I'm his kinsman as far as ethnicity goes. Biko, my fellow Nigerians, let's forgive this elder for his utterances. He's still stuck in 1972. And he has been abroad for many years now. Several decades in fact.

His sensibilities are not in tune with modern Nigerian thinking. With the modern Nigerian mindset. He still talks and weaves arguments around ''Igbos'', ''Yorubas'', ''Hausas''.

Who does that anymore in modern Nigerian discourse? I can't think of a single important Nigerian personality who uses those terms in the public realm today.

But if you watch interview videos from the 60s, you'd be surprised by the frequent and casual references to ethnicity by public personalities, including sworn public servants.

So we can see the man is stuck in that era.

The civil war? Blame cuts across all sides, as even a brief study of the conflict would reveal to any reasonably educated person.... if they were ethnically neutral.

As for Igbo 'cultural superiority'? That's a theory from the depths of hell.

Most Igbos of sound mind reject such reprehensible theories.

Was it not Mitt Romney who almost caused a riot in the Middle East after he went there and declared that Israel was 'culturally superior' to her neighbours, causing him to back-track and even deny the comments?

So what is Achebe doing making such comments?

Well, like we say in Igboland, That you see a fly in a pot of sweet palm wine does not mean you throw away the wine. Achebe has given us memorable gifts. Things Fall Apart remains a work that every Nigerian can be proud of. A world classic. As are his other books. A literary genius, his contribution to our cultural development as a nation is indisputable. Indelibly etched into the history of our republic.

On these grounds I ask my countrymen to kindly forgive the esteemed Achebe, for his unfortunate utterances.

Brilliant write-up!!

I'm a fan of Rossike again - and I'll like to add Rossike to my ever-growing Igbo posters. The almighty list includes: Rossike, Afam4eva, Igbo2011, Cap28, DailyNews, Ogugua88, Sam_Ikenna, Dasparrow, and stillwater...

Achebe needs to give it a rest and focus on being a grandfather/great grandfather - and work on solidifying his legacy!

.....i dont think anyone has any grudge against him. Achebe is not the only literary giant in Nigeria and he is definitely not the best. You dont see anyone defending Soyinka when he mis-speaks. You all need to put things in perspective and stop worshipping Achebe.....the rest of Nigeria could care less about his works if his utterances belittle what we uphold and cherish in our joint past.

Rossike, very mature and articulate as usual. I had a reflection on my outburst on the other thread and I agree I was carried by emotions after reading his article. I apologise, I guess I should have realise that he is old and there is a saying in edo we say "ai we nagbe ghe vie" which means you cannot stop the man you flog from crying. Also in yoruba we say " ti agba man de, opolo e man yoro" which means when a man is getting old, he start thinking like a child.

I hope Achebe;s utterance would not make Yoruba, Igbos and Hausas enemies of each other. for my brothers nwannem echere m ka ayi me udo

The deed is done, the damage is done and unless we separate, his people by default are destined to pay socially and politically for this old fools transgressions.

see mumus

ROSSIKE: I'm his kinsman as far as ethnicity goes. Biko, my fellow Nigerians, let's forgive this elder for his utterances. He's still stuck in 1972. And he has been abroad for many years now. Several decades in fact.

His sensibilities are not in tune with modern Nigerian thinking. With the modern Nigerian mindset. He still talks and weaves arguments about ''Igbos'', ''Yorubas'', ''Hausas''.

Who does that anymore in modern Nigerian discourse? I can't think of a single important Nigerian personality who uses those terms in the public realm today.

So we can see the man is stuck in 1972.

The civil war? Blame cuts across all sides, as even a brief study of the conflict would lead any reasonably educated person to conclude.... if they were ethnically neutral.

As for Igbo 'cultural superiority'? That's a theory from the depths of hell.

Most Igbos of sound mind reject such reprehensible theories.

Was it not Mitt Romney who almost caused a riot in the Middle East after he went there and declared that Israel was 'culturally superior' to her neighbours, causing him to back-track and even deny the comments?

So what is Achebe doing making such comments?

Well, like we say in Igboland, That you see a fly in a pot of sweet palm wine does not mean you throw away the wine. Achebe has given us memorable gifts. Things Fall Apart remains a work that every Nigerian can be proud of. A world classic. As are his other books. A literary genius, his contribution to our cultural development as a nation is indisputable. Indelibly etched into the history of our republic.

On these grounds I ask my countrymen to kindly forgive the esteemed Achebe, for his unfortunate utterances.

What an idiotic post above, pooor boy, take it or not, Prof Achebe doesn't care what you bigots feel like. He doesn't need your silly forgiveness. He is not scared to say the truth and he will still say it again. I do not know why you fools are wasting your time about him. How many times do you see the Hausa-Fulanis chatting ill about Achebe despite the fact he mentioned them in the same wave lenghth as the yorubas. Shameful.

Eko Ile: The deed is done, the damage is done and unless we separate, his people by default are destined to pay socially and politically for this old fools transgressions.

see internet generals

CuntDestroyer: see mumus

With a name like CuntDestroyer, I'm not surprised we all feel like mumus to you.

