Thomas, the eldest son of Nigeria’s first military Head of State, late Major-general Johnson Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, tells ARUKAINO UMUKORO about his father’s legacy
Please tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Thomas I. Aguiyi-Ironsi (CON). I was born some 60 years ago and my father was Major-General Johnson Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi (Ochiagha 1 Ndume), the first military Head of State of Nigeria. My mother, Lady Victoria Nwanyiocha Aguiyi-Ironsi, is a contractor, farmer, fashion designer, grassroots politician, and currently a Local Government Commissioner in Abia State Local Government Commission. My parents originated from Umuahia North Local Government Area in Abia State. I am a product of Army Barracks’ schools (in Nigeria) and private schools in the UK. I undertook university studies in Canada and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna, where I obtained a Bachelor of Arts, in International Relations and M.Sc., Political Science. I am a 1980 United Nations Disarmament fellow. I have four children, three girls and one boy. My first son, Robert, a banker, died in a ghastly motor accident in Australia in 2007, at the age of 29.
How was growing up with your father?
What I recall was that we were always travelling. By 1957, I had made my first trip by ship to the United Kingdom. By 1959, I was in Germany. By 1961, I was back in the UK. Even when I came back from school on holidays from the UK, my father insisted that I also follow him on some of his official tours. I soon understood that this exposure to travelling was a form of education, as one was exposed to various aspects of other people’s culture. However, while growing up with my dad, the pivotal force was my mother. She gave direction in all we did, and she was always by his side as we sat as a family, watching television or listening to music.
What are some of the values you have learnt from your father?
I would submit that children of most senior military officers learnt more of their values from their mothers. Officers tend to take no nonsense from their sons, but spoil their daughters. If a man is going to relate to a woman later in life; certainly, how his dad treated his mother will have some influences. My dad was devoted to my mum. I saw him gave her gifts. By observing him, I learnt generosity, discipline and hard work. I also learnt how to keep my cards close to my chest. My dad told me a few years before his demise that, ‘If you are going to Oxford (UK), say you are going to Waterloo Station. In other words, don’t trust people.’
How did he discipline his children whenever they erred?
The disciplining was done by my mother. If one saw his size, we would all prefer to be punished by mum. On a serious note, he was just too soft to punish his girls.
How close were you to your father?
As a first son, I was very close to him, especially in the 1950s and 1960s cultural lens. On a visit to him in the Congo in 1964, the engine of the aircraft had affected my hearing. He was so concerned that on my return, he insisted that I was put on the business class of the plane.
How did he react whenever he was angry?
The late Ikemba Nnewi described my father in the following words, ‘General Ironsi was every inch a soldier; a towering stance, comportment full of command, eyes and voice pregnant with restrained authority. Here was a man that could never pass unperceived.’ I remember him only once tapping my hand when I allowed some sausages to fall on the floor while he was preparing Sunday breakfast.
How has your dad’s name opened doors for you?
My dad left a good name, and I thank God for that because he left no vast fortune. His name has opened doors, but one has not always left the room with something.
You are a career diplomat and you became an Ambassador, and also once served as the Minister of D
Thomas
efence. How much influence did your father have on the career choices of his children?
Obviously, with our dad’s legacy of military service, my siblings and I were drawn to the public service. We wanted to interact and assist people. Consequently, two of my sisters became lawyers, another two are on the medical field, and another one, Louise, is a journalist. My brother, John, is involved in transport, and Caroline Ada was in insurance and accounts.
How would you describe him as a father?
He was caring, and I would say that he was the most courageous man I have known. At Ibadan, before he was taken away, his only concern was to ensure that I was calm and not frightened. No wonder, the Austrian government gave him their national honour for bravery in the Congo. I recall that he always had time to listen to what I had to say and proffered advice. I could burst into his office and he would not shout me out.
Is it true that your father joined the Nigerian Army against the wishes of his sister, and why?
