₦airaland Forum

RIP, May your name last long!

People who don't exist to the Igbo. Do any igbo man bother themselves with those people? plsss

Inferiority complex go kill you yoruba people.lol

Great news. I think placards mentioning the environmental degradation of Ogoniland made as well.

Well said, Prof. Utomi. Anioma stand up

[size=15pt]The North-South exodus and the nation’s unity[/size]

January 15, 2012 by ALLWELL OKPI 26







With thousands of Nigerians returning to their states of origin, ALLWELL OKPI examines the situation and what it portends for the polity

Since the beginning of this year, thousands of Nigerians have forcefully migrated or relocated from one place to another, particularly to their regions of origin for the safety of their lives.

Southerners who reside in the North are migrating South while northerners in the South are migrating North; a situation believed to have been triggered by the recent killing of southern Christians in the North and the fear of reprisal attacks on northerners in the South.

These have made several opinion leaders to warn of the imminence of a civil war. They also compared the current level of insecurity in the country with the Nigeria-Biafran civil war that led to the death of about a million people.

However, more frightening is the threat of retaliation brewing in the south from the Niger Delta militias, the Odua People’s Congress and an Igbo revolutionary and counter-terrorism group, Ogbunigwe Ndigbo, making Northern Muslims in the South-East to flee last week.

Due to the seeming failure of the state of emergency declared by President Goodluck Jonathan to forestall the attacks, various ethnic groups are already prescribing different approaches.

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, recently directed all Igbo to remain wherever they were to collectively defend their lives and property while the OPC vowed to reciprocate if they found evidence that the Yoruba were being killed or forced to leave the North.

On its part, the Christian Association of Nigeria announced that Christians were working out modalities to defend themselves against further attacks on churches.

Despite the fact that the situation has been blamed on religious intolerance and political manipulations, former governor of Kaduna State, Balarabe Musa, blames it on bad governance, arguing that the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria are too integrated to part ways.

“The root of all these problems is bad governance. The solution is for everybody to join the struggle against bad governance. I don’t think it is proper for southerners to leave the North and northerners to leave the South.

“During the civil war, the northerners that had left the South-East for the North found out that there was nothing for them in the North and some of them had to return to where they left. It was also the same for people from the South-East who left the North; they returned to the North. I even participated in helping some Igbo people find something to do in the North. So people should stop relying on the ethnic and religious differences to divide the country,” he said.

Musa argued that the emirs could not stop the violence largely because they had been stripped of their powers, with state governors having the powers to remove and install emirs.

“Boko Haram was seen as northern problem but today we have seen that Muslim and Christians both from the North and the South are united in this protest against removal of fuel subsidy. A hundred clerics — 50 Muslims and 50 Christians — met with Jonathan to discuss the removal of fuel subsidy and the security situation of the country; all of them had the same stand. In fact, it was difficult to differentiate between Christians and Muslims. So religion is not the problem,” he said.

Musa, who is the Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, blamed the violence in the North on successive governments since the beginning of the Second Republic, that had failed to punish perpetrators of violence and allowing them to go on with impunity.

“For example, after post-election violence in some parts of the North, the Federal Government set up a panel to investigate it. The panel finished their work and said they were not able to find anybody or group responsible for the violence because they were not a judicial panel of inquiry. Till today, government has not done anything with their report or set up a judicial panel of inquiry. Does that not amount to criminal neglect by government?” he asked.

On the possibility of another civil war, Musa said, “Even if it comes to that, it would not be in the interest of anybody. After it, we would still realise that it does not solve anything. We have reached a level of integration and it is not in our interest for any region to separate. Instead we should unite against the rich and powerful who control almost everything in this country.”

On his part, former presidential candidate, Prof. Pat Utomi, a prominent Igbo, noted that the situation required strong leadership and a great deal of responsibility from every Nigerian.

“There are several factors to consider and I don’t believe that the Boko Haram sect is fighting a religious war. We know that this started as a revolt by the northern people against the northern elite. They realised that their elite had taken advantage of them and impoverished them. They only use religion as a platform of expression. The problem is the failure of the Nigerian state to address this issue.

“I think we need to educate the elite in the North that they should not fold their arms and watch things go bad. I know that due to their loss of the presidency, they have decided to stay aloof. They have to realise that if things go wrong, it would fall on everybody including them,” he said.

