₦airaland Forum

Delta State needs to get its act right. It is now shameful that with all the positive development in every state in Nigeria, Delta with all its oil is still crawling. Governorship should not be a game of ethnicity but meritocratic.

Our problem in Delta is ethnic politics– Okowa, Senator-elect
Dr Ifeanyi Athur Okowa is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator-elect for Delta North Senatorial district in the just concluded election. He bares his mind on the election and other issues at his Boji-Boji Owa, Delta State home. CHRISTOPHER OJI brings the excerpts:
Friday, May 13, 2011
• Okowa
Photo: Sun News Publishing

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Delta State election
In Delta State, elections went very well and peaceful. One thing is that we need to commend the Independent National Electoral Commission; I think the commission has done better than it used to do in the past. While not trying to discredit the past elections, the election held Saturday, 9 of April and the presidential election was much more credible and you could be sure that the votes that came from various polling units in the various polling centres were a clear recording of the turn out of the people to vote.

For once, the process of accreditation starting from the presiding officers, poll clerks were fairly well treated, the process of accreditation took place normally at 12noon in most centres, voting started early in some places, while it was delayed in other places, but essentially the whole process was quite credible from the elections we have seen so far.

President Jonathan’s victory and the massive returns he got from the South South?
Actually, you will recall that President Goodluck Jonathan is who many of us call son of the soil. He is from the Niger Delta, so he is our brother. Secondly, since he assumed the office as the president, he has done quite well, because one very good thing about governance is being committed to democracy.

He has shown great commitment to credible elections starting from the appointment of Jega as chairman and appointment of several presiding Electoral Commissioners that were done. It was obvious that it went through a transparent process and he had consistently asked for a credible election because we need to engage the international community in such a manner that they could trust us and regard us as a country that is serious minded in terms of democracy, because that is the only time you can attract foreign investment and President Jonathan has shown a lot of goodwill in that direction.

The way and manner in which he is running the government in the past one-year distinguishes him. The amnesty programme was started by the late President Yar’Adua before his death, but he has been able to carry on with it. There is a lot of peace now in the Niger Delta region and it is good for this nation because the fact is that we are still operating on a mono-economy, the oil economy. So the question of bursting the pipelines, stoppage of work by oil companies is no longer there.

So he is on course in terms of trying to develop the Nigeria of our dream. In the Delta North Senatorial district, we conducted campaigns in the 98 wards of the senatorial district and the campaign was for Mr. President, both the governor and I embarked on a tedious campaign going around all the wards, I think we did a lot of work in Delta State, that was why we were not surprised by the massive turnout of people on that day.

Delta North
The real truth is that people are confusing the whole thing. There are nine Local Council areas in Delta North senatorial district and we have three Federal Constituencies in the district. At the senatorial coalition centre, on the 10th of April, all the results from the 9 local governments were released, collated by the various local government coalition officers and submitted at the Oshimili headquarters office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which is the headquarters for the senatorial district.

The coalition officer, a Professor, did the coalition in the presence of the party agents, the security agencies and all the 9 local government results were collated and eventually I was announced the winner of the election. I scored 98,140 votes and the Democratic Peoples Party scored 67,985 which was a clear difference of over 30,000 and there was no controversy at that level. The result was properly announced and the result sheet given while we were waiting for the certificate of return. But somehow in the constituency, what we saw was that a returning officer, which I am not sure whether he was properly trained or he wanted to be mischievous decided to take upon himself a duty he had no right to do because every person’s job was already properly specified in the electoral act .

The procedure is, after accreditation by the poll clerks, then from 12 noon, voting starts and the presiding officer in every unit issues ballot papers to each person and at the end of the vote, votes are sorted out, counted and are recorded in the result sheets and declared publicly in every polling unit and pasted there. They have gone through that stage, the results were announced in every unit, there were no complaints, the agents signed and they now took the result of the 14 wards to the headquarters where results were eventually collated at the local government level.

The House of Representatives has nothing to do with the Senate, but the Senate was done peacefully. So, unfortunately, when the results of Ika North East was brought, I learnt that when the results were brought, he received a phone call and just stood up and said he was going to cancel the results of the Ika North East. By the electoral act, he has no right, not even Jega, nor even the REC has any right to cancel it.

Any result already announced at the polling unit and declared, and announced at that level and entered into the result sheet. It is only a court of law that can actually nullify it. When he was asked to give his reasons for cancelling the results he said he went somewhere, he couldn’t even name the particular place and the time. He said he went somewhere in the morning in Ika North East and found that the people who were working at that level were not youth corps members. He claimed that they have been replaced with indigenes, which was not true.

Till today, he has not been able to mention a particular town that he went to and his duty as a Returning Officer did not include that because you have the Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs) who is supposed to take charge of that, the duty of a returning officer is to stay back in the office and wait for the collated results to come in and then enter the figures, do the addition and declare the results.

But let us even assume he exercises the power of somebody who is on the field, what particular ward did he go to? Which particular unit did he notice this discrepancy? And even if he did not settle it, why did he not cancel that particular unit? Can he just visit one place and you say there was a problem which he claimed that they did resolve and voting went ahead, then you now cancel a whole local government area? It is like somebody waking up and saying he is cancelling the presidential election results from the entire South because there was a problem in one state, it is not possible. So the DPP unfortunately picked up on that.

