Igbos, Ijaw, Yoruba, Ibibio, Nembe, what have you, they all consider themselves different from 'southern Nigeria', and to that detriment, they are expecting an Igbo president after an Ijaw one, then a Yoruba, then and then all the other ethnic groups in the south.

Well, the North's unity can be confirmed by this, there was no time that Northern Nigeria request that after Hausa, Fulani will reign, then Kanuri, then Arabs (yes we have them), then Nupe, then Birom. This can go on and on and on. So, to all those who wants to see the North divided as they have started showing since, when somebody requested openly that Hausa/Fulani should blame and fight Kanuris for the boko haram issues. Most incessant comment ever. Nothing like this will ever happen, not now not in the future.

It is either we are one, or we are none, that is how North is right now.

About the Degree in Nigerian Politics

WHY STUDY NIGERIA?
by Aaron Shields


1) Nigeria covers a large area of land and has a variety of landforms

Nigeria is one of the largest countries in Africa, so one would expect the landscape to be quite diverse. The northern extremities are part of the southernmost extent of the Sahara Desert. South of that area lies the dry, but inhabitable, Sahel region of West Africa. Nigeria, therefore, is a good place to study the effects of desertification and drought.

Nigeria also contains the Jos Plateau, an upland region that has a rather moderate climate. The soils of the area are good for agricultural production of various food crops. The Plateau is also a place where extensive tin mining occurs. Thus, one could investigate the environmental impacts of mining on the surrounding agricultural areas. Issues of water contamination from tailings ponds and other mining debris is another important issue.

Nigeria has dense tropical forests and mangrove swamps in the southeastern part of the country near the Niger River delta. These areas are also known for their oil production, so the human-environment interactions can be applied to the issue of fossil fuel usage. In addition, lumbering takes place in this region, both for use of the tropical woods for furniture making but also to meet the demands for more agricultural land to feed Nigeria's people.

Both the Benue and Niger Rivers flow through parts of Nigeria with the Benue flowing into the Niger and the Niger emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. Nigeria's rivers face many of the same challenges faced elsewhere in Africa: use as transportation corridors, hydroelectric and damming projects, upstream water contamination by neighboring countries, etc.

Nigeria's landforms have created physical regions that are often coincident with the regions classified by ethnicity, language, or religion so both the physical and human aspects of geography can be seen when discussing Nigeria.


2) Nigeria has a large and rapidly-growing population

Nigeria has the largest population in Africa and one of the highest rates of natural increase as well. It offers an excellent example of the issues faced by nearly every African nation to maintain a good quality of life for their people when resources keep having to be stretched to accommodate more and more people. Issues of family planning and contraceptive use, childhood immunizations and adult vaccinations, and adequacy of medical facilities are important social issues that can be researched using Nigeria as the case study.

The structure of the population is another important issue where Nigeria serves as an excellent case study. Age-sex pyramids show how the population is distributed across the various age groups and by gender. These help to explain the strains placed on families and the government when the number of dependent persons (especially children and the elderly) exceeds that of those of working age. Understanding issues such as these helps explain why major famines, droughts, and disease epidemics take such a heavy toll in Africa.


3) Nigeria has a diversity of ethnic groups and languages

Nigeria is known to have at least 250 different ethnic groups and associated languages, some claim it may be as high as 1000 languages when dialects are included. Obviously, this could be looked at in several ways. First, Nigeria is a microcosm of Africa because each ethnic group has its own identity and social customs and these often clash. Most African countries have 10-50 ethnic groups vying for power and influence, but Nigeria has at least 5 times that number. One can easily study the political and social impacts of ethnic tensions without studying any other African countries besides Nigeria because her internal divisions often make as much of an impact as political boundaries do in other parts of Africa.

Second, with this great diversity, Nigeria also holds the distinction of being one of the only African countries to have had forced migration within its own borders. The mass migrations that occurred between Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (former Zaire) as ethnic violence waged on have also taken place within Nigeria. Much of this migration took place in relation to the Biafran civil war of the late 1960s, and many of these migrants ended up in the Jos Plateau region, giving it the most diverse population of anywhere else in the country, if not the entire continent. Again, the political and social implications can easily be looked at.

