It’s another 14th February, and once again, we’re all celebrating the season of love. A lot generally happens on St. Valentine’s Day which is celebrated every year.

For most people, it’s a time to show a loved one or spouse just how special they are with cards, flowers and other romantic gift ideas changing hands. Far away couples who don’t want be left out of the festival of love exchange letters, text messages, WhatsApp messages, and the likes. For those lovers who’re fortunate to be near each other, their day may be planned to include a romantic meal in a restaurant of choice, a valentine’s day getaway maybe on a cruise ship or a speedboat, a private time in a beach resort and finally a night in a hotel. Valentine’s Day has several symbols including Cupid, red roses and hearts.

Common Questions about Valentine’s Day
Is Valentine’s Day Specifically for Lovers?
Actually, Valentine’s Day or February 14th isn’t specifically for lovers. The very first handmade valentine gift cards which were designed in the 1800s were not made for lovers alone. It was made as a sign of affection for relatives, friends, and lovers. The motive remains the same though, ‘share the love’.

Is Val Day a Public Holiday?
Another common question about lover’s day is if businesses are meant to open, and banks work. Of course, the day is like every other day and businesses run according to the regular opening hours – except the owner of the business decides otherwise. But rest assured that government organizations, banks, and the likes are all open for business.

What Really Happens on Val’s Day?
For some people its business as usual. However, for a good number of other people, it’s the day to celebrate their love – usually with their spouse or partner who they plan to spend the rest of their lives together. The day slowly starts with cards, letters, SMS’s, exchange and slowly builds up with the exchange of gifts and arranging getaways, lunch and finally romantic nights in hotels. For people who have had an eye on someone they’d like a romantic relationship with, this day provides them with ample opportunity to let it out – usually anonymously, and with Valentine’s Day cards. Cards used on Val’s day are usually decorated with symbols like hearts, cupid, or red roses.

A list of common Valentine’s Day gifts includes:

Chocolates
Lingerie
Teddy bears
Flowers
Champagne or sparkling wine
For some people who are well off, certain lavish gifts like jewelry, cars, travel tours, and houses make the best Valentine’s Day gifts. Thinking of a valentine day special? Lookout as hotels and restaurants usually has special offers you can take advantage of at this time. They can be weekend breaks or romantic meals for you and your significant other.
https://www.mybeautlife.com/happy-valentines-day/

Haretes:
Thank you for the recommendation. Is it useful for men only? Or it can be interesting for women too? As I know infertility can be a great problem for a lot of women. Some of them also have to use some medicine like lady era or smth else.

Works for both.

Humans are sexual beings and whatever have to do with our sexuality is a matter of importance. There are several issues that can affect libido negatively. Age, stress, low testosterone and an unhealthy lifestyle can inhibit sexual drive a great deal. However, taking of drugs like Viagra may have not-so-good effects on the human body despite being useful in combating erectile dysfunction and low sex drive. There are even testosterone boosters for men whose low sex drive is being caused by age or their rigorous jobs.

However, there are natural foods that you can consume to boost your libido (increase libido). According to Indian sexologist, Dr. V Sanghal, “Any good and healthy food is effective in boosting sex drive. However, some foods are especially effective for a healthy sexual life.”

So the next time you purchase food items, you should stock your house with these 7 foods for your sexual wellness.

7 Foods to Increase Libido Naturally
1. Walnuts


Walnuts are mainly to improve a man’s sperm hence fertility. Regular walnut consumption can improve the shape and movement of the sperm.

2. Strawberries and Raspberries

Zinc is essential for increasing testosterone in both men and women. Testosterone is known to be the main determinant of sex drive. Strawberries and raspberries are loaded with a considerable amount of zinc. Regular consumption of these berries is bound to push your sex drive and performance to the peak as you increase your zinc and testosterone levels.

3. Watermelon

Watermelon is packed with Citrulline which is responsible for the release of arginine (which is important for vascular health) and amino acids. Watermelon improves sexual performance as well as libido.

4. Almonds

Almonds contain as much arginine and amino acids as watermelons. It helps your blood vessels relax while improving your erection.

