By G. Pascal Zachary
Since its unification by the British, the oil-rich African country has endured one crisis after another.

Troops stand guard as Lagos protesters mass in opposition to a recent cut in gas subsidies / AP

This month, the BBC asked in a trenchant report, "Is Nigeria on the brink?" It's a question that, in my 12 years of Nigeria-watching, I've heard international observers ask about Nigeria many times. Is this latest episode the end-game, the opening act of the collapse of Africa's most populous nation-state -- and the largest supplier of African oil to the United States? It may be, but it's not too late for Nigerians and world leaders to bring about an overdue solution for this long-troubled country. Originally three separate regions that British colonialists united into one untenable country, Nigeria's best solution for its past and present crises might be to split back up.

The bombings and killings this weekend in Kano, a city that for centuries has anchored the Islamic commercial community in northern Nigerian, are only latest sign of severe crisis. Nearly every week brings fresh instances of the failure of Nigeria as a nation-state. The deadly Christmas Day bombing in a Catholic church in Abuja, which killed at least 37 people, was again in the news this past week because the government admitted that the alleged mastermind of the attack had escaped from custody. The escape ignited new complaints about the incompetence of Nigeria's police -- as well as fears that Boko Haram or other opponents of the government had infiltrated the police leadership.

The escape forced President Gooluck Jonathan to threaten to fire his national police chief -- and brought renewed attention to his failing presidency. Jonathan was re-elected last year over the opposition of much of the country's Muslim community, which comprises an estimated half of Nigeria's population and felt it was the "turn" of a Muslim to hold the presidency. It is possible that some of Nigeria's deterioration reflects defiance by Muslims who do not favor extremism but feel the grand bargain of Nigerian history -- the trading back and forth between Muslim and Christian presidents -- has been broken.

Jonathan has also hurt himself, especially by agreeing to raise prices on gasoline, which ignited nationwide protests. Only days after the government reversed its decision came the violence in Kano, and another crisis. That the Muslim extremist group, Boko Haram immediately claimed responsibility for the Kano carnage heightened the sense of impending doom in Nigeria.

The current U.S. policy posture of non-involvement seems less and less credible. Nigeria is too large, and too economically important to the U.S., for the Obama administration to essentially play the innocent bystander. The U.S. must act.

The question is how? The Obama administration's repeated insistence -- made rhetorically by Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and U.S. ambassador Terence P. McCulley - is that Nigerian government must address socio-economic deprivation and the severe wealth inequality among its people. This is surely fair advice but ignores the urgent need for an international plan to hold Nigeria together against the forces of disorder. The question of Nigeria's future is no academic parlor game. The potential violence to the people of Nigeria is now unacceptably high. Worse, the entire West African sub-region, the most densely populated area south of the Sahara, could be dragged down by any implosion of Nigeria.

The need for a new approach to Nigeria is long in coming. As long ago as July 2000, when I met the astute Nigeria-watcher, Karl Maier, in London, I was struck by the imagery of Nigeria on the brink, poised to collapse into unimaginable disorder. In July, Maier published his consequential snapshot of Nigeria, This House Has Fallen, which chronicled the disorder, the corruption, the rising religious and ethnic tensions and the squandered wealthy that continues to bedeveil this country of 160 million people. Without intervention -- without sanity -- Maier foresaw a doomed Nigeria, a wounded giant in inexorable collapse.

No, 12 years later, Nigeria's condition looks unchanged or worse. Outside observers, even of Nigerian descent, will tell you from the safety of London or Toronto or San Francisco that their country of origin has been on the brink before. Perhaps as a result, there's a distinct sense of complacency among them. My wife, who hails from the oil-center of Port Harcourt, has seen Nigeria muddle through before. She and others say that Nigeria is forever on the brink; it's a kind of regular, normal reality. To these diaspora Nigerians, the country is perpetually running out of time, but the country's elite seem to do little beyond planning for the short term when the long term could bring disaster.

And because morning still comes, some of the most respected Nigerians in the diaspora counsel patience. Possibly the greatest living Nigerian artist, the eminent Chinua Achebe, author of the best-selling novel of all time by an African, Things Fall Apart, is so imbued with a sense of Nigeria's manifest destiny that, writing one year ago in The New York Times, he envisioned a "Nigerian solution" emerging over decades through a slow fitful movement towards stronger democratic institutions. In the end of this lengthy process, he predicts, corruption will retreat and a new kind of African democrat, "humbled by the trust placed on him by the people, will emerge, wiling to use the power given to him for the good of the people."