Third, one can use Nigeria as an example of the possibility that one government could exist in such an ethnically-diverse place. Through its cycling of military and civilian governments, Nigeria has exhibited what things can work well for all people despite their different backgrounds while also showing how exploitative one ethnic group can be when they are in total control of the government. Nigeria's survival as a country is dependent upon it being able to overcome the tensions between its various groups of people. Nevertheless, this is not a problem unique to Nigeria, so understanding Nigeria's situation helps students to understand why these military coups and dictatorships happen so easily in Africa, often met with little or no resistance.

Fourth, despite the negative connotations associated with colonialism, the British did leave behind one very important communication aid - the English language. The use of English by the government avoids the difficulty of having to select one African tongue to take that place. Were that to happen, it would likely lead to even greater ethnic strife than there is now as other linguistic groups would react to the proclaimed official language - likely that of whichever ethnic group happens to be in power at the time. Similar situations happened in other former colonies under French or Portuguese rule.


4) Nigeria has various belief systems and religions

Nigeria is said to be 50% Muslim (Islamic), 40% Christian, and 10% Traditional African Religions. How is this possible? During pre-colonial and colonial times, the Sokoto Caliphate governed northern Nigeria while Europeans started at the Atlantic coast and moved slowly inland toward the north. The British left the Sokoto Caliphate in charge of the North. They spread the religion of Islam amongst the Fulani and the Hausa. The Igbos of the Southeast and the Yorubas of the Southwest were primarily converted to various Christian sects depending on what church had missionaries in the area. Numerous Christian denominations exist in Nigeria today. At the same time, Yoruba and other traditional beliefs did not disappear entirely, as the missionaries and priests had hoped. Rather, many Africans began to blend their traditional rites and beliefs with those of their Christian sect or with that of Islam leading to what are known as syncretic religions.

As Christianity and Islam are the two primary religions in Africa, Nigeria serves as a good example of the roles these religions play in politics and in policy decision-making. The complications when church and state are mixed can clearly been seen throughout Nigeria's 40-year period of independence and the dominance of the Hausa Muslims in military governments. This complex relationship between church and state is a problem most every African country has faced or will face. Lessons can be learned from what Nigeria did right and what it did so very wrong.


5) Nigeria has a large urban population

Nigeria's population is spread throughout the country in both rural and urban areas. Nevertheless, the Southwest has the two largest urban areas in the country, Lagos and Ibadan. Another sizeable city is Kano in the North. Thus, Nigeria, experiences the same urban problems that any other African city would face. There are the issues of housing for that many people. Where will they all live? In many cases the continued rural-urban migration has led to the rise of shanty towns, or slums, in the urban centers. Nigeria's major cities all face this problem. These people that live in the shanty towns live in the worst conditions, often constructing their make-shift homes out of wood fragments, tin, aluminum siding, cardboard, anything they can get their hands out. There is likely no electricity, and there is certainly no running water nor sewage disposal. These are unsanitary conditions that lead to disease and early death, but many of these people have no other option.

A second major problem urban cities face is the employment situation. Where are all of these migrants from the rural areas going to work? Many are forced to beg, to work odd jobs, or to become part of the informal sector, selling goods and services. Others get involved in jobs that are dangerous but that no one else will take. Furthermore, many of the children of these families have to start working in agriculture or in factories to help their parents make a living. This means their education stops completely, many of them never finishing elementary school. This contributes to the problem of sweatshop labor because these families see no other option being available to them.

Another major problem facing cities is transportation and traffic. The bus systems of Nigeria have virtually collapsed, so most people have cars, but these cars are not necessarily safe to drive. There are a great many traffic accidents because of the lack of laws regarding motor vehicles. In the city centers there is the problem of traffic congestion and the associated air pollution from smog. Other environmental concerns are the disposal of toxic chemicals and groundwater contamination, air pollution from factory smoke stacks. All of these problems are similar to those in Cairo, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Kinshasa, Addis Ababa, and Dakar. Nigeria is certainly not alone in these urban problems, but it provides insights into where Nigerian cities went wrong and provides information that can hopefully prevent similar problems from happening in other lesser developed parts of Africa.

May be this is what Junaid is proposing?

he is better than el-rufai, the one nigeria army, boys of IBB! Buhari is quite because he no longer believe in one Nigeria!

We have Buhari on our train!

