₦airaland Forum

Rochas for me any time any day.

I agree with this man, but all i know is that Anambra state parades the highest number of multi millionaires in Nigeria, and indeed the black nation in the world. I have seen and believed. Though the state is one of the dirtiest states in Nigeria.

When are they going to give Adekunle and his co war criminals the same sentence?

@ poster, it's quite obvious that you have never stepped out of this country, because if you had been to Europe for instance, you will never post that rubbish here. To answer your question, Nigeria is not close to being the most wicked country in the world. That title should go to countries such as Germany, France, Spain,China. Chinese people are epitome of evil and wickedness.Try Google the most hated countries in the world you will see that Nigeria doesn't even come close.

Some people are alleging that the last presidential election was a big scam, and some people are claiming that Buhari won that election which to me is most unlikely. We all know that Buhari is not popular in the south-east and he is not in the south-south neither is he popular in the south-west. He can only boast of popularity within his enclave. SO how come are some people, especially the disgruntled northerner claiming that he won that election. It was said that he came second in that election, a distant second. Given that democracy is politics of numbers, do you think that Buhari has much clout and popularity as to defeat Jonathan in a free and fair election? please guys, say your own opinion without being biased, but as for me i think Jonathan won that election, maybe they inflated some figures in some states in favour of Jonathan, but even if they didn't do that, Jonathan would have still emerged victorious.

My dear Alj Harem, but i want to remind you that dangote gets 90 percent of his wealth from Nigeria if not more. Please go figure.

Alj Harem, Please do not misunderstand me, i was having an argument with some friends over this issue, Allah knows that i will never wish dangote bad or anybody else for that matter. Dangote remains my Role Model anytime any day.

@ Ileke- IdI. Let me tell you how break up will affect dagote. First of all i want to bring to your notice that Nigerians are one of the most tribalistic people on earth. And in the event of break up, Igobs will create their dangote in the east and the Yorubas will create theirs in the west, the Ijaws will follow suite. Or are you telling me that igbo man will patronize dangote cement over Ibeto, or you want to tell me that Yorubas will patronize Dangote Indomie over honeywell. Won't dangote products be systematically banned in these regions to give room for their indigenous companies to thrive in those departments. Or do you think that igbo business men and yoruba alike are happy the way government are helping dangote to dominate everything in Nigeria? my brother get real.

Why do people avoid this tread like leper? abi na bad belle cause am. Let's give honour to whom honour is due. Ibo kenu, yoruba Up you guys.

@ Chima12. You are on point.

I was arguing with my friends that if Nigeria happens to break up, that the likes of dangote will be as poor as church rat, especially someone like dangote whose most of his investment is not in his region. What do you think about this, please kindly say what you think will happen if break up happens.

There is no doubt that these two regions have been a blessing to Nigeria,even if some people are so blind to see their impact in Nigeria's economy, just go to America, London, Paris ,Canada and see what these wonderful and blessed groups are doing in their various host countries. Their achievements speak for them, that Nigeria is what it is today is because of igbos and the yorubas, please let's celebrate these wonderful people for they have brought honour and pride to our beloved country.

By Aliyu Aliyu

Contemporary and Futuristic Engagements:

Who else would have championed the cause of climate change and desertification if not Newton Jibunoh. Newton Jibunoh it was who in 1965 at the age of 27 crossed the world’s largest desert (via the Sahara desert) alone.

He has had expeditions from London to Lagos and Lagos to London; all by road in a passionate attempt to create awareness on the issue of desertification. His ‘’Desert Warriors’’ reality TV was initiated to stimulate youth participation and bequeath an enduring legacy to fight desertification. He has carried out sensitization and tree planting tours in Kano and other places.

These were not established by the region’s cash Alhajis and retired Generals or even its professionals even when we are the ones most threatened by the impact of the raging desertification. It was Newton’s idea; solely his. In furtherance of this paradox, the 2010 third edition of the conference on climate change in Lagos had desertification as one of its themes. It did not hold in Yobe, Borno or Sokoto, it held in Lagos and the last time I checked, Lagos was not in remote or immediate threat of desertification yet she attracted professionals and experts from all over the world to come and brainstorm on the issue. How many northern Governors were there? Where are the SL Edus of the north, the Nnimmo Basseys, the Desmond Majekodunmis, and the Tunde Akingbades?

In other parts of the country, all sorts of groups are formed to draw government and even international attention to the groups interest, hence it is not unusual to hear of Albino groups coming together to protest against discrimination (and their agitation has recently made JAMB consider giving them extra time during its exams), market women associations, landlords’ associations, etc where issues of common interest can be discussed and which in real terms is able to draw significant attention than they would as individuals. These associations are also political rallying blocs. Who says the Iyalajes in Lagos don’t have a say in the ACN government?

