Katsumoto:

I am an advocate of one Nigeria if we can manage to do away with the evils bedeviling our nation. On the otherhand, I equally have to share that belief with you for a number of reasons. The people of the South are usually more free-willed, ambitious, and resilient. If our Northern brothers can get their act together by becoming more educated, more demanding of their leaders, and more tolerant of others, then Nigeria can be a better nation. If on the otherhand, the current malaise in the North continues unabated, then perhaps the idea of a Southern Nigeria may start appealling to more Southerners.

Like you said, Lagos is a melting pot of affairs and it offers evidence that Southerners are generally peaceful. It is not to say that there are no disagreements between tribes in Lagos but those incidents do not usually result in the loss of multiple lives. Very unlike what happens in Kaduna, Maiduguri, Jos, Bauchi, etc.

The dream of having a great united Nigeria will remain only a dream because of northern unwillingness to acquire western education and develop a culture of tolerance. As long as the north remains unwilling (and no one knows if they would ever change!) to acquire western education and jettison Islamic intolerance, mark my word, Nigeria is headed for war. Our generation might be patient to free ourselves from this, but our children will never accept that situation. That is why I laugh at those who think Nigeria can survive without the north undergoing some serious fundamental changes. Division is inevitable.

What I'm trying to do is to find out what constitutes the best alternative to the status quo (which is unacceptable). To be serious about freeing myself from this forced marriage, I must be open to the fact that it may not happen peacefully. So, I'm trying to identify the fault lines. For a southern Nigeria to work, it has to be formed upon a new spirit: a spirit of excellence and patriotism. The partnership between mediocrity and patriotism is like that between fire and water. It can never work! So, the north must be kept away for now. They can join when they repent. Just my views.

@alreadypoor.why not remove your eyes from igbos.if you mean southeast then they produce 10% of nigerias oil.if however you mean the entire igbo nation,then you are talking about more than 40% of onshore oil in nigeria.remember my hometown alone has around 45 oil wells.if our direct neighbours and brothers in ohaji,egbema in imo state,ogba,ndoni,egbema in rivers state and aboh in delta is added alarm don blow.remember others like ndoki in abia,rivers and akwaibom,ngwa,asa,omuma,etche in rivers and abia states.so your 1% estimate is flawed.nb the one i am 101% sure is the 45 oil wells in oguta lga.others may have more or less.i will like to discuss privately with you on oru igbos,benin ancestry of many igbos and heterogenic origin of igbos because i am from a place where many families also have benin ancestry.the interesting thing you should know is that those benin ancestors already spoke igbo on arrival.

@alreadypoor.why not remove your eyes from igbos.if you mean southeast then they produce 10% of nigerias oil.if however you mean the entire igbo nation,then you are talking about more than 40% of onshore oil in nigeria.remember my hometown alone has around 45 oil wells.if our direct neighbours and brothers in ohaji,egbema in imo state,ogba,ndoni,egbema in rivers state and aboh in delta is added alarm don blow.remember others like ndoki in abia,rivers and akwaibom,ngwa,asa,omuma,etche in rivers and abia states.so your 1% estimate is flawed.nb the one i am 101% sure is the 45 oil wells in oguta lga.others may have more or less.i will like to discuss privately with you on oru igbos,benin ancestry of many igbos and heterogenic origin of igbos because i am from a place where many families also have benin ancestry.the interesting thing you should know is that those benin ancestors already spoke igbo on arrival.

Bros Abagworo

Just ignore the raving lunatic. Please allow him to continue wallowing in the cesspool if his idio.cy
Even people he claims to represent have all distanced from him. Silence is the best answer to a fo'ol.

You insult people, every group and you want them to vote for you. Is that possible? do you see why they dont make you president. bad altitude my friend. Gooogle and look around among nigerian. The way they see you is not good. they dont like the way you treat them and people. that is why they dont like you. That why they too would never make you president. if you dont treat people well nobody would vote for you.