As I talk to you today, there are no security reports of electoral fraud in Ika North East now at all, because I am aware that the Commissioner of Police himself and even the Director of State Security Service (SSS) were in this local government during the monitoring exercise as they went to some other local government. So it was just a question of one fraudulent returning officer who possibly has been used to do something that was very clear from the electoral act he had no power to do.

I won in seven local governments out of nine. Even if the results were cancelled, I was still leading all ahead of anyway. It has nothing to do with my election, my election has been announced, there is no controversy concerning the senatorial election. People are just trying to inject it, mix it up with controversy of the House of Representatives election.

Future of PDP in Delta State
PDP is still very strong in Delta State. Unfortunately, what we simply have at the state level, I mean the governorship level is more of an ethnic politics. I do not believe that because PDP is becoming less popular in Delta Central district, then the party is falling. Sometimes people have to balance their party politics with ethnic politics but even then, right thinking people also believe that we are all in the same state we are equal partners in progress, equal partners in the family of Delta State, we must allow equity to prevail that is why you still find some reasonable number of Delta Central people stay back with Dr. Uduaghan and the PDP.

What will you want Mr. President to do?
We would like him to continue to do things as he has been doing. He should continually be committed to developing our democracy. He must remain committed to good governance. He has already made it clear that the power sector is his priority area because every right thinking Nigerian knows that is where we have challenges because until we get the power sector right, it would be difficult for us to industrialize the country, it would be difficult for foreign investors to come in full force into this country because they are not going to be spending their resources on generators.

Femi Makinde, Ado-Ekiti

Wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, has raised the alarm over the high rate of minors' rape in the state.



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She said this at a news conference in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday.

She appealed to residents of the state to be vigilant due to the growing cases of minors' rape in the state.

A policeman was arrested last week for raping a 12-year-old orphan. Fayemi said her intervention led to the arrest of the policeman.

Also, a 37-year-old man is now with the police in the state for allegedly raping a four-year-old girl.

The governor's wife said the Child Rights Act would assist her and others to protect the rights of children in the state.

She said, "This (rape cases) angers me and I am sure it must anger all of you who are fathers, mothers and others.

"There is a worrying increase in the cases of sexual exploitation, abuse and violence against girls in schools. The Ekiti Development Foundation will promote zero tolerance of all forms of abuse and exploitation of young girls."

Fayemi, while announcing the establishment of the EDF, said the initiative would focus on economic empowerment, healthcare and education.

The governor's wife noted that the foundation would also provide technical assistance and support to the Ekiti State Government in the area of programmes related to women empowerment and gender equality as outlined in the state government's eight-point agenda.

She said the EDF would also focus on supporting initiatives which could empower women and youth in the state, while providing revolving loans for women.

According to her, the foundation which will be run as a non-governmental organisation, will source funds from donor agencies, both local and foreign, private individuals and the government.

She said measures would be taken to ensure that the project outlasts her husband's administration.

Headlines Thursday, June 2, 2011

BY LEKE ADESERI, South West Regional Editor

LAGOS - THERE were indications, yesterday, that President Goodluck Jonathan was planning to put aside the lists sent by state chapters of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, based on his insistence for clean records from those that would play leading roles in his new government.



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Vanguard learnt that the President's inclination followed the furore that trailed the submission of nominations by state chapters of the PDP, and his determination to hit the ground running immediately the cabinet is reconstituted.

It was also gathered, yesterday, that the Presidency had already forwarded names of the ministerial nominees to security agencies for screening preparatory to submission to the Senate.

Prior to his hesitation, the President was said to have pruned the ten names earlier forwarded by the state chapters of the PDP to two per state.

President’s vacillation

The President's vacillation on the submission from PDP chapters, it was learnt, may have been reinforced by the same circumstances that placed the former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim above Chief Ojo Maduekwe in the choice of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF. That scenario, it was learnt, will be repeated in the choice of ministers.

Usually reliable Presidency sources told Vanguard: "The party had presented Chief Ojo Maduekwe's name to the President for approval as SGF but after a long perusal the President said he preferred a personality whose appointment would generate no controversy. He then decided on Senator Anyim."

It would be recalled that Chief Maduekwe touched Igbo sensibilities after allegedly saying in 2003 that aspirations towards Igbo presidency at that time was idiotic.

The source said: "If this stance by the President is extended to choice of ministers, which is most likely, it will block the chances of many people on the PDP lists."

Those whose names were presented for appointments that may be negatively affected include the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, whose is reportedly having a running battle with his colleagues over a N10billion loan and other sundry issues.

Also, virtually all the names of immediate past governors being bandied as having issues to settle with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, are on the lists from their states, recommending them for appointment as ministers

They include former governors Adebayo Alao Akala of Oyo State; Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State; and Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State. Names of other ex_governors being bandied as being under investigation by the EFCC, are Ibrahim Shekarau, Kano State; Ibrahim Shinkafi, Zamfara State; Modu Sheriff, Borno State; and Akwe Doma, Nasarawa State.

