₦airaland Forum

Faeb:
I apologise to Obiagu that my words seem to imply something different to what I wish to convey.

The fact is no one hates Igbo people, because the Delta state capital is in Asaba. Perhaps I have just not heard about it, have you ever had such an experience?

Thanks Beaf for that. If you are asking me of a personal experience of anti-igbo sentiments in Nigeria as a whole. I have them a-plenty. If on the Delta state capital issue, I have no personal experience but I read some on the pages of newspapers then. I wont repeat them here in order not to fan unnecessary embers. Besides, Sapele's views  as demonstrated in my post above seem to buttress it. However I am an advocate of forgiveness across the board by the Igbos and to the Igbos. I believe in SE/SS cooperation as a way out of the neglect and sufferings of both Zones but the more I encounter SE and SS elements on NL the more I worry on how soon it can happen. It is not just the Ekwuemes and Ojukwus or the Clarks and Okumagbas that are the impediment but our own generation seem not to emancipate themselves from mental slavery. I Know that it is not a matter of 'if' but  that of 'when' as nothing can stop an idea whose time has come.

SapeleGuy:
Obiagu1, I told you to man up but you no hear word.

It is a known fact that the people who truncated and betrayed the creation of Anioma State were none other than Iwanyanwu and Ohaneze Ndigbo (not Isoko, Kwale, Urhobo, Itsekiri or Ijaw) for the vindictive and selfish reason that Anioma State, if created would belong to the South South geo political zone. Let anybody come here to deny this.

SapeleGuy:
My brother life is too short for the type of hatred I see on this forum. My simple point is that Ndigbo voted against the creation of Anioma State not Urhobo, Itsekiri, Isoko and Ijaw. Is it not right for that issue to be resolved first before we talk of anything else.

SapeleGuy:
Houvest please don't blame IBB for this. Can you confirm or deny that Iwanyanwu led a committee on state creation that decided against the creation of Anioma State?

Sapele bros  the least you can do is give me a link to these assertions so I can answer you based on facts. Again you have moved from Iwuanyanwu and Ohaneze to Ndigbo to Iwuanyanwu- led committee on state creation. Is Iwuanyanwu eqaul to Ohaneze eqaul to Ndigbo eqaul to Iwuanyanwu led committee? I am  a campaigner against hatred on NL and would like you to substantiate these points you are mentioning else it will buttress Obiagu's verdict of anti Igbo sentiments during the creation of Delta State as you are pushing the blame to Iwuanyanwu committee and not IBB and by  your logic to  Ndigbo. Is that not an unwitting  propagation of the same hatred you are condemning on NL.  The thing we have been hammering on is this, If Iwuanyanwu or Ohaneze or any Igboman does something wrong in your opinion, by all means blame him and not the whole Ndigbo. We know where we are coming from.

I personally think that IBB wanted to kill two birds with one stone ie creating a Delta state and giving Anioma the capital instead of creating two states. His other option would have been creating Anioma state and giving Delta the capital. Which do you think preferable?
However I think it is a bit insulting calling a grown man's personal experience  an attack of paranoia. You were not there with him so the least you could have done was to give him the benefit of doubt unless ypu have other grounds for your psychoanalysis. The market people are not here to rebutt your claims or agree with it.

Faeb:
It is a known fact that the campaign for Delta state was a struggle by the Urhobos, Ijaws, Isoko's and Itsekiri's to an extent, while the Igbo's campaigned for Anioma state. There was dissapointment that the capital wasn't cited in Warri, but it is ridiculous to claim that you were somehow scared of an anti-Igbo reaction (except you are Miriams brother), there was no bitterness turned against any Igbo, thats just false. I have to conclude what I already know, that the so called hatred etc you feel are directed against you are all in the mind, with no basis in reality.
What would you say about those in places like Igbo market in Warri, did they pack away? Nothing changed for them and they remained welcome.

Seriously Obiagu, I cannot imagine why you think anybody hates you. All you are doing is punishing yourself and contracting your horizons. Please stop thinking like that.

deleted

@ physics QED.
Sorry friend if you felt misrepresented. I only presented the Igbo albatross not necesarily your views. I am not interested in winning an argument but in finding solutions. So I will not go into long -winded defence of my post since the contents are facts  in ouir history many of which have cost innocent lives not emotions as you alluded nor whines nor is it a plea for your sympathy. However you are the one that used the word 'dump'  not the original writer and no matter how you defend it, there is nothing altruistic in its connotations  especially to the 'dumped' as against your argument against the word 'compromise' in the Middlebelt thread  to which you later  expanded; eventually accomodating your opponent's usage of the word. So forgive me for taking you up on it if you insist you meant it in the positive sense but giving the history of the two sister zones it is better avoided.
No point talking about whether more Igbos speak against the 6 zone structure than minorities since there is no statistical data to back it up and in fact no one knows where each poster is from nor  the proportional repesentation of active posters from either GZone . However since you personally do not like it I ask you for your own solution. For instance would you have prefered two Southern minority zones or more or the status quo ante to remain.

