Aburi Accord

Aburi Accord was reached in 1967 at a meeting attended by delegates of both the Federal Government of Nigeria (the Supreme Military Council) and the Eastern delegates, led by the Eastern Region's leader Colonel Ojukwu. The meeting was billed to be the last chance of preventing all out war.^[1] It was held between 4 and 5 January 1967.

Aburi as venue

Aburi, Eastern Region of Ghana was chosen as a venue because the eastern delegates led by the Governor of Eastern State Colonel Ojukwu's safety could not be guaranteed anywhere within the western or northern part of the country.^[2]

Agenda of Aburi Meeting

Re-organisation of the Armed forces
Constitutional Arrangement
Issue of displaced persons within the Nigeria.^[3](c)1999-2006 Segun Toyin Dawodu

Delegates

The following are the delegates at the Aburi Conference:

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 Region
Major Mobolaji Johnson - Governor Lagos State
Lt.-Col. Hassan Katsina - Governor Northern Region
Lt.-Col. David Ejoor - Governor Mid-Western Region
Commodore Joseph Edet Akinwale Wey - Vice President of Nigeria
Colonel Robert Adebayo - Governor Western Region
Alhaji Kam Selem
Mr. T. Omo-Bare

Others as follows:

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 (who later became the Oba of Benin - Erediauwa I^[4]^{[circular reference]}) Permanent Under-Secretary-Federal Cabinet Office

The Accord

Aburi accord is as follows:

"Members agree that the legislative and executive authority of the Federal Military Government should remain in the Supreme Military Council, to which any decision affecting the whole country shall be referred for determination provided that where it is possible for a meeting to be held the matter requiring determination must be referred to military governors for their comment and concurrence.

Specifically, the council agreed that appointments to senior ranks in the police, diplomatic, and consular services as well as appointment to superscale posts in the federal civil service and the equivalent posts in the statutory corporation must be approved by the Supreme Military Council.

The regional members felt that all the decrees passed since January 15, 1966, and which detracted from previous powers and positions of regional governments, should be repealed if mutual confidence is to be restored.^[5]

Breakdown

In response to the accord, the federal government promulgated Decree No. 8, which was mainly an embodiment of the accord. The accord finally broke down because of differences of interpretation on both sides. This led to the outbreak of Nigerian Civil War.^[6]

References

^ / Biafra Story, Frederick Forsyth ,Leo Cooper, 2001 ISBN 0-85052-854-2
^ Ethnic politics in Kenya and Nigeria By Godfrey Mwakikagile, Nova Publishers, 2001.ISBN 1-56072-967-8
^ http://www.dawodu.com/aburi1.htm
^ Erediauwa I
^ Biafra: Selected Speeches and Random Thoughts by C. Odumegwu Ojukwu published by Harper & Row 1969."
^ Reflections on the Nigerian Civil War by Raph Uwechue, Trafford Publishing, 2004.ISBN 1-4120-2806-X

[1] / Biafra Story, Frederick Forsyth ,Leo Cooper, 2001 ISBN 0-85052-854-2

[2] Ethnic politics in Kenya and Nigeria By Godfrey Mwakikagile, Nova Publishers, 2001.ISBN 1-56072-967-8

[3] ttp://www.dawodu.com/aburi1.htm

[4] Erediauwa I

[5] Biafra: Selected Speeches and Random Thoughts by C. Odumegwu Ojukwu published by Harper & Row 1969."

[6] Reflections on the Nigerian Civil War by Raph Uwechue, Trafford Publishing, 2004.ISBN 1-4120-2806-X

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