hahahahahaha o di egwuoooooooooooo

odumchi: Before we start our discussions, let's get the most fundamental thing straight: what language will we be using?

English, Igbo, or both?

Normally, I would've said that we should use Igbo but, considering the fact that we have Igbo sons and daughters here who aren't literate in Igbo, it's not such an easy decision. Personally, I wouldn't like for anyone to feel left out but at the same time I wouldn't like to compromise our identity nor would I like to alienate our language from our activities.

Ha jekwa muta asusu Igbo, o bu asusu anyi.

odumchi: Before we start our discussions, let's get the most fundamental thing straight: what language will we be using?

English, Igbo, or both?

Normally, I would've said that we should use Igbo but, considering the fact that we have Igbo sons and daughters here who aren't literate in Igbo, it's not such an easy decision. Personally, I wouldn't like for anyone to feel left out but at the same time I wouldn't like to compromise our identity nor would I like to alienate our language from our activities.

If this is because of me, disregard I, go ahead and speak only Igbo. If anything I support it. I should be able to keep up along as the sentences as short as yeske reply to you as oppose to face reply to onlytruth. It might take me a very long time to interpret what each person says if its as long as face but i'm okay with it. I'm watching this thread descend to many Igbo hating bigots coming onto this thread to use ogugua words to try and take jab at Igbo and onlytruth while at the same time pretending to be sincere and supporting. In my opinion, you guys should have started this whole parliamentary office thing in Igbo.

My great grandmother was igbotic, am I allowed to post a comment or not?

One_Naira: Let me get this correctly ogugua from your perspective you see your home burning, your neighbors home burning and your far down the street neighbors home burning, rather than putting out the fire in your house first, you wish to disregard your home and put out the fire in your neighbor’s house first in hopes they will help you put out your home even though there is no guarantee they will do such a thing neither was there behaviors from them in the past that assures you they will do such a thing. In actuality, there behavior in the past assures you they will do the opposite. I am sorry if you wonder why other Igbo refuse to accept your perspective, your way is just destructive for our community and zik taught us this from experience. I am inclined to support every Igbo on this thread and jump on Sam ikenna words "this is Igbo 2.0. We f2king wised up".

[b]The fact you are telling Igbo people to leave Igbo land and ignore the development of the region but focus nationally rather tell us you haven't been back home for a very long time. I am sorry to say this but can you please inform us what development in Igbo land that did not come from Igbo people's pocket as a community? What federal developments have been made to any state in Igbo land and I'm including anioma to this? Sometimes some of the development came out of the governors own pocket (mind you Igbo governors are corrupt as f2k) Let us look at things shall we. The Enugu state airport, though supposed to come out of the FG pocket came out of Enugu state indigenous and other Igbos pocket. Recently I learned the international section, though the FG is taking credit for it is, is actual a private investment. For years now, Igbo people as a community have asked for one thing only, though they are adding more recently, but one thing remains a huge request and that is the remodeling of Niger bridge and till this day such request have not been granted. I bet you my entire life savings that if the bridge ever gets remodeled it will probably come from an Igbo businessperson pocket. Quote me on this. If we follow your way, Igbo land would be nothing but a village even Somalia would be ahead. Like the members, Sam Ikenna, ACM10, Odumchi, etc said well technically it's a summary of what they said, "This is a country where is do me, I do you and everybody is looking out for their damn self and their community, ignoring that fact is a dangerous move for our people". That is why Onlytruth believe would go far in Igbo land because he's thinking for the people. [/b] Some of his opinions I've gathered for now are international airport for Igbo land, a seaport, Niger-bridge remodeling, etc. To your average Igbo this is what we need that our politicians are too stup1d to see. I cannot speak on the international airport thing but definitely, the seaport is needed. Take this from a son of a trader who knows a lot of traders, I can honestly tell you right now I've lost count how many Igbo businessmen we knew personally (including my father's ex-business partner) that migrated their shops and business to Lagos simply because they are tired of spending more money than they are making from the back and forth movement of goods from Lagos to east(shipping it from aboard cost money, collecting it from port cost money and moving it from Lagos to east cost money plus the plane ticket to visit Nigeria to make sure your business is good cost money). Nah this is why only truth opinions would gather more support.

