The best way to solve a problem is to avoid it. Once more, hundreds of people (many of them Igbo), have lost their lives in Northern Nigeria as an offshoot of a presidential election.

I don't want to ask why anymore. We've been asking why since the first northern riots even before Nigeria's independence. In a way, I think that the many years of failure by Igbo leadership to plan new towns and expand the urban living in SE led to mass movement of people to perennially hostile parts of Nigeria.

The starting of this campaign may be a little late because the gubernatorial elections are almost here, else we should be asking the candidates about their plans to build new towns in Igboland. Nevertheless, it is never really a quickie kind of strategy. It should be a deliberate and sustained effort to design our living space in Nigeria in such a way that guarantee us peace and security.

Needed Urgently: At least two new towns in each of the SE states. That should absorb the population of returning Igbos and our southern brothers living amongst us.

This action is well within our capacity. We don't need any "federal" approval to do this.
We have the spirit of independence. We can do this. Yes we can!

We can launch this and focus on it, and I can assure you that it will be viable. This is more relevant and urgent than the state creation campaign. If we get an extra state, fine and dandy. But I don't want anything that depends on the federal government for its success. We have never been protected in northern Nigeria by the federal government. The extra state they promised years ago is caged in federal politics.

We can create new towns and move there en mass. It is within our power. Let's do it.
If we do it, I can assure you that the problem of constant killing of Igbos in the north will end.

One Nigeria is only a figment of the imagination of blood suckers.

. . . and please, someone chase out those cattle rearers in agu Awka. We need land to build new towns.

The more I think of this, the more I see how easy it is.
All it takes are these:

(1) Designate locations, and do first structure plan (ie transportation and land use plan) for each town.

(2) Create a schedule for development (areas that must develop first before other areas in other to avoid chaotic development)

(3) Start selling land at below market prices to new settlers


Each new town should "breath" off an existing town, meaning to locate within short distance of existing towns.

If we even want, we can make it that new buyers of land will pay a certain fee (token) for road construction to service roads in front of their own properties, on a pro-rata basis.

My aim is to accomplish this with as little federal assistance as possible.

We can do this. Yes we can.

And to keep the cost low, we must use only local expertise and labor, unless our diaspora population can contribute "expatriate" service to the project. The universities in our zone can be challenged with some of the professional works needed to create these towns.

Finally, once the planning and construction of the arterial roads in the new towns are completed, SE governors should then issue a FINAL warning to Igbos in the north, telling them to leave the north and return home, and settle in the new towns.
If they fail to heed the call, THEY ARE THEN LEFT TO THEIR FATES.
The journey to our ultimate survival in Nigeria does not accommodate fools.

The situation is urgent. I cry for dead Igbos in the north mainly because they don't have a choice for now.
I will stop crying once they have a choice.

Enuf said.

Well, I see where you are heading with your sequential post. I admit it seems like common sense for Igbo people BUT


Guy are you serious? Which Igbo governors are you talking about? Ohakim or Orji, or the sleeping thief/chief in Ebonyi? Cant you see all the non-leaders from Abia state have been re-selected/elected for another wasteful 4 years. M<eanwhile, the exodus you read about in the bible is still on-going among Igbo, as they are found 40% here, 30% there, confused.

A better idea would be for Igbo to go back to their region and revolt against the mess their greedy and 419 leaders have created.

^^
All my solution threads are always based on the fact that you never know where the saviour might come from.

Look at Sullivan Chime, I bet you that everyone thought he would be like Chimaroke Nnamani. Well he is not.

Look at Peter Obi, he may lack revolutionary ideas, which is what threads like this can accomplish. Already there is a new town being planned in Omambala area (if I'm not mistaken).

Part of our duty is to spring up ideas for our governors.

An idle governor will likely steal money than a governor with HUGE expenditure to attend to.

