₦airaland Forum

Our eactions here are 100% misplaced. These are folk who were sold into slavery, can something not be done for them instead making the fact seem like a pride. It isn't.

Little Ghana did something for those sold into slavery at around 2000 or so, in the meantime the "giant" of Africa is rejoicing that her children are scattered. Talk of wearing the cap upside down.

vangogh:
Many oil-rich countries have fought wars in the past.

Iran-Iraq war.
Algeria Civil War
Angola Civil War
These are just but a few of oil-rich nations that had been engaged in war at one time or the other.
Please discount the notion that G5 can prevent any war. If anything, oil-rich nations are prone to war. Heck! The USA is currently involved in two wars -one with a oil-rich nation.

Your analysis is just so wrong.
There were pressing matters of the US ego being bruised by Iran who were holding US citizens hostage, the rest is history.
At the time of the Angolan war, oil had not yet been discovered there etc etc etc

strangleyo:
Its interesting that there are militias in Nigeria with such power.

The FG is losing power.

The FG has lost even more power to corruption.

We be watching you!

MEND hails President, Okah parley
From Kelvin Ebiri, Port Harcourt

THE Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has endorsed the meeting between President Umaru Yar'Adua and one of its leaders, Henry Okah.

The group said it was a welcome development as it could lead to the attainment of genuine and lasting peace and justice in the region.

MEND, which five days ago declared its readiness to resume attacks on oil facilities and the military in the zone, said yesterday it might ask its fighters to stand down from their level of alert to pave way for dialogue with government.

The group said that after the conclusion of its campaign against the Federal Government, it would turn the heat on corrupt governors and other public officials, who impeded development in the region.

Its spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, said yesterday that the response by the President's spokesman, Mr. Segun Adeniyi, indicates that the Federal Government is now open to meaningful dialogue with everyone, including a team of eminent Nigerians nominated by MEND to negotiate on its behalf.

Members of MEND five-man Aaron Team, named on September 29, are Vice Admiral Mike Akhigbe (rtd), Prof. Wole Soyinka, Maj.-Gen. Luke Kakadu (rtd), Prof. Sabella Ogbobode Abidde and Annkio Briggs as liaison between the group and the team.

Gbomo said: "The response by the President's spokesman that government is now open to dialogue with everyone can be interpreted to include our Aaron Team. When we hear from Okah regarding this shift in position, we will have to create the enabling environment for such talks to commence and that will mean asking our fighters to stand down from their level of alert and this may require a formal declaration of cease-fire."

He said MEND supports Okah's initiative and ready to work with him and the Aaron Team to achieve lasting peace in the Niger Delta.

According to him, "Okah declined to be a part of the Aaron Team but offered his advice from often. The Aaron Team is the body recognised by MEND to mediate on its behalf.

"We have not given them (Aaron Team) a brief. The key understanding is that they will be addressing the root issues responsible for the unrest in the Niger Delta which date back to post-independence."

Gbomo said from the little MEND had gathered, Yar'Adua seems to have a good heart even though that not be sufficient to address the core issues affecting the Niger Delta.

"That he has offered to dialogue is a wise decision contrary to the utterances from Godwin Abbe (Interior Minister) who we have no respect for."

MEND described government's proposal to plough back at least 10 per cent of oil proceeds for development projects in the oil producing communities as a wise move, but remarked that this was still not good enough as the goal of the people was to control their natural resources.

Gbomo said the failure of the government to implement the recommendations of the Ledum Mitee-led Technical Committee on the Niger Delta, was an indication that it was afraid of addressing the root issues because certain forces were scared of true federalism.

"True federalism and a system that will remove immunity from governors so that they and others down the line can be brought to book for corruption. In fact, the governors and others that manage public funds will be our next target after we have been successful in this first phase of our campaign," he said.

Despite the acceptance by some of its key commanders, MEND said it does not need to recruit more persons because the number of fighters in the creeks were enough, adding that those who have gone were not indispensable.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/news/article03/indexn2_html?pdate=211009&ptitle=MEND%20hails%20President,%20Okah%20parley

This is tragic, but I can't stop laughing . What was the reciept for, the beating or the "toll"?