That is why he failed to win

ikeyman00:

auwal87 (m)
Nigeria

Re: Which Nigeria Leader Devalued The Naira By 500%
« #3 on: October 31, 2011, 12:37 AM »




@ GenBuhari

I

I said it is a duty of each and every Muslim to promote Islam in whatever position he/she finds himself/herself. But Buhari answered No! to a question that he will Islamize Nigeria, he should have answered Yes!

scriptwizz:

auwal or whatever he or she calls him or herself is a big fool. . slowpoke. islamize nigeri and see your whole kinsmen in the world beyond. you know your people think we are fools by looking at you, but w are waiting for the right time. and 2015 will tell. no northerner, i mean a muslim northerner will rule this country again. read my statement again. it is written ad signed. bastard.

hahahahahaha!!! I laughed in Hausa!

One truth is they are doing their legal business like any other Nigerian.

Though they are guilty of not helping their community.

These are the culprits!!

The dream of most 'one Nigerians' is that the country will one day become secular where religion will not play any role in the issue of leadership. But the truth is, Nigeria is the most religious tense country in Africa, both Muslims and Christians regards their religion with highest esteem, and are willing to die for their religion. Even though some circles of 'secular Nigerians' exist, you cannot compare to the larger number. In any democratic setting, election is regarded as the way leaders emerge, Nigeria is not exception except the difference being the electorates are more selective in terms of religion first, then ethnicity, after which they come to the issue of credibility. The continuous existence of one Nigeria as a so called 'secular' country is only a 'pretension' by the ruling elites of which are of course united in 'looting' without any religious or ethnic differences. But fact is, even if all Nigerians will be as rich as Dangote, religion and ethnicity will always be the foremost factor in differentiating the larger electorate base.

Eight Christian men were arrested yesterday attempting to detonate explosives at a church in Miya Barkatai village of Toro Local Government Area in Bauchi State, witnesses and Police said.
A government official in the area, who witnessed the incident, said the men came with explosive devices and tried to set them off in the COCIN Church but they were overpowered by locals who handed them to security men.

“They were arrested with sophisticated weapons and all of them are Christians living in the area even though they are from neighboring villages near Miya Barkatai,” he said.

The official said after the attackers were arrested, there was disagreement between residents and Christian worshippers when some people said the would-be bombers should be released.

But soldiers and police later took away the suspects to Bauchi for further investigations.

Locals gave names of four of the eight men as Lamba Goma, Filibus Danasa, Joshua and Daniel.

State Police Commissioner Mr Ikechukwu Ayo Aduba confirmed the incident to Daily Trust by telephone yesterday.

“It is true that some people attempted to attack COCIN Church. There are rival groups within the church; they have their own internal problem and the other rival group decided to attack the church this morning.

“When we got the report, the DPO in the area sent a patrol team and they arrested seven people. They have something like explosives, and our bomb experts confirmed that the IEDS (improvised explosive devices) recovered are locally made bombs but are manually operated which means you have to ignite it,” he said.

Aduba said this was the second time they are recovering such types of explosives, the first time being in Ganjuwa Local Government Area.

“We are appealing to the general public not to panic. They should be law abiding and report any suspicious character to the Police. Our men are on alert 24 hours to ensure public safety,” he added.

The North East zonal chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Reverend Shua’ibu Mbyal said the incident was over the transfer of the COCIN church headquarters.

“What had happened was a sad incident because it was a lingering problem within the COCIN church over the transfer of headquarters of the church.

“The problem lingered for over a year. We are not happy with the development. Whatever happened let Christians understand that the Bible remains the yard stick to follow; we must follow the teachings of bible to resolve our lingering problems,” he said.

Yesterday’s bombing attempt came in the wake of rising suspicion among Muslims that attacks on Christians and churches in the past months might have been orchestrated by other Christians and not the Boko Haram sect as people are wont to believe.

Last month, a Christian man wearing turban was arrested in Bayelsa State trying to set fire to a church over a disagreement with officials regarding his home’s rent payment.

Also, local Muslims say they believe that a deadly gun attack on a Christian gathering in Mubi, Adamawa State, in January was waged by other Christians and not Boko Haram.

