Barr. Aloy Ejimakor has criticised the memoir of Former Head of State Yakubu Gowon over its account of the Nigerian civil war.
Ejimakor, who is counsel to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), said the publication had reignited debates surrounding the conflict and the collapse of peace efforts before the outbreak of war.
In a statement shared on Thursday, the lawyer accused Gowon of presenting a distorted version of history by blaming Biafra leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu entirely for the failure of peace negotiations.
“The publication of Yakubu Gowon’s memoir has predictably reignited debates over the Nigerian Civil War. By claiming that Odumegwu Ojukwu ‘deliberately and effectively thwarted every effort’ at peace, Gowon presents a false history,” he said.
Ejimakor argued that Gowon’s government failed to implement the Aburi Accord reached in Ghana in January 1967.
He said the agreement represented the best opportunity to prevent the civil war following the anti-Igbo killings of 1966.
“In January 1967, both leaders met in Aburi, Ghana, agreeing to a loose confederation to de-escalate tensions following the horrific 1966 anti-Igbo pogroms.
“Upon returning to Lagos, Gowon succumbed to pressure from federal civil servants and British diplomats who feared a loss of central power. Gowon unilaterally issued Decree No. 8, which stripped the core elements of the Aburi agreement.
“By reneging on this signed framework, Gowon destroyed political trust, leaving the Eastern Region isolated and handing Ojukwu the political capital to declare secession in good faith,” he said.
Ejimakor also criticised the post-war policies of the Federal Government, including the flat payout given to former Biafran bank depositors.
“Post-war economic policies — such as the controversial £20 flat-payout given to Biafran bank depositors regardless of their pre-war savings — deeply alienated the Igbo population, institutionalizing a sense of marginalization,” he said.
The lawyer said the continued ethnic tensions and pro-Biafra agitations in Nigeria reflect unresolved structural issues from the civil war era.
“The persistent ethnic tensions and neo-Biafran agitations that convulse Nigeria today serve as living proof that the underlying structural defects of the federation were never resolved,” he said.
Ejimakor added that Gowon’s memoir appeared more focused on defending his administration than presenting an objective historical account.
“All in all, Gowon’s memoir reads less like an objective historical record and more like an effort to absolve his administration of its broken promises and strategic blunders.
“By placing the entire burden of failure on Ojukwu, Gowon dodges accountability for a war that saved the map but fractured the soul of the Nigeria forever,” he stated.