is today called Nigeria.

 

Yet this interruption is responsible to one of the greatest misguided bureaucratic-axis, satanic-verses of monumental graft and recklessness—a recklessness and lawlessness of unrecognizable state of stone age-Era—they now call modernism. It is altruism that no sustainable development can socially, economically and politically occur without a movement; and revolution has the strongest caveat to re-shape and galvanize a-new-organizational leadership, new nationalism, and order, in other for this generation to safeguard a-safety-net against uncertainties tomorrow. We strongly argue that the collapsed of constitutional- democracy or the lack of it thereof, has plunged bureaucratic principles as political criminals litter and walk the street freely and undaunted. State organized crimes and other societal vices is at all time high, this can be brought to a halt through aforementioned aggressive ideological driven mechanisms found in—revolution. This idealism is what Japan, United States, France, Germany, China, Cuba, Ghana, etc, did to restore nationalism in their territories.

 

Furthermore, it must be mentioned that ideological driven actors of 1966 were heading toward quasi-socialism and/or quasi-capitalism in 1966. Their ideological dream for common good was overtaken by events as their true-mission and vision were interrupted. We will never forget great compatriots like: Ademoyega, Nzeogwu, Ifeajuna, Okafor, Oji, etc, whose actions and ideological positioning were geared toward bettering our frontiers. These men were strong believers of One-Nigerianism to a scary-point that even during the civil war they were still planning to restore the nation-state as indivisible. This was manifested in certain reports that claimed that Nzeogwu, Banjo, Ademoyega, Ifeanjuna and others fought on Biafran-side after their release from jail-houses—nevertheless, their manifesto-destiny plan-scripts was to overthrown Biafran government in the 1968 or thereabout.

 

From reliable sources, communication exchanges between Nzeogwu and Nigerians troops were intercepted by Biafran Secret Intelligent Services—SS-56 that serviced the Biafran Central Government at Enugu were filled with early warning information to Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu. Additional report shows that Nzeogwu and his 1966 group were most feared by Biafran Authorities. It was latter reported that Nzeogwu was short from behind during the war and not by enemy’s fire during the hostilities. Anthropological and political scientists can assist with rejoinders to further report full-details by retrieving additional-information and stories from that are still alive today for records. Their brand of nationalism, its tendencies speaks volumes. In parallel—the lack of character, honor, professionalism, and ethics within the military and civilian circles today is very disturbing. Majority of these men were pioneers and were celebrated across the country then particularly in the North. Nzeogwu, Ademoyega and other unsung heroes definitely qualifies for such admirable national fame if it exists. No doubt, mistakes were made by the planners. As young military officers they lacked the wherewithal to draw from and relied heavily on will power, ethics and morality which great but not enough. The revolution could have been executed in rapid-phases for it to succeed. If the Phase I collapse there ought to be reinforcement by 2^nd, 3^rd and even 4^th phases, etc. Under phased Rapid Reactionary Forces [RRF], Azikiwe, Opara and others would not have escaped, the targeted goals and mission would have been mission accomplished. It is unfortunately that the revolution collapsed mid-steam.

 

If revolutionary-minded men are absent in the land, it is almost an impossibility to address the current incapacitated state today that have ravaged the land. In short, one will admit, that it will be a long short—even a mission impossible in the next couple of months or years if the union continue in the part of  defeatism and irreconcilable precipice.   

 

1966 archives are informational, educational, and nothing satanically-confrontational; it teaches us that there is light at the end of the tunnel;  that a new nationalism or regionalisms is possible and will be based on commitment backed with technical wherewithal capacities. Technically no revolution goes without blood—therefore many will have to go the way of our fathers to facilitate and allow another era to emerge. Its velocity will galvanize the citizenry to greater freedom and liberty to choose their leaders, a responsible leadership that is accountable to the people, free from external and internal interventionism[s]. By application, if those who consider themselves as Nigerians are not prepared to make sacrifices they should shut up and let Nigerian be. What are we for if we cannot make sacrifices as required in nation-building found in federalism or regionalism? Great events are synonymous to great names. Adewale Ademoyega was one of those glorious household names, alongside Nzeogwu, Okafor, Ifeajuna, Ogbo Oji, etc. As we monitor developments, as uncertainty sets-in we certainly remember those who paid supreme sacrifices for our survivals. Their names shall remain indelible in the annals our minds and history as-long-as nationalism and patriotism is the topic plausible. We remember vividly the tribal-genocidal criminalities of the North in their quest for dominance and opportunism, etc.

 

1966 had men of bravery, whose organizational characteristics were those of probity, character, and love for country. They starred, were brilliant and studded in pursuit of greater heights. One hoped that they really understood that true-federalism allows room for self-determination where applicable; comprehending the tenets of constitutional democracy with military participation or no military coded with regionalism as a component of federalism is intelligent otherwise it will not work. They knew that no nation can develop efficiently and industrially without improving its varying national production-capacities in their differential developmental proficiencies found in regionalism. Diversification is an invaluable access not just petro-based-industrialism, etc.

 

They had nationalistic synergy that would have propelled sustainable development[s] toward constitutional laws derived from public-policies without compromising mission statements. Horrendous charlatans with their mischief-makers have disparaged these great men in their effort to build a virile economy based on diversified industrialism. Our consolation today lies in the upcoming struggle that is about to unleash itself from 2007 electioneering deadlocks, its legal and illegal fallouts with other challenges will pave-way to regionalism. As Sultan of Sokoto will attempt to exert its authority based on Arab-Nationalism roundabout its sphere of influence crisis will crop in other areas. Arab-Nationalism can only stand by itself and will not tolerate any religion outside itself. Period. Let there be no confusion, the new mission statement will not tolerate traitors posturing with the foreign-gate-keepers, plunderers as they will be jettisoned on the wrong side of history. Ademoyega will be absolved by history—we were reliably informed that he was survived by three [3] children including a set of twins. He braved illness and later succumbed to the will of Almighty Providence at his Lagos country-home, Lagos. He was happy and content with what he had and never encroached into other man’s property. Can one honestly speak of ethics and professionalism of today’s corrupt politicians in the military-circles and their civilian-counter-parts inside its institutional establishments? Indeed politicians’ irresponsible conducts today is the height of sacrilege to the institutions they serve; they are largely detached from the citizenry at unimaginable proportional. Putting it straight, I see no reason why one corrosive-corrupt -politician is more important than the other corrosive-corrupt-politician.       

 

As the departure of Ademoyega ends an era, men and women whose organizational leadership[s], idealism, ethics, professionalism and patriotism are intact must rise up to a patriotic call to cleanse the land. It is the duty of nationalistic citizenry to close the gaps and challenges his departure has created and not submit to defeatists-fiefdom. Ademoyega was uncompromising till death. Their Era was guided by institutional protectionism and isolationism of national treasuries from foreign-imperialism and from their local gate-keepers for the common-good and love of country.

 

Carlisle U.O. Umunnah

Is New York Based Freelance Writer

Contact: cuu1_liberties@yahoo.com

March 2007