₦airaland Forum

ChinenyeN:
What Asha suggested is the ONLY thing I will find acceptable. Any other form of government can be scrapped. Asha, thank you for your suggestion. Also, I understand that you don't mean it negatively, but how do you think my upbringing affected my thinking?
Udezue, I don't understand why you find it so difficult to understand my position.

Now you told me that that you born in lagos and stayed there till you were at least 7yrs old before you relocated to the US.My guess is that you did not get to mix up well with other people of other igbo subgroups(your mates) while you were maturing.What this means is that as you were growing up probably it was ngwa that was the language been spoken to you and your house hold.Now later as you are maturing you now want to find out more about NGWA people(through journals and family members) and in the process you discover that there are other people(sub igbo groups) that have similar culture and language as you.Hence that statement you once made that you only started accepting you are igbo recently

Now for me and numerous others(like the those people in your amaaala meetings that were speaking more of general igbo than ngwa)it is a different scenario.Like i have told you before my Dad is from Obowo and Mum is from Mbaise and i was born and brought up in Owerri.It the place i grew up in Owerri families from other igbo subgroups were our neighbours.People from Arochukwu,Mbaise,Abakiliki,Orlu,Ngwa,Ohafia,Ideato,Isiukwuato were all there.There was also an Hausa family living near.I will get back to this.

The thing now is that us the kids of these parents in the area grew up speaking our different dialects at home but as we mixed with each other in schools and playgrounds our different dialects started to give way to what i term 'street igbo' as communication developed btw us.Now all these are happenning as young as when someone was a toddler.We got to understand that we were speaking similar languages and in the process in order for effective communication dialects were interchanging.This 'street igbo' is usually influnced by the town or city one was brought up in ( the Owerri 'street igbo' is quite different from the Onitsha 'street igbo') and also by the igbo izugbe we learnt in school.

Also we were quite aware of our little differences culturally.Eg as young as 11yrs one of my friends who was from Ohafia was already aware that we do iwa akwa in our hometown while they do not courtsey of my older cousin who was doing his own and my friend accmpanied us to my village.Also when visiting this guy at his home i could not understand more than 50% of what he was saying with his parents.

It is not that we do not know our differences but it is no longer a big deal to most of us.It is not that we can no longer speak our dialects again but due to the nature of how we grew up the 'street igbo' more often that not predominates hence why that Ngwa music flick that you saw might have been done in non pure Ngwa.

However for that hausa guy that grew with us it was obvious that he was different depite speaking igbo with us.I mean at his home that language was totally different and their name no where familiar with the familiar igbo names we all knew.

[quote author=UcheUwadi_ link=topic=445908.msg6043612#msg6043612 date=1273974151]Ok I understand why refineries would be built along the coast in Bayelsa and Lagos state but I do not understand why build a refinery in Kogi State. Refineries should be located near the sea and also close to where the oil is extracted. It is not economical to build a refinery that is not close to where the oil is extracted or shipped. And like someone else said, the Nigerian governments needs to work on maintaining existing refineries before building more.[/quote]You forget that this nigeria where common sense and rationalilty is seen as an abnormaly.

Kobojunkie:
hhhm . . . Ignorant or just what you are unwilling to settle with?

Feel free to think what you like.

[quote author=UcheUwadi_ link=topic=445416.msg6043602#msg6043602 date=1273973742]Interesting discussion. Yes, I agree that we Igbos have to get rid of our clannish sentiment, but our mini republics is what makes our people great. I'll be damn if we have a king. I am ok with a military or political leader who can channel Igbo interest, but hell no to any king. Excuse my language. Yes, I believe in a strong unified Igbo state, but I only support a state that recognizes our differences as well. Case in point, look at how Germany is unified, but at the same time, there are regional differences among the Germans. Bavarians consider themselves Germans just like the Prussians, but there are still differences among them.[/quote]

To me the german scenario is the best case for the 'igbo nation'.