Now let stop the joke, when Biafra attacked the Mid west and took over the area, please tell us what the Benin, uhrobo, itsekiri and ijaws did to the igbos. Is that not a lesson for you to know what would happen to you. it is on record.

Look go and check history it is the largest ever recruitment in Nigeria army history. Nearly every benin man, Uhrobo, ijaw, Itsekiri man who could carry a gun, enroll into the Nigeria army to chase out Igbos out of the area. Is that not happened?.

Lead by colonel Ogbemudia a benin. The benin men, Uhrobo men , ijaw men , Itsekiri men chase the igbo soldier out the area. Is my story not true. that is what happened my brother. if your people try it again, they would still treat you the same way.

I have told you stop dreaming of biafra. it is impossible. I gave you unbias option.

which oil. we have oil. so tell the whole world , why we should be scared. now tell me about your deposit or oil. You are greed. you produce less than 1% of the oil , really 3 oil well. And you no want hear word. continue to believe lies. wetin they do you. Dont you know that the north can make your people to suffer for this.

I think your fear is because your people dont have anything? I see why you people are doing this. instead of been nice to people who treat you well, you go about insulting them. May God help you.

I should talk to you nice, look you, the least my child get when i die , can not be less than 7 figures. i am telling you a secret. So be careful.

Your home town does not have 45 oil wells, your people produce less than 1% of nigeria oil. where did you get that wrong figures from. I can show you pictures recent to back up my story. maximum you can get if we include the ikwerri area is just less than 20 oil well. i can show you. are you on weed or india hemp again.



I now see what is wrong with you igbos, you all feel very insecure about having nothing? Haba, have anyone chase you out of lagos? No, Have anyone chase you out of ibadan? No Have anyone chase you out of ilorin or akure or abeokuta? No. why become insecure over having nothing.
If you dont have anything, have we not shared with you from what we have to this point.

Dont let what you do not have scared you. Oil and others are the gift of God. Even if igbos dont have others would share with you. but been greed and trying to leave the north with 0% when your own people only have less 1% too is not good. Look Benin republic is a gold mine. take my word for it.

Without china given us thier word to vote yes. forget it.

Look see that what you think is in imo state is in river state. There is less than 3 well in imo and river state. There are in river state.

In a classical case of divide and rule, OBJ took 40 oil wells from Abia state and gave them to Rivers state. After a court action, the 40 oil wells were given back to Abia state. Since then the Yar adua government refused to pay Abia the arrears from the wells.

Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, has passionately appealed to the Federal Government to pay all the money it owed the state to enable him execute developmental projects for the benefit of the people.
Orji  made the call yesterday when he received a team of Africa Security Watch at the Government House in Umuahia, saying with the paucity of funds being experienced by his administration, there was need for the Federal Govern-ment to release all monies owed the state.

Although Orji did not disclose the exact amount the Federal Government was owing Abia or the source of the indebtedness, it is believed that the federal authorities had been sitting on the arrears of money accruing from the over 40 recovered oil wells belonging to Abia but hitherto ceded to Rivers state.

He said Abia, on its own,  was indebted to the Federal Government to the tune of $25 million (about N3. 8 million), which according to him, was being deducted at source.

The governor therefore lamented that it was improper for the Federal Government to be deducting Abia’s money at source for the purpose of servicing its debt while at the same time sitting on the money due the state.
He also lamented that efforts by his administration to raise money at the capital market were being frustrated by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which according to him, has consistently been throwing spanners in the works.
“If you don’t have money you can do nothing,” he said, adding those criticising his administration should base their assessment on the amount of money available to the state government.

Earlier the president/chief executive officer Africa Security Watch told the governor that they were at the Government House to formally inform him that he had been nominated for the African Golden Prize for Leadership in Governance along with Ghanaian president, John Attah Mills.

Orji is expected to deliver a lecture entitled Roadmap to Peace and Security in a Developing Country at the award ceremony slated for Accra, Ghana in March.

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=163689

These are the strategies (divide and rule) that must be resisted by all in the south for us to forge a new federation.