Achebe is a great story-teller; his predictions from January 2011 amount to a fairytale, sadly. Nigeria, as we now know it, is nearly out of time. The scenario Achebe so eloquently presents was the same scenario presented 50 years ago by the Nigerian independence leaders and British bureaucrats who created the country. All agreed to what seemed like a convenient fiction -- that Nigerians needed to nurture and strengthen democratic processes. Now a half-century cannot be replayed and, besides, the game was a con. The deep underlying differences between different ethnic groups, religious groups, and geographic groups within the country are not subject to being "democratized" away by formal processes conceived by the British and delivered by a Nigerian elite that was birthed, bought, and sold by the colonial process.

Today, the two-minute football drill is the only way of playing game that Nigeria's elite has ever known. The U.S. must call time-out and bring a diverse array of Nigeria's leaders -- including the marginalized Muslim northerners and the militant evangelical Christians of the oil-rich south -- to a meeting room. Bring them to an international conference, chaired by the U.S., and ask them to think in a new way. Not to settle differences in a hurry, but to explore, document, and address underlying divisions that cannot be argued away by soaring rhetoric but instead reflect enduring, undeniable, and legitimate conflicts of interest among parties to Nigeria's many conflicts.

While Achebe insists that 160 million Nigerians only need more time to embrace "a new patriotic consciousness," the international conference to take Nigeria's future must entertain a more credible scenario: that the British engineering of the Nigerian state - stitching the country together 50 years ago out of three distinct regions, never administered collectively even by the British, was a failure. Rather than try to renovate the broken vessel of Nigeria, the friends of the people of Nigeria must ask whether the very structure and organization of Nigeria must be re-conceived and, in the process, serious consideration should be given to breaking Nigeria into three or more "organic" territories.

The task of re-designing Nigeria, however necessary, is no substitute for halting the country's slide into a condition of daily disorder. The fiction that is called the Nigerian government needs assistance, even if the ultimate price for this assistance is the dissolution of the state as the world currently knows it.

There is room for optimism. The real question is not how many Nigerians are dying each week from political violence, but rather why more Nigerians are not dying? There is ample headroom for a constructive creative outcome for a people who, if nothing else, know how to endure hardship and remain hopeful. All of the most troubling aspects of African contemporary life come crashing together in the case of Nigeria: overpopulation, idle youth, religious intolerance, raw sexism, squandered wealth, lethally dysfunctional political arrangements, and the ignorance of the misguided do-gooders from around the world.

And yet, despite these structural handicaps, Nigerian society, deformed as it is, remains in some rough kind of workable condition. But for how much longer?
This article available online at:

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/01/should-the-world-help-break-up-nigeria-in-order-to-save-it/251784/

brilliant article

Nothing new. Well except for the proposal of US hosting a conference of the nation's leaders of thought.

I hate it when people read an article and put in a one-liner. . . "interesting"; "brilliant"; 'I agree'.  

Anyway, hey ekt, should I let my tongue roll on this topic or should I restrain?  I don't want to start off your post leading a rebellion squad.   'tell you what, I'll just roll, please tell me to shut the fvck up if Im messing things up.  


There is a story about behavioral training for circus elephants.  You leash the back limb of a young elephant to a stump buried in the ground and limit his roaming distance to just few meters radius.  You feed him there and attend to his needs there.  As he grows you keep him tethered in that one spot, changing the weight bearing load of the rope to match his deleoping strength.  By the time he is ready for circus entertainment he has grown super large and tremendously powerful that its almost impossible for you to control his movement and direction.  The only advantage you have of managing his movements and subordination is the limitation of perimeter movement burnt into his memory over the years.  So as you unleash him and tell him to go. . . . .he stays there and go round and round in circles, in the same pattern of movement he is used to doing since a baby.  He is dispossed and robbed of his instinct to roam freely and follow his innate desire to graze all over the grassland.  He struts around in circle. . . the precise order of movement you need in the tent circus, in front of the clowns and the wide eyed children and their parents.  These parents have brought their free-spirited children to watch and be amused by a child who was robbed and disempowered of his own natural given instincts.  

Isnt that pitiful?

Nigerians are robbed!  Even when the condition makes it elementally possible for us to go home and begin a new culture now that we have a weak government and an ennabling separationist in North begging us to go away. . . . we remain immobile and dont know what to do or how to begin that new nation we cried so long to have.

Its a pity!!

Negro_Ntns:

I hate it when people read an article and put in a one-liner. . . "interesting"; "brilliant"; 'I agree'.  

i agree that the us should host a nigerian sovereign national conference
they can help ensure that no one reneges like happened after aburi

GEJ has no intrest in any SNC nor do any of the other owners of Nigeria.

All you can do is vote at the polls or revolution.

ekt_bear:


. . . . . . . .The U.S. must call time-out and bring a diverse array of Nigeria's leaders -- including the [size=15pt]marginalized Muslim northerners[/size] and the militant evangelical Christians of the oil-rich south -- to a meeting room. Bring them to an international conference, chaired by the U.S., and ask them to think in a new way. Not to settle differences in a hurry, but to explore, document, and address underlying divisions that cannot be argued away by soaring rhetoric but instead reflect enduring, undeniable, and legitimate conflicts of interest among parties to Nigeria's many conflicts. . . . . . . . .