[quote author=ndu_chucks link=topic=561386.msg7270813#msg7270813 date=1291470929]houvest,  I am very tempted to name your epistle as “The Lamentations of an Igbo Native”. The answer to your question lies in this Igbo idiom: Ana eji anya eke azu di n'ime ofe (the eyes are used to divide the meat in the soup, when eating communually). I’m sure you get the point.   Gaskiya tafi kwabo [/quote]You miss d point chucks.  When the communal eaters view one of them with suspicion, you need a Constitution to specify how the fish( not meat, sorry) will be shared else they can gang up against him and deprive him of his share in the name of a hidden agenda by him or any other slogan. Their must be mutual trust between the eaters for the fish to be sincerely shared eqaully.

Reading through Physics posts really get me confused. The Igbo delegates pushed for a 6 Gzone federation as against the earlier lopsided 4 zone structure and Physics says it tantamounts to dumping the eastern minorities. Some Northern elements view it as tantamount to breaking their Northern Unity and by extention hegemony. Becomrich sees it as a wayo move in other to cheat others. Ndigbo what will you ever do to please the Nation? If you had fought against the 6 zone thing, they will say you do not want to give your minority neigbhours breathing space but to continue lording it over them. The Northern minorities would have said you are not good Christians since you want the muslims to keep them in servitude or that you are not good allies to work against their autonomy. Why such an albatross being borne by a people? The 4 rash and brash Igbo majors with their single Yoruba accomplice of 66 thought they were  freeing the Nation of corruption and tyranny but they were seen as the perpetrators of an Igbo agenda that was crafted at Government house, Independence Layout Enugu probably by the Igbo State Union for perpetual Igbo domination. Why did they not let the Corruption and Tyranny consume the Nation? Zik for fear of a North/South divide sacrificed his ambition to be PM for a ceremonial role under Balewa  instead of banding together with Awo a fellow Southerner and being the PM and he has been represented at best as  naive and silly and lacking in knowledge of the powerlessness of a President and at worst as over-ambitious (Just cant reconcile this) and probably bidding his time to kill Balewa and take over by sending his 'cousin' to execute a coup.
After the genocide of 66 and Ndigbo wanted to take their destiny in their hands since the FG could no longer protect them, they were branded rebels and a scorched earth war policy executed against them. And the property they left when they ran away for their lives were branded Abandoned and shared among their neigbours who majority of them fought on their side in the war. Individual Igbos through sheer hardwork and industry pull themselves up by their boothstraps and start feeding well are looked on as ritualistic, proud, domineering and  with plans to take over their neigbhourhood and quickly government policies are introduced to curb them and at other times outright killings are perpetrated against them and their property inherited by their murderers and nothing happens. When they complain, they are said to be whining.
I could go on and on mentioning NCNC Nationalistic move in  the then western Nigeria  seen as plans to rule one region by another forgetting that then Enugu had a hausa Mayor and an Efik/Ibibio premier; Biafra's move to Lagos as an invasion of the West and Midwest instead of their own war strategy to defeat the Nigerian Army even if faulty etc.

A hidden agenda is read into every Igbo move and it makes me to ask whether Nigeria really wants the Igbos or not. The present move by Ohaneze to support Jonathan is already being viewed as a secret agenda  by Igbos to dominate the SS not minding the fact that the same move is being stoutly resisted by a lot of Igbo intelligentia.

I do not say that the Igbos have been perfect in all of their actions but I am presenting the Igbo albatross to non Igbos. So PHYSICS, What do you suggest for Ndigbo to have done about the 6gzone structure  and now about GEJ that will satisfy you and all Nigerians. Do they just do nothing? Or move to another Country to express their restless spirit?

Very sad indeed. Rest in Peace Busayo. Pls join me in praying for the family.May the Lord grant his family the fortitude to bear this loss. May their story  henceforth change to glory. May they never cast their young ever again. May your tears turn to joy. May your later days speak only of beautiful things and days. May the Lord give you beauty for your ashes and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. May this loss turn your efforts henceforth to abundance as the Lord wipes your tears.  May this loss draw many to God and even the murderers to repentance. All  this we pray in Jesus Name. Amen

1/Andre Uweh- very Knowlegeable and consistent.
2/ Beaf- Very dogged and vast.
3/ Gbawe- Analytical and detribalized
.4/ Mikeansy- Intelligent.

Which variation of zoning? The Northern one of Between north and south or the Eastern one of rotating among the 6 GZones?

SapeleGuy:
Excanny, scepticism is a good thing. These so called minorities were actually the pre colonial kingdoms of the Niger Delta who in most cases had signed treaties with the British Empire. Did anybody ask them if they wanted to be part of the East, West regions? No.

This whole story of the geo political zones can't be told honestly without going back to Eyo Ita, the minority report, the proposed 7 states instead of 3 regions, the Richards constitution 1946, the pre colonial history of the regions and Adaka Boro. The seeds for this move were sown decades ago. As the saying goes, there is nothing new under the sun, only things people have forgotten.

After the Midwest was democratically established in 1963 as an autonomous and equal region, the West lost resources and income. Northern and Eastern regions were 'concerned that similar things would happen to them.

I would take the benevolence and generosity theory with a large pinch of salt, nobody gives freedom you have to take it.
As you said keep doing your research and you will keep the revisionist historians at bay.

Having said all of that, I support zoning and believe we have a common interest in its proper and fair implementation- 1 term of 5 years, no returns.