Another thing I noticed that I’m trying to interpret: I don't get why you wish Igbo should have protested for oil subsidy when they were busy worry themselves over the life of their people being killed up north and protesting over it. I'm trying to understand where you are coming from? From your perspective, we should have disregarded the life of our own people and worry about oil? is that we you were trying to say? If so SMH. If not, elaborate.

Lastly, Onlytruth did not act superior to you. I cannot read or write in Igbo. If you check my listing, you'll never see me in an Igbo speaking only thread and if I do write in Igbo is only a few sentence and half of the time it's repentance of each other. I'm telling you this because I've been told many times both online and off to keep quiet from Igbo affairs simply because of that, sometimes speaking the language saves me but majority of the time it does not. It is has nothing to do with "I'm more Igbo than you" but instead its saying "you are losing your culture and probably aren't in tuned with what going on back home therefore you would probably gear the community wrongly with your input". If you do not know the meaning, just ask next time rather than getting emotional. Every person knows Igbo people saying aren't always straight forward there is always a deep meaning majority of the time. I personally never took it as you took it; I see it as a motivation, I am learning how to write Igbo now because of it and in the near future, reading Igbo but then again everyone is different.

Chukwu gozie gi ezigbo nwa afo Igbo!

Umu Igbo,

I always stand in awe of your wisdom and depth. Every time we handle issues and plan our advancement, I see true depth of character and rare form of insight. Honestly, the only thing that I "enjoy" in this office, is the knowledge that I serve a great group of African people. There has been a constant war on our survival right from independence till date.
Truth be told, the assault on our survival has not always been from outsiders. Sometimes it is from renegade Igbo sons and daughters who only find their courage and aggression when attacking Igbo interests (mainly for PERSONAL gain), be it tangible or intangible gains. When I came to this office, I swore that I would NEVER gain anything personal from my position here, and I will make sure (to the best of my ability) that the next Eze Ndigbo here will NOT gain a damn thing personally. Our gain MUST BE IGBO GAIN. Period.
Umunne m, "agha a" adiro nfe ma ncha o! hehe. It is well though.

Let us focus MORE on that Enugu international airport maka na o di anyi nnukwu mkpa! With someone like Rochas, we may even get Owerri international airport too. Yes we can!

Let us compile our mailist so that we can begin to pressure our governors and elected politicians about the airport and the Niger bridge and seaport at Onitsha.

Let us try to ignore all distractions from jealous folks henceforth.

@One_Naira,

The imposition of Igbo language only on this thread is hereby lifted. You are the true son of your father.

One_Naira:

If this is because of me, disregard I, go ahead and speak only Igbo. If anything I support it. I should be able to keep up along as the sentences as short as yeske reply to you as oppose to face reply to onlytruth. It might take me a very long time to interpret what each person says if its as long as face but i'm okay with it. I'm watching this thread descend to many Igbo hating bigots coming onto this thread to use ogugua words to try and take jab at Igbo and onlytruth while at the same time pretending to be sincere and supporting. In my opinion, you guys should have started this whole parliamentary office thing in Igbo.

It's not entirely because of you. I know that there are intelligent people who's inputs would be useful and greeted warmly and it wouldn't seem fair to me to isolate them.

Odum,

Inwetara ozi m zigara gi?

Onlytruth: Odum,

Inwetara ozi m zigara gi?

eeh.

M naha agu ya.

One_Naira, I do not believe in ignoring Igbo issues. People are misunderstanding me. I said Igbos should be able to tend to Nigerian issues that effect Nigerians, rather than take problems and personalize them. Did you not see how OnlyTruth took a radical comment from someone I'm presuming is Yoruba? That is one person out of millions of Yorubas. Quite frankly, that isn't enough for me to shun other Nigerians and look after Igbos only. There are sane Nigerians. To pick out the loony ones and use it as reason to shun others is not fair.

ogugua88: One_Naira, I do not believe in ignoring Igbo issues. People are misunderstanding me. I said Igbos should be able to tend to Nigerian issues that effect Nigerians, rather than take problems and personalize them. Did you not see how OnlyTruth took a radical comment from someone I'm presuming is Yoruba? That is one person out of millions of Yorubas. Quite frankly, that isn't enough for me to shun other Nigerians and look after Igbos only. There are sane Nigerians. To pick out the loony ones and use it as reason to shun others is not fair.

