Infact mostly of those who join the Nigeria Military in the early days, joined under Bizarre Circumstances, today we are looking at the top 5 on the list.
1. Brig Gen Alabi Isama (rtd) :
Sport attracted him into the army, he doesn't even have an idea of how much is their salary, make the story worse, where he was from is totally against that idea of joining the Army, he was from Ilorin and any one family that joined the military, his family ostracized or pitied, he was the only son of his mother Alhaja, he joined the Military without informing her, after she knew, she cried all round begging islamic clerics to pacify God who she thinks he is using it to punish her. Brig Gen Alabi Isama went into the military, battle tested back to back even with coups, mutiny intrigues and the likes, yet he is alive today bouncing strong! Old soldiers never die.
Reference: Tragedy of Victory by Brig Gen Alabi Godwin Isama
2.Adekunle Fajuyi
joined the Military against his family wish, he made plans secretly to run away from him with his friends who did same too to meet at rendezvous training, his family members got wind of the plan, kidnapped him (funny) and brought him back home to his angry parents who tried to persuade this young lad but he was adamant, stood his grounds, starve himself to hurt them until they bowed to his will. He was happy like a free bird.
Unfortunately in the later years after a fruitful career in the military, he ws killed in a counter-coup against Aguiyi Ironsi, he being the ADC was presented opportunity to be safe but ge choose to die with his Boss, such a hero!
Reference : Adekunle Fajuyi Biography.
3.Olusegn Aremu Obasanjo :
A poor, brilliant student needs to further his education but faced with a lot of financial constraints decided to use the Nigeria Cadetship Examination as an avenue to prepare himself for another tougher exam he is trying to pass, it went well and he passed the exam, paving way for him into the military, so unlikely for him from the beginning and he is least expected to join the military as his friends consider him unsoldierly, he lied to his mom he is being offered scholarship in Ghana meanwhile he was actually going to Teshie Ghana to start military training, his mom died before she knew the truth, he received the news while he was at Ghana and it pained him to the marrows, he couldn't see his mum for the last time, but as he soldier when delivering his duty, he couldn't freak, no emotions meanwhile behind the public Glare, he cried so hard.
Today OBJ as he is popularly referred is battle tested, assassination tested, coup tested, leadership tested and this great man still standing strong and let me add he is a great scholar with great books
Reference: My Command, My watch by Obj, Olusegun Obasanjo under the eyes of time.
4.Major Gen Yerinma:
Picture : not found.
son of a soldier in the imperial Nigeria Army, was orphanned too soon, no mother no family relation at all, he joined the military with no family member at all to mourn his death if he died, he joined, rose fast through ranks, battled tested yet he never killed anyone while in service because the opportunity did not come, he was actually in the logistics in the Sierra leone war throughout and wasn't in the situation to kill not that he was avoiding it.
He rose fast through ranks and glory to God, his life was preserved, retired as NDA Commandant, even two of his children out of five, joined the military. Today he is alovely strong, hale and hearty, a Orphan favoured by God as he love to say.
Reference https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/amp/news/19810/i-have-never-killed-as-a-soldier.html
5. Odumegwu Ojukwu :
Son of one of the most wealthy business man in Colonial Nigeria, he earned a master degree in the university in history in a university in the UK, In 1956/1957,he returned to Nigeria so after two years of working with the colonial civil service and seeking to break away from his father's influence over his civil service career,he left and joined the military initially enlisting as a non-commissioned officer (NCO) in Zaria.Ojukwu's decision to enlist as an NCO was forced by his father's (Sir Louis) pulling of political strings with the then Governor-General of Nigeria (John Macpherson) to prevent Emeka from getting an officer-cadetship.Sir Louis and Governor-General Macpherson believed Emeka would not stick to the grueling NCO schedule however Emeka persevered. After an incident in which Ojukwu corrected a drill sergeant's mispronunciation of the safety catch of the Lee-Enfield .303 rifle, the British Depot Commander recommended Emeka for an officer's commission.
Odumegwu Ojukwu was brilliant and Gallant in everything Military or academics, in a misunderstanding that plunged the country into a civil war, he later led his tribe the Ibos to secede leading to a civil war, as usual he delivered his war prowess but not so long others factor came in, Biafra surrendered. Although Pardoned, he returned back to Nigeria was celebrated a hero especially from the Eastern part of Nigeria.
. . .. .. ... ...
©Afolabi Micheal for AFM blog.
No comments:
Post a Comment