Abagworo:
There has always been clash between religionists and astrologists with regards to life outside earth.I do not see it coming to an end soon.

Which religion rejects life outside earth? Certainly not Christianity. And I think, you meant astronomers.

At the bolded I think that IMO the question should be refered to both the SE and SS. The SE has since after the war viewed the SS with suspicion because of the activities before, after and during the war while the SS  also viewed the Igbo with suspicion of a domination agenda and I do not know of serious  and sustained  efforts of making the SE and SS see themselves as brothers and neigbhours again except perhaps the present attempts at raproachment over the GEJ candidacy and the short lived CARIA states movement of Arthur Nzeribe. The mutual negative feelings have been exploited by other zones against these two brother GZones and this needs to stop. Wise, patient and articulate and perhaps new generation leaders from both sides have to make it to happen.
The SS and middlebelt have been exploring this link  you mentioned since the second republic on  the auspices of the 4th force or somerthing like that ie as a 4th option to the WAZOBIA tripod so it is not new. I believe as much as it is a political possibility, it still cannot replace the family bonds between the SE and SS especially The Igbo  and eastern SS and should not be a threat to the SE just as SE alliances elsewhere should not be a threat to the SS if things are properly understood, spelt out and put in the proper perspective of the importance of a strong SE/SS union or cooperation as a counterpoise to the west and North and for the common benefit of all not just the Igbo or the Ijaw or any  of the ethnics in that geographical/ geopolitical superzone. Also as long as such alliances do not become conspiracies to keep the other under.  In politics, the more the alliances , the better. The SE has had alliances with the North, Middle belt, SW, and yet none of them have broken family bonds between the SS and SE. I think that as much as the SE and SS realizes that their enemies are not within but without and try and rediscover their bonds and build on them, they should also explore alliances elsewhere not necessarily as an alternative to their bond but as a complement.

Beaf:
Oga, what do you mean by 5th columnist?
The problem we have in the SS / SE corner of the Nigeria are different worldviews toward problems that are similar. We have a situation where the political problem and goals are an exact match, but the direction to take is coloured the Igbo need to match the political clout of the core North and SW with a sphere of influence of their own; and a dogged fightback by the minorities who do no wish to be dominated and relegated to the part of playing pun.

Whichever way you look at it, the SE and SS are missing a trick and Nigeria is losing out. How?
Any cooperation between SS and SE will need to be above ethnicity (just like is the case within the SS); as soon as the immense power of such a union is unleashed, it would not be long before that same sort of cooperation extends to the SW and radiates outward and Northward.

I believe the SE can see the real threat in not forming what should be a natural symbiosis with the SS before the SS extends its highly successful post-ethnic style cooperation to the Middle Belt.

RICHIE BOI:
this must be the joke of the year.

That Nigeria cannot sue an ex US no2man or what?

excanny:
I am yet to believe this conjecture. I still need some kind of reaction to this by the supposedly involved persons. That God some of them are still breathing.

First off, i tried accessing the link provided, but to no avail.

My question here is, if the intention of creating this SS was to give the Igbos some breathing space, why then do we still have a large considerable chunk of Igbos and Igboid groups in the SS, especially in Rivers state?

It seems to me that some things aren't just adding up. Anyway, i need to google more to verify some stuffs.

Its no conjecture. It is fact. The 6 Gzones were created in line with existing state boundaries. There was no attempt to tamper weith existng boundaries because of the sensitive nature thereof and the politicisation of the Nasir boundary Commission. That is why you still have Igbos outide the SE, Ijaws outside the SS and Yorubas ouside the SW,etc.

I posted concerning the Airtell stepup that gradually drops your tariff to 9 naira and the spambot stopped it. I thought that the moderator would bypass the spambot and post it to give readers the right info about the 9 naira tariff regime but still have seen nothing for 2 days now. Whats up?

At the topic, I am glad that folks like Obi are around and are able to tell all those who are desperate for an Igbo VP that the opportunity cost of that is Igbo political self rediscovery via a regional reintegration of the old eastern region into one political block for sheer clout instead of being an appendage to the North and being at the mercy of their tokenism, tomfoolery, conspiracies and counter conspiracies as displayed in the following quote that I will keep posting for naive Igbos:

[b]  Re: Where Was The South South In 1914, 1945, 1960?
« #119 on: October 01, 2010, 04:08 AM »  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote from: ndu_chucks on September 29, 2010, 01:40 AM
Unbelievable!! This is the kind of misdirected understanding that continues to make you people subservient to your Igbo lords, you will ultimately be ruled by them. Mark my word.

I hereby continue with excerps from a recent interview of Professor Ango Abdullahi, former Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria:

What is your opinion on Edwin Clark and others who have been clamouring for Jonathan to vie in 2011?

