edo.girl:


Thanks. I do contribute, but in the past few months people have become so angry and abusive about anything and anybody they disagree with that I prefer to watch from the sidelines most times. It is a very intimidating environment now.

On Okorocha...I agree that if APC wins Anambra, that will be a major breakthrough for the party in the SE, and will increase the likelihood of an Igbo VP. All in all, I think the Buhari/Fashola combination will edge it at the end of the day.

Don't stop contributing and talking and NEVER give in to the dark forces who try to shut down positive contribution and opinions like yours! In fact, when you keep quiet, they find it much easier to accomplish their goals, which they really have! In fact, defend your opinions far more vigorously because the third-party, unbiased reader can see clearly who is right and who is wrong and will be persuaded about the facts you've laid down!

What is the point the narrator is trying to make? Is it the fault of the land that it is barren and uninhabited or the fault of the human beings that chose not to inhabit this place? Is it the fault of the cattle or do cattle distinguish between north, south, east or west? If he condemns Peter Obi who he says is the looter, is he contesting for governor now? If he's not, well someone has to be governor, who should it be if he the complainer is not putting himself forward? Is it the fault of the innocent Nigerians who are on the land that Ibos are not in the land? My point is NONE of the people he is blaming here have a SINGLE QUESTION to answer or should even be questioned in the first place! If he is questioning why the Ibos are in Chicago and London and everywhere else, can you ask him where he lives and where he came from? Where is his immediate family? We all know that illegal radio stations cannot operate in Nigeria and no way is his radio station in Nigeria, so why the hypocrisy?

As far as I know and the constitution of the country knows, Hausas have a RIGHT to be anywhere and make a living anywhere in Nigeria, just like the Ibos are currently anywhere they want to be, why the double standards? If an fulani man is carrying an illegal firearm, whose job is it to ensure the security of the state and country and whose job is it to control the movement of arms in the country? The point is human beings will break the law anytime they know they can get away with it! In Nigeria, where everyone has been beaten out of shape with poverty, the law of the jungle reigns supreme where a lot of people and places are still in the basal Hobbesian state of nature! A Fulani man carries a weapon to protect himself (illegally) because he knows no police or government will protect him or his family in any dangerous situation that could potentially take his life, his friends or cattle! If you saw police throwing dead bodies being thrown like stones inside water, in a land where there is supposedly a government and nothing has happened, would you not carry ann AK-47 if only to give yourself an assurance of protection or defence? Some other people will carry the same weapons at night, which is far worse, because they are on a mission to rob other people - something the Fulani man is not doing here, he is just asking everyone to respect himself, respect him and mind their own business! When you want people to inhabit your land, you first move back there yourself and fix the things you complained about! Turn it into London and see if even white Londoners will not queue up for visa just to see it! You have to stop whining and complaining because it never solved any problem! I am sure since the video was shot, nothing has changed! Nothing will change if you just shoot a video, whine, complain and your Peter Obi is in cahoots with the retardeen government and all they care about is delivering the needed votes to perpetuate their continual stealing of your patrimony. If you think they will give that up for a silly video or a hypocritical narrator living under the rock or Mars, well you need to ask the 40 bodies thrown into the river how their rebellion or dissidence worked out for them!

It's all politics and emotional people ALWAYS buy it wholesale! Master stroke! Bring it on Obi + Obiamo!

This is a REAL DISGRACE! But why is it that some people cannot use their brains? Must they be willing tools in the hands of AGIP? SMH

Leave women out of it for now because their stealing is far more annoying and brazen, second only to some governors in a particular part if the country. Look at Pattriciah Etteh, Iweala and the new big thief Stealla Odulah.

jking001:

Omemi its vision we should position ourselves well in such a way that we are no minority again in this joke called nigeria, I think we can stand out tall we have the bargaing chip here, we need our independent state yes yoruba our brothers and friends should help us fight for our state instead of saying we should go with them if we don't do this thing no we would live to regret it .

Am praying we don't go down as one of the poorest tribes who once had oil,we are no minority in south south block so you have to consider that when you say we should pull out and go with the yorubas and be miniority my brother no sentiments here anything that would favor the itsekiri where we can stand out on our own is what i advocate, if lagos can claim land from the sea to make lagos bigger what's stopping us that have part of the oil used in running this country called nigeria.