Awo is a Yoruba hero. he is loathed almost everywhere else in Southern Nigeria.

Instead of the blind ethnic competition going on, we should be more ashamed of the vast number of brothers, sisters, wives and lovers that were sold by their kith and kin into slavery.

[quote author=ndu_chucks link=topic=340634.msg4775674#msg4775674 date=1256153414]i agree with sapeleguy as well, de process no go be revolutionary.

when hunger catch most people enough, dem dey revolt, but nigerians dey too resilient for our own good. nigerian fit get only one grain of groundnut, but him go still tell you say hope dey, him go even dey praise de people wey take the tuwo and eba wey him supposed to eat!

as far as expecting yar'adua to push for national conference, don't hold your breath. if we happen to elect a progressive leader to head nigeria, we fit see significant improvements.

na only millitary coup fit get revolutionary effect, but obj don defang millitary boys; e dey almost impossible to carry out successful coup for nigeria now. so the struggle continues.[/quote]Removing the army from politics is one of the best things Obj did.

KnowAll:
The non Yorubas in Nigeria even though they have consiously or un-consiously adopted the culture of the yorubas like aso ebie and Igele which is now common currency across all over Nigeria should be grateful to the Yorubas for this contribution which is now seen as a national thing rather than a yoruba thing.

I am always very proud of being a Yoruba when I see Igbo women and Hausa women tie their Igele's in society weddings, I hope we will get more accolades from our Igbo and Huasa sisters from this unique dressing style that has been embraced by the whole nation.

On a lighter note. . .
The word "ikebe" is Urhobo, it is used all over the country. Which is more important, igele or ikebe? Ikebe wins every day! You go wound o! 

@SapeleGuy
Well said.

@ndu_chucks

The reps and senators are more accountable to Abuja than they are to their own people, they are an integral part of the same old rotten system.

Our problem is the constitution. It creates an arrangement more suited to a dictatorship than a federal govt; the President is literarily the father of the nation. That is very unhealthy, the various arms of govt should be free to vie against each other in a way that creates checks and balances. The states should have enough autonomy for there to be healthy competition that would catalyse development between them, to the benefit of the nation.

Practical ways to achieve these thing? It can easily be done on the back of the current crisis in the ND, the President has enough power to force it through if he really desires. He can force a National Conference. The other way would be what SapeleGuy has suggested, genuine electoral reform.
The current crisis is the perfect excuse to achieve a good thing and Yar Adua to write his name in gold. The alternative is cycles of crisis.

@ndu_chuks

I was replying msaalli who had referred to Bauchi.

You cannot just replace a crop of leaders with the prayer that the new ones will be better. It is better to overhaul the political system that is punctured with loopholes that bad leaders climb through.
For instance, we have rulers who have been convicted in foreign countries for crimes ranging from theft to drug involvement. These people are able to make it because the system of checks is broken. As an example, a governor is responsible only to the President, because that is the guy that pays everyone; his people and what they say or want is secondary. In fact outside influences from the FG and party can employ crippling tactics against a governor and his state.

The solution is the complete devolution of power and remission of taxes (say 30%) from state to FG. This will weaken the center and make it unattractive to career criminals. The FG should only be the hub of such affairs as, military, health, education standards, science and technology policy, foreign affairs, intra-state dispute resolution and general paper pushing etc.
In this way, state leaders would be closer to their people and not be able to hide any paper trail in Abuja.

@ndu_chuks

There is no tribalism in my post, I'm sure you're just being mischevious as usual. This quote is from one of my enties on this page; it spreads responsibility across:

These same wicked policies exist in one form or the other around the rest of the country, the masses are forced into ignorance so that their World view is totally blind to the theft and stupidity that goes on beneath their noses. In fact, they will even defend those robbing and raping them, for instance see https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=172825.msg4769229

Aside from the above, you have missed the point I am making. This isn't about apportioning blame, the whole system is rotten; it is about thinking outside the box and using the current crisis to produce positives and actually think of ways to painlessly rejig our government structure (an ugly structure will always produce unfit leaders). It is about taking a second look, it is about freeing the mind from the dark corners it has been forced into.

