Aloy emeka
ops! Just because i said zik derailed along the line?, waoh this is so hysteric!!

RichyBlacK:

Well, that's not going to happen, as long as Igbos are still walking on this planet.

The injustice meted on the Igbos was shameful and wicked, and while the schools refuse to teach about the Biafran War, many writers and scholars continue to write, give speeches and make movies on the subject of Biafra. Hence, ensuring that readers/observers in the next century will still be discussing Biafra.

Furthermore, that almost all the problems plaguing Nigeria today can be traced/linked to events that led/sustained the war, is a pointer to the importance of Biafra.

Biafra occupies an important and conspicuous niche in the Nigerian geo-historical and socio-economc landscapes.

Thanks Richy
Like Achebe said, Nigeria is neither my father nor my mother. It has also refused to be my child because it insists on been born illegitimately and I wouldn't indulge in illegitimate acts!
There are those who would wish the Biafran history away and yet expect a magical transformation in Nigeria. Some stupidly call for revolutions and insist it must not be by way of coups!
Planning greatness in  Nigeria without addressing Biafra is like planning a trip to China or US without airplanes and ships. If you ever get there, you may not live to tell the story!
I'm off to church. I'll be back! 

War-mongers,if the igbo tribe is important or relevant because you fought a war you can't,why are you guys hating thw whole of nigeria for your loss?

RichyBlacK:

Being from the same ethnic group as the president is only useful for bragging, that's all.

The North that has produced most of the leaders, how are they faring?

Many studies, including this one by Okunmadewa et al., show that the poverty rate in the south west is higher than in the south east, despite the fact that the south west have produced more presidents. How do you explain that?

How has producing the president helped your region? Na dat wan we go chop?

You spoke my mind. Nigerians are so foolish about tribalism that they can support their kinsman who kills them slowly in place of another who will give them a reprieve. That is why the North is underdeveloped. The thieves in power know they are protected by their kits and kins. All they need to do to gain the support of their kinsmen is buy them mats so they can pray comfortably  and throw occasional feasts in between. It is that same socialistic culture of theirs that is taking precedence.

Yoruba is president, hausa is preseident yada yada yada, how does it affect the personal lives of the people from that ethnic group apart from few of their kinsmen who obtain contracts here and there?. I've said it before, I will support a foreigner who wish to be Nigeria's president as long as he will deliver but to my fellow Nigerians, it's a tribal issue. If you think differently, they'll accuse you of not being advanced in politics. Of what use is a politics of lies and treachery that lives your people despondent?. Why is Yoruba and hausa the poorest ethnic group in Nigeria today when they have the highest access to our national coffers?.  Do these advanced Northern politicians work towards achieving poverty for their people or what?. I think the former is the case because these game players needs their people to be in abject poverty so they can hold them down forever.

~Bluetooth:

War-mongers,if the igbo tribe is important or relevant  because you fought a war you can't,why are you guys hating thw whole of nigeria for your loss?

Who is hating who here? Can you trace back every tread on nairaland to see who bring up the issue every time?

aloy-emeka:

Who is hating who here? Can you trace back every tread on nairaland to see who bring up the issue every time?

That guy is one of the most reprehensible simpletons on NR. His infantile drivel is always hinged on conjectures. What is more bizarre and disconcerting is his call on ''tribalists'' and ''bigots'' to repent and embrace ''objectivity'' and ''rationality''

Aloy emeka and co
I never knew this question could generate so much tension like this and i will repeat it again.did ousted president nnamdi azikwe who was a staunch pro-nationalist later become biafra spokesman and adviser to ojukwu during the war precisely 1967-1970.is this question hard for you guys afterall you guys said im an illiterate,so answer the question.tick-tack

Onlytruth i must confess after obj you're on your way to becoming one of my political deities. I really like that point you made about nigeria moving forward without addressing the civil was as people try to wish it away and the second point of maniacs clamouring for Peaceful revolution if it's possible on earth. To add to what you said. People should realise that the odi massacre could be wished away to some extent because those people play a least significant role in nigeria and they rarely live outside odi. But look at igbos. Not only do we have a sizeable proportion of nigerias population. We are a working productive contributor to nigerias economy after black gold. I can say almost a third of 150 million people have grudges against nigeria and you think you can wish it away. Rethink

Why would Achebe wait till he turned senile to bulge out his hatred towards other tribes? Mind you, he never fought in Biafran War. He was in Lagos in the West living like a lesser king.
Coward or saboteur, Yoruba has history more than any other tribes in Nigeria of today. During Oyo Empire, Ibo extractions were just onlookers. Thanks to colonization that subdued and enfeebled our empire.
Our forefathers had always said, “ten reigns ten kings owns this life and one person cannot rule for life.”
Look at Britain, the then superpower; has turned to poodle not more, but a glorified house boy in world’s affairs.

It’s even an absurd to compare Yoruba with Ibo, the gulp of differences between both is huge. Everything we do in West, that is what ibos want to do too.
Let me advise all ibos, you want to break, learn to stay in iboland, create more businesses over there and let other tribes to come patronize you in your Eastern region.
Just like we Yoruba, more than 90 percent of us stay in South West. The only reason many of us in Abuja is because most of our culture from Lagos were exported over there.
Blaming Hausa for genocide against your people, but still move in multitude down to Hausa land; I just don’t get it.
I pray God will let your Biafran mission possible, if you cut 27,000 square km, from 921,000 square km. That is just a tip of an iceberg.
One of you suggests that he would like to have a nation with Efik or Ibibio, you mean people from Calabar? Maybe you were on drugs for this one, these people have more land than Biafran land and they don’t want any incursion or infringement on their privacy.

