Checkout every person that have opposed this noble idea from David Mark and you are seeing a covert Tribalist. I do not like David Mark and will never trust him, but what he has just said has been on my mind. It is the best way to go about uniting Nigerians.

Believe me, all human beings are the same. We all have one hope, one dream and one fear. Who says even people from one state, local government or town must share a common language or culture. What they must do is share a common law (do's and don'ts). When we remove the stupid state of origin, people will feel less tied to a place simply because his dad was born that place. In some cases, we call ourselves Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba simply because our grand parents migrated from the place.

So the way to go is to remove this archaic relic called place of origin and treat all men as equal.

The European that labelled us as tribesmen were not all born with one tongue. They have several tongues but made deliberate efforts to be one. We must unit our people for the good of all of us. Tribalism, racism and sectionalism are things of the old. They are antithetic to civilisation.

Abeg make somebody tell David Mark to think & talk beta thing. i totally disagree wit him on this because nigeria is not yet ripe for state of residence. They opposed state police, true federalism & everytin that will make nigeria progress. They are talking things that will cause more problems

wow i like that idea by david mark......now he is beginning to think proper

@ honeric

I say it is impossible because of how tribalistic and ethnocentric we have been over the years. When did u carry out a survey that made u conclude that millions feel it would work.

In any case what's the essence of state of residence, it does not make sense at all, state origin is permanent, state of residence is can be changed easily.

Note that my initial post said it was the right standard, but as Nigeria is now it will not work. What exactly is the workability with "state of residence" when lagos has over 18 million people. So if there is an opportunity somewhere for a job or contract the amount of peeps that wud come from lagos would far exceed a place like bayelsa. What then is the essence?

coded guy: In any case what's the essence of state of residence, it does not make sense at all, state origin is permanent, state of residence is can be changed easily.

Not true. Implicit in this idea is that one needs to reside in a specific state for a given number of years. For instance the law may state that a person needs to have lived in a state for say ten years. That means that you need to have lived elsewhere for another ten years in order to successfully change your state of residence. I would hardly call that "easy".

However this idea, good as it seems, is doomed to fail unless we institute a functioning national identification system. Unless we can know who is who in Nigeria and who lives where in Nigeria there is no way we can know who qualifies to be an indigene of any state.

Good idea, but it can't work just yet.

Since our leaders are confused bunch, i'll suggest that we photocopy the way US runs their country. They should be the standard.

In the US, there's no such thing as state of origin. Even if there is, it's the state where one was born or where one grw up and not where ones ancestors are from.

ceejay80s: wetin i take? Wetin bad for wetin i talk? France-French, Usa-English, Germany-German, Nigeria- Hausa,Igbo, Yoruba,Edo, Calabar, ibibio, efik,Pigeon, etc na wetin, just one country! Inshort naija for be a CONTINENT on its own

who told you USA speaks only one language? you need to research very well on the languages the states of America speak.

how can David Mark say that? Hmm, in NIgeria? well i am sure he is Hi on Tonto Dike's music

If state of origin must be abolished, then we must also do away with the "federal character principle", "quota system", "catchment centre policy", ethnicty and every other discriminatory notions in our national life.

honeric01:

Why do you need a state of origin in the first place? if Nigeria is one as a country, why should i be asked which state i was born?

Sadly, they don't even ask you which state you were born in. They ask you which state your great, great grandfather was born in. I've always said that state of origin is ridiculous. If we really want to claim state of origin, then maybe all Yorubas should be from Osun. After all they say that Oduduwa originated from Ile-Ife, right?

I remember once during the Idi-Arabe riots between Hausas and Yorubas; this Hausa chap who was born in Lagos and spoke flawless yoruba was being harrased by one JJC who just arrived from Ogbomoso 2 months before with a thick "s" in place of "ch/sh" factor. The Ogbomoso guy was claim to be a son of the soil because he was Yoruba. I just shook my head cos I could bet that the Hausa guy would loose the Ogbomoso guy in an instance if they were to take a tour of Lagos.

Pls scrap state of origin and replace it with place of birth or residence.

HNosegbe:

Not true. Implicit in this idea is that one needs to reside in a specific state for a given number of years. For instance the law may state that a person needs to have lived in a state for say ten years. That means that you need to have lived elsewhere for another ten years in order to successfully change your state of residence. I would hardly call that "easy".

However this idea, good as it seems, is doomed to fail unless we institute a functioning national identification system. Unless we can know who is who in Nigeria and who lives where in Nigeria there is no way we can know who qualifies to be an indigene of any state.