I think rather than building new cities, the east should expand its current cities. Cities like Owerri, Umuahia, Aba, Okigwe, Enugu and co are still too small and can accommodate millions more people if expanded. If they have to incorporate surrounding villages into larger metropolis, so be it.

Onlytruth:

^^
All my solution threads are always based on the fact that you never know where the saviour might come from.

Look at Sullivan Chime, I bet you that everyone thought he would be like Chimaroke Nnamani. Well he is not.

Look at Peter Obi, he may lack revolutionary ideas, which is what threads like this can accomplish. Already there is a new town being planned in Omambala area (if I'm not mistaken).

Part of our duty is to spring up ideas for our governors.

An idle governor will likely steal money than a governor with HUGE expenditure to attend to.

You are absolutely right about Chime and to some extent Obi. However, you  cant limit the solution to the finding of a saviour. The fundamental problem Igbo people are facing now can best be summarized as being displaced--even in the East. The general mindset among them has allowed for complacency, money craze, power grabing, mansion building, and Northern town going. I'm a bit of Igbo, Bini, and Yoruba, and the Igbo side are living in various places- even in Katsina.

Isnt that crazy?

@Rossikk

Yes you are correct. Even Enugu can be turned into the Johannesburg of West African due to its natural topography.
But, I'm talking about areas that would allows us to bring in NEW ideas about city design and planning.

Our returning folks need that sense of "new town and settlement" to be attracted to it.

It would also allow us space to redesign existing ones.

Rossikk:

I think rather than building new cities, the east should expand its current cities. Cities like Owerri, Umuahia, Aba, Okigwe, Enugu and co are still too small and can accommodate millions more people if expanded. If they have to incorporate surrounding villages into larger metropolis, so be it.

Those cities never had any type of structure to begin with, some growing out of British trade post and as you see today, jaga jaga. You can however work on parts of the city, particularly Enugu, but utlimately, you need to build a world class settlement.

But that cant happen until fundamental issues are cleared in Igbo political and social setup

Posted by: mens dept

You are absolutely right about Chime and to some extent Obi. However, you  cant limit the solution to the finding of a saviour. The fundamental problem Igbo people are facing now can best be summarized as being displaced--even in the East. The general mindset among them has allowed for complacency, money craze, power grabing, mansion building, and Northern town going. I'm a bit of Igbo, Bini, and Yoruba, and the Igbo side are living in various places- even in Katsina.

Isnt that crazy?  

That is why I proposed the involvement of universities in Igboland (because of psychological and sociological analysis of the problem).
Most of the Igbos go there because they sense opportunity there.

If we provide such opportunity by building of new towns through self help, they will return.

If they don't return, other southerners will take over the opportunity.

That is why I said that the journey to our survival does not accommodate fools.

If they don't wisen up, they die . . . unsong and unmourned.  

has it occurred to the op that maybe some of the migrating Igbos actually like or prefer living among other tribes/nationalities.

no offence.



But for the occasional riots in the north, most people wouldnt mind living there.

though the idea of new towns is a good one, and shouldnt be limited to the southeast alone.

Great plan Onlytruth! This is exactly what we need to do.

I AM BEHIND YOU!!!! there is so much potential. . . but there is a big problem. . .
many will not welcome new people into their towns and/or villages. you know how with Africans, land and residency is very crucial. everyone's land has a history, belongs to someone, someone is buried there, certain communities are very clannish and only welcome those from or related to that area, etc.
i mean, thats one of Africa's challenges. you wanna develop the country, but then again, that is someone's farmland, this, that, and the other.  for the United States, they were only able to do that because they basically wiped out and kicked the Native Americans out of their land own land. many here in California are fighting against the government wanting to use their land to build parking lots or shopping centers. so it might be hard to expand or develop if things like this become an issue for some people. the idea is good, but i think all current cities and towns should be developed, but the smaller towns and villages should be left alone, as people in those areas are very traditional. bring them good education, health care, water, electricity, and jobs, but leave them to do what they want with their land as it is very sacred.

for Imo State: i already had this mastermind cooked up in my head that Oguta would be a great place to develop in Imo State. many people already visit there just to see the lake alone, why not build on that?

btw, Ebonyi needs it more than any other state because that state is severely underdeveloped.

i think what needs to happen first and foremost is constant electricity. that is CRUCUAL. if it can be provided on a local/state level, that would be great. all these states need to stop sitting around waiting for the Fed government to bring power, because we know they will still come up with lies and more lies.