Trusting Ndigbos again with power in this country would amount to suicide. The memories of the 1960s are still fresh with the rest of us when the Ndigbos conspired among themselves and lunched brutal attacks on eminent sons of Nigeria from the North and South West.[i][/i][font=Lucida Sans Unicode][/font][/color] They brutally killed eminent people like Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Sardauna of Sokoto and Akintola. They brutally killed eminent people like Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Sardauna of Sokoto and Akintola. The then president, Azikiwe knew about the plot and so embarked on a prolonged trip abroad with an excuse to seek medical attention. His personal doctor who was among his entourage had to leave his oga abroad becouse he was tired and was already running out of his personal esta code. Unknown to him that his oga had a hidden reason for his prolonged trip. Thank God their plot backfired and they were called back to order.[color=#550000]
Kini big deal? Why you hate what you can't conquer and fear what you don't really understand? I guess I know it, sense of inferiority complex!

Akigbemaru
This was the first issue i raised that why did it takes so long before Achebe can come out to clears his mind and the igbo boys resorted to insult.mind you that is what they all do when they try to avoid your question and i also them that "did Azikwe who was a pro-nationalist leader take up appointment under the biafra regime but honestly non of them could answer th e question basically maybe because they dont know or they were never told by their parent that along the line ousted presudent nnmadi azikwe served under ojukwu between 1967-1970 as biafra spokesman and adviser to ojukwu

