THE PROPOSAL FOR NEW STATES
15. “The Ogoja state proposed to us would include
former Ogoja province, whose population of slightly
more than One million include more than 700,000
Ibos…the main intention would be separation from
the central body of Ibo population, but in which
they will still be linked together with as a minority
with their Ibo neighbours in Abakaliki and Afikpo…A
majority of evidence we heard from Ogoja was
direct that they preferred the present situation to
any association with Calabar and that they were at
least as much afraid of domination by Efiks and
Ibibios as by Ibos.”

I believe I had spoken about this, in respect to Gowon Rivers state and Cross Rivers state creation and why a plebiscite could have failed.

Biafran people oriented government solved that by giving the Ogojas a state of their own.

16. “The (Calabar, Ogoja and Rivers or COR) state
proposed would consist of Calabar, Rivers and
Ogoja provinces excluding the two Ibo Divisions of
Abakaliki and Afikpo. The population of this area is
2,649,000 and the following would be the five
largest tribes:
Ibibio 717,000
Annang 435,000
Ibo 428,000
Ijaw 251,000
Ogoni 156,000
As already explained, the small but important Efik
tribe of 71,000…The (COR) area is far from
homogenous , and many of the other tribes
expressed at least as much fear of the Efiks and
Ibibios as of the Ibo. It would leave the Ibos of the
Ibo Plateau surrounded by a state whose reason for
existence was hostility to themselves: the Ibos are
an expanding people…”

17. “The area claimed for Rivers state consists of
the whole of the Rivers province, that is: The
Division of Brass, Degema, Ogoni, Port Harcourt
and Ahoada, together with the Western Ijaw
Division from the western region, and two small
sections in the Eastern Region from outside the
Rivers Province, Opodo and Andoni being one,
Ndoki the other.”
18. “Port Harcourt is an Ibo town and it is
growing rapidly and the indigenous branch of the
Ibos who are original inhabitants are already out-
numbered by Ibos from the hinterland.”
19. “The people of Ahoada, a Division of which a
pan runs down to meet Port Harcourt, appear at
one time to have favoured the idea of a Rivers
state, but have changed their views and before us
expressed themselves as strongly against it.
Comparatively few of them live in the low-lying
swampy country of the coastal strip and they have
voted for the NCNC consistently, they said
themselves that a main factor in their change of
front had been the inclusion if the Western Ijaws in
the proposed state. So long, they said, as the
Rivers state was to consist of the River Province
only, the Ibos would have been the most numerous
tribe within it: but the inclusion of the Western Ijaw
Division put them at a numerical disadvantage
beside the Ijaws and they therefore preferred to
stay out. Whether or not this was a line of
reasoning that really had a wide appeal, the fact
remain that before us they were opposed to the
idea of the state. This is not surprising because
their problems are different from those of the
ijaws.”
20. “To include within a River state Ahoada and
Port Harcourt, would, we believe, create a problem
as acute as that with which we were asked to deal
at present and and would be sharply resented by
the Ibos of the central plateau.”


https://
www.google.co.uk/url?
sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://eie.ng/wp-
content/uploads/2014/03/
TheWillinkCommissionReport_conc_recom_lt.pdf&ved=0

Notice also that Just as the minorities in Ogoja region didn't favour a union with Efiks-Ibibios-Annangs, so didn't the Igboid favour a union with the Ijaws in Rivers, both fearing. Efik and Ijaw dominations.
They( theIgboid and Ogoja minorities) would rather stay the devil( Igbos) they knew, than jump in boat with the Angels( Efiks and Ijaws) they know not. What they really wanted was a region of their own, and not be placed under Ijaws or Efiks domination for they feared the Ijaws and Efiks domination more than they feared Igbo domination.

These were the dynamics at play in the demand for state creation before the civil war that made it difficult for the movement to gather enough support or momentum across board in the minorities areas, that the Ijaws and Efiks would not want to hear about, and that and these other minorities would keep mute about today because of turn of events after the civil war for the Igbos.
It's more convenient for everyone to picture a big bad Igbo these days.
What these Ijaws present these days is a one sided story of a unified minorities resistance against the Igbos, when this wasn't the case.
Of course, the fear of Ijaw domination was what led to the disintegration of old Rivers state, immediately the Ijaw powers waned and the Igboids found their voice again: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/04/rebisi-in-history/

IF THE IGBOS DID NOT MARGINALIZE HER
MINORITIES DURING THE ANALOGUE YEARS, WHY
WILL THEY DO SAME IN THIS DIGITAL AGE?