Do you understand at all? You still mention INDEPENDENT STATE from what or where? Did I not point out that the plan of the conference has NOT said anything about creating sovereign countries, so where or how do you get this idea or are you GEJ because the GEJ who is president today says he want to make Nigeria stronger with this conference! Stop holding this kind of debate down with a point of view that is not within the terms of reference! The plan is to restructure along current zones of which every part of Nigeria at least those that falls along border areas of the zones can choose to go with one or the other - tell me you understand that? You have a choice of at most 6 NOT 1,000 regions or states! Tell me you understand that because even a small kid knows you can only buy something that is available in the store you are currently in.

Now, PLEASE stop this talk of minority with the Yorubas because you seem to have been poisoned by this kind of useless talk from some parts of Nigeria. The Yorubas and Itshekiri groups who are already collaborating are not thinking about majority - minority but as equal partners or did you not read that the region will have the chance to create its states, so it's not a case of having one massive region in which there is no local administration close to the people.

One more last thing: if a man can thrive in an unworkable and difficult system, imagine what he can do in a system built for success of all. That is why struggling Nigerians when they get to a place like America seem almost unstoppable. My point? The current Yoruba states are all firing on virtually on all their economic cyclinders right now - something no other part of the country is doing and I am not talking about just constructing roads and bridges! I am not even talking about Lagos alone just in case you are thinking it's Lagos, head over to Ibadan and Ogun state and see what is going on there. In order for us to prosper in the new Western Region, it is NOT the oil in Any part of Nigeria that will be required but good visionary leadership first and a highly trained, mobile workforce! That is something no natural resource will ever match because Nigeria as it is has more oil than any individual region but has Nigeria blazed the trail in spite of that as a country? Please use your critical thinking and analytic skills, don't just write from emotions. The Yorubas have learned and should have learned from their mistakes as a whole since the 1800s when the Oyo Empire finally declined and they have lost a lot of their brothers and sisters and territory which was so vast, it was difficult to protect it as far west of current country of Togo or thereabout. Think big, don't think "I alone before others".

DeLaRue: My brother, Oyo has history on its side. We agree.

That should not be the sole basis for making Ibadan (not synonymous with Oyo) the capital forever. I visited Ibadan for the first time earlier this year and was enthused to see that it was not the crappy place we were led to believe it was by certain Nairalanders.

I have nothing against Ibadan. I want it to prosper.

But please, I am only looking at this from one angle and one angle only - how can we escalate developments in states like Ondo, Ekiti, and Osun? It is proving so difficult. All we get are governors who can only fix a few roads, and God-willing build some schools and hospitals. We hear these 3 states simply do not have enough money.

Set against that, we hear on a daily basis that Lagos, Oyo, and Ogun are firing on all cylinders on the economic front. Again, fantastic. I spend a lot of time in Lagos, and I see statistics that most people dont get to see. I am actually passionate about Lagos as the fulcrum of SW economic renewal.

From my view, we need to try something new with these 3 states where ever possible. And all I am saying is if a new administrative paradigm emerges in Nigera and the SW needs to have an administrative capital, why dont we consider a town/city in one of the struggling states. Yes, this will be a big compromise on the part of Ibadan and Oyo people. But my God! what a wonderful compromise it would be for a big brother to say you know what, I will let go a little bit for the sake of my younger ones. We do this on daily basis in our personal lives.

Would it not be wonderful for this to be replicated on a broader Omoluwabi stage. Why the obstinate no! no! no!

Again I reiterate for the umpteenth time, Akure was just the town that came to mind initially and yes my justifications focused on Ondo state. I am just not that familiar with the other poor states - Ekiti and Osun.

I will make the same argument for any other town in any of the 3 states.

While I am still waiting to be able to get my other post, I will re-produce some of it as I address your post. The objective of the Western Yorubas is to develop as quickly as possible as we would like to maintain our competitive lead and advantage over other regions of Nigeria. Now, I will guess that when decision time comes, NO ONE will be asking for a mono-capital region of Ibadan, Oyo, Akure, Ife, Lagos, etc! What makes sense and a lot of people have articulated the same point of view is to designate capitals by competitive advantage and strategic thinking.

