Ndigbo, Nigerians and 2015

Written by John Okiyi Kalu   
Saturday, 06 August 2011 10:25

Fellow Nigerians, Chief Obafemi Awolowo once said; "you cannot be a good Nigerian if you are not a good Yoruba man". I, John Okiyi Kalu, am Igbo and a good Nigerian. I love Nigeria because I also love Ndigbo. I love Africa. I will not shy away from saying the truth about an injustice that has persisted since Nigeria gained independence.The political conspiracy against Ndigbo in Nigeria is hurting me. For the simple reason that I am Igbo by
birth, I cannot aspire to be President of Nigeria. If I dare, my fellow compatriots will scream "secession".

Is it really true that Ndigbo want to secede from Nigeria? Will a people who want to secede invest in all parts of Nigeria? From Jega in Kebbi state to Oshogbo in Osun state; from Toro in Bauchi State down to the rough terrains of Otueke in Bayelsa state, Ndigbo have lived and continue to live and peacefully do business all over Nigeria. They have contributed to the development of those places.

They have also paid with their blood and properties for the sake of national unity.Let us face facts. Did Igbo’s ever go to war against Nigeria or was a war of self preservation imposed on them? Recently, a principal member of Chief Awolowo's kitchen cabinet confessed that Nzeogwu and his co-coupists actually planned to make Awo the president of Nigeria. Not Zik. Not Okpara. But Ndigbo were hunted and killed by their brothers and neighbors and forced to flee to the east for sanctuary.

Even at Aburi, they never asked for Biafra. They asked to be allowed to remain Nigerians and develop at their own pace, living side by side with their brothers from the North and West. Since the end of the civil war, they have made contributions to the peace, growth and development of Nigeria. They have performed whatever task the Nigerian nation assigned to them. They love Nigeria. I love Nigeria. They do not want secession. I do not want secession. They want to contribute to the growth of Nigeria. I want to do the same.In 1999, this country bent backwards to right the injustice wrong done to Abiola and the Yorubas.

‘To heal a festering national wound and correct the injustice in the Niger Delta, Nigerians supported the emergence of President Jonathan as the running mate of late President Yar’Adua in 2007. In 2015, I invite you to do your bit to re-integrate Igbos into Nigeria and put the ghost of the civil war permanently to bed. Give my children hope that one day they can excel in Nigeria and be judged by the quality of their brain output and the content of their character when they contest for the Presidency of Nigeria

Every Igbo man is hurting. Some can mask it and pretend there is nothing wrong. Others will show overt alignment with other Nigerian tribes in the hope of being accepted as a "true Nigerian". Many more will complain privately and dare not speak up for fear of being branded tribalists.I am a tribalist only to the extent that I was born in a Nigerian tribe. Just like you. You will be a negative tribalist if you fail to recognize that something is wrong with the Nigerian system that has effectively excluded the Igbo man from the Presidency. Right the injustice.I’m not the only one making this call. Other "nationalists" have made similar calls. Read them and take a stand. God bless you.

“The Nigerian Question is the Igbo Question because it is only the Igbo person that is found in every hamlet, in every cave, at every footpath, at every marketplace, on every river course or swamp in Nigeria, working very hard – often too hard – to make any environment he finds himself better. Hence, an Igbo man, women or child is affected by any problem or crisis anywhere in Nigeria. So, it would make a lot of sense – and Nigeria would be doing itself a world of good – if the burden of running Nigeria is placed on the head of an Igbo man or woman. He has everything to gain if Nigeria is well run; everything to lose, if it is badly run, ” (LAND OF THE RISEN SUN by Uche Ezechukwu)“

Having said that, this nation must realise that Igbos have more than paid,  They have been defeated in war, rendered paupers by monetary policy fiat, their properties declared abandoned and confiscated, kept out of strategic public sector appointments and deprived of public services. The rest of the country forced them to remain in Nigeria and has continued to deny them equity.The Northern Bourgeoisie and the Yoruba Bourgeoisie have conspired to keep the Igbo out of the scheme of things.

In the recent transition when the Igbo solidly supported the PDP in the hope of an Ekwueme presidency, the North and South-West treated this as a Biafra agenda. Every rule set for the primaries, every gentleman´s agreement was set aside to ensure that Obasanjo, not Ekwueme emerged as the candidate. Things went as far as getting the Federal Government to hurriedly gazette a pardon. Now, with this government, the marginalistion of the Igbo is more complete than ever before. The Igbos have taken all these quietly because, they reason, they brought it upon themselves. But the nation is sitting on a time-bomb.After the First World War, the victors treated Germany with the same contempt Nigeria is treating Igbos.

Two decades later, there was a Second World War, far costlier than the first. Germany was again defeated, but this time, they won a more honourable peace. Our present political leaders have no sense of History. There is a new Igbo man, who was not born in 1966 and neither knows nor cares about Nzeogwu and Ojukwu. There are Igbo men on the street who were never Biafrans. They were born Nigerians, are Nigerians, but suffer because of actions of earlier generations. They will soon decide that it is better to fight their own war, and may be find an honourable peace, than to remain in this contemptible state in perpetuity.” - Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria.