By Efa-Iwa Rex Egbe

Some weeks back on one of your posts I made a
rebuttal about the erroneous and mischievous rants
of some of my (our) misinformed NigerDelta
brothers. First and foremost let me tell you all a
little story for the avoidance of doubt.


I am from the Agbo ethnic group in Cross River
State. We are located in Abi Local Government
Area which is a coastal settlement and unarguably
the smallest LGA in Cross River State in terms of
landmass and to a large extent population -
slightly a few thousands ahead of Bakassi LGA. My
fore bearers both on my maternal and paternal
side were given the opportunity to serve in then
Eastern Nigeria regional government.

My grand uncle Dr.S E Imoke of blessed memory
was an all influential cabinet minister in the regime
of Dr M I Okpara. He held the Trade portfolio and
was also Finance minister at the time until the
unfortunate incident of January 1966. He was the
longest serving Education minister. His son the
Urbane Liyel Imoke is the immediate past Governor
of our state “Cross River”. During the outbreak of
the war, he was the Biafran Commissioner for
Refugees and Humanitarian affairs. One of my
maternal uncles also served as Permanent
Secretary in the ministry of health at Enugu.
My maternal grand father was also a frontline
member of the Eastern Nigeria regional house of
Chiefs.

Outside my family circles, another great
Cross Riverian M T Mbu was nominated a Federal
Minister for Transport and Navy by the Igbo
controlled NCNC. It's on record that Mbu was
Nigeria's first Ambassador to the UK, UN and the
USA. He is from Boki in Cross River state. Boki is
another minority ethnic group just like my native
Agboland.

The Igbos gave him the opportunity to excel ahead
of their own worthy sons at that time. He is the
father to a Senator MT Mbu jr. Another person who
is noteworthy is the late Chief Michael Eta-Ogon
who was the Administrator of the oil rich
PortHarcourt province in the first republic. He is
also from the same Boki with Mbu. Thomas Weir
Ikpeme an Efik man from Odukpani in my native
Cross River was the longest serving Permanent
Secretary in the Eastern Regional Ministry of
Education.

The key point is that the Igbos were comfortable
with us “the minorities” that was why they
entrusted education solely in our hands. Not only
education but other critical areas like Public Works
and Transport etc. N U Akpan an Ibibio man from
Akwa Ibom state was the technocrat behind the
eastern regional public service. He was the
Secretary to the regional government.

Thompson Akpabio, an Annang man from Ukana in
present day Akwa Ibom state was the regional
minister of health. The former Governor of Akwa
Ibom state Godswill Akpabio is his nephew. There
were other high ranking cabinet ministers of
minority origin like one of our family good friends,
HRH Amanyanabo E P Okoya, Agada III the
Ibenanowei of Ekpetiama in Bayelsa State, Chief.
Erekosinma of Rivers and a whole lot of others
who are too numerous to mention.

During the secessionist struggle, an Ogoni from
Rivers state, Chief.Ignatius Kogbara was Biafra's
Ambassador to Britain. My dad's friend Chief.
Lekam Okoi, from Idomi in present day Yakurr LGA
of Cross River state was one of Ojukwu's trusted
drivers. He is today a successful lawyer and a
former commissioner in the Federal Character
Commission. Capt Akpet a minority from Cross
River was also Ojukwu's dependable aide on
intelligence. Secondly for the avoidance of doubt,
aside these political appointments, our people
enjoyed immense goodwill from the Igbo
dominated region by way of social security.


My dad's immediate elder brother received a
scholarship from the regional government that
enabled him study for a PhD in soil science. He is
the first man “arguably” in Africa to obtain a
doctorate in Soil science. I have friends across the
Niger Delta whose parents

pazienza:
IF THE IGBOS DID NOT MARGINALIZE HER
MINORITIES DURING THE ANALOGUE YEARS, WHY
WILL THEY DO SAME IN THIS DIGITAL AGE?