Utomi said the recent killing of some Igbo men in the North was similar to what happened prior to the civil war, for which he (Utomi) had to leave the North. He added that it was an evidence of the failure of governors of the South-Eastern states to create a good environment for Igbo people to do business in their region.

According to Utomi, in a situation like this, the late Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who led Biafrans in the civil war, would have asked the Igbo to return and rebuild, while someone like the late Michael Okpara, the former premier of the Eastern region, would have gone to the North to demand that Igbo people be protected by northern leaders.

“I remember then before the war, Okpara went all the way to Gusau, in the North-West to ask the northern leaders why they were not protecting Igbo people who were being killed in the region. I think Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, as the head of the South-East Governors Forum, should stop going around to promote Jonathan’s fuel subsidy removal and organise South-Eastern governors to go to the North and demand the protection of Igbo in the North.”

Similarly, the founder of OPC, Fredrick Fasehun, said   no country had survived two civil wars.

“Nigerians love their country, they don’t want another country. If anybody says we should separate, what do we do with an Uche Babalola, or a Babatunde Muhammadu? All these calls for people to return to their places of origin are just fabrications. Nigerians love to remain Nigerians.”

http://www.punchng.com/politics/the-north-south-exodus-and-the-nations-unity/

[size=30pt]ROTFLMAO[/size]!

Thank you. This is what its abt

Well said. I really respect this man for this. Since all my time of readying nigerian news, i have never for once heard any of the SE governors  speak against the deployment of soldiers in their states even after people were killed and maimed for peaceful protest. Kudos fashola.

Negro_Ntns:
SS has shown its immaturity at leading the country or keeping a steady head to demonstrate neutrality. It is lessons learnt, next time they produce their son or daughter for Presidency we know to use Gej regime as a yardstick of measure and reject candidates from SS. T[b]he igbos are living testimony of that. They s c r e wed their chances and its been over 40yrs now since they had a son in that seat.[/b] If you dont temper your responses and threats, GEJ could very well be your last taste on the seat for another 100yrs, assuming nIGERIA last that long into the future.

This is an issue between Yorubas and ijaws, leave igbos out of it.

^^^This his statement lets you know that he is one of the minds behind boko haram.

BlackPikiN:
^^^^So you think I am beaf, right?

Yea, but its kool though. As long as you don't try and drag Igbos into an unnecessary tribal fight, you are cool with me.

SS & SE are One. SW and North are One=Nigeria.

[size=15pt]FG orders dialogue to curb Northerners’ exodus from South[/size]

Written by Olawale Rasheed, Abuja Sunday, 15 January 2012






Worried by silent exodus of Northerners from Southern Nigeria, the Federal Government has directed security agencies to organise inter-ethnic and religious dialogue across the Southern states with a view to building confidence among indigenes, settlers and faithful of the various religions.


Sunday Tribune reliably gathered that security reports on the exodus have become very alarming as the trend is increasing, rather than decreasing even with the fuel subsidy crisis in the country.

While the movement of Northerners was on, prior to the nationwide strike, it was learnt that the tension and fears of possible reprisal attacks by Southerners, due to Boko Haram killing of Igbo, has not died down, despite pledges of no retaliation by the Igbo.

An administration source told the Sunday Tribune that the exodus constituted greater security threat to the nation than the on-going fuel subsidy crisis, adding that “we are having a repeat of events of the First Republic at hand.”

Reports reaching Abuja was said to have indicated a rising wave of anti-Arewa sentiments across the 17 Southern states, a development the authorities fear may explode into open attacks, unless something urgent is done.

A major strategy adopted, Sunday Tribune learnt, was dialogue meetings in each town coordinated by the intelligence community and built around the traditional rulers of each town alongside leaders of ethnic groups resident in each town.

Sunday Tribune was told that in each town, leaders of Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa communities were encouraged to dialogue, with emphasis on the danger of reprisal attacks and the need to explore the democratic structure for venting of grievances.

Each state director of the State Security Service (SSS) and commissioner of police were said to be involved in the dialogue sessions which are said to be holding across the Southern states, days before the strike action.

Sunday Tribune can confirm that the dialogue sessions were held across the six states of the South-West with a renewed pledge of Yoruba leaders that both the Hausa and the Igbo were safe in Yorubaland.

An Islamic cleric, Sheikh Imran Adio, who participated in the session in Osun State, told Sunday Tribune that the session was held across the state with assurance given to the Igbo and Hausa communities.