We have passed that stage now in this thread. We have decided to move on, and are now at the stage where we are asking Igbo sons and daughters to sign up on our mailist so that we can use their contact emails to write our governors and representatives about things we need in Igboland, like international airports that other regions have enjoyed for DECADES.
If you are really interested in GENERAL Nigerian well being, then, you should stop criticizing and offer support to those who are actually doing something that may help Nigeria survive as a progressive peaceful country.
If you won't do that, then we don't need you here.

Onlytruth:
We have passed that stage now in this thread. We have decided to move on, and are now at the stage where we are asking Igbo sons and daughters to sign up on our mailist so that we can use their contact emails to write our governors and representatives about things we need in Igboland, like international airports that other regions have enjoyed for DECADES.
If you are really interested in GENERAL Nigerian well being, then, you should stop criticizing and offer support to those who are actually doing something that may help Nigeria survive as a progressive peaceful country.
If you won't do that, then we don't need you here.

You can't keep writing these people, you need to be proactive - and get grassroot support to rock the boat, and effect a change.. Being professional with corrupt officials in Nigeria has never worked, and will never work..

Fighting for a cause on the internet is never going to work, that's why I see all these organisations as a charade that won't work in the real world.. You guys need to roll up your sleeves, and get dirty..

Eze Onlytruth, I have a couple of questions for you, since you have all these big and wonderful dreams on NL.

- What plans do you have on the ground in ala-igbo to effect the change you dream about on NL everyday?
- How are you planning to galvanize ndigbos off NL?
- What do you know about Igbo politics in Nigeria (because from your posts, it seems you don't even have a clue of what igbo politics in the Nigerian context is all about)?
- And have you made an effort to study the history of Nigeria, from 1960 - 2012 (with an open mind) - to get a perfect analysis of what went wrong with ndigbos, and the things that need to be done, to avoid such mistakes in future?

shymmex:

You can't keep writing these people, you need to be proactive - and get grassroot support to rock the boat, and effect a change.. Being professional with corrupt officials in Nigeria has never worked, and will never work..

Fighting for a cause on the internet is never going to work, that's why I see all these organisations as a charade that won't work in the real world.. You guys need to roll up your sleeves, and get dirty..

Don't worry, we have our "contacts" with some of these government officials. Some of them even write us to solicit professional help on how to move their states forward. Some don't write but they follow us here religiously.
We are in the era of IT activism. You don't have to "get dirty" to achieve the same result.

shymmex: Eze Onlytruth, I have a couple of questions for you, since you have all these big and wonderful dreams on NL.

- What plans do you have on the ground in ala-igbo to effect the change you dream about on NL everyday?
- How are you planning to galvanize ndigbos off NL?
- What do you know about Igbo politics in Nigeria (because from your posts, it seems you don't even have a clue of what igbo politics in the Nigerian context is all about)?
- And have you made an effort to study the history of Nigeria, from 1960 - 2012 (with an open mind) - to get a perfect analysis of what went wrong with ndigbos, and the things that need to be done, to avoid such mistakes in future?

Well, I know the history of Igbo people in Nigeria more than you would ever know the history of ANY group in Nigeria including your Yoruba tribe. From your posts here, you have NO IDEA how Igbo people TRULY feel about Nigeria.
If you ignore the feelings of about 1/3 of Nigerians, then you are sitting on a keg of gun powder.

Onlytruth: We have passed that stage now in this thread. We have decided to move on, and are now at the stage where we are asking Igbo sons and daughters to sign up on our mailist so that we can use their contact emails to write our governors and representatives about things we need in Igboland, like international airports that other regions have enjoyed for DECADES.
If you are really interested in GENERAL Nigerian well being, then, you should stop criticizing and offer support to those who are actually doing something that may help Nigeria survive as a progressive peaceful country.
If you won't do that, then we don't need you here.

After you've blessed him, I can't correct him for misunderstanding me just as you did earlier. Fine.

The question is are YOU interested in all of Nigeria's well-being? Yes, Igboland is on fire, but so is the nation. Nigeria is not our neighbor. It is our home and it encompasses several groups and regions, including Igboland. I'm not betraying loyalties when I say that Nigeria can use the efforts of all Nigerians, including fellow Igbos. All I've suggested is for Igbos to multitask. If you and the rest can agree to that, then I will assist Eze Ndi Igbo Nairaland Parliamentary Office wherever they wish me to to the best of my ability. If you can't, then just as you stated, you don't need me here.