Also featured on the lists from their states are names of former governors Segun Agagu, Ondo State; Segun Oni, Ekiti State; and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Osun State.

The same inclination towards avoiding controversy was, yesterday, said to be affecting the prospects of the immediate past governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau in the new government.

Vanguard gathered that in a bid to strengthen its tentacles in the North, the Presidency had invited Shekarau who was the presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP into his new government.

Though the role Shekarau was invited to play could not be confirmed, there were indications, yesterday, that the invitation may hit the rocks if the President should also use the same parameters he is alleged to have employed in pruning the submissions from the PDP.

Swiss court convicts former Nigerian envoy for rape

Agency reporter

A Swiss court on Wednesday found a former Nigerian ambassador guilty of raping his housemaid and sentenced him to eight years in prison.



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Ejoh Abuah, 69, who was tried in absentia by the Geneva cantonal (state) court, will have to serve the sentence if he ever returns to Switzerland.

Abuah's lawyer, Philippe Girod, said his client was unable to attend the trial because of severe hypertension and had stayed home in Nigeria.

Under Swiss law, the defendant has five days to challenge the court's decision. "There will definitely be an appeal," Girod said.

Abuah was posted at Nigeria's mission to the United Nations' European offices in Geneva from 1996-1998. He was accused of raping one of his housemaids, a 52-year-old woman from the Philippines, on four separate occasions from 1997-1998.

"The facts are not contested - there has been a sexual relationship," Girod said. "But to qualify the facts in a legal way, is a different matter."

The court verdict did not identify the victim.

Luis Cid, head of a labour union which helped her get medical treatment and file a complaint in 1998, also declined to identify her, citing personal privacy.

The victim claimed that Abuah sexually harassed her regularly, appearing naked before her while his family was out of the house.

She alleged that he threatened to revoke her working visa or to denounce her husband, who was living and working in Switzerland illegally, if she reported his behaviour to authorities.

Three other women, who worked in the Nigerian mission also accused Abuah of sexual misbehaviour, after which Nigeria recalled him.

Laws, which usually protect diplomats did not apply in this case, because his immunity was lifted automatically after he left the diplomatic corps in 1998.

After a Swiss warrant was issued for his arrest, Abuah was arrested by Dutch authorities in 2003 at the Amsterdam airport and extradited to Geneva. He served two months in preventive custody before being provisionally released.

EFCC may issue arrest warrant for escaped governors

News Thursday, June 2, 2011

Says Bankole's investigation still on-going, to appeal Igbinedion's acquittal

BY Oscarline Onwuemenyi



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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, gave indications on Wednesday that it may soon issue warrant of arrest against some former governors who have allegedly fled the country without giving proper account of their financial stewardship.

Former Governors Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State and Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State, reportedly fled the country days before the May 29 official handover date, and other governors within the EFCC's radar are said to be planning to take off soon.

The Commission's Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Babafemi, stated at a briefing with newsmen in Abuja that the anti-corruption agency was vigilant and would soon open cases against the former state executives and others whose immunity expired on May 29, 2001.

He also noted that the Commission has not relented in its efforts to interrogate the out-going Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Dimeji Bankole over the N10 billion loan.

He said, "We are not being silent (over corrupt ex-governors). I can assure you that our investigation is still on-going, but we will not be pressured into opening up the on the extent in which we have gone in order not to compromise our work.

"Nigerians should be rest assured that as for former governors who have cases to answer with the Commission, we will go after them, wherever they may be. In the coming days, we will let the public into what we have been doing and how far we have gone."

Babafemi said the EFCC was "ready to do whatever is necessary and legal" to bring the former governors and their cohorts to account for allegations of financial misconduct".

On the issue of Speaker of the House of Representatives, the EFCC spokesman insisted that the matter was not rested adding that the investigation was on-going and that the Commission would soon go public with its findings.

The Speaker had pleaded with the EFCC to allow him report for interrogation at a new date to be fixed by the anti-corruption agency due to his involvement in some handover ceremonies.

Babafemi further noted that the Chairman of EFCC, Mrs. Farida Waziri has ordered the Commission's lawyers to begin the process of appeal against the court judgment that acquitted former governor of Edo, Mr. Lucky Igbinedion, of charges of corruption.

He said, "The Chairman has ordered our prosecution team to appeal the acquittal of the former governor, even as we pursue the prosecution of his sibling and other accomplices in the court of law."

dustydee:
Anyim: from No. 3 man to No.??

To still No. 3  behind the vice President in the executive arm of government. Some would even argue that he is No .2 since the Vice President is in a sense just a spare part to be called upon in the absence of the President. GEJ has done it again, just a shame it took us this long to catch up as usual.

Nice choice GEJ, this guy will do all the practical work of MR President just fine. Congratulation Anyim on becoming the Principal Presidential Administrator. Do us Proud!!

[quote author=bk.babe97y link=topic=676435.msg8411589#msg8411589 date=1306614033]I'm trying, I'm fuxcking trying but I cant help it! I dont wanna call u names but ure a freaking buffo*oon its so hard not to just verbally tear you apart!