“In 2015, I will love to see that an Igbo man becomes president of this country so that it will fully put an end to the civil war matter and fully integrate them into Nigeria. After the civil war, they need to completely feel like Nigerians.
''If we must make every one believe that he belongs to this country, then it is after an Igbo man has been given the opportunity of being president in 2015 to complete the programme of fighting for the unity of this country by General Gowon.” - General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida“We cannot show the end of the civil war if the South East is not supported to produce the president in 2015. We have to show to the world that even after a war, anyone from anywhere, from any religion or tribe can aspire to become President of Nigeria and I will do all I can to see that this happens.” - General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida"

I am committed in laying solid foundation in four years and will make sure that the dream of Ndigbo of becoming president in 2015 is actualized.” – General Muhammadu Buhari"The little credit recorded by Obasonjo's govt. came from the Igbos in his cabinet.They've succeeded in every sphere of life.

Why don't we allow them to govern this country"[b] Gani Fawehimi“Some 40 years after the civil war, it is about time that someone who is Igbo, one of Nigeria’s three largest ethnic groups, became President of Nigeria. This will be the boldest way to put the civil war behind us, It is in writing, it was widely publicised, and I want to be held to it.” Atiku Abubakar. [/b]Stand up for justice, equity and progress in Nigeria. Since our nation's independence, the office of the Head of State of Nigeria has been occupied thus number of years: NW: 15, NE: 6, NC: 18, SW: 11, SS: 1 (+4 in service), SE: Nigerians arise and correct this inequity! Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere…

http://elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7664:ndigbo-nigerians-and-2015&catid=25:politics&Itemid=92

^^^

My name is Onlytruth, and I endorse this message.

Since when did Igbo people beg? I don't give a shit about Igbo presidency, I don't give a shit about a next able bodied man "re-integrating" another able bodied Igbo man, and if they like let them hug the presidency chair into River Benue.

PS. Anything that happens to an Igbo person (unnecessarily) resident in Sharia states is no fault but theirs.

^^

hehehe!

ezeagu my brother. The oke nkita ji isi anya oku 1 of Igboland.

I actually had you in mind when I posted this article.
Let's just say that this article is part of our blind investment in Nigeria. We are NOT begging anyone.
We are just making our case in front of the "international community". Nobody begs for his basic human rights anywhere in the world. World war 2 settled that.
Personally, I believe that Biafra lost the international support because our then leaders did not understand how outsiders (especially the powerful ones) saw our position. It may appear like begging, it ain't.

stop posting all this rubbish here , if you want presidency campaign hard for it simple and short, the more you post these rubbish the more you look pathetic and unserious, stop disgracing igbo people. the average igbo man will slap you for belittling him by posting such .

Onlytruth:

^^

hehehe!

ezeagu my brother. The oke nkita ji isi anya oku 1 of Igboland. 

I actually had you in mind when I posted this article.
Let's just say that this article is part of our blind investment in Nigeria. We are NOT begging anyone. 
We are just making our case in front of the "international community". Nobody begs for his basic human rights anywhere in the world. World war 2 settled that.
Personally, I believe that Biafra lost the international support because our then leaders did not understand how outsiders (especially the powerful ones) saw our position. It may appear like begging, it ain't.

The only thing the international community needs to do for Igbo people now is to bring their airlines for Enugu international. The whole world knows what is going on in Nigeria, the whole world knows was has been done and what is being done to Igbo people. Many Igbo people have accepted Nigeria will never work and should continue with their 'siddon-look' attitude with a rifle in hand for 'that day'.

Posted by: DRlulu

stop posting all this rubbish here , if you want presidency campaign hard for it simple and short, the more you post these rubbish the more you look pathetic and unserious, stop disgracing igbo people. the average igbo man will slap you for belittling him by posting such .

^^

No my brother, the sensible ones won't.

Posted by: Onlytruth

The only thing the international community needs to do for Igbo people now is to bring their airlines for Enugu international. The whole world knows what is going on in Nigeria, the whole world knows was has been done and what is being done to Igbo people. Many Igbo people have accepted Nigeria will never work and should continue with their 'siddon-look' attitude with a rifle in hand for 'that day'.

I agree my brother. My only regret is that we dropped the riffle in the first place. That was JUST WRONG.
The international flights can come to Enugu if we pressure our people and Igbo governors. They can pull the strings.

ezeagu:

Since when did Igbo people beg? I don't give a shit about Igbo presidency, I don't give a shit about a next able bodied man "re-integrating" another able bodied Igbo man, and if they like let them hug the presidency chair into River Benue.

PS. Anything that happens to an Igbo person (unnecessarily) resident in Sharia states is no fault but theirs.

You beat me to the post. I sincerely believed the author was born after Nigeria/Biafra civil war and had become deluded with stinking presidency of Nigeria. I had accepted a teething Biafra over jaundice-jointed old hag called Nigeria that is capable of nothing.