Onlytruth:

Don't worry, we have our "contacts" with some of these government officials. Some of them even write us to solicit professional help on how to move their states forward. Some don't write but they follow us here religiously.
We are in the era of IT activism. You don't have to "get dirty" to achieve the same result.

IT activism only works in sane countries, Nigeria is an abnormal country - where things are still done the medieval way.. The real people that count are the traders, the bus drivers, the food sellers, and the market women. Those are the people you need to get your message across to - and it's a pity 99.9% of them don't have access to the internet..

I for one won't mind moving to a prosperous Igbo land in Nigeria, if I can get a good quality of life over there.. I'm planning to stay in Akwa Ibom, when I visit Nigeria later this year - since that's the only sane state in Nigeria..

I want to see changes in Nigeria, regardless of the region - but it seems we're all going about it the wrong way.. Nigeria is a different ball game from the western countries we all reside in as our temporary abode - and to effect a change, we've to get dirty.. That's the truth!!

That's also the reason why I've stopped commenting on threads in the politics section, it seems most of us live in la la land - and thrive on tribal superiority (which the average Nigerian hustling in the scotching sun, on the streets don't care about, to be honest)..

You need to do your homework, brother... All the leaders we've now are all cut from the same cloth, and they might read your emails and send you a reply - but do they care about rocking the boat, and challenging the status quo which gave them the power?

shymmex:

IT activism only works in sane countries, Nigeria is an abnormal country - where things are still done the medieval way.. The real people that count are the traders, the bus drivers, the food sellers, and the market women. Those are the people you need to get your message across to - and it's a pity 99.9% of them don't have access to the internet..

I for one won't mind moving to a prosperous Igbo land in Nigeria, if I can get a good quality of life over there.. I'm planning to stay in Akwa Ibom, when I visit Nigeria later this year - since that's the only sane state in Nigeria..

I want to see changes in Nigeria, regardless of the region - but it seems we're all going about it the wrong way.. Nigeria is a different ball game from the western countries we all reside in as our temporary abode - and to effect a change, we've to get dirty.. That's the truth!!

That's also the reason why I've stopped commenting on threads in the politics section, it seems most of us live in la la land - and thrive on tribal superiority (which the average Nigerian hustling in the scotching sun, on the streets don't care about, to be honest)..

You need to do your homework, brother... All the leaders we've now are all cut from the same cloth, and they might read your emails and send you a reply - but do they care about rocking the boat, and challenging the status quo which gave them the power?

tell them as it is !!!

Imagine Uche, Ola and Musa all living Lagos. Then Ola decides to write to Lagos governor affect all of them from Uche to Musa not knowing that Uche does not care about him and Musa nor for the state but only care about what is going on in the east aka alaigbo.

ogugua88:

After you've blessed him, I can't correct him for misunderstanding me just as you did earlier. Fine.

The question is are YOU interested in all of Nigeria's well-being? Yes, Igboland is on fire, but so is the nation. Nigeria is not our neighbor. It is our home and it encompasses several groups and regions, including Igboland. I'm not betraying loyalties when I say that Nigeria can use the efforts of all Nigerians, including fellow Igbos. All I've suggested is for Igbos to multitask. If you and the rest can agree to that, then I will assist Eze Ndi Igbo Nairaland Parliamentary Office wherever they wish me to to the best of my ability. If you can't, then just as you stated, you don't need me here.

There are other organizations whose sole purpose is to work for the betterment of Nigeria; it's not a crime that we decided to focus only on the Igbo. What you're saying is like why is Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo an organization working for the aims of the Igbo? In fact, why not Ohanaeze Nigeria? Ohanaeze Africa? Ohanaeze Humanity?

Please, let's drop this topic. It's only interfering with what we are trying to do.

@Onlytruth
Biko gba ha nile nkiti ka anyi nwere ike kpaa ihe a.

Onlytruth:
Well, I know the history of Igbo people in Nigeria more than you would ever know the history of ANY group in Nigeria including your Yoruba tribe. From your posts here, you have NO IDEA how Igbo people TRULY feel about Nigeria.
If you ignore the feelings of about 1/3 of Nigerians, then you are sitting on a keg of gun powder.