ROSSIKE:

With a name like CuntDestroyer, I'm not surprised we all feel like mumus to you.

yes. because f00ls like you take your internet monikers seriously.

I did not bother my self to read this garbage before commenting, with the headline of the thread i am already looking for atomic missile to blow off this slowpoke Yoruba fellow whom goes by the name rossik for his silly and fake self igbo identity claim.

On behalf of every well meaning igbo person i wish to urge the public to disregard this foolish plea to forgive a great icon a true son of igbo chinua achebe for stating the facts and truth, so therefore i was send to speak to the general public that chnua achebe our son do not and will never request forgiveness or pardon from any body or ethnic group for stating the fact,let it be on record that in no time did chinua achebe or we the igbo's sent any fool to speak for us as we did not regard the very idiiot as an igbo.

Thanks

This thread is good for the rubbish bin.

9ja_I_hail: I did not bother my self to read this garbage before commenting, with the headline of the thread i am already looking for atomic missile to blow off this slowpoke Yoruba fellow whom goes by the name rossik for his silly and fake self igbo identity claim.

On behalf of every well meaning igbo person i wish to urge the public to disregard this foolish plea to forgive a great icon a true son of igbo chinua achebe for stating the facts and truth, so therefore i was send to speak to the general public that chnua achebe our son do not and will never request forgiveness or pardon from any body or ethnic group for stating the fact,let it be on record that in no time did chinua achebe or we the igbo's sent any fool to speak for us as we did not regard the very idiiot as an igbo.

Thanks

same here. these yorubish on NL are so desperate to show their tribalism

9ja i hail and co why not give peace a chance ?

shymexx: Brilliant write-up!!

I'm a fan of Rossike again - and I'll like to add Rossike to my ever-growing Igbo posters. The almighty list includes: Rossike, Afam4eva, Igbo2011, Cap28, DailyNews, Ogugua88, Sam_Ikenna, Dasparrow, and stillwater...

Achebe needs to give it a rest and focus on being a grandfather/great grandfather - and work on solidifying his legacy!

The fool above me is already rejoicing and addressing this son of no ethnicity as igbo person. Must you force him on our throat? he is not part of us he is not Igbo son, how hard is it for you to understand? Behave or else i will spare rossikfool and release this atomic missile on you.

9ja_I_hail:

The fool above me is already rejoicing and addressing this son of no ethnicity as igbo person. Must you force him on our throat? he is not part of us he is not Igbo son, how hard is it for you to understand? Behave or else i will spare rossikfool and release this atomic missile on you.

what is so sad is how a personal memoir by an author can be used to dehumanize a race of people only because the author is of the same tribe.

These yorubas are no different from the marauding muslim mobs after the release of that F-List movie Innocence of Mohammed

Ngodigha1:
What an idiotic post above, pooor boy, take it or not, Prof Achebe doesn't care what you bigots feel like. He doesn't need your silly forgiveness. He is not scared to say the truth and he will still say it again. I do not know why you fools are wasting your time about him. How many times do you see the Hausa-Fulanis chatting ill about Achebe despite the fact he mentioned them in the same wave lenghth as the yorubas. Shameful.

The bigot is Achebe and few narrow minded ibo like you.

@OP, I think you just spoke the mind of millions of elitist progressive Igbos. Professor Achebe, who I respect very well has lived abroad for a long time and is noy in touch with the realities of the present Nigeria. Many of my cousins born and bred up in Lagos do not even know the East-West dichotomy. They are Igbos but can't even speak it. Achebe is living with wounds sustained during the war and only igbos with a myopic view would support such ethnic superiority in a 21st Century world

But please don't insult him. He may have lost a lot of kinsmen during the war and still unable to outlive the gruesome experience.

[s]

9ja_I_hail:

The fool above me is already rejoicing and addressing this son of no ethnicity as igbo person. Must you force him on our throat? he is not part of us he is not Igbo son, how hard is it for you to understand? Behave or else i will spare rossikfool and release this atomic missile on you.

[/s]

I don't know why Nigerians are afraid of telling themselves a simple truth.
Nigeria is dead! A man who has a terminal illness will surely die!
The birth of Nigeria was plagued at first by the desire to secede by the Northerners because they were afraid of an educationally and economically dominant South.
The west and Awolowo followed suit and later demanded secession unless Lagos colony, which was administered independently of the Northern and Southern Protectorates was added to the Western Region.
The East, frustrated with developments in the land sought secession as a result of a coup carried out by nationalists but tagged an Igbo coup, brought untold calamities to her people.
Only the East has not been appeased in its demands for secession- which has always been a nation that is a meritocracy and where the rule of the law prevails.
What do we get for that?- We are tagged as second-class citizens in Nigeria and harassed all over the land. In fact if i may say so, Nigeria is slowly marching towards Tribal apartheid. What do you call it when Igbo who have been excluded from any true economic or political life are constantly massacred in the North simply because they are Igbo?