Good idea, but it can't work just yet.

Agree with the condition you gave in your first paragraph! I guess we both agree naija aint ripe for this proposal.

If na USA I don't mind, not naija coz I can't claim a terrorist state, I love to be identified frm a christian state

dabossman:

I remember once during the Idi-Arabe riots between Hausas and Yorubas; this Hausa chap who was born in Lagos and spoke flawless yoruba was being harrased by one JJC who just arrived from Ogbomoso 2 months before with a thick "s" in place of "ch/sh" factor. The Ogbomoso guy was claim to be a son of the soil because he was Yoruba. I just shook my head cos I could bet that the Hausa guy would loose the Ogbomoso guy in an instance if they were to take a tour of Lagos.

That shows you that Nigeria is a country divided on the premise of ethnicity.

This is highly impossible......it is only going to lead to more tribal war between nigerian populace

Does Nigeria's many problems hav anything to do with state of origin? Misplaced priorites.

.

not just state of origin, catchment areas, federal character, age and sex and all the other instruments of discrimination we have to add to our CVs when searching for a job in 9ja.

D person dat is saying,a yoruba man can not contest a chairmanship position in d north,don't know what he is talking about.D formal chairman of minna is 4m Edo state,a sentor 4m adamawa name is Grance folashade.Namadi sambo is also 4m Edo state.D rep representing zone c in Niger state is also a yoruba man.Even d governor of Niger state,is not 4m d state.He is 4m Sokoto state.So as u can see,we don't have dat type of problem in d north.As long as u speak and act like us,then u are one of us.So stop pointing fingers at us.Try and look at ur self first.Can anyone 4m d north,be a chairman,governor or a senator in any southern state?

Absolutely brilliant idea & I hope it's put into our constitution. Wonder why Nigeria was more united under the military regime? The answer's "because Nigeria was Nigeria & not several entities. Any person could be governor/military administrator of any state,regardless of your state of origin."......God Bless the Federal Republic Of Nigeria. Amen.

HAHAHAHA. LOL. OGA MARK YOUR THOUGHT IS A GOOD ONE BUT I FEEL IT WORKS IN AN ENLIGHTENED/FORWARD THINKING STATE.ETHNICITY HAS EATEN DEEP INTO OUR SOCIAL FABRIC.

THE DISPARITY OF ETHNIC NATIONALITIES THAT FORM NIGERIA WILL WORK AGAINST YOUR IDEA SIR. IMAGINE AN IGBO MAN AS THE GOVERNOR OF OYO STATE, OGUN OR KANO STATE. I BELIEVE THAT ANY POLICY OF GOVERNMENT MAY BE VIEWED AS ANTI - NATIVES.

IT IS FACT THAT INTRA-ETHNIC CONFLICT TAKE PLACE IN NIGERIA. THERE WERE COMPLAINTS THAT CERTAIN GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE IS NOT A LOGOSIAN.

LET THE SENATE STRIKE OUT QUOTA SYSTEM. IT BREEDS MEDIOCRITY. WHEN I WAS WRITING JAMB, UNN CUT OFF MARK DEALT WITH ME AS MY STATE(IMO) WAS REQUIRED TO MEET THE HIGHEST CUT OFF MARK. FOR INSTANCE WHEN I MADE 243 AND WAS NOT ADMITTED, CANDIDATES FROM KANO AND OTHER NORTHERN STATES, AKWA IBOM, CROSS RIVER WERE ADMITTED WITH CUT OFF POINTS BETWEEN 198- 215.MERIT SLAUGHTERED ON THE ALTAR OF MEDIOCRITY.

Mark the (PINK) queen's b.it.ch Has your queen helped you yet? Prodigal sons of Metu must come back to Metu.

This is a lost war from the beginning. David Mark should forget about it. It WILL never work in Nigeria.

Response to this thread is poor because majority of hausas and yorubas would not like it hence they remain mute

Tell that to boko haram

DOD.:
Dis may sound irrational but considering d way d notherners have always been hostile 2 other tribes living in their land on several ocasion (because of their religion) even b4 boko haram came wen many yorubas n igbos had 2 flee d north because of d killings, I think d hausas should be sidelined in dis practice of state of residence, if it must b. Let it b practised among other tribes of nigeria except d hausas, n mayb if it works out well, d hausas would b provoked into jealousy (serving as punishment 2 them) at d level of unity tht exist btw other tribes, n wanting 2 belong, they wil learn 2 live peaceably wit others n let go of their swords. But if sidelining d hausa tribe is seen by d lawmakers as dividing nigeria into two, then state of origin must continue.