Similarly, Christians were suspected of being behind another gun raid on a church in Gombe also in January, though there was no conclusive evidence to support these assertions.

http://dailytrust.com.ng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=155607:christians-tried-to-bomb-church-in-bauchi-police-say&catid=2:lead-stories&Itemid=8

emmke:

^ with the vast expanse of land in the north, mechanised and technologically advanced agriculture will be key, as is intense exploration and exploitation of solid minerals. But of course u will need a highly educated masses to achieve these, so that should also be a priority. Go the botswanan way. We all will be good

Of course, Agriculture employs 70% of the population, we will have to modernize the system, educate farmers on modern irrigation, sustainable agriculture, not only plant to eat, but plant to cash. We have 100s of dams, we will make them to good use, we will build more where required. We have so much potential, but I cannot see any light if we remain with Nigeria. Nigeria is what is holding our developments (both North, East, and West). Our potentials will be much higher if we are all independent.

nagoma:

@Auwal 87

Thank you very much. I am also in transit at the moment. I will catch up with u soon. I should be in Abuja next week. (ISA)

I wish you a peaceful journey.

I am back now, and we will move forward from this point I am sure, just let me know when you are back too.

a lot more work to do, but nice! more grease to ur elbows!

nagoma:

@Auwal87

Good to hear that. I am also working with a group resident in Abuja and also thru mails and text messages. I do visit kano regularly, please let me know through NL when you return to kano. We can link the groups up. We are also working on a website. We should of course have only one website. I have no doubt in my mind that this (SEPARATION)  the greatest idea for Nigeria and for peaceful neighborliness. NORTH FOR NORTHERNERS AND SOUTH FOR SOUTHERNERS.
I will ignore all those vile and vicious detractors , especially the obviously ignorant ones.

Great! I will beam you up when I return, meanwhile the website domain has already being registered under the group's name. There are various options though, but we will get to that point.

What is your opinion of our diminishing culture and values? Do you think any society will develop after abandoning its own cultural values and borrowing from others?

We had a system which was fully compatible with our society, abandoned. We need to sanitize and empower our emirates to give them better roles to play in the country. Cost of governance must be very minimal to make it inattractive to the corrupt one Nigerians. We will start from the roots upwards, non stop, education, security, health, infrastructure as the toppest priority. We need accountability and control not only financial but demographical and social aspects.

We can do it, take ideas, digest it, apply it, enforce it. Law must be abided by all, no immunity of any sort, not now not ever. Economy must be free, invite all, employment must be "Northerner first" as Sardauna always say. If there isnt any qualified then somebody from outside continent with experience. Let us do it the Dubai way, fast, organized, wise, confidence, dedication, and quality. We shouldn't compete with Malaysia or Iran, but with US or Uk then we will pass Malaysia and Iran on our way to becoming like China or Japan, think big, dream big, achieve more. Just as I noticed, nearly 80% of products imported to Arewa are not coming through Lagos, we can add more routes, create dry ports, working and attractive freezones, 100% govt maintained housing plans. Resources, IT are hot cakes for employing youths. Create the system, provide space and investment will come in because we have the population.

more and more on blue prints being digested every day from different sources, this is real development and within our lifetime we will have a successful viable nation.

blame blame is what killed Nigeria.

@nagoma, dede1, northsharp

Let us have a definite point of meeting. I already have a group which is well and teeming up, there is also a website under construction. We are working on printing small booklets for distribution in all Jumu'at Mosque around Arewa, with aim of educating our people the real deal of having an independent nation.

We will be glad also if you will join up for a meeting in April in Kano, only if and when convenient, dates not fixed yet, but still working on that.

I have met doctors, engineers, and some other professionals in different countries whom were all from Arewa, and I was surprised with their views of separating Nigeria, all are supportive and are willing to participate in any event that will come up anywhere in Arewa. I am currently at Umrah in KSA, yesterday 2 people discussing about Arewa were all calling for an end to this union.

Long Live Arewa Republic!

Something tells me Biafra will be declared independent immediately after his burial. As fulfillment of his dream. Its not going to be easy, and will take people by surprise.

Islam is beautiful!

Late Umar Musa 'Yar'adua, former president was buried with plain clothes worth less than N1000.

Late Ojukwu, wannabe president is drawing a debt of N500m for his burial.

God is Great! He never meant to force hardship on us, but spending N500m on a dead person is outrightly super insane.

I can build and maintain for 5 good years a world class state of the art University with N500m, with theater hall, 15 lecture halls, 30 offices, laboratories, and even sports center equiped with all amenities. But, this N500m is going to a dead person.

houvest:

Praise the Lord. Halleluyah.

Louder!! HALLELUYAH!

Kilode?!:

Ok so who are the people stopping these "talks" then?

PDP?

Oil companies

Chop clean mouth politicians ?

Who?