The same report was given from other Yoruba states, with another Islamic cleric in Lagos, Sheikh Suleiman Farouk Onikijipa, confirming that confidence-building measures and meetings were being put in place and held to assure all of unity and peace of the country.

Reports on the dialogue sessions from the South-East and the South-South were, however, mixed as, despite the continuous assurances from leaders of the zone, Northerners are still moving out in very high numbers.

It was learnt that the strike action had assisted security agents, especially as the work to rule stopped the exodus for some days, a movement the federal establishment feels may resume once the strike action is suspended.

http://tribune.com.ng/sun/front-page-articles/6148-fg-orders-dialogue-to-curb-northerners-exodus-from-south

So what are they going to do? Attack the oil companies again and make things worse of GJ?

igbo2011:
WOOOOOOO
THat is very dangerous. This can ignite world war 3. That is VERY dangerous. You are 100% right, China, RUssia, SOuth America and Iran would be very good for Nigeria. They would be partners and help us develop. The west wants to keep us down. Africa in general needs to partner with China and not the west, But the west is too greedy. They will fund Boko Haram and other things within Africa to cause problems. International politics are very interesting. Listen to cap28 he knows a lot about it too. The west doesn't want China is Africa and they caused problems in Libya to keep China out.  THey also split up Sudan to keep China out.

As far as interest is concerned, weak countries like nigeria should never give any of the powerful countries(the US, Russia,China,etc) anymore interest in thei resource than the other or align more with one group than they other. This will keep each of the major power countries in check when doing business with them. For instance, if i give the U.S. 15% of a corn field, then i must give china and russia 15% each.  If you align with one group too much or align with one completely and leave block out any other, ones you mess up with that country they will make sure they bring you down,especially through the use of media. Note, this is what the U.S. does all the time.

Long story short none of these major powers would want to clash with each other. They will always want to keep there interest and not step their boundary in fear of rumbling the other major power.

[size=15pt]Igbo students ask Okonjo-Iweala, Allison-Madueke to apologise to Nigerians[/size]

By Chris Oji 31 minutes ago





The Confederation of Igbo Students (CIS) is demanding a public apology to Nigerians by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke for misleading the President and portraying him as being insensitive to the plight of citizens.

They are also asking the President to revert to the old pump price of N65 while a Deregulation Road map be implemented within a specified time frame of four to six months, culminating in the removal of petrol subsidy.

The students’ position was articulated in a statement in Enugu by the national coordinator, Chukwudalu Anaekwe and national secretary, Okechukwu Eze.

While not against the removal of the oil subsidy, the students maintained that the two ministers mishandling of “an otherwise good project has subjected Mr. President to unwarranted insults thereby bringing his popularity rating to an all time low.”

They were of the belief that President Jonathan despite his good intentions was wrongly advised to start deregulation without first putting the necessary building blocks in place.

They approved of the President’s announcement of 25% reduction of the basic salary of all political office holders in the executive tier of Government as a step in the right direction but added that more fundamental action needs to be taken.

They also called on President Jonathan to prosecute the so-called “petrol subsidy cabal” and as well as implement the report of the Senate ad hoc committee on the NNPC so as gain investors’ confidence and restore public trust in his Transformation Agenda.

On the menace of Boko Haram, CIS said it was convinced that Boko Haram’s ultimatum to Southerners to leave the North should not be ignored since they have both the capability and intention to carry out their threat.

“Ndi-Igbo are the most populous Southern ethnic group living in the North and have contributed immensely to the economic development of that part of the country. As such, they (Ndi-Igbo) will be the biggest casualties of such a threat. A review of the list of victims of the Madallah Christmas Day Bombing will buttress the point.”

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/33296-igbo-students-ask-okonjo-iweala-allison-madueke-to-apologise-to-nigerians.html

ezeagu:
The easiest way for Igbo people to avoid massacre is to [size=28pt]NOT GO TO THE NORTH INCLUDING ABUJA![/size] which the northerners aka Boko Haram will surely fight for.

I agree. You are correct,but still things are not right. Igbos are being massacre and this bastard is keeping MUTE! why?! He has continued to allow people to spoil what he promised Igbos yet we are not speaking up and this is the perfect time. Look at peter obi acting like a boy boy and Chime banning people's right to protest. Is that not nonsense? Peter's Obi's response to the massacres of Igbos in the north is "I cry everyday" yet the chump sends no help. He, a governor, left it up to a private business owner GUO to do the duties. So does that mean that company alon has more funds that the entire Anambra State government? Bro, I don't care about goodluck jonathan neither do i give a fxck about fuel subsidy. The way that this guy is acting is ridiculous and our people need not blindly give this fool or any other person support based off of a damn promise.