A good attempt but unfortunately the author never got the big picture.

From former US amb to Nig. Mr. Campbell and the other NYT author and then to this Mr Zachary,  I'm always suspicious when mainly western authors describe the "muslim" north as marginalized. Whats the motive here?

And why should so called Nigerian leaders queue up to "an international conference chaired by the US" for a dialogue on how to re-structure the country instead of the US to help catalyze the movement for the much talked about SNC?

Well I think we know.

Its all about your country's selfish interests.

Negro_Ntns:

I hate it when people read an article and put in a one-liner. . . "interesting"; "brilliant"; 'I agree'.  

Anyway, hey ekt, should I let my tongue roll on this topic or should I restrain?  I don't want to start off your post leading a rebellion squad.   'tell you what, I'll just roll, please tell me to shut the fvck up if Im messing things up.  


There is a story about behavioral training for circus elephants.  You leash the back limb of a young elephant to a stump buried in the ground and limit his roaming distance to just few meters radius.  You feed him there and attend to his needs there.  As he grows you keep him tethered in that one spot, changing the weight bearing load of the rope to match his deleoping strength.  By the time he is ready for circus entertainment he has grown super large and tremendously powerful that its almost impossible for you to control his movement and direction.  The only advantage you have of managing his movements and subordination is the limitation of perimeter movement burnt into his memory over the years.  So as you unleash him and tell him to go. . . . .he stays there and go round and round in circles, in the same pattern of movement he is used to doing since a baby.  He is dispossed and robbed of his instinct to roam freely and follow his innate desire to graze all over the grassland.  He struts around in circle. . . the precise order of movement you need in the tent circus, in front of the clowns and the wide eyed children and their parents.  These parents have brought their free-spirited children to watch and be amused by a child who was robbed and disempowered of his own natural given instincts.  

Isnt that pitiful?

Nigerians are robbed!  Even when the condition makes it elementally possible for us to go home and begin a new culture now that we have a weak government and an ennabling separationist in North begging us to go away. . . . we remain immobile and dont know what to do or how to begin that new nation we cried so long to have.

Its a pity!!

I barely read your post but I have to say you have a very interesting analogy up there.

The opportunity is right there in front of us but we are, unfortunately, psychologically trapped in this country that no one (mostly those in position) knows what to do to free his people.

Obiagu1:

I barely read your post but I have to say you have a very interesting analogy up there.

The opportunity is right there in front of us but we are, unfortunately, psychologically trapped in this country that no one (mostly those in position) knows what to do to free his people.

don't mind that guy, he is just been dishonest to himself
who would dare try anything when we have people like him waiting for another opportunity to stab others in the back?

everybody is afraid in nigeria mainly because they don't want to suffer biafra's fate

Yeah, this Western narrative of a marginalized North is very, very puzzling.

Well, it may even be accurate. . . but it sort of implicitly portrays the south as responsible for it rather than northern political leaders.

Ultimately any blame for marginalization lies with them.

They didn't use the ~40 years they controlled the country to improve the lives of their people. So why is that someone else's fault?

@POST

This article is good as plain sheet of paper except for the goofier stuff such as “The U.S. must call time-out and bring a diverse array of Nigeria's leaders -- including the marginalized Muslim northerners and the militant evangelical Christians of the oil-rich south -- to a meeting room.”

Mere insinuation Muslim northerners are marginalized in Nigeria left me with no doubt British still think Nigeria is an object of 1940. I wondered aloud why author of the article should inject the instances of USA inviting Nigerians to a conference instead of Russia. There is no doubt blood of colonialist runs in writer’s veins.

I hope misguided bunch in southerner Nigeria had opportunity to peruse this article.

Dede1 my brother we all are in trouble and therefore any solution now is better than nothing. No region in Nigeria is currently ready for all-out war of separation for reasons you and I know and to that extent I would be willing to accept any idea that would bring this Nigerian carnage to a quick halt. We've already lost 50 yrs in this wilderness and to waste even a second more is unacceptable.

Sam_Ikenna:

Dede1 my brother we all are in trouble and therefore any solution now is better than nothing. No region in Nigeria is currently ready for all-out war of separation for reasons you and I know and to that extent I would be willing to accept any idea that would bring this Nigerian carnage to a quick halt. We've already lost 50 yrs in this wilderness and to waste even a second more is unacceptable.

Mazi Sam_Ikenna I understand your sentiment but I had rather take the fight of nationhood to the battle field than settle in conference room when the agenda had to be set by trolls who already insinuate that Muslim northerners are marginalized after ruling Nigeria for more than 40 years of its 52 years existence as a country.

