Shuo

Are these people Nigerians?

No be small thing o. Nigerians go colonize China at this rate o.

Story is sad though, I hope they'll investigate his death thoroughly.

Have they found the money?

Fstranger, you probably misunderstood the point of it, although I believe you get it and I'm just about to explain what you already know:

What Adeyeye proposed is not necessarily novel, what I argued isn't either. He's basically asking us and his colleagues to look for and support a more adversarial brand of politicking. I believe he wants a system that can support the type of dog-eat-dog politics needed to keep everybody on their toes, he believes he can use the existing one for that purpose too. That's my understanding.

We can't stop humans from being selfish, but we can make corruption harder for people to get away with if we practice the kind of oversight our copy-copy democracy was designed for. It's nothing new really.

BTW. I don't think Adeyeye is a saint, but all that should not even matter if we have a system that sees humans for what they are, selfish beings. And design our system to fight that selfishness. Even if we have to play one arm of government against the other.

Also, I don't think Nigerians are incapable of this kind of accountability within the right system . I don't think our politicians are innately more corrupt than any other, I don't think we like corruption more than the Americans or Chinese or anyone else for that matter, what we have is an environment where corruption carries near zero consequences for the corrupt.

So Adeyeye, speaking to frustrated Nigerians and a few of his colleagues is suggesting that, rather than throw your hands up in defeat and helplessness, why not work within the imperfect system and squeeze some accountability out of the executive by using the things we still have control over ( I.e budget ) to force their hands so they can do what we want (e.g probe subsidy thieves).

It's not a fail proof suggestion and many legislators won't support him because they are already compromised ( hence my statement about not trusting them) but still, the idea is pragmatic, except you want people like him to raise armies or plan coups, I see very little else they can do.

Your last point hits at the reason why conversation like this is important, people need to understand that without a system to compel people to do the right thing, it will be foolish to place Farouk or Adeyeye on a pedestal of honesty. Yes, I want more people like Adeyeye and even Farouk, but more importantly I need a system that is smarter than corrupt individuals most of the time, If the system can work, we won't need saints Tambuwal, Farouk or Adeyeye, we just play one sides interest against the other. I doubt they will have the same interests all of the time.


I'm going out on a limb here by assuming that dollar bills are not the only overriding interest in Nigerian politics. Pride, power, ego, ethnocentrism, religious ideology, I believe are also interests and they cannot align perfectly ALL the time.



Anyway, Yes, I'm an Internet warrior, because as my elders will say, "ti Owo omode o ba te eku Ida kii bere iru iku to pa baba ohun". loosely trans->. ~ it's wiser to remain an Internet warrior until I acquire the resources to raise a real army"

I'm rewinding this thread in light of recent developments. Now that Farouk's name has officially changed to Facroook, it's important that we read Adeyeye's ideas again.

I have very little faith in current Nigerian legislators. But still, it will be great if this case can educate more Nigerians on the reason why our politics is dysfunctional, and show us how we can fix it by paying attention to the House of Assembly.

An assembly of unanimous nays and yeas cannot deliver robust politicking, worse when that assembly is dominated year in year out by a single political party.

I guess Adeyeye saw it coming, a corrupt legislature tied to the apron strings of a corrupt executive cannot fight any battle on behalf of the people that elected them.

Now Tambuwal and his band of thieves are asking the (police) and executive to prosecute oil subsidy thieves

Question: Does the HOA have the collective balls to challenge or compel the executive to do anything without succumbing to the temptation of $$bribes and Ghana-must-go Bags ??



I hope Adeyeye and others like him can get more like-minded folks to stand with them.

Please read his argument again on page one.

I don't understand, what is the meaning of this "Council"

Council approves this, council approves that. Is Council the same as Senate ni?

New Visa Policy approved by council?? House of Assembly no go get say?

The chaos is too much.

OAM4J:

hmnnnnn.... What can I say? was it flesh or the Spirit that was revealing things to you? Only God knows

Oga Modurator, ask Seun to put this thread for homepage now. Some of your younger customers need to read this historical event and share their opinion too.

Alhaji "ti ko re Mecca" ndu-chucks, na you sabi o.

I don tok my own.

ndu_chucks:

Thank you for your explanation. The only thing that is clear here, is that, the hijack was not a non-violent act. I thought you were attempting to trivialize or justify the violent crime of hijacking, perpetrated by those boys.

Is my assumption that you condemn their ciminal act of terrorism accurate, regardless of their motives? I would hope so. BTW how ya side?

Your assumption is not entirely correct.

But I admire your ability to see clear black and white on this issue. For me I'm suffering the dilemma usually presented by situations like this.