By Efa-Iwa Rex Egbe

Some weeks back on one of your posts I made a
rebuttal about the erroneous and mischievous rants
of some of my (our) misinformed NigerDelta
brothers. First and foremost let me tell you all a
little story for the avoidance of doubt.


I am from the Agbo ethnic group in Cross River
State. We are located in Abi Local Government
Area which is a coastal settlement and unarguably
the smallest LGA in Cross River State in terms of
landmass and to a large extent population -
slightly a few thousands ahead of Bakassi LGA. My
fore bearers both on my maternal and paternal
side were given the opportunity to serve in then
Eastern Nigeria regional government.

My grand uncle Dr.S E Imoke of blessed memory
was an all influential cabinet minister in the regime
of Dr M I Okpara. He held the Trade portfolio and
was also Finance minister at the time until the
unfortunate incident of January 1966. He was the
longest serving Education minister. His son the
Urbane Liyel Imoke is the immediate past Governor
of our state “Cross River”. During the outbreak of
the war, he was the Biafran Commissioner for
Refugees and Humanitarian affairs. One of my
maternal uncles also served as Permanent
Secretary in the ministry of health at Enugu.
My maternal grand father was also a frontline
member of the Eastern Nigeria regional house of
Chiefs.

Outside my family circles, another great
Cross Riverian M T Mbu was nominated a Federal
Minister for Transport and Navy by the Igbo
controlled NCNC. It's on record that Mbu was
Nigeria's first Ambassador to the UK, UN and the
USA. He is from Boki in Cross River state. Boki is
another minority ethnic group just like my native
Agboland.

The Igbos gave him the opportunity to excel ahead
of their own worthy sons at that time. He is the
father to a Senator MT Mbu jr. Another person who
is noteworthy is the late Chief Michael Eta-Ogon
who was the Administrator of the oil rich
PortHarcourt province in the first republic. He is
also from the same Boki with Mbu. Thomas Weir
Ikpeme an Efik man from Odukpani in my native
Cross River was the longest serving Permanent
Secretary in the Eastern Regional Ministry of
Education.

The key point is that the Igbos were comfortable
with us “the minorities” that was why they
entrusted education solely in our hands. Not only
education but other critical areas like Public Works
and Transport etc. N U Akpan an Ibibio man from
Akwa Ibom state was the technocrat behind the
eastern regional public service. He was the
Secretary to the regional government.

Thompson Akpabio, an Annang man from Ukana in
present day Akwa Ibom state was the regional
minister of health. The former Governor of Akwa
Ibom state Godswill Akpabio is his nephew. There
were other high ranking cabinet ministers of
minority origin like one of our family good friends,
HRH Amanyanabo E P Okoya, Agada III the
Ibenanowei of Ekpetiama in Bayelsa State, Chief.
Erekosinma of Rivers and a whole lot of others
who are too numerous to mention.

During the secessionist struggle, an Ogoni from
Rivers state, Chief.Ignatius Kogbara was Biafra's
Ambassador to Britain. My dad's friend Chief.
Lekam Okoi, from Idomi in present day Yakurr LGA
of Cross River state was one of Ojukwu's trusted
drivers. He is today a successful lawyer and a
former commissioner in the Federal Character
Commission. Capt Akpet a minority from Cross
River was also Ojukwu's dependable aide on
intelligence. Secondly for the avoidance of doubt,
aside these political appointments, our people
enjoyed immense goodwill from the Igbo
dominated region by way of social security.


My dad's immediate elder brother received a
scholarship from the regional government that
enabled him study for a PhD in soil science. He is
the first man “arguably” in Africa to obtain a
doctorate in Soil science. I have friends across the
Niger Delta whose parents

The guy don run leave him thread. Children raised with hate and false propaganda against Indi'gbo. Nawa.

On the Eastern region.minorities maybe, we should
listen to Mbu, who himself was a minority amongst
minorities being a native of today's Northern Cross
River state.
Q: Back to NCNC, Zik and the East: What was done
to NCNC and Zik in the West, Zik was not
magnanimous too, when he went back to the East?