All of the above!

emmke:

better to be poor and still retain ur dignity and honour than to be constantly insulted just so u can have some bread

exactly! finally, we are waking up!

MRbrownJAY:

what a picture!!!!!!! i doubt that 9ja guy was a bomb expert, how could he?! maybe he was just an overzealous cop who tried to be brave, unsuccessfully!

= Suicide

If he doesn't have expertise in bomb disposal he shouldn't go near it. What he did was just a suicide.

The responses were appealing too

Muhammad197
This writer has outrightly spoken what is in my mind. What is of benefit to live in a country where everybody's wish is to grab the piece of 'cake' instead of developing the nation? This oil is benefitting only some few elites and they are willing to die for it, they should die for all we know now is we don't need them. Arewa is blessed with abundant natural resources, rivers, food. We are ready to go, if you are saying we cannot survive then you cannot see all that God has blessed us with, you only see oil as a blessing. Let us give thanks to Allah and go our separate ways with dignity.

yusuf ABUBAKAR
Its about time we talk.Rather i am an advocate of total separation.Those with oil know that oil is finishing soon.Before oil these snc advocates were fed with North"s resources.Now they vehemently deny ever enjoying anything from the zone.The huge potential of the north,agric,sol lid minerals,and huge hydrocarbon deposit is enough for us to live with dignity.Southerners want resource control to continue buying agric products for almost free ie same currency and continue to dominate our markets,with fake and sub-standard goods.Comrades lets be realistic.Almost half of sabon gari market in Kano is dominated by Igbos,but in Aba market no single shop was leased to Hausa people.If these peolple are not happy with this arrangement,let us go our separate ways,so that any body from abia state will compete with a Chinese for a shop in the market.Who will you favour to get a shop in your country,an Igbo or a Chinese?

Muhd Usman
The core north should not be afraid of SNC. I am convinced that it is best way to address the multidimensiona l problems of contemporary Nigeria. It is the northern leadership (ex-army officers and political office holders) who exploit the commoners from the region that are afraid of the SNC. The ordinary northerners are not benefiting from the oil wealth as they should, because of the greed and selfishness of their leaders. SNC will enable the north to check the excesses of the leaders and plan for a brighter future considering the untapped natural and human resources in the region. It will the end of laziness among the people as well. So let us go for SNC.

Aminu145
I wonder "why keep marrying a woman/man that doesn't love (or want to live with) you any longer?" Insisting, alone, in sustaining the marriage is simply calling for an inevitable disaster. At the moment, more or less only the Muslim north believes in unity of Nigeria while other sections look upon them as parasites. The fact is some people seem to hate anything good to come the way of other 'alien' people; they are ready to oppose anything the 'aliens' want or need. We cant continue to live this way. I believe we should consider peaceful separation before it gets to bloodshed. Let whatever regions/sections emerge out of the current Nigeria have clean sheets and decide for themselves what to do. If we do this we will have a better chance of living peacefully as neighbours otherwise we will still separate and continue to be at war with each other. God forbid.

Suleiman, Bauchi
Truly its time the major opposition to the SNC, Northern elite remember that we the Northern masses are for SNC. When the worse comes to worst its far better to live in poverty with dignity than otherwise. We r simply tired of the insults. By the way apart from landlockness, which we can live with, Northern Nigeria with a good leadership can thrive . The only 'doctrine of settled issue' we accept is for us to be respected. Let start the conference.

Engr Ahmed
Oh yes, let there b SNC atleat we can realized our potential, here are my proposals in advance, lets leapfroggs from the poison and threat our life time caused by fossil fuels (global warming). we can go into the future of world's energy (Algae fuel). Algal fuels' do not affect fresh water resources, can be produced using ocean and wastewater, and are biodegradable and relatively harmless to the environment if spilled. it yield 10-100 times more energy per unit area than other second-generation biofuel crops. Algae can produce more oil in an area the size of a two car garage than a football field of soybeans, because almost the entire algal organism can use sunlight to produce lipids, or oil. As for Northern Nigeria, we have abundant land, sun, to mention but few. All we needs is patriotism determination and good policies. We can have a good strategy for agriculture, mining and of course algae fuel and waits to see the outcomes in 10-15 years.

Maryam
I'm in total support. Let them keep their oil.We are tired of z insults. I'm sure wzout z oil money we ll be better off both morally and economically.Since oil will finish sooner or later it is better we be on our marks right from now,b4 z d day!