I agree with their motivation, I see the danger they presented to the passengers and crew, But I cannot totally condem their action. I'm happy to carry that burden until I can resolve it.

My side dey jare my bro. Trying to stay afloat.

alj harem:

Oh alright egbon mi

Sorry for the misunderstanding

Alhaji, no wahala jare

ndu_chucks:

Kilode?!, you know better than to post the above igbe. There is nothing civil about hijacking an Airplane with a gun, while endangering the lives of passengers and crew.

And I bet you know better than to quote one part of someones statement and conclude like that, the full paragraph you took that out of was making a comparison between violent street action, non-violent street action and this rather violent hijacking.

And I was speaking about the dilemma of deciding which one is acceptable in response to another posters comment about street protesters and what it means to "commit a crime" . Please put comments in their proper context


This was what I said:

There's no way you can fight the establishment through civil disobedience without "commiting a crime" in the eyes of the said establishment. Wether your act of disobedience is violent or non-violent, you will still be commiting a crime from the perspective of the establishment you are fighting. That is a cross every revolutionary must bear.

@alh_harem, I did not call them heroes. let's not put words in each others mouth. My post had nothing to do with their heroism and Adeoye did a nice job of covering different perspectives of this incident.

There's a lot more to discuss here beyond heroism.

There's no way you can fight the establishment through civil disobedience without "commiting a crime" in the eyes of the said establishment. Wether your act of disobedience is violent or non-violent, you will still be commiting a crime from the perspective of the establishment you are fighting. That is a cross every revolutionary must bear.

The young folks protesting on the streets are seen as criminals also, and not everyone will see them positively or call them heroes, those who lost business profits or maybe properties, or those caught in the cross-fire of police bullets right on their front porches may see the actions of those street protesters as evil and condemnable, they might even condemn their motivation.

That is one of the dilemma of fighting an established order. It is what it is.

For me, I look at the motivation, then weigh the cost, then decide it it's worth it. It's a personal case by case thing really.

I think one can disagree with someone's action but agree with their motivation.

It is not the hijacking itself that one should celebrate, afterall many of the people on that plane were probably regular folks like many of us. But I applaud their stated goals, their sense of idealism and I recognize the kind of frustration that can lead one to consider actions like these.

^
You are welcome. It's a good interview, Wale Adeoye did a nice job.

But I'm struck by the kind of lives these young men have lived since that time, it says a lot about how very little progress we've had as a country. Actually the whole story is a testament to our retrogression in many ways.

Wether sponsored or not, the passion and idealism that led to their action is like a mirage today, many of our people talk about it, you see pockets of it on the horizon of people's expressed thoughts, but the closer you move towards them, the clearer you see that it's just mere talk, an illusion, a fluff.

I'm guilty of this sometimes myself, many of us are, it's very hard to know where to start the battle from, our country has sunk so deep into the abyss of corruption and disorganized politics that you just feel like cutting it lose and covering it with dirt, forever forgotten, with no hope of salvation.

But it's hard to be utterly hopeless, one must maintain hope.

It's hard to imagine that nothing will change, something must give.

It's hard to not bother, there is too much at stake

It's hard to think our people are numb and feel no pain, their faces betray their inner anguish

It's hard to be hopeless. Hope springs eternal

Because "we are not everlasting dummies"

Happy June 12!

Ogunderu told The Nation last week. He said the four young men that led the hijack sent `shock waves’ to the consciousness of the regime so that they would realize that `Nigerians were not everlasting dummies.’

Indeed.

Niamey 4: Nigerian Boys who changed rule of the game by hijacking a plane.

Written By Wale Adeoye

In the heat of the June 12 election annulment in 1993, four Nigerian teenagers hijacked a Nigerian Airways airbus A310. The plane was diverted to the Republic of Niger. 

Sixteen years after, in an encounter with Deputy Editor Adewale Adeoye, the now adult musketeers recount their experiences and the pains from the nine harrowing years they spent in the arid prison of Niamey.


 Richard Ajibola Ogunderu Kabir Adenuga, Benneth Oluwadaisi & Kenny Rasaq-Lawal

Midday penultimate Friday, he sat on a couch, puffing away smoke from his St Morris cigar. His eyes were piercing, sharp and inquisitive. He wore what looked like a permanent frown on his brow. 

By noon each day, his friends say butts of half the packet of cigarette would have been thrashed into the small tray, perched on his table. He spoke with some sense of political accuracy, but would answer each question after about three minutes of starring into your eyes and then banging his head downwards. 