Ekt-Bear's post was about "WHY" the Cameroons opted to leave Eastern Nigeria, yet youre posting something on the AFTERMATH--- when they are already in Cameroon! Then, in your usual, eternal, Ibotic foo*lish attempt at revisionism you dont post a link. . . .  Not only that, then you attempt to sell us a lie on why the separation occurred! Do you think we're all foo*lish like the average Ibo man? Here we are talking about issues that occurred in the 1950's and this monkey quotes something from 2003 as a way to absolve Ibos!!!

Are you guys this stu*upid? Why dont you lay emphasis on education? You are a fuxcking sorry lot, u imb*eciles.[/quote]@ bk.babe97y, if u can't stand the heat get the fuxck out of the kitchen, this is my word of advice to you. 

Just so we are clear that the issue with southern Cameroon was not a tribal one as [b]ekt-bear [/b]would have us believe. Even worst complaint was leveled against Cameroon till date.

@alj hareem/jason123

However, the English-speaking peoples of the Southern Cameroons (now West Cameroun) did not believe that they were fairly treated by the French-speaking government of the country. Following a referendum on 20 May 1972 a new constitution was adopted in Cameroun which replaced the federal state with a unitary state. Southern Cameroons lost its autonomous status and became the Northwest Province and Southwest Province of the Republic of Cameroun. The Southern Cameroonians felt further marginalised. Groups such as the Cameroon Anglophone Movement (CAM) demanded greater autonomy, or independence, for the provinces.

Amnesty International has accused the Cameroun authorities of human right violations against South Cameroons activists.Complaint with the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights - Communication n° 266/2003:

On 9 January 2003, the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) and the Southern Cameroons Peoples Organisation (SCAPO) filed a complaint with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights against the Republic of Cameroun (registered as Communication n° 266/2003 Re: Kevin Ngwane Ngumne and Co., acting on their behalf and on behalf of SCNC/SCAPO and the Southern Cameroons versus the State of Cameroon). Among other allegations, the complainants alleged that the Republic of Cameroun is illegally occupying the territory of Southern Cameroons. The Complainants alleged that the Republic of Cameroon has violated Articles 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7(1), 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17(1), 19, 20, 21, 22, 23(1), 24 of the African Charter[2]. The SCNC and SCAPO ultimately seek the independence of the territory of Southern Cameroons[3]. In a decision reached at its 45th Ordinary Session on May 27, 2009[4], the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights found that the Republic of Cameroun has violated Articles 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7(1), 10, 11, 19 and 26 of the Charter. The Human Rights Commission determined that Articles 12, 13, 17(1), 20, 21, 22, 23(1) and 24 have not been violated.

@ekt-bear

Nice try, with your editing of actual account that led southern cameroons to leave Nigeria but find below the actual account. 

Following the Ibadan General Conference of 1950, a new constitution for Nigeria devolved more power to the regions. In the subsequent election thirteen Southern Cameroonian representatives were elected to the Eastern Nigerian House of Assembly in Enugu. In 1953, however, the Southern Cameroons representatives, unhappy with the domineering attiude of Nigerian politicians and lack of unity among the ethnic groups in the Eastern Region, declared a “benevolent neutrality” and withdrew from the assembly. At a conference in London from 30 July to 22 August 1953, the Southern Cameroons delegation asked for a separate region of its own. The British agreed, and Southern Cameroons became an autonomous region with its capital still at Buea. Elections were held in 1954 and the parliament met on 1 October 1954, with E.M.L. Endeley as Premier. As Cameroun and Nigeria prepared for Independence, South Cameroons nationalists debated whether their best interests lay with union with Cameroun, union with Nigeria or total independence. Endeley was defeated in elections on 1 February 1959 by John Ngu Foncha.

The United Nations organised a plebiscite in the Cameroons on 11 February 1961 which put two alternatives to the people: union with Nigeria or union with Cameroun. The third option, independence, was opposed by the UK representative to the UN Trusteeship Council, Sir Andrew Cohen, and as a result was not put. In the plebiscite, Northern Cameroons voted for union with Nigeria, and Southern Cameroons for union with (the formerly French) Cameroun.Southern Cameroons became part of Cameroun on 1 October 1961.

ekt_bear (m)

Have you no shame, Calculia? The sin that your group committed in the 50s, you are blaming it on someone else?  Grin

So do you guys really want to know why Southern Cameroons is no more part of Nigeria today?

Quote
The British first administered Southern Cameroons as part of the Southern Province of Nigeria, whose headquarters was in Lagos and later; under the Eastern Region of Nigeria, when Nigeria was divided into three regions, namely, Northern, Western and Eastern. Therefore, Southern Cameroons was administered from Enugu, which was the headquarters of the Eastern Region. Under the Eastern Region, she suffered what was known as the Ibo domination. The Ibo established their hegemony over Southern Cameroons and caused them to be further frustrated by foreign domination. However, it was during this period that the first parliamentary elections were organised in the territory to choose representatives to the Eastern Regional House of Assembly and Federal House in Lagos.