I know how Igbo people really feel about Nigeria, but it seems most of the Igbos posters on NL thrive on playing the blame game.. Yeah, history shows that Igbo people were/were not hard done by the Nigerian establishment - depending on the angle you look at it.. But you can't lay blame on people who have also suffered from the Nigerian establishment, and try to exonerate yourselves as being saints.. Things happened in the past because of myopic leaders - and it was a two way thing... The question should be, how do we bury the hatchet - and forge alliances based on similarities to avoid the mistakes of the past?

America went to war with vietnam, and carpet bombed the carpet to the stone age... They also lost many young Americans in the war.. But today, Vietnam is America's closet ally in that region... Who would ever think that could have happened? The same goes for the old soviet block - some of them are Pro-America today, and Anti-Russia - that's how you do nation building... You can never do it by yourself alone!!!

ogugua88:

I agree with this last bit. I don't know what "The Igbo Cause" is. Nigeria is a mess in its entirety. I don't know how they find time or opportunity to focus on "The Igbo Cause". It's embarrassing that there are people who are still calling themselves Biafrans, who are still fighting for a(n) Biafran/Igbo cause, who can't put their vendettas aside to deal with a much bigger problem. They may think Igbos are the best tribe or have their own agenda, but they still come from Nigeria, one of the most unstable, feared nations not only in the continent, but in the world. Some priorities need to be straightened.

This is some real asinine talk.

ogugua88:

After you've blessed him, I can't correct him for misunderstanding me just as you did earlier. Fine.

The question is are YOU interested in all of Nigeria's well-being? Yes, Igboland is on fire, but so is the nation. Nigeria is not our neighbor. It is our home and it encompasses several groups and regions, including Igboland. I'm not betraying loyalties when I say that Nigeria can use the efforts of all Nigerians, including fellow Igbos. All I've suggested is for Igbos to multitask. If you and the rest can agree to that, then I will assist Eze Ndi Igbo Nairaland Parliamentary Office wherever they wish me to to the best of my ability. If you can't, then just as you stated, you don't need me here.

with all your love for "one nigeria", it doesn't stop the hausas/fulanis from slicing your throat if they find you in their midst during a "small" riot neither does it stop the yorubas from calling you "omo ibo"

Ogbonaikenna: with all your love for "one nigeria", it doesn't stop the hausas/fulanis from slicing your throat if they find you in their midst during a "small" riot neither does it stop the yorubas from calling you "omo ibo"

Daf.t reason I hope Ogugau does not reply to this reason. Maybe yorubas should call you Omo Yoruba. If you are not Omo Ibo then what are you ? Omo Yoruba then ?

BTW does Ndi/onye Yoruba/Igbo not mean yoruba/ igbo people/person. Omo Igbo/Yoruba means Igbo person/ yoruba person.

Keep displaying tribalism. BTW those people you call hausa/fulani are just touts which are found everywhere in the country from the islands to chad.

How many times have "bakassi boys" enter a shop in rivers state and collect free food "stealing"

shymmex:

You can't keep writing these people, you need to be proactive - and get grassroot support to rock the boat, and effect a change.. Being professional with corrupt officials in Nigeria has never worked, and will never work..

Fighting for a cause on the internet is never going to work, that's why I see all these organisations as a charade that won't work in the real world.. You guys need to roll up your sleeves, and get dirty..

I was about to type this; you took the words right out my mouth. Write a letter that gets deleted immediately its opened by the Govnr. Lmao Onlytruth is clearly an Old illiterate drunken clown with lots of time on his hands and nothing much going for him in life. "Oh, we won't protest and riot and show these thieves in Govt. that we mean business, but we'll write them a letter and since they're known to always listen to us I know we'll be heard". Talk about misplaced priorities. Smh

ogugua88:

After you've blessed him, I can't correct him for misunderstanding me just as you did earlier. Fine.

The question is are YOU interested in all of Nigeria's well-being? Yes, Igboland is on fire, but so is the nation. Nigeria is not our neighbor. It is our home and it encompasses several groups and regions, including Igboland. I'm not betraying loyalties when I say that Nigeria can use the efforts of all Nigerians, including fellow Igbos. All I've suggested is for Igbos to multitask. If you and the rest can agree to that, then I will assist Eze Ndi Igbo Nairaland Parliamentary Office wherever they wish me to to the best of my ability. If you can't, then just as you stated, you don't need me here.