In his days, the army at that time was not considered as one of the best professions to go into. The better professions was the railways and to become a clerk. She wanted him to be a clerk. The railways and post office were considered good posts in the 1930s and 1940s. Younger Nigerians need to recall that we were under colonial rule at that time. Civics must be taught at primary school level.
Your father came into power following Nigeria’s first military coup in January 1966 led by the late Major Kaduna Nzeogwu. It is claimed that your father was forced by some military officers to become Head of State. How true is this?
Of course, it was against his wishes. But he was a soldier; he was the head of the army, and it was a national duty when he was told to keep law and order. It was a legitimate group of people who, the deputy senate president, I believe, was the one that gave him the authority. Dad was handed over power legally. He did not take part in any coup. Some of those that know the truth are still alive.
Six months after becoming Head of State, your dad was assassinated, alongside Lt. Col. Adekunle Fajuyi, on July 29, 1966 in Ibadan, what was the true picture surrounding that event?
I don’t want to dwell at length on this. Many neo-historians, sycophants and cowards have misrepresented him. We all await the verdict of history. Dad was not involved in the planning or execution of the January 1966 coup. His ‘failure,’ if it can be adjudged as that, was not taking an immediate military action against the coup plotters who killed many high ranking officers from Borno and the Middle Belt. Hausa military officers joined the mutiny of July 29, 1966 in retaliation for the death of the Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, and that of the Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sardauna of Sokoto. What most Nigerians do not know is that my dad was a favourite of the Sardauna, and his support ensured that my dad was selected to head the Nigerian Army. Some reports have stated that my late dad cried when he heard about the death of the Sardauna. He could never have had a part in anything that would involve the death of the Sardauna. I do not want to open old wounds that are still healing. To do so is immaturity of thought and lack of the spirit of forgiveness. It cannot in any way contribute constructively towards nation-building, but rather, it would frustrate the needed effort tailored towards national integration and unity.
Did your father think the Igbo were marginalised?
My dad did not believe the Igbo were marginalised. He did not know how to play politics and he relied too much on civil servants. He grew up in Kano where Hausa was the spoken language, and he had numerous friends from Northern Nigeria. Like my mother, he also spoke Hausa like a Kano donkey. His close bodyguards were from the north and the Middle Belt of Nigeria. Tribalism was never part of my dad’s make-up. He wanted to live the life of a senior British military officer. He believed merit should be the order of the day.
Can you describe your father’s closeness with the late Fajuyi?
He was his boss in the military that was like a family then. Consequently, they looked at each other as brothers.
What did he tell you about his six-month tenure as Nigeria’s first military Head of State?
He did not discuss that with me. He could not have discussed that with anybody. Rather, he was doing things to improve the society, he carried this torch to the end, he consulted with the traditional rulers, he went to the North and West to try and see how they could implement peace in the country.
What would have been his views about the country today, with Muhammadu Buhari as a democratically elected President?
With the current realities on ground today, my dad would have given his total support to President Muhammadu Buhari. My dad introduced a National Orientation Committee to wipe away bribery and corruption, inefficiency and other laxities in the public service. President Buhari also believes that corruption and other acts of indiscipline should be stopped. Some elements believe that President Buhari is against the South-East, but I believe President Buhari would not entertain nonsense from me.
How would you describe your father’s relationships with former Heads of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, and Olusegun Obasanjo?
Dad was their boss; they were junior officers to him then and they looked up to him. In the Army of those days, he was more like an elder brother and they could come to him for anything, even monetary assistance. It was like a family setting and they did visit our house. Gowon used to visit our home when my dad was in London. I recall him telling me to reduce the volume of the television. In later years, Gowon’s closeness to the family has always been maintained. The same can be said of Obasanjo also. My dad and Obasanjo were together in the Congo.
Who were some of your father’s friends?
My father travelled far and wide and he made numerous contacts. He had friends in the household of Queen Elizabeth II, as well as in his village in Umuahia. His professional contacts were all over Africa, and reached Ireland, Canada, and New Zealand. Nevertheless, my mum testifies to the fact that he and Major-general Robert Adebayo (retd.) were very close. Dad was also close to the then High Commissioner in the United Kingdom, Attah, and he had numerous friends from Northern Nigeria.