Onlytruth, what part of the East are you from? you should run for Governor, why not?

tpiah,

Yes it occurred to me that some Igbos like to live among other groups, but they are not safe in the north. 80 years or so of history has proven that the north is not safe for them. They can move south. If they don't move then, they will be on their own.

My plan is also aimed at defeating this lie that Igboland is congested. It is NOT. By a looooooong shot.

The plan will create a new economic zone that can grow and create opportunities for peaceful southerners.


@Amaka,

I am from Anambra state, but my soul dwells in EVERY inch of Igboland. I would rather serve as one of future Igbo leaders (even as a gate man sef ) than bother with my state leadership. I have philosophical, and cultural convictions about Igbo destiny.

@Onlytruth, i feel you. but what about what i said about villages and small communities and not being very welcoming to "outsiders" because even in my village, i know how people from other towns in Imo State or another Local Government even, get looked at in a funny way and talked about. they are really not welcoming to outsiders at all! unless you are married into the community or what not.

@Amaka,

The plan will  use near vacant lands, and there are plenty of such in Igboland. I've seen them personally in Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi and parts of Delta north.

The Land Use Act vests land on the governors. So, they can "take" lands without paying compensation to communities, provided such lands are not developed, and are for public good.

So, your fears are taken into consideration.

I've seen it myself as well (in Imo State at least) there are many vacant lands around (although im kinda a tree hugger and don't like seeing trees and other aspects of nature destroyed for human expansion ), but this maps seems to say otherwise. they make it seem as if all Igbos are rubbing shoulders with each other. lol

[img]http://iearn-pph.comlu.com/imagesss/demographics.PNG[/img]



*random* and for some saying that there are as many Igbos in Igbo land as in the North, then that means we're must be the largest ethnic group in Nigeria 

Question: What sustains the economy of these towns? To build a viable town from scratch is usually quite difficult, unless there is some economic asset nearby (mine, oil well, port, etc) to stimulate growth.

I suppose you are envisioning these towns more as suburbs (at first) of other major cities in the SE zone? If so, that constrains the locations of these towns, since they'll then need to be close to where jobs are.

But at least you have a larger guarantee about the viability of your town.

^ ^ ^ good road networks so someone can easily get from point A to point B even if they don't live near their work. and that will also lead to the need of a legit transportation sector.

THE AMAKA:

^ ^ ^ good road networks so someone can easily get from point A to point B even if they don't live near their work. and that will also lead to the need of a legit transportation sector.

So yeah, that is a related (but sort of separate) issue that constrains where you can locate your new town. Crappy roads means less choice in where you can locate your proposed towns. . . since a town that is difficult to reach won't attract many people (and spending money on improving the roads in and out raises the cost of your project dramatically, reducing its attractiveness)

@ekt-bear,

The economy of any place depends on HUMAN BEINGS not oil or natural resources. Though Igboland is rich in oil and gas. Anambra state alone has 3 trillion cubic feet of gas.

The economy will revolve around manufacturing. We will establish industries there, but the first to spring up will be commerce.
First, commerce, which will attract banks, which will attract corporate businesses, which will attract skilled labor, and tech outfits, health care outfits, research institutes, etc.

btw, i love your signature. lol

@Onlytruth: In a sense, human beings are just another resource, heh.

Anyway, my point is that you need something significant already nearby to attract people and make your town vibrant. There are many possible choices for that attracting factor (natural resource/port/existing economic center nearby, etc), but you need something.