A: I do not think that you were born to understand
the politics of those days.

Q:We read?
A: It depends on what you have been reading and
by whom? Look, the East was so democratic to a
point where when the Onitsha issue came up,
although a lot of it engendered by the opposition,
led by the late chief justice of the East, Sir Louis
Mbanefo, Onitsha market issue, there was a
demonstration by the Onitsha people against the
premiership of Zik, an Onitsha man, and I saw the
father and I asked him: ‘Papa, you joined the
delegation, too, to denounce the premier’? You
know what he said to me in response? He said:
‘He’s not one of us, being an Onitsha man, he
should not oppose us’. That was the extent to
which the people in the East understood democratic
principles.

Q: But an Efik was not allowed to lead in the East?

A: What was the problem of the Efik? They split.
You were not born yet; you needed to be around
with us then to understand what happened. UNIP
was a splinter of the NCNC and they were to topple
the leadership of the NCNC. UNIP was within the
NCNC, led by, more or less, English trained
graduates, leadership.

They were looking up on themselves as better
educated than American trained graduates, led by
Zik, Orizu, Mbadiwe and co – that is the truth. And
who were the other groups? Graduates, Nwapa,
Cambridge, make no mistake about it; Njoku,
Manchester, London educated; my country man,
Okoi Arikpo, London educated – London School of
Economics; Ozoma; even Ita himself, having gotten
his MA from Columbia University in the United
States of America, came back and repeated the
London MA so he used to be referred to as Prof.
Eyo Ita, MA Columbia, MA London. They felt they
were more educated and, therefore, a better bred to
lead the new dispensation in the East; not this ill-
bred American educated fellows from schools they
did not recognize.

A: But Eyo Ita?
A: My friend, he was opposition, when you split
against the leadership, then you are already taking
up arms against the party. Must there be two
premiers? It was Zik, in fact, who named him Prof.
Don’t tell me what you did not witness.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/12/12/the-
north-built-on-mistakes-of-the-south-
%e2%80%94-mbu/

mekuzi09:

Don't mind them. Hates and Igbophobia usually blind them from facts and reality.

I'd always prefer an Igbo only Biafra. IPOB must review their stand and do a better work. Igbophobia emanating from these quarters stink to high heavens.
Go to all over the social media, it's open season of Igbophobia from these people, from Ena fugbara or whatever he calls himself to the very least of them. Even those of them from Akwa Cross areas are joining the bandwagon. It's all about distortion of facts, image assassination of the Igbo and vomiting of vitriolic words against Ndiigbo, for what crime? For IPOB giving them
the opportunity to hold a referendum on if they want Biafra or Nigeria,

Hate breeds more hate and that's what these people are going to get from us, if they keep it up. Already the likes of Onyeabo on facebook are already running a hate campaign on these people and insisting on Igbo only Biafra, debunking their numerous Calumny posts against Ndiigbo, and her campaign is gaining momentum. Soon or later something has to give way.

I feel sorry for few good heads amongst these minorities who had been caught in between the cross fire.

But ultimately, something that needs to be done must be done, it's time we start giving these people a taste of their hate, and in a highly concentrated form too.
No iota of Igbophobia must be left unattended to, and the culprits and their ethnic groups made to feel the heat, this is the ICT age.

pazienza:


I'd always prefer an Igbo only Biafra. IPOB must review their stand and do a better work. Igbophobia emanating from these quarters stink to high heavens.
Go to all over the social media, it's open season of Igbophobia from these people, from Ena fugbara or whatever he calls himself to the very least of them. Even those of them from Akwa Cross areas are joining the bandwagon. It's all about distortion of facts, image assassination of the Igbo and vomiting of vitriolic words against Ndiigbo, for what crime? For IPOB giving them
the opportunity to hold a referendum on if they want Biafra or Nigeria,

Hate breeds more hate and that's what these people are going to get from us, if they keep it up. Already the likes of Onyeabo on facebook are already running a hate campaign on these people and insisting on Igbo only Biafra, debunking their numerous Calumny posts against Ndiigbo, and her campaign is gaining momentum. Soon or later something has to give way.