RECENT HISTORY
Following discrimination they faced as a minority group in the assembly, they walked out in protest and declared Benevolent Neutrality in Nigerian politics. This led to the holding of the first Southern Cameroons Conference in Mamfe in 1953. This Conference adopted a petition addressed to the United Kingdom Government that demanded for a separate regional status in conformity with Southern Cameroons’ status as a UN Trust territory. It was from here that Southern Cameroons nationalism began. This political action yielded the desired results.
http://www.unpo.org/members/7915

Chief Obafemi Awolowo sensing the Igbo would leave Nigeria in secession, said that “if the east goes, the west would follow.” But that was just a grand deception to betray the ndi-igbo.]

It puzzles me on how the father of the yorubas could be a natural born liar and two face back stabber. This most be a character trait of yoruba's as a people. 

Quote from:T9ksy (m)

Can you please provide proof where awo explicitly agreed with your igbo leaders that the country should split up before the war started?

Also while at it could you expantiate on the second line, re:part of nigeria joining with cameroun on account of the cross-carpetting saga of 1953?

lol! The 'yorubas' from day one have been the single most destructive entity in the Nigerian union. We have some clowns above that have a selective memory on the Nigerian history, choosing to blame the igbos for acts of genocide commited against them, are you not ashamed.

The remote cause of that war. is traceable back to Chief Awolowo?s treasonable abortive coup attempt with his fellow Yoruba members of Action Group party (AG) to overthrow the constitutionally elected government of the then prime minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. When the rule of law applied and Chief Awolowo and his collaborators were dumped into jail, intra-party struggles for party leadership started amongst AG leaders in the West who were not in jail because they were not party to the coup plot.

The then Premier of the West and new leader of the party Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola soon disagreed with Chief Awolowo who still wanted to control the party from within the confines of the jailroom. AG now split into two with Awolowo?s supporters led by Alhaji Dauda S. Adegbenro. Akintola led his faction to form the Nigerian National Democratic Party(NNDP). From that point Yorubas in general split between Ijebu/Ogun block and Osun/Oyo block.

Uncontrolled violence,both day and night arson and murder of politicians and innocent men and women became the order of the day in Western Nigeria. It was the continued escalation of this anarchious situation in the west and the unwillingness and inability of the federal government to intervene because of vested interests of the coalition patners that attracted Major C.K. Nzeogwu-led first military coup which by virtue of his respect and regards for seniority in the command and strong persuation/appeal by Col Nwawo, his mentor and military role model major Nzeogwu still reluctantly surrendered power/governance to the most senior officer of the armed forces Major General J T U Aguiyi-Ironsi who turned around to arrest the young major. (For Jason 123)

source:focusnigeria

Quote from:jason123

Guy, I am not justifying anything. All I am saying is, in as much as it is wrong and terrible, you cannot totally put the blame on other without looking your on faults and what caused the upraise. The attempt by Biafrans to put ALL their woes on other Nigerians is pathetic, untrue, one sided, hypocritical and totally uncalled for.

If we had 3 major regions and firstly, Nnamdi broke his neighbour's region( West) into two to weaken its power. As if that was not enough, the Western (with his 8 month old pregnant wife) and Northern prime-ministers were killed yet their Eastern counter part MIRACULOUSLY escaped the country that very night. Yet the coup was executed by mainly Eastern forces (Igbo to be precise). It was said that some Igbos celebrated in the North that they now rule the country. Also, the MW was invaded against her wish and an Igbo man was put to administer the whole region. Why not another man? Why an Igbo man?

All this will definitely lead to a believe that it was planned by the Igbos to take over the country, thus, a reaction was eminent.

Although, it should have been the coup plotters that should have been killed not citizens but you cannot put the total blame on the rest of the country for reacting the way they did especially when the East did not react to the whole situation and execute the coup plotters or produce their own leader to be killed as they did to their Western and Northern counterpart.

Jason123 you really need to go back to school and catch up because u are a big olodo on Nigeria's history and events.(No offense)

Another good sermon by an equally good preacher. Go tell that to people that care. It is puzzling on how people can have such selective memory and account of history. I suppose that is the only way they can sleep at night, by believing their own lies.

On the issue of succession, Awolowo agreed with the igbo leaders that Nigeria should split before any action even began. Mind you a fraction of Nigeria had earlier join Cameroon because of the cross carpeting and heavily tribal politics practiced in Nigeria. (the trouble was looming)

So don't talk like the issue of succession only started after the coup or with the igbo's alone because the yorubas wanted succession. The midwest as we know it or former bendal state was neither here or there. There are parts of it that would join the south east and parts that would join the south west.

Ojukwu merely went along with the agreed plan of Awolowo when biafra entered the midwest. But Awolowo had other plans to betray and sabotage the biafra war effort. Go to school and learn history before you start your preaching.

KDULAR:
As much as possible I try to refrain from comments that 'll be ethnic biased or chauvunistic  but I have to say these.

1.   When you are a military man , you don't for any disobey a lawfull order

2.   You don't plan against your commander, unit or  service and The State for ANY reason, if you get any grievances as regards decisions against you, you seek a redress and their are channels through which to do so. Doing such is treason and you must be prepared for the consequencies  especially if it is against the state which is paying the ultimate punishment  DEATH . A civilian can commit treason and be pardoned  ( Niger Delta Militants) but hardly woulld a military personnel ( Officer fro that matter) who is expected to exhibit the highest level of patriotism, dicipline, order asnd comportment.