A new planned town in the middle of nowhere in Ebonyi will be harder to to make successful than say the same planned town as a suburb of Onitsha. This is why I was asking if you were envisioning the suburb route.

[b]That map by Amaka do not do justice to the Igbo quest for additional state. The idea of clamouring for yet another state in such an enmeshed and squeezed urban conurbation (or so it seems from an unbridled eye) may make a mockery of such request only equal to the rather unsolicited and mute request for Lagoon State from Lagos state. That request seems laughable,  personally I think, if at all any state should be created it would have to be Anioma state. Any other request, and I have seeing many people proffer certain segements of existing state taken out and added to yet certain areas expunged from other state creating what seemingly would be an artificial in conception of a new state. The idea of severing many states in other to create a concoction of states out of mish-mashing many other areas is a non-starter, sounds like creating something out of nothing, " abracadabra".

I personally think when people are bereft of idealogical ideas of moving communities into the next development stage or cycle it is then they result in making un-wanton, unbelievable and redundant request, the thought that another state should come out of the present day SE and not the (SS being a genuine request for Anioma state) must be muted with the utmost secrecy and in hush tone. The idea is dumb, the arguments are equally amateurish and a no-brainer, some of the more noted and celebrated arguments was the NW has 7 states and other regions have six each, why should the SE be short-changed.

Understandably the SE has 5 state presently, but the inclusion of " Anioma" in that equation would be seen as a right decision going by the affinity of surrounding areas most especially " Onitsha" which were it not for the River Niger can be termed a suburb of " Asaba" or vice versa.

These are residues of anomalies created by some of the many delusional dictators and buffons that have strode in our corridors of power, this particular one was the handy work of  " IBB" as a present to his bride, is one sham and convoluted idea that has been left to linger-on for too long, the issues here needs to be addressed and promptly so. This amongst many others are some of the terrible legacies of semi-illiterate leadership that was bestowed on our nation from yester-years. I hope the next parliament would be able to address this abberration the sooner when they reconvene rather than later.

[/b]

Igbos need to move to Ebonyi state. That state is the least populated state in the South-East. Plus, it has been neglected in terms of education and business. Igbos should invest in that state. Abia needs to be developed as well. And Imo still looks like a jungle to me, no offense.

However, I support this message though. Igbos need to start looking home instead of going to the North, where there lives are not worth anything to the marauding barbarians.

I would like to believe that the map Amaka posted was obtained by asking about state of origin. So, in essence, it already includes Igbos living in other parts of Nigeria.

I know for a fact that each state in SE can create several new towns.
I deliberately stated at the opening post that the new towns should be located within short distances of existing business towns in order to survive. Ultimately, with good planning, we can network the towns together through modern transportation planning. So, they don't necessarily have to be near existing towns.
All they need is anchor business, eg a modern international standard university hospital can create a new town on its own.
Like someone already stated, existing towns like Enugu can accommodate about 5 times its current population.
The new towns are for innovation and modernity. These would attract skilled work force and corporate businesses.

@ekt-bear,

If it makes you feel better, we have more oil and gas in Igboland than most African countries. Why I don't emphasize it is because the federal government will become involved once you start talking about minerals.
We will do this on pure HUMAN capital.

@KnowAll,

I also believe that the only state Ndigbo need right now is Anioma state which MUST be joined to SE zone.
For us, it is about balance of power at the center. If we get Anioma state and join it to SE zone, Igbo voice will be heard loud and clear at the center.

And we can plan our cities together too.

I also believe that the only state Ndigbo need right now is Anioma state which MUST be joined to SE zone.
For us, it is about balance of power at the center. If we get Anioma state and join it to SE zone, Igbo voice will be heard loud and clear at the center.

And we can plan our cities together too

I agree with your position and that was what my peice was all about, outside off Anioma any other request in SE 'proper' is a joke and fruitless exercise.