Ibadan will most probably be the administrative capital and it is the most suited by a long shot! Note, I am not from Ibadan though I lived there but from Ile-Ife. Ibadan has got the history, a very diverse mix of Yorubas, CENTRAL, highly defensible in case of aggression! Administrative capital means that will be the official seat of government for the premier, military commanders, state / regional military secrets, etc all the things that must never fall into the hands of the enemy or aggressor. Akure on the other hand will be extemely difficult to defend, easily accessible to aggression because it is an outpost, border city to the region. If you play the game of chess or have any idea of military strategy, do you place your commanders (King / Queen) in the front of the battle so they can be easily captured? At what cost do you want to defend Akure when it is much easier to defend a central city like Ibadan. Should there be any breach of the border post, there is probably 500 KM radius to destroy an advancing army. Does Akure have this strategic location advantage?

To address your concern, a multi-capital approach with Lagos being our economic and financial capital, Ogun for manufacturing, Ondo (Akure) being our petroleum, oil and gas industrial capital, and so on and so forth - depending on the advantage that can be derived from it. Think again, there is no sensible people that will locate the seat and symbol of power in a place that is very hard to defend or removes a significant part of the citizens from it - you build a capital such that on all sides it is secure and defendable!

Desola:

Indeed!

Nigeria's days are numbered.

No Desola, I don't think so. Perhaps this approach would make Nigeria better because we've tried it in one way for 40 years and it has not been as good as it was in the early 60s and it has gotten worse! GEJ indicated that the conference will "make the country stronger" so you see the intention is not to break the country! Personally, I think what Nigeria needs is to become competitive! Maybe if we could all concentrate efforts in it's constituent parts where we all have direct stakes, it will lift it up faster and that is what I think regional governments would do.

DeLaRue: Read my ripostes and see what this is about. I look forward to your contribution.

No fear. Nobody is dividing the Yoruba body corporate. Nobody will take away your cherished Ondo Lol! But, there must be room for talking and that conversation about how things might shape out must take place.

DeLaRue, I was writing a post, which is unfinished but I will finish it as soon as my office network which is down for maintenance is restored. Watch out for it and I did address the points you raised.

DeLaRue: I agree entirely. The idea that all Yorubas must be clubbed together in one administrative region is nonsense. We can be friends, but we dont need to run a government together, unless we can reach reasonable agreement.

I will start responding to your posts from here! Keep your generator or laptop alive because you sound like a fairly grown-up man who can understand intellectual conversation.

First, did you read the intention of the conference as per GEJ or Okunrounmu? What I'd like to point out is that this conference is not about dividing the country, into sovereign countries or hundreds of regions. So far, they seem to be proceeding with the idea of restructuring the country along regional lines of the current 6 zones. Your last statement suggests you get it to that point.

Now, you argue that you'd want to place the capital of the to-be region in Akure. Your reason for that is because you believe Akure will only be developed if it is chosen as the capital. I believe I have covered the crux of your argument. Now, I will go on to tell you what I think but ultimately, the opinion of the majority of the people will prevail. I will tell you that I believe strongly if Nigeria does devolve into regions, the Western region should choose capitals in different cities to focus our efforts strategically and also help it develop very fast. It is not in the interest of any Western Yoruba to be stuck with a single city capital - I can't think if anyone that would ever want that. To make that case for example, it might be suggested that Lagos be designated as our business and financial capital, Ibadan be the administrative capital, the seat of the regional government, Ife (Osun State) be the tourism capital while Ogun will host the industrial capital. In Ondo State, it might be our oil capital (a la Houston, Port Harcourt, etc), while Ekiti is education, agriculture research center, etc. The point is each city is designated based on its competitive advantage. It does not stop the city from developing in other areas for example, Ondo is not known for manufacturing but it does not stop it from evolving into that direction. That is the most sensible argument for selecting the capitals of the region so we all grow faster.

Secondly, it is naive to cite the capital of our region in an outlying boundary where it is becomes under immediate threat in case of any aggression or if Nigeria does go to war or there is a conflict (hopefully none) in the future. For example when in 1967, the ibos tried to capture the seat of power of the Nigerian government, they breached the Niger, crossed over, took the mid west and advanced towards the West! They were forcefully stopped at Ore which is already within reach of Akure, there is no leader or citizens that will place their crown jewel where it can even be under a thread and that is under any military strategy the commander or (King / Queen piece in a game of chess) are the most protected! Akure cannot be designated the central capital of a Western region where under it becomes under immediate threat, much harder to defend, etc.

