ISSUE FIVE/2000 Tale of Two Vultures is completely changed when 'impaled on the moon/a boy's head is banging for justice' is turned into 'impaled by the moon/he bangs a boy's head, demand- ing justice'. The 'he' referred to can only be the 'gongbearer' introduced in verse 1 part 11 of the poem which does not mabe sense in this context. Nearly embarrasing is the quotation from stanza iv of Naked Testimo- niesthat is also printed on the cover page: 'it is I/Striding upon my high places/Shield my voice/I walfe in fire' the penultimate line is turned into 'my voice my shield'. Here the meaning of the line is changed from a voice that needs to be protected to a weapon that protects. Also notable are inaccuracies in the punc- tuation through which certain phrases are grouped together where they should not (for example in Answer Bach). Altogether it can be said that it is very laudable to mabe Adewalc's impressive col- lection available for a readership that is not firm enough in English to read an exclusively English edition. However, it must be stated - and this is valid for basically all translations - that the translation should only serve as a guide and if possible, should be compared with the original. It is also unfortunate that this carefully produced boob is basically only distributed in Germany. It would be desir- able for the author that this fine collection of poetry and short stories be accessible to a wider readership. Anke Weiler-Oduntan until recently was project coordinator for the Heinrich Boll Foundation in Nigeria. Commitment to biography BY NINA MBA Chubs Iloegbunam. IRONSIDE: THE BIOGRAPHY OF GENERAL AGUIYI- IRONSI. NIGERIA'S FIRST MILITARY HEAD OF STATE. Press Alliance Network Limited. London. 1999. 250pp NEITHER in the biography nor at the launch of the boob in Lagos on October 28, 1999 was any explanation given as to the meaning of the title of the boob or when/how Ironsi was bestowed with the title Ironside, although there were many references to it and to the word 'warlord' at the launch. Ironside' was not created as a nicbname for Ironsi. It is a word of ancient lineage in England (and in English). In 1642 when the English parliament and King Charles 1 were at war, Oliver Cromwell a devout Puritan and parliamen- tarian organised a new and more effective military force. This army imbused with strict discipline, high morale, religious fervour and advanced democratic ideas came to be bnown as the 'Ironsides' and played a signifi- cant role in the victory of the parliamentary force (bnown as the Roundheads). However when parliament hesitated to execute the King, Cromwell (also bnown as Ironside) turned on parliament, divided it and it was the Rump of that parliament which executed King Charles in 1649. England then became a republic bnown as the Commonwealth and Cromwell ruled it as a dictator as the Lord Protector until he died in 1658. In 1660 Charles 11 was restored and sometime early next century the UK may expect the ascen- sion of Charles 111. One may speculate on certain interest- ing ironies in attaching Ironsides to General Aguiyi Ironsi (for instance, it was the rump of the Nigerian parliament which handed over' the government to Ironsi and the Janu- ary 1966 coup leaders did possess a moral fervour and advanced ideas abin to the origi- nal Ironsides but the point is simply that the reader is entitled to that information. Pini Jason, the reviewer of the biography at the Glendora Books Supplement 23 ISSUE FIVE/2000 • << launch, describes the title as a fitting nick- name, then asbs: Why would a man often described in the most disparaging way be given such a flattering nickname. Who but a brave soldier deserves such adulatory nick- name (Sunday Vanguard, October 31 1999). Knowing the history of the word, 'Ironsides' makes it even more adulatory. Most of the attention paid to the biogra- phy so far. both at the launch and in the re- view has focused on the subject of the book and his role in Nigerian history rather than on the way the biography has presented Ironsi. This review concentrates more on the Major General J.T.U. Aguiyi-Ironsi. Former Head of the National Military Government and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Courtesy of the United Nations biography. A passionate commitment to ones work is necessary for a biographer especially when faced with problems concerning source ma- terials. But a declared passionate commit- ment to the subject of one's work undermines its credibility. This biography was a personal mission for the author. At the launch, Iloegbunam informed us that he had spent about Nl million of his personal funds and Glendoro Books Supplement 24 eleven years of his life to see the book through and that he is now a very fulfilled man. (Otiono, This Day November 7 1999). In the Preface the author states his objective in writing 'a biography'. A biography that would determine the reason behind the shabby treatment to which Ironsi's memory had for too long been sub- jected. In other words Iloegbunam set out to revise the accepted historiography of Ironsi; the inherent dangers of this approach are noted by Pini Jason, who reviewed the book at the launch. 