₦airaland Forum

morpheus24:
every single country you mentioned were all made up of tribes and amalgamation of ethnic groups.

I believe you are wrong but i won't argue with you because that is not the point i am making.
The main point is we are being forced together without a working contract on how the nations, ethnic groups, religions and cultures are going to relate with each other for peaceful co-existence.

morpheus24:
The zulu, xhosa, ndebele, sependi, tshawa, sotho,venda, Afrikaans, English all live in relative harmony with each other. Their country was very much carved into being by the very same british.

I wonder why they seem to be able to manage tribalism there?

Its instructive that the europeans refuse to do what they want us to do.
French people have their own country.
Germans have their own country.
English speaking people have their own country.
Portuguise have their own country.
Spanish speaking people have their own country.
But in africa, they want to lump all of us together without a working contract. Can never work.
They are using us to do experiment.

Nigerians are really desperate for peace in the niger delta.
They long for peace but they are not too keen on full justice.
Can there be peace without justice?

PERUSO

peruso:
EHOI::::::

HAVE U EVER HEARED OF GENERAL AFRICA, BOYLOAF, JOSHUA. AND THE REST OF THEM THAT WERE ALL OUT THERE, THESE ARE PPLE WE'VE BEEN HEARING OF SINCE THIS WHOLE MILITANTS THING STARTED, WE VE NEVER SEEN THEM BUT THESE DREADED PPLE WHERE ALL OUT THERE THAT DAY FOR THIS DISARMAMENT,


SEEN FOR THE FIRST TIME BY SO MANY,

WHY I REPEAT WHY DO WE NOT BELIEVE SUCH SIMPLE THINGS,

MY FELLOW NAIRALANDERS IS HIGH TIME WE START BELIEVING IN OUR COUNTRY



I CANNOT FORCE U TO BELIEVE BUT , I BELIEVE IT COMPLETELY,

It is very easy to brainwash people if you tell them what they would like to believe.
Many nigerians for some reasons desperately want to believe that the amnesty will work and the niger delta problem will be over, hence they are easily brainwashed by the government propaganda.

I was even amazed how the media try to claim boyloaf is MEND second in command.
Boyload was a former cook in Tompolo's camp 5.
He left there to later join dagogo's camp.
Then he left there to form his own militant camp in 2007.
MEND was esatablished in 2005, two years before Boyloaf started his own camp.
Tompolo or dagogo who were boyloaf's boss were not even MEND second in command.
So how did Boyloaf suddenly rise to become MEND's second in command with his 200 fighters?
Look at the facts and common sense will tell you its all propaganda.

The truth is Boyloaf is just one of hundreds of militant group leaders. We know MEND direct fighters are more than 20,000. Boyloaf by his own words have just 200 fighters. That does not sound like someone who is one of the movers and shakers among the militants. The dreaded militants leaders that matters are hidden. You will not hear their names in the media.

Those arms were specifically purchased by the government to fool the world into thinking the militants are laying down their arms. MEND warned everyone of how the government approached them on the deal but they refused.

nex
Forget about Mr Gbomo.
The main thing is, does MEND exist?

nex
You are correct. But a million people cannot consistently talk like a specific person or play his character.
Mr Gbomo have been sending emails for years and if you follow them, you will identify a specific character in them. The way he talks is very consistent. The way and type of jokes he cracks are very unique. I like reading his writings because of the jokes. He is a very funny man.

nex
Mr Gbomo definitely exist. I believe there is a conspiracy in the international community about his identity. That is why this niger delta crisis is so dangerous. More dangerous than nigerians realise. Mr Gbomo sends emails from a specific yahoo account. Sometimes he even does live questions and answers online with media houses yet, that is a BIG YET. Yet his location cannot be traced. Nigeria have spent millions hiring many international IT gurus company to trace his location but they cannot. WHY?

I believe there is an international mask around Mr Gbomo@ location so that nigerian government won't be able to trace his whereabout. Its only something of international nature that can consistently hide such information. Mr Gbomo may be in the US chilling and sending emails. We never know. The US have said nigeria will break before 2013. When lady clinton came, the summary of what she said is " this government is illegitimate". If you line the dots, you will realsie that there is something going on underground. There are countries behind MEND.

Nigeria should be prepared to stop exporting oil and gas after October 4th.
MEND have shown the capacity to make that possible.