Since you agree with most of what has been said, why not lets take those and run with them? Let's bat ideas around in a mature way, know that naked truths can be difficult.
How do we ensure that every state in Nigeria is economically viable and not underperforming?

msaalli:
MINERAL RESOURCES
The state is richly endowed with mineral resources that can provide the provide the base for prosperous mining and mining-related industries. They are kaolin, granite, clay, gemstone, and large deposits of petroleum. Others are gold, cassiterite (tin ore), columbite, gypsum, wolfram, coal, limestone, lignite and iron ore. However, only a few of these are as yet being mined, as some of them occur only in traces. Thus, for example, cassiterite is mined in places like gamau and Majijuju. Quarrying of granite and other rocks for road and other construction goes on in the south-western parts of the state within the basement complex and Plateau area, especially in Toro Local Govrnment Area.

http://www.bauchistategov.org/agriculture&mineralresources.html

1) How do you exploit these minerals without causing exposure of the ordinary people to civilization and modernity?

2) How do you ensure that the riches derivable from these minerals remain within the region without ensuring mass education rather than education of the privileged class?

It is rather a pity that the descendants of the fighters of true federalism have either lost their voices or been compromised as to abandon intellectual activism for thuggery and subtle submission.

This exposes the root of the countries problems. There seems to be a deliberate policy in the North to keep the masses uneducated and ignorant of their rights in a modern society; so that they are easy to manipulate. But, in order to develop the direct opposite is needed, citizens must be both educated and informed. A region with so much mineral wealth is wallowing in abject poverty.
These same wicked policies exist in one form or the other around the rest of the country, the masses are forced into ignorance so that their World view is totally blind to the theft and stupidity that goes on beneath their noses. In fact, they will even defend those robbing and raping them, for instance see https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=172825.msg4769229

There are too many deliberate govt ills eg:
[list]
[li]Government structure does not reflect true federalism in which, amongst others things, there are crystal clear chains of responsibility[/li]
[li]Government deliberately doesn't keep records or statistics[/li]
[li]Planlessness and chaos[/li]
[li]Divide and rule by ethnicity (eg the current attempts to pitch the Yoruba against the ND)[/li]
[/list]

God knows that even desertification in the North would be a blessing with imaginative govt. Northern Nigeria can supply the country electricity through solar energy. The list goes on.

If we cannot see beyond our noses to right these things, we are better off going our separate ways.

Why I am I not surprised that the kobojunkies, babapupa's and all the others that want to exclusively blame ND leaders are avoiding this thread? WHY?

I'm wondering if it is because this thread proffers positive solutions rather than the sort of negativity they thrive on.

^
Fools sha

Begging ND for his upkeep. Running around us like we're your gods. No shame!

The sad truth is that Nigerians have long since gone to sleep.

Instead of the various states seeing the current crisis as an embarrassment, very strangely, it seems normal to the average Nigerian that their state govs go to Abuja, bowl in hand, for monthly feeding funds. How did we get this twisted?

It is a terrible state of affairs that can very easily be righted with the proper approach to federalism and a novel approach to the already developed oil industry.
Instead of screwing their brains on their shoulders, the govt decided on the wrong trick; to arm the JTF and make threats that have only made the situation worse. It really is a pity.

^
Ask your mother. He's your real father too. . .

What a pity! I wonder if the guy was under pressure and flipped?

On a lighter note, the guys real pic is below. The one the OP posted is really sjeezy8. . . Fugly mofo!

^
Fools sha

They can't even catch their very own drug lord, Tinubu

They keep crying to their Niger Delta daddy for money. . . Na wa!

Are Niger Delta folk really to blame for the crisis the country is in? Or is this a mere diversion with the root cause too shameful for the FG and states to admit?

Nigeria is a country that is richly blessed with both natural, mineral and human resources. Other countries manage to not only thrive on much less, but are able to diversify and develop technologically.
We are blessed with such abundance that any thinking person would wonder why with the crisis in the Niger Delta, the FG is not encouraging other states to develop their rich mineral and other resources.

