Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / NewStats: 3,166,063 members, 7,863,770 topics. Date: Tuesday, 18 June 2024 at 05:10 AM |
Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Politics / Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala (3006 Views)
Atiku Abubakar Reacts To Ultimatum To Igbos By Northern Youths / #riversrerun; We’re Sorry, APC Rivers Begs NYSC / Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala (2) (3) (4)
Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by AmadiAba: 3:37pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
By Femi Aribisala, Lagos. 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... FULL STORY HERE >>> http://www.igberetvnews.com/?p=19863 1 Share
|
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by divinehand2003(m): 3:43pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
Hmmmm Strange, very very strange indeed |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by ODUBEZE: 3:45pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
Well articulated! God bless you. Twice have I read your articles now and U strike me as a very intelligent person. 1 Like |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by omoelesa(m): 3:47pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
All these because of PDP and Jonathan.Na wa for dis man. 5 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by ejikeme(m): 3:51pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
hmmm.....strange. |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by disumusa: 3:51pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
AmadiAba:nonsens, infact awolowo and other yorubas are to tolorant during biafra riot, i just want war to occure and see how ibo will be wipe from map. 2 Likes 2 Shares |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by tafabaloo(m): 3:56pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
Nice! |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by mightyhaze: 3:56pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
disumusa:and some idiots will be inundatin us here wit threads on how igbos hate hausa/fulanis.just imagine wot ds cow humper jst posted! Almajiri,be careful wot u wish for! 2015 aint 1966! 12 Likes |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by dialfa: 3:58pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
you can put your apology where the sun no dey shine we will never forget your betrayal abboki cockk suckers 5 Likes |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by Nobody: 4:08pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
Lmaooo femi ari bi salad the bitter,ugly mawffugh always writing articles praising Igbos just to infuriate his enemies The old fool thinks his enemies care. 3 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by Nobody: 4:08pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
dialfa:They aint referring to u dude;apology seconded to u. U were not even born den..# 1 Like 1 Share |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by Quadre: 4:10pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
No victor No vanquished 1 Like |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by zimoni(f): 4:19pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
Now, I''m beginning to hate that azzhole who calls himself Pemi Wanene. He should speak for himself. He is on his own. Alaabaa. 3 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by disumusa: 4:39pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
dialfa:nonsense lie, who apologise to these nonontities ibos. 3 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by bigfrancis21: 4:53pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
Hall of Fame. 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. 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. 3 Likes |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by fagbalex(m): 5:10pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
Aribisala or what is your name, pls speak for yourself. Igbos cause the war. they experience the consequence of the atrocities in Causing chaos and disunity in my belove country Nigeria. Pls Yoruba forum should as a matter of urgency dissociate themselfs from the unguided utterances sporned by Aribisala. God bless Nigeria. I stand for a united Nigeria. Those that want this country to fall will be put to shame. 3 Likes |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by IGBOSON1: 5:23pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
mightyhaze: ^^^'Cow humper' keh! Haba bros....don't you think that was a tad too harsh on the guy!? |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by illiad: 5:24pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
K |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by IGBOSON1: 5:26pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
fagbalex: ^^^If you weren't so daft you'd have realised that your desire for a united Nigeria is at variance with the general thrust of your post! 3 Likes |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by mightyhaze: 5:28pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
IGBOSON1:lol! I tink celebrating war criminals and callin for anoda war by d moran was way harsher! 1 Like |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by mightyhaze: 5:33pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
CabbieAC:well,seems u cared enuf 2 comment and evn call him names. 1 Like |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by Nobody: 5:34pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by inme: 5:37pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
Too late to apologize |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by mightyhaze: 5:40pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
CabbieAC:lol! Permit me ,but u sounded like one,...judgin 4m d encomiums u showered on him 1 Like |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by disumusa: 6:28pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
AmadiAba:these ibo hardly no when people make jest and ridiclen them, even people went to publish ruwander genocide picture and call it biafra war, they will accept and start ranting. |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by Descartes: 6:31pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
The only true Yoruba man alive after Fayose |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by Jaideyone(m): 7:05pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
lol you really want us to take this egbere link seriously what a joke. the average Yoruba man doesn't give a rat ass if ibos go or remain in Nigeria. |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by Duru1(m): 7:12pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
AmadiAba:There is nothing to be sorry by Yari.ba. However every action has consequences. The actions of inherent cowered Yari.ba peeps during the Nigeria/Biafra civil war must be visited at the appropriate time by the Biafrans. |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by iykomo0(m): 8:03pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
bigfrancis21: i don't know what part of Nigeria you're From, but if You're Yoruba... u tried.. |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by dustmalik: 8:22pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
Jaideyone:Femi Aribisala is a known asshole. This is not beyond him at all. |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by Karanka: 8:37pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
Good |
Re: Yoruba To Igbos: “we’re Sorry For The Civil War Atrocities” – Femi Aribisala by shepherd77: 9:30pm On Oct 25, 2015 |
What is Femi Aribisala? |
YESGRANT: Is This The New Ponzi Scheme In Nigeria? / BUHARI: Before The Ultimate Grace To Grass - Sahara Reporter / EU Comments On Kanu's Trial, Biafra Agitation
(Go Up)
Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 78 |