THE GREATER IGBO NATION-- IDENTIFYING IGBO VARIANTS DURING THE ERA OF THE SLAVE TRADE


THE EGBA ARE IGBO
  Southwest Nigeria is commonly referred to as “Yorubaland” which is home to a mosaic of distinct tribes and tribal states who collectively form the present day Yoruba tribal identity, however the original Yoruba designation exclusively referred to the Oyo, a tribe who at one time lived amongst the Hausas in what is presently Northern Nigeria.  In fact the word Yoruba is of Hausa origins.
  Misrepresentations of Nigeria the Facts and the Figures by Yusef Bala Usman, PhD – Center for Democratic Development, Research and Training.
     “The fact is that the earliest record we have of the use of the very name Yoruba was in the Hausa Language and it seems to have applied to the people of the Alfinate Oyo.  Don Masani wrote a book on the Muslim scholars of the Yarriba.”[/color]   Over the centuries the Oyo were gradually driven southward where they in turn became the conquerors of the indigenous people of “Southwest Nigeria” who like their Southeastern counterparts were referred to as the Igbo.  [b]The Southwestern Igbo were protected by an army of masked warriors known as the Egbo or Egba.  Olumida Lucas states that the name Egba is synonymous with Igbo.  [b]The Indigenous Igbo(Egba) lived in the forest area surrounding Ife.  The name Ife derives from an Igbo system of “divination” called Ifa.[color=#000099]  [/b] [/color] It was at Ife that the Igbo(Egba) were first confronted by Odudwa who along with his youngest son Oranyan are remembered as the founders of the Oyo(Yoruba) Kingdom at Ife.  At the time of Odudwa’s invasion the indigenous Igbo(Egba) resided under the leadership of Obatala whose name means the Oba or Obi Ala.  Obi or Oba was initially an Igbo title of authority and Ala is the land deity of the Igbo.  Amongst the Egbo tribes of Calabar the Oba appears in the form of the deity Obassi who is also called Abassi.[/b][color=#000099]   Like the indigenous forest dwelling Igbos, the present day Egbas are historically associated with the Obas.  In fact the name of the Egba ruling council known as the Ogboni relates to the Igbo word Ogbonna which indirectly refers to an elder.
  The Wikipedia Encyclopedia – “Yoruba”
     “The numerous Egba communities found in the forests below Oyo’s Savannah region were a notable example of elected Obas though the Ogboni, a legislative judicial council of notable elders wielded the actual political power.”
(The Ogboni “Cult” played a central role in the Brazil slave rebellion of 1809.)
  In their initial encounters the Oyo(Yoruba) were unable to penetrate the frightening Egba(Igbo) as these intimidating masked forest dwellers mastered the art of instilling fear into their opponents.  In defense of their homeland the Egba(Igbo) went further in raiding and burning down the intruding Oyo(Yoruba) settlements in the town at Ife.
  The Egba were first defeated through the scheming of a woman named Moremi who allowed herself to be captured as she used her beauty to seduce the Igbo(Egba) King into revealing the secrets of the masked Egba warriors.  She later returned to the Oyo providing her countrymen with the necessary information needed to finally conquer the Igbo(Egba) Kingdom.  This defeat of the Igbo(Egba) is celebrated every year at the annual Eid Festival of Ife.   In 1835, the Egba declared themselves to be independent of the Oyo(Yoruba) and in response the Oyo along with the Ijebu drove them out of Ibadan, Ife and other towns north of their present day capital of Abeokuta.  As a result of contact between the Ijebu and the Indigenous Igbo the city Ijebu-Igbo was established.  The founding of the Egba Kingdom of Abeokuta in 1837 is considered to be the last kingdom to be recognized within the “Yoruba federation of tribes”.  By this time the term Yoruba had expanded beyond its original usage in referring to the Oyo and now generally applied to all of the inhabitants of Southwestern Nigeria.
  The tradition of the masked Egba(Igbo) warriors is likewise documented in Southeast Nigeria amongst the followers of the Egbo Society of Calabar.EGBO – A secret society at one time existing as a political bond between various towns especially Eastern Nigeria. – World Book Dictionary A-K 1974.
  In 1876, the Scottish Presbyterian missionary Mary Slessor came to Calabar.  According to the accountings of Ms. Slessor in the “Igbo” dominated areas a secret society known as Egbo went around in masks and beat people.  She claimed to have chased a group of Egbo and tore off a mask.  The image of Mary Slessor would later appear on the 10 pound British Monetary note.  (The Egbo/Egba warriors seem to have a problem or weakness in defending themselves against foreign women.  First Moremi in the west informs her people to burn the masks of the Egba(Igbo) warriors and later in the east Mary Slessor claims to have ripped a mask off of an Egbo man.)
  The Egba of Abeokuta worship a deity called the Oro.  Oro is a god who resides in a bush.  In honor of Oro a sacred ceremony is performed at a secluded spot inside the bush.  This ceremony is called Igbo Oro and is very similar to bush ceremonies observed by the Egbo Society of Calabar.  There are many similar practices and rituals performed by both the Egba of “Yorubaland” and the Egbo Society of the east.   In this regard it is of interest to note the name of the Biafran Officer from Ejagham(Calabar), the formidable Captain Ndom Egba.
  Although the concept of Legba varies it began as an ancestral memorial designed to maintain the Egba identity during times of persecution and hardship.  Legba is also known as Eshu and relates to the deity Isua which is honored in the Egbo Society as the Master of Ceremonies.  Legba was also activated in the New World as a means to counter modern slavery and its attempts to wipe out the Egba identity of the captives.  The deity is described in Yoruba mythology as the “Divine trickster” because of his ability to outwit his fellow gods.  Evidences of Legba have been documented throughout the Americas in such places as Brazil, Guyana, Trinidad, Haiti and New Orleans under various names such as Lebba, Legba, Elegbara and Liba.  It is the Igbo descended Mina tribes such as the Ewe and Fon who are most readily associated with the Legba variant.   The term Elegbara is of great significance because not only does the name appear in the Americas amongst Igbo descended captives meaning the Egba and the Mina tribes, but is also the name of a tribe that lives on the Southern Sudanese, Northern Ugandan border and of whom are likewise related to the Igbos of Nigeria as they are known by the variant of Elegbara being called the Lugbara.  When traveling in Uganda I personally met a Lugbara Doctor of Medicine who previously studied alongside of Igbo students from Nigeria.  The Lugbara man stated that he could understand much of the Igbo Language which held a great deal in common with his own Lugbara Tongue.  Through numerous and prominent cultural and linguistic affinities the Lugbara man was definitely convinced that the Lugbara and the Igbo are akin.
  Similar to the Igbo of the east, the western Igbo descended Egba were always known to be revolutionaries in continual revolt against the Colonial British authorities, European missionaries and their traditional Yoruba enemies being primarily that of the Oyo and Ijebu.   In 1929 the Igbo market women of the east led a tax revolt against the Colonial British Government which became known as the Abia Women’s Tax Revolt.  The Egba women carried out a similar tax revolt in 1947 known as the Abeokuta Women’s Tax Revolt of Egba Market Women.  The Egba market women were led by Fumilayo Ransome Kuti, a teacher and wife of a prominent Egba educationalist.  The protest of over 10,000 Egba women caused the governing authorities to abolish taxes on women for several years and the Alake who conspired with the Colonial authorities spent three years in exile in Oshogbo.
  Many of the positive social and ethical traits which are often associated with the Igbo are historically documented as being characteristic of the Egba as well.  Robert Campbell who along with Martin Robison Delaney signed a pact with Egba leaders for the right of resettlement of African-Americans to “Egbaland” states that the Egba are the most industrious people on the face of the earth.  (Burton 1863:101)   James Africanus Beale Horton concerning the Egba(Akus) “It must be admitted without question that there are no people on the coast who are so hard working and so long suffering in proportion to what they expect in return.”  He also went on to say that the Egba as a race are amongst the most industrious, persevering and hard working people on the coast of Africa.  (Horton 1969:149)
  In terms of education the Egba like the Igbo are deserving of great acclaim.  The first Black-African to receive a Nobel Prize in Literature was an Egba man named Wole Soyinka who like the Igbo actively opposed the Nigerian Government during the Biafran War.  Soyinka was detained by agents of the state between 1967 and 1969.  In this regard Booker T. Washington whose middle name, Tanifeani, attests to Egba origins should be noted as the founder of the famous Tuskegee Institute.
  In Brazil an organized Ibo revolt led to the establishment of the Independent “Ibo Republic” of Palmares which lasted 45 years.  Being consistent with “Igbo resistance” Palmares ended in a massive suicide of Ibo warriors who preferred death to capture.  The city Ibotirama testifies to a strong Ibo presence in the region, however as in the case of Haiti, Afro-Brazilian culture and religious practices are more readily associated with that of the “Yoruba”(Egba) including the worship of Legba.   Olukwumu is spoken in Brazil and interestingly enough in a few Western Ibo communities such as Anioma, Idumu-ogu, Ubulubu, Ugbodu, Ugboba and Okwumuzu.  In fact communities bearing the name Olukwumu(Olukumi) still exist amongst the Western Ibo.  Although this dialect cannot be found in the Yoruba heartland it remains in reference as a “lost dialect of the Yoruba Language”.  All of the above clearly indicates that many of the captives in Brazil including those who successfully revolted in the establishment of Palmares were of western Ibo origins and like the Egba are being mistakenly classified as Yoruba.  In Brazil the Western Ibo were accompanied by a massive importing of Ebos from Angola and Ibos from Mozambique, the latter further accounting for the dominant and preferable Ibo usage amongst the Brazilian captives.
  In Cuba the Olukwumu were referred to as the Olukumi, Lukumi or Akumi.  The Egba have traditionally resisted identification with the term Yoruba preferring to be called Egbas or Akus.  Slaves in Cuba known as the Lukumi or Akumi meaning of the Egba people were well known for suicide resistance which often found them handing from the branches of the Guasima trees.  This being very similar to the “Igbo” resisters of Haiti who were likewise remembered for suicide resistance as understood in the Haitian saying, Ebos pend cor a yo, meaning the Ebos hang themselves.  The relationship between the names Olukwumu and Olukumi with that of Akumi(Aku or Egba) further solidifies the common origins which link the Western Ibo and the Egba peoples.
  The Egba who like the Igbo were originally known as forest dwellers are acknowledged to have been at one time living east of their present day location.  The process which led to the vanquished links of brotherhood between the Igbo and the Egba can be characterized by the often strained relations that currently exist between some of the eastern and western Igbo communities of today.
  Biafran Nigerian World Message Board-JAN. 6th 2004 Efulefu of Western Kind.
     “… lately some misguided Igbo people of Anioma/Ibusa (in short Western Igbo stock), have been making anti-Igbo noises.  I read that a group of 419 purporting to represent Anioma and all Western Igbo issued a statement disavowing their Igboness… If you are from Western Igboland and you no longer wish to consider yourself Igbo you have only one option.  Pack your damned bags and leave otherwise we are coming!!!”
  History not only records the common origins of the Egba and the Igbo but their common destiny as they are identified as two groups most devastated by the slave trade which is expressed in the following;
     “The Egba have suffered more than any other nation in West Africa from the depredation of the slave trade.”