Negro_Ntns   wrote; Nigerians are robbed!  Even when the condition makes it elementally possible for us to go home and begin a new culture now that we have a weak government and an enabling separationist in North begging us to go away. . . . we remain immobile and dont know what to do or how to begin that new nation we cried so long to have.

Its a pity!!

Negro_Ntns, what you said above is very interesting. I do hope you continue in this new path because we need it, the lower Nigeria needs it, and you need it too. I knew you were better than all those previous hate messages and today is my vindication.

Anyway, back to the post, I believe the rest of Nigeria excluding core north have had it up to their noses. To even imagine that we pretend to be cowering under the core north is beyond ridiculous. How can a section of Nigeria that has education, international awareness, control of press, belief of freedom, resources, connections etc be intimidated into accepting the unacceptable. Right from the end of civil war the north has cornered everything to themselves. I cant even believe we are still talking about helping to educate them after all these years of free reign they had with Nigeria. While I believe that its good to educate the mind but must we be forced at gun point for it? Did the south and middle belt cause a single core northern problem? Why must we pay for everything wrong with Hausa-Fulani? I want to ask Yorubas, Ijaws, Isokos, Igbos - who paid your tuition? Was it not your parents? Did you bomb, main, or kill because you were poor or uneducated? Besides who paid for those students in Igboland that lost their parents after the civil war? Why must we be made scapegoats for every ill that goes on in the core north? I remember when I was in one of those "computer classes" in Nigeria with one cool-looking dude from the north and we kinda started talking about what kind of career we would want to pursue. I was of the impression that maybe he would be interested in big things given the way this guy looks and carries himself. Anyway, this guy said that after hes done with the computer classes he would be joining Nigeria army, not that there is something wrong with being a soldier but with the condition of our country don't you think we need more of wealth creators than soldiers? I mean its not like we are at war. Anyway, I assume he went into the army while I left for the US for Engineering. Folks this is where the difference b/w the core north and the rest of Nigeria lies; We pursue knowledge, they pursue something else and when that fails them we become the cause of their failure. I'm not saying some of them do not pursue knowledge, all I'm saying, which I believe is self-evident, is that majority of their people would be economically useless in a 21st century ideal capitalist world. I guess in hindsight we all can say - thank God for Nigeria being a miserable third world, else how would you have explained the perennial masacre of some middle belters by cattle rearers. Let me even shed more light on how the south and core north have irreconcilably diverged. When I came here, the first school I went to had no single northerner, in fact I only met a total of 7 Africans (2 yorubas, 1 Igbo, 2 Ghanains, 1 Congo, 1 Rwanda) in my classes and none came from northern Nigeria. So, the question is - if the core north is not showing up where the rest of Africa is converging then where are they showing up? Is it when they loose election that they would show up to maim our corpers? Igbo, Yoruba, South South, and Middle Belt we need to tell ourselves the home-truth which is - Lets cut the core north loose, we have been patient for too long.

Dede1 my brother I understand your point and I can say its very reassuring that we have people like you who still believe in the nationhood of Igboland. Its clear that Southerners dont like the word marginalization and muslim north together in one sentence, but such is what we have to contend with now as we politically or confrontationally maneuver our future and destiny out and away from core north's path. Our future and the future of core north is completely different. We don't hate them rather we want them to have their God given space and freedom to vote and worship as they deem fit. If we, the freedom and secular people of the south, come out on the street of Lagos, PH, Onitsha, Aba, Ibadan, Benin City, Jos etc to say with one voice "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, WE WANT THE CORE NORTH GONE," I can tell you the world will hear it, even heaven and hell will respect it. However, if the US feels like they want to help us achieve that then I'm up for it too. I just want to end this carnage that is befalling our people from people who have lost respect for the sanctity of life.

Sam_Ikenna:

Negro_Ntns   wrote; Nigerians are robbed!  Even when the condition makes it elementally possible for us to go home and begin a new culture now that we have a weak government and an enabling separationist in North begging us to go away. . . . we remain immobile and dont know what to do or how to begin that new nation we cried so long to have.

Its a pity!!

Negro_Ntns, what you said above is very interesting. I do hope you continue in this new path because we need it, the lower Nigeria needs it, and you need it too. I knew you were better than all those previous hate messages and today is my vindication.

