Capt. Amos Iyari Monye (retd.) tells a Newsman how in spite of taking a chance with his life in the Nigerian Civil War, being shot and working with three senior officials who later became Heads of State/Presidents, he lives in destitution and asks to channel
What was your administration number in the military?
I am Capt. Amos Iyari Monye (retd.), with number NA/1239. I was conceived in 1944 to the group of the late Pa Okoh Monye of Aligwe Quarters, Owa Alero, Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State.
What schools did you join in?
I began essential training in 1952 and completed in 1958. I began optional training in 1959 at C.M.S. Present day School, Agbor, Delta State and finished it in 1961. From that point, I was utilized as an educator at C.M.S. Grade School, Alihiagu in 1962. In April 1963, a portion of my associates and I were laid off on the grounds that we were not Grade 2 educators.
When were you enrolled into Nigeria armed force?
On September 27, 1963, I joined the Nigeria Army in Ibadan, Oyo State and was shipped off the Nigerian Army Depot for enlistment preparing where I went through a six-month enrollment course. I dropped in April 1964 and was presented on second Battalion, Abeokuta. In August of the very year, the entire unit was moved to Ikeja Cantonment, Lagos State.
I served under three senior officials who later became Military Heads of State and leaders of this nation, one of whom is Nigeria's officeholder President, Muhammadu Buhari.
What was your involvement with the military?
In January 1966, while still at Ikeja Cantonment, I was given 19 days off to take the London General Certificate of Education assessment. On January 15, 1966, the overthrow drove by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu occurred. On September 15 of the very year, there was a counter-upset drove by some Hausa troopers yet led by Gen. Murtala Mohammed. There at the military enclosure, the Hausa officers started to shoot and murder Igbo individuals. Also, in light of the fact that a large number of them thought I was an Igbo man, I was shot in the hand and taken to a watchman room. There were a considerable lot of us in the 'guardroom' (regular term for little cell). Igbo, Yoruba and officers from other ethnic gatherings were tormented and mistreated.
How could you escape?
On the tenth day of our detainment, while we were standing by to be executed, Ahmadu Finger came and guaranteed me that nothing planned to transpire. He persuaded different troopers that I was not Igbo but rather a Mid-Westerner. That was the means by which I circumvented being murdered. Not long after Ahmadu Finger left, Lieutenant Mohammed Nasarawa came and got down on names of those to be delivered and I was among them.
After we were delivered, Maj. Gen. Yakubu Gowon visited the 10 of us and instructed us not to flee but rather remain and work with different troopers. The following day, nine out of the 10 of us that were delivered fled. They couldn't confide in them because of the barbaric treatment distributed to us. Yet, I chose to remain back as a result of my affection and energy to work for my homeland.
A few months after the fact, some different warriors and I were taken to Kaduna yet I was not happy with being separated from everyone else amidst individuals who needed me dead. In this way, I went to beg the then authority, the late Capt. Isah Buka, who was later executed during the overthrow drove by Buka Suka Dimka, to give me an official presenting on Benin yet I was denied with a harsh notice never to make such a solicitation again or hazard being treated as an Igbo man.
We were still in Kaduna when Gen. Gowon made 12 states to supplant the locales in 1967 by a military pronouncement. In a similar period, Chukemeka Ojukwu pronounced Biafra. I became sick and was taken to a military medical clinic where Nigerian Army and Air power specialists took care of me yet I never improved, so I was then taken to one Dr. Oshodi, who analyzed my condition to be mental and prescribed in a letter to the authority that I ought to be presented on a more advantageous spot. The leader considered me to praise my fortitude and guaranteed me that he would set up to the account official at Apapa, Lagos to repost me formally to Benin.
While hanging tight for my posting, it was reported that my unit was moving to the limit. I was hoping to be among the 'Back Party Men' (matured and wiped out troopers who typically watched the sleeping quarters when the warriors were out to battle) yet shockingly, when the rundown of Rear Party Men came out, I didn't make the rundown. I felt so awful in light of the fact that I expected to deal with my wellbeing.
What did you do?
I moved toward Muhammadu Buhari, who was the aide at that point (an aide is a military official who goes about as a clerical specialist to a senior official) and disclosed to him that I was wiped out and was sitting tight for my posting letter. Buhari revealed to me it was past the point of no return. Thus, I had no real option except to move with the unit to the limit among North and South and got comfortable Adikpo town situated in the current Benue State.