I feel sorry for few good heads amongst these minorities who had been caught in between the cross fire.

But ultimately, something that needs to be done must be done, it's time we start giving these people a taste of their hate, and in a highly concentrated form too.
No iota of Igbophobia must be left unattended to, and the culprits and their ethnic groups made to feel the heat, this is the ICT age.

You are very correct. They hate us without any factual proof, other than phantom domination. I saw some videos on ND kings pledging allegiance to Biafra... did a thread on it, but it was pull down. As you said, the few sensible ones among them are actually getting eaten up by the noise of the Igbophobic ones.
Focusing on only Igboid Biafra is the best. We should court our Anioma brothers, Ikwerres and the Etches. With them joining the band-wagon, we will not need these people in our aspiration. Igbophobia is a terminal disease.

mekuzi09:

You are very correct. They hate us without any factual proof, other than phantom domination. I saw some videos on ND kings pledging allegiance to Biafra... did a thread on it, but it was pull down. As you said, the few sensible ones among them are actually getting eaten up by the noise of the Igbophobic ones.
Focusing on only Igboid Biafra is the best. We should court our Anioma brothers, Ikwerres and the Etches. With them joining the band-wagon, we will not need these people in our aspiration. Igbophobia is a terminal disease.

Remove Ikwerre. We focus on SE, Enuani, Egbema, Oyigbo, Isobo, and Umuezekoha clan in Benue.
While we keep the door open for any other Igboid group.

Biafra must and as a matter of necessity become an Igbos only agitation, that's the way we generate the critical mass needed to propel the agitation into the next level.

Igbophobia like you likely pointed out is a terminal disease, there is no curing it.

pazienza:


Remove Ikwerre. We focus on SE, Enuani, Egbema, Oyigbo, Isobo, and Umuezekoha clan in Benue.
While we keep the door open for any other Igboid group.

Biafra must and as a matter of necessity become an Igbos only agitation, that's the way we generate the critical mass needed to propel the agitation into the next level.

Igbophobia like you likely pointed out is a terminal disease, there is no curing it.

Bro,

Funny enough I don't think we should forget Ikwerre.

They had a narrow escape in the old Rivers State and they should know what would happen again either in a possible ND republic or a future Nigeria without Alaigbo. I actually see them returning to the fold if we can achieve a referendum.

Curlieweed:


Bro,

Funny enough I don't think we should forget Ikwerre.

They had a narrow escape in the old Rivers State and they should know what would happen again either in a possible ND republic or a future Nigeria without Alaigbo. I actually see them returning to the fold if we can achieve a referendum.

We let them be.

Work on Biafra and make the best out of it.

When and if they run into problem with their Ijaw brothers in Nigeria and they need our help, like they ran to Zik in the old Rivers state, we give them conditions and terms for our help.
Simple.

Enough of this shameless unity begging Agenda IPOB is pursing. You lots are bringing shame to the great Igbo race with that path you are pursuing.

What's the difference between you lots and Arewa-Oduanistanis if you continue on this path?

pazienza:
THE FEARS AND GRIEVANCES OF MINORITIES

7. “It was suggested (by non-Ibo petitioners) that it
was the deliberate object of the Ibo majority in the
Region to fill every post with Ibos (in public post
and services).….when, however we came to
consider specific complaints about the composition
of public bodies, we found them in many cases
exaggerated or unreasonable.”

8. “The allegation was put forward by counsel (to
petitioners) that the Judiciary (when not European)
was predominantly Ibo, with the implication that
this caused fear among those who are not Ibos.
But it was clearly stated in evidence by Dr. Udoma,
the leader of UNIP, that no occasion could be
adduced of the judiciary acting with partiality. The
fact is that the legal profession is largely Ibos and
the reasons for this do not seem to be Government
action. It is therefore inevitable that there should
be an Ibo preponderance among Judges and
Magistrates. Further, it is the declared policy of
Government that the Judiciary should be federal
and this does not indicate a desire to control it.
Again, the operation and composition of Public
Service Commission here, as in the West, appeared
to us in no way open to reproach.”