This is why I wrote him a letter to remind him. I wrote him a letter personally on why he should tread with caution. We visited Warri a number of times. We had several meetings with the South-South people–mainly Ijaws–in Abuja, and that is how we agreed that they will support a northern presidential aspiration. But they will also want a South-southerner to be the vice-president, specifically, in the words of Edwin Clark, an ‘Ijaw man’. There are several tribes in South-South but he insisted on an Ijaw man. It worked out in the end. I Hope Clark will remember all these. He is not guiding Jonathan along the path of this agreement or understanding that it would get to them, after the North would have run its eight years. And if things work out the way we plan, the South-South will take its turn in 2015. And by that time it is the vice-president from that zone that will perhaps, depending on how he performs, emerge as the president. That was our agreement. But now, they want to disown that agreement and still want the North to support Jonathan to continue as president. Something must be wrong with the way they think.


Integrity is not a word that comes to mind whenever the name Edwin Clark is mentioned !!   [/b]  


Can any region in Nigeria compare with a strong SE/SS combo? The sheer industry and resources will scare any other region. So the best thing is to sabotage it with a VP offer and a funny future promise of the real thing. Obi is asking, why rely on such derogatory tokenism, if you can work your way to it by buiding up the clout gradually and destroying the cabal that be by starting from supporting GEJ. It will not be easy nor will it be cheap. Somer folks are so scared of the Igbo not being close to power for another 4 to 8 years even if it is  as a second fiddler. Obi took time to show them how many years and regimes Ndigbo have survived   so the scaremongery of 'Igbos are finished if GEJ comes in' or the new favourite line of a recent NL neophyte of selling your birthright should make nobody lose sight of the ball of an Eastern or rather SE/SS behemoth.

Andre You can only do so much. When I realized that some folks are incorrigible, I stopped debating them. Some others already have hardened positions and can not open up to logic even if superior. You got to do what you got to do no matter how much they discourage you. Keep your eyes on the ball of informing as many folks as you can on the wisdom of the Ohaneze endorsement while ignoring naysayers.

The President cannot be blamed for every thing. It was even good that NASS had to look Sanusi eyeball to eyeball and was the first to blink. It gives others the courage to stand up to them. This is democracy and one should not wish for something less. Supposing it was actually a Sanusi blackmail, how will the populace know the truth. The confrontation IMO was okay and did not diminish NASS critics one bit but rather promoted them.

Gbawe:
I am truly saddened at how the few good men we have in Governance are treated by the criminal majority. This is why I wan't Nigerians to shun ethnic sentiments when they vote. We are seeing total lawless behaviour everywhere , under GEJ, because leaders now know that they can behave as badly as they wan't , without fear of sanction, under a President who is keen not to offend anyone for the sake of a dangerously selfish ambition that is harming Nigeria every single day and threatening our national existence. Look at what OGD is doing in Ogun State !!! The Senators and reps are busy , every day, attempting to pass partisan laws giving them more influence and pecuniary advantages !!!!

My brothers and Sisters , because of what has obtained for decades, our nation is now controlled by criminal vampires who will not rest till they suck the blood out of Nigeria. We must gain a President who is ready to battle and banish these bloodsuckers . To that end we should forget any PDP aspirant if we sincerely want a great nation. A sagacious President , with behind the scene actions, would have ensured that Sanusi , and indeed others who want what is best for Nigeria, are not bullied, embarrassed and hounded out by shamelessly indolent looters who see themselves as political leaders and lawmakers. Our political space is now full of criminals who ensure that progressive reformers are frustrated out. We need a President capable of reversing this odious trend.

Is the Olisa man incapacitated? What happened to his own hands? If he cannot Punch, cant he also block punches or is he an octeganarian?

I personally think that IBB is coming back to replace Atiku. Will OBJ still laugh? Just an aside.

hurray Sanusi

I suspect that the PR is just being clever by half. There is a Zain ( now airtel) package that eventually drops down to 9naira per minute to any network called zain step-up.  You enter with a monthly rental of 1500 naira and are stepped up to a tariff of 35k per second  ie 21 naira per minute for the first 100 minutes which should cost about 2500naira with a certain code( I have forgotten it). Then you pay 25k per sec  or 15 naira per minute for the next 200 minutes ie about 3,000 naira bringing you to a total of 5500 naira and if you add the monthly rental, it brings you to a total of 7,000 naira. Once you cross the 300 minutes mark, your call rate drops to 15k per sec or 9naira per minute. In other words after you have spent 5,500 naira on calls and rented the package for 1, 500 naira, you now make calls at 9naira per minute. IMHO, it is a great package for heavy users. That is if you use 12,000naira and above in a month, you should go for it. It comes with other attractions of 100 free sms to any network, 100 mb for browsing and 35k per sec( 21naira per m,) call rate to some countries like UK, US,etc. However these side attractions except for the 25naira per minute calls to those foreign countries is a one-off thing. ie you get them only once. THe subsequent months dont have them. I personally think that it will make folks to be changing sim cards that is just 200 naira or thereabouts every month to enjoy those side attractions because the free  100mb for browsing and  100sms already are costlier than the 1500 rental fee.

Intending users should contact Airtel for clarifications as to whether these attractions are still there and other things.
For less volume users, I think that the best offer is glo in those 24 states they are available at 25k per sec without any rental fees. However,  places like Lagos and abuja where the glo offer is not available, the best bet remains etisalat easylife which offers the same glo rates but with a daily rental of 20naira ie a monthly rental of  about 600 naira.  I suspect that MTN will soon roll out there own attractions.THE OPTIONS ARE THERE FOR CHEAPER CALLS TO ANYBODY THAT MAKES THE EFFORT TO FIND OUT.