5. Avocados

Avocados are rich in folic acid and vitamin B6. These are important for regulating blood and stabilizing hormones, leading to a healthy sexual drive and better sexual performance.

6. Eggs

Eggs improve erection and sexual performance. Amino acid and L-arginine found in eggs are useful for strong and prolonged erection.

7. Steak

It is recommendable that you consume more steak to boost your testosterone levels and sex drive. Steak provides zinc, protein, iron and vitamin B for improving libido both in men and women.


PS: It is worthy to note that alcohol is dangerous to sexual health. With alcohol, you might only have a heightened desire for sex, but your performance might just come out shambolic.  If you try boosting your libido using natural foods but still want to rev it up, you should consider going for counselling first.


https://www.mybeautlife.com/7-foods-increase-libido-naturally/

StoneLucifer:
Very vague and poor research. What type of cancer will alcohol cause.. Be specific pls..

Drinking alcohol increases the risk of mouth cancer, pharyngeal (upper throat) cancer, oesophageal (food pipe) cancer, laryngeal (voice box) cancer, breast cancer, bowel cancer and liver cancer.
Read up here. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/alcohol-and-cancer/does-alcohol-cause-cancer

From whatever angle it is viewed, alcohol is always dreadful. You risk being addicted, damaging body organs like liver and also losing control of your mind, which may be a huge risk to your safety. Alcohol should, therefore, be consumed responsibly.

The downsides of indiscriminate alcohol consumption are numerous and terrible. Alcohol targets organs such as the liver and may have short term consequences too. Alcohol contains congeners, which have effects on the human brain and body generally.

Alcohol Effects: Long Term Effects of Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol and Your Sperm
Alcohol inhibits the mass production of sperm cells in the semen. Alcohol can affect the shape and reduce the mobility of the male sperm too.

 Alcohol versus Expectant Mothers
If you are pregnant, it is not advisable to drink too much alcohol. You should be aware that the more alcohol in your blood that gets to your fetus, the more exposure to the risks of complications before and during childbirth.

Alcohol and cancer
All over the world, it is believed that consumption of alcohol plays a huge role in the causes of cancer. Research says even if you are a moderate alcohol drinker, your chances of developing cancer still increase because of the presence of ethanol that triggers the cancer-causing processes.

Alcohol and pain
Alcohol has been found to be an effective pain reliever. This makes it easy to become abused and once that happens, you are heading the path of a health disaster.

Short term effects
A high blood alcohol content (BAC) is dangerous to human health and can even lead to death. Research asserts that at a BAC of 0.4% and above, one can likely die.

However, once you have a BAC of 0.05% in one sitting, your mind and judgment as well as inhibitions become drastically impaired and reduced respectively.

DRINK RESPONSIBLY
A great number don’t know what amount of alcohol becomes problematic to their well being. That is why it is recommendable that you consume alcohol moderately and responsibly to keep these side effects at bay.  You can view this slideshow of how alcohol affects the human body.
Source: https://flingsmobile.com/alcohol-effects-human-body/

JideSM:


Hi BabyApple, i'm so sorry for the inconvenience caused by this. I will like to use this medium to inform you that I currently run a thread here called the MTN Customer care https://www.nairaland.com/1379574/mtn-customer-care-thread/ where issues like this are discussed and resolved. Kindly send your mobile number via E-mail message to enable me look into this. Regards

What the author said is it true? Because I'm delibrating using it to download some games on my PS4 LOL. Ntel just moving at snail speed

A Nigerian lady with the name Stella Anawanti Chinagorom was commenting on a post on Facebook when she dropped something that shook the entire commenters on the thread.

The lady openly and proudly confessed to having drugged her female boss daily, till her boss ended up being thrown off her duty.

According to her...

I once worked with one and she's a Yoruba woman at that, very insultive and mannerless well as an Igbo girl with akpa sence I will just be adding sleeping pills in her coffee every morning then she will be sleeping like a mumu � untill the management got tired of her and sack her � � �

Awesome!

Oliviaarims:
"YES" could be a possibility for number 1...but that's in an instance where I'm really so much into this dude and he proves to me beyond reasonable doubt that he isn't just sampling or trying his luck.