Despite the age long dominance of northerners in the cattle business, no animal rights’ activist has come out of the region to fight for the rights of animals that are most often than not cruelly transported throughout the length and breadth of this country; and tormented before their eventual slaughter in the most furred and undignified abattoirs our local governments parade everywhere.

The Diasporan Alliance

All sorts of Nigerians in the Diaspora associations exist all over the world; from U.S. to Britain to Germany etc. Some of them have even established NGOs in London like Shola Lana of Nexgen. Northerners are neither the brains behind the formation of such groups nor the forces that propel them. Why bother?

Miscellaneous

Who are the dealers of electronics, phones, computers, milling machines, generators, and boutiques even in the heart of Kaduna, Sokoto and Kano? Who are the imports and exports barons, spare part dealers, building materials merchants, pharmacists and drug merchants? Who are those that dominate the printing industry from Kaduna to Zaria thorough Sokoto to Bauchi, Zamfara etc?

Do northerners parade the best of machinists, technicians, radio and TV technicians, auto mechanics, master welders, carpenters and exquisite furniture makers? Is dry-cleaning, fumigation, industrial / large scale cleaning our turf? In the fashion arena, the most innovations, the daring designs, the creative and contemporary designs in the fashion industry are not from the north. How on earth could they be? Our tailors and dressmakers have remained tailors, nothing more. Not a single one of them has taken his / her expertise to the next redefining level and become fashion designers with brand identities both at home and abroad. Not like those of Dakova; Frank Oshodi; Tiffany Amber; Deola Sagoe ; Tsemaye Binitie; Mike Asikolaye, Mudi (Fashion Design) Adebayo Jones, etc and hence my initial avoidance of the usage of the term. Not even our famous Bukar zanna / Kube caps nor the Muhadu a banki or Marufiya versions can be pinned to a designer north of the Niger.

Are our caterers and event managers in the north the pace setters in the field? Are we the most sought after chefs in Sheraton, Transcorp, Le Meridian, Oriental or Protea hotels? Do we run the most successful hotels in any part of the country?

On a tragic note you may remember the heart-rending story of little Pwashikai Nideno, the five-year old miracle baby whose vagina and rectum were mutilated and left to die in a pool of her blood in Dong Village, Adamawa State. Hospitalised at the Yola Specialist Hospital, all she needed was five million naira for a vaginoplasty operation in Egypt – a procedure to reconstruct her private part and rectum.

Pwashikai’s case put Adamawa State government to shame; put the entirety of its political gods to shame; its women folk without exception and by the same stretch of culpability the entire northern region. But the gold medal should go to the first ladies of Adamawa State (all four of them) and the deputy governor’s wife. In this regard, the newspapers reported: ‘’ ...the wife of the Adamawa State governor, Binta Nyako, was one of the contributors. She donated the sum of N50, 000 when she visited Pwashikai at the hospital... in company of the association of international female lawyers. The wife of the Adamawa State deputy governor, Bala Ngillari, also made a cash donation of N50, 000 when she went to see the little girl. “If Pwashika was the biological daughter of the first and second ladies of Adamawa State would a paltry N50,000 (which does not even equate the worth of their jewelry) be the best they would do for her? If they could not go the whole hog to give N5, 000,000 to a dying baby, could they not use their clout and ’’political goodwill’’ to marshal the millionaires’ wives of Adamawa and women of goodwill there to save a life? Was it not a motherly call? Ironically, the largest donation came from an individual in Lagos who insisted on remaining anonymous!

Recognitions and Awards:

Since its inception in 2005, the future awards have drawn the world’s attention to a crop of emerging youngsters in Nigeria but then how many northerners make the cut? How many of our people make the cut at the Thisday awards, Silverbird, The Sun, Media Trust, Leadership etc?

In Conclusion

Viewed from this prism, would it not be safe to conclude that poor may after all be a euphemism to describe the parlous state of our calamity? Is this how Allah destined it? Or to my Christian brethren north of the Niger, is this how Jehovah, Elohim, or Yesu Almasihu decreed it? Between 1931 and 1945, Japan occupied China and humbled them as a result. In 1945, Japan was brought to its knees by the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; yet from these ominous recesses these countries rose to become global powers today. Were countries like Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and the likes not written off as having the remotest prospects of gargantuan rise as evident today? Despite all of the bleak and gloomy prophecies, they rose to become great nations the world admires and doffs its hat for today.

