NOTE: This was originally a response to the poster below. Not wanting to derail that germaine conversation (https://www.nairaland.com/1349955/se-access-sea/6#16699235), I thought it expedient to branch and flesh it out here. Feel free to contribute but steer clear of emotional, tribal insults only. The mods do not like it and neither do I! Thanks! Let us get rolling:

Abagworo: The truth remains the truth. The only way out for Igbos is to stand for what is right and stop seeking affiliation with people who have inherent hatred for Igbos for no just course. Igbos on the other hand need to grow some balls and claim what is there's without giving a damn. That's one thing I am proud of myself for. I look beyond ethnic groups in my dealings and nothing can stop that. The same reason I like Okorocha and Amaechi. Do the right thing and damn all these ethnic and religious jingoists across Nigeria.

This guy, who are you? You speak quite well! I am Nigerian and I like you! I have many Igbo friends like you but most of the ones on NL are not anything like you! Would you tell me if you are really Igbo!? Don't be offended, look at what you are saying: "...way out for Igbos is to stand for what is right and stop seeking affiliation with people who have inherent hatred for Igbos for no just course...". Same with your next sentence! Do you know that if a mass of people (Nigerians, E, W, S, N) stood by what you mentioned and Igbos of course, a lot the things that hold Nigeria back will be gone? I ask, is it right to consider the life of one man Jonathan >> (notation for far greater than in calculus) the majority of the Ijaws who have nothing for the "their son who must be president"? But Ibos support this, the Ijaws cannot and do not have a chance of prepping up a leader who genuinely cares for their lands as governor with someone like Jona who is prepared to dictate terms at all cost. If Ibos put their feet down on what is right only, YES the might "suffer" for a little bit of time but their LONG TERM gains will be unmatched! The ironic thing is your leaders and majority of Ibos and on NL cannot see that! The temporary gratification of a fat salary and corrupt power from Abuja will ensure that your leaders will support the current holders of power! Such a person might gain a lot personally, but since when did you become full (needing no food), educated, clothed, comfortable in life, etc because a man from your tribe, your governor gets all the privileges that millions of people are praying for?

Well, I commend you. I do not hate ibos, at all. I lived in Iboland myself from your Imo State. I can tell you my house sef if you wanna confirm! However, think about it: if a girlfriend or wife or friend breaks friendship with you because you are not good enough now (for 1 million reasons, whatever), not that he/she is perfect or doing any better; why would you accept to give any benefit to such friend after the breakup for ANY reason, alliance, whether you are doing better or not? This is one of the things that will happen if Nigerian were to break-up. If everyone gets it right and make a good life for their people, nice! Whatever chances ibos have, other people also have. However, there will be lots of issues and then it will be too late to want to make alliances and friendships, for what? I think you are a good person but a breakup will FORCE the new countries to have every non-National removed from their country, this is reality. There is no law that can stop that from happening! Some of your people will be on the receiving end of the agitations of a few but it is what it is. Ibos will need MANY things and I know you have a lot of things too, just like any other new country coming out of Nigeria. However, you will NOT have access to the sea, the coastal states have NO OBLIGATION to allow you any access by road, water or air! Any unauthorized plane or vessel could be fired upon, this will be the reality. This limits your options economically (imports and exports), war and defence as well as several socio-economic consequences. Iboland grew palm kernels and made palm oil in the days of regionalism. You can go back to farming but where is the land? If you used all your land to farm, where will people live? Yes, you can import but from where? Since you will be boxed in, the cost of taxation could be quite punitive such that a big percentage of your monies is shared with states with coastal access or ports. They might demand as much as 40 - 50% of the value of the imports, but what choices would you have then?