~Bluetooth:

Akigbemaru
This was the first issue i raised that why did it takes so long before Achebe can come out to clears his mind and the igbo boys resorted to insult.mind you that is what they all do when they try to avoid your question and i also them that "did Azikwe who was a pro-nationalist leader take up appointment under the biafra regime but honestly non of them could answer th e question basically maybe because they dont know or they were never told by their parent that along the line ousted presudent nnmadi azikwe served under ojukwu between 1967-1970 as biafra spokesman and adviser to ojukwu

I got you bro! Correct! He is a coward, now he is at point of death, he wants to become a hero. Let Ibos secede if they want to.
The ibos are the bane of Nigeria, please please let them go.
Americans will wake up and say God bless America!
Yorubas will wake up and say "Eko oni baje o"!

Ibo people wake up to rain many imprecations on Nigeria
Initially, they taught Ijaw or Calabar is moving with them to Biafailed land, but this has turned to a poetic justice; where nemesis shall come down on villains. The Western region produced best of everything in Nigeria, even helped a lot of Ibo extraction to educate them. They turned out to be traitors, they poisoned the minds of all of our western family that only South Western that has developed most that they to rebel. Then, the foremost sage Awolowo, had envisaged the consequence of trying to force anybody who thinks tis disparate into Western region. He single-handedly created SS out of Western region. Ibo people popped champagnes, hoping things would come out as efficaciously planned by them to merge SS into their domain. SS barefacedly told ibos that, they only want their own sovereign not to be under anybody again. Then, Ibo people were like, how about our people in your region? SS purported, you know your people swam across River Benue with butter-fly stroke, when the press fast forward, they will surely swim back with backstroke. Then, Onyegbo nation declared SS has their greatest enemies. Lol, it’s turned out to be Yam Yam Scatter scatter Mumbo Jumbo so far!

Long awaited speech by sage Awolowo[color=#990000][/color]
Like one talented musician has put it, before we see Elephant we get to thick forest, before we see Lion we get to wilderness, before we see like of "Sage Awolowo" it will be resurrection day.

Pa Awolowo 1967 speech:

Speech by Chief Obafemi Awolowo made to the Western leaders of thought, in Ibadan, 1 May 1967. (quoted in "Crisis and Conflict in Nigeria (Volume 1), January 1966-July 1971" by A. H. M. Kirk-Greene. )


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[q][r]The aim of a leader should be the welfare of the people whom he leads. I have used 'welfare' to denote the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of the people. With this aim fixed unflinchingly and unchangeably before my eyes I consider it my duty to Yoruba people in particular and to Nigerians in general, to place four imperatives before you this morning. Two of them are categorical and two are conditional. Only a peaceful solution must be found to arrest the present worsening stalemate and restore normalcy. The Eastern Region must be encouraged to remain part of the Federation. If the Eastern Region is allowed by acts of omission or commission to secede from or opt out of Nigeria, then the Western Region and Lagos must also stay out of the Federation. The people of Western Nigeria and Lagos should participate in the ad hoc committee or any similar body only on the basis of absolute equality with the other regions of the Federation.[/q][/r]


I would like to comment briefly on these four imperatives. There has, of late, been a good deal of sabre rattling in some parts of the country. [q] Those who advocate the use force for the settlement of our present problems should stop a little and reflect. I can see no vital and abiding principle involved in any war between the North and the East. If the East attacked the North, it would be for purpose of revenge pure and simple. Any claim to the contrary would be untenable. If it is claimed that such a war is being waged for the purpose of recovering the real and personal properties left behind in the North by Easterners two insuperable points are obvious.[/q] Firstly, the personal effects left behind by Easterners have been wholly looted or destroyed, and can no longer be physically recovered. Secondly, since the real properties are immovable in case of recovery of them can only be by means of forcible military occupation of those parts of the North in which these properties are situated. On the other hand, if the North attacked the East, it could only be for the purpose of further strengthening and entrenching its position of dominance in the country.


If it is claimed that an attack on the East is going to be launched by the Federal Government and not by the North as such and that it is designed to ensure the unity and integrity of the Federation, two other insuperable points also become obvious. First, if a war against the East becomes a necessity it must be agreed to unanimously by the remaining units of the Federation. [q]In this connection, the West, Mid- West and Lagos have declared their implacable opposition to the use of force in solving the present problem.[/q] In the face of such declarations by three out of remaining four territories of Nigeria, a war against the East could only be a war favoured by the North alone. Second, if the true purpose of such a war is to preserve the unity and integrity of the Federation, then these ends can be achieved by the very simple devices of implementing the recommendation of the committee which met on August 9 1966, as reaffirmed by a decision of the military leaders at Aburi on January 5 1967 as well as by accepting such of the demands of the East, West, Mid-West and Lagos as are manifestly reasonable, and essential for assuring harmonious relationships and peaceful co-existence between them and their brothers and sisters in the North.


Some knowledgeable persons have likened an attack on the East to Lincoln's war against the southern states in America. Two vital factors distinguish Lincoln's campaign from the one now being contemplated in Nigeria. The first is that the American civil war was aimed at the abolition of slavery - that is the liberation of millions of Negroes who were then still being used as chattels and worse than domestic animals. The second factor is that Lincoln and others in the northern states were English-speaking people waging a war of good conscience and humanity against their fellow nationals who were also English speaking. A war against the East in which Northern soldiers are predominant, will only unite the Easterners or the Ibos against their attackers, strengthen them in their belief that they are not wanted by the majority of their fellow-Nigerians, and finally push them out of the Federation.