Let me help you out a lil bit. Our aim is to form a pressure/advisory group through which we could reach our leaders/reps.

We realise that Nigeria is hitting below par and that our reps are incorrigible. There are some people among us who have links and contacts to reach our leaders to bombard them with ideas and demands. Through this grp, we also intend to reach the grassroots to enlighten them of the responsibilities of our reps. We also intend to make direct contact with real people.

This association is still at infancy,but we are determined to make it work.

The way politics works is that you have to hold your own reps/leaders to account. eg, if I need the Enugu international airport and FG is not coming forth with it, I cannot start bothering the Oyo state senators to press for it.
If I am annoyed that the power sector is bad and I can't get to the minister, I will contact my reps to take up the issue rather than writing Kaduna reps.

If my state governor is useless and the reps are corrupt,I cannot mobilize voters from Sokoto to vote them out. Charity begins at home.

If we succeed in improving Igbo land, Nigeria will benefit from it, unless you think that improvement of Igbo land will be non-beneficial to Nigeria.

All we want is to effect change from within.

Now that I have given you an insight on why we want you to join us, could you please, advice on how you think we can change Nigeria without looking inwards.

By the way,I am a strong supporter of reforms that will make Nigeria a better place in the long term; reforms like power sector deregulation, complete removal of fuel subsidy and a cashless/reduced cash economy.

FACE, Nigeria is corrupt from head to toe, front to back, east to west, and north to south. I wonder how far emailing representatives will get you. Shymmex said it well:

shymmex: IT activism only works in sane countries, Nigeria is an abnormal country - where things are still done the medieval way.. The real people that count are the traders, the bus drivers, the food sellers, and the market women. Those are the people you need to get your message across to - and it's a pity 99.9% of them don't have access to the internet..

shymmex: All the leaders we've now are all cut from the same cloth, and they might read your emails and send you a reply - but do they care about rocking the boat, and challenging the status quo which gave them the power?

shymmex: You can't keep writing these people, you need to be proactive - and get grassroot support to rock the boat, and effect a change.. Being professional with corrupt officials in Nigeria has never worked, and will never work..

This is why I kept reiterating using means like protesting and getting more people involved. I guarantee you government officials won't read past two paragraphs, especially when they encounter words like "anti-corruption" and "justice". They're quite comfortable where they are. An email will not make them budge. Eze Ndi Igbo are not the first ones to send emails. I've done it. My father's done it. My uncles and members of various associations have done it. You'd be lucky if you even get a reply. If they do respond, they'll tell you what you want to hear. Anything to get you to shut up. No one wants to bite the hand that's feeding them.

Looking inwards, Eze Ndi Igbo will need a goal. Let's assume the primary goal is improving Enugu International Airport. Shymmex gave you the answer. Grassroots.

Go market to market, shop to shop, university to university, etc. Get on the streets. Get local support. Megaphones and picket signs? That has to be Eze Ndi Igbo. This NL group cannot do it alone. Make pamphlets and hand them out. You can set up a page on Facebook and get people to join that way. Even word of mouth. Anything to make the goal of improving Enugu International Airport known. You'd be surprised at how much of the younger generation is online blogging and discussing similar issues. You may want to start a petition and collect signatures, both online and physically so that you can show a representative or whomever if you're granted a meeting. Politics is a game. Numbers may not win it for you in Nigeria, but it can help.

If Eze Ndi Igbo wants to get anywhere, then more people need to be involved. That's the bottom line. Just like I assumed, there are non-Igbos interested in any kind of progress. Some Northerners may bomb us and some Southwesterners may insults us, but those few negatives do not represent everyone. If this page is open to everyone who supports change, Igbo or not, they will take notes and examples of the kind of goals and progress Eze Ndi Igbo is making. That's how, hopefully, they will utilize that knowledge for their communities as well as the country. Also, they can bring unique ideas to the table. No one should be silenced based on tribe. Tribalism is just as big a problem of corruption, and segregating non-Igbos will not do Ndi Igbo any good. It brings you down to the level of those discriminating on you. Anyone who doesn't wish to assist in improving EIA can leave.

Communication is vital. I suppose many of you already communicate via emails and here obviously. This is where a Facebook page would be handy again (if one hasn't already been made). It will help keep everyone updated. If there are many in the same area, some may even want to hold meetings. You can even record those meetings on a voice recorder and email them to office members, do a live stream, or have someone note minutes and email them.