Every igbo subgroup should be quite independent and fiscally responsible(generate its own revenue) for itself.It is now left for a subgroup to allow its homeland to to comsmopolitan in nature eg owerri,enugu or prefer to stay 'pure' eg abiriba town.

Every subgroup should send ite representative to the 'parlierment' for the region.

I prefer a leader.i do not understand this king issue as that has never been part of our life(except some few subgroups).

However it is glaring that we cannot continue with our 'village democracy'in this age.

[quote author=~Bluetooth link=topic=445256.msg6043599#msg6043599 date=1273973530]i'm waiting for an answer to my question.what is the origin of the word 'biafra'[/quote]Sorry i do not have time for lazy brains.i gave you a name Francis Opugo.Go and ask him if you so desire the origin.

Sjeezy8 noted.

Onlytruth:
Watch this ibibio with the sound off, and the truth will stare you in the face!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbcYl1pcmFk&feature=related


Truly, we in the EAST are ONE people!

Guy u cannot be too sure.

Kobojunkie:
Well, not as ignorant as the claim you made there.


Again, those outside of your head align the Biafran cause with the Ibos. You don't even need to look far to figure that one out.  It is common knowledge, whether YOU deem it ignorant or not. That you are convinced it is not, does not mean those you want to SAVE know what you know. So, I think educating folks on what your cause is really about, and who it is FOR would be a good place to start, whether you want to take sides or not. And that again brings me back to the question, how many people actually know of and agitate for biafra? What percentage of people do?

Like i said i am just here to clarify ignorant comments.i am not on anyside here.

sjeezy8 you are yet to tell me when ijaws started existing in akwa ibom state as indegens.

Kobojunkie:
Uummm . . . Maybe those of you who claim to be enlightened should spend some time enlightening yourself with what the masses actually think of your cause rather than pontificating on here about how it ought to be this way and not that.

Sorry not siding anyone here.Just clarifying ignorant comments.

onlytruth sometimes it is better to ignore bluetooth.

Kobojunkie:
You re fund of generalizing and that is what I can't get beyond here. Are you telling me that EVERY OGOJAN out there wants Biafra? You still never indicated what percentage of the Ijaws want this.

It would be dishonest to deny the fact that the fight for Biafra was linked more to Ibos than the other tribes down there. Matter of fact, it was reported that many of the minority groups in the areas(the non ibos) felt they were being hauled along by the Ibos. So, yes, many people still think Ibo when the word 'Biafra' is mentioned.

While they might not be faulted for thinking that way,those of us here the so called enlightened folks should know otherwise.

ChinenyeN:
Onlytruth, where has it worked before? Where did we have a "king"? Help me out an enlighten me.

Udezue, no. I cannot and simply will not give it up. I do not thoroughly identify with the rest of Igbo, the way I identify with Ngwa. So do not expect me to fall in line like others. Also I am more than flexible. Being Ngwa has not hindered me from associating and dealing with other Igbo, both informally and professionally. I do not have to identify like you to work alongside you. Simple.

I like your argurements but i also think how you grew up is also affecting ur thinking on this issue(i do not mean it in a negative way)

Kobojunkie:
But he only made assertions just as you have done all this while without some serious facts behind his claims. I can equally make the claims he did without providing support of any kind but what has that to do with reality? I equally know some Calabar people who do not really recognize themselves as Ibos. Matter of fact, I work[b] with some of them and we go on and on about how Ibos are not calabars and calabars are not necessarily ibos.[/b]

Not an intelligent argurement from you.

Igbo does not equate biafra.

_{Perches to watch proceedings}

sjeezy8:
^^^ lol those ijaw will deal with igbo people if they try and take a meter of Ijawland into biafra.
See the way Ijaws want to split rivers and akwa ibom into two homogenous ijaw states.