Posted by: Dede1

You beat me to the post. I sincerely believed the author was born after Nigeria/Biafra civil war and had become deluded with stinking presidency of Nigeria. I had accepted a teething Biafra over jaundice-jointed old hag called Nigeria that is capable of nothing.

My brothers are killing me with laughter eziokwu! hehe.

DRlulu:

stop posting all this rubbish here , if you want presidency campaign hard for it simple and short, the more you post these rubbish the more you look pathetic and unserious, stop disgracing igbo people. the average igbo man will slap you for belittling him by posting such .

well said gbamm

@Onlytruth

Our first president was from the SE (Nnamdi)

our first head of state was from the SE (Ironsi)

^^

alj_harem

The only "President" of Igbo extraction was Ironsi, and he was there for barely 6 months and paid with his life. His ill-fated "presidency" was followed by the greatest mass murder in the history of Africa. So tell me, is that supposed to be counted as an "Igbo presidency"?

Onlytruth:

The international flights can come to Enugu if we pressure our people and Igbo governors. They can pull the strings.

The only thing you need to do to make them come is to take them to the three international airports and tell them to ask every passenger where they are heading. It's all business, if they can grasp the amount of traffic they'll get, they'll be the one begging.

Onlytruth:

^^

alj_harem

The only "President" of Igbo extraction was Ironsi, and he was there for barely 6 months and paid with his life. His ill-fated "presidency" was followed by the greatest mass murder in the history of Africa. So tell me, is that supposed to be counted as an "Igbo presidency"?

what about Nnamdi, was he not the president  ?

onlytruth forget this "greatest murder in history thing" we have passed that stage, we are brothers now

If ndi igbo want presidency 2015.

1. they should not have allowed jonathan at the first place, or better still, they should have made there intention clear

2. Now that is done, they have to make allies, Not all this ss. I mean either with the north or SW

3. It strongly depends on the candidate SE produce because there are strong contenders outside SE like david, and yes fashola

alj_harem:

well said gbamm

@Onlytruth

Our first president was from the SE (Nnamdi)

our first head of state was from the SE (Ironsi)

What a cow-dung. I suggest you shut your putrid and cow- disease infested mouth.

@OP

The loafer who wrote the inconsequential piece of crap had the same mindset of few Igbo politicians and military officers of yesteryears who literally slept on their responsibilities to Ndigbo by not luring economic infrastructures or mega city to Igbo land while time ticked. They sat on the apex of political position of the cesspit called Nigeria while locked in a delusional euphoria about silly One-Nigeria.

Ibos Presidency? Okay o

Dede,

You and Honorable Peter Obahiahgbon must be brothers.

Anyway, I didn't understand what you just wrote, can you please break it down for me.

What's the Honorable's name, is it Patrick or Peter? Someone correct me.

They want a Biafra by all means but they have realized that to get Biafra they first need political victory. Their understanding of pollitical victory is an Ibo man on top. If Ibo man is not on top then they don't believe they won.

But this plead should have come before they voted Gej in, not after. They have upheld Gej and all he stood for as representation of what Ibo want, in other words, a Gej victory is an Ibo victory. So why ask for SE in 2015?

Gej was VP for 4yrs, he is now President and you are asking to have another President out of SE in 2015. Its impossible!

As is usual for them to do, Ibos put the cart before the horse. Gej is on SE slot.

Onlytruth:


I, John Okiyi Kalu, am Igbo and a good Nigerian. I love Nigeria because I also love Ndigbo.

Any Igbo that professes "love" for the nigerian dungeon needs to be shot!

I believe the writer of this junk must be one of these "Abuja Igbo", who have remained delusional .

While other nations are looking for ways to better their country and its economy, Nigerians are busy looking for who will rule the country and it doesn't matter if the person is a goat as long as he/she belongs to their ethnic group.

There are few very interesting facts I want to share with Nigerians.
Nigeria never produced and branded a made in Nigeria computer until Leo Stan Ekeh (an Igbo son) made that happen. Today, Nigeria can boast of Zinox and the brand is almost everywhere now in Nigeria.
Nigeria never produced and branded a made in Nigeria car or vehicle until Innoson by Chukwuma showed up. Today Innoson is about to rescue the transportation sector.

In essense, today, if you find a made in Nigeria computer or car, there is a big chance that they are either of these two brands. Jealous folks would dismiss these as trivial. Some would say they merely assembled parts. My question is, why didn't ANYONE assemble those parts and brand them before Igbo sons did it? If they did, where are they today?

The fact remains that to move Nigeria forward, you need an Igboman. We are really the only folks in Nigeria with a can-do spirit to DARE move Nigeria forward.

The inevitable outcome of failure to entrust that job to us is to accept that Nigeria will DEFINITELY disintegrate very soon because the offsprings of lions don't chew grass. Y'all can choose to be donkeys or other grass chewing species. We are LIONS. We ain't chewing no goddamn grass.

Personally, I feel that our condition has gotten a bit better just reading this. This is truly a powerful message.

Ufodi ndi no na Nigeria n'ewu bridge na' jikota AliIgbo na Nigeria.

Barca mes que uno club.