Thirdly, in my opinion the ideal of a Western region is best achieved when in addition to ensuring that we grow our cities together, we also grow our people such that the possession of money or material things becomes a thing of the past! Like in the US, you do not have to own millions of dollars to live a very good life! I mean with your monthly salary alone, you can afford a decent accommodation for rent or a mortgage, can afford to feed yourselves in almost any restaurant and at home, can afford good clothes, add on top education, healthcare, a peaceful life, etc and all you might be able to save after taxes and paying all your bills might be only a few thousand dollars. The Western region by superior planning can guarantee that pensions will be paid for everyone who worked in their lives and contributed to the scheme at a rate that is able to sustain them after retirement at 60 - 65! You can also take out personal savings plans, etc. These I think is the most ideal thing where we create an egalitarian society where we can all be comfortable regardless of how much money you make or not - no stratification in the society. Of course, if you are a sportsman, inventor, artiste, etc you can still make millions like it is in the developed worlds where people with very special skills, or business ideas can make millions but the average person who makes only $ 5,000 per month will have a very good life and able to afford all his needs!

Desola:

His aim is to rile me enough to say something untoward so as to have me removed. I know his game.

Kare joo, ignore him, ayaba! We know your punches are strong enough to knock 7 out at once but reserve that strength for when we will need it on the other side! Don't let people derail the conversation/thread.

Jarus: Now, have I benefitted anything from being a 'northerner'? No.
Have I lost anything from not being a South-Westerner. I don't think so.

So I'm not so keen at all these artificial classifications.

Jarus, the "artificial classifications" you mentioned are a REALITY of LIFE - any place really - and cannot be ignored. What everyone has a choice to is to choose where to be and that has been well-articulated by a lot of people on this thread. You said you are Yoruba and proud of your roots but also in the north which is the reality of today. If Nigeria does re-arrange to Regions and a referendum is conducted, the most that will happen is that Kwarans can choose either side they want. Now, I will also say that in as much as the Yoruba way of life has co-operations as a BIG part of it, NO Yoruba will even request people who don't want in to come and join us! I love all Yorubas, I am one, but will be happy to have ONLY those who want to be in the same country with me. I say this because sometimes, people get the impression that somehow, they are too precious to belong to a group for whatever reason. This is clearly not the case and should not be! In FACT, if all does go well and hope it does, the Western Yoruba Region will be ahead of ALL other regions on DAY ONE, if this new arrangement does become a reality. If after a few years, because of the clause in the new constitution allowing a part of the country to merge with another on mutual agreement, it will have to be that the new region you want to join must agree to accept you. Personally, a woman who rejects me when I was student will hardly evoke my attention now that I am well-off - this holds for almost ALL RELATIONSHIPS!

I say again, let the parts that want to be in the West decide and let the ones that want to be in the North go there too. We are all in the same country and our regions will ultimately cater for our primary and secondary needs with the country being responsible for issues of national defence, monetary policy, foreign relations, etc which most Nigerians might not have to even worry about for most of their life because their regional tax to the center is being paid so that it is taken care of.

0monnakoda: She might be your sister to me she is an irritating termagant

Nonetheless, be civil or all your posts will be hidden if you keep being aggressive. If you are Yoruba, behave, if not be civil and show some respect to your co-commentators (as they have also tolerated something you said which they disagree with) because if you were the only one here, you would not be talking to yourself alone!

jahrule: If Ibadan is the administrative head of Yoruba, Ekiti / Ondo as Academic/ research Headquarters, Ife Osun is spiritual home and Lagos been Economic Headquarters. I think Kwara can be the Military Headquaters since they are more like that or what do you think about this.

I had to respond to your post. Yes, it is a very good idea to designate capitals for different strategic purposes, like any modern country, but in Kwara being a border state, you cannot have the military headquarters there! Sure, strong MILITARY BASES, will be cited at every border but surely not the headquarters and I am sure I don't have to tell you why! It is a strategic decision to cite your most formidable military assets far out of the reach of any foreign threats and note that the modern military is much more than guns and bombs: military research, assets, operational plans and technology research which is best kept a national secret. However, the present scenario we are talking about does not involve breaking up into sovereign countries but re-arranging the country along the lines of regions using the current geo-political zones as a starting base. Then, people at borders of zones may choose to go one side or the other. Within the region, administrative centers (e.g. states) may be created as required.