The most realitic thing for igbos to do is have only igboland in biafra, because they seem to forget ijaws will NOT be split again between different states or regions let alone freakin countries.


lol biafrans cannot just boy boy ijaw people- they have their own minds dis is not 1966- they want ijaw only states.

Guy when did ijaw start existing in akwa ibom

[quote author=~Bluetooth link=topic=445256.msg6043517#msg6043517 date=1273970541]what does biafra mean?
who did ojukwu consult in akwa ibom before taking them to war?
how many prominent akwa ibom support biafra?
How will the igbo claim akwa ibom when they dont speak the same language?[/quote]Go and ask Francis Opugo(an ijaw man).

As for the remaining questions education is not all about certificates.Google is your friend unless ignorance is a better pal for you.

[quote author=~Bluetooth link=topic=445256.msg6043479#msg6043479 date=1273968739]stop lying.i've not seen where an akwa ibom man canvass for biafra.the only agitation by niger deltans which was launched by victor Attah when he was a former governor was the RESOURCE CONTROL and to this day,the niger delta militants have never threatened to pullout of nigeria other than their agitation for resource control.
the igbo can keep living in disneyland thinking that they can manipulate the south south into becoming a biafra when the SS dont even know the meaning and objectives of 'biafra'an igbo word.
gone are those days when ojukwu dictatec for them and used their money to fiance a useless war.nigeria will always be nigeria.the south east cant talk for south south.[/quote]Ignorance is better hidden than exposed.

UK Newspaper Detail How Oando Made Its Whopping Quarterly N3.1 Billion Profit By Dodging Taxes PDF  | Print |  E-mail
Saturday, 15 May 2010 13:12

Oando CEO, Wale Tinubu and late Yar'adua
This week, Oando Plc, the so-called “highly successful” oil trading company owned by Governor Bola Tinubu's cousin, Wale Tinubu, declared a massive quarterly profit of N3.1billion, an “achievement” that was advertised in Nigerian newspapers. This would be a significant achievement for any company, except that the success of Oando hinges on a clever policy of dodging taxes. In stories published by Private Eye, a United Kingdom newspaper, it has been explained how Oando is taking advantage of the Department for International Development, through its development fund CDC (formerly the Commonwealth Development Corporation). 


The following, according to Private Eye, is how it is done:


Oando attracts foreign capital flow from an American private equity fund known as "Emerging Capital Partners" based in Washington DC, which in turn receives funds from the UK government  through the CDC Group, Oando a privatized Nigerian oil company is known and called Oando plc.  But to avoid paying taxes to the Nigerian government Oando carries out its investment partnerships through an offshore company known as "Ocean and Oil Mauritius", itself owned by a British Virgin Islands vehicle called "Ocean and Oil Holdings (BVI) Limited " whose well-connected investors bought their 34 percent stake in Oando from the Nigerian government in year 2000.


It has been established from investigations carried out by the UK Metropolitan police that James Ibori and his schoolmate, Henry Imashekka, sent funds stolen from the sale of shares owned by the Delta State government to an offshore account, they later invested $10 million that were stolen in acquiring Notore Chemicals (formerly NAFCON).



CDC and its privileged offshore co-investors in Oando earn “technical fees” of 5 percent of profits and “management fees” of 4 percent through a Nigerian company called Ocean and Oil Investments, giving them a significantly better return than standard Oando plc shareholders. In 2008, the last year for which figures are known, $8.5m was paid by Oando in this way, signed off by Oando’s auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers.


Of Oando’s $91m remaining profits after these fees have been creamed off, $21m was earned by a company called Oando Trading Ltd, which boasts of being “Africa’s largest independent and privately owned oil trading company”.  Except it is registered in the not-so-African tax haven of  Bermuda.  Unsurprisingly, the UK Private Eye’s efforts to locate some actual oil trading by Oando in Bermuda were fruitless: the contact number in Hamilton turns out to be the firm’s old administrators, called Appleby, while its new ones, the Harbour Group, could not connect the Eye to anybody with anything to do with Oando.



