WHAT HAPPENED ON THE 15TH JANUARY 1966?

In order to move forward we need to settle the past, but do we ever get a chance to settle the past? I ask specifically because most of the problems faced in Nigeria today are linked to the killing and coup on the night of the 15th January 1966. If you ask different people, they will give different accounts. One of those accounts is that of Major General Paul Tarfa (rtd). In his book “A Profile in Courage”, he stated that, the 15th January was specifically chosen so that Tafawa Balewa would have returned from Mecca and it was largely a coup against the North and the West.

He further stated that after the Prime Minister was nowhere to be found, they had called on Orizu Nwafor, who was then the acting president to swear in a new prime minister. He said the cabinet members favoured Bukka Dipcharima, but Dr Nwafor was reluctant and after several meetings the NCNC put up Ozumba Mbadiwe.

Obviously the NPC refused and stated categorically that they were the senior partners in the coalition government. Paul Tarfa said it was as a result of this breakdown in communication among politicians that led to Aguiyi-Ironsi taking over power. In his writings, he narrated how the north felt cheated and the mutiny started from this inference. This was the beginning of the civil war because what followed was carnage. Reading other accounts, there is a difference. In fact Achebe’s account in his book, “There was a Country,” talked about the heroics of Aguiyi ironsi and how he stopped the coup.

Paul Tarfa’s account painted a picture that Aguiyi Ironsi was aware of the coup.
As more books come up, we will always have different accounts of what happened on the 15th January. For the sake of documentation I will like to hear Major General Yakubu Gowon’s account. Apart from interviews and his speech “The Dawn of lasting Peace” in 1968, he hasn’t expressed his own side of the story in a book.

The most important question about all these different accounts on the 1966 incident, is when is Nigeria going to heal and is it ever going to heal? The conversations about healing are rife, as all we now talk about are drumbeats of Araba which is not good for our country. We must understand that there are times in every nation that challenges look insurmountable but cool heads must prevail as justice must be done. Justice is the firm pedestal that peace can seat on.

As a result of the 1966 event, we have fought a civil war and experienced about 10 coups and with return to civilian rule, we still work in the shadows of 1966. At some point we must heal or begin the process of healing for the generation yet unborn. Let 2022 start that process of healing.

– Rufai Oseni, rufaioseni@gmail.com