0monnakoda: That is nearly witty

Knock it off man! Stop pursuing our sister, just talk to her properly and I am sure you can both disagree and still hug each other. If you are a Yoruba, you interest is her interest : TO BOTH PROTECT YOU COLLECTIVE INTERESTS! So you see there's no need for unnecessary harsh words!

Desola, take it easy too abeg.

jking001:

Like i said in my first post if there's a south south we would rather remain in it we already have a voice there after the uhrobos we are the 2nd largest ethnic group all we have to do is fight for ourselves and land we can actually develop the itsekiri land and make it viable if you have the opportunity to be independent would you refuse it?my guess is no,so why go with yoruba when we can be on our own.

It seems you are incapable of being educated. Where IN ALL THESE IS INDEPENDENCE? Are you reading something else that GEJ has not spoken about? Snap out of your delusion, there is no talk of any sovereign countries so far in all GEJ has said, go and read again!

jking001:

Nobody can love the itsekiris more than the itsekiris themselves we can be on our own and still have affliation with the yoruba state,they should rather help us fight for our independence that's what american would do that's a better way to play the politics we should have terms we agree on and we fight together for an independent itsekiri land,there are smaller countries with fewer population than the itsekiri people who have their capital in KOKO warri north.

If you read this, note that the conference will NOT be creating any independent countries - go and read what GEJ has said again! I am at work now and have no time to be digging through threads / news. He said the conference is to make the country stronger, more united, etc so any talks of fighting for independence does not arise except of course you know something about the conference that GEJ is not saying.

In the immediate and long terms analysis, REGIONALISM is what is more likely and better than our current system and the closest to "independence". If you read well, you will notice that the baseline is division along the CURRENT geopolitical ZONES in Nigeria. So, you will have a choice to be in only 6 possible ZONES, not a 1,000 zones! Within that 6, you can decide where you think your interests lie, where you have language and cultural ties, where the economic prospects and future good will of yourself and people are best protected and represented. When you get to this point, you know you are on the path for a reasoned, intellectual approach to the matter. Now, be sure that the Yorubas (Omo Oduduwa) know themselves just like you know the children of your parents (your brothers and sisters) and we ideally know that our interest is protected together, we all ultimately want the same things as human beings first - food, shelter and clothing! Then, you can add the rest, economic prosperity, peace, freedom, opportunities for yourseld and children, an organized society, etc. By far and ahead of all the other parts of Nigeria, the Western Region will BE AHEAD of ALL OTHER REGIONS on DAY ONE and it will only get better in as much as we continue to insist on the best leaders who will then be much closer to us and we can see what they are doing. Of course, if a community that falls within the borders of the Yorubas and another region has loyalty elsewhere, I strongly support that they go to where their loyalty lies.

The Yorubas are already the SECOND LARGEST people in Nigeria with 6 SOLID states, parts of Kogi and Kwara states and whoever want to go elsewhere can surely do that so I see no need to threaten anyone because chances are that in the future, the Commonwealth of the Yorubas will also have to agree to allow any other parts of the bordering communities that go elsewhere today to join them tomorrow when they are better off - just like the EU.

ikwere militant: dont mind d day light robers

Why are ibos so myopic and emotional about everything, in the face of facts? Was that not a joint statement SIGNED by 2 ITSHEKIRI groups, in addition to others? At least if you are uneducated, you should still be able to see their names in the document. I think Ibos are afraid and know that a stronger Yoruba people (who have bested them till date) will only make them perennially irrelevant in the larger Nigeria society when the regions emerge. Hence, they think by creating imaginary diversions and problems, the problems will somehow make it difficult for the LARGER Yoruba people to come together. In whose interest is it? Well, I trust Yorubas who can smell guile from a mile; the Itshekiri know without a doubt that your statements are not borne out of any concern for them but an opportunity to weaken them, dilute their strength and place them in a vulnerable position by having them not join their original roots in a larger Yoruba region. The Yorubas accept all Nigerians into their states, including the obnoxious ibos and still show great restraint and patience with the strange ibo tribes, is it their fellow Yorubas they will have a problem with? Ibos are really funny and it would be better for you to start rallying your 5 states because your real worry should be the ones you've always looked down on like the one you call Osu, Ngwa (saying they are cannibals), wawa or the ikas, etc. In any case, the Yoruba States are already strong, in large numbers and are more than enough to lead all regions in Nigeria.

django1: Imo people will most likely join yorubas, they are the only igbo group that thinks independently and other igbo people hate them for it. For confirmation visit ndigbo page and see how they abuse ndi imo there. They'll be better off in sw region.