This is of course, a crude arrangement to avoid more than $7m a year in tax – which would provide quite a few schools or hospitals in Nigeria where the company really operates through offices in Abuja and Lagos.  The scheme would not work if Oando were based in a developed economy such as the UK, where tax rules prevent the more blatant scams to stuff profits into tax havens, but poorer countries such as Nigeria are more vulnerable.

SEEDY CDC

METROPOLITAN Police charges naming a prominent Nigerian businessman, which can be revealed following the easing of reporting restrictions on a trial scheduled for later this year, pose more questions about Britain’s international development fund CDC formerly the Commonwealth Development Corporation, and its attempts to maximise profits by entrusting taxpayer’s money to questionable private equity firms.

One of the charges arising from Knacker’s long-running investigation into money laundering involving Nigeria is that a group of businessmen including Henry Imasekha “concealed, disguised, converted and transferred criminal property, namely the sum of $10m ,  knowing or suspecting that the sum constituted the benefit from criminal conduct of another person , ”



Henry Imasekha, it so happens, is a major shareholder and director of one of CDC’s main Nigerian investments, privatised fertilizer company Notore.  CDC invested in the company in 2007 through American private equity fund manager Emerging Capital Partners, which also invested CDC’s money in a couple of other large Nigerian businesses, including privatised oil company Oando, which does a nice line in tax avoidance.

CDC: Haven help us

TAX avoidance, explained Treasury minister Stephen Timms to a Paris conference recently, “costs developing countries billions each year in lost revenue – a major drain on often fragile economies and a genuine barrier to economic growth.  These are vital resources for schools, hospitals and infrastructure”.

Perhaps he should explain this to the Department for International Development, which is busily fleecing fragile economies by sponsoring corporate tax avoidance at its development fund CDC, formerly the Commonwealth Development Corporation.

Through American private equity fund Emerging Capital Partners, CDC funds a privatized Nigerian oil company called Oando plc.  But it doesn’t do this directly since this might mean it and its co-investors would have to pay some tax.  Instead, it invests through a mysterious company called ocean and oil Mauritius, itself owned by a British Virgin Islands vehicle called Ocean and Oil Holdings (BVI) Limited whose well-connected investors bought their 34 percent stake in Oando from the Nigerian government in 2000.


            Tax avoidance among CDC’s companies is unsurprising since the fund has modelled itself as a private equity investor, a structure in which tax dodging has always been an intrinsic part.  But that doesn’t make the British development fund’s indulgence in the shady business any less damaging for poor countries like Nigeria.


http://www.saharareporters.com/real-news/sr-headlines/6081-uk-newspaper-detail-how-oando-made-its-whopping-quarterly-n31-billion-profit-by-dodging-taxes.html

Onlytruth:
Relocate to which country?
Frankly my grouse is that they are staying outside Igboland in the first place. Most of them HAD TO. No choice about that. I was thinking about what impact an international airport in Enugu for instance would make on business and entrepreneurship in the south east. In fact, I cannot imagine my company anywhere else. It is either Enugu or never. Asaba can also achieve something close to that, but I am not a trader. I am a professional, and own an international company.

My point is that we do not have to leave Igboland in the first place. Not saying that Igbos won't leave still for some other reasons, but at least they should do so out of adventure, not out of need.

The war we fought before does not address our problem in Nigeria. It is like saying that you have a snake in your house, you fired some shots into the direction of its hiding place, the snake is still alive and you decide to switch off the lights and go to sleep, afterall you've shot at the snake. That is almost insane.

Our issue in Nigeria is UNRESOLVED.

Believe me I've been wanting to assume that everything is alright, but each time, something reminds me that all is not well.
Are we Nigerians? If yes, why can't we be full Nigerians and enjoy similar things?
If No, when are we going to start to really deal with Nigeria. This is not 1967. A whole lot has changed.

