₦airaland Forum

This incident is so painful and should be to every Nigerian. A thief being received by PDP secretary. This is the grossest miscarriage of Government in the history of 4th Republic. Mr Coker and his family should burn in the deepest recess of hell

Does anyone really see MEND FC loosening their grip on the top spot?

Isn't it funny that Wakawiki FC are beating their folically-challenged chests at the prospect of facing MEND? Even Tanzania look forward to playing Brazil.

Other pretenders like Lalaboi loses are busy working out permutations that would see them to the top of the H2H table. Oh the futility of wishful thinking.

Possession is 9/10ths of the law. Entrenchment is 9/10th of victory. In other words, I'm here and I aint moving. Top spot will not be relinquished.

Whether MACE or Puff Daddy, this action is illegal. Where is OBJ? Where are the Ogun people to protest the hijacking of their will? Where is the military?

Its time for return to military rule.

Nonsrule, how do you fancy getting spanked by MEND FC this weekend? Strictly flogging, no S&M.

For where Nairalanders dey convene to concoct all these scandals sef? Hehehehehe

@ Dayo,

Kanu will forever be an Arsenal legend for his 15 min hattrick at SB just like Lars Ricken will always be a Dortmund legend

You got confused when I said the city-states resisted European trade into the hinterland. It was not done by force of arms but by several treaties with the Europeans, documents which you can still find today.

Again I will clarify that my initial argument was that Ijaws never allowed Igbo clans to the coast to trade directly with the Europeans.

As a supporting argument, I cited the treaties which did not allow European traders up the rivers and recognised the Kings of the City States as protectors of the rivers (Kwa, Imo, Bonny, New Calabar). . . . with the notable exception of the Akassa to Onitsha axis where Europeans did set up factories (trading ports).

This is pure historical fact which can be found by any studious research on google, all sentiments aside.

The following year, European powers entered into the Treaty of Berlin which set the stage for the scramble and partition of Africa among themselves, without regard to the wishes of Africans. The treaty provided for free navigation on River Niger and other rivers, such as the Imo, linked to it. On the basis of this, the British consul asserted that British firms were within their rights to trade directly in the interior palm-oil markets. That same year, 1885, Britain proclaimed the Oil Rivers Protectorate, which included Ja Ja's territory. Sending a delegation to the British secretary of states for the colonies to protest these actions by right of the treaty of 1884, Ja Ja's protest fell on deaf ears. A man of his word, he was shocked at Britain reneging on her pledge.

Worse times were yet to come as political problems were compounded by economic dispute. The 1880s witnessed a severe trade depression that ruined some of the European firms trading in the Delta and threatened the survival of others. The surviving firms responded to the situation in two ways. First, they reached an agreement among themselves, though not with complete unanimity, to offer low prices for produce. Second, they claimed the right to go directly to the interior markets in order to sidestep the coastal middlemen and reduce the handling cost of produce.

As would be expected, Ja Ja objected to these maneuvers and proceeded to ship his own produce directly to Europe. The British consul directed the European firms not to pay comey to Ja Ja anymore, arguing that in shipping his produce directly to Europe, he had forfeited his right to receive the payment. Once again, Ja Ja sent a delegation to Britain to protest the consul and the traders' action. Once again, this was to no avail.

Under a threat of naval bombardment, Ja Ja signed an agreement with the British consul in July 1887 to allow free trade in his territory.

http://media.www.thegramblinite.com/media/storage/paper926/news/2009/03/05/News/Educational.Essay.Ja.Ja.Of.Opobo.the.First.Civil.Rights.Activist-3662105.shtml


I would post the Kalabari protestations at the Berlin treaty when I can find it.

@ Naijaking

We are talking about trade, you are talking about travel, Mungo Park, Dr Balkie etc. Nobody asked you when they were discovered or studied by anthropologists. hehehehehe

http://www.jstor.org/pss/179761

Keep talking about my uncle inhia. Whatever helps you vent in the light of historical fact, just dont burst a blood vessel. Its better you speak your mind and talk about my father rather than my uncle. Feel free if it reduces your anxiety.

Definitely not on the Bonny, Imo or Kwa river.

The only place where Europeans can trade inland is the Akassa to Onitsha axis as I said earlier. . . at least until the Berlin conference

Thieves.

Any concerned Ogun youth group should kill these nine.

Naijaking is a poor student of history. Berlin conference stated that all the lands and rivers of the Niger belong to the Queen. Jaja had previously signed treaties recongnising himself as ruler of the Imo river and that no trading boat can go upland without permission from him. These treaties exist today including their signatories so this is not fable. Miller brothers competitors wanted access to the Palm Oil markets up the river and Jaja opposed this hence his deportation.

Ezeagu,

Lest we forget, Jaja was deported for not allowing the Europeans up the Imo river. Not only did the Ibani and Opobo prevent the uplanders from travelling down to the coast, they also prevented the Europeans from travelling up to the hinterland at least until the Berlin conference and the deportation of Jaja.

Up the Bonny river same applies where the Uplanders do not go past Okrika who themselves are not allowed to go directly to the Europeans and must submit goods to Bonny.

Up the Niger, no one can pass through Akassa to the coast. Notable exception being Onitsha who the Europeans were able to travel directly to until they burnt Onitsha down after a dispute.

This is pure historical fact which can be disputed with a single counter example.

@ Asha80,

Dede1: Igbo must fight their way to the sea.

Obiagu & Chyz: Same sentiment

EzeUche: Push them into the sea.

Naijaking: Deal with the Ijaw problem. Kaikai dependant uncle . . . Coming from the same person citing Pepple as the Ijaw driver of the abandoned homes saga, whilst Obiagu claims Pepple as Igbo King of Bonny. Hehehehehe.

