REMINISCENCE INTERVIEW: Roles by Abangwu, Onoh, Enechi-Onyia, Elechi, Aniagolu in Wawa agitation

By DENNIS AGBO

Sir, please could you tell us more about yourself?

I am Enechi Onyia, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Officer of the Order of Niger (OON) and a legal practitioner.

We learnt you are one of the founding fathers of Enugu state, can you tell us how it all started?

Well, in 1954, I was a civil servant in Enugu and Abangwu (Charles) returned from England, he became a member of House of Assembly and organized Udi-Nsukka-Awgu-Abakaliki meeting of elites, in the process, he took the parliamentarians to Abakaliki because at that time it did not seem that any Wawa man was holding a strong position in the cabinet of the late his Excellency Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. in the process Abangwu was caused to resign from the house of Assembly and from NCNC because after that meeting Abangwu was betrayed by the time they returned that Abangwu was to write a petition to Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, they have given the information to Zik who saw reason, a very reasonable man, and by next morning, Nwodo was appointed a minister, Chime, B. C. Okwu, Onwe, so what they were asking had failed but Zik didn’t take it kindly and asked Abangwu to resign. Abangwu resigned and resigned from the House of Assembly. There was another election and Abangwu won as an independent candidate.

Sorry, could you please take us back on the contention that made Abangwu to resign?

The Wawas met in Abakaliki rest house and petitioned Zik that no Wawa man was holding a responsible position in his government. Zik was the Premier of Eastern region. Zik got annoyed that perhaps Abangwu did not tell him before he began to organise people and you know organization is powerful. So Abangwu won and when he came back they readmitted him to the party and he became the deputy speaker of the House. He did not relent, when I was going to England, he signed all my documents and told me that I must remember my people. The wawa man was derided because education came last in wawa land. The first government at Udi was in 1906, the Onitsha and environs had had education in 1867. You can see many years of education before it got here. It was through Agbaja soldiers, it was Ozor Okoroafor that brought the Whitman he was a talisman at Aro, he brought them here and they settled at Udi. The first warrant chief was in 1906, which is Ozor Okoroafor from Obioma who Ozor Eneh decided to fight him in presence of the Divisional officer that the Man who returned from somewhere cannot come and rule us. So the DCO made him a warrant Chief on the spot and divided Obioma into two and that was how they started making warrant Chiefs; in Eke, Onyeama by 1910, Ozobu before Onyeama, Chukwuani, these were all warrant Chiefs.

So Abangwu traced the history and said its education, that by the time white Man came to Enugu, Zik was already born, his father attended school and was already working in northern Nigeria and you can see the difference in western education. It is not as if any other thing is lacking in us but that it is with time and Abangwu was prepared to fight so that our people won’t have inferiority complex. So we started fighting. I came back from England in 1961, at that very time; there was a dissention between Abangwu and Onoh. They were not Seeing Eye to eye at all because Onoh was on the part of Association for One Nigeria and Abangwu was on the other side protecting the Wawa people. So in the circumstance, when I came back, Abangwu called me and said look at what is happening and Onoh being my brother, I was to protect his own interest too, the women of Udi division organized themselves and made me their only man in their mist to advise them. Mrs. Agu was the chairperson and Mrs. Ogakwu was the secretary and they formed the organization to protect the interest of Wawa man. It was called Udi divisional women association. They even allowed people from Abakaliki to join and they were fighting C.C Onoh and were supporting C.O.C Chiedozie the owner of a school then, a gentleman from Amawbia. When I can in, Chiedozie had defeated C.C Onoh in an election caused by our people and became a House of Representatives member. Onoh was given the Chairman of Coal Corporation because Okpara, Mbanugo and others supported him. By that time C.C Onoh wanted to dislodge Chiedozie but he had no way of doing it without the support of our women. Onoh felt that it was because of Mrs. Ogakwu who voted for Chiedozie that made him fail in the NCNC election and because of that he named his daughter Josephine, the one that died in plane crash, after Mrs. Ogakwu. So we decided to show Okpara and his group that we were not anti-NCNC, that what we wanted was to develop this area and have our people educated so we said we will invite premier of the eastern region to a reception to thank him for being in Enugu but we couldn’t do that without the political elites. Onoh was a powerful political Man; E. O Chime was a powerful political man who was the provincial commissioner for Enugu province, (that is the father of ex-Governor Sullivan Chime), D. O Nnamani, father to the late Justice Augustine Nnamani, Nwodo, Onwe were provincial administrators, Aja- Nwachukwu and others were all part the them. So we decided to get to Okpara and we called a meeting at Aborigine hall in 1964 and we invited these top politicians to tell them what was happening so that Okpara will not say we are against him. We invited the traditional rulers too. Nnaemeka Agu, ABN Obayi they all came. We made Chime to chairman the occasion then because he was the highest political officer then from Udi. Mrs. Ogakwu read the address as the secretary and everybody clapped. We could not get C.C Onoh on our side but we got Chief Orji, Uncle to C.C Onoh, on our side that was farther of late Dr. Sam Orji. We said we were going to see the Governor of Eastern Nigeria. When the organization was now established Onoh came and gave us twenty pounds. Do you know what pounds means then? And the whole people clapped. That was how Onoh got back to us because he gave the highest amount. Chime was our treasurer unfortunately he couldn’t give us account till he died even though there was no need for that but he died after the war. We told Okpara that our people were being neglected and the coup struck in 1966.