Ahmadi
Its high time to call kettle black. We're tired of wit ol dis unnecessary insults to north. Let us assemble n redefine our continual co-existance. We shal c hu'l going to suffer most.

BB Dan
Mallam Sanusi, you are welcome on board. I am glad our number is increasing by the day. I believe things as ordinary as transportation of live animals aginst international standards should also be on the table. Having sold our common heritage to themselves, we shall discuss on how businesses can operate and where. Who qualifies to work in which place. The last statistics shows that only 27% Northerners work in Banks operating in NOrthern NIgeria. The monthly allocations to Bayelsa, Rivers, A/ibom and Delta is higher than the allocations of the entire Northern States. National Sovereign conference has become imperative.
B.B. Dangora, Kano

Muhammad Zaria
I quiet agree with you Mal Sunusi, we will see if those who thinks we the northerners are parasites will control their oil and at the same time control our jobs spaces in the north, our lands which they gets very free even though we don't enjoyed the same privileges in their own lands, we will see if the federal govt jobs positions they occupy in their own land and came here to the north and dominates us in the name of federal Nigeria will be feasible. We will also see if their own children,having dominates their institutions will as well think of coming to the north to dominates our spaces in our institutions here in the north as is currently obtainable. So let the music play on we are watching we are not fools.

Yunusa M. Abubakar
You have eloquently de-mystified the fiction called 'sovereign conference' and the macabre dance of its proponents.This is an illuminating discourse.Keep the 'flame' burning!

Danladi Tal
It gladdens my heart when my brothers in the north are calling the bluff of advocates of the SNC. I'm tired of being called a parasite. This oil has always been a poison to any country that owns it. The whole Middle East has no peace because of this poison (crude oil). The Boko Haram insurgence is partly because of the poison. The north has allowed this 'national conference' thing to drag for a long time; and the rest of the country believe rightly or wrongly that we're afraid of it. Pleae let's have this conference!

DailyTrust
Written by Sanusi Abubakar
Tuesday, 14 February 2012

The patently mischievous idea of a Sovereign National Conference had never appealed to me, if only because its originators have never disguised the intent and anticipated outcome. The dominant narrative that has been imposed by the media, and the mostly southern elite, has been that the north is Nigeria’s problem and it is time that it is brought to its senses by southerners taking control of their resources (particularly oil) and, if the north resists “major political changes” then it would be preferable for all of us to go our separate ways. From MASSOB, to the Niger Delta “militants”, to the NADECO/OPC and their intellectuals, that has been the threat and the promise. I had complained on several occasions in my column about the underlining threats and assumptions that only the north will suffer from the dismembering of this nation.

Several factors have now emerged to make me a convert to the idea of a national conference, ethnic, sovereign, or of whatever type. One factor is that the agitation for such a conference to restructure Nigeria will not go away. Indeed, it is getting more belligerent and even more abusive by the day. Even supposedly learned and civilized people are getting nasty, implying that north will somehow cease to exist as a viable and sustainable entity once “true federalism” is in place. It is time to call this bluff.

Secondly, several sections of the country have made it plain that they are perfecting their secession plans. Not just the usual “actualisation-of-Biafra” threats, or the south-west and OPC plans and “national anthem” (which was said to have been delayed only by Obasanjo’s manoeuvres.) No, things are looking scarier; even the current regime of President Goodluck Jonathan seems to be acting out an “open-secret” agenda in favour of the eventual emergence of a Niger Delta Republic of sorts. I hope I am wrong, but I’d rather believe concrete signs than hope people are what they appear to be. Thirdly, by the President’s financial and other acts and policies, the he seems to think that all Nigeria’s resources belong to his people anyway, so a vast majority of the federation’s budget should be diverted there, in addition to their normal Statutory Allocations, NDDC, and the Amnesty Program and so on. Per capita, the Niger Delta receives more than all of us, even if we ignore what they get from illegal bunkering, juicy contracts and oil companies’ allocations to producing communities and warlords.

Even together, these three reasons would not have converted me to a latter-day supporter of a National Conference. Politics has always meant contests and contestations, and no amount of pressure would make a people support an unpopular idea for long. Insults are the resort of the scoundrels. Threats to the north? Well, let us see if really the north cannot survive without oil and gas. A feeling of anger due to unjust distribution of our collective resources, perhaps that? Even then, that too has been with us for a while. All these would not have been sufficient to convince me that a National Conference of a fundamental type, capable, if badly handled, of scattering this political entity called Nigeria, is a risk worth taking. However, after several discussions with associates and friends, and even political mavericks, I believe it is time to talk, and everything should be put on the table.