He has no specific job for now, except that he still dreams, that one day, he would become a pilot and fly some of the best planes in the world, that is, if his ambition to rule Nigeria through democratic means, no longer tops the list of his scale of preference. 

He once made attempts to be a pilot, after his release from nine and half years of incarceration, but his requests were not granted by a German aviation school in Frankfurt. 

Looking at him, Richard Ogunderu, the subject was certainly younger in 1993 when he led a group of co-teens to hijack a Nigerian airways bus A310 scheduled to fly from Lagos to Abuja. He probably was equally thinner, less radical and less ideological than he seems now. 

16 years ago, he had jumped from political oblivion to seize newspaper headlines, though in a less fascinating tilt, including prominent mention by the New York Times and other top western media.

The name Richard Ajibola Ogunderu may be strange to some people, but not to so many that would remember the astonishing actions of four daring gang that hijacked the Nigerian airbus A310 on Monday, October 25, 1993. 

Many observers see the plane hijack as the first of its kind in Nigerian history. Ogunderu, and his co-plotters, Kabir Adenuga, Benneth Oluwadaisi and Kenny Rasaq-Lawal took the daring action on that afternoon when Chief Ernest Shonekan and his fidihe (interim) government was battling almost fruitlessly to salvage the floundering image of a nation then in turmoil. 

[b]The group joined the passengers in Lagos, their pony bags hung on their shoulders as they filed through the queue to board the plane from the local airport in Lagos. 

As the plane settled to cruise at about 30,000 feet above sea level and the pilot announced that passengers could loosen their belts, the boys blinked to each other on their seats, beckoning on the ringleader to strike. He did and the other hijackers, all in their teens, followed. 

They did not only seize the plane, they also held in awe all the bewildered passengers, some of who were business people or top government officials flying to Abuja, the seat of power. The boys cited the need to enthrone democracy and actualize the annulled June 12 election as the reason for what appeared a desperate action, quite strange to their social milieu.
`Ladies and gentlemen, this plane has been taken over by the Movement for the Advancement of Democracy, remain calm, we will not harm you. You will be told where the plane will land you’ a gritty voice, not as sonorous as that of a pilot, echoed through the small speakers. Panic. Fear. Uncertainties. 

The airhostesses, Ogunderu recalled, were almost stone dead, having been gripped by fear. They must not move else they would `be dead.’ A passenger who was in the toilet was said to have remained indoor until one of the hijackers came to pull him out.

Ogunderu said the action of the four boys, now men, was `meaningfully desperate.’ He said he and his peers were frustrated by the annulment of the election and the fact that the country appeared almost heading for a civil war and that his group had to take the action to `send jitters down the spine of those in power.’ 

Hear him: `we wanted change.  Our action confirmed that when a system is inhuman, it could produce the extreme in all of us. A system that cares not, a system that does not listen to our cries and our woes, a system that wants to exterminate us does not deserve a day of existence,’ 

Ogunderu told The Nation last week. He said the four young men that led the hijack sent `shock waves’ to the consciousness of the regime so that they would realize that `Nigerians were not everlasting dummies.’ 

The group’s action was under the aegis of Movement for Democracy in Nigeria, MAD. Kabir also said the action was taken `to show the resentment against annulment of the June 12 election.’[/b]

He said he was worried that after 16 years, the system continues to trample underfoot the lives, rights and privileges of the ordinary Nigerian citizen. 

The group claimed June 12 motivated them. But there are cobwebs of puzzles: who sponsored the action and how was the operation carried out?

 How were the boys recruited? Asked if the group was afraid when the gendarmes stormed the plane, he said `No.’ how did the group of four meets and how were they recruited? That is not for discussion for now, he said, but he admitted that the four had been part of the MAD campaign against military rule which began in 1992.

Before the action, MAD’s leader, Mallam Jerry Yusuff said to be an indigene of Kwara state, had been in the forefront of the campaign against military rule.

 In the hey days of General Ibrahim Babangida’s rule in 1992, MAD made some appearances at the National Theater, through seminars, in the campaign against military reign, but the group did not carry out the hijack until the interim government of Chief Ernest Shonekan had been installed late in 1993. 

Leader of MAD, Jerry Yusuff after the hijack, said the action was to `terrorize the few people who have terrorized us politically and economically, to recover the money stolen from us.’ 

Yusuff is a product of universities that focus on hard-line Islamic studies. He was born in Ofa, Kwara state in 1952. He lived in Germany between 1973 and 1977 and was thought to have learnt German. He was a businessman who specialized in selling cocoa. When his boys seized the plane, they gave 72 hours to the government to meet their demands or else they would set the plane on fire.