Maybe you are right but let Ibos keep their states, no need to cause unnecessary fights! They will settle themselves somehow after all the conflicts.

slim fit :
Just create jobs for us I don't care.

Are you KIDDING me? The Yoruba SW will be SPOILED for EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES like no other part of Nigeria! You know what will be better? A system that works, for everyone from the smallest baby to the oldest adult - that is what we want to emphasize and build for our people! People will NOT and NEVER need to STASH BILLIONS or MILLIONS in any PERSONAL account except of course they are sportsmen, artistes, inventors, etc. What we NEED is to create a system like in the WEST where, with even minimum wage, you will be able to afford to rent a decent accomodation, feed yourself and buy clothes - something an 18 year old will do easily in the West by working in a McDonalds, for example!

By the time you are through with university and can work full time, you will be able to rent a bigger house or buy one, travel anywhere, buy almost anything you need, send your children to school and have good healthcare (FREE)! There will be jobs - with an interconnecting railway system across the region, that is thousands of NEW jobs that don't exist now! With us controlling our ports, that is thousands of JOBS that require people to manage and manufacture and maintain the railways, trains, sea crafts, etc. With free compulsory education, that is thousands of new teachers and teaching assistants, with a regional police and a small army - that is JOBS! And then on to advanced manufacturing industries in Ogun, Lagos and Oyo, Petroleum, Tourism and Agriculture in Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, that is a LOT of jobs for everyone! The SW will be far ahead on DAY 1!

shymexx:

Hotep, brother.

I noticed you kind of took an indirect swipe at me, yes? I thought we're cool peeps in black consciousness and the teachings of the grand master teacher, Dr. John Henrik Clarke (R.I.P) - what happened? Regardless of our differences - we'll be always be cool.

Anyway, we're all here to educate ourselves and learn from one another. This thread is just about sharing opinions and bringing different perspectives/POV to the table - it's not the final deliberation on what the end-game is, if Nigeria ever disintegrates. I know I don't really have first-hand experience(s). However, the world is more or less a global village of sort now, and you can get the required information about any remote place on the planet, with just a click.

My sentiment is: if the loyalty of a group lies elsewhere, why force them into a group, that's still in its infancy - especially when they won't bring that much to the table? I know you're street-smart and you understand the mafia/street-code, which places loyalty above everything. And when there's no loyalty, that's like a house built on a shaky foundation. We can go back to the antecedents of the Ilorin people and talk about what Afonja did. Some might argue that the Egba's started the collapse of Oyo and you can't blame Afonja for rebelling as well. Ok, how about the Ilorin's leading the Jihad incursion into Yorubaland before they were stopped at Oshogbo by Ibadan?

Also, I don't think people from that part of Yorubaland operate within the realm of Yoruba consciousness like other Yoruba's do. I can cite Jarus and all the other posters from that part of Yorubaland on nl. I honestly don't really like going too deep into my background, but I do know a lot about the temperate of Yoruba Muslims and from what I've seen on nl, Yoruba's from that part of Yorubaland are somewhat different from other Yoruba Muslims. One-half of me is Muslim, though that half converted to Christianity before I was born. However, my grandparents were devoted Muslims till they left this world. And I've got a Muslim name, which was my middle-name for a long time - till I dropped it. But it's still there. So you should understand that I've been around Yoruba Muslims right from birth and a lot of people from that half of me that was Muslim, are still Muslims. Evidently, you should know that I've got first-hand experience and I do know a lot about Islam. Hence why you might catch me on certain threads defending Muslims and Islam. However, that doesn't change the fact that I don't like Arabs and everything they're about.

Anyway, since you asserted that you lived around them for a long time. Why not educate us more about your experience(s). We're all here to learn, brother.

Hotep.

Your point of loyalty is well noted and germane to this issue but MOST PEOPLE on this thread agree that THEY will make that decision, which essentially answers the LOYALTY question you've raised. There is no better option, than to let them decide, which is easy enough! A poster already made a case for both sides, and I adopt his line of reasoning!