There is no 40 oil well in abia state. There is only 1 oil well in abia state and only 1 oil well in imo state. And put together they do not produce 0.05% of nigeria oil. so abia and imo state are been over paid for oil derivation.

AfroCynic:

I feel the president of this new republic should able to speak at least 2 Nigerian languages, like Dim Ojukwu!

never new that Ojukwu could speak yoruba.

becomrich;:

Beaf (Mr greed 100% oil revenue & dont want share with North),Now did any member of your family plant oil well. Is it not a gift of God.

You are not from edo, delta and bayelsa state. You claim to be from the east.And go thru all your previous posting. How much do your people too produce. Less than 1% of nigeria oil. For someone that produce less than 1% and claim he does not want to share out of the one percentage. If the north get zero, they can also make your get back your less 1% from 3 oilwell.

Look go thru all the post on this issue. Those of us who produce oil in Nigeria are not against my plan, only you people that produce less than 1% just may be 3 oil well. Is that not funny?

Ok, you know what, why dont they give you biafra, in the 5 igbos state and you see how to live with less 1%. I think beaf you are a bosom that have no feeling for other people.

We give them the nigeria status at the united nation and share the oil revenue with them while everybody claim its taxes.

Like I said, you are either a fool or a coward. If you want to share what you don't own, that also makes you a thief. Why don't you share cocao with the North and Bleep off to Benin Republic with your village?
Edo, Bayelsa and Delta have nothing in common with you.

asha 80:

never new that Ojukwu could speak yoruba.

the languages are ijaw and igbo lmfao

Beaf, I have nothing in common with you. I think you are not smart.
I am smarter than you. 100 times smarter.

Only a fool like you would not want us to go with benin republic. Let me tell you this , Benin republic is of much much value than the whole of the north in market price.
The value of the north is ___. but benin republic , we would get an extra 57288 sq km  (16750 nautical miles) of oil drilling space of ocean, which is the large than size as the whole of the space of the east we are drilling. Ego. You can go with the north. we are going with benin republic.

we get the prime minister and a second vice president like in russia.

Beaf, I have nothing in common with you. I think you are not smart.
I am smarter than you. 100 times smarter.

Only a fool like you would not want us to go with benin republic. Let me tell you this , Benin republic is of much much value than the whole of the north in market price.
The value of the north is ___. but benin republic , we would get an extra 16750 nautical miles of oil drilling space of ocean, which is the same size as the whole of the space of the east we are drilling. Ego. You can go with the north. we are going with benin republic.

we get the prime minister and a second vice president like in russia.

Yes, you and the area boys in your village. Ode! Barawo! You want to share oil that you don't even produce 0.000001% percent of. Ole!

sjeezy8:

the languages are ijaw and igbo lmfao

Ojukwu cannot speak ijaw.The languages are igbo and yoruba or do you want proof?

lmfao i was kidding dont kill me

mehn becomrich is something else

and you think pdp would agree. jona go shoot you gun

asha 80:

never new that Ojukwu could speak yoruba.

Yes, he was raised in Lagos, he speaks Yourba fluently! I hope leaders like him all get together to bring the South out of the North's tyranny once and for all!

WHo says it cant work?

South needs togetherness now. Let's bury our differences & fight for this noble cause. We need to go back to 1914 alliance, the way God created us - similar language, similar culture, dressing, food, agriculture, same vegetation, same skin colour & morphology, even religion (to some extent!). God knows why he made us look alike. What, therefore, God has join together, let Lord Lugard not put assunder. We can take up from there.

I only have a problem with the Flag. Stars is the symbol of Islam. Another neutral object can stand in place of the stars.

Bokoharam:

WHo says it cant work?

South needs togetherness now. Let's bury our differences & fight for this noble cause. We need to go back to 1914 alliance, the way God created us - similar language, similar culture, dressing, food, agriculture, same vegetation, same skin colour & morphology, even religion (to some extent!). God knows why he made us look alike. What, therefore, God has join together, let Lord Lugard not put assunder. We can take up from there.

I only have a problem with the Flag. Stars is the symbol of Islam. Another neutral object can stand in place of the stars.

i think say you be bokoharam.lol!

