Skip to main content

Edo fallen heroes: Major General Agbazika Innih

Major General Agbazika Innih

By Michael

Major General Agbazika Innih served as military Governor of Bendel state from (August 1975-March 1976) and was later deployed to kwara state as military Governor from 1976-1978.He was born on September 25, 1939 at Agenebode, and educated at catholic school, Akure; Government school warri; Holy cross catholic Benin City and Edo College Benin City. He enlisted in the Nigeria Army in 1962 and attended the Mons Officer Cadet School, Aldershot and Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst both in England.

Maj.Gen. Innih was platoon commander, Ibadan; Chief instructor, Nigeria Military School Zaria; and Deputy Military Secretary, Supreme Headquarters, Lagos.

During the Nigeria civil war, he served in the 3rd marine Commando as Brigade major, 14 Infantry Brigade; Commander, 13 Infantry Brigade, 3rd marines Commando;

Colonel General Staff,1 Infantry Division ,Nigeria Army; member, reorganization of the Nigeria Army Committee; Quarter-Master-General, Nigeria Army; and General Officer Commanding,  1Infantry Division, Nigeria Army.
Like the army take-over of January 15, 1966, the coup of July 29, 1975, was
prompted by corrective instincts. Yakubu  Gowon and his military governors had been in office for nine years more than two terms the life of a normal government, with indications that the 1976 date on which he had earlier promise to hand over to civilians was no longer realistic. The coup of July 29, 1975 brought to power a new military administration under Brigadier Murtala Mohammed, as Head Federal Military Government With Col. George Agbazika Innih as the Military Governor of the Midwest State.
Soon after the military governor assumed duty on August 2, 1975, the new administration dissolved the Midwest Executive council and boards of statutory corporations. In addition to suspending all forms of contract awards, the administration also set up two committees, one of which was to ascertain the fiscal position of the government, while the other was to inspect and report on all projects undertaken by government. The Midwest Mass Communications, comprising the Corporation and the Ethiope publishing Corporation, was dissolved while the three entities which made up the omnibus corporation were re-organised as separate bodies.

The Innih Administration also set up the Odje commission to probe the composition, structure, functions and operations of 74 statutory corporations, boards and government-owned or sponsored companies. As a result of the probe, some permanent secretaries and other serving officers were retired from service.

On February 13, 1976, there was an unsuccessful coup in which general Murtala Mohammed was killed .His Army Chief of Staff Lt-Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo,who succeeded him reassigned Col. Innih to Kwara state. And replaced him with Navy captain Husain Abdullahi, as the military Governor of Bendel State Col. Innih served eight months in the state as Military Governor..

He voluntarily retired as a major-General from Nigerian Army in April, 1980. passed away in 2002 before his dead he was a devoted Christian, married with many children

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The origin Of Agbor

Agbor is one of the oldest vibrant towns in Nigeria, but may have been disadvantaged and eclipsed over the years by the world famous city of Benin, which is only 40 miles away and Asaba, two major towns in between which it is located, as they served as terminuses for east-bound ferry travellers. So much was not recorded about Agbor. The History of Agbor Kingdom like those of other African ancient kingdoms, empires and peoples, is based largely on oral tradition. Various oral accounts on the origin of Agbor and Ika people exist but the most credible being that “Ogunagbon” and his followers, who founded Agbor, came from Benin and first settled in “Ominije”, presently located in today’s Agbor-Nta. Following what can best be described as personal crisis between two princes in Benin and subsequent settlement of this dispute as agreed to by the chiefs and elders of Benin determined by casting of lot, led to one of the princes settling in what became known as ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Talking Musical Instruments Of Edo Culture

Talking Musical Instruments lie in the tonal quality of most languages, in the fact that the instrument reproduces the tones, stresses and numbers of syllables in the various utterances. Talking instruments do not use a kind of morse system and the talk has often attracted the attention of visitors and observers. Edo talking musical instruments give performers and listeners the opportunity to express and experience a variety of emotions. Some of which are hostility, excitement, psychological relief and to increase dramatic tension at points of climax, but their blasts also express the excitement of the adversaries and hostility. It was said that the functions of music concern the reasons for its employment and particularly the broader purpose which it serves and among the several functions are those of emotional expression, entertainment, communication, symbolic representation, enforcing conformity to social norms, validation of social institution and religious rites. The general p...
Post a Comment
Read more

BENIN CUSTOMARY LAW OF SUCCESSION 

Written by Efe Sophia Osamuede (Mrs)      A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ADVENT OF IGIOGBE SUCCESSION The Binis, an ethnic tribe in Nigeria are a people with uniquely rich culture and traditional heritage they occupy the south Midwestern part of the country, now known as Edo state. They were nicked- name “Ubini” by the Yorubas who played a domineering role in the kingdom during their crisis period which occurred after the exit of the Ogiso’s dynasty; especially as it relates to Eweka I, the first Oba of Benin kingdom. “ubin” was later corrupted to Bini, by which the people are still called today . Otherwise, the people recognize themselves as the Edo People. The Bini’s were renamed Edo people from the time of Oba Ewuare the Great. History has it that, the people and their language was re- named Edo as a result of a boy called Edo who was killed in the process of sparing prince Ogun’s life in his struggle of taking his rightful po...
Post a Comment
Read more