NO for 2 and 3. Don't care about anything else.

3 friends asking me out at about the same time? Nahh, it means something is most likely fishy!

And for the sister part. There's no consideration.

Again Olivia proves she's a very smart lady! I'm in love already!

Money never dey for this yet, but I'll keep a tab incase something pops up...
Wish you the best in your dealings op..

Oliviaarims:
TO MY WOMEN-FOLK

So, I haven't created a thread in a really long time now. Been observing a couple of things and I felt the need to put them all together and reach out to my sisters out there. As a girl, you're faced with a lot of challenges and a lot is expected of you. Here are a few things I believe should always be on your mind as regards relationship and dealing with men

*Learn to Look Out for Yourself: You shouldn't expect any man to do right by you. Honestly, too many of them out there are just out for the kill, so be careful. Always do what's in your best interest.

*Do not Make Excuses for a Man: If he isn't doing certain things right, either you find out the reason for that or you take it as your cue to leave, but make sure you don't cultivate the habit of making excuses for him. This is because when you keep doing so, he's almost never going to change, and you'll have to keep making excuses for him.

* Never be scared to demand what you want especially when you deserve it.

*Don't Start what you can't Finish...this includes giving out a false impression of who you are, lying, being pretentious. Feel free to show your anger, don't suck it all up and then one day everything erupts and you get him running for cover and totally away from you. Don't come off as a meek lamb when in actual fact you're a lioness. If he can tame you, all well and good, but be real.

*Ask all the Necessary Questions, if need be. Yes. Don't go about presuming anything. In most cases, when we assume we know, it all just boomerangs in our face and we find out how disillusioned we've always been. When eventually, you find out for sure, it might be a little too late, so make sure you're kept in the know of what's relevant. Ask away!

*[b]Take things slowly[b]: When you're just getting to know a guy, please, do not allow yourself to be rushed into anything. This isn't about playing hard to get. Rather, it's about testing the waters. It's never advisable to rush headlong into a relationship without factoring a number of things such as motive, interests, destination, implications, personality, etc. Anything that seems too good to be true, might actually just be too good to be true! It might be the very thing to stay away from. You don't want to come out scathed and start being forced to reanalyze your life.
s. Chances are high that you'll regret it.

you are a very smart lady... Beauty with brains...

That scary moment when you are in a plane, and a portion near the windows explodes and 'sucks' someone out of the plane, that is right after he has caught fire. Such is the case of passengers aboard the Daallo Airlines D3159 flight.


It’s like something out of a horror movie: A passenger caught fire and was sucked out of a hole in the side of an airplane at 14,000 feet.

Hassan Mohamed Nur, a survivor on that Daallo Airlines Flight D3159 from Mogadishu to Djibouti, told the Daily Mail: “I saw the passenger, a man in his early 60s, get sucked out of the plane. There was a huge bang. A big hole appeared in the side of the jet and the elderly passenger disappeared through it. One minute he was sat in his seat; the next he was gone. He’d been sucked out of the plane. People were screaming. We all thought we were going to die.”

Nur also reported that the man caught fire before he was sucked from his seat, and eerily, the burned body of an elderly man was found in Balad, 18 miles from Mogadishu. It’s uncertain whether this was the same man.

The Airbus 321 took off from Mogadishu airport on its way to Djibouti, and within five minutes, a blast ripped a hole in the fuselage measuring 6 feet by 3 feet. Officials do not yet know the cause of the explosion, though the aircraft’s pilot was quoted as saying, “I think it was a bomb. Luckily, the flight controls were not damaged so I could return and land at the airport.”
Passenger Is Sucked From A Plane At 14,000 Feet After Catching Fire
Apart from the elderly man who fell from the plane, only one other passenger was injured — a Finnish man who is reported to be in stable condition.

Seventy-four passengers we on board, including Awale Kullane, Somalia’s deputy ambassador to the U.N. He said on Facebook that he “heard a loud noise and couldn’t see anything but smoke for a few seconds.” He also posted a video — taken minutes after the explosion, as passengers sat terrified, some with oxygen masks on — but it has since been removed from his page.