Republic of South Nigeria minus Yoruba is OK.

Lets be realistic for once, this South Nigeria whatever will not last cos it will further divide into South-East, South-West, South-South and even South-Middle. Lets not break cos once you break a strong stone, each of the units will become weak and can be easily broken further. United we stand, divided we fall!

na wa ooooooooooooooo. which way nigeria

Hey Afro, wassup with you?

I'm still waiting for someone to teach me Igbo so I could add it to my resume.

Obinoscopy:

Lets be realistic for once, this South Nigeria whatever will not last cos it will further divide into South-East, South-West, South-South and even South-Middle. Lets not break cos once you break a strong stone, each of the units will become weak and can be easily broken further. United we stand, divided we fall!

Are you trying to say that there is a strong bond that is holding this nation together? If so, what are you talking about?  

This unification of the northern and southern territories was done for administrative purposes. Not because the north and south had anything in common.  If the south were its own nation, they would have more similarities than differences, which would then help to hold it together.  


The north and south are from like 2 different worlds.

Onlytruth:

The dream of having a great united Nigeria will remain only a dream because of northern unwillingness to acquire western education and develop a culture of tolerance. As long as the north remains unwilling (and no one knows if they would ever change!) to acquire western education and jettison Islamic intolerance, mark my word, Nigeria is headed for war. Our generation might be patient to free ourselves from this, but our children will never accept that situation. That is why I laugh at those who think Nigeria can survive without the north undergoing some serious fundamental changes. Division is inevitable.

What I'm trying to do is to find out what constitutes the best alternative to the status quo (which is unacceptable). To be serious about freeing myself from this forced marriage, I must be open to the fact that it may not happen peacefully. So, I'm trying to identify the fault lines. For a southern Nigeria to work, it has to be formed upon a new spirit: a spirit of excellence and patriotism. The partnership between mediocrity and patriotism is like that between fire and water. It can never work! So, the north must be kept away for now. They can join when they repent. Just my views.

I think you are right; my heart wants Nigeria to remain one but my head agrees with your analysis. One thing is certain; Nigeria can not continue like this.

Obinoscopy:

Lets be realistic for once, this South Nigeria whatever will not last cos it will further divide into South-East, South-West, South-South and even South-Middle. Lets not break cos once you break a strong stone, each of the units will become weak and can be easily broken further. United we stand, divided we fall!

That's the idea. But we must start from somewhere. We need everybody's energy to actualise the breakup first. Thereafter, people can start going into their roosts. It is easier that way.

And don't be surprised, the pple causing conflicts between we brothers (Southerners) are the North. U never can tell they know our disunity will continue to favour them, so they keep sowing seed of discord. In essence, by the time we start our South Nigeria thing, it might be a BETTER marriage, similar to what a sovereign state should be; also providing a level playing ground, equity and justice for the citizens.

Wily*Wily:

Republic of South Nigeria minus Yoruba is OK.

To think that I believed in this idea a while ago! My Yoruba friends can't even acknowledge and repudiate a blatant and "koro-koro" betrayal of Biafra and the East by Awolowo. The facts are there, but rather than address them, these people would rather put up a fierce shameless defense of open immoral acts of betrayal.
How can I as an Easterner trust a Yoruba for any serious political partnership?

In political partnerships, there are risks. Sometimes you win and at other times you lose. The Yoruba people here only see winnings and not loses. That is not how things work in real life. There must be times for you to stand for something even if you may lose. That is why the United States is regarded as the "home of the brave" because after independence, the British (a world super power at the time) invaded the US and laid siege. The US was in disarray, but the only thing that saved America from recolonization was stout defense by American patriots. That was the war of 1812 -1815.

Now, how can a "southern Nigeria" put up such a defense when key parts of it are only interested in winnings? I don't want to say Yorubas are cowards. All I can say is that popular Yoruba opinion here sees nothing wrong with betrayal, as long as Yorubaland is preserved.

That alone convinces me that a southern Nigeria is a pipe dream.