Whereas solid minerals compete with petroleum as income sources for other nations, In Nigeria solid minerals provide a derisible 0.3% of GDP.
The mineral resources of a single state, Nasarawa (not the most endowed, by the way) are listed below; they are varied and abundant enough to cause jealousy in sovereign nations, talkless of a single state. How much does Nasarawa provide the FG? Close to zero!

I would suggest that the FG looks into obtaining loans from the ND to develop the resources of other states for economic exploitation. This will be much more sensible than the foolish and irresponsible suggestions from Dimeji Bankole. These loans will be repayable over an agreed period; also, an agreed percentage of profit from the endeavours of other states would be given to the ND for a length of time to cover half a century plus of exploitation.
That is the proper way to use oil as a vehicle for development.

One only has to remember how Nigeria, at the time, the Worlds number 1 for oil palm produce, supplied a few seedlings to Malaysia. . . The rest is history.

==Mineral resources of Nasarawa State==

1 Beryl (Emerald, Aquamarine
and Heliodor) --Major source of the metal Berylium alloys with copper to produce hard, fatigue resistant metal of high tensile strength.
--Extracted Berylium is used as a moderator in nuclear reactions.
--Oxide (Beo) derived from Beryl is an excellent refractory withstanding temperatures of up to 2,750oC

2 Sapphire --Used as watch jewels, bearings in scientific instruments. Also for ornamental purposes. 

3 Tourmaline --Used in the manufacture of pressure gauges to measure transient blast pressure. Also for ornamental purposes. 

4 Quartz --Used in glass and silica bricks; paint scouring, soaps and sand paper.
--In its powered form, it is used in porcelain, paint, sand paper, scouring soaps and as a wood filter.
--It is used in construction mortal and cement and flux metallurgy. 

5 Amethyst
Garnet
Topaz --Mostly used for ornamental purposes.
--Sometimes used for the manufacture of abrasives, coated paper, grindstones, sharpening stones and scouring powders. 

6 Zircon --It is a major source of Zinconia (Oxide of Zirconium metal) used for refractories, muffle furnaces, fire bricks for electrical porcelain, best sparking plugs, for refining precious metals, roof of electrical furnaces, white opacifier in enamel industry, paints and lacquers in abrasives and polishing powder.
--Used as insulator of heat and electricity. 

7 Tantalite --Source of Tantalum used in the production of special steels especially those for dental and surgical instruments.
--Manufacture of space crafts 

8 Cassiterite --Tin plating for making Tin cans.
--Making alloy solders (Tin 50%, Lead 50%). Used for sealing of Tin cans, automobile radiators and electrical equipment. 

9 Columbite --Source of Niobium used as an alloy of steel to form weldable high speed steel for radio transmitting valves, heat sensitive detective devices called barometer, for jet engines and other aircraft components, etc. 

10 Ilmenite --Source of Titanium dioxide which is used for white paint pigments.
--Source of Titanium metal used for ferro titanium alloys.
--Used as de-oxidizer and for stabilizing ore. 

11 Galena --Lead (metal) used in storage batteries
--Paints (white lead) PbC03 alloys for various uses. 

12 Iron Ore --For making cast iron, wrought iron, steel for various uses. Also used for making alloys for various uses. 

13 Barytes --Source of barium metal used in alloy.
--Barium with Lead and calcium for bearings – alloy with Aluminum magnesium and Nickel for Radio valves, with Iron as Barium ferrite for permanent magnets.
--Used as drilling mud in the petroleum industry 

14 Feldspars --Used in glass manufacturing, ceramic industry as part of the body of the ware and as a constituent of the glazes on pottery, tiles, porcelain, insulators.
 
15 Limestone --Source of calcium metal used as a de-oxidizer and scavenger in refining copper, aluminum, chromium and nickel and reducing Uranium oxide to uranium.
--In cement manufacture
--In metallurgy as flux
--As filter in paints
--Construction work
--For hydrated lime production 

16 Mica --Muscovite used chiefly as electrical insulator, production of generators, telephone, condensers.
--Used as fillers in production of tyres and tubes and as dry lubricants. 

17 Coaking coal --For producing pig iron
--Steel production
--As fuel to provide heat
--To raise steam for power stations, railways and domestic purposes
--for producing coal gas. 