'Naturally being a work of re- constructive history Ironside was blind to the fact that General Ironsi was a human being and could be allowed a few lapses. The Gen- eral came off here as an immaculate saint' (Sunday Vanguard October 31 1999). General Ironsi's two hundred days to eternity have been viewed critically, in the historiography (examined exhaustively by the author). One sympathises with Iloegbunam's sense of mis- sion particularly since, as he pointed out - no one (else) had written a boofe about Ironsi and - no one (had) questioned the fact that comments on him have continued to be dep- recatory (xi). Iloegbunam's impassioned de- fence extends to his laying down the law on the use of 'Ndigbo' (Igbo People), "all other forms of reference to the Igbo other than these are not countenanced in this work, even if in quoted material' (xv). In so doing the author breaks the law of scholarship that quotes must be exactly as in the original. Iloegbunam's defence of Ironsi traps him into an unnecessarily aggressive, indeed at times rude and personalised attacks on those who assess Ironsi critically e.g sort of de- rived', 'those who know other than (sic) the contents of these two chapters, not rumour peddlers and revisionists, are challenged to controvert them.' Iloegbunam sharply criticises Clark and Elaigwu the two bigraphers of General Yakubu Gowon and Lyndsay Barrett, the bi- ographer of General Theophilus Danjuma. over a number of issues. These are mostly substantial but occasionally spiteful, as in Elaigwu believed that in writing the biogra- phy of Gowon. the eponym would not at- tain a larger than life stature unless no stone was left unturned in denigrating Ironsi (115) Although generally the narrative flows, there are too many passages of clumsy, care- less and convoluted prose and too many in- stances of shoddy journalese. A few examples to justify my criticism: most people did not at all appreciate that the nation was close to an even greater calamity from which only divine providence could introduce an obvia- tion. (12) When Ironsi moved forward by one • ISSUE FIVE/2000 Glendora Books Supplement 25 hour the reception for traditional rulers at MapoHall. Ibadanon 14'January 1966. Sanni Bello his ADC 'now thinks it was perhaps - slight foreboding of the contingency of his imminent demise (134). And Ironsi and Fajuyi would see the sun up on the following morn- ing but not another sun down. After describing graphically the horrific beating of Ironsi and Fajuyi en route to their execution, lloegbunam concludes in anti- climatic facetiousness. 'It was that sort of day. Earlier, in government house. Major T. Y. Danjuma accosted Ironsi on the stair case... any hand that went up before Ironsi then did not do so in salutation but was like the racket (sic) of Wimbledon' (141) Chapter 10. entitled )ust Before The Tur- moilis only seven pages but four are taken up describing two significant events - which speak volumes on his nature - on how (Ironsi) related to others (74): the reader wades through a rambling account of Ironsi's visit to the Sultan of Sokoto's hospital bed in Lon- don and a reception organised for him by Dr. J. O. Okezie in Umuahia. This reader was left with the sneaking suspicion that the author just did not want to waste this hard-won in- formation! That is followed by the sweeping unsub- stantiated judgement that - the political party, NPC (Northern Peoples Congress) took the position that Ironsi's tenure as GOC (General officer Commanding) had to be terminated so that a tested political ally would take his place - to effectively react to the specificity (sic) of the anarchic situation in the West (78 - 9). Another sweeping, undocumented state- ment by lloegbunam on page 93 is 'No other Nigerian head of state has equaled this record of fairness and balance in the distribution of public appointments'. Chapter 13: The Crash of the Elephant' narrates dramatically the arrest, beating and execution of Ironsi and Fajuyi. It documents the painful betrayals of Fajuyi by his ADC. Lt. Umar and of Ironsi by Lt William Walbe. the commander of the GOC's security convoy, the courage of Colonel Hilary Njoku and ADC Nwankwo but leaves unanswered the exact role of ADCSanni Bello. Chapter 15: The Pogrom' documents in awful detail the killings of July 29 and the pogroms of May and September 1966. It ex- poses Governor Hassan Katsina's refusal to use troops to stop massacres whereas Col. Shuwa's bravery and initiative in using his troops saved many lives in Kano. It notes Dr. Iyorchia Ayu's allegation that Aminu Kano was personally involved in anti-Ironsi and anti-Igbo propaganda and attacks and cites Gambia Sawaha's evidence to confirm this charge. lloegbunam quotes Gowon's speech of September 29. 1966, it appears that the kill- ing of Igbo's is going beyond reason and it is NOW (this writer's emphasis) at a point of recklessness and irresponsibility' but fails to comment on the irony inherent in the use of 'now'. Iloegbunam's biography does not end with Ironsi's death. The post-humous ac- count narrates how Colonel Adebayo re- trieved the corpses of Ironsi and Fajuyi and accorded them a proper burial in Ibadan cemetery. Bizarrely the deaths were not offi- cially announced until at the Aburi meeting in January 1967. 