BlackPikiN:
Every Igbo man and well wishers of ndigbo should support this.

Where did you get that photo from?

diluminati:
!Chyz

You telling me to be objective? If not i respect you i would have rained down insults on you.
wtf? How many of you guys will die before you speak out against that evil man ebele azikiwe?
Call out your igbo brothers to stand against that eveil dude before you guys are wiped out of the map!

Believe me, I agree 100%. We cannot allow jonathans weakness be the cause of mass deaths among Igbos. We don't need to protest against the fuel subsidy in order to get jonathan moving. We can protest against his neglect in all areas,especially is false promises to Igbos. As long as we join the protest shyt will get done for us all so I agree with you.

Btw, that niggas name in "Ebelemi" and "Azikiwe" is a nick name. He ain't Igbo.

diluminati:
so igbos are afraid to hold jonatrash to the jugular? Fools! you have a president for god's sake, why looking towards cameron? Is he the one you people installed to punish nigeria? s t u p i d  people!

Speak objectively dude. There is no time for this.

igbo2011:
THey sent 12,000 troops to Libya
http://nsnbc./2012/01/14/why-is-president-obama-sending-12-000-u-s-troops-to-libya/

What if they want ot secure oil in NIgeria and they attack Nigeria?

Read in between the lines, they are waiting for the right time to send in their troops to OcuupyNigeria.

ifyalways:
Come make me !
Onye ka i na-agwa simple?N'ebe isi puta mmadu a naghi atunyere gi alo?Okacha mara.
ikuku buru gi dia.

lol @ bolded. i luv u too . . .Feb 3, just lay off,ok? I no be okacha mara but i be dat nicca

ifyalways:
@Topic,stay off posting but reading/viewing as a guest?Is that not hypocrisy and beats the purpose?
I'm gently as a woman voting for creating a thread with live updates from the funeral and a condolence register if possible.just saying.

Feb 3., lay off.Simple.

[size=15pt]Apga, civil groups tell Jonathan to revert to N65[/size]

By Ogbonnaya Obinna 2 hours 30 minutes ago






The All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA,  Ebonyi State Chapter has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately revert to  N65 per litre  of petrol to avert   civil unrest in the country.

The also  called for the immediate sack of the Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy and Finance Minister, Prof. Okonjo Iweala  for her alleged role in the removal of the fuel subsidy.

Similarly,  civil society groups in the state yesterday dissociated themselves from the  pro-subsidy rally in the state, describing it as the handiwork of the People’s Democratic Party -led government in the state.

The  state  APGA chairman, Chief Jerry Obasi ,assessing the situation in the country, urged the organized labour to remain resolute on the strike  until the government reverts  to the old pump price.

Obasi said: “This is the worst situation in the history of the country, from N65 to over N140.President Jonathan should have a second look at subsidy because every country has what it subsidises and most countries subsidise what they produce, so he should revert back to the old pump price of N65 .

“We don’t have refineries on ground. and if we don’t have refineries on ground, then I tell you the issue of subsidy removal will worsen the entire situation of the country in the long run”.

The Coordinator, Campaign for Democracy and Human Right Justice and Peace Foundation, Comrade Onu Visions, dismissed the brains behind the  pro-subsidy rally in Abakaliki yesterday as agents of the People’s Democratic Party.

He said: “Campaign for Democracy and the Human Right Justice and Peace Foundation distance themselves  from the alleged pro-subsidy march in Abakaliki. Some people suspected to be agents of PDP marched the streets of Abakaliki.They are not members of the civil society groups.

“The protest in support of the subsidy removal in the state was stagemanaged as no true civil society members was seen there. We want to make our stand clear. We are not in support of the subsidy removal and the PDP should stop deceiving people.

“We will soon mobilize the whole of Ebonyi State to join the rest of the country to protest the removal of the subsidy. We further decry the inability of the government to address the Boko Haram upsurge in the country which has become a major threat to the continued existence of Nigeria as an entity.