The north and indeed Nigeria can learn a lesson or two therefrom. I am not a self loathing individual; and my disquisition doesn’t in any way attempt to promote sectionalism nor regionalism, far from it, I only wish to draw the attention of a slumbering people to the “very minute” details that actually make the whole worth calling whole after all.

What is it exactly that drives the peoples of the South-East, and South-West to dare and to achieve? Are they wired differently? So why do we settle for less? Shall we turn to science, eugenics, religion or even superstition for answers? But while we are at it, the fundamental questions still stare us in the face: Who made the north poor? James Ibori, Peter Odili, Dipreye Alameyesiagha,or Lucky Igbinedion? What strategies are being put in place to get the north out of this poverty trap both at the level of governance and at the individual/group intervention levels?

We can choose to remain in the back seat or choose to move ourselves by the bootstraps. We can begin the redemption now or wait till some distant future to earn for ourselves a place of respect – a place where we are not viewed as savages and with this much disdain – a place where we can compete and contribute to the sustenance, peaceful co-existence and prosperity of the one and only country we have and truly love – Nigeria.

• Concluded.

• Aliyu is a Masters student of Public and International Affairs, University of Lagos.

NO fewer than seven people were brutally killed while 10 others sustained injuries in an early morning attack by people suspected to be Fulani herdsmen in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State on Thursday.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the assailants, in their large number, stormed Rinyam-Tahoss village in the local government area in the early hours of Thursday, while the people were still in bed.

It was learnt that the suspected Fulani herdsmen, who laid ambush and positioned themselves at various strategic parts of the village, fired several volleys of gunshots into the air to herald their arrival in the village.

A source close to the local government revealed that the marauders shot the seven people who were trying to escape into the nearby bush while those who sustained injuries were hacked down with cutlasses.

Nigerian Tribune learnt that after two hours of uninterrupted assault, the assailants bolted away before the arrival of men of the Special Task Force who arrived one hour after the suspected Fulani herdsmen had disappeared.

The seven people killed were four adults and three children while those who sustained injuries are currently at the Vom Christian Hospital, receiving treatment.

The entire Riyom Local Government Area has been under severe attack by people suspected to be Fulani herdsmen and close to 80 people have been killed in the past one month in various villages within the council area.

Some journalists also escaped death narrowly at Kak village in the council area recently, when a group of armed Fulani herdsmen on the prowl in the council, opened fire on their convoy

Confirming the incident, the member representing Riyom constituency in the state House of Assembly, Honourable Daniel Dem, condemned the attack and described it as unfortunate and called on the government to save his people from total annihilation.

“The attack has become a daily occurrence. Today, alone, seven people were shot dead and several others are receiving treatment from gunshots and matchete cuts at the Vom Christian Hospital. I want to appeal to my people to remain calm and not to take laws into their own hands, as appropriate measures are being taken to bring to an end the senseless killings,” he said.

The legislator lamented that despite the fact that the local government is under a state of emergency, people are being killed on a daily basis and called on the security personnel deployed in the area to be proactive and bring the culprits to book.

Five women who escorted a bride to her matrimonial home were among those who were killed by gunmen since the insurgence of Fulani herdsmen against the Berom tribe began about two weeks ago.

This is even as Berom Youth Movement appealed to the Federal Government to take urgent steps to halt the gradual but steady elimination of Berom women, children and men by Fulani militant group. The group put the death toll at over 20.

Information gathered revealed that at Gwa-Rim village of Riyom district, six women had escorted the bride to her matrimonial home on Tuesday to arrange her wares in her new home.

Just as they were carrying out the arrangement, one of them left the room to answer the call of nature when she began to hear the sound of gunshots. Thereafter she saw some men with the guns going into the house. The gunmen killed other women arranging the bridal wares in the house.

As at the time of filing this report, the whereabouts of the bride could not be ascertained. Reacting to the attack, the National President of the Berom Youth Movement, Mr. Francis Jamang, said: “Our peaceful and accommodating nature should not be seen as cowardice as no one person has the monopoly of aggression. Therefore, we shall resist any attempt by disgruntled elements that terrorize us.”

Well, diezani madueke is a pretty woman but not as people say it, i think arumah oteh is even much more prettier than her. But honestly i don't think she is having an affair with the president.

Baring any last minute changes, President Goodluck Jonathan will not be attending the much-publicized South- South Economic Summit but rather be flying to Yamossoukro, Côte d'Ivoire to attend meeting of Regional African leaders, sources close to the Presidency told Pointblanknews.com.

In his place, the President will be sending the Vice president, Mohammed Namadi Sambo. But Sources within the Vice President office said they are yet to be briefed of any trip to Delta State for the Summit.

