*As he warns against distorting History of Nigeria
By BASHIR ADEFAKA
Former Chairman, defunct Presidential Special Investigative Panel, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, has thrown his weight behind the Niger Delta leader, Chief Edwin Clark, who recently told Igbo people – thinking they would ever get the South South region to the support them in their secessionist mission – that the region is not part of Biafra.
It will be recalled the terrorist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) disparaged the elder statesman for venturing into issuing the statement but more and more Nigerian figures particularly of the region have since risen in his support.
The latest of such corroboration is the statement coming from the special investigator, Obono-Obla, sent to The DEFENDER Friday night in which he punctured a report by PUNCH, believed to have a complete misrepresentation of the truth of history about circumstances surrounding the 1967-1970 Nigeria era and which he said must be corrected to avoid misleading public followers of history who want to rely on PUNCH for facts.
In the statement titled, “Re: They’re dreaming, says Clark on IPOB’s inclusion of South-South in Biafra”, the legal icon and fine Niger Delta born politician, Okoi Obono-Obla made it clear why and how South South cannot correctly be counted when it comes telling who staged what in the rebellion against the Nigerian Nationhood singlehanded staged by some officers and elites of Eastern Nigeria between 1967-1970.
He knocked the newspaper’s assertion that South East and South South regions were part of the rebellion against Nigeria, clarifying that during the period when the rebellion took place, there were nothing like splitting of Nigeria into geo-political zones talk less that there would be South East and South South regions, as all that Nigeria had at the time were Northern, Western, Mid-Western and Eastern regions.
Obono-Obla said: “I read the story in Punch newspaper of 19 July 2021, online written by Segun Adewale, with chagrin and dismay, especially the assertion that “Both regions, South-East and South-South, were part of the defunct Eastern Region, rebelling against Nigeria from 1967-1970.”
“This assertion is historically incorrect and a misrepresentation that is capable of misleading and confusing readers and researchers that want to rely on the newspaper. The truth of the matter is that in 1967, there were no regions in Nigeria known as South East and South-South, respectively.
“In 1967, Nigeria was made up of four regions: the Northern Group of Provinces, the Western Group of Provinces, the Mid-Western Group of Provinces, and the Eastern Group of Provinces. (This was after Decree No. 134, introduced by Major General Aguiyi Ironsi, abolished the federal system of government and introduced a unitary system, and renamed the existing region’s group of provinces).
“On the 27 May 1967, when the Military Governor of the then Eastern group of Provinces, Colonel Chukwuemka Odumegwu Ojukwu, declared the secession of the defunct Eastern Nigeria from the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the parts of the present South-South that was in the defunct Eastern Region were Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, and the Rivers states. The present Delta and the Edo states were known as Mid-Western Region (Group of Province). The Military Governor of the Mid-Western region was Colonel David Akpode Ejoor.
“The present South-South region includes part of the defunct Eastern region (Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, and the Rivers states), and the defunct Mid-Western Region (Edo and Delta states). The country’s administrative division into North West, North East, South West, South East, and South-South geo-politcal zones took place during the administration of General Sani Abacha in the mid-1990s.
“I took it upon myself to correct this error by Punch newspaper to put historical records straight so that the present and future generations are not misled by such blunder.
“I also support the position of Chief Edwin Clark that it amounts to daydreaming for IPOB to continue to adamantly include the South-South geo-politcal zone in its Republic of Biafra.
“In 1967 when Colonel Ojukwu declared the succession of the defunct Eastern Region from the Nigerian federation, the leaders of the minority people of the defunct Eastern Region ( then in Calabar, Ogoja, Rivers provinces ) under the leadership of Dr. Okoi Arikpo (SAN), Chief Wenike Opurum Briggs etc., unequivocally and categorically denounced succession and declared that Calabar Ogoja and Rivers people support the indivisibility of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“I think the people of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, and the Rivers States, remain the stance taken by their leaders almost 54 years ago.
“I, therefore, support Chief Clark and commend him for coming boldly to say what the Punch newspaper quoted him to have said,” Okoi Obono-Obla in the statement sent to The DEFENDER.