18 Talc --In paints as extender
--In ceramics for tiles, electrical porcelain and table ware, tips of barriers and for refractory purposes
--Cosmetic industry, etc. 

19 Clays --For building bricks, flower pots, floor tiles, fencing bricks, etc. 

20 Glass sand --Glass industry, for coloured and white glass containers, bottles. Also as synthetic marble and for table wares, sanitary wares.

21 Dolomite/Marble --For Refractory furnace, building materials, source of carbon dioxides, terazzo tiles, floor and wall tiles. 

22 Salt --For food seasoning and preservation
--In chemical industry to prepare soda ash, caustic soda and sodium sulphate, etc
--For chlorine production. 
23 Chalcopyrite --Sulphur to manufacture sulphur ointment for skin medication
--Sulphur to sulphuric acid, etc.


DISTRIBUTION OF SOLID MINERALS IN NASARAWA STATE

S/N
LOCAL AREA
SOLID MINERAL

1 Akwanga Cassiterite, Clay, Columbite, Ilmenite, Mica 
2 Awe Barytes, Pyrite, Clay, Galena, Limestone, Sodium Chloride, Ephalerite. 
3 Doma Clay, Silica sand 
4 Keana Baryte, Galena, Salt, Limestone
5 Karu Clay, Silica sand, Granites, Tantalite, Mica, Sphalerite 
6 Keffi Clay, Talc, Gemstone (Tourmaline, Aquamarine and Sapphire) 
7 Kokona Tourmaline, Aquamarine, Mica, Chalcopyrite 
8 Lafia Clay, Silica sand, Topaz 
9 Nasarawa Cassiterite, Clay, Columbite, Tantalite 
10 Nasarawa Eggon Emerald, Aquamarine, Heliodor, Topaz, Amethyst, Quartz, Mica, Granite 
11 Obi Baryte, Clay, Coaking coal 
12 Toto Marble, Iron ore, Mica 
13 Wamba Tantalite, Cassiterite, Columbite, Granite, Ilmenite, Aquamarine

http://www.nasarawastate.org/articles/52/1/Nigerias-Home-of-Solid-Minerals/Page1.html

Dede1:
It is a welcome idea that Nairaland forum residents are attempting to apply critical but practical analysis to the possible issue of disintegration of the cesspit called Nigeria. The insidious political machination that happened in 1966, when the northern Nigerian political and military elites hoodwinked many southern Nigerian political and military goons, baring Igbo, Ibibio, Ogoni, Anaang and Ijo of eastern region to join the war of attrition against Biafra, would not happen. I am not sure what would happen during the future integration of the colonial contraption call Nigeria.

However, there could be battles for territorial expansionism and outright subjugation that may occur if normal ethno-linguistics and affinity of the people in certain areas failed to accomplish the merger. Also, there could be a factor of old regional affiliations.

It is very true as Beaf had stated in his previous post that the Igbo/Biafra republic would not remain dormant as the Christians in Plateau and Southern Kaduna are being massacred by the Islamic fundamentalists.

In all the scenarios, the Yoruba/Oduduwa Republic would be a weak link. This is partly because of their belief, ethnicity and region. The collusion of Islam and Christianity would be very tempting as Kwara State may become a battle ground on both scores.  Also, there is no doubt that many people of Yoruba extractions firmly believed that the present state of Nigeria had benefited them and would want to stick with the nonsensical One-Nigeria slogan.

Another protracted and cantankerous issue would emerge from the Old Mid-western region. This old region has many small ethnic groups that would be subjected to the political machination of push/pull from Yoruba/Oduduwa, Igbo/Biafra and Hausa-Fulani-Kanuri-Nupe/Arewa Republics. The only sure thing that may happen would be the entire Igbo/Delta would join their brethren in Igbo/Biafra. The question remains which sovereign umbrella would the people of Edo, Urhobo, Ishan, Ijo of Mid-western region, Itsekiri and inhabitants of Auchi tend to gravitate?

The only problems in the current Delta state might arise with the Itsekiri, but they have much more to gain by sticking with Urhobo, Isoko and Izon than wondering off to join their Youruba kith eg, no Itsekiri man would ever be governor of a Yoruba state as is currently the case in Delta state. The smart money is on the Itsekiri will doing the right thing and sticking with Izon, Isoko and Urhobo. Delta state will move as a block.