We have been told that an act of secession on the part of the East would be a signal, in the first instance, for the creation of the COR state by decree, which would be backed, if need be, by the use of force. With great respect, I have some dissenting observations to make on this declaration. [q][r]There are 11 national or linguistic groups in the COR areas with a total population of 5.3 millions. These national groups are as distinct from one another as the Ibos are distinct from them or from the Yorubas or Hausas. Of the 11, the Efik/Ibibio/Annang national group are 3.2 million strong as against the Ijaws who are only about 700,000 strong. Ostensibly, the remaining nine national group number 1.4 millions. But when you have subtracted the Ibo inhabitants from among them, what is left ranges from the Ngennis who number only 8,000 to the Ogonis who are 220,000 strong.[/q][/r] A decree creating a COR state without a plebiscite to ascertain the wishes of the peoples in the area, would only amount to subordinating the minority national groups in the state to the dominance of the Efik/Ibibio/Annang national group. It would be perfectly in order to create a Calabar state or a Rivers state by decree, and without a plebiscite. Each is a homogeneous national unit. But before you lump distinct and diverse national units together in one state, the consent of each of them is indispensable. Otherwise, the seed of social disquilibrium in the new state would have been sown.


On the other hand, if the COR State is created by decree after the Eastern Region shall have made its severance from Nigeria effective, we should then be waging an unjust war against a foreign state. It would be an unjust war, because the purpose of it would be to remove 10 minorities in the East from the dominance of the Ibos only to subordinate them to the dominance of the Efik/Ibibio/Annang national group. I think I have said enough to demonstrate that any war against the East, or vice versa, on any count whatsoever, would be an unholy crusade, for which it would be most unjustifiable to shed a drop of Nigerian blood. Therefore, only a peaceful solution must be found, and quickly too to arrest the present rapidly deteriorating stalemate and restore normalcy.


With regard to the second categorical imperative, it is my considered view that whilst some of the demands of the East are excessive within the context of a Nigerian union, most of such demands are not only wellfounded, but are designed for smooth and steady association amongst the various national units of Nigeria.


The dependence of the Federal Government on financial contributions from the regions? These and other such like demands I do not support. Demands such as these, if accepted, will lead surely to the complete disintegration of the Federation which is not in the interest of our people. But I wholeheartedly support the following demands among others, which we consider reasonable and most of which are already embodied in our memoranda to the Ad Hoc Committee,



That revenue should be allocated strictly on the basis of derivation; that is to say after the Federal Government has deducted its own share for its own services the rest should be allocated to the regions to which they are attributable.

That the existing public debt of the Federation should become the responsibility of the regions on the basis of the location of the projects in respect of each debt whether internal or external.

That each region should have and control its own militia and police force.

That, with immediate effect, all military personnel should be posted to their regions of origin,

If we are to live in harmony one with another as Nigerians it is imperative that these demands and others which are not related, should be met without further delay by those who have hitherto resisted them. To those who may argue that the acceptance of these demands will amount to transforming Nigeria into a federation with a weak central government, my comment is that any link however tenuous, which keeps the East in the Nigerian union, is better in my view than no link at all.


Before the Western delegates went to Lagos to attend the meetings of the ad hoc committee, they were given a clear mandate that if any region should opt out of the Federation of Nigeria, then the Federation should be considered to be at an end, and that the Western Region and Lagos should also opt out of it. It would then be up to Western Nigeria and Lagos as an independent sovereign state to enter into association with any of the Nigerian units of its own choosing, and on terms mutually acceptable to them. I see no reason for departing from this mandate. If any region in Nigeria considers itself strong enough to compel us to enter into association with it on its own terms, I would only wish such a region luck. But such luck, I must warn, will, in the long run be no better than that which has attended the doings of all colonial powers down the ages. This much I must say in addition, on this point. We have neither military might nor the overwhelming advantage of numbers here in Western Nigeria and Lagos. But we have justice of a noble and imperishable cause on our side, namely: the right of a people to unfettered self-determination. If this is so, then God is on our side, and if God is with us then we have nothing whatsoever in this world to fear.


The fourth imperative, and the second conditional one has been fully dealt with in my recent letter to the Military Governor of Western Nigeria, Col. Robert Adebayo, and in the representation which your deputation made last year to the head of the Federal Military Government, Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon. As a matter of fact, as far back as November last year a smaller meeting of leaders of thought in this Region decided that unless certain things were done, we would no longer participate in the meeting of the ad hoc committee. But since then, not even one of our legitimate requests has been granted. I will, therefore, take no more of your time in making further comments on a point with which you are well familiar. As soon as our humble and earnest requests are met, I shall be ready to take my place on the ad hoc committee. But certainly, not before.


In closing, I have this piece of advice to give. In order to resolve amiably and in the best interests of all Nigerians certain attributes are required on the part of Nigerian leaders, military as well as non-military leaders alike, namely: vision, realism and unselfishness. But above all , what will keep Nigerian leaders in the North and East unwaveringly in the path of wisdom, realism and moderation is courage and steadfastness on the part of Yoruba people in the course of what they sincerely believe to be right, equitable and just. [q]In the past five years we in the West and Lagos have shown that we possess these qualities in a large measure. If we demonstrate them again as we did in the past, calmly and heroically, we will save Nigeria from further bloodshed and imminent wreck and, at the same time, preserve our freedom and self-respect into the bargain.[/q]


May God rule and guide our deliberations here, and endow all the Nigerian leaders with the vision, realism, and unselfishness as well as courage and steadfastness in the course of truth, which the present circumstances demand. "

akigbemaru:

Why would Achebe wait till he turned senile to bulge out his hatred towards other tribes? Mind you, he never fought in Biafran War. He was in Lagos in the West living like a lesser king.

It seem you did not read the write-up by Achebe, where he narrated how he eventually escaped from Lagos to the east after many attempts on his life.

Coward or saboteur, Yoruba has history more than any other tribes in Nigeria of today. During Oyo Empire, Ibo extractions were just onlookers. Thanks to colonization that subdued and enfeebled our empire.
Our forefathers had always said, “ten reigns ten kings owns this life and one person cannot rule for life.”
Look at Britain, the then superpower; has turned to poodle not more, but a glorified house boy in world’s affairs.

You are so often, in truance world of your own as you will never make sense about anything.