They however allowed 34 passengers to go, leaving the remaining 159 among whom were top Nigerian government officials. The Niger Interior ministry listed a Chinese, Rong Viren as one of those released. Niger also said the plane had wanted to refuel in Chad but was refused landing. 

On the day of the kidnap, the local and international media were amazed that such a thing could take place in Nigeria, considered an aviation safe haven. The four took over the plane as soon as it took off from Lagos.

 Ogunderu was the one that led the assault. He recalled: `I walked into the cockpit and seized the process, and then the others followed me. Two of us stood in the plane to intimidate the passengers. We took over the plane and asked the pilot to head for another country.’ 

Though Ogunderu did not say it, but an independent source hinted that originally the plane was to be diverted to Germany but that Niamey became a choice when it became obvious that the aviation fuel would not sustain the plane for any longer distance. 

Ogunderu said the plane landed in Niamey in less than two hours and that as it grounded to a halt, he could see, from the louvers hundreds of armed gendarmes waiting at the airport.

The hijackers had issued prepared statements, which they distributed in the plane calling on the Nigerian government to actualize the June 12 election and swear-in, the winner, Chief M.K.O Abiola.

 Negotiations began with the hijackers after some few days of lull and indecision by the local authority, which was unawares of the hijackers military capacity, or whether they had explosives that could blow up the plane. 

The Nigerien authorities offered to release the hijackers provided that they would not harm the passengers, but while that was on going, Richard revealed, high level security meetings were in top gear with the chief aim of storming the plane and freeing the passengers, and if possible, kill the hijackers.

Asked if he was afraid when the gendarmes stormed the plane, Ogunderu said `we were on a mission, we wanted to show the evil regime that young people were prepared to go the extra length to free Nigerians from the yoke of military dictatorship. ‘ He said further: `we were not afraid, at that moment, death meant nothing to us. They stormed the place and we were alarmed, we didn’t shoot, we tried to perfect our safety and the safety of the passengers’ he said.

Apparently, the negotiation the Nigerien government was having with them was bait, aimed at buying time and psyching up the level of sophistication of the four teenagers that apparently had no experience in hijack and some of who had not even seen a plane until they took that action. 

Richard admitted he was on top of the group of four boys who hijacked the Nigerian Plane in 1993 under the banner of MAD. He was the one who briefed the boys of what each was to do and what role was to be carried out by each. 

In Niger, Ogunderu and his boys asked for more fuel to enable the plane fly to Frankfurt, but the Nigerien authority declined request.

The four, on landing in Niamey, held on to the plane for some days, trailed by bait negotiations until the gendarmes stormed the plane to rescue the passengers. `We were shot at. Some people died’, he recalled. However, few days latter, hundreds of armed gendarmes stormed the plane in the night, when the hijackers were thought to be asleep. `They thought we were asleep, so they came under the cover of the night and fired several shots. They bombarded the plane. I think one person died’ Ogunderu recalled. 

The four with their arms cramped on their back, were handcuffed and taken to captivity. He said that the four were taken to a prison in a community with day temperature in the range of 55 degree centigrade. `We were poorly fed. We could neither speak Hausa nor French and nobody spoke English to us,’ Lawal had said. 

With the arrival of the hijackers in a tiny country of lowly political tempo, a worried President of Niger, Mohamane Ousmane made a broadcast assuring his countrymen that he was on top of the situation. Soon, undercover security operatives began move to track down the brain box of the hijack. This led to the November 14 1993 abduction of the MAD leader, Mallam Jerry Yusuff. 

The adduction took place three days after the late dictator; General Sanni Abacha took over power. 

Yusuff was kidnapped from the street of Ilorin and taken to Niger, but the episode was kept under wraps by the governments of Niger and Nigeria. Yusuff said security operatives told him that he was being taking to Abuja but never knew until the plane landed in Niamey.

On his secret abduction, the cat was let out of the bag only when officials of the local human rights group, Association Nigerienne Por La Defense Des Droits Dehomme, visited President Ousmane on behalf of the hijackers. In the discussion the President had with them, he unconsciously revealed what was hitherto a state secret when the rights group asked him about the fate of the four hijackers. 

The President asked them which of the hijackers they were pressing to be released.  The then President then mentioned that Yusuff had been brought into the country, which gave the human rights body the advantage to publicize the abduction of the MAD leader. 

However, the trial judge who presided over the case of Yusuff, Justice Abdourahmane Gayakoye held that Yusuff should be discharged since he did not commit the offence in Niger Republic; however the then public prosecutor, Mr. Matty El Hadj Moussa appealed the matter. The legal fray did not lead to the release of Yusuff until several years later. 