3. Pardon is the prerogative of the state so pardon for Ojukwu Biafran soldiers and any person or groups of people is  welcomed and if the govt decides to compesate anybody afterwards , it's govt's  decision and it's al good.

However , why would anybody decide to blame the consequencies faced by Your actions on another person, You are at war with  the country and you expect them to give you all what it takes to be comfortable? When you wanna go to war, you'll check your Logistics properly and rely  only on emotions and testetorone (muscles) . it can only take you far and not All the way. Awolowo was a federal minister on a Federal assignment and you expected him not to perform his duties ? Ridiculous, he advised and did what he is expected to do ) despite the way He and his region was treated, by the same national govt comprising of all the other regions if you don't wanna do the Job, then resign as long as you are there, you are bound by the terms conditions ,rules and regulation guiding your appointment. As opposed to Ojukwu( who I forever respect anyway for his bravery but disappointed in his what is termed UNOFFICER LIKE CONDUCT. To some he is a Hero and in some respect he and will remain.

you will vent your anger against Yorubas but you were already making incurssions and advances with military force towards Yoruba land well outside your Ibo speaking area and you are talking, majority of the northern leaders were anhillated and the yoruba politicians killed with the Igbo leaders spared and you still talk of trust! Haba !!

The Igbos who are reasonable  and know what was happening will not in anyway lay blame and continue to light up flames of hatred rather have adopted a noble strategy which is working and is will continue to earn respect from other parts of the country. If anybody still want to seed off let it be follow the internationally accepted process but stop whining and blame those you need not paid for unsuccessful attempt .

Talking about going to the centre and revenue sharing, saying Awolowo and  Gowon started it all! the stage was set for that to hapen with Agunyi Ironsi who after the coup in"66 decided and promulgated aand started unitary system of govt for the country which brought all the regions under one central federal control. the practice has been in existence at least. Right after that how many time s had some people been calling for the  decentralization of the govt  
giving more powers to the states or region as the case may be and I expected the Ibos to be the champion and the main supporter of the causw however, it's not so, however some will still be too quick and happy to throw Jabs at Yorubas and Awolowo for whatever I don't know they call their grouse!
 
When you wake up in the morning and ou see someone calling everybody a  bad or mad person, then suspect who is really mad.

A man went to his money lender to ask for some raise and on getting their, he met him eating and was invited to eat , he sat down to the meal . Another man came around to borrow money also met  them ( the lender and the first man) eating. he was asked to join them but refuseed and said this is what I want "money" . The lender left the meal got him the amount he wanted and he left. The first man now said actually he came to borrow some money and the lender to him what is important to you most is what I offered to you first and u acccepted it and at the moment he has no moren cash to lend.

These Igbo guys on NL who still fan the embers of hatred and I believe only get their kicks from insulting all other tribes especially Yoruba should if they want to note that , the world has and is still changing and will never ever wait for you. Keep hating and  watch the money pile up.
Yorubas are realising themselves and are saying yes we want tohave a part in Nigeria centre but no neccessarily through a one party, and that "you are fooling yourself if you are saying you have somebody when you don't have yourself. Keep insulting and watch us progress( not only about Big money but being attractive and more condicive for investors to come including your brothers) wewould not answer because Eni ti a nwo ki i woran.

Ojukwu to Nigeria can be 'wateva', but to the Igbo's he is our liberator, a war time hero and we love him. He led the secession of Biafra after Igbo's were murdered in the North in their tens of thousands shortly after independence. It was clear that we were no longer part of Nigeria and thus proceeded to form our own state, a kind of isreal for igbo's.

Nigeria had no right wat so ever to commit act of genocide on a distinctive ethnicity that have been forced to embrace their distinctiveness.






[quote author=alj_harem link=topic=676435.msg8407599#msg8407599 date=1306544880]to be honest here, forget the usual alj harem character

I agree that igbos fought to protect themselves from pogroms

i also agree that igbo or SE should be compensated one way or the other

i agree that 1.5 billion is rubbish compare to the lost of igbos, moreover, he should channel sure money to develop the se not just giving it to ojukwu because ojukwu did not die neither did his family lost their lifes

now

i disagree that ojukwu should be made as a hero, infact he should be a villein not because he fough aganist biafra but because he left igbos to die and fled and also he had the opprunity to have negosiated with sw leader awo or even the mid-western leader (the table was full of options) instead he was arrogant.

he even invaded neutrals like mid-west and SW

i disagree because during those time 20 pounds was a lot of money, moreover, the war cost the country a lot of money[/quote]

To make sense, they must accept that 2 million people died in the Nigerian civil War, tens of thousands were violated, properties destroyed and bank account cancelled with the exception of #20 for all bank account holders.

They must accept that they contributed to the cause of the coup wen they started their tribal politics of carpet crossing after Azikiwe won a free and fair election.