It’s even an absurd to compare Yoruba with Ibo, the gulp of differences between both is huge. Everything we do in West, that is what ibos want to do too.
Let me advise all ibos, you want to break, learn to stay in iboland, create more businesses over there and let other tribes to come patronize you in your Eastern region.
Just like we Yoruba, more than 90 percent of us stay in South West. The only reason many of us in Abuja is because most of our culture from Lagos were exported over there.
[quote]
So 90% stays in the west, where is the remaining 10% then?  Maybe in Thamesmead South East London, turning it into the credit card fraud capital of the world.

Blaming Hausa for genocide against your people, but still move in multitude down to Hausa land; I just don’t get it.
I pray God will let your Biafran mission possible, if you cut 27,000 square km, from 921,000 square km. That is just a tip of an iceberg.
[quote]
Just like, there are still millions of Jews either living in Germany or they are German citizens. The same reasons thousands of Palestinians lined up every morning trying to go into Israel for jobs despite being sworn enemies. How someone who is proud of never to have left his village now had measured with tape, the whole Igboland and came up with his measurement. Like I said, you should go to the juvenile section, this is for matured adults with something meaningful to say.

One of you suggests that he would like to have a nation with Efik or Ibibio, you mean people from Calabar? Maybe you were on drugs for this one, these people have more land than Biafran land and they don’t want any incursion or infringement on their privacy.

It was me. Again you did not bother reading before writing. Because I said, I will rather form a nation with the Ibibios or the Efik than Yoruba/Ijaw as it become a mini Nigeria, but it has to be voluntary union. Now what is the above statement's relationship with your word incursion and who is infringing who?

[/quote][/quote]

And the quote from the great betraying sage shows up again:

"If it is claimed that an attack on the East is going to be launched by the Federal Government and not by the North as such and that it is designed to ensure the unity and integrity of the Federation, two other insuperable points also become obvious. First, if a war against the East becomes a necessity it must be agreed to unanimously by the remaining units of the Federation. [q]In this connection, the West, Mid- West and Lagos have declared their implacable opposition to the use of force in solving the present problem.[/q] In the face of such declarations by three out of remaining four territories of Nigeria, a war against the East could only be a war favoured by the North alone. Second, if the true purpose of such a war is to preserve the unity and integrity of the Federation, then these ends can be achieved by the very simple devices of implementing the recommendation of the committee which met on August 9 1966, as reaffirmed by a decision of the military leaders at Aburi on January 5 1967 as well as by accepting such of the demands of the East, West, Mid-West and Lagos as are manifestly reasonable, and essential for assuring harmonious relationships and peaceful co-existence between them and their brothers and sisters in the North."

Obafemi Awolowo

@ akigbemaru

I had ignored you earlier for exhibition of pure idi'ocy in your rants, but continuing to do so would amount to accepting your st'upid'ity as fact.
If you follow my positions here (if you are not too dumb), you would find out that I am not interested in size as a measure of a country's chance for success. I have carefully avoided falling into traps set by your people the Yoruba for the rest of Nigeria to fall into, whereby you cleverly engineered enmity between Igbo and Hausa (by taking a fiery position against Igbo in Biafra), and between Igbo and their brothers in the old east. You and your people are continuing to do so in your devious and unrepentant rants. History has already vindicated the Igbo many times over since the end of the war.

Let me say this (and I know you may realize this point), the rest of Nigeria is gradually identifying the Yoruba as the real enemy in Nigeria. It won't take long before this fact permeates. Ndigbo fought a war of self defense between 1967 and 1970. Your leader and your parents used the opportunity to scheme for Igbo annihilation but failed. Today your people keep making noise about democracy and constitutional reform and disturbing the peace of the rest of us, when you have no sincerity of purpose in your hearts.

When the resource control issue came up during the selfish Obasanjo constitutional conference, every region in the south agreed to support the south south position on resource control. Your people got to the conference and made a volte face and sabotaged it again. This was in 2006!(not 1967). And no one was threatening to secede then, yet you still betrayed the south south. Suddenly you dare stay in your miserable part of Yorubaland to define my boundary?   How st''u''pi'd can you get!
I cannot decide for non igbo parts of south south whom their real enemy is. Someone razed Odi for oil. Another fought with them for a common purpose. Someone is still stealing their oil resources while some of them are busy listening to enemies who wish their extinction for oil to flow. If given the opportunity, these same enemies would wipe out the oil producing regions.

All these tell me that the enmity between Igbo and Yoruba is much more entrenched than I thought. Non-Igbo parts of south south can make up their own minds. I guarantee that it won't be long before the Yoruba wake up to find out that they fell right into the very same pit they dug for others.  No be Najia we dey?

akigbemaru:


It’s even an absurd to compare Yoruba with Ibo, the gulp of differences between both is huge. Everything we do in West, that is what ibos want to do too.
Let me advise all ibos, you want to break, learn to stay in iboland, create more businesses over there and let other tribes to come patronize you in your Eastern region.
Just like we Yoruba, more than 90 percent of us stay in South West. The only reason many of us in Abuja is because most of our culture from Lagos were exported over there.
Blaming Hausa for genocide against your people, but still move in multitude down to Hausa land; I just don’t get it.
I pray God will let your Biafran mission possible, if you cut 27,000 square km, from 921,000 square km. That is just a tip of an iceberg.
One of you suggests that he would like to have a nation with Efik or Ibibio, you mean people from Calabar? Maybe you were on drugs for this one, these people have more land than Biafran land and they don’t want any incursion or infringement on their privacy.

Rabid id'oc'y. How dare you define my boundary? I know you are preparing to hide behind Hausa and gwodo gwodo soldiers again to invade and occupy parts of Igboland. That is when you would realize that Igbos in Lagos will fight you till the last man and Hausa won't help you because they will still have access to oil in the south south areas and the sea. But we Igbos will fight you Yoruba this time for our properties in Lagos. Just get ready because this is not Oyo empire time. Mudder'fu'fker!