These are the kinda sentiments rightly compared to Mein Kampf which rarely raise a whiff of dissesnsion on here apart from the likes of reasonable fellows like Ezeagu, Abagworo, Udezue etc

Like I said earlier I'm just trying to ascertain the historical foundation on which this militaristic grandstanding is based hence I ask for historical evidence of military dominance that Ijaw should be scared of.

Whether through European guns or juju, those who can't discuss history without having their sensibilities offended should desist from frank appraisal of history.

As an Okrika man, I can tell you that we never traded with the Europeans because the Ibani banned us from doing so despite the fact we controlled one of the largest inland markets which spawned the prase "okrika wake up". This is pure historical fact, the likes od which some can't handle in frank discussion.

@ Onlytruth,

Do not ask me to desist from any militaristic talk for I have committed no crime. The likes of EzeUche & co have been puffing up about committing genocidal slaughter of the Ijaws with no caution from your side or any elders on here. I am just trying to understand the historical context on which Ijaws should fear such military aggression. My brief is just to let him know that Ijaw has never been scarred by fear of Igbo invasion so his threats are water off a ducks back.

As for those claiming that Igbo failure to trade directly with Europeans was noit down to military insistence by Ibani, Kalabari and Nembe, consider the case of the Ibeno Ibibio who allowed the Europeans to open a factory on their land. After Jaja pillaged their land and hung 100 Ibeno heads in Opobo, they discovered the military significance of breaking the Opobo stronghold on direct trade. There is another anecdote about military reprisal to another group up the Imo river which I cannot recall immediately.

As for EzeUche, he is the only one with mouth to talk about military might because the the Ibani often use Aro priests to make Igbo clans chop long juju and swear to trade only with the Ibani

It is funny that Dede should name the likes of Jaja etc as evidence of direct Igbo trading with Europeans.

No Igbo man ever traded under the banner of his village with the Europeans. Any Igbo trading with the Europeans is a slave with Ijaw name operating under the banner of Ibani, Kalabari or Nembe who controlled direct trade with the Europeans exclusively. The day Ikwerre man decides he will paddle down the Bonny river to trade directly with the Europeans is the day he will meet his maker. If my assertion is wrong, then name any Igbo village or clan with the military might to come down to the coast and trade under their name. Back then Igbo is to Ijaw what Urhobo is to Itsekiri. They cannot trade directly with the Europeans they produce the palm oil for.

@ Richyblack,

I don't talk without facts. I'm on my Blackberry so I can't provide links.
The fact that no Igbo could trade directly with Europeans on the coast is evidence enough of where the balance of military power has lain historically.
In summary, I set you the task of unearthing a military defeat of any Ijaw nation by any Ndigbo group at any point in history. Make some use of Jstor or something. Hehehehem

As for Chyz, I don't do teenage angst. Make better use of your debating skills by continuing your argument with googles in the music section.

^^ A political survivalist trying to dribble us with English and education

@ Onlytruth,

It is good to know that there is an Igbo clan up north with real military might cos these Southern Igbo groups must have created a misconception. Hehehehe.

All joking aside, any Igbo militaristic personage who thinks that threatening to drive Ijaw into the sea would scare the Ijaw must not know the Ijaw.

Self absorbed rambling. I was expecting him to address the ills of Nigeria or the legacy of colonialism at some point.

@ Onlytruth,

Ijaw history has never been interspersed with subjugation by any Ndigbo, rather it is the other way round. Even as far back as 19th century, Okrika regularly invade Ikwerre to force them to trade solely with Okrika rather than Kalabari. States like Bonny, Kalabari and Nembe forbade any upland tribe to come down and trade with the Europeans directly and backed this with military might.
As one of my link also shows, some Etche people had to grant concessions to Okrika traders to protect them from Abam headhunters. Whilst we can all agree that Ndigbo is now a major force to be afraid of, it just nevered entered the Ijaw mans mind that he can be subjugated by Igbo military force. Hence I posit that these threats from EzeUche to "drive us into the sea" should be backed by some military action to condition the Ijaw mind to accept the new military order in South-Eastern Nigeria. . . Cos at the moment Ijaw man cannot envisage such reality. Hehehehehe


@ Naijaking,

Let's here from those Igbos who lived in Woji, Elelenwo, Rumuokurushi etc.

Hehehehehe.

Dr Kit, wipe your mouth. I can see spot of Ade jizz which you forgot to swallow.

Don't mind HNIC. If Arsenal weren't winning trophies in 1998, he would never have joined em.

I'm the only nigga here who's been supporting my club long before they were successful

@ Abagworo,

Did any Ikwerre man lose his property
to Okrika man?

Igbos mostly live from Diobu up. Considering PH is 70% Ikwerre, its fair to assume that 70% of the houses were occupied by Ikwerre.

BTW same thing happened in Lagos except that not many properties were abandoned in Lagos. Did Ojukwu not have to camp outside his fathers house in Lagos before they would give it back to him?

It is easier to blame a stranger than a brother.

EzeUche is a study in Juvenile delinquency. Hehehehehe.

BTW why are Ikwerre never mentioned in the abandoned property injustice. I thought PH was Ikwerre city ie more houses would have been stolen in Ikwerre area

The creativity of Illegal music is all provided by Jesse Jagz

He should name all these people and stop speaking in code all the time

Don't mind Ezeuche and others talking about pushing people into the sea. When was the last time any Igbo tribe/nation/clan or village won a war against external force? If the British hadn't told em they were one people, their clans would continue being pillaged by Ijaw and Benin peoples. hehehehhehehe