They must accept that #1.5 billion naira is no compensation but a gesture of reconciliation and good will. They dare not approach this thread while am on it, to make ignorant statement or no reasoning.



[quote author=alj_harem link=topic=676435.msg8407539#msg8407539 date=1306543517]so u see no sense in what he wrote sad[/quote]

Both u clowns should perhaps consider taking up pastoring, just let us not here any funny business with the kids


[quote author=bk.babe97y link=topic=676435.msg8407511#msg8407511 date=1306542857]In sane societies, when a Military official commits a Treasonable Felony against the State i.e a coup, the penalty for that is usually death by firing squad or by hanging. If [just] an attempt to take over Government could warrant such punishment, how then is it that an attempt TO DIVIDE THE COUNTRY  by force automatically attracts a monetary compensation?! In most societies Ojukwu would have been a folk hero by now. . . . . . referred to only in the past tense.

While I will never advocate another man's death, especially not one whom I admire and respect like the Ikemba, I still think it is utterly irresponsible of the Nigerian Govt. to honor, financially, a man that sort to split the country. If Nigeria had been divided as Ojuwkwu planned, who will be paying him now? But then again,we're complaining about the same man that welcomed Bode George from prison by holding a huge party on his behalf!

Like I said over a year ago (check my old posts) I wont be surprised if  (when Ojukwu dies) the Federal Govt. of Nigeria not only honors him with a National Burial and a public holiday in his memory, I wouldnt be surprised if they also honored him with a post humous Medal complete with National Honors. Imagine if the United States  decided to honor Timothy Mcveigh or Terry Nichols. . . . .

Nigeria, what a waste of valuable land space. Theres no time, though, that yall aint gonna go to war. 'Cause, eventually, all the bullshiyyt has to be settled once and for all. Spreading the money as wastefully as possible aint gone save yall, theres gotta be a "few good men" still lurking around your country somewhere thats tired of all this crap.

What a fuxcking sad and unserious country![/quote][quote author=ekt_bear link=topic=676435.msg8407527#msg8407527 date=1306543226]Lmao.

Anyway, Nigeria is a country where up is down and down is up. It is what it is. . . stuff doesn't make sense here.[/quote]

@ blackbabe

Go and fuxckas your mother, because she is the only blackbabe u can fuxckas.

[quote author=bk.babe97y link=topic=676435.msg8407476#msg8407476 date=1306541918]Oliver Twist. Already wanting more. Greedy fuxckas![/quote]

GENIUS like u should first win our votes and then solve all our problem without money. matured elder

KoReS292:
toss money at the problem and it will all go away, immature reasoning

I prefer such visible accounting of wat gov revenue are spent on than OBASANJO looting of public fund, anytime.

[quote author=Ileke-IdI link=topic=676435.msg8407434#msg8407434 date=1306540835]23million or so for inauguration, 1.5 billion for nothing . . . .some few millions for militants. All this while the nation is suffering.
GEJ nd his putrid air.


@Honerico
Aseeee![/quote]

My Edo friends always complain about this igbo administrator of the Mw. Heard this line so many times. The fact is Edo people don't like igbos and believe it or not we can live with dat. And as for the MW, IT IS NEITHER HERE OR THEIR 'talking about the main deltans'

NOT THIS AGAIN, ABEG UNA OOOOOO, UNTIL WE SEE AM! PLEASE LETS DROP THIS,

All those fools making noise that Jonathan paid homage to ex-biafra liberationists and Niger Delta Militants haven't seen nothing yet. At least we now have a President capable of seeing the struggle and suffering of other people than himself.

All the past president namely: Gowon, Obasanjo, Buhari and IBB; which one was capable of seeing past their immediate interest or crones but yet between them trillions of pounds of loot was distributed into personal accounts.

Jonathan is merely trying to reconcile fractions of the country that feel cheated and robbed of their right to self determination. I know that Biafra republic would have been a jewel in the trigger point of the African continent but that was not God's plan.

Envy is a human emotion but Black people as a whole are stifling their growth as a nation over this one emotion. Please lets not act like that spoilt child that gets jealous of the new addition(brother or sister) taking away the attention from them, because we all know that is not true and we are all loved but not all shown at the same time all the time.

I am now convinced we elected the right man for President. No more compliant.

HA HA HA! Pres Goodluck already wants a second term!! lol

Scenes of devastation and displacement in northern Nigeria
Continue reading the main story
Nigeria votes: 2011


Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has said the violence following his election is a "sad reminder" of events that plunged Nigeria into civil war.

He said Nigeria was still struggling to come to terms with the suffering of the 1967 conflict when the south-east tried to establish the state of Biafra.

Tens of thousands of people have fled the recent post-poll unrest.

The president said the violence was intended to frustrate remaining polls, but they would go ahead.

However, elections for powerful state governors will be delayed for two days, until Thursday, in two of the worst affected states - Kaduna and Bauchi, the electoral commission announced.

Riots broke out in the north on Monday after Mr Jonathan, a southerner, emerged as the winner of the presidential poll.

Former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, who is popular in the north, denies instigating the "sad, unfortunate and totally unwarranted" events.

Nigeria is divided by rivalry between the predominantly Muslim north and the mainly Christian south, which also have cultural, ethnic and linguistic differences.