Marginalization of true Igbo ideals in the Nigerian political space is the rule of the game.
(what Igbo you see in Abuja now are sell-outs who are only interested in their pockets- and who use the name of the Igbo to give the government in Abuja, the fig leaf of Unity).


Now other ethnic nation in the country are making threats to secede, and the North feeling marginalized (i wonder why, after having governned for more than 35 out of 52 yrs) is using BOko Haram to threaten Nigeria.
The CIA are not fools when they predicted a worst- case scenario where Nigeria ceases to exist in 2015.

If Nigeria is to get it right, then a sovereign national conference that would delineate the role of the federal, state, and local governments, treasury/revenue allocation, the judiciary as well as secular/religious character of the state and the need for a non-ethnic national defense is clearly enunciated and adhered to.

The case where some are born to rule is unacceptable.
The case where the army is majority Hausa is unacceptable.
The case where people are slaughtered for a choice of the God they choose to serve is unacceptable.
The case where criminals are entrenched in the levers of government, and the judiciary is corruptible is unacceptable.
The case where the Federal government takes all the revenue but refuses to provide services, or worse deny them the right to develop airports or seaports for their economic emancipation is unacceptable.

This is a declaration that unless there is true federalism, then our federation is dead. If not now then surely.
You cannot have your foot on your neighbor's throat and hope to sleep soundly at night.

I will devote my time to developing a medical/disaster relief organisation, just because Nigeria may need it come 2015

Lol

shymexx: [s][/s]

Below is the answer to your stupidity.

I am surrounded by idiiots

Ngodigha1: This thread is good for the rubbish bin.

For the first time I agree with this baboon. ...this post is thrash!

Well, there is nothing to forgive. He is entitled to his opinions.

Funny enough over 95 percent of igbos are christians. When they go to church you see them shouting ''forgive and forget''. But when its time to practise that u start saying ''sharrap! He is speaking the truth.''

Why wallow in self pity like a bunch of black americans when your can move on like the asians and irish?

inurmind: Funny enough over 95 percent of igbos are christians. When they go to church you see them shouting ''forgive and forget''. But when its time to practise that u start saying ''sharrap! He is speaking the truth.''

Why wallow in self pity like a bunch of black americans when your can move on like the asians and irish?

So which are you? Asian or Irish?

ekt_bear: Well, there is nothing to forgive. He is entitled to his opinions.

..thank you!

ekt_bear: Well, there is nothing to forgive. He is entitled to his opinions.

Thank you.
If any man has a contradicting acount, please write it down and publish it for all to read.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Any fool coming here to speak on behalf Igbos is only deceiving himself, and the rossike is not Igbo,anyone can claim Igbo, I can even claim Ghanaian if I like.

We are where we are because we shy away from the truth. I don't believe my tribe is better, I don't think am a better human being than anyone, but I believe Nigeria died ages ago, and the earlier we move our separate ways the better for us. Everything in Nigeria is tribsalistic, go to NNPC, go to our police force, you need to come from a certain tribe to get good position. Even the banks, so tell me what are we ta;lking about? WE DONT LOVE OURSELVES, TELL ME IF YOU YOROBAHS LOVE IGBOS? CHECK THE NUMBER OF HATE THREAD YOU GUYS CREATE EVERYDAY AGAINST THE IGBOS. WE DONT LOVE OURSELVES, WE ALL CLAIM TO BE SUPERIOR THAN OTHERS.

CuntDestroyer:

what is so sad is how a personal memoir by an author can be used to dehumanize a race of people only because the author is of the same tribe.

These yorubas are no different from the marauding muslim mobs after the release of that F-List movie Innocence of Mohammed

DONT MIND THESE CLOWNZ, THEY SUPPORT AWOLOWO THEIR TRIBESMAN WHO COMMITTED SERIOUS CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY, AND THEY CAN ONLY RANT AGAINST A MAN WHO IS ONLY SPEAKING THE TRUTH. EVERY LIVING CREATURE KNOWS WHAT AWOLAWO DID WAS WRONG, YET 99.9% OF YOROBAHS SUPPORT HIM SIMPLY BC HE IS THEIR TRIBESMAN.

Those driven by the sense of guilt and palpable fear are won't to attack Achebe. Those given to truth and sense of duty stand with Achebe. Prof Soyinka demostrated this much.

No true Igbo son will open a flank to deride Achebe, and no true Igbo son will thump up the anyone who derides a man of truth. The attempts by supposed Igbo son to pull down Achebe to the joy of his Yoruba friend is akin to the proverbial dog seeking to taste Lion's liver. Achebe is world renowned giant, that dwarfs try to bring him down is indeed comical. Let me laugh at the drama. Hehehehehe. Achebe kinsman indeed. Nairaland is comedy central!

YOU-RUBBISH plus YOU-ROBBERS plus YAHOO-ROBBERS = Yorubas the shameless genocidal & war criminal tribe of africa. May amadioha continue to cut down the price of otapiapia for them the children of the war criminal OBAFEMI WURU WURU AWOLOWO.