.......With all due respect bro & without being rude to you, I honestly & confidently tell you that "YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING & SO YOU NEED TO TRAVEL MORE AROUND NIGERIA." I'm not a Hausa person neither am I from the north but I'm a Nigerian & I don't like to talk with sentiments (may be you should also check some of my previous posts here on nairaland to be sure about that.) I schooled in the north of Nigeria & lived there partly & so I know a bit to be honest enough about what I say about northern Nigeria. Contrary to what many Nigerians ignorantly think, Hausa people are very accomodating & are typically not tribalistic ( I say this with all confidence & I give you the total assurance.). The problem with most Hausa people is just religious fanatism (& of course not all Hausa people can be fanatics.). Hausa people are very passionate people & I'm sorry, I think It's the same passion that got them mostly fanatic. In that sense,the conclusion's that Hausa people are typically not tribalists but can be mostly religious fanatics. I SUPPORT DAVID MARK'S PROPOSAL. IT WOULD GO A LONG WAY IN HEALING NIGERIA.

Awake9ja: hahaha this very serious.

only if hausa/fulani and kanuri are redy to do away with sharia.

i cannot be an indigene of a religional state.
can the core north lives freely with other people out side their region when they find out they have equal right with you.

they are permited to move around with knife,sword,gun and even bomb now we are divided etnicaly, how much more when they have equal right at every state of their resident.

hausa/fulani drags land with indigenes of every regions in nigeria now they are allien how much more when they are indigene.

hahaha then hurry up amd move out of that state cos b4 u know it once this good law is implemented core-westerners people like u may have to answer ur worse nigthmare (to be called hausa/fulani) or even mistake u 4 boko haram

dats a very gud idea, it will help reduce marginalization and tribalism to an extent though d name will still serve as clue to tribalism...but dats a very gud idea, even local govt of origin ar all cllues to tribal discrimination...if nigeria cud succeed in puting dat into constitution and practicalise it i think they hav taken a step to maintaining unity. I c some ppl commenting on igbo man bn oba in yoruba land...i dont think dis system will affect ppl's customary system ...in most develope countries, nobody asks for ur state of origin, only ur residential addres and postal code...but i dont think nigeria can support dis system because it will only favor d hardworking ppl and we all know how post and offices ar bn obtained in nig

blaqoracle: senator mark is to comfortable to grasp what is on ground. if a man has lived in a place, has he belonged to the place? a Situation Where Dweller Continues To See Himself As A stranger, do you blame the host? most Dwellers in nigeria treat the host community with contempt and despication. mark Must Keep In mind That We That Have A heritage of an impeccable tradition and institution will never surrender it just to pacify some group that are known to be homeless and foodless.

Na wa oh! C bad mouth

People misuse the wordss "tribalism" and "tribalist" out of ignorance or poor education. We are Igbo,Yoruba,Tiv,Efik Ogoni Ijaw etc peoples ; nations in a NATION STATE that is who and what we are
Somehow there is this idea that we should give that all up to become "Nigerians" with English as our language and no consciousness or a colonial consciousness. Nigeria CANNOT become a nation in the way that Japan or Koreans are and we should not accept this project that seeks to delete our identity. We are a nation in the sense of a confederation of NATIONS not TRIBES. No one refers to Irish,Belgians,Ducth,Boers,Bosnians,Greeks or Armenians as tribes so why are Igbos a tribe.
We need to wake up revive our languages and culture and be proub of them. We can coexist in much the same way as the EU nations do but it is important to preserve the culture,language and identity of Autochthons in their ancestral homelands rather than seek to create meaningless and superficial new identities
David Marks proposal is stupid ; It is proposing that in maybe 100 years there will be no Ijaw,Edo or other Minorities indeed even bigger groups may not survive. If we are going down that road the destination must be clear before we start.
That idea can only make sense in a culturally and linguistically homogenous nation. We are not and certainly do not aspire to LOSE our language/culture. The final phase of remote colonialism

Rubbish! David mark is high on dry paw paw leaves. You want to copy USA in that aspect but you won't copy them in other more important aspects. U forbid state police,regional govt and now u come up with this crap. Nigeria is never ONE and will never be.

Rolly83:

Which ''PIGEON''english,abi na parrot english u wan talk...Mumu like u idiota!

What's d insult for? Why not tell him its pidgin instead?