Anyway, back to the post, I believe the rest of Nigeria excluding core north have had it up to their noses. To even imagine that we pretend to be cowering under the core north is beyond ridiculous. How can a section of Nigeria that has education, international awareness, control of press, belief of freedom, resources, connections etc be intimidated into accepting the unacceptable. Right from the end of civil war the north has cornered everything to themselves. I cant even believe we are still talking about helping to educate them after all these years of free reign they had with Nigeria. While I believe that its good to educate the mind but must we be forced at gun point for it? Did the south and middle belt cause a single core northern problem? Why must we pay for everything wrong with Hausa-Fulani? I want to ask Yorubas, Ijaws, Isokos, Igbos - who paid your tuition? Was it not your parents? Did you bomb, main, or kill because you were poor or uneducated? Besides who paid for those students in Igboland that lost their parents after the civil war? Why must we be made scapegoats for every ill that goes on in the core north? I remember when I was in one of those "computer classes" in Nigeria with one cool-looking dude from the north and we kinda started talking about what kind of career we would want to pursue. I was of the impression that maybe he would be interested in big things given the way this guy looks and carries himself. Anyway, this guy said that after hes done with the computer classes he would be joining Nigeria army, not that there is something wrong with being a soldier but with the condition of our country don't you think we need more of wealth creators than soldiers? I mean its not like we are at war. Anyway, I assume he went into the army while I left for the US for Engineering. Folks this is where the difference b/w the core north and the rest of Nigeria lies; We pursue knowledge, they pursue something else and when that fails them we become the cause of their failure. I'm not saying some of them do not pursue knowledge, all I'm saying, which I believe is self-evident, is that majority of their people would be economically useless in a 21st century ideal capitalist world. I guess in hindsight we all can say - thank God for Nigeria being a miserable third world, else how would you have explained the perennial masacre of some middle belters by cattle rearers. Let me even shed more light on how the south and core north have irreconcilably diverged. When I came here, the first school I went to had no single northerner, in fact I only met a total of 7 Africans (2 yorubas, 1 Igbo, 2 Ghanains, 1 Congo, 1 Rwanda) in my classes and none came from northern Nigeria. So, the question is - if the core north is not showing up where the rest of Africa is converging then where are they showing up? Is it when they loose election that they would show up to maim our corpers? Igbo, Yoruba, South South, and Middle Belt we need to tell ourselves the home-truth which is - Lets cut the core north loose, we have been patient for too long.

Interesting perspective Sam.
And at bolded, the question is how? 1967-70, gave us and idea how it could be done. That blueprint is still tenable even in 21st century Nigeria, and I can bet my live that the outcome will not be the same.

Currently, the situation between North and Southern Nigeria, has a parallel with what obtains in North and South Korea. The Southern Koreans have a well advance economy, and indeed a very skilled and innovative populace, compared to the backward but militant North, who have thousand of missile trained on their illustrious Southern neighbour. But interesting, should skirmishes resume (they are technically still at war), the South will suffer heavy but recoverable losses, especially to their economy and populace, but the North will not survive it.

This scenario fits into the Nigerian equation. Southern Nigeria will not suffer irreparable losses in war with the North, but the North might take forever to recover from such war! However, unlike the South Korean, Southern Nigeria is an jungle of mistrust and suspicion! That explains the inertia!

As for SNC, Northern politicians will not agree to it based on the current argument, unless there is a more compelling reason/event!

lmao



See how these Nairaland guys pick + choose? I see u o. Carry on go if it mek you feel better doesnt change anything on the ground lol. Some days the North is one and all muslims other days its 'core north' other days they say Middle Belt is Igbo other days you hear them worrying about Tiv + Berom looking for alliance the next day its hausa/fulani only etc etc

I dey laugh o make up your mind and holla your governors for seperation if it bothers you. It would probably be 2 months before well have to send in our 'Almajari' peacekeepers in to stop you killing yourselves. 

At least 50 people were killed in clashes between rival ethnic groups in the state of Ebonyi in south-eastern Nigeria.

Police and security forces have been sent to the area after the violence flared up following a long-running land dispute between the Ezza and Ezilo peoples.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16388268

Stop deceiving yourself.
First, remove Azikiwe there and replace it with Balewa.
Second. Gowon is a Northerner!

DanKan0:

lmao



See how these Nairaland guys pick + choose? I see u o. Carry on go if it mek you feel better doesnt change anything on the ground lol. Some days the North is one and all muslims other days its 'core north' other days they say Middle Belt is Igbo other days you hear them worrying about Tiv + Berom looking for alliance the next day its hausa/fulani only etc etc

I dey laugh o make up your mind and holla your governors for seperation if it bothers you. It would probably be 2 months before well have to send in our 'Almajari' peacekeepers in to stop you killing yourselves.  

Sam_Ikenna:

DanKan0 clap for your self.

I am bros #OneNigeria Wazobia ooo

@Obiagu1

Is Gowon not from MiddleBelt? I thought its 'core North' aka Hausa/Fulani. or is it Just muslims? lmao. If you even look at it is Maiduguri 'Core North' or is it now Hausa/Fulani/Kanuri. I dey laugh o.