Guy believe me i also want the above but both of us know that our politicians like other nigerians have not helped matters.

However guy believe me even if the east is turned to london igbos will always migrate.you can ask me the reason for that.

Kobojunkie:
eeeeee . . . wetin my eyes dey see oo?? @Asha80 is no longer one of those playing VICTIM CARD on nairaland? Salvation for Ibos is here ooo. That @Asha80 can suddenly have her eyes opened to the true reality of what plagues people from all four corners of Nigeria, and not just the Ibos is sign that Salvation is nigh!!! Praise the Lord!!! E yin Oluwa lo go! Ke le re m chineke na o di nma ooo!!! Aaaawwww!!

This abia woman wey grow for ikorodu na wa for you

However i do not think i have ever played a victim card.My arguments always has been that nigeria state has flaws structurally and fundamentally and until something happens to change that anormally nigeria will never change(with me favouring a federal or confederal system or total disintergration if the former 2 cannot happen)

_{I wonder why people feel i am a woman.the name is asha not aisha}

EzeUche:
His post had nothing to do with me you dunce. Learn how to read. He was talking about the Youtube video you illiterate.

Have you anymore more causes?

Onlytruth:
I used to be indifferent to all these issues in Nigeria until I started thinking about it.  After a little while, I found out that the problem, if not addressed, can actually destroy my people (even if not me, my family members). Last week, a friend of mine's father was kidnapped. The old man nearly died. So, whether I like it or not, the problem of Nigeria haunts me like the reaper. It is nagging and persistent.

So the biggest fool is anyone who thinks he can wait this out. It can only get worse. So, I ask my people once again: Are you Nigerians? If the answer is yes, then, why are we treated like a captured people? If we have rejected Nigeria, then, when are we going to start squeezing Nigeria's balls until Nigeria turns us loose? Does any Igbo think he is safe from this?  Yesterday, I was reading that Ghanaians require a registration fee of $300,000 before a Nigerian can open a shop in Ghana. Guess who will be affected most by that? You guessed right -Igbo businessmen. Near similar treatment has been meted to us in other parts of Nigeria. Then the question becomes, do we have a country? Which country? Why don't we fight for a country we can call ours, a country that can come to our aid when abused outside our home?

Our fathers did something about their situation; what are we doing about ours? Is this mere self centeredness or is it unadulterated idiocy?  Ejikwa m ogu o!

Sorry but there is no logic to the bolded here.Are the igbos the targeted people here  Do you think ghananians are interseted in our shenenegians here  Ghananians are trying to protect the economy from foreigners NOT igbos.If igbos make up the majority of nigerians in ghana(if ghanians are targeting nigerian businesses)then it is not ghananians fault.Igbos who feel this rule is harsh can relocate to another country.

Bros a war has been fougth before and the scars are still here.I am more interested in getting our internal politics(states?) right so that we can have people in the mould of late sam mbakwe back in our fold.

If you like continue falling for sefago's comments.

Ezeuche how old are u?

^^^^^ My friend keep quiet.You like talking trash.

People are still falling for sefago's antics

ChinenyeN:
Why was this done in non-Ngwa? Anyway, no problem. . . Would have been much more appealing, had it been done in pure, unadulterated Ngwa, though, but oh well. What's done is done.

Sorry but it would not be easy to find that in this era.You also have to learn to ignore Ezeuche.

I once used to be bothered about this 'lack of game plan' of igbos but not anymore since the whole country suffers from system ineptitude.So since the whole country suffers let us all enjoy the system mediocrity together.Until there is a fundamental change in the structure of nigeria i do not see any change in nigeria.

I have watched this debate with interest.I might not agree with all onlythruth is saying here but one thing i agree with him is that introduce resource control or make states generate their own revenue and see how a lot of these state agitatations die off.