Mr Jonathan's People's Democratic Party (PDP) has previously alternated its presidential candidate between people who come from each of the two halves of the country, in an attempt to keep the peace.
Continue reading the main story
Presidential Results

    Goodluck Jonathan, People's Democratic Party: 22.5 million votes (59.6%)
    Muhammadu Buhari, Congress for Progressive Change: 12.2 million votes (32.3%)
    Nuhu Ribadu, Action Congress of Nigeria: 2.08 million votes (5.5%)
    Ibrahim Shekarau, All Nigeria Peoples Party: 911,455 votes (2.4%)

Figures: Independent National Electoral Commission

    Can Nigeria unite behind Goodluck Jonathan?

'Enough is enough'

In an address to the nation, President Jonathan said the "horrific acts" of the last few days had been shocking.

"They killed and maimed innocent citizens. They set ablaze business premises, private homes and even places of worship," he said.

"If anything at all, these acts of mayhem are sad reminders of the events which plunged our country into 30 months of an unfortunate civil war," he said referring to the Biafran war in which more than one million people died.

"As a nation we are yet to come to terms with the level of human suffering, destruction and displacement, including that of our children to far-away countries, occasioned by those dark days.

"Enough is enough," he said.

The BBC's Abdullahi Kaura Abubakar in Kaduna, the state which has witnessed the worst of the violence, says Kaduna city is now calm.
Continue reading the main story
A picture taken on April 18, 2011 shows Nigerian police enforcing a curfew in the capital of Bauchi state, northern Nigeria, after riots

But it is difficult to confirm what is happening in the south of the state where there have been reports of continuing trouble.

Kaduna's police say 32 people have died in the clashes - our reporter says the casualty figure may rise as Muslims tend to bury their dead quickly - sometimes before their deaths are officially reported.

He went to one hospital in the city and saw 25 charred corpses on a mortuary floor and was told there were another 25 bodies in the mortuary fridge but he had to leave without checking because of the stench.

On Wednesday, the Red Cross put the figure of those fleeing the violence at 48,000.
'Dastardly acts'

During his speech, the president said that security has been reinforced nationwide to quell any further unrest.

He added that there was no grievance that the law courts could not address.
Nigerians read newspapers on 20 April 2011, at a newspapers stand in Kano, northern Nigeria Calm has returned to most areas but many people have fled fearing more violence

Gen Buhari has said that his party will challenge some of the results - he maintains the election commission's computers were programmed to disadvantage his party in some parts of Nigeria.

But he urged his supporters to refrain from attacks, saying: "It is wrong for you to allow miscreants to infiltrate your ranks and perpetrate such dastardly acts as the mindless destruction of worship places.

"Needless to say, this act is worse than the rigging of the elections."

International observers have said the election was reasonably free and fair.

Mr Jonathan, a Christian from the oil-producing Niger Delta, was appointed to the presidency last year upon the death of incumbent Umaru Yar'Adua, a northern Muslim whom he had served as vice-president.

He staked his reputation on the election, repeatedly promising it would be free and fair.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13156508

The one fact that we all need to consider here is that, Nigeria did not win the Biafra War but the war was won for her by the Western Allies: Britain, United States and Russia with the exception of France that sided with Biafra.

It is a very sad state of existence to see any African Group committing act of Genocide on a fellow African because that individual or group will ultimately commit such crime on members of their linguistic group claiming his not my blood brother from the same parent. That same person will also not hesitate to kill a blood brother from the same parent, claiming the brother is satan.

Hence we as Africans must at all time strive for our unity, because our true strength is in the unity of our diversity that enriches our diet, philosophy, understanding, dialect, craft and culture etc.  The Biafra War was a great tragedy but a tragedy that could have been averted if only our leaders consulted as brothers of the same mother and father 'Africa'.   

The greatest tragedy is that no lessons was learn't and a greater war seem looming in the horizon, because we fail to educate each other on the cause of the war, the consequence of the war and together say never again.

The one fact that we all need to consider here is that, Nigeria did not win the Biafra War but the war was won for her by the Western Allies: Britain, United States and Russia with the exception of France that sided with Biafra.

It is a very sad state of existence to see any African Group committing act of Genocide on a fellow Afriac because that individual or group will ultimately commit such crime on members of their linguistic group claiming his not my blood brother from the same parent. That same person will also not hesitate to kill a blood brother from the same parent, claiming the brother is satan.

Hence we as Africans must at all time strive for our unity, because our true strength is in the unity of our diversity that enriches our diet, philosophy, understanding, dialect, craft and culture etc. The Biafra War was a great tragedy but a tragedy that could have been averted if only our leaders consulted as brothers of the same mother and father 'Africa'.

The greatest tragedy is that no lessons was lent and a greater war seem looming in the horizon, because we fail to educate each other on the cause of the war, the consequence of the war and together say never again.

The guy has a mental problem period. Why visit Nigeria? What are they trying to showcase? Doesn't he understand our African heritage and ways? This guy has to understand that Africa is not Europe and we don't approve/showcase Homosexuality as appropriate sexual behaviour or marriage union.