Buhari later turned into the Head of State and is as of now the President. Accomplished you work with any other individual who turned into the Head of State?
I worked with Gen. Gowon (previous Head of State), Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, a previous Head of State and later President. However, Buhari was the nearest to me of all. He knew nearly, if not everything about my war endeavors.
When were you charged as Lieutenant?
After I breezed through the assessment in Enugu, I was taken to Lagos for the last one, which was composed by Olusegun Obasanjo and I additionally came out without a hitch. With this outcome, I was conceded into the NDA in 1968 to start the Officers' Course. I dropped in August 1969 and was dispatched as Second Lieutenant. From that point, I was presented on 3 Marine Commando in Port Harcourt, where I met Obasanjo as my General Officer Commanding. Obasanjo was a Colonel at that point.
When did you resign from the military?
I was unfairly excused. While I was a commander, there was a charge of misappropriation of assets implied for the officers leveled against the detachment major of the force, a skipper, who was our boss through a composed appeal by certain fighters, asserting that he stole the cash given to him to share to the troopers.
Unfairly, three officials from the South-South who had nothing to do with the said theft, including me (Delta State) and two different partners were excused from the military unceremoniously in 1975.
We were sacked on the suggestion that we may have actuated the fighters to appeal to our manager for stealing the cash intended to be shared to warriors. The cash being referred to should be shared to us who were officials under him and the fighters. Shockingly, the individual who was denounced to have stolen the cash was absolved and we who should be given the cash were excused.
What are your second thoughts?
This is perhaps the best bad form I have gotten in my life from a nation I took a chance with my life to serve. Each exertion made to demonstrate our guiltlessness viewing the charges fizzled as they didn't hear us out. We had no back up parent to help our allure. We had no other decision except for to re-visitation of our different homes without pay or backing of any sort.
What have you up to since you left the administration?
Battered by war undertakings, treachery and disavowal, I have been at my local home, Owa Alero. I feel dismissed, discouraged and discouraged. I have been asking to eat in spite of battling in the Nigerian Army and achieving the position of a chief and turning into a legion officer.
I occupied with the matter of purchasing and selling however it has not be simple until I began having eyes issues a few years back.
What endeavors have you made to see the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) to return to your issue?
At the point when Buhari was the Head of State somewhere in the range of 1983 and 1985, I put forth attempts to consider him to be my previous chief yet before I could raise assets to visit him, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida's upset had got him out of office.
I later visited Buhari in Kaduna where we talked about finally in his parlor. During that visit, Buhari who knew my work, endeavors, the dangers I took to keep Nigeria as one and reality with regards to my shameful excusal from the military, asked me to keep the correspondence channel open by visiting him routinely as he couldn't want anything more than to work with me later on as though he realized he would guide the undertakings of this country later. From that point forward, I have not had the option to visit him for absence of assets and association.
What about your better half and kids?
I got hitched on October 1, 1971, to my dearest spouse, Elizbeth Chinedu Monye, who is from Ngwa, Abia State. Shockingly she kicked the bucket in October 2019. I had six kids – three guys and three females yet I lost all my three children on account of absence of assets to give them the important medical services. Additionally, I lost my first little girl to hypertension. In this way, I've lost four youngsters.
How have you been adapting now?
It has been extremely troublesome. We have no place of our own and can't lease a spot in view of absence of assets. I live in a one-bedroomed condo given to me to remain by one of the people whom I was acceptable to while I was in administration. There is no bed, so I rest on a sofa, which is the main household item I have.
Where are your two enduring youngsters as of now?
They are with me, actually attempting to endure. They have certificates in designing and software engineering however they are jobless.
What do you need the administration to accomplish for you?
I am speaking to the three officers I served under – resigned General Gowon, resigned General Obasanjo and President Buhari to go to my guide. I express gratitude toward God that they are as yet alive and solid. They realized all I experienced at the front to keep Nigeria one.
I'm additionally engaging good natured Nigerians to go to my guide and not to permit to me kick the bucket in this condition. I want to have my very own place and a methods for work.
I took a chance with my life for this nation. I took projectiles so my nation could be spared from breaking down. The prize I got was unfair excusal. I feel discouraged and surrendered. Right now, my vision is awful and I
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