DanKan0 that's not the issue. Maiduguri, Oshogbo, Kano, Owerri etc is not the issue. The issue is WE ARE TIRED OF BURYING OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, now do you get it? For 50 yrs the story has always been a section of the country bearing down on others and we are sick of it. It doesn't even matter if Hausa-Fulani hasn't ruled Nigeria before because, frankly, when you look all the regions there is a common denominator in all of them with the exception of North east and north west. Core north has shown a high propensity for pogrom, religious mayhem, political sharia, mob killing, property destruction, and finally terrorism. Think about it - if you were in my shoes would you be sucking it all the time? Don't you know at some point people will get sick of all these ? How long shall young men and women from the south be killed simply because they are corpers? I don't hate Hausa-Fulani in any way shape or form, I'm just one tired Southerner. We have waited for over 50 years for the north to catch up in education yet we keep having our trained youths roasted in the name of education and service. What do you people want? Sharia or One Nigeria, Boko Haram or One Nigeria? because you cant have both. Why cant we have an Ijaw man lead this nation for once? why must it always be you? What about Edo man, Efik man, Isoko man - are they not Nigerians? Why must you treat the rest of Nigeria as a war booty? Do you realize that most of the leaders from your region have no territorial legitimacy in Nigeria? Dont you think we have tolerated enough already? You people created bogus LGAs, States, Wards, Census etc yet we pretended like we didnt see them, now as if what you have done was not enough you have resorted to bombing innocent people. Dont you think those that lost their lives deserved better? Must we all die before core north is satisfied? I want to know what will satisfy you, tell us pls because we cant take live like this. What is core north's SATISFACTION CRITICAL POINT Tell us so we know if we have what it takes to guarantee it. DanKan0 tell your people my people are tired and also tell them that the ear that fails to listen joins the head when head is severed from the neck. Ka chi foo.

And at bolded, the question is how? 1967-70, gave us and idea how it could be done. That blueprint is still tenable even in 21st century Nigeria, and I can bet my live that the outcome will not be the same.

How do you shut down and dissolve government? In a democracy, which we have, you recall your representatives and senators and abandon the center. You install those reps and senators on a regional but interim term to handle the affairs of governing the region. To forestall any chance of sabotage you sequester them away from home and families and keep them hidden for the entire term period.

@Sam_Ikenna

So its only Core North that kills your people abi? If so why do you inisist on living there? After all there 3 million Igbo's in Kano alone is it by force? You think if we wanted to kill all Igbo's in Kano it cant be done? Does Boko Haram only kill Igbos? Is Boko Haram the only group thats shoots and kills in Nigeria? Boko Haram has killed not even 1000 so far in a country of over 150 million. How many have died due to armed robbery? so Hausa/Fulani = Boko Haram abi? KKK= Oyinbo ? IRA= all Irish people abi? Mexican Cartels= all Mexicans?

What do my people want? Go tell your brother GEJ to organise SNC and ask everyman want he wants. But I doubt hed be willing. N1billion Food allowance is to nice to give up.   See how much money his state gets with all that 'education' I would have thought youd be far past us 'Almajaris' with an abundance of job opportunities etc etc. lol. But then maybe its Hausa/Fulani leaders in South as well who knows lol.

Who said GEJ cant lead is he not the leader now? In nigeria everyman can chop and GEJ sure is chopping   Did you hear Hausa/fulani say why dont MEND let Yaradua lead?

Your leaders see our leaders corruption and we see your leaders corruption they are all corrupt. One is not better than the other. They come together to organise and rig elections cause they know none of them would be in power otherwise. Then people wonder where the money is going. Then again its Hausa/Fulani that steals all the oil money that would go into building of a 2nd Niger bridge. lol

.

Goodnight Mr DanKan0, nice reading ur replies. I'll be back tomorrow evening to respond to post. Peace bro.

I appreciate what you said Sam, very touching.  I won't go into what led to that part of undesirable Negro you know.  But I do understand your stance and you are the third person to approach me today with that demand. . . which makes it ominous for me to refuse.

I read the OP article twice and reflected on it, I didn't think I should start the thread with a controversy, it would turn people off and wouldn't get us anywhere to derive meaningful and substantial points and lessons from the post.

US is Nigeria's business partner, they are not our friend.  They accomodate us but they wouldn't bend backward to cushion our fall if it comes to it. US is also business partner with Saudi Arabia. Their partnership with the latter is a bosom one.  US will never fire a government worker that is offensive to Nigeria but they have fired on few occassions cabinet ministers that stepped on wrong Saudi toe.

The Arabic scholars (mallams) that run madrassas in North are subsidized by stipends and scholarship endowments funded indirectly from Saudi purse. For many years (i dont know if that is still ongoing or not), Saudi Arabia was paying some comfortable allowances to the Northern Nigeria Emirates, an incentive to get them into the Ummah - OIC (Org. of Islamic Council).  