And below was my response on that thread

Posted october 1 2001
I have always suspected this conspiracy. It is always a wrong way to solve problems of a multi-ethnic society as Nigeria. A National Conference is a better approach were a total overview of National issues is discussed. When it comes to powersharing, the agreement should be made by all the 6 geopolitical zones on how, when and whom not just a ganging up of two or three groups against the rest on how they will parcel out power among themselves and possibly give fragments to others when they decide. This is the bane of this Nation. If Nduchuks says it was a PDP affair why were all the 6 zones not present or represented at the meeting. All these conspiracies are coming back to bite the North on the backside. Clarke may be a bigot but using the North's own tactics to outsmart them is needed just like OBJ is doing. Till the North stops seeing themselves as kings and kingmakers, there is no sane reason to support them anymore by any Southern zone. It is obvious that the North does not see their historical/traditional alliances with the S.East as reciprocal but rather a use and dump tactic. The SE should support GEJ to the hilt and start fashioning a new politic for herself . Even if GEJ does not succed, a North /East alliance should never ever be contemplated anymore after deciphering this Northern mindset. The same goes also for the SS or SW. They used the Se against the Sw in the 50s and 60s. Used the Sw and SS against the SE in the civil war and after. Trying to use the SE against the SS in the present era. The South should wake up and smell the capuchino.

The Answer to  Ops question is that th North wants to grasp back power at all costs
Let me use this quote to show a bit the mindset of Northerners towards the SE and SS:



[b]
Re: Where Was The South South In 1914, 1945, 1960?
« #119 on: October 01, 2010, 04:08 AM »

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote from: ndu_chucks on September 29, 2010, 01:40 AM
Unbelievable!! This is the kind of misdirected understanding that continues to make you people subservient to your Igbo lords, you will ultimately be ruled by them. Mark my word.

I hereby continue with excerps from a recent interview of Professor Ango Abdullahi, former Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria:

What is your opinion on Edwin Clark and others who have been clamouring for Jonathan to vie in 2011?

This is why I wrote him a letter to remind him. I wrote him a letter personally on why he should tread with caution. We visited Warri a number of times. We had several meetings with the South-South people–mainly Ijaws–in Abuja, and that is how we agreed that they will support a northern presidential aspiration. But they will also want a South-southerner to be the vice-president, specifically, in the words of Edwin Clark, an ‘Ijaw man’. There are several tribes in South-South but he insisted on an Ijaw man. It worked out in the end. I Hope Clark will remember all these. He is not guiding Jonathan along the path of this agreement or understanding that it would get to them, after the North would have run its eight years. And if things work out the way we plan, the South-South will take its turn in 2015. And by that time it is the vice-president from that zone that will perhaps, depending on how he performs, emerge as the president. That was our agreement. But now, they want to disown that agreement and still want the North to support Jonathan to continue as president. Something must be wrong with the way they think.


Integrity is not a word that comes to mind whenever the name Edwin Clark is mentioned !! [/b]

The conspiracy was between the North and SS. If the North was so much in love with the SE and felt  that as one of the big three, the Igbos should be the  next group to share power, why did they start a conspiracy with Clarke. Obviously they wanted to use the Ijaws to oust the Igbos and it is now backfiring against them and they are rushing back to the Igbos. These are acts of desperation to hold unto power and why because the more they stay out of power, the more the lies they used to hold the Nation by the jugular are revealed, the more the Nation is able to be restructured, the more a level playing ground is set for all the zones and the more fairness and justice is enthroned in Nigeria

Ok. Please can you come up with concrete suggestions for how you want Ohaneze to do this. I personally believe that Ndigbo practised republicanism and democracy before the Greeks discovered it  and then the Romans borrowed it and lost it in the dark ages. It took the Renaissance for it to come back to Europe and thence to the present world. But all that while the Igbos still practised it being protected in their hinterlands. However Republicanism and democracy does not mean rule of the individual for the individual and by the individual as that will spell doom for the generalilty of the people. In my understanding, it is a situation where the conglomerate of the individuals willingly submit their rule to an individual or group of individuals for the common good. It does not mean that their wont be dissensions but the majority will have their way while the minority has their say. That willing submission is not totalitarianism as this conglomerate retains the right to throw off leaders that have failed there aspirations through the tenure system and other sanctions like impeachment. Ohaneze has tried so much to democratise itself as against some years ago that they had sit-tight leaders. Ohaneze has developed a tenure system of two years leadership ( now revised to four) rotated among the 7 States that have large Igbo populations in alphebetical order( ie Abia, Anambra, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Rivers ( though I  personally, think that the states that have small Igbo populations like Bayelsa, Benue, Edo, AkwaIbom and Cross river need to be included somehow in the grand scheme of things). It is the turn of Delta now as Ohaneze president-general with the other offices going to the other States.
Ohaneze is also developing a system for existence in all the states of the federation and in all the local govt areas also. Town unions have been linked to Ohaneze so you see we are not talking of a paper tiger but an emergent formidable power.
However as one of Achebe's book was titled, it is 'morning yet on creation day' so there is room for a lot of improvement hence I asked for your suggestions.
It is possible that the intentions of some Ohaneze founders was less than noble, ie to topple Zik, causing them to have made some strategic errors like not harvesting Ziks dynasty and bonds across the Nation after his demise. I still remember  reading about how the middlebelt delegates at  either babangida's conference or Abacha's constitutional conference wondered aloud why the Igbos had abandoned their traditional ally in them. What did that result to?
The middlebelt seemingly succumbed to the North again since the East they had aligned with had left them.
At Jos 98, ekwueme was groping around for votes, he could only fall back on his old NPN associates in Ciroma and co and the Igbo votes. They could not withstand the firepower of PDM and IBB and Yoruba votes. They were roundly trounced. Had it been possible for him to, through Ohaneze, link up with Ziks  old allies ascross the Nation, he could have got votes across the Nation including the west against OBJ and might have won. So Ohaneze, for one, need to try and resurrect Zik's political dynasty and reap the dormant allignments.