'Ojukwu said he did not recognise Gowon as the Supreme Com- mander because in the absence of an expla- nation on the fate of Ironsi. no one could succeed him. It was at this stage that the mili- tary leader agreed to announce Ironsi's death (187). On January 20, 1967 Ironsi was rebur- ied in his home town, Umuahia. Gowon never agreed to see Ironsi's widow, although he had frequently enjoyed her hospitality when both he and Ironsi were in London but Murtala Mohammed did and provided some assistance in form of schol- arships for a couple of the eight children. Babangida named the army barracks in Abuja after Ironsi and in his last day in office, made Ironsi G.C.FR.. That is where the biography should end. for the last chapter of the book is irrelevant to the biography, since it ex- presses the author's views on politics after Abacha and reprints an article he wrote in February 1991 and an article in the maga- zine Tell. The major strength of Ironside is the author's uncovering of invaluable source material. Ifeajuna's unpublished manuscript appears in print, in excerpts for the first time. The Camerounian. Hans A. Anagho. then a Colonel in the Nigerian army who helped Ironsi put down the January 15 'munity' was interviewed, for the first time, lloegbunam achieved a real scoop in his interviewing of General Welby Everand which should put an end to previous uninformed speculation as to who he selected among the contenders for the place of the first Nigerian GOC (Briga- dier Ogundipe). Another scoop was inter- viewing several of the Austrians held hostage in the Congo whom Ironsi personally rescued for which heroism he was awarded an Aus- trian honour. Interview with Ironsi's ADCs. especially Andrew Nwankwo with Peter Enahoro, Dr. J. O. Okezie, G. C. Onyiuke. Attorney-General Hamzat Ahmadu. then Ironsi's private secretary, and Ambassadors Ogunsulire and Jolaoso also provide a wealth of previously little known information and analysis. The then secretary to the federal • ISSUE FIVE/2000 • government, S. O. Wey, was interviewed and his valuable recollections appear in print for the first time, Alhaji Abdul Razab. who re- corded the minutes of the meeting between Ironsi and the rump of the government was interviewed. Iloegbunam used the U.K. Pub- lic Records Office and examined the minutes of the British cabinet meeting of August 2 1966 which confirm that the U.K. High Commis- sioner and the U.S. ambassador persuaded Gowon not to announce the secession of the Northern region in his first broadcast as head of state. Professor Ben Enwonwu, a childhood friend of Ironsi. provides illuminating recol- lections. The author also made good use of West Africa magazine, always a useful pri- mary source. All the above, in addition to many other interviews and a most compre- hensive use of secondary sources result in a thorough research biography which will in turn become a valuable source material for historians, political scientists and biogra- phers. Mba a historian, is a consultant Foundation. vith the Nigerian Biographical Promising leaves BY MARK OZAVESE AFADAMA Bunmi Oyinsan (ed) TREMBLING LEAVES (AN ANA LAGOS ANTHOLOGY OF SHORT STORIES), Oracle Books, Lagos. 1999, 112pp. and exile instigated by military dictatorship; and of course, recrimination and the pros- pects of societal renewal following the era of the collapse of military destructiveness and the subsequent embrace and enthronement of democracy. In most of the stories, these thematic rev- elations are conveyed through refreshing narrative methods. These methods encap- sulate unique stylistic perspectives and a general technical initiative and depth: quali- ties which incontestably define a substantial literature. Age Of Iron' by Tony Kan-Onwordi which sets the tone and texture of the other stories is flamboyant in view of its very poetic out- loob. The psychical disposition of the narra- tor is principally of disappointment and rage over a torturing social reality. He walbs 'stop- ping under the burden of truth and proph- ecy, through these streets, reebing with pain and rage.' (p. 11). He is the poet-prophet and watchman who notes 'the sights, the smells and sounds... the tired, cracbed streets... old men silhouetted in doorways libe cursed fig trees... children with spindly legs and wild eyes.' (p.9). But he also soberly notes that 'it was not always so with us. We had a past that was rich.. the wealth our soil and sea brought us... soldiers with pot bellies and politicians in flowing gowns conspired in their greed to impoverish us' (plO). Demoralised and alienated by all the drought and darbness in the land, the option of exile becomes inevitable: 'the journey from this land of my birth, bearing with me the sacred seeds of hope and renewal' (p. 13). PROSPECTIVE or budding writers share a simi- lar aspiration: to be accepted as worthy of publication and thus uplifted from a state of being unknown to the bnown. And for many a prospective fiction writer, the genre of the short story may well be the veritable testing ground of seminal expression, a stepping stone and a launch pad to greater artistic accomplishment. This view probably underlines the com- mitment of the Association of Nigerian Au- thors (Lagos State chapter) to a programme of consistent discovery or promotion of new literary talents in the Nigerian literary con- text. Its most recent achievement in this re- gard is the publication of this anthology of short stories. The boob parades a crop of new male and female writers and offers thereby a com- pendium of individual perspectives linguis- tic capabilities and idiosyncrasies that con- firm once again that there are clearly inex- haustible resources existing for literary sustainability in the Nigerian milieu. The writers may well be the 'trembling leaves' in a sense of being tentative and unpractised sojourners on a universally vast and. in very many areas, distinguished liter- ary terrain. And then in the sense of being long-suffering victims of a malignant socio- political order. The themes of the anthology are thus of destruction and desolation (which is physical, psychical, personal and collective); poverty and the ways of escap- ing from it; moral laxity and ineptitude in matters of sex. love and relationships; rape and sexual harassment of women: alienation Glendora Books Supplement 26