Somalia is dealing with an insurgency by the Somali Islamic extremist group al-Shabaab, which has been responsible for many deadly attacks over the years.
http://xtremegists.com/passenger-sucked-from-plane-at-14000-feet-after-catching-fire/#

Damn! LOL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZmumVe04aU

CRAZY FOLKS

I'm not a very good debater, but I would try my best Name: Charles School: Federal Polytechnic, Oko. Course: Home & Rural Economics. Mail: (would update)

Wise man!

Officially official at super pretty price. Somewhat same specs as tecno phantom 5, just bigger RAM on the later.

See http://www.flingsmobile.com/pepsi-phone-p1-debuts-fingerprint-lte-device/

Finally, the never-ending rumors to a coming ‘Pepsi made’ smartphone seem to be true after all, as the popular Soda maker has so far deviated from the business of bottle sodas, and has released a smartphone dubbed Pepsi Phone P1.

The new comer doesn’t just come empty handed as it’s currently one of the cheapest devices with the kind of specs slammed into it. Made by Shenzhen Scooby Communication Equipment company based in China, the device features a pretty aluminum unibody, which houses the now famous 5.5″ 1080p screen.

Worthy of note is the device’s 5.5″ screen has a 2.5D glass. Asides that, the P1 device houses an octa-core MediaTek MT6592 chipset. The device runs on a dido OS, which is based on modified Google Android 5.1 Lollipop. The phone has a 13MP main camera (f/2.0, 1/3.06″) and a 5MP selfie camera, also as is popular these days there’s a fingerprint reader on the back. A 3,000mAh battery powers the handset.

The Pepsi Phone P1 is a dual-SIM phone with LTE-connectivity. There’s a version for China Unicom (with FDD-LTE) dubbed the P1s. Either way you can replace the second SIM card with a microSD.

Itching to get yourself a piece of the Pepsi P1 phone? Well, the device is available on Chinese e-commerce site JD.com for CNY 699 ($110/€100), although that pricing limited to the first 1,000 users, (earlier, an early bird offer for CNY 499 was issued, but as expected, already ran out). The P1 will come with a charger, cable, earphone and a protective case.

http://www.flingsmobile.com/pepsi-phone-p1-debuts-fingerprint-lte-device/

:\

benedictnsi:
You for snap pictures come na

I left my phone at home, wanted to buy fuel.

Heavy police presence at Ajao - NNPC link road. I hear the owner of Adejumo tennis court is claiming ownership of ALL LANDS around the link road.
Some area boys destroyed fences and shops around the area, beat up some folks till a ton of armed police officers where deployed there.
If you are around the area, update please.

Voted!

Okay, this happened in Nigeria twitter some hours ago. Pretty interesting choice of words

Interesting.... It should also be noted that Richard Brandson is a Biafran sympathizer.

how it should be...

As crazy as it gets.

Russia is the only country in the world with the nuclear capability to destroy the U.S., according to Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley. The General called Russia an existential threat to the U.S., speaking in front of the audience at the Defense One summit in Washington, DC on Monday.

Milley also considers Russia “aggressive” and “adversarial to the interests of the United States,” which is why Moscow’s nuclear weapons are capable of destroying the U.S.

The General warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent behavior suggest the country would be willing to use nuclear weapons. Milley also noted that Russia has been violating “the Westphalian order” ever since it started invading “sovereign nations” in 2008.

Milley has already called Russia an existential threat during his confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate back in July. Two weeks prior to his confirmation hearing, U.S. General James Dunford used the same phrasing during his own Senate confirmation hearing to become the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“I would say that Russia’s recent behavior is adversarial to the interests of the United States,” Milley said, referring to Russia’s aggressive drills and patrols with its troops, aircraft and submarines for the past “four-five-six-seven” years. “Russia bears close watching,” he added.

The audience then asked whether Russia should be considered an enemy rather than a partner, but Milley responded with an urge to a “strength and balance sort of approach, which is our current policy.”