How do you mean that your people were being neglected?

In terms of appointment! Until the Nigeria army got to Umulemgbe, the commander of the Biafra army was Col. Iheanacho and Ojukwu appointed Onoh the administrator of Enugu capital territory and Col. Udeh was appointed commander of Biafra army in that axis. They were able to hold the war for sometime because our people became happy and started fighting. Then Mmogbo, myself and Udegbunam, we were all lawyers abandoned our families and followed Onoh, we said that wherever he goes we will follow him. First of all when it was obvious that Enugu will fall, we made our camp at Oji River. When Oji River failed we moved to Okigwe with him. So at Okigwe, we saw that the war was very bad and people were dying. We called CC (Onoh), we called Odenigwe to a meeting in the house of Ozoifo who was then a top Civil servant and had a house at Okigwe. We asked C.C and Odenigwe to give our people authority to go home and also to make sure that people are not those called saboteurs. There I said gentlemen, you know I have seen in the whole government of Biafra, there is no Wawa man as a commissioner. Discrimination was not done then on the basis of knowledge because D.D Onyeama was a world court judge, Aniagolu and even Nnaemeka Agu, Abangwu, were they not qualified to be commissioners under Ojukwu, not even in Abakaliki too, then I suggested, Byron Onyeama was there too, I suggested that even if we win the war, we will ask for our own state. Byron supported me.

Who else was there?

Onoh was there. Byron supported me and we left.

Had Gowon started the balkanization Eastern region then?

Oh yes! I said that whether we are in Nigeria or Biafra, we will ask for our own state. I didn’t know that because we had confidence that Biafra would win, I was reported to the DPO of Okigwe Division, that I made a careless talk.

Who reported you?

C.C Onoh! After the meeting he went and reported me. He felt threatened because he was the administrator. I ate breakfast with him in his camp because I was supporting him, then I went to court to do something and after that I came back. The next morning, the DPO, an Afikpo Man came to me and said I was under arrest, I asked under arrest for what? He said I was reported, I asked who reported me. He didn’t want to say. The DPO saw all of us moving together after C.C had reported and the DPO said you must come with me and I said I can’t come with you. I told him to rather come into my car and asked his driver to follow us because I am a lawyer. He agreed and we went to the police station and Udegbunam followed and the DPO said go into there I said I won’t unless he tells me what I did and he said he knows me very well if I had somebody to take me on bail and I said Udegbunam and he said no if there was any other person and I mention Onoh, the DPO agreed. Udegbunam jumped into his car, went and brought C.C and when C.C came he said Chimuoh! If they kill him now they will say I killed him (Laughed long). So we have seen things in this life. He took me on bail. C.C himself who reported me took me on bail. I was in the house and Mmugbo came and said if I know what to do I should do it know because in the morning I will be detained. Udegbunam suggested we will go to Umuahi to see the Inspector General of Biafra Police, Okeke. By 5am we left with Udeagbunam’s car and when we got there, Okeke said Enechi what are you here for? I said C.C sent me oh. He said sent you for what, I said he sent to bring some goats, because goats littered in the man’s house and we laughed. So I told him why I came and he gave a note to DPP that nobody should arrest me and we came back to Okigwe. But Byron Onyeama who did not know the game was arrested and detained for six months for the said careless talk offence. He tried to use Justice Aniagolu to no avail.

Where was Justice Aniagolu at this point?

Aniagolu was in Umuahi as a Judge.

You have not mentioned him as being part of the struggle?

No, he was a Judge and we didn’t need to bother him. So later, Odenigwe called a meeting at Okohia in Okigwe. He called Ugwu, the administrator of Nsukka, called Mgbada, the administrator of Abakaliki, Onoh was there. That was in 1969 shortly before the end of the war and we took a decision that we must ask for our own state. When the war ended, we called for the creation of Wawa state not Enugu state but Wawa state, from Afikpo to Nsukka to Oji River.

