A university don, M.O. Ene, has criticised former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, over claims contained in his recently released memoir, “My Life of Duty and Allegiance”, and comments made during its unveiling, accusing the retired military leader of distorting historical events surrounding the Nigerian Civil War.
In a strongly worded reaction titled “The Forked-Tongue General Writes!”, Ene described Gowon as dishonest and accused him of attempting to tarnish the legacy of the late Biafran leader, General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
The academic particularly faulted Gowon’s position on the Aburi Accord and allegations linking Ojukwu to the January 1966 coup.
According to Ene, Ojukwu was neither aware of nor complicit in the coup and was himself allegedly marked for elimination during the crisis. He claimed that Ojukwu played a role in frustrating the coup in Northern Nigeria by confronting Major Kaduna Nzeogwu.
“Gowon serves a menu of mendacities to tarnish Ojukwu,” Ene stated, adding that the former Biafran leader “was never mentioned to have known about the Jan. ’66 coup, let alone being ‘complicit.’
“Ojukwu was to be deleted. Luckily, he was staying at the guesthouse of his friend, Kano Emir Ado Bayero, when the putschists arrived.
“Ojukwu crippled the coup in the North by daring Major Kaduna Nzeogwu to come get the cash for his troops,” Ene wrote.
The scholar further accused Gowon of reviving what he described as the discredited “Igbo coup” narrative by allegedly attempting to reconnect Ojukwu to the January 1966 coup.
Ene also rejected Gowon’s account of the collapse of the Aburi Accord, insisting that it was Gowon who reneged on the agreement and subsequently triggered the events that led to the declaration of Biafra.
He argued that Biafra was not declared because of reprisal killings of Igbo in Northern Nigeria alone, but largely because of the federal government’s alleged unilateral abandonment of the Aburi resolutions.
The don further accused Gowon of prosecuting a brutal war against Biafra and alleged that millions of civilians died during the conflict.
“Ojukwu did not declare Biafra “over the reprisal killing of Igbos (sic) in the north….”
“Reprisal: Whom did the Igbo ever kill? Biafra was a result of Gowon’s unilateral abrogation of Aburi Accord. The scheming general who never held a gun in battle declared war on a people too traumatized to cause any harm”.
He also criticised what he described as Gowon’s continued silence over insecurity and killings in Plateau State.
“To a man who has not said a word — just one word — about the continued killing of his Plateau people, one simple question: One Nigeria, how far?” he queried.
Ene defended Ojukwu’s legacy, describing him as a leader who stood firmly for his people during the civil war and insisting that history would judge both men differently.
He also referenced claims that Ojukwu deliberately avoided publishing a memoir during his lifetime because he believed Gowon should first present his own account of the war.
According to him, Ojukwu anticipated that Gowon’s eventual memoir would contain disputed claims requiring historical rebuttal.
“Ojukwu did not write his war memoir because Gowon had not written: ‘He started it; let him write first!’, was Ojukwu’s remark.”
Ene additionally raised issues surrounding the killings of former Head of State, General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, and Lt. Col. Adekunle Fajuyi during the July 1966 counter-coup, alleging that Gowon benefited politically from the events.
He concluded that Gowon’s memoir would ultimately be subjected to historical scrutiny and criticism.
PACESETTER notes that the memoir by Gowon has continued to generate reactions from commentators, historians, and political observers since its unveiling.