While diplomacy is very “nuanced,” Russia must be fought with sanctions and NATO’s confident stance, he noted. However, the General added that the U.S. must cooperate with Russia on matters that require involvement of both Washington and Moscow.

Russia’s military far more advanced than that of U.S. – American analyst

Russia is far more advanced and superior in terms of military technologies than the U.S., while the recent American missile tests were nothing but a “bluff” to trick people into thinking the U.S. military could easily counter even such a nuclear-powerful adversary as Russia, according to an American counter-terrorism analyst.

Scott Bennett, a former U.S. Army psychological warfare officer, said in an interview with Press TV on Monday that this is something Washington typically does: it tells its military brass to show off in front of its Russian counterparts, claiming that American missile technology is “the absolute end-all technology that can determine any war.”

The analyst’s comments come just a day after the U.S. military carried out a $230 million test involving Lockheed Martin’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems and the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) equipped onto the USS John Paul Jones destroyer.

The results of the test showed that the missile systems were capable of successfully hitting their targets in all but one of the tests. The tests with the missile systems involved a medium-range ballistic missile fired from C-17 aircraft.

During one of the tests, a SM-3 missile fired from the warship failed mid-air in its flight and missed the target. But the THAAD system was capable of taking the failed shot out.

“From a psychological warfare perspective, I see this as a massive bluff, as just a lot of feather puffing, and [it] really doesn’t have a lot of substance because the technology is not there and the Russian technology as we know is far superior,” Bennett said.

Bennett sees this elaborate $230 million missile test as a standard military test, while Washington wants to make it look as if it is more lethal than it really is.

U.S. will be responsible for deaths in Syria, not Russia – Analyst

The analyst also believes that the test is an attempt of the U.S. to assure its allies in the Middle East, who turn away from Washington one by one because of its incompetence in Syria, that the U.S. still has what it takes to maintain influence in the region. The tests seem to fall in line with U.S. President Barack Obama’s decision to send Special Operation forces to Syria.

Bennett expects Russia to call the bluff and warn the U.S. that if it sends American troops to Syria, “the Russian coalition will not be held responsible for any deaths that may result.”

Bennett also called Obama’s decision “a potential trap.” “It is an attempt to try and goad Russia, I think, into maneuvers and bombings that can kill a lot of American troops for the purposes of triggering a larger US action.”

The analyst also suspects that there might be a connection between the U.S. missile tests and the recent Russian plane crash over Egypt’s Sinai desert which killed 224 passengers on board, including 25 children and 7 crew members.

Russian navy presents threat to U.S.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is discussing the possibility to station more of its ships and naval objects in Europe as a response to Russia’s most threatening naval operations in two decades, according to the new U.S. Navy chief of naval operations.

The U.S. Navy is now reassessing its global stance to counter the aggressive activity of Russian warships and submarines, Admiral John Richardson, chief of naval operations said in an interview with the Financial Times.

“Their submarine force and their navy are as active as they have been in a long time, 20 years or so,” Admiral Richardson noted. “How are we going to posture our forces to make sure that we maintain the appropriate balance and are suitably engaged?”

The Admiral also said that the U.S. Navy is considering to step up its presence in Europe and the Pacific. “That’s the conversation we’re having right now.”

Russian Admiral Viktor Chirkov, the chief of the Russian navy, recently said that Russian submarine patrols have increased by 50 percent from 2013

cc: lalasticlala
http://xtremegists.com/russia-can-destroy-us/

I just found this piece. Don't know if it has been here before, but I consider it worth sharing...

AMONG the different ethnic groups in Nigeria, the Igbo are without a doubt, one of the most remarkable. So remarkable, indeed, that some have even traced their ancestry to biblical Israel, as the far-flung descendants of Jacob, the Jewish patriarch. Gad, Jacob’s seventh son, is said to have had three sons who settled in South-eastern Nigeria.

These sons; Eri, Arodi and Areli, are believed to have fathered clans in Igbo-land and to have founded such Igbo towns as Aguleri, Arochukwu, Owerri and Umuleri.