In 1970 when the war ended we formed the Wawa State Movement at No 1 Ogui road Enugu. That was Abangwu’s house. Abangwu was the Chairman and I was the Secretary. On March 20th 1970 we petitioned the Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon that we want Enugu state.

Who drafted the letter that was sent to the Head of State?

I drafted it and signed it. As the secretary, I had to dispatch it. The issue of security, how to safe guard it to reach the head of state became necessary and paramount.

We learnt that the then Governor of East Central state, Ukpabi Asika was against you people?

No. He was rather my friend. I was to be made a commissioner but I refused when they said I should resign as the secretary. I was the adviser to the father of his wife who was living opposite All Saints Anglican Church, GRA, the younger sister to Asika. I was the one that took her to the airport when she departed for overseas.

So there was no intimidation against the Wawa state Movement by Asika?

We did it the way he couldn’t understand. We had our way of doing things.

Were you guys into hiding in your operations?

No. It was a bold movement. It was an intellectual based organization but we had to send that letter to Lagos and there was no bridge across River Niger. It was broken and there was no chance of going to Port Harcourt to send it and be sure it will go. So the only place we could go was Onitsha. At Onitsha, every document going out had to go through Asika but you could go to Asaba which was Mid-Western region. So when I got to Onitsha I had to cross the River Niger through Portun (hand paddled boat) and posted it and returned. That was about on March 23 or 24, 1970. I was interviewed by the press because they saw me as the person writing and sending it. They published it and Asika had got a copy, copied to him by Gowon, so I was arrested and detained. The Head of State General Gowon had read it and copied Asika and even replied us that he had gotten our letter and that he was looking into it. So I was arrested by Ukpabi Asika and taken to Lagos. That was how J.S Takar of Benue state through John Edozie came in and within two days I was back to Enugu.

What was Ukpabi Asika’s anger?

He did not want the state creation, he felt it was dividing his government but we continued with our movement.

Where was Martin Elechi at this point?

Martin was with the government of Asika. He was against us. Mgbada was playing the game half way. Infact when we went to Mgbada to sign the document he was unable to sign. He even set us up that we were even arrested while going to him but be it as it may we pressed further with our petitions and the Irikefe Commission for creation of states came. It then became a federal order that any group that wanted a state should apply and we went to defend our petition in Enugu here because the commission was going round. Zik called me and said what we are talking about makes sense but that unfortunately Mbadiwe and his group is talking about Imo state. So Zik abandoned us. Sir Louis Mbanefo was interested, he even came to hilltop club for us to discuss. I and Onoh discussed with him. We didn’t call Chime or Nwodo or B.C Okwu. Mbanefo arranged for another meeting for us with Zik which we now called Nwodo and B C Okwu to join us. When we got to Mbanefo’s house, he phoned Zik that Onoh and Enechi have come and Zik told him to bring us. When Zik pepped through the window to see Nwodo and B.C Okwu with us, he told his gateman to tell us that he was not around. Mbanefo a retired Chief Judge was dumbfound and said is this how politicians behave. Somebody I just called and he asked me to come. what happened? So we left Onitsha that day, the truth being that Zik had known Nwodo and Okwu and had no confidence in them, Zik felt they will relate whatever we discussed to Mbadiwe and co and wanted to speak with Onoh and myself in confidence. But later he told us to continue with what we were doing.

Zik was not holding any position at this time?

No! After Ojukwu did all he did to him, Asika came and oppressed Zik the more. Before and during the war, Ojukwu disgraced him. Asika came and did not give him anything. So we continued. After our submission to Irikefe, Asika sent Chris Nwankwo, Offia Nwali and Martin Elechi now wrote that they want Abakaliki state. So Justice Irikefe said they now have another petition for Abakaliki state and wondered why the same Abakaliki people that signed the documents for Wawa state were filling another paper? Offia Nwali stood up and said there are Wawas and there Wawas (Laughed). We followed the Irikefe commission up to Onitisha when they went there and Irikefe said why are you worried? Your state will be created. He recommended the creation of Wawa State. The Armed Forces Council approved it, the name was given to be gazetted but Bishop Okoye and others like Nwakama Okoro went to the then Military Governor of East Central state, Col. Atom Kpera and told him that the Igbos said Enugu state should not be created and caused more confusion after the war. That was in 1976. So Atom Kpera wired Lagos and told them that the leaders of Igbo people said they don’t want Enugu state but Imo can be created. It was in this my office in Zik Avenue that the Imo leaders came to copy our submission to the panel and submitted theirs.