I can now understand people like Arthur Nzeribe and Uche Chukwumerije. No wonder why they think that any political alliance with the Yoruba is id'io'tic. The current Igbo politicians don't want to hear anything about good government or constitutional reform or any progressive agenda or even any southern political alliance. They think the idea is stu'pi'd. What is the point, when 90% of the so called progressives are people of dubious history and proclivities.
I'm happy my people are learning fast!

@ alloy-emeka

[table]Yet the igbo hatred continues. It's pathetic; what is behind the massacre of over 30,000 igbos in the North before the Biafra war?. Is it also Igbo greed?. Your inability to read should be blamed here because your response shows you didn't understand the article.[/table]

Lets stop being too emotinal here and analyse based on facts and objectivity. We had and still have those who lived through those gory days. The igbos gathered so much momentum and became ever selfish and greedy. They were tops in the army and other endeavours, found in every nook and corners of the country.

When Nzeogwu and co struck, they called it a revolution, but the killings were more or less ethnical/regionally bias. Now what happened after wards, he became the igbo hero. In the north, while the hausa's(and Nigeria) were in grief and mourning of Tafawa Balewa and co, the igbos  living in the north(and other parts of nigeria) had the guts and were so insensitive to be caryying  posters and wearing lapels of Nzeogwu as a hero. As if that was not enough they were displaying every were the photos of the ridulled and charred body of the late Sir Ahmadu Bello. That was dispicable and forbidden. If you were a huasa man then what would you do. fold your hands and watch the misery on your soil, clap for them or join them? -  pls come on! This is what inspired the northern strong hold to power. The igbos called other nigerians fools, and  now that those other nigerians are wiser, they are crying foul.

Lets look for a way forward, no nody is ready for blood letting of that magnitude again. What is lacking is honesty, duty honor and love for country. Nigeria is our country, wether british manufactured or not, our fathers fought to have and keep it. If you think seperation is the solution then you got is wrong. Take a look at the west and the east and even the north you will see serious political, tribal rivalry and  animosity within each. and as such they will hardly do better than nigeria if they are to stand alone. Now how can this people be better off when they are made up of the same peoplewith the same attitude. We are operating a federation system, what stops a Governor, a minister, a legislator, a chairman form developing his immediait society. Do you think bank MD, politicians, public office holders will stop buying houses and investing abroad. Charity begins at home. All we in this country today is to sit down and assume, hope, dish out blames.

Before any entity created out of nigeria can trive, there must have been a cleansing from the dirt gotten form the mother country. But after such cleansing, believe me you wont be needing your own country  anymore because we there is now solution.

I believe there were times when being a nigerian was a thing of pride. We can still bring back those times, We all know what to do. Ask yourself,  am i faithfull to my country? if not you can never be loyal to any other country.

Respect to Achibe. one Nigeria, Love you all.

docheja:

@ alloy-emeka

[table]Yet the igbo hatred continues. It's pathetic; what is behind the massacre of over 30,000 igbos in the North before the Biafra war?. Is it also Igbo greed?. Your inability to read should be blamed here because your response shows you didn't understand the article.[/table]

Lets stop being too emotinal here and analyse based on facts and objectivity. We had and still have those who lived through those gory days. The igbos gathered so much momentum and became ever selfish and greedy. They were tops in the army and other endeavours, found in every nook and corners of the country.

When Nzeogwu and co struck, they called it a revolution, but the killings were more or less ethnical/regionally bias. Now what happened after wards, he became the igbo hero.[size=16pt] Bla bla blah![/size]

Yes it was Igbo coup. Igbo wanted to take over the whole world. End of story.
Just don't call us when planning your next pro-democracy demonstrations. I would advise any Igbo to stay away from them because it is a stoopid idea. Our fathers who fought the war are fast dying off and we younger Igbos are more interested in stealing our own share of the national cake.
We are perfectly happy with the status quo. I am faithful to steal my own share too. So, please move on!

@ onlytruth

[quote][/quote]I can now understand people like Arthur Nzeribe and Uche Chukwumerije. No wonder why they think that any political alliance with the Yoruba is id'io'tic. The current Igbo politicians don't want to hear anything about good government or constitutional reform or any progressive agenda or even any southern political alliance. They think the idea is stu'pi'd. What is the point, when 90% of the so called progressives are people of dubious history and proclivities.
I'm happy my people are learning fast!

While chukwumerije will still dance to the maradonna tunes of the likes of ibb, nzeribe will still be selling his arms to further enrich himself and anailate his people.

Lets live together jare!
Yes it was Igbo coup. Igbo wanted to take over the whole world. End of story.
Just don't call us when planning your next pro-democracy demonstrations. I would advise any Igbo to stay away from them because it is a stoopid idea. Our fathers who fought the war are fast dying off and we younger Igbos are more interested in stealing our own share of the national cake.
We are perfectly happy with the status quo. I am faithful to steal my own share too. So, please move on!

Sorry! i thougth you meant what you have been saying.Now i know aint serious minded.

docheja:

@ onlytruth

Sorry! i thougth you meant what you have been saying.Now i know aint serious minded.

WTF?
What is serious about your pipe dreams? You deny my version of seriousness and expect me to embrace yours.
Nigeria's greatest problem is idiocy.

I salute the ingenuity of Arthur Nzeribe and Uche Chukwumerije.

Onlytruth:

@ akigbemaru

I had ignored you earlier for exhibition of pure idi'ocy in your rants, but continuing to do so would amount to accepting your st'upid'ity as fact.
If you follow my positions here (if you are not too dumb), you would find out that I am not interested in size as a measure of a country's chance for success. I have carefully avoided falling into traps set by your people the Yoruba for the rest of Nigeria to fall into, whereby you cleverly engineered enmity between Igbo and Hausa (by taking a fiery position against Igbo in Biafra), and between Igbo and their brothers in the old east. You and your people are continuing to do so in your devious and unrepentant rants. History has already vindicated the Igbo many times over since the end of the war.

Let me say this (and I know you may realize this point), the rest of Nigeria is gradually identifying the Yoruba as the real enemy in Nigeria. It won't take long before this fact permeates. Ndigbo fought a war of self defense between 1967 and 1970. Your leader and your parents used the opportunity to scheme for Igbo annihilation but failed. Today your people keep making noise about democracy and constitutional reform and disturbing the peace of the rest of us, when you have no sincerity of purpose in your hearts.