Igbo Genius

Even the bitterest adversaries of the Igbo cannot but admit that, as a people, they are very resourceful and ingenious. Indeed, this has often been the cause of their envy and dislike by others. However, more enlightened non-Igbo Nigerians see this as a cause for celebration. While today, the centre-point of Nigeria’s manufacturing is situated in the Lagos/Ogun axis, there is no doubt that the real locomotive of Nigeria’s indigenous industrialization lies farther afield in Aba and in the mushrooming cottage-industries of the Igbo heartland.

Igbo-menIn one of the paradoxes of Nigerian history, the terrible civil war provoked homespun industrialization in the South-East. Military blockade left the Igbo with little alternative than to be inventive in a hurry. While Nigeria as a nation failed woefully to harness this profitably after the war, it has nevertheless ensured that the Igbo are at the forefront of Nigeria’s economic development today.

Indeed, the way we disregard “made in Aba” today is the same way we disregarded “made in Japan” yesterday. For those of us who believe against the odds that Nigeria is the China of tomorrow, we equally recognize that the ingenuity of the Igbo is an indelible part of the actualization of that manifest destiny.

Hall of Fame

Umu Ashebi: Igbo maidens at a traditional wedding

The Igbo have been a great credit to Nigeria. They have given us a great number of our favourite sons, including international statesman Nnamdi Azikiwe; military leader Odumegwu Ojukwu; regional leader Michael Okpara; vice-president Alex Ekwueme; mathematical genius Chike Obi; literary icon Chinua Achebe; world-class economist Pius Okigbo; world boxing champion Dick Tiger; international statesman Emeka Anyaoku; and world-class artist Ben Enwonwu. Permit me to include in this illustrious list even some of my very good Igbo friends: Pat Utomi, Ojo Madueke, Olisa Agbakoba, Joy Ogwu, and Stanley Macebuh.
Let us get one thing straight: Nigeria would be a much poorer country without the Igbo. Indeed, Nigeria would not be Nigeria without them. Can you imagine the Super Eagles without the Igbo? Not likely! Who can forget Nwankwo Kanu, Jay Kay Okocha and our very own Emmanuel Amuneke?

Can you imagine Nollywood without the Igbo? Impossible! Just think of Stella Damascus-Aboderin; Rita Dominic and Mike Ezuruonye. And then there are the diaspora Igbo who many are unaware are of Igbo descent, including concert singer and actor Paul Robeson; Oscar award-winner Forest Whitaker; mega-pastor T.D. Jakes; Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu; and BAFTA actor award-winner Chiwetel Ejiofor.

You may well wonder why I have found it necessary to present this small litany of Igbo who-is-who. I think it is important to emphasise how the Igbo have been very vital to the Nigerian project. They have more than represented Nigeria creditably in virtually all walks of life. This makes it all the more absurd that this same people have been consistently denied the position of executive president of the country in all but six months of Nigeria’s 54 year history.

Umu Ashebi: Igbo maidens surround Bride at a traditional wedding

Civil-War Legacy

Of course, a major reason for this was the 1967-1970 civil-war which had the Igbo on the losing side. But that was over 40 years ago. If there is really to be “no victor, no vanquished” in anything more than mere rhetoric, then the rehabilitation of the Igbo back into post civil-war Nigeria will not be complete until an Igbo man finally becomes president of the country.

That imperative should be of interest to every Nigerian nationalist, committed to the creation of one Nigeria where everyone has a deep sense of belonging. The problem, however, is that the Igbo themselves seem to be their own worst enemies in this regard. They appear to be doing their very best to ensure that this inevitable eventuality continues to be denied and delayed.

The Igbo need to forgive Nigerians. No one who lived through the horrors that precipitated the secession of Biafra and led to the civil-war cannot but admit that the Igbo were abused and maltreated in one of the worst pogroms ever. It was not just that they were senselessly massacred in their own country; it was that they were butchered.

I remember vividly gory pictures of scores and scores of the Igbo with hands chopped up and with legs amputated. And then there were the ravages of the three-year civil-war itself, resulting in the death of millions of Igbo; many through starvation and attrition.

The end of the war brought no respite, as the Igbo were pauperized by fiscal decrees that wiped out their savings and their properties were blatantly sequestered by opportunists. All this is more than enough to destroy the spirit of any group of people. But God has been on the side of the Igbo.