You are very correct. There will be serious trouble ahead.
I advice those who can leave the country to leave.
Those who have business should consider moving it to ghana.
Those who have investment in the oil sector should take their money and run.
Those who are rich should consider their safety. Kidnapping is a sign of this revolution.
Yes, a revolution is sweeping across nigeria.

desgiezd:
Isn't it about time the FG calls MEND for a frank talk and the way forward?

The government is not ready to meet the demands of MEND thats why they are beating about the bush.
is the government ready for complete devolution of power and the right of self determination given back to the people? Are they ready for true federalism of confederation?  I doubt. There will be trouble ahead because MEND's demand are rigid and the government is pennywise and a pound foolish.

easyboy
You are 15 years too late.
The revolution started 15 years ago when the locals in the niger delta started arming themselves against the government. The religious crisis in the north the the rampant kidnapping all over the country are just symptoms that a revolution has started. Well, better late than never. Surprisingly, most nigerians don't even know a revolution is underway.

Why do some of you like wallowing in ignorance. How can you say Mr Gbomo does not exist. Maybe that is not his real name but there is surely a personality behind those writings. If you read his writeup, you will see that they always follow a style and personality.

Hanoobabay@ Why would you think mr Gbomo is in every MEND battle? Has he ever said he was there? He is the spokeperson of MEND. After every battle, the fighters involved inform him of the details so that he can in turn inform the media.

And to your initial question of when he will return his arms. I know you have not been following MEND's writings because if you have, you won't be asking this question. MEND's position has always been that they don't recognise the amnesty and as such will not be returning arms. The government will struggle to get up to 5% of the arms currently in the niger delta. It seems you have so much hope on this amnesty stuff. Please don't, otherwise you will be very disappointed at the end.

I support the return of the military to come and dissolve this charade we call democracy. They should organise a SNC within two months. Lets fix the foundation of the house before talking about elections. Any election built upon this stinking foundation will not work. Lets sit down and decide if we need to separate or be together. We also need to draw up a new constitution. Whether we breakup is not important, the most important thing we need is for the regions to have complete autonomy. With that, we would have solved 50% of our problems.

Why are some people so scared of a breakup that they have to resort to writing articles to scare others? In the event of a breakup, there may be an initial jolt in some regions but eventually everything will settle down and run smoothly.

In regards to the niger delta, the writer missed the issue badly. The Ijaws are the majority in the niger delta hence it will always reflect in their dominance. Also they inhabit most part of the deep creek which has become a safe hidout for the militants. But the struggle is not about them alone. MEND is for the emacipation of the niger delta and not the Ijaws alone. Henry Okah is not an Ijaw man. He is Urhobo yet he is well respected around the niger delta and among the militants. The ethnic groups in the niger delta have leaved together peacefully for centuries. The problem between the Ijaw, Itshekiri and Urhobo in warri was caused by the divide and rule tactics employed by the government to keep them fighting while the oil is stolen. It worked for a while until the niger deltans realised what was happening. Now there is peace in that area even though there is so much arms floating around there. So for thr writer to use that as evidence of an unending conflict if the niger delta split is just scare mongering. Seems this writer is very scared and insecure.

Revolution started more than 15 years ago but some people still don't know it. Revolution is like a ship or a tooth. There is a larger part underneath that cannot be seen. To be precise, the revolution started when the niger delta militants started importing arms for their struggle. Seems its only now the people of the southwest are realising there is a major problem with the nigeria project.

I see a lot of people are still ignorant about the niger delta conflict. Lets take the Boko haram as an example. The army crushed them within days but they have not been able to win the niger delta rebels for years evens after buying all sort of weapons the reason is

1 TERRAIN 1. The niger delta has more than a thousand creeks and the swampy terrain is the hardest place to fight against a guerilla army. This means the nigeria army cannot take their heavy weapons like tanks into the battle. The only thing they can take is their gunboat and the gun each soldier carries. This brings them to the same level as the militant. Infact it almost brings them to a lower level because we know MEND fighters carry more sophisticated guns and they also wear body armour.

TERRAIN 2 The nature of the war leave the army bare and unprotected. About 20 soldiers have to cram into a gun boat and go looking for the militants. Twenty soldiers in a gunboat are like a sitting duck for any attack. A militant with the right weapon hiding in the right place will kill all 20 soldiers with one shot. It is instructive to note that nigerian soldiers are dying in batches in the delta. First 12 died before the JTF onslaught. Before two weeks after, there were reports of another 20 dying all together. Remember the militants have not yet started looking for nigerian soldiers to kill. When they start to do that, we would be bringing thousand of bodies bags of soldiers from the creeks every month. Just imagine two militants hide in a position for weeks waiting for JTF gunboat to come by. Then multiply that by 500. The JTF have no chance at all. I advice everyone who has a relation in the army to warn them not to go to the delta. Its a suicide mission for the soldiers. The militants know the creeks like the back of their hands while the soldiers are strangers in a crocodile infested land.