The question of republicanism did not stop Zik from uniting Ndigbo under one political block in NCNC and NPP or Ikemba under Biafra despite dissensions even though you could say that Ndigbo then were not as educated or exposed as now.  But should those be a curse or a blessing? Republicanism and Unitarism can coexist in politics. It only requires efforts and personal sacrifices for the common good. These words of Onlytruth which personally is a quotable quote to me comes to mind,

'Dissent is cheap and easy. All I need to do is say no. Saying yes comes with a personal commitment. Individualism is easiest! Consensus building is hard but pays more later. Igbo history in Nigeria has taught me that.  I deliberately decided to take on this self defeating behemoth and I'm convinced there is no other way.'

It therefore should not stop our generation from uniting under Ohaneze, refine it, polish it and make it what we want it to be instead of contineously denigrating and undermining it, at least till another Zik appears, The Igbos are not the first to lose their political leader. Let Ndigbo not allow the enlightenment that education and exposure bring and their individualism and that imported from western civilization therefore  make them continously shoot themselves in the foot. What did the North do when they lost Sardauna? Under Arewa, they harnessed his legacy and used it to position themselves militarily for leadership of Nigeria. Now military rule has become an aberration, they are trying desperately to redefine and rediscover themselves and some  Igbos want to make themselves willing tools in their hands. Why are they desperate to cling to power? Because among other things,the more they are out of power, the more the lies and subterfuges they used to cling to power and  helped to  throw up Balewa, Shagari and Yaradua are revealed, the Nation is restructured  and the less is their hold on the Nation's jugular.
The Yorubas under Afenifere also harvested Awo's legacy and have used it to hold sway at least in their territory. Despite Abiola's work against Awo, they quickly realigned Awo's forces behind him after the June 12 saga- a real study on how to harness a late leaders legacy to further regional interest- and that helped in throwing up OBJ even if it was not wholly satisfactory. Still in the spirit of regional good, Afenifere's political arm, AD nearlly went extinct because of supporting OBJ's comeback in 2003 after opposing him in 99. Do you see how sacrifices can be made by individuals and groups for the common good? Remember also how they chose Falae over Ige for reasons they felt will benefit the Yoruba Nation more. Though Ige did not take it sportsmanlly and never forgave them, he did not rock the boat seriously or start another party, he submitted to their decision.

I am not advocating for exactly similliar approaches by Ndigbo especially as the Afenifere approach in 2003 nearly cost them the SW till Tinubu arose and by sheer dynamism ousted them and has become an emergent Yoruba leader and restoring SW to herself through AC but Ndigbo can learn from her neigbhours and realize the importance of individual sacrifices for the common good and at the same time know when to apply the brakes to save the Igbo Nation.

I believe that leadership by a group like Ohaneze must always be on the ground to be able to among other things  nurture and prepare future leaders both at the local and national levels,  advice them and check their excesses when they emerge, and also step into the gap when they go till others emerge. They are not mutually non-co-existent but  complimentary and should not lead to power struggle as to who is supreme, a probable issue that happened between Zik and Ohaneze at their emergence. It should just be like the coexistence of  Ezes and the Town Unions.
Ndigbo must open their eyes and plan well for the survival, respect, recognition, protection of  the rights, lives and property of themselves, their neigbhours and allies and for the propagation of these principles and the principles of fairness for all Nigerians and all humanity especially as the world faces new threats of  economic enslavement of Africa by the East and West and Terrorism, Islamic fundamentalism and domination  by the middle. It does not come without a plan and a price.

ChinenyeN:
OnlyTruth, our individualism isn't the problem. A people can still be individualistic and cooperate, they just need their base interests to be appealed to. As at now, the so-called (so-called so, because they are not) "Igbo leaders" (i.e. your Ohanaeze) have yet to appeal to their peoples' base interests. Ohanaeze has realistically done little to nothing to bring anything together. In the wake of various recent social issues that were occurring in various Igbo areas, neither Ohanaeze's voice nor efforts were heard of. Yet, when it came time to discuss about the presidency aspirations of an Ijo man (which they have no business doing, in the first place), Ohanaeze wants to rear its head, claiming to speak for the very same people who hadn't/didn't hear its voice nor witness its efforts on issues that matter[ed].