“We urge labour not to be deterred from its objective. The government of Ebonyi State has posed itself as a threat to the people, but their   threat would never deter us. We will continue to fight for the right of the people,” he said.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/33199-apga-civil-groups-tell-jonathan-to-revert-to-n65.html

[size=15pt]Northerners flee South East[/size]
•Nigeriens, Chadians leave Lagos

By VINCENT UKPONG KALU, Lagos, EMMANUEL UZOR, Onitsha and VAL OKARA, Owerri

Saturday January 14, 2012






Apparently afraid of reprisal attacks, northerners in the South East have started fleeing in droves. Also, nationals of neighbouring countries are leaving. Saturday Sun observed in Aba, Owerri and Onitsha northerners are boarding trailers heading to the North. As a result, most of the business they dominate are now having Igbo operators.

A visit to the cattle market, Bridgehead, Onitsha and the Upper Iweka axis, showed that northerners, who sell onions and tomatoes, are no longer there. Also, northern shoe makers, nail cutters and suya vendors are not in sight.

Northerners, who work as gatemen in different compounds and companies have also left Onitsha.
Speaking on the issue, the South East Vice Chairman for Campaign for Democracy, Dede Uzor A. Uzor, said there was no need for northerners to leave town, as Igbo have resolved to be calm, in the face of the killings in the North, to show maturity.

He said that Igbo are not blood-thirsty cannibals, adding that they would remain calm, even in the face of provocation from Boko Haram.
In a related development, the ever busy Hausa quarters (aka Ama Hausa) along Douglas Road, Owerri, Imo State, is now a shadow of itself, following the exodus of Hausa families.

Saturday Sun gathered that women and children of northern origin have been sent home for safety, while the men (Husbands) remain to monitor the situation.
Suya sellers of northern origin were seen at their business posts at Ama Hausa and the Central Mosque area. At Mbaise Road/Douglas Junction Owerri, Saturday Sun observed some Hausa youths selling their wares.

Speaking to Saturday Sun, Hausa Nuhu, a trader, expressed worry over the activities of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram.
He said: “We have been living peaceful with the natives over 30 years without any disturbances and one cannot understand this ugly situation. We want the government to arrest the ugly situation, so that we will continue to live in harmony with our neighbours.
“It is a pity that one will begin to maintain two families at these hard times. We should start to learn how to tolerate each other and this unprovoked attacks by the Boko Haram are uncalled for.”

Mallam Maggai Mohamed, a father of seven, said he has no option but to remain Owerri, to continue his lace business in order to feed his family.
“To me, I believe I have no problem with anybody in area having lived here for more than 40 years. It will not be easy for me to adjust if I relocated to my home state, Sokoto State. The Igbo have been accommodating and we are pleading with them not to embark on any reprisal attack.
Meanwhile, immigrants from West African countries living in Alaba Rago area, opposite Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos have started an exodus to Seme border, enroute their respective nations.

It was gathered that the aliens from Niger Republic and Chad, who engage in menial jobs, ranging from operating commercial motorcycle, shoe mending and security guards, are startled by telephone text messages that members of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) are planning to attack Hausa in Lagos, to avenge the killing of Yoruba in the North by Boko Haram.
One of them said that their decision to make haste while the sun shines was in order not to be caught in crossfire, as people mistake them for Hausas from the North. The panic stricken Nigeriens told Saturday Sun in Pidgin English that since Boko Haram asked northerners living in the South to come back to the North while southerners living in the North should return to their areas, they have been following development. According to him, they have heard that northerners in Igboland are going back to the respective states and therefore, they would be foolish to remain in Nigeria.

He said: “E good make we dey go our town for Niger Republic. We hear say OPC won fight Hausa;, dem say Boko Haram people don kill Yoruba people for Maiduguri; na him make OPC wan kill back Hausa. We no be Nigeria;, make we go our town. You people dey take us to be Mallam.”
The fear of the West Africans was heightened again by the protests against the removal of fuel subsidy, especially with the violence that characterised the protest around Iyanna Iba, Alaba Rago and Okokomaiko, where people were stabbed with broken bottles.

It will be recalled that telephone text messages were received by many people cautioning them over their movement, as some elements in OPC are allegedly hatching a plan to attack Hausas at their various settlements in Idi Araba, Gbagada, Orile, Mile 12, Ketu, Berger, Okokomaiko, Alaba Rago, Agege, AP/Sari-Igamu and other locations, where Hausas live, to revenge the killing of Yoruba in the North by Boko Haram.


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2012/jan/14/national-14-01-2011-017.html

Kinda hypocritically coming from a northerner isn't it?