Meanwhile, my education continues on nairaland!
Thanks folks.

British troops burned the US Capital and White House -two institutions of US government in 1814. The Americans fought back until they reclaimed their freedom and land.
Apart from Biafra and Guinea Bissau, no other entity in West African geographic region fought for independence.
Biafra's quest was complete, but failed. Guinea Bissau fought against the Portuguese and won in 1974.

"Southern Nigeria" can only happen minus those not willing to take risks. Common sense.

Onlytruth:

To think that I believed in this idea a while ago! My Yoruba friends can't even acknowledge and repudiate a blatant and "koro-koro" betrayal of Biafra and the East by Awolowo. The facts are there, but rather than address them, these people would rather put up a fierce shameless defense of open immoral acts of betrayal.
How can I as an Easterner trust a Yoruba for any serious political partnership?

In political partnerships, there are risks. Sometimes you win and at other times you lose. The Yoruba people here only see winnings and not loses. That is not how things work in real life. There must be times for you to stand for something even if you may lose. That is why the United States is regarded as the "home of the brave" because after independence, the British (a world super power at the time) invaded the US and laid siege. The US was in disarray, but the only thing that saved America from recolonization was stout defense by American patriots. That was the war of 1812 -1815.

Now, how can a "southern Nigeria" put up such a defense when key parts of it are only interested in winnings? I don't want to say Yorubas are cowards. All I can say is that popular Yoruba opinion here sees nothing wrong with betrayal, as long as Yorubaland is preserved.

That alone convinces me that a southern Nigeria is a pipe dream.

Meanwhile, my education continues on nairaland!
Thanks folks.

I posted the texts below in another thread. Can you please comment on it; since you refused to comment on it in the other thread. You can Yoruba cowards but the fact remains that Ojukwu ran and left his people, Zik ran and switched sides when the war was almost lost. Remove the log in your own eyes before you talk about Awo.

Awo and Zik were leaders of the Yoruba and Igbo respectively. Awo initially had sympathies for the Biafran cause and made a CONDITIONAL statement that the Yoruba would leave if the Igbo were allowed to leave. He later acted against the Biafran cause (I believe he did not want to turn the West into a battleground); consequently, he was accused of duplicity by the Igbo.

Zik through his actions/inactions during the events of the first coup laid the foundations for the brutal actions against the Igbo. His cousin was the leader of the plotters. Zik also campaigned for Biafra but switched sides and supported the Nigerian government, when it was obvious that Biafra was going to lose the war. Now the message: If you accuse Awo of Betrayal for acting in the supposed best interests of his people, should you not accuse Zik of a greater sin?

Why did the Igbo elders tell their children and grand-children about Awo's betrayal but failed to mention the heroic acts of other Yoruba (Ayo Ariyo, Soyinka, Ayo Banjo, Ademulegun , etc) who supported the Biafran cause in one way or the other? Why did the elders also fail to tell their children that several of their Biafran sons fought against Biafra? There were several officers from the East who fought on the Nigerian side such as Brigadier Ekpo - COS, Brig. Ikwue, Ukpabi Asika, Alfred Diete-spiff, Jacob Esuene, etc. Easterners focus on Adekunle because he is a Yoruba man while they ignore that several of their sons fought against Biafra.


Also see the text below

Defection of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe

The defection of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, to the Nigerian side, was one of the most demoralizing moments during the days of Biafra. [/b]I narrated in the book, Surviving In Biafra, how the news brought tears to my father's eyes, a man used to keeping his emotions under check. My father's reaction mirror's the feeling of most Biafrans to the news.

When the war started, the presence of heavy weights like Dr Azikiwe, M.I Okpara, Dr Akanu Ibiam, and others, provided a certain amount of moral satisfaction for Biafrans that the right thing had been done. [b]But when Dr Azikiwe suddenly left Biafra for Nigeria, the last bastion of Biafra's locus standi was crushed to smithereens. Again, the dreaded word, "saboteur", came up, further fuelling the distrust that had taken a dangerous stranglehold on Biafra and Biafrans. As a little boy, what was etched in my mind was that Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe had joined the ranks of those that betrayed Biafra. I recall that when he came to Nnewi, in 1979, to campaign under the aegis of NPP, the defection was still on my mind. I was torn between shedding an impression that I developed during the war, as a little boy, and accepting that the Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe still had the interest of the Igbos at heart.