Your father died at the age of 42. What was his vision for Nigeria?
It was the job of the head of state to correct and bring order to the country. He would have loved for order and peace to reign in the country. That was what he set out to do, but he was not allowed to finish the job. But he would love to have seen that accomplished, that the people of Nigeria are one, because he believed in one Nigeria. As a soldier, then there were only about 7,000 or 8,000 in the Nigerian army. Of course, he would have loved to see the Nigeria Army become a very professional force and widely respected in the whole world. Also, the army, to a large degree, has continued the good job in peacekeeping operations worldwide. That is something he would have been happy with.
Would you like to share personal experiences before and after his assassination?
Yes, I was with my father in Ibadan. I was with him before they knocked at his door, and he told me to remain inside as he opened the door. I heard the shouts of, ‘There will be no killing here.’ I saw his gallant Kanuri orderly crying because he could not defend my father. I say, thank you, to the Nigeria Police that disguised me and put me on a train to Lagos to be received by my mum. In the room before he was murdered, my father said to me, ‘Take no vengeance.’ As a 13-year-old boy, I did not comprehend the full meaning of his words. Today, I know that God alone should take vengeance. Both Lt. Col. Fajuyi and my dad died for national integration and unity. May their heroic souls rest in peace.
Have you forgiven your father’s killers?
Yes, I have forgiven them, but I have not forgotten.
How did you and your family survive the civil war?
I was sent back to the UK to continue my studies late in October, 1966. My mum and other siblings remained in Biafra throughout the civil war. She refused for them to be sent out of Biafra to Gabon. My mum worked in relief, looking after the soldiers. She is a very strong woman. And my sisters had private tutors to teach them. One of my sisters was nearly captured during the civil war. Kidnapping young girls did not just start, it had always been; but it is very sad that it is still present in 2014/2015.
What is the history of your father’s famous swagger stick, which was said to have been named after him?
Most senior army officers carried a swagger stick. But my dad carried a stock baby crocodile, about two feet long, which he got from the Congo. It is interesting that his name, Aguiyi, also means crocodile in Igbo. But it’s just that some people thought the crocodile had some magical property inside it, and that unless it was removed from him, he could not be killed. Even in the Second World War, some British Generals carried umbrellas.
Did the crocodile really have magical powers as the rumours claimed?
Well, the dead don’t talk.
What was your dad’s daily routine? What were his likes and dislikes?
Very soon, my mother would release her memoirs and answer numerous questions pertaining to my father’s personal life. I would prefer not to comment on certain aspects until her book is launched.
What were your dad’s hobbies?
His hobbies included collecting antiques, especially silver. He also loved watching wrestling.
What was his favourite meal?
Mum says his favourite dish is garri and vegetable soup.
What was his favourite drink?
I can say that he liked his Johnny Walker whiskey. He could drink everyone down in the Officers’ Mess and still be the first on the parade ground the next day. Ask General Adebayo, he is still alive.
How was his relationship with your mum?
They were very close. In the UK, he liked to prepare Sunday breakfast for us and served my mum breakfast in bed. My dad was devoted to my mum.
What are some fond memories you have of your father?
I love to watch him riding horses. My father was a first-class horseman. I wish every Nigerian officer, from Lieutenant to Major, could be taught how to ride, and swim as well. I also loved staying with him when he was driving. He was a very good driver. In the UK, we used to go on long trip with the family.
What is your father’s legacy in Nigeria’s history?
His legacy is obvious. He came into power following a military coup, to correct the ills in the country, and after him, so many other military coups happened to also correct the ills in the country. We are still going on with the efforts to correct ills in the country today. He would have wanted Nigeria to develop and be at peace, with every citizen having a sense of security. The battle still continues for us to have peace and security in the country.
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