“British are Dogs and anti-Semites, they have No Right to Judge us” , Israeli MP says
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Eldad Photo: Gil Yohanan {ynet}
March 24, 2010

If a British would have said this about Israelis, it would have been an uproar and huge wave of protests accusing the British diplomat of being an anti-Semitic racist nazi but if a Jew says it, no one cares, it’s ok. Not to mention that the British diplomat would also be forced to resign from his job.

According to the Talmud (Jewish Bible), Jewish people think that all non-Jews are animals/dogs (goyim or akum).

But anyway, if Jews promote the idea that all people living in Britain are British, then this must mean the Jews living in Britain are also dogs! Right?

Article:

After Britain accuses Israel of cloning passports used in Mabhouh assassination, threatens to expel Israeli diplomat, MK Arieh Eldad compares British to dogs: ‘Who gave them right to judge us on war on terror?’

Members of Knesset were outraged with Britain’s accusations against Israel over the assassination of a Hamas official in Dubai and its threats to expel an Israeli diplomat from London over the stolen passports affair. MK Arieh Eldad said on Tuesday that the British were behaving hypocritically and compared them to dogs.

Related: CNN- UK: Israel behind passport forgery in Dubai killing

Eldad also gave an interview to the British Sky network, and said that a British diplomat should be expelled in response, “maybe the military attaché”. British media has been covering the crisis since Tuesday morning.

When asked of the comparison, Eldad said, “I was just quoting what was said in Latroun 62 years ago. I think the British are being hypocritical and I do not wish to insult dogs here, since some dogs show true loyalty. Who gave the British the right to judge us on the war on terror?”

The National Union MK addressed the Passover haggadah, as passed down to him from his father, the late Lehi leader Yisrael Eldad. “When my father held the seder in Latroun before 500 prisoners he read Chad Gadya (One goat song sung at Passover) to the British prison commander. And the question was posed: If the goat is righteous, then the cat is evil, then the dog is righteous, then the stick is evil – and in the end it turns out that, heaven forbid, God Almighty is evil. What is the answer he gave to the Briton? The answer was that ‘the goat may be righteous, the cat may be evil, but you are the dog. You Briton. Who gave you the right to judge?’”

Eldad’s fellow party member Michael Ben-Ari was asked if he agrees with the comparison and said, “Dogs are usually loyal, the British may be dogs, but they are not loyal to us. They seem to be loyal to the anti-Semitic establishment.

“Unfortunately, the Israeli government and Israeli diplomacy play into their hands. We have learned that a dog must be called by its name. This is anti-Semitism disguised as anti-Zionism.”

On the other hand, Chairman of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee MK Tzachi Hanegbi (Kadima) said Israel should refrain from responding to the crisis with Britain. “I believe that Israel’s abstaining from giving any kind of response at the height of the Dubai crisis was right. Now that the height of the crisis is behind us, it is certainly all the more logical to refrain from making matters worse.”

He added, “Over the years, Israel has adopted a policy of not responding to allegations made against it in such matters. This is sometimes used to accuse Israel of things it has nothing to do with.”

Earlier, it was reported that Britain plans to formally announced that Israel was behind the cloning of British passports used in the assassination of Hamas man Mahmoud al-Mabhouh. It was also reported that an Israeli diplomat is to be expelled from London, with Foreign Secretary David Miliband scheduled to give a statement on the matter at 3:30 pm GMT Tuesday.

http://www.newsrescue.com/2010/03/british-are-dogs-and-anti-semites-they-have-no-right-to-judge-us%E2%80%9D-israeli-diplomat-says/

We had rail tracks in some towns as at independence and there where trains moving in along those tracks.

Whatever happened to them

O nwere onye abiriba no na threadia?

Biko a chorom ihu photo abriba town (aka small london) biko?

Ibime:
So in essence, Jonathans ministerial list is aluta continue with status quo?

did you expect any different

Ask the moderator of this forum or go to the travel section.

But kosovo of all places