Dr Azikiwe has been quoted as saying that he went to Nigeria to help end the war because the suffering had gotten out of hand. Whether that was the motive and if he achieved his aim remains a subject of intense discussion till date. One is therefore interested in reading an exhaustive account, from Ojukwu, on what happened, his take on it and the probable effect, both salutary and deleterious to Biafra.

http://nigeriaworld.com/columnist/uzokwe/050206.html

Katsumoto:

I posted the texts below in another thread. Can you please comment on it; since you refused to comment on it in the other thread. You can Yoruba cowards but the fact remains that Ojukwu ran and left his people, Zik ran and switched sides when the war was almost lost. Remove the log in your own eyes before you talk about Awo.

Awo and Zik were leaders of the Yoruba and Igbo respectively. Awo initially had sympathies for the Biafran cause and made a CONDITIONAL statement that the Yoruba would leave if the Igbo were allowed to leave. He later acted against the Biafran cause (I believe he did not want to turn the West into a battleground); consequently, he was accused of duplicity by the Igbo.

I deliberately didn't respond to the other post because this post is more relevant. I don't argue just for the heck of it. The intent of the discussion here is to explore or investigate the possibility of forming political partnerships across southern Nigeria.
Back to your point.

Zik was never the Igbo leader or even Eastern leader between 1966 and 1970. The Eastern leader was Okpara before the coup, and Ojukwu after the coup. Zik was a national player. He never stopped, even when the war started. He always looked to preserve his stupid bigger sphere of influence in Nigeria. Biafra was declared against his wishes and designs. He never liked it from day one. So, he never owed Biafra any loyalty.
He was powerless in Biafra. Biafra was a popular Eastern demand, and Awolowo acknowledged that in his speech to the Western house. Awolowo also stated in clear terms that he was "implacably oppposed" to the use of force against Biafra since there was the Aburi instruments which was satisfactory in addressing the situation. So, how did he leap from that to making statements during the war which authorized the starving of Biafran children?
So, for you to keep trying to muddle the waters of this discussion, and to keep trying to change the core issues under discussion, and to keep bringing up the coup of 1966, is the height of slyness and dishonesty.

We are talking about the war of 1967 -1970 and the key actors like Awolowo. Your unrepentance is very instructive.

Onlytruth:

I deliberately didn't respond to the other post because this post is more relevant. I don't argue just for the heck of it. The intent of the discussion here is to explore or investigate the possibility of forming political partnerships across southern Nigeria.
Back to your point.

Zik was never the Igbo leader or even Eastern leader between 1966 and 1970. The Eastern leader was Okpara before the coup, and Ojukwu after the coup. Zik was a national player. He never stopped, even when the war started. He always looked to preserve his silly bigger sphere of influence in Nigeria. Biafra was declared against his wishes and designs. He never liked it from day one. So, he never owed Biafra any loyalty.
He was powerless in Biafra. Biafra was a popular Eastern demand, and Awolowo acknowledged that in his speech to the Western house. Awolowo also stated in clear terms that he was "implacably oppposed" to the use of force against Biafra since there was the Aburi instruments which was satisfactory in addressing the situation. So, how did he leap from that to making statements during the war which authorized the starving of Biafran children?
So, for you to keep trying to muddle the waters of this discussion, and to keep trying to change the core issues under discussion, and to keep bringing up the coup of 1966, is the height of slyness and dishonesty.

We are talking about the war of 1967 -1970 and the key actors like Awolowo. Your unrepentance is very instructive.

So Awo was a key player while Zik an Igbo man was not? Awo, A yoruba man, owed loyalty to Biafra but Zik did not? I can not believe what I am reading. Clear case of selective reasoning to me. I am out