The government of Buhari made some rearrangements in national banking and monetary policies that helped strengthen the naira against the dollar, import regulation and IMF loan were primary amongst these policies.  The effect initially was hard on an economy that for years had lived on largesse free for all and splurg. The micro management of the economy and banking sector soon began to produce great results.  The administration's intent was to cut off indiscipline, corruption and immorality in the society and elevate our country to true independence and self-sustenability.  The limb that fed the incentive money to Emirs was thus cut off and the OIC attachment was ignored.

Buhari's administration however supported a sharia law for the Northerners and started working on that as a way of restoring morality up in the region.  Saudi Arabia was a co-sponsor of the coup that toppled Buhari and brought IBB in. This connection was the lure that pulled Idiagbon out of the country to go to Saudi Arabia on Hajj and paved a way for the surprise pounce.

IBB reversed most of Buhari's policies. He reversed the monitor on banking and gave access to IMF. He also delivered Nigeria into official and legal membership of the OIC.  I think this was done the year after he came in power.  So Nigeria has been a member of OIC ever since.  Of all the Northern sons that ever ruled Nigeria, Buhari is treated by the North like a step child.  They did not forgive him. It is unfortunate that we will never know what a great team we had in Buhari and his cabinets. . . . until that man is dead and a book is written revealing his vision for Nigeria.  The first Northerner to ever break out of the stereotype and embrace the idea of national patriotism.  Over the years, rejected by the North and South and from losses in election after election he became embittered and his ugly side came to surface.

Let's go back to Saudi Arabia. . . . . has anyone yet wonder why all of Arabian peninsula is burning but not Saudi Arabia?

Right after Tunisia and when Egypt exploded, Followed by Yemen, Jordan. . . . Saudi Arabia was particularly concerned for Egypt, Yemen and itself, , . .   US enbedded itself and sunk its resources into Saudi Arabia in exchange for active tab on Osama.  If Tunisia had not burn, followed by Egypt and Yemen, if the mob events of the Arab spring had not happened, Osama would still be alive.  Saudi Arabia is not burning but its neighbors are because Saudi negotiated its way out.

Saudi Arabia still has lots of interest in Northen Nigeria, particularly now that the North has resolved to live under Sharia. . . . that will touch on Saudi's values and interest.  They will be asking how they can support that and make it happen.  What is dear to Saudi Arabia is dear to US.  So I will caution anyone who believes that US can be a fair and unbiased mediator and or fight the Southern cause against North to please think again.  Wherever North leans, they will draw sympathy from Saudi and wherever Saudi says hurts, US is ready to soothe it.

Negro_Ntns:

I appreciate what you said Sam, very touching.  I won't go into what led to that part of undesirable Negro you know.  But I do understand your stance and you are the third person to approach me today with that demand. . . which makes it ominous for me to refuse.

I read the OP article twice and reflected on it, I didn't think I should start the thread with a controversy, it would turn people off and wouldn't get us anywhere to derive meaningful and substantial points and lessons from the post.

US is Nigeria's business partner, they are not our friend.  They accomodate us but they wouldn't bend backward to cushion our fall if it comes to it. US is also business partner with Saudi Arabia. Their partnership with the latter is a bosom one.  US will never fire a government worker that is offensive to Nigeria but they have fired on few occassions cabinet ministers that stepped on wrong Saudi toe.

The Arabic scholars (mallams) that run madrassas in North are subsidized by stipends and scholarship endowments funded indirectly from Saudi purse. For many years (i dont know if that is still ongoing or not), Saudi Arabia was paying some comfortable allowances to the Northern Nigeria Emirates, an incentive to get them into the Ummah - OIC (Org. of Islamic Council).  

The government of Buhari made some rearrangements in national banking and monetary policies that helped strengthen the naira against the dollar, import regulation and IMF loan were primary amongst these policies.  The effect initially was hard on an economy that for years had lived on largesse free for all and splurg. The micro management of the economy and banking sector soon began to produce great results.  The administration's intent was to cut off indiscipline, corruption and immorality in the society and elevate our country to true independence and self-sustenability.  The limb that fed the incentive money to Emirs was thus cut off and the OIC attachment was ignored.

Buhari's administration however supported a sharia law for the Northerners and started working on that as a way of restoring morality up in the region.  Saudi Arabia was a co-sponsor of the coup that toppled Buhari and brought IBB in. This connection was the lure that pulled Idiagbon out of the country to go to Saudi Arabia on Hajj and paved a way for the surprise pounce.

IBB reversed most of Buhari's policies. He reversed the monitor on banking and gave access to IMF. He also delivered Nigeria into official and legal membership of the OIC.  I think this was done the year after he came in power.  So Nigeria has been a member of OIC ever since.  Of all the Northern sons that ever ruled Nigeria, Buhari is treated by the North like a step child.  They did not forgive him. It is unfortunate that we will never know what a great team we had in Buhari and his cabinets. . . . until that man is dead and a book is written revealing his vision for Nigeria.  The first Northerner to ever break out of the stereotype and embrace the idea of national patriotism.  Over the years, rejected by the North and South and from losses in election after election he became embittered and his ugly side came to surface.