TERRAIN 3. The advantage of air support is greatly reduced in the niger delta terrain. The mangrove swamp act as a good canopy hence the movement of militants beneath them is invisible to any plane or helicopter above. hence the big air advantage the army is suppose to have is rudeced from 100% to 20%.

GUERRILLA TACTIC. Before the JTF onslaught, the miliatnst use to have a permanent camp. But after it, the militants are now acting like a true guerrilla outfit. Something that is very dangerous for the army. Now the army don't have any target to bomb because the militants no longer have a fixed target.

LOCAL SUPPORT. The militants have all the local support they need hence to be able to eliminate MEND and other militant groups, you will need to kell everyone in the creeks. Even old women and old men support them.

To the person that said the militants are not more than 1000, i laugh. They are actually more than 60, 000 togehter. Why do people think after so many attemps they are still standing and even stronger today than ever before. Personally, I believe they also have international support or international cover. How come nigeria is not able to trace the email address of Mr Gbomo. He even does some live interview yet his account or location cannot be traced? I believe they are countries using their intelligence to protect him. America that predicted the demise of nigeria before 2015 are not fools. mr Gbomo might be somewhere in the USA sending emails. Nigeria have a battle in their hands. The nigerian army have finally met their match.

Sky Blue:
Kudos and I hope you get a lot of supporters to join you on the day, I find it difficult to comprehend how someone would condemn such a move which could potentially draw interest and get people involved in the culture of demanding more from their government.

@Ehoi and @back2back, the organisers of this march have seen it as being in their capacity to do what they propose, if you think other more fundamental issues should be the focus or if you think a different approach should be used, what is stopping any of you from starting up such a venture? We really need to develop a culture of protest in any form that puts government under pressure to deliver what the people put them there to deliver. Personally I think a more strategic approach like a protest targeted at the house of reps and the senate, to pass a bill (which the organisers could propose) which gives back to the states the power to generate their own electricity would be more effective and useful to solving the problem. I still salute the venture and hope it is well organised, gets media coverage locally and internationally to really put shame on the government in the eyes of the international community.

If it was up to me the ASUU strike would even go on for at least a year. I know people will very understandably find such a view offensive and hard to swallow, but look the history of strike in ghana's higher education system, there was a major strike that lasted for well over a year that pretty much forced the hand of the government to address the fundamental issues that were being highlighted and since then, there has not been strikes again in ghana. How many more years would the minor strikes cummulatively eat up and rob Nigerian students of?

Better late than never. I was shocked the people want to have a march to protest the electricity situation in the country. I never knew they have the ability or the mindset to even gather together and ask questions. Bt its sad that these people are ready to march for what they think directly effects them but they are not willing to march for their freedom. Have they asked why there is no electricity? The electricity supply is directly linked to the security situation in the niger delta. Most of the gas pipes have been blown up thats why the turbines cannot generate electricity. I believe many of these people going to this march are indifferent to the plight of the niger deltans in the creek yet they want the gas to flow from there to power the turbines so they can enjoy electricity in lagos.

The people are not able to organize themselves or march against a constitution that have put them is perpetual slavery. A system that have stolen their self determination as a people. They are yet to see fit to march against a system that has stolen their land and their resources with the land Use Act. They don't march against a system that steals their vote in the ballot but oh, because electricity directly affects them, they are now ready to march hmm. Nice. Its a step in the right direction but they have got their priorities completely wrong. If they had marched in support of the niger delta many years ago and gotten the problem there solved, we would all be enjoying 24 hour power supply now. Thats why i ask, do these people know the reason why they don't have electricity?

George_D:
that is being too generic. which aspect of nigeria is the problem? is it corruption?
or the ethnic factor? or one tribe trying to lord it over the others?

George
The constitution have enslaved the people. The niger delta region never signed any treaty with nigeria neither were they conquered in any war yet the constitution have stolen their land and mineral resources with the Land Use Act. Their self determination right as a people have been stolen. Devolution of power or even the right to control their resources has been taken away. Even their right at the ballot to vote for a leader of their choice is being trampled under. This is modern day slavery of a people. So to your question, Nigeria and her constitution is the problem. The constitution has to be overhauled for this problem to go.