It is a testament to their resilience that, in spite of this terrible affliction, they have survived, bounced back and have even triumphed in Nigeria. Forty years have now gone by. The Igbo may never forget what happened to them and, indeed, should never forget. But it is past time for them to forgive.

We Are Sorry

This is one voice in the Nigerian wilderness saying to the Igbo from the depth of his heart: we are sorry. We are sorry for the way we mistreated you. We are sorry for the way we abused you. We are sorry for starving your children to death. We are sorry for killing your loved ones. We are sorry for stealing your properties.

We are sorry for making you feel unwanted in your own country. Please forgive us. It is time to forgive us. It is way past time for the Igbo to forgive Nigerians. We beg you in the name of God.

There was a civil war in the United States, but the defeated South rose from the ashes. Five of the last nine presidents of the United States have been from the South, including Jimmy Carter from Georgia, George Bush from Texas and Bill Clinton from Arkansas. The time is overdue for an Igbo president of Nigeria, but it is not going to happen as long as the Igbo continue to hold a grudge against Nigeria and Nigerians.

There is no question about it: the Igbos cannot elect a president of Nigeria on their own. To do so, they have to join forces with others. They have to form alliances with people from other parts of Nigeria. That is not going to happen as long as the Igbo continue to bear a grudge against practically everybody else.

The Igbo have a gripe against virtually all the people they need. They have this tendency to antagonise their possible alliance partners. They keep dredging up the past, refusing to let sleeping dogs lie. Until they drop these gripes, they are not likely to realise their dreams.

Demonising Yorubas

For example, the Igbo have this tendency to demonise the Yorubas. It is alarming when reading the Vanguard blogs today to see the animosity often expressed between Igbo and Yoruba contributors. The hatred is most unhealthy. Insults are traded with abandon. What is the point of this? For how long will the Igbo demand emotional retribution from every Yoruba for the betrayal of Awolowo? Most of the contributors were not even born when the civil-war took place more than a generation ago.

There is now even transferred aggression against Babatunde Fashola, who made the blunder of repatriating some destitute Igbo from Lagos back to their home-states. The man has apologised for the infraction. He should be forgiven. Blunders are not the exclusive preserve of the non-Igbo. The Igbo have made more than a few themselves and will yet make others.
Paradoxically, the redemption of the Igbos to prominent national office moved apace under President Obasanjo; a Yoruba man. Recognising that Igbos are some of the most seasoned, competent and experienced public-servants, Obasanjo relied heavily on their expertise.

Thanks to him, we got Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at Finance, Charles Soludo at Central Bank, Obiageli Ezekwesili at Education, Ndidi Okereke at the Stock Exchange, and Dora Akunyili at NAFDAC. Indeed, Igbo statesmen came into more prominence under Obasanjo than did Yoruba statesmen. But for some strange reason, this does not seem to have succeeded in assuaging the ill-feeling of the Igbos toward the Yorubas.

Bad Politicians

Within the framework of Nigerian politics, the Igbo also have a fundamental problem. Out of the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria, the Igbo have by far the worst politicians. They have no recognizable leaders, and have no discernible strategy as to how to negotiate power at the centre. As a result, the Igbo have tended to be short-changed at the federal level. Traditionally, the inconsequential ministries, such as the Ministry of Information, have been zoned to them.

The Igbo need to work out a plan that will take them to Aso Rock. First, they need to choose and groom a de-tribalised leader of the Azikiwe mould who can be sold to non-Igbos. Then, they need to give him undiluted support. At the moment the internal politics of the Igbo militates against this. The Igbo seem to hate themselves as much as they hate others. They seem to fight themselves with as much venom as they fight others. Every potential Igbo leader seems to have more enemies within than without. This must not be allowed to continue.

The Igbo need to help themselves in order that their friends can help them. In this centenary of Nigeria’s amalgamation, as we embark on the arduous process of crafting our future through a National Conference, we salute the Igbo for their fortitude and implore them to stake their claim in Nigeria. Nigeria cannot survive without the Igbo.