Let's go back to Saudi Arabia. . . . . has anyone yet wonder why all of Arabian peninsula is burning but not Saudi Arabia?

Right after Tunisia and when Egypt exploded, Followed by Yemen, Jordan. . . . Saudi Arabia was particularly concerned for Egypt, Yemen and itself, , . .   US enbedded itself and sunk its resources into Saudi Arabia in exchange for active tab on Osama.  If Tunisia had not burn, followed by Egypt and Yemen, if the mob events of the Arab spring had not happened, Osama would still be alive.  Saudi Arabia is not burning but its neighbors are because Saudi negotiated its way out.

Saudi Arabia still has lots of interest in Northen Nigeria, particularly now that the North has resolved to live under Sharia. . . . that will touch on Saudi's values and interest.  They will be asking how they can support that and make it happen.  What is dear to Saudi Arabia is dear to US.  So I will caution anyone who believes that US can be a fair and unbiased mediator and or fight the Southern cause against North to please think again.  Wherever North leans, they will draw sympathy from Saudi and wherever Saudi says hurts, US is ready to soothe it.

Good post! Especially about the northern connection to Saudi Arabia and Saudi's connection with the US. People must know that the 9/11 bombers were from Saudi Arabia and the US did not dare attack or say a word to them. That should tell us all we need to know.

Question: Under whose leadership was Sharia law allowed to be passed in the North?

stayreal:

Question: Under whose leadership was Sharia law allowed to be passed in the North?

Ur question has no relevance here.

@op, if the country breaks up then there is nothing to save again.

I will suggest we stick together for much longer than we av been together. Whoever wants to break away shld come out boldly and give reasons why they decided to stay in the first place.

sheyguy:

I will suggest we stick together for much longer than we av been together. Whoever wants to break away shld come out boldly and give reasons why they decided to stay in the first place.

There is no reason to continue sticking together any more longer, the more we stick together the more my hatred to u.

Here are fact on ground. nairaland is been used by pro govt agent to tell lies to the international community about the real situation in Nigeria. There is NO power supply or electricity improvement in Nigeria. Even for days , sometime 1 week, Homes or houses dont have electricity. Prof Nnaji is a failure, he has not improve electricity in Nigeria. I can tell you that , so are other sector of nigerian lifes. Their lifes are getting worst not better.

the issue is not only about religion.  but also ethnicity.  Ethnicity is the main reason. THe govt of nigeria is just using religion to explore the people for its own benefit. but the main issue is ethnicity, When Gowon killed more than 1,000,000 christian. He did not care for their religion. Gowon is a northerner christian.

And there are less than 10% chritain in the North Niger area of Nigeria called the North. of the 138 or so of member of the house of assembly from the North niger of Nigeria about 90% of them are muslim. Just 10% are christian.  Even the figure of christian looks like it is less than 10% from satellite pictures,  because the north lied about its satellite pictures either christian area or muslim area of the north. They both lied.

The nigeria govt is only using religion and shouting about it, so that the international community can not break up nigeria because they know how sensitive religion is in the middle east. But the real issue is, we had a satellite pictures. and nigeria have problem.

If you take for example the bombing of the catholic church in abuja may have be a reaction to the visit of the catholic pope visit to Benin republic. After his visit, you had the bombing. Which was timed. The other bombing came after Ban kim moon visit to Nigeria. So they bomb the united nation head office. This tell you the real issue.

Nigeria as problem ,because the people of nigeria are seen the satellite pictures of Nigeria and the government of Nigeria continue to tell them lies, this is why there is problem. Nigeria will end up in a civil war.

The access to the internet in Nigeria have reach over 30 million household either through laptop or cellphone. So it create more serious problem in Nigeria.


How can the people of nigeria close their eyes and say they have not seen this.

Religion is not the main issue but ethnicity.  The boko haram people are just using religion as a way to get out of nigeria from danger, and because they have people who dont care in power. It is hard.  The only option to stop boko haram is to remove the western Niger  (Edo,delta and Yorubas)that way the north becomes majority. Because most member of the house of assembly and senate are scare they may loss their jobs. if nigeria break up completely.

The removal will seen a dual citizen for everybody and an open border.  This is one option. The other option will be hard is to remove the north, but because like you see there are pocket of christian in the north niger. So some may argue that removing edo,delta and Yorubas is the only solution , that way there fear will be protected.  to remove the north niger will involve alot of negotiations between this less than 10% christian in that area and the muslims.  This even does not solve the problem completely,

But it is more simple to remove edo,delta and Yorubas because it solve the problem completely.