We have outlived the current arrangements; political and administrative structures are not working. Indeed, they are counter-productive. It is time we consider alternatives.

Let us start with our people. Not long ago they lived mostly in villages, tend to their farms and or rear their animals, and follow their chiefs or clan heads. Times have changed. Most have moved to cities and big towns, are semi-employed or lack jobs, and live among strangers. Their problems are looking intractable. These range from basic education for their kids, decent healthcare for the families, unemployment, poor housing and sanitation, mounting refuse and increasing insecurity, lack of water all in the face of little or no political power. The local government chairmen, governors and others, who should be representing them, don’t give a hoot about them because they generally do not pay taxes. Relying almost totally on Statutory Allocations or grants, these leaders do not rely on the people. So the first thing to do is to end this “manna from Abuja” originating from oil and gas revenues. People should pay for governance; if you are in power because of the taxes they pay, you are bound to respect their wishes or they get rid of you, and elect someone else. So creating a system based on a central body funding some self-serving elite is actually not in the people’s interest.

Unlike the lies being peddled around, every section of this country can survive on its own. Let all sections control everything they have and give the centre only what is due to it according to some mutual agreements. Every state has land (for housing, agriculture and infrastructure), minerals, water, air space, radio spectrum and, most important, people. We can mutually resolve who can live where, own or have access to what. Diplomatic, international agreements, boundaries, maritime, territorial waters, armed forces, currency and postal services issues can be left to the Federal Government, but any other thing should be on the table. Each community should stand on its resources. This way, all those looking for easy money from politics would find that they have to quit public service. Only people who can discover, develop and utilize the resources of a state need apply.

There will be problems no doubt. What is to stop a state from asking all non-indigenes to quit and go back to their respective original homes? What do you do with multi-ethnic families, if those seen as “parasitic” states think they should go it alone? Who told the Lagos, Ogun or Aba businessmen that their industrial products would not be subject to additional taxes in the hinterland? State police, yes, but armed forces, diplomatic, and central bank representation would then be strictly by (equal?) quota. Even who can sell what, where and how may end up being subject to state laws. And the list goes on.

The biggest risk may end up being that those asking for Sovereign National Conference, with whom I have now added my name, may end up not happy with the genie they are letting out of the bottle. That is even if we assume we can easily resolve this fiction of “sovereign ethnicities” to start with. Let us humour them by agreeing that each ethnic nationality, however defined, would have one representative. Let us assume that the Hausa, Fulani, Nupe, Kanuri, Tiv, Idoma, Igala, Ebira, Yoruba, Igbo, and Edo have one delegate each, making 10 in all. Would these 10 succumb to any agreement forced on them because about 350 other groups, who probably have less than 20 million all together, are united on it? Would they not veto it? All modern democracies are, after all is said and done, based on population.

Let us know what we are asking for, and be ready to live with whatever is left after opening the Pandora’s Box. Nobody is afraid of talking. Keep the oil to yourselves; let us resolve all other issues. It is about time that some people realise what political realities are and how far they can go with their pet ideas.

Source

danjohn:

The only thing keeping Nigeria together is oil. If the current revenue allocation is maintained for 7 - 10 years after breaking up Nigeria, Nigeria can be broken. If the Niger Delta wants to be free, this compromise has to be made. There are 2 options: suffer for 7 - 10 years or suffer for eternity.

Insightful, I hope my people will understand this.

It is not good to be saying all these to a dead man. He is dead and gone. Remember the positives, and forget the negatives.

Kai wannan karya ne.

This one na big lie ooo!

anini-binladen:

make una no vex but the lion of biafra bin get pikin with one fulani woman way dey katsina right now. dem born de pikin before civilian war start. sources say the fulani woman na from funtua and dey pikin name na ismaila mohammed.

source na word of mouth

Break up Nigeria
Don't Break up Nigeria
Nigeria will never break up
Boko Haram will Break up Nigeria
Nigeria will not break up
Sovereign National Conference will break up Nigeria

etc etc, those are the items you will see when you enter the keywords "Nigeria Break Up" on google, and 27 million search results will come up. This is a real phenomenon, and it is history in the making. It is a challenge facing the history of this country, and it is about to change. Positively? Maybe, yes.