Now, I should mention that consideration about "what they bring to the table" should be jettisoned quickly and deleted from the minds of the Yorubas because this is the BIGGEST problem of Nigeria now because it points to nothing but MATERIALISM which has bred corruption and everything else is an attempt to continue gaining more "materialism" be it tribalism or playing the religion card, etc. The Yorubas while rich, are NOT about materialism, primitive acquisition, etc because you can have everything and no one will ever reckon with you - a good name is better than silver and gold! Secondly, that any part of Nigeria does not have oil (bring something to the table today) does not mean they do not bring more valuable things to the table now and could in fact bring more than a lot to the table in the future! Think of the human resources of an educated people, you need human beings first to create any human resources! You will need lands, people of varied skill sets and outlook, the more diverse the better! Every human being is out for the basics of life first: food, shelter and clothing - then all the other things and there is no place where people have those that they will not focus on higher things like advanced research, development, breaking records, etc. I had to say this to put the big picture front and center!

Seun, I wanted to be sure you read this post as the other one is already several pages and I decided to create a new thread for it as a follow-up to https://www.nairaland.com/1458958/response-open-letter-seun-osewa to advance some suggestions, hopefully you find them useful.

You have a great product and I can only wish it gets better and better! One day, NL will be a big data mine and the content will be worth a lot more than it is now, requiring more servers and resources. It is refreshing that you regard the opinion of we the people who help to create the content and not throw us aside like some of your people have done. I for example have been on NL for quite a while and I enjoy it like most people but at some point I contemplated leaving for good after some of your moderators appears to be monitoring my posts and bans my ID repeatedly because he knows he can! After banning an ID for 1 year or 10 years or 100 years for example (a really ridiculous and wasteful decision), how can a user complain, or ask questions or do anything when the ID is no longer able to make a post or ask a question? I would rather just be glad to delete that ID myself and edit any posts that I made with it.

Since your moderators are not paid employees but volunteers, would you consider having a list of people who have expressed interest in moderation and then you can rotate them for periods of time? Say a group of moderators or a new person every month or couple of months? You may want to experiment with it for a bit if you are not sure on a smaller scale but if found effective, implement it for the high traffic sessions like Politics or Romance, etc. The advantages of this is obvious:

1. The better quality moderators will bubble to the top in ranking and quality of the forum and user experience while the poor moderators who even insult some posters will naturally go down in rating!

2. Overtime, every person gets tired or needs a break just like for any team, rotation helps the good moderators for example to relax and get re-invigorated for another stint of moderation for a couple of months.

3. NL as a business will improve in quality because the moderators that are apt to lash out and insult posters will always have the reality that their moderation privileges are only for a season and are more motivated to do it right for the 60 days or 90 days or whatever timeline you choose for them to be in the saddle.

4. Should you ever be in a position where you ever needed to recruit any employees, you will have a pool of hands who are tested to some extent and you have a decent measure of their work ethic and the quality of their work.

5. A moderator review system. For those who schooled in foreign countries, we are familiar with how every term, before the finals you get to review the performance of the instructor or professor for any particular course across different areas. At the beginning it could just be as simple as the poll we used to have with Yes, No, or multiple options, etc. It doesn't need any new features to be built into the NL server-side or front end to offer this feature but this will give you an objective measure and statistics. Of course, you can always filter out multiple voters by filtering by their IP addresses - really straight forward.

6. This is all I can think of now and others can add to the list but I think this is another set of ideas that could make NL a self-sustaining forum in which progress and development is sustainable, irreversible and quality will only appreciate in a geometric fashion.

Co-signed! Let him go, his tenure has expired!

LWTMB as I dey read this news. You mean the Soludon was cut short in pre-primaries? GEJ and Obi are behind this or no one can see it yet? Did Obi not go smiling to Otueke a week ago to perfect plans with the retardeen? Obi has sold Anambra to PDP via GEJ and he is banking on being a minister in 2015 after helping to rig the retardeen in as president.

agbameta:


Extending of course. We still have the LFTZ and Badagry LFT on tap, Ikorodu industrial estate is still expanding, Matori, Ilupeju, Mushin, Apapa and Ikeja industrial estates are still blasting, the printing Industry in Shomolu is getting needed attention with their own IPP, name brand hotels are changing the skyline and landscape, the food, fashion and entertainment industry are on the up n up non stop, we still have the cable cars coming, Meto rail is almost here, Eko waters with new 200 capacity boats each is almost here...

