Maj.Gen. Gowon Speaks to Nigeria on Eve of Federation | With Lt. Col. Murtala Muhammed | March 1968 скачать в хорошем качестве

Maj.Gen. Gowon Speaks to Nigeria on Eve of Federation | With Lt. Col. Murtala Muhammed | March 1968

Sunday, March 31st 1968. Footage of part of the speech given by Major General Yakubu Gowon, the Nigerian military Head of State, on the eve of Nigeria's regional system of governance being formally transformed into a federation. The Northern, Western, Eastern and Mid-West Regions began to function as 12 states, an initiative devised the previous year in May prior to the formal secession of the Eastern Region later that month and the outbreak of the civil war in July 1967. Major General Gowon spoke of the conflict with the Eastern Region which had styled itself as the Republic of Biafra. He said that the war would end either through a "peace talks or military suppression." With him at the broadcast was Lt. Colonel Murtala Muhammed, the Commanding Officer of the 2nd Infantry Division of the Nigerian Army. Muhammed was promoted to colonel the following month and in June, relinquished his role as a divison commander to take up an appointment as the Inspector of Signals. Source of footage: Reuters News Archive. Note: 1. Murtala Muhammed led the uprising of Northern soldiers which overthrew the military government led by Major General J.T.U. Aguiyi-Ironsi on July 29th 1966. 2. The aim of Muhammed and other plotters was to revenge (as they perceived it) the killings of mainly Northern political and military figures during the coup of January 1966 by officers of mainly Eastern origin. It was also intended to pave the way for the secession of the Northern Region. 3. Yakubu Gowon emerged as the Head of State after a power struggle when Muhammed and others were persudaded to abandon secession. 4. Both men were Lt. Colonels, although Gowon was senior to Muhammed. A deciding factor in Gowon emerging as the leader was the fact that he was a Christian and from a minority tribe of the Northern Region. 5. Both men continued to have a difficult relationship over the years. Muhammed emerged as the Nigerian Head of State in July 1975 after Gowon was overthrown in a bloodless coup. 6. Murtala Muhammed was assassinated in February 1976 during an abortive coup.