9. “In the Police, which in this region alone is
wholly Federal, the number of Ibos in the higher
appointments is not out of proportion to the Ibos in
the region. The force is now federally controlled
and although there are a large number of Ibos in
the lower ranks, this is due to the fact that it has
for long been a tradition among the Ibos to offer
themselves for recruitment in this force in far
greater numbers than any other tribe.”

10. “we noted that in five years, 1952 – 1957, from
a total of 412 secondary scholarships, 216 were
awarded to persons living in the COR areas, while
the figures for post-secondary scholarships were
211 out of 623. The latter is about the right
proportion of one-third, the former considerably in
excess. It was suggested that scholarships awarded
to non-Ibos were of an inferior kind and that the
best scholarships went to Ibos, but we were,
unable to see that this claim held any validity. On
the evidence before us, we conclude that the
allegations of discriminations in the matter of
scholarships are unjustified.”


11. “It was further suggested that loans by the
Eastern Regional Finance Corporation, the Eastern
Region Development Board, and the Eastern Region
Development Corporation were made with some
degree of preference to Ibos. It did appear that
most of the loans made by these bodies were to
Ibos, but that is not to say that this was
necessarily improper. Ibos constitute two thirds of
the population of the region and have a bigger
share of financial and commercial responsibility
than their numbers warrant.”

12. “That there should be modern streetlight in
Onitsha, and not Calabar, was also quoted as
example of discrimination; it proved however that
Onitsha Urban District Council had financed this
measure from their own resources.”

13. “The question of land was repeatedly raised, it
being resented by the Efiks and Ibibios that the
Ibos should acquire land at all in their territory
while the methods by which it was obtained were
also questioned. There is no doubt that on the Ibo
Plateau there is insufficient land for the people and
the Ibos ate thrusting outwards where possible they
acquire land and use it either for cultivation or
building…..This is a matter which will require
legislation sooner or later and it will be delicate to
handle, but the economic process is in itself
healthy and we had little sympathy with a witness
who remarked that there is much undeveloped land
in district and he was anxious that it should not
fall into the hand of the Ibos….We believe that
Governments in Nigeria should be careful not to try
to protect minorities by introducing measures that
would restrict development....”

14. “A group of miscellaneous grievances and
charges against the Ibos from Calabar may be
treated together; we were told that the Ibos did not
observe local customs in the markets….We formed
the impression that jealousy of the Ibos successes
in the markets was the main factor.”

so you know that these minorities have been having problems with Igbo, yet you shout afonja anytime they voice it here as if it never happened.

or is it the Yoruba that was pushing them to write these petitions then in the colonial era?

Curlieweed:


Bro,

Funny enough I don't think we should forget Ikwerre.

They had a narrow escape in the old Rivers State and they should know what would happen again either in a possible ND republic or a future Nigeria without Alaigbo. I actually see them returning to the fold if we can achieve a referendum.

Don't deceive yourself, the ikwerre people want nothing with your Biafra, they are being treated way better as part of ND. The Ikwerre people have been producing the state governor in Rivers State since 1999, from Odili to Omehia to Amaechi and now Wike and none of the other tribes in the state have complained or agitated. Why would they leave such a clime and come join Biafra where they would be treated as second class citizens?

Just imagine how you are referring to them here, it tells a lot about your perception about them.

At least don't speak for the Igbo's in ND

Shut up, I'm urhobo and your Igbo ass should focus on the SE. SS will never join you, the igboid parts can but the rest of us will never.

EzeUche:


Niger Deltans hate Nigeria more. They have been given a raw deal.

That is why they are swelling the ranks of IPOB

But you wouldn't know that Yoruba would you. Always carrying the Biafra matter on your head.

And I am half Ibibio. So don't tell me about my people.

Amberon11:
Shut up, I'm urhobo and your Igbo ass should focus on the SE. SS will never join you, the igboid parts can but the rest of us will never.

If not for IPOB, who for give you mouth talk ill about Igbos. IPOB is really giving you guys a premise to insult and cajole us. No problem. Kwontinue.

It's Igbos that insult us when we don't align with Biafra.

mekuzi09:

If not for IPOB, who for give you mouth talk ill about Igbos. IPOB is really giving you guys a premise to insult and cajole us. No problem. Kwontinue.