....and the state institutions stepping up to support the growth and development.

The sky is the limit for Lagos state.

For the rest of the SW, the story is almost the same starting from Ogun all the way to Osun. Osun is moving to dominate agric, Ogun and Ondo both have joint FTZ/OKFTZ with deep seaport and refineries under construction. The are at least 3 refineries on tap for the SW.

With available resouces, Ondo is under performing because of lousy leadership and poor focus.

Oyo is redefining Oluyole industrial estate and the same PG we are talking are manufacturing goods and services there.

DAWN sounds good and more robust than OODUA Investement of decades ago which is still the very active.


We are really blessed with strong and capable leaders, my only concern remains the usual FG obstruction and bad bele.

First, I agree with your brief assessment on Ondo. I am not partisan for any party, only the most performant party and now ACN (APC) it has been going by the result. I hope Ondo State joins the progressives soon and it doesn't matter if it is ACN or not for even if they get complacent and relax (I hope not) they will be voted out! We want only very aggressive parties and leaders who are MOST passionate about our lands, the blessed lands of the Yorubas! While doing that, I like the current strategy where it appears as though Tinubu and some of his lieutenants continually play up the game at the centre and take the hits while the governors concentrate on their work of development on the states. Imagine the distraction if someone like Fashola was continually responding or distracted by the no do-gooders in the FG or other states. Yes, I read a big chunk of the DAWN document and hope to finish it and I just can't wait to see more progress! Unlike in the past when Chief Awolowo and the SW led the country's development and allowed other people (e.g. the now ungrateful people by the Niger side) to partake freely, I strongly suggest that a concerted efforts to register peoples as Yoruba natives, residents (non Yorubas) and foreigners be strongly implemented. They can come and live in our lands while Nigeria remains but their must be differential school fees at our universities, primary and secondary schools, health care centres and taxation. The highest quality of life in Nigeria is not going to be free, some people's vision, energy, intellect and leadership are creating it so it CANNOT BE FREE! If any one feels it should be free, they should get the FG to budget X M naira per year on behalf of people who think they should live in the SW without commensurate financial contributions! Of course, our lands are no go areas for ANY non-Yoruba resident. They can lease it 5-10 years (renewable once or twice after which they should negotiate another deal for another piece of land). The foreigners, big companies with investment dollars who are not looking to claim ownership of lands and are happy to see our fascinating culture can be allowed to lease for longer periods of time like 20 years, renewable as often as they choose!

Your other points about the FTZs, refineries, etc will cause some people headache and heart attack here!

Miss becky: emi o fun won ni secret o sugbon ko wa awon ona mi ju gbogbo awa la lowo,awa la ni eko,awa la mo nkan se julo,ko make sense mo...mo ti ma dake nitoripe mo rope one nigeria sugbon bi awon ajeokuta ma momi yi ti so nkan kekere di babara,o bi mi ninu gan.

Oh wow! Well said though I struggled to read what you were saying but I think I got it!

eaglechild:
I don't and have never lived in Lagos.

So what is your headache?? Taking panadol for another man's problem. You must be jobless!

eaglechild: Everyday some peeps come here and yap all day long about some backward overcrowded slum called Lagos.
I wonder what Parisians and Singaporeans will then do?

I live in a big city here and there are still slums! Now that is bring realistic but you say ibo land is filled with gold and silver like paradise and no slums? Well, go back to your land while we transform our country one slum at a time!

A bigger problem of the action of the ibos now is that even if any party were ever to field an Ibo candidate for president, the entire North and SW will probably not vote for him.

goodslayer:


omo unifesiti ife bawo ni.

I dey man! Time to sensitize our people and leaders even more!

collynzo2: I am sure all these were among those counted during the last census. You used them to inflate your population count, get the highest allocation, then dump them. What happens to the huge Federal allocation Lagos state is getting because of people like this? I think another population census should be done after all these people have been deported, then Federal allocation adjusted accordingly.

Let Ibos go and we will replace them with more Efiks, Ibibio, Ijaws, Kabba, etc more of the more useful, respectful people of the over 250 tribes of Nigeria! Is it not treasonable that you go and be counted for development in another man's land while yours is run aground??