Any lesson from the Aburi conference?
This venue was chosen because the eastern delegates led by the then Governor of Eastern State, Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu’s safety could not be guaranteed anywhere within the western or northern part of the country. Delegates at the Aburi conference were: Chairman of the Ghana National Liberation Council, Lt.-General J.A. Ankrah – Chairman; Lt.-Col. Yakubu Gowon, […]
This venue was chosen because the eastern delegates led by the then Governor of Eastern State, Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu’s safety could not be guaranteed anywhere within the western or northern part of the country.
Delegates at the Aburi conference were: Chairman of the Ghana National Liberation Council, Lt.-General J.A. Ankrah – Chairman; Lt.-Col. Yakubu Gowon, Head of State; Lt.-Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu, Governor Eastern State; Major Mobolaji Johnson, Governor Lagos State; Lt.-Col. Hassan Katsina, Governor Northern State; Lt.-Col. David Ejoor, Governor Mid-Western State; Commodore Joseph Edet Akinwale Wey, Governor Rivers State; Colonel Robert Adebayo, Governor Western State; Alhaji Kam Selem; Mr. T. Omo-Bare; N. Akpan, Secretary to the Military Governor-East; Alhaji Ali Akilu Secretary to the Military Governor-North; D. Lawani Under Secretary, Military Governor’s Office-Mid-West; P. Odumosu, Secretary to the Military Governor-West; S. Akenzua, Permanent Under-Secretary-Federal Cabinet Office Biafra: (Confer. C. Odumegwu Ojukwu, Selected Speeches and Random Thoughts, published by Harper & Row 1969).
We must not forget to remember the events that preceded this conference. The consequences of the July 1966 coup in Nigeria went beyond the killing of Major General Aguiyi Ironsi to a serious tension and violence that led to the mass murder of people in various parts of the country. Political attempts were made to resolve the conflict.
Gowon attempted to return the country to civil government as soon as possible. The Inter-regional Constitutional Conference that was held on September 12, 1966 in Lagos had as a primary agenda the degree of federalism. On October 24, 1966, the Constitutional Committee met again but eastern Nigeria was not represented because the safety of its representative was not guaranteed. This perhaps led to the Aburi Conference outside the land that “we hail” in the old national anthem.
The Aburi meeting did not succeed in finding solution to Nigeria’s problems. “Arise oh compatriot, Nigeria calls, obey”. Perhaps this conference would have been a key to grow a formidable Nigeria if experts in education, political science, sociology, anthropology, philosophy and theology from the various divides of Nigeria were invited to take part in the dialogue. To what extent did the conveners of the Aburi Conference involve God in their deliberations? Would that not have made a difference? I wonder if any religious cleric was invited.
How things and events change! When Ghanaian economy collapsed and life became unbearable for her citizens, many of them trooped to Nigeria for respite but many of them were expelled from Nigeria in 1983.
The big silk bag which was made in China that they used for their luggage was labelled: “Ghana must go”. This experience must have been a challenge to Ghana. This must have been a wake up call that spurred Ghana into a renewed mission to give a face lift to her economy and political stability. This was recently displayed in the matured way Ghanaians mourned their late president, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills and the swearing in of his deputy Mr. John Dramani Mahama as the new president in July, 2012.
Is it surprising that some Nigerians have started sending their children to school in Ghana? Is it news that Ghana is now flooded with Nigerian traders? Just imagine the report of Kayode Matthew in the Vanguard newspaper of July 4, 2012 captioned “Ghanaian Government chasing us out, lament Nigerian Business men”.
The news in brief was, “Nigerian businessmen operating in Ghana yesterday cried out to the Nigerian government to come to their rescue as Ghanaian authorities have commenced closing their shops for allegedly operating illegally. The Nigerian traders said their shops were closed because they were said not to comply with the government policy which requires them to have an initial capital of $300,000 and employ 10 Ghanaians before they can start any business in Ghana regardless of the size of the business”. What a big lesson for Nigeria!
Back to Saudi Arabia! Have we forgotten so soon the ugly experiences of some Nigerian women in Mecca and Medina? Perhaps those who chose Saudi Arabia as a venue for Nigeria to carry out her dialogue project with the terrorists hope that the holy land may be a safe and sacred place for the partners in dialogue to confess their sins to one another, do penance and receive absolution for the blood of the numerous innocent Nigerians that keeps flowing like a river in the houses of worship and other places. Who knows if the blood of the innocent murdered Nigerians who cry loud to God may be appeased in the Holy Land? What lessons are we learning from our tragic history?
It is true that many nations have become great after passing through serious revolutions, coups and wars. Jerry John Rawlings, born on June 22, 1947 took power in a coup d’état and ruled Ghana as a military leader in 1979 before becoming the first elected president of the Fourth Republic from 1993 to 2001. He took office in 1993, and was re-elected in 1997. On May 15, 1979, he was arrested for a coup attempt to overthrow Fred Akuffo. He would have been killed if not for the overthrow of Akuffo on June 4, 1979 that led to the release of his group from prison.
If Nigeria fought a civil war to “keep Nigeria one”, then Nigeria should now be thinking of intellectual revolution through sincere dialogue in our native land to liberate Nigerians from fear and distress.
Fr (Prof) Omonokhua is the Director of Mission and Dialogue of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Abuja and Consultor for the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims (CRRM), Vatican City, Rome