“I can almost say for sure that the president will not be attending the South-South Summit because he has an important issue to deal with in Yamossoukro,” a highly placed Presidential source told pointbkanknews.com.

Leaders from the South-South zone are currently mounting what appears to be a last minute effort to have the President change his mind and attend the Summit.

Should President Jonathan insist on not attending the South-South Summit, which has allegedly gulped over N12 Billion, it would further cast a major dent in the event that was primarily organized to discuss economic development in the troubled Niger Delta region.

Already another source hinted that the Deputy Governor of River State would represent Governor Chibuike Amaechi, who is also the Chairman of the Governors Forum.

The Source who pleaded anonymity said the President, who is from the South-South region is deeply angered by the way and manner the Summit was planned and has decided to keep away.

According to the source, “the President believes that major stake holders in the South-South region were not made part of the summit, they were schemed out or rather ignored. What role will the Oil Companies in that region be playing in the summit, are they part of the summit”? The source quoted the president as saying.

The President according to the source said an economic summit that does not take into consideration major investors in the Niger Delta is like a political jamboree of.

“The President feels it will amount to a political jamboree when stakeholders in the Niger Delta are alienated.”

The source added that “the President believes there are more pressing issues in the region requiring urgent attention instead of summit which would have no direct impact on the lives of the people.”

@ Rhino, i have been following your post for some time, you carry so much hatred for the igbos, you seem so childish and if you don't change your ways, that hatred will take you to the grave. A word is enough for the wise.

I am not tribalistic, but there are some tribes that are very annoying, like yorubas and Ijaws, their character pisses me off, but i don't have anything against them as human beings, but their character is something they must work on at all cost. One love.

Thanks Alj harem, but you did not tell me their population.

The ijaws claim they are the fourth largest ethnic group which i so much doubt. The reason is that i am a well traveled person and if the ijaws are as many as they claim, how come i have never seen an ijaw man both home and abroad, i only here of them and probably see some of them in TV but i have not come in contact with any of them in real life. I have been to all goe political zones in the country and i have met virtually all the people of different tribes such as yoruba, igbo, anag and ibibio, ijala, idoma, edo, bini, name it but i have never seen an ijaw man with my eyes, the last time i went to PH most people i came in contact with are igbos with some hausas and few yorubas. Please where can one see an ijaw man?? are they mostly within their enclave?? do they travel at all. How can they claim to be the fourth largest ethnic group in Nigeria and yet you can hardly see them and notice them. I am really thinking that they are one of the smallest minorities in Nigeria, please correct me if i am wrong.

Please can someone tell me what region in Nigeria that contributes the most to the economy as a result of their handwork, please i don't want someone to come here and tell me oil, because oil is just a natural resources and it is not out of ones effort that oil is found in Niger delta for instance. So please i I'd like your answer in order of sequence according to the geo political zone that contributes the highest. Please i want unbiased responses.

It pains me whenever the people of south southern part of the country make noise about oil and how they contribute upto 90 percent of Nigeria's wealth, it makes me wonder what the rest of the country has been doing, does it mean that their input into the economy has no impact at all?? does oil really account for 90 percent of Nigeria's wealth?? please someone should enlighten me on this, it really pains me when the ijaws in particular will be calling all other sections of the country parasites when they themselves are the laziest people on the surface of the earth.I just pray this oil dries up and they will see that they have nothing in this country. They are the least educated, the laziest and most aggressive, yet they call the north the parasite. Please can someone tell me other source of revenue to the economy apart from oil and what is the percentage of that. please i am waiting eagerly for your candid response.

I hope to meet my mum in heaven someday
–5-yr-old son of teacher butchered by her pupils in Gombe
•Five years after, tears still flow in the family, reports SEYE OJO
From Our reporter
Monday, April 09, 2012
• The late Christiana
Photo: Sun News Publishing

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Five years ago, she was brutally murdered by her own pupils at the Government Day Secondary School, Gandu, Gombe, where she was a teacher. With her murder, the two children of Mrs. Christiana Oluwatosin Oluwasesin were permanently prevented from growing up to know their mother.

The fundamentalist Islamic pupils at the school deprived Temilade and Oluwatoba of the opportunity to enjoy the special care their mother would have bestowed on them. Temilade, a girl, and Oluwatoba, a boy, who were two years old and ten months old when the pathetic incident occurred, are now seven and five years old respectively.