The time will come when you know you're ready to bring this to local government. I don't think the time is now though. Not at all. If you're lucky, a local politician with sense may even invite you. If you're lucky. As for now, organizing and expanding should be the biggest concern.

This is how Occupy Nigeria started and became known to the world. We received coverage from Al Jazeera, BBC, and CNN. There were messages of support from other Occupy groups like Occupy Perth (Australia). Even MC Hammer was supporting the cause via twitter. Our flaw was that with negotiations, the subsequent lowering of the once-doubled fuel prices, the army presence in Lagos, and the ending of the strikes, many of the protests came to an end. If Igbos don't back down from pressure, then support will surely flow in and will stay.

ogugua88: FACE, Nigeria is corrupt from head to toe, front to back, east to west, and north to south. I wonder how far emailing representatives will get you. Shymmex said it well:







This is why I kept reiterating using means like protesting and getting more people involved. I guarantee you government officials won't read past two paragraphs, especially when they encounter words like "anti-corruption" and "justice". They're quite comfortable where they are. An email will not make them budge. Eze Ndi Igbo are not the first ones to send emails. I've done it. My father's done it. My uncles and members of various associations have done it. You'd be lucky if you even get a reply. If they do respond, they'll tell you what you want to hear. Anything to get you to shut up. No one wants to bite the hand that's feeding them.

Looking inwards, Eze Ndi Igbo will need a goal. Let's assume the primary goal is improving Enugu International Airport. Shymmex gave you the answer. Grassroots.

Go market to market, shop to shop, university to university, etc. Get on the streets. Get local support. Megaphones and picket signs? That has to be Eze Ndi Igbo. This NL group cannot do it alone. Make pamphlets and hand them out. You can set up a page on Facebook and get people to join that way. Even word of mouth. Anything to make the goal of improving Enugu International Airport known. You'd be surprised at how much of the younger generation is online blogging and discussing similar issues. You may want to start a petition and collect signatures, both online and physically so that you can show a representative or whomever if you're granted a meeting. Politics is a game. Numbers may not win it for you in Nigeria, but it can help.

If Eze Ndi Igbo wants to get anywhere, then more people need to be involved. That's the bottom line. Just like I assumed, there are non-Igbos interested in any kind of progress. Some Northerners may bomb us and some Southwesterners may insults us, but those few negatives do not represent everyone. If this page is open to everyone who supports change, Igbo or not, they will take notes and examples of the kind of goals and progress Eze Ndi Igbo is making. That's how, hopefully, they will utilize that knowledge for their communities as well as the country. Also, they can bring unique ideas to the table. No one should be silenced based on tribe. Tribalism is just as big a problem of corruption, and [size=14pt]segregating non-Igbos [/size]will not do Ndi Igbo any good. It brings you down to the level of those discriminating on you. Anyone who doesn't wish to assist in improving EIA can leave.

Communication is vital. I suppose many of you already communicate via emails and here obviously. This is where a Facebook page would be handy again (if one hasn't already been made). It will help keep everyone updated. If there are many in the same area, some may even want to hold meetings. You can even record those meetings on a voice recorder and email them to office members, do a live stream, or have someone note minutes and email them.

The time will come when you know you're ready to bring this to local government. I don't think the time is now though. Not at all. If you're lucky, a local politician with sense may even invite you. If you're lucky. As for now, organizing and expanding should be the biggest concern.

This is how Occupy Nigeria started and became known to the world. We received coverage from Al Jazeera, BBC, and CNN. There were messages of support from other Occupy groups like Occupy Perth (Australia). Even MC Hammer was supporting the cause via twitter. Our flaw was that with negotiations, the subsequent lowering of the once-doubled fuel prices, the army presence in Lagos, and the ending of the strikes, many of the protests came to an end. If Igbos don't back down from pressure, then support will surely flow in and will stay.

You were doing good until you added the bolded words and you messed up everything again. Those words are insults because no one in Eze Ndigbo Nairaland EVER segregated against anyone. That we want our land to access what other parts of Nigeria have enjoyed for decades does not make us tribalists or segregationists. It makes us realists.

Igbo say that when a child is fighting for his own toy(interest), he/she appears as mean.