Who were the agitators for Imo state creation?

The agitators were RBK Okoafor, Mbakwe, Ogbuagu and some of them that are still alive. It was RBK and Ogbuagu who came and collected our sample and submitted to Irikefe. They knew we were going and they said we can’t stay with this people oh. The Man who was given the creation of states to gazette is David Ngene from Akwunanwu here. David was gazetting it when he was asked to remove Wawa state. It was to be 20 states that would have been created by Gowon but they now left it at 19. So one state was created out of East central state which was Imo and they named the remaining part of Igboland Anambra state. David cried because he was a senior officer in Lagos. But when Nwakama Okoro saw that the Yorubas have got more states, he flew back from Lagos to tell Atom Kpera sorry ,let us amend it, but Kpera told him I am a soldier, sorry it is late.

Then the final one was in 1987 when the army created Akwa Ibom and Katsina. Enugu was to be created. It was approved at the Armed Forces Council because our informant told us it was approved. Babaginda said that if he saw any difficult security situation he would not create any state there. If you listened to him after that announcement of creation of Akwa-Ibom he said no comment, it was a warning even though he did not mention us. But I was here in this my office one day when two Generals came and said my friend we are from Dodan Barracks, we were sent to tell you that Enugu state will not be created, make sure there is no violence. I didn’t believe them. I had to call my friend from the press, Onuora, a vibrant journalist, he is now dead but he was close to the army. I asked him to go and find out. He went to Dodan Barracks and came back to say it was correct that Enugu state would not be created. I didn’t know whether to tell Onoh or to tell Abangwu. I said no if I tell these people, it would be broadcast and we will get into trouble so I went to Igwe Edward Nnaji of Nike. I told him and he said alright we are going to have a meeting, tell Abangwu we are going to have a meeting. At the meeting in Nnaji’s palace, people charged that state creation was on-going what do we do Oh! Voices were rising, that we are going to fight these people fighting us. Igwe Nnaji raised his hand and asked, our people if the state is not created shall we fight? With that question he divided the house; some said we shall kill somebody others said we won’t fight. Igwe Nnaji said it not good to fight because we have no arms and we are talking about soldiers. But Babaginda had said next dispensation he will give you state. The announcement came and there was no state for us. We believed in Babaginda that in the nest dispensation, which was in August 27 1991, he made sure we got it. He directed us to stop further petition to the Presidency and directed us where our petitions should go.

And that was how Joe Nwodo was fighting to be a Governor in Anambra state same as Hyde Onuaguluchi and we were having a meeting and Nwodo came from Lagos and said we were deceiving the people that we did not apply for state creation, that he went to the Presidency, without knowing that all the petitions have been withdrawn to another address. At that time Augustus Aikhomo had known that Wawa state was to be created but he thought that Wawa state was Ebonyi because of Akanu Ibam. So I went to Daddy Onyeama, the world court Judge, then he was sick. Odenigwe came to my Office and said lets go and talk to Anthony Aniagolu and I said I won’t go, that Aniagolu won’t agree to go, he said let’s try. We went to Aniagolu and he said ‘pay my expenses and I will go’ and I said okay let’s try. So I phoned John Edozie and they had no money at Hiltop club in Lagos. John went to his brother who had been helping us and he gave N250, 000 cheques and that was how Aniagolu went to Lagos. Our supporter who was a member of Armed Forces Ruling Council and said how do we talk to Aikhomo who had taking position for Ebonyi state? He needed somebody to convince him that it was not Ebonyi state but Wawa state. You cannot tell Aniagolu that it has not been approved otherwise he won’t go. We told him we‘ve booked appointment for him to see Aikhomo. So we got John Edozie and Odenigwe to go with him, I was to go to Abuja for another thing. When Aikhomo’s aides saw Aniagolu, they went and told him that Justice retired is here and that it is not common in the army and he said bring him in. That was how Aniagolu was able to see him and discussed that Ebonyi state is not the Wawa state. Then crisis started because Abia people were applying but Babaginda said he had passed a resolution that Anambra people want to be divided. The Imo people who were supporting us also called a meeting of Ohanaeze in Imo and we had arranged everything. Babangida was ready to help us and decided to check what we had written. The Anambra people did not want anybody to talk about Enugu state but at the Imo Ohanaeze meeting, Bob Ogbuagu and co said we are going to ask for another state, that Anambra people should leave Ndigbo alone.    

This interview was conducted in 2013