I am very sure there will be conflicts around your borders for minorities will be always on edge to check any small encroachment on their lands. Being friends or allies will not be enough because it becomes an issue of two countries in negotiation - you MUST bring something to the table and that thing must be worth the other countries while. What will it be? I don't speak for the SW but I will SAY there should be no Ibos within our borders and in the lands of all those who may choose to be part of our country. With not less than 40 M Yorubas in Nigeria alone, the most educated, the most schooled, some of the most developed areas, lots of land for farming, access to several hundreds of KMs of Atlantic Shoreline, an already sophisticated people for more than 10,000 years, war history dating back over a 1,000 years, lots of accomplished people, myself included, what will the Ibos offer to the SW? Only Oyo State is about all the size of the SE. We have oil in Lagos, Ogun and Ondo State, HUGE oilfields offshore FOR US, un-mined gold deposits in Ilesha, one of the largest deposits of Oil Sands in Ondo State, the biggest and most famous educational institutions in Nigeria which are internationally recognized and for which highly trained foreign professors will be pleased to leave the West to go and teach and conduct research in our universities. There are airports in Lagos (should be 2 soon), 1 in Ibadan, 1 in Akure, 1 in Osun State. We can pick up to 4 capitals besides Lagos and designated them as our heavy industrial, oil and gas, administrative and culture capitals while Lagos will continue to be our business capital a la New York or London. Naturally, we have pride in the work of our Great grandfathers and Fathers, we love our lands, we can be welcoming and share them with our guests who MUST respect us and the heritage bequeathed to us! We will have a military capital, the most advanced military research and defence fortifications in the modern world, continuing a legacy of over 1,000 years of solid military history. FYI, the Aare Ona Kakanfo (War General) position of the Yorubas has been created for over 700 years, just to let you know this stuff is real.

What would we need from the Ibos? I can't speak for the northerners but I am sure even if they needed 1,000,000 things, they will NEVER accept or take anything from you people and we all know that an average Northerner doesn't like the Eastern Ibos. They also have an interesting culture, very content with what they have, usually care less about material possessions and they have enough land to grow food and water - they will LIVE for sure! For the adventurous of them, I will wager that if they think they are suffering and want someone to blame, it will be the Ibos, who they will view as the root cause of the break-up. Yes, I know every man's life is his responsibility and you cannot blame your neighbour if you are poor but when emotions rage, reason is out! This is why Hitler blamed the Jews for the loss of WW 1 and he organized genocide against them in WW 2 - he was WRONG! However, the damage would already would have been done. Organize protests, cry, shout, write letters, that will not wake-up people who will be victims. In current Nigeria, the Northerners know that the balance of power and action is not their exclusive prerogative. If a crazy leader wants to start war against any part of the country for no just reason, say north vs east, the can be absolutely SURE the Yoruba SW will not be supporting such madness! However in a broken country, we don't have to be bothered so far as you don't come close our lands or into those of our compatriots or people who might have allied with us and with whom we have treaties.

I have laid out several issues and I don't mind to have intellectual challenges to any of my positions but please, no insult or tribal hatred. If the facts are hard, state them, I cannot be offended. So, come up with your strongest reasons!

In as much as I commend ur analysis, I think the analogy of ex wfe\girlfriend benefit does not fit, and I think it is purely for economic reasons.
Again, u quoted Abagworo from d other thread with his summary of Igbo problem which u alluded dat its solution among igbos and other tribes alike will be salvation and eradication of Nigeria's problems. Well, I will have to ask you when standing alone in Nigeria has been profitable to anyone? And by whose standard do you guage what is right or wrong?
Youconcluded dat Igbos will have nothing to offer any ally (if any) while extolling the supremacy of the yuruba. That does not sound to me dat you want objective response in this thread, but rather another attempt at tribal e-fight.
Peace bro! Peace!!!

gregtochi: In as much as I commend ur analysis, I think the analogy of ex wfe\girlfriend benefit does not fit, and I think it is purely for economic reasons.
Again, u quoted Abagworo from d other thread with his summary of Igbo problem which u alluded dat its solution among igbos and other tribes alike will be salvation and eradication of Nigeria's problems. Well, I will have to ask you when standing alone in Nigeria has been profitable to anyone? And by whose standard do you guage what is right or wrong?
Youconcluded dat Igbos will have nothing to offer any ally (if any) while extolling the supremacy of the yuruba. That does not sound to me dat you want objective response in this thread, but rather another attempt at tribal e-fight.
Peace bro! Peace!!!

I stated clearly that I liked to encourage a debate, it is not fair to self-CONCLUDE another opinion when the intention is clearly stated! Again, this is not about fighting, debate pls! Now, if I write about the Yorubas, why not write about your preferred tribe, Igbos? Do it and contribute something, do not castigate my opinion but refuse to offer yours.

I agree you have rights to your persona opinion but except you have not been following Nigerian news and NL, you will NEVER dispute the marriage / girlfriend comparison. Such comparisons have been made in Nigeria (Shagari to Azikiwe), as well as on NL in direct fashion. The context is the same, and of course, I expect you to understand that Nigerian tribes are not real husband and wives in the literal fashion - think of context. So, why not extol the virtues of whoever you like? I am actually not done but I can't possibly know or write everything so let others contribute something too.