Look, this republican nature we exhibit is not going anywhere, believe me. So, what should be done is to work with such a nature, using it to our advantage, by properly appealing to our base interests. That is the most reasonable approach, which your organization has failed to make use of.

Also note, the anti-Ohanaeze interest, as well as your nonsense yarn about elements against a common front are all in your head. People here have nothing against Ohanaeze, but they do disagree with Ohanaeze's approach to all this. So learn to tell the difference between antagonistic sentiments and disagreements.

@ ALL.
Please let us discuss these issues without passions flaring up. This is a public forum and we need to approach these issues that affect  the Igbos with humility and an open mind, with cold logic and without tempers flaring up. Others are watching. None of us is God and therefore all knowing. The views you hold strongly today, you can jettison tomorrow because of fresh knowledge.

@1024
Please tone down your anti-Ohaneze rhethoric and come up with suggestions to make them perform better. Your diatribes on Uwechue reminds me of the madman in Achebe's  Short Stories that saw a man bathing in a stream and blamed all his ills on the man, seizing the man's clothes he ran back to the town with the man in hot pursuit. Incidentally he ran into the market sqaure forcing the man to follow him also albeit unclothed. Thus the man was also declared mad. Uwechue has been at Ohaneze's head for less than 2 years so why blame him for all the shortcomings of Ohaneze. Moses was frustated by his followers from entering the promised land showing the poweer the led weilds over the leader, also the moral of the madman story. LET US POSIT SUGGESTIONS FOR uwechue to do better. I would not be surprised if he visits NL himself; being a magazine publisher for many years.

@ Andre and Onlytruth.
Thanks for your commendation. I hope I can learn from and also share with you all.

Ibime:
@ Houvest,

I don't need a soothsayer to reveal that money has exchanged hands. This is the way of Nigerian politics and nobody involving themselves in PDP politics is above it.

Why would someone make a unilateral decision, then backtrack to consult the Imeobi after already making Ohanaezes position clear. That's like putting the cart before the horse. My experience of Nigerian politics tells me that Uwueche was settled, then Imeobi demanded their share, and I make bold to say so without bias or tribal sensitivity.

Now I will ask you, whether the Ciroma consensus was a "settled" affair or not. Do you not think IBB, Gusau, Saraki and Atiku hadn't long planned it? Ciroma was simply chosen to lead the public on a merry dance.

OMG Ibime my apologies. I wrongly held you in high esteem. You can continue with your hypotheses based on conjectures. I deal with facts and proofs. My apologies once again.

The SW never went to PDP. They were rigged over. SW will always be under AC/AD/UPN/AG. APGA was on a roller coaster to liberate the SE from PDP but the short-sightedness that is being replayed now in this quest to have an Igboman as vice president next year by all means helped  crush APGA. Chekwas was accused of mismanagement and instead of harvesting his ideas of a pan-Igbo party and diplomatically resolving the issues, APGA was reduced by Umeh to an Anambra party. Its 1999 clout that swept the SE was removed and Obi managed with the help of Ikemba to keep APGA alive as a one state party. PPA tried to come on board as a replacement for APGA but the endemic and intrinsic selfishness of the demagogue Orji Kalu, made PPA to be DOA-  dead on arrival. After Obi and Ikemba in Anambra and OUK in Abia, PDP will roam freelly in Igboland unfettered. The SE must rediscover itself afresh and redefine her politics. The politics of alliance with the North as second fiddlers has left the SE impoverished, marginalized, directionless,etc.

After the war, fastforward to 1978/79 Zik tried to use NPP as the NCNC before her to reunite, rediscover and reposition Ndigbo on their own before interfacing with the larger Nigeria. He was largely successful in that the then 2 Igbo states were governed by NPP. The then 3 other eastern states  went over to NPN as a result of the erosion of Ziks influence because of the Eyo Ita saga that gave Zik's opponents  a large political capital in propaganda by portraying Zik and Ndigbo as domineering and selfish used powerfuilly before, during and after the civil war  to erode fillial bonds between the Igbo and her minority neighbours and also the Adaka Boro -led Ijaw nationalism. However NPP came second in those states behind NPN as well as Lagos and I think Bendel state behind UPN. At the national level, NPP came third  numerically behind NPN and UPN but still came second in National spread having secured Plateau state and came second also in Benue state beating UPN that secured the then five LOOBO states to the third position in National spread . While UPN secured states only in the West, NPP secured states both in the East and North while NPN got states in all the Zones and won the elections securing  25% in the  controversial 12 I/3 states out of the then 19 states of the federation.

Coming out just from the ashes of the war Zik, inspite of the presence of prominent Igbo sons like Ekwueme, Onoh, KO, Okadigbo and later Ikemba, in NPN and all the other 4 political parties parading Igbo vice presidential candidates, was able to get Ndigbo together to keep their own states and yet make inroads into others. Granted his performance dropped below that of the NCNC days but it is quite understandable considering the volume of water that had passed under the bridge.
Unfortunately the NPN's vaulting ambition to sweep all states in 1983 led to the politics of earthquakes and landslides and ultimately brought back the khakhi boys, truncating the 2nd Republic and Igbo political revivalism.  During that interlude Zik and his natural successors in the person of RBK and Sam Mbakwe died.  His shoes were too big to be filled by the remaining ones. Nwobodo one of the living ones among them could not perpetuate his dynasty and reap the legacy of bonds created by Zik all over the Nation for Ndigbo like friends in the SW in the persons of Ogunsanya and Benson, in the middlebelt in the persons of Lar, Unongo, etc and in the  South south and far North  and this left Ziks political family in more or less a political wilderness, the same fears Achebe had expressed in his  political essay 'the problem with Nigeria.'