The untimely death of Christiana, however, has turned the breadwinner of the family, Mr. Oluwafemi Oluwasesin, to play a dual role of a father and a mother to the children in the past 60 months. She was mercilessly murdered on March 21, 2007 and her remains were interred on March 24 of the same year.
The tears that began to flow in the family close to 2, 000 days ago have not ceased. The family asserted that the tears would probably dry up when the Federal Government has done justice on the gruesome murder of the god-fearing and dedicated teacher who would have clocked 36 this year if the pupils she tried to create a bright future for had not cut her throat with a knife.

At a short remembrance ceremony for the deceased last week, a gloomy silence pervaded the Abeokuta home of the Oluwasesins. The widower and his children shed bitter tears as they sat thinking about the absence of their wife and mum. In an emotion-laden voice, Oluwasesin explained how the family commemorated the fifth anniversary of Christiana’s death. According to him, “all we did when we woke up was that we gathered and prayed for the family and the departed mother. Then, the children went to their school. Victoria Temilade is now in primary three and her younger brother, Emmanuel Oluwatoba, is now in primary one.

The two of them are serious with their studies.”
Several visits to the family confirmed the seriousness of these children with their studies. They are usually glued to their books under the supervision of their father. Even on the day they marked the fifth year anniversary of their mother’s death, the children were met reading their books after returning from school.

Temilade told our reporter: “I was very sad when my father told me how my mother was killed in Gombe State. I felt a great pain within me and I still feel the pain. In 2007, I thought that my mummy would come back. It was long before I realised that when a person dies, the person does not come back to the world again. “But I thank God for the kind of life she lived. I learnt she died a martyr for Christ. I was told my mother was fond of going out to preach the word of God. I feel lonely each time I remember her, especially at night.”

The young girl who started shedding tears at this point remarked: “Were I to be an adult and present when my mother was being killed, I would have volunteered to die for her. I would have insisted that they should kill me to spare my mother’s life for being a mother among mothers. I have resolved to live for God like my mum.”

Oluwatoba believes his mother had fought a good fight of faith, adding that he hopes to meet her in heaven one day. “My mum is right in heaven. And I hope to meet her again when I get to heaven at my old age,” the little boy stated.
The late Christiana was mobbed and her lifeless body incinerated by the pupils on the very day she was to bid farewell to the school. She was to leave Gombe for Abeokuta in Ogun State to join her husband who had secured an appointment for her at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta. She had also prepared to resume work in Abeokuta as an infirmary administrative secretary.

On the fateful day, Christiana, a Christian, had to supervise the pupils of Senior Secondary School One for their Islamic Religious Knowledge examination. As the examination progressed, she caught a female pupil, Fatsuma, copying answers from a book carefully concealed in a newspaper.

Piqued by the development, Christiana collected the exhibit from Fatsuma and threw it away. She did not know that the materials were slips of the Hadith and Qu’ran. Before she knew what was happening, the chants of Allahu Ahkbar! Allahu Ahkbar! (God is great) rent the air in the school. Christiana quickly reported the matter to the principal, Mallam Sadiq Mohammed. She also informed her husband who was in Abeokuta about the pandemonium.
Christiana’s husband was said to have contacted the police authorities immediately he got the call. A team of policemen that stormed the school to maintain order could, however, not save Christiana’s life from the angry Muslim pupils baying for the teacher’s blood.

The principal who had hid Christiana in his office was later forced by the rampaging crowd to release the helpless woman for some jungle justice. They had threatened to destroy the office. As soon as he delivered her into their hands, the furious pupils gave the Christian teacher a beating of her life, stripped her naked and tied her with a rope.
Thereafter, the pupils burnt her car, and a 12-year-old boy brought Christiana’s life to an end as he cut her throat with a knife. The pupils who were yet not satisfied then took their turns to stab her. They later burnt the woman with the spare tyre of her own car.

The then 10-month-old Emmanuel was the next to be killed by the pupils but God was with him. A woman hurriedly hid the baby under her flowing hijab and smuggled him to safety. However, Oluwasesin confessed that the family is still waiting for the Federal Government to ensure that justice is done on the death of his deceased wife. The spirited efforts to ensure justice in the case, he said, have been to no avail. He averred that he had been under pressure to forget the matter.

His words: “I have received calls from someone who threatened that if I did not want to lose my life and those of my children, I should forget the case. I have reported the case to the security agencies. It is also not true that the former governor of the state, now a senator of the Federal Republic, who was in power when the incident happened, visited our family and gave us N10.5 million. No one has visited us, and no one has given us a kobo. Those media reports are not true.”

He continued: “I think at this point, the National Assembly should wade into the matter to assuage the trauma in my family, cushion the effect of the gory incident in the lives of the kids and ensure that justice is done. With that, it will be realised that human life is sacrosanct and that you cannot just kill your fellow man like a chick. I’m ready to appear before any committee if invited.”