There might be issues with the Muslim areas of Edo state, they will be minorities in some way regardless of where they go, so I'm guessing that they might choose the best of evils and stick with their kin in the Middle Belt.

So what?

When I was growing up, I was taught that you should eat from what you produce.

States like Zamfara (first to introduce sharia) were only created to share from the proceeds of other states.

Even today, there is clamouring for the creation of even more similarly economically unviable states. . . For the productive states to fund.
[size=21pt]
Shame![/size]

^
My brother, it isn't just abysmally ignorant statements like "Aondoakaa is from the Niger Delta" (kobojunkie); we also have to deal with statements that can at best be described as racist from our eternal tribalists and "lovers" of every ND thread.

larez: Yorubas with their rich culture need to be seriously cautioned. Stop yabbing these people about their comical clothes which consists of the used worn out Oyimbo shirt and the yoruba wrapper given to them as charity gifts from yoruba. Oh yes, and to top it up, they also wear Oyimbo hats and put feathers on them as well. Bad Yoruba people have concluded that these people were indeed savages before Oyinbo came to their villages. This is not right, and Yoruba people should stop. lol

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-314283.96.html#msg4421745

Oh yes, and to top it up, they also wear Oyimbo hats and put feathers on them as well.

BABAPUPA: ugliest Halloween clown costume ever

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-314283.96.html#msg4422823

In the West, statements like that would earn a conviction and a hefty fine. But, hey! We are talking about Nigeria were we kick minorities around or even ask that they all be wiped out and their resources obtained like "honourable" N'Allah.

It is disgusting.

Beaf:
Yes, the Yoruba's believe in one Nigeria, but there might be a possible miscalculation with the likes of Fashola here. He has made good noises toward a Sovereign National Conference and resource control, the question is how far Lagos will push.

My position has shifted away from the above in the past few months.

Uduzue!

Don't mind that commical rag brain called babapupa. He doesn't realise that blabbing stupidly isn't in everyones genes.
They have their drug lord in Tinubu to nail. But, no! All you need do is plant a few flowers and babapupa forgets the disgrace of his own drug tainted leaders to go mouthing his superiors.
I challenged him to compare quality of life indeces to see if his state won't be left flailing in the dust, but the clown ran off.

The funniest thing is, he doesn't even sit back to wonder why a man of Wole Soyinka's pedigree is on MEND's Aaron team; yet, in Wole Soyinka, we are talking of someone with a brain hundreds of times the size of the little malfunctioning bone in babapupa's head. . . Talk about Homer Simpson!

babapupa:
What's up with the fascination with Tinubu?

Is tinubu your governor?

FOOL.

Imagine someone going to toilet and not cleaning his arse. He has flies and a wretched stench in tow, but without engaging his brain, he points out to everyone that his neighbours wife hasn't washed the dishes. What do you call that type? "Useless" is too mild. You paint a truely ridiculous picture.

You come here posting tonnes of stupid links. I challenged you earlier about quality of life between your state and mine. Did you take it up? No! Yet, you shift your mouth so much like the fool you are, blabbing at your betters; I'm waiting, lets compare figures. My state leaves yours in the dust.
Instead of worrying about your drug convict party boss, you can't help crawling out of your little crack to snipe at the ND just cos we are minorities.Abi, your gang dey bunker too? Did MEND disrupt business as usual?

Why don't you mind the drug soaked thief in your backyard. With a guy like that, only God knows the evil plans that might be in store for your state; yet you're here talking shit and defending a drug tainted criminal (whats in it for you ).

stillwater:
No I've not. I have never used the 'I'm African' phrase. I always say I'm Nigerian. Saying Nigeria sounds sophisticated in my ears.  People are generally nice to me anyway. Maybe the witch from una village follow una come here that's why the citizens here hate you guys.

Winsh no dey cross ocean. Check your box weda Yar Adua dey inside!

^
Sad tribalist fools sha

Every community should compile their own list of Arewa corpers just in case one of theirs is taken by almajiri's. Vengeance should be instant. 7 Lives for each loss.