I think the emergence of Ohaneze was in those halcyon days of the second republic politics and I think the founders were  Igbo Inteligentia who wanted to craft for the Igbo a leadership closer to Igbo republicanism and away from a  leadership that was  reposed in one man- Zik . So at the onset, Ohaneze was seen as anti -Zik and pro NPN and was not quickly embraced by Ziks political sons. I stand to be corrected though. However with the decimation of Ziks dynasty, the wisdom of Ohaneze founders has been proved.
Igbo leadership now rested sqaurely on Ohaneze. However with the help of hindsight I think that Ohaneze was not really prepared for the responsibilities that was coming on her and operated a laid back leadership which did not really beneffit Ndigbo appropriately.
Political leadership still went to individuals with Alex ekwueme alternating with the Ikemba now and then. This laidback leadership by Ohaneze created a vaccum which the 5 Igbo governors have exploited and arrogated to themselves the defacto leaders of Igboland even though they are not recognised as such by the larger igbo society. Ordinarily this would not have been a problem  if these were reputable, wise, dynamic, charismatic and upright men after all Tinubu emerged as a Yoruba leader from his activities in NADECO and governorship of Lagos State. Some of them have questionable backgrounds and only about half of them were actually elected by the people so the moral grounds for them to claim Igbo leadership are wanting.  Moreover the performance of some of them in governance leaves a lot to be desired.

Ekwueme is sold to his loyalty to the North and his pan-Nigeria views while Ikemba is encumbered by history to really be the political leader to take Ndigbo out of wilderness. Besides they are both getting on in years and should by now be playing the role of Don Corleone to Mike in his later years ie consiglere (advisory). Udenwa, Egwu, ken Nnamani, Anyim, Soludo,etc are all potential Igbo leaders but can they bestride the Nation like a colossus the way Zik did? I think perhaps, some of them will when they fully mature but for now I think Ohaneze should be fully empowered into a strong leadership force for Ndigbo with full powers of sanction.

1/ Ohaneze should establish a political wing or perhaps adopt APGA and gradually nurture it back to life and position it for the coming elections at the state levels.
2/Using their endorsement for Jonathan  as a launching pad they should rebuild  Igbo relations with their South south neighbhours exploiting to the fullest the advantages of  pre-Independence history, proximity and fillial bonds thereby ensuring a zonal integration that will enable them to launch out full force in 2015 and beyond to capture power at the centre.
3/ Ohaneze should try as much as possible to bring back dissident members into the group using their power of sanctions where necessary.
5/ Ohaneze should establish mechanisms to monitor the Local and state governments in Igboland and also Federal govt activities there.
6/Ohaneze should impress on Town Unions on revival of Igbo moral  values and curbing social menaces that lead to crime and even misdeameanors.
7/ Ohaneze should link up with WIC (World Igbo Congress) on the implementation of the WIC Economic blueprint for  Igboland.
8/  ohaneze should play a big brother role in the SE and SS in reconciling feuding communities like those fighting in Ebonyi now, Ijaw/ itsekiri, Urhobo/ Itsekiri, Ikwerre/others, Ika/ others etc,
9/ Ohaneze should try and collaborate at the National level with other regional groups to forge National unity and break deadlocks and also lobby them on their agenda for an Igbo presidency not just by shouting it in the pages of Newspapers.

Other suggestions are welcome.

Ibime:
A house divided against itslef cannot stand.

But if we are being honest, the only divisor in this issue is money. Some have taken money to speak for one side, whilst some have taken money to speak for the other, and the common masses are here fretting about it although no one ever consulted them

That said, Ohanaeze should not have taken a political stand, much less for a party which has nothing to offer. Ohanaeze is simply suppused to be a socio-cultural group, and a pressure group. The gentleman is right when he accuses Ohanaeze of not holding govt to account over issues such as River Niger Bridge, Federal roads, kidnapping etc. Ohanaeze therefore has little political capital left to spend since it has not fulfilled its primary function.

And You were the treasurer that issued them the cheques. I always saw you as reputable. Making wild accusations of distinguished Igbo leaders based on assumptions discredits you as a person. How much will they use to bribe Ohaneze worldwide or folks like Ekwueme, Ojukwu, Soludo, Nnamani , etc. Argue issues like the once you highlighted and not conjectures . Let us keep weighting the balance of sanity on NL towards the positive. Let the pigs keep operating inside the gutter. My two kobo.

kcjazz:
And then he died,

Ohanaeze and strategic alliance for their pockets? As an organisation this Ohanaeze respect level is low even MASSOB is more respected. They are a paper tiger and don't represent Igbos. What has alliance done for the Igbos in previous elections? Could you enumerate

As every mortal will. But dont be deiceived he is very much alive through his legacy. It is the same divide and rulke policy all over again and the East just cant get it.