MEND should not relent. There will be no solution until the oil export is cut to less than 500,000 b/pd.

olawohoney:
What should be the main concern for every Nigerian is the powerless and corruption promoter president we currently have in Nigeria. Ask any local people in Niger Delta, they will simply tell you these militants are hustlers (fighting for their pocket). Any reasonable government would treat them like criminals because they are indeed criminal. The fact that they are time bomb created by corrupt politicians from Niger-Delta speak volumes of why they are of no benefit to the grass-root people of Niger Delta. Having said that, the fact that these militants are useless just like Nigerian Government that find it difficult to initiate a direct development of both necessary infrastructures and human development(education&orientation).
Food for thought! if these militants are not hustler why is it difficult for them to attack state Governors of NigerDelta states that find it easy to siphone money meant for development of their state abroad for personal use? all they want(MEND) is making money and that's why Yara'dua is towing their line of bargain now, but i tell you , just like past efforts it will fail. What is needed is Federal government direct development of Niger-Delta! infact not through the so call ND leaders because they are corruption infected animals. Through a special agency that will be well monitored by both executive and legislative arms of the government, if not the true about MEND intention would not be expose and nothing tangible would be achieve.

Which niger delta people did you ask? The people in the creeks are in full support of the militants thats why the federal government have not been able to infiltrate them ever since. Old women, old men and children are all in support of the militants.

You may call them criminal because they engage in criminal activities to you but the government activities in the delta are also criminal if you want to use the same standard. You call people who engage in1% criminal activity criminal but you seem blind to the people that have engaged in 99% criminal activities. The niger delta should treat nigeria and JTF like the criminals they are. these criminals have been stealing the oil for the last 50 years. they have been engaging in rape of the niger delta women in the last 50 years, have killed hundreds of thousands innocent niger deltas in the last 50 years, have commited genocides wiping out towns and villages in the niger delta. Tell me again, who is the criminal here?

Again you may want to learn more about the head mentality. You attack the head and not the tail. If you attack the tail first, the head will attack you. So its quite logical for the miltants to attack nigeria first since nigeria have stolen 99% of their oil wealth while the governors have stolen less than 1%. Will attacking the governors bring about self determination? Will it change the land Use Act that was used to steal the land and oil from the poeple? Will it bring about devolution of power or resources control? If the head is killed, the tail (governors) will flee.

So people can march because there is no electricity but they cannot march against a system that puts them in slavery?
Have they asked themselves why there is no power in the first place?

I seriously doubt it.
A snake will always give birth to a long thing. They will never bite the system that produce them. All this is just bragado. Once they are promised second term, they will make a U turn. Thank God of MEND.

Becomrich
The Niger Delta is a region for the southern minorities and its not defined by oil production. Thats why even if cross River don't produce a single oil, they are still part of the Niger Delta. Thats also why even though Ondo produce oil, they cannot be part of the Niger delta. See the Niger delta as a region.

Mr Gbomo and MEND are hitting some home truth about Nigeria that many of us would love to deny. It seams MEND is busy bringing out the dirts that we have swept under the carpet in the last 40 years. Jeez, its filthy.

I like reading Mr Gbomo's interview because its always filled with humour and truth. What got my attention in this interview is when he was asked if MEND wants federalism or breakup. He says the niger delta wants federalism because they would also want to enjoy the riches, hardwork and mineral resources of other regions. That was so funny if you know what he means.

The OPC area boys just want some pay.
Why are they having meeting with the Governor?

Jatador:
are you crazy?
Ibadan is pretty much a landlocked state and mend can't get there through the sea. You wan't them to travel by road all the way to yorubaland then you must be dreaming. Lagos is the easiest and most accessible place they can hit in the west.

There are many yoruba targets can can easily hit if they wanted.
Lets not forget they passed Ondo state to come to lagos. In lagos, they passed all the big ships in the port, passed all the high building and went specifically to an NNPC loading depot. It shows who they wanted to hit.

I believe MEND have achieved their aim with this attack.
I believe they wanted to draw awareness among Nigerians to the critical state of our nation. before the attack most people in Lagos didn't even know about MEND. But now MEND is the talk of the town. Not only in Lagos but in all Nigeria. There are hundreds of forums like this talking about the implications of MEND activities. I guess MEND have hit jackpot here. Those guys are so smart.