When the resource control issue came up during the selfish Obasanjo constitutional conference, every region in the south agreed to support the south south position on resource control. Your people got to the conference and made a volte face and sabotaged it again. This was in 2006!(not 1967). And no one was threatening to secede then, yet you still betrayed the south south. Suddenly you dare stay in your miserable part of Yorubaland to define my boundary?   How st''u''pi'd can you get!
I cannot decide for non igbo parts of south south whom their real enemy is. Someone razed Odi for oil. Another fought with them for a common purpose. Someone is still stealing their oil resources while some of them are busy listening to enemies who wish their extinction for oil to flow. If given the opportunity, these same enemies would wipe out the oil producing regions.

All these tell me that the enmity between Igbo and Yoruba is much more entrenched than I thought. Non-Igbo parts of south south can make up their own minds. I guarantee that it won't be long before the Yoruba wake up to find out that they fell right into the very same pit they dug for others.  No be Najia we dey?

You clearly have a problem. Why are you getting all worked up because of one individual? You let your emotions get the better of you. You decided to spew the vitriol against the Yoruba because of one person. Your real feelings are coming out now. At the end of the day, you are one individual and you are entitled to your opinions. I doubt anyone would be worried about your opinion. I would be concerned if most Igbo people feel this way. But until then, I will continue to relate to each individual as an individual.

Let us look at certain facts. Lagos is home to many Igbo people. They love it there; they are respected there. There are even Igbo individuals who are part of Fashola's government. If most Igbo felt this way, they wouldn't be in the West. Now please enlighten, out of all the states in the East, which state(s) have other tribes (I mean from the West and the North) in their cabinets? While the Nigerians resident in Nigeria are getting on with their lives, those who live abroad continue to spread hate against other tribes and advocate for disintegration and secession. You are based in the US, live a comfy live, and yet you want to plunder Nigeria into chaos because you feel betrayed.

Onlytruth:

Rabid id'oc'y. How dare you define my boundary? I know you are preparing to hide behind Hausa and gwodo gwodo soldiers again to invade and occupy parts of Igboland. That is when you would realize that Igbos in Lagos will fight you till the last man and Hausa won't help you because they will still have access to oil in the south south areas and the sea. But we Igbos will fight you Yoruba this time for our properties in Lagos. Just get ready because this is not Oyo empire time. Mudder'fu'fker!

Wow!  This is one angry Biafran.  True to form, always ranting.

Why can't you Biafrans stay in your jungles.
Everyday y'all are being killed in the North; still, you keep going back.
I understand, it's greed that is overpowering your sense of judgement.

Everyday you log onto NL to rant and spew your usual victim nonsense.  Why don't you find a job or go work for your brother in a fake drug pharmacy store?

Katsumoto:

You clearly have a problem. Why are you getting all worked up because of one individual? You let your emotions get the better of you. You decided to spew the vitriol against the Yoruba because of one person. Your real feelings are coming out now. At the end of the day, you are one individual and you are entitled to your opinions. I doubt anyone would be worried about your opinion. I would be concerned if most Igbo people feel this way. But until then, I will continue to relate to each individual as an individual.

One individual? Check your history in Nigeria again and match it with the mindset of akigbemaru , then show me any difference.

Let us look at certain facts. Lagos is home to many Igbo people. They love it there; they are respected there. There are even Igbo individuals who are part of Fashola's government. If most Igbo felt this way, they wouldn't be in the West. Now please enlighten, out of all the states in the East, which state(s) have other tribes (I mean from the West and the North) in their cabinets?

Here you go again. Let me be brief, if the akigbemarus of yorubaland (and they are many) have their way, Igbos won't be living in any part of yorubaland. Mind you they are living there as part of the problems of surviving after the war. If Enugu or Owerri had an international airport since after the war, I doubt there would be this number of Igbos in yorubaland. So, we stay in Lagos not because we want but because we don't have a choice for now. If we had the same number of yorubas in anambra, we would appoint one of them to cabinet too. It doesn't show we love them. It is called window dressing.

While the Nigerians resident in Nigeria are getting on with their lives, those who live abroad continue to spread hate against other tribes and advocate for disintegration and secession. You are based in the US, live a comfy live, and yet you want to plunder Nigeria into chaos because you feel betrayed.

So because I'm based abroad like you I cannot comment on things that affect me even abroad? What are you smoking? You think Nigeria's mess only stops at the international gateways?  
As long as my land is forcibly kept part of Nigeria, I have a right to comment on all issues concerning Nigeria.

^^^
Add reporter to your list of infamy! Yoruba.

^^^
Just last year, a cup of garri was N5. This year it is N30! That is my idea of hyperinflation and it is all because of a nation forced on me. It is the height of selfishness to assume I would just turn a blind eye to the suffering of my people in a hopeless country. If they are not happy, there is no way I can be happy,even in heaven.
Selfish folks can never understand me, but that is their problem!

@ katsumoto
Do u knw Orji Kalu appointed Abiola's daughter as a senior special adviser. cant rmbr her name now. There were several non indigenes dat held high and sensitive post in Abia state during his 8yr tenure. Go ask anybdy frm Abia.
So if oda gov'rs r doin it now, it's nothing 2special.

henry101:

@ katsumoto
Do u knw Orji Kalu appointed Abiola's daughter as a senior special adviser. cant rmbr her name now. There were [b]several non indigenes dat held high and sensitive post in Abia state [/b]during his 8yr tenure. Go ask anybdy frm Abia.
So if oda gov'rs r doin it now, it's nothing 2special.

That is a bit wooly; please supply verifiable information. Thanks for your input.

Katsumoto,

Yoruba was a special adviser to Nnamani (Enugu) and to Orji Kalu (Abia). An Edo fellow is an adviser to Ohakim (Imo). There are Igbo and Yoruba advisers in Kano govt. Whatever Fasola is doing in this regard has a precedence and is not a big deal. Enough of this pettiness. Thanks