As for the Occupy Nigeria style protest, or any other public protest for that matter IN NIGERIA? Well, I have lived long enough and seen enough protests in Nigeria, most of which lead to deaths of protesters, with NOTHING changing.
You see, I don't think you understand Nigeria. Things that work in other countries usually don't work in Nigeria.
You may be too young to know of one Chima Ubani (you can google him) of late memory, but he was EVERYTHING you needed in youth activism and protests, right from when he was a FIRST CLASS graduate from the University of Nigeria Nsukka. He died on the road while returning from one of his protests. Today, I don't think anyone remembers Chima.

There have been MANY others like him who die unsong and forgotten.

The point is that when you see that a particular strategy failed in the past, you try to understand WHY they failed, and you avoid repeating them.
In the case of Nigeria, they all failed because Nigeria is not a negotiated country. The country is undefined. So how does one go to confront an undefined country? The method we have chosen to bring development to our corner of Nigeria is designed to achieve something (using good old networking! )where past strategies failed.

Maybe when we succeed, other parts of Nigeria can copy from us and implement same in their own corner, and soon every part of Nigeria will develop.

All your points are well noted. Thanks.

I hope you see my own point too.

odumchi:

There are other organizations whose sole purpose is to work for the betterment of Nigeria; it's not a crime that we decided to focus only on the Igbo. What you're saying is like why is Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo an organization working for the aims of the Igbo? In fact, why not Ohanaeze Nigeria? Ohanaeze Africa? Ohanaeze Humanity?

Please, let's drop this topic. It's only interfering with what we are trying to do.

@Onlytruth
Biko gba ha nile nkiti ka anyi nwere ike kpaa ihe a.

Thank you for putting it this way. This is what we have been telling her since we started this conversation. "We are focused on Igboland', while millions of other Igbos, and with other Nigerians are working on getting Nigeria moving forward.

We cannot help Ogugua, if she does not understand that we will be spreading scarce (human) resources thin if we expand our scope and catchment area beyond what we can naturally afford.

@Ogugua,
maybe this will help you further, consider us as "Anambra Association in California', not 'Nigerian Association in California'. It's as simple as that. We do not have the mandate, the resources, manpower, and organisation to extend our scope beyond Igboland at this material time.

You can start something on your own, which can cover Nigeria - length and breadth. But I bet you people from other African countries, Asia, Europe, Americans will accuse you of 'neglecting' them. They are equally suffering hard times! I wonder what you can tell them.

Bottomline Ogugua, if you choose to 'help' send the email to the address on firstpage. Or you can sign-up for the mailing list. if you don't believe you can contribute to the current system, well leave us continue with our struggles the way we have be going about it.

But one thing I will urge you is that you stop 'drawing' attention to yourselves and quit offering cheap ammunitions to those who will rather see us fail. You have made you point over and over again, when you could have simply stated it casually and let people evaluate it for what is it.

Referring to some of the items in your last post. I would say, they are quite 'idealistic' but not 'realistic' with the resource we currently have. Perhaps, in future, we might consider it. At the moment, we are gathering momentum, and many people (Igbos and non-Igbos) alike respect and appreciate what we are doing and how we are going about it.

Onlytruth:


You may be too young to know of one Chima Ubani (you can google him) of late memory, but he was EVERYTHING you needed in youth activism and protests, right from when he was a FIRST CLASS graduate from the University of Nigeria Nsukka. He died on the road while returning from one of his protests. Today, I don't think anyone remembers Chima.

But you lie: YOU REMEMBERED HIM! Heroes are never forgotten, buddy, only cowards and rabble rousers are.

Onlytruth the mouthy warrior, stop acting like a b***h and stop trying to get the last word in. A girl has already shown you how to think logically, don't be ashamed, swallow ur pride and move on. See now why your wife left you and why your kids won't talk to you anymore? Smh Be a man. Shake your d**k after you pee and stop acting like your perpetually on your period. In the mean time, log off Nairaland and go talk to females, visit friends, go to a bar, find a girlfriend..... GET A LIFE!!! You take this viral world too serious its starting to get worrisome...damn!

kingoflag: But you lie: YOU REMEMBERED HIM! Heroes are never forgotten, buddy, only cowards and rabble rousers are.

inbred yaribaidiot
when will yu take yua dikk out of yua mama Yoruba poozie
wetin be ya own for igbo topic

yarimba animus