Last week, Richard, said when he carried out the action, he had only then left his secondary school in Ondo State. 

He told The Nation that he was the one that led the cell within the MAD, which felt the `best’ way was to turn the table against military rule and the surrogate government of Shonekan, even if it entailed using anarchical methods. `We were fired by the need to actualize June 12 through any means possible. We wanted to demonstrate rare courage that we could save Nigeria from the shackles of repression by giving a sense of courage to Nigerians.’ Recalling that day with nostalgia, Richard said “we could all have been killed.’

The hijacked also revealed the inadequacies of Nigerian airport security. The security officials had no prior knowledge of the action. 

There was no tip off. The pilot himself was probably not trained enough to realize his abductors were holding a toy gun. 

For instance, in Lagos where the plane took off, Richard and the three others were part of the `innocent passengers’ that boarded the plane from Lagos to Abuja. Mid-sky, Richard said he was the one that stood up from his fastened belt and headed for the cockpit where the pilot and the co-pilot were holed up. 

He told The Nation he brought out a `gun.’ Richard now admitted, perhaps for the first time since the incident, that it was a toy gun he held that day. After his visit to the cockpit, he said the panicky pilot was compelled to divert the plane from Lagos to Niger Republic, in what arguably was seen as Nigeria’s first plane hijack episode. 

He said further: `we wanted freedom, freedom to choose our leaders. We were pushed to the extreme and we reacted in an extreme manner’ he told The Nation. Richard recalled the pains, hunger, deprivation, penury, and threats of death, loneliness and the excruciating heat during the nine harrowing years in Niamey. 

There was no connection with their relations, no contact with loved ones, from morning till night, for nine years, they had to endure relating with hostile and strange people whose culture were totally different from theirs. 

On many occasions, death starred at them and the future was almost at an infinite peril, according to them. 

He and his colleagues were kept for nine years and four months in the arid prison of Niamey that was after several legal fireworks to seek their freedom had failed.

If there is anything the group of four gained, it was probably the ability to speak French, fluently. 

Richard, who on returning to Nigeria has been trying to enter the University without success, said he `remains a graduate having spent nine years and four months learning how to speak French.’ He however said he is still frustrated `by the lack of job and the inability of the Nigerian government to provide the essentials of life for her citizens including the four.’ 

On their return to Nigeria, no one or group gave them succor, except their relations, they were left to fend for their future, the prime of which was almost wasted. There was no post trauma treatment or rehabilitation. But while in Ndjamena prison, Kabir had improved his skill for drawing on canvass, sketching personalities and painting. 

Kenny kept his fashion design prowess alive throughout the gruesome nine years. 

Kabir and Kenny have now returned to Niger Republic where their knowledge of French and their profession earns them a fair living. Richard on return to Nigeria, attended the Alliance Francaise where he `brushed up his French language course with a diploma degree. But he still needs a salary-earning job.

Richard’s father, Yemi said there were lessons to be learnt from the action of the four boys. 

First, he said that with the growing wave of kidnappings across the country, it shows that `Nigeria is not working and our children, out of desperation are taking desperate actions, sometimes deadly, to survive what he described as a `stifling socio-political situation.’ He said the current leadership in Nigeria needs to respond to the fundamentals that make young people to want to risk death in the quest for survival saying that the action of the plane hijackers was a `desperate action in response to desperate oppressors in the country.’

However, there are suspicions as to the motives of the kidnap and the covert intrigues behind the action. 

Was it carried out with the prompting of the Nigerian security operatives under the direct supervision of General Sanni Abacha who was then the Minister of Defense under Shonekan? 

Was it a plot to create an illusion of insecurity so as to justify the taking over of Shonekan’s government using the innocent teens as unconscious cannon folders and puns in the wicked machination within the intra political struggle among the ruling elite? 

[b]One: One information at least leaked to the Nigerien media that on the day of the kidnap, another Nigerian plane was earlier, abruptly brought by the Nigerian government to Niamey Airport.

 Two: a source said the hijackers’ manifesto read that Abacha should take over from Shonekan, this last point on the hijackers manifesto was said to have been stripped with ink when the original list of demands was printed out for the public.

In security parlance, if Abacha used them, there was no way the boys would know, they might have acted with the belief that they were activists defending democratic principles, without understanding the complex power game that underlined their actions,’ one security operative who sought anonymity told The Nation. 

But Richard’s father, who was equally arrested and detained by the then military government of Abacha said the boys’ actions were voluntary and that they could not have been sponsored by the military so as to aid Abacha’s emergence.

He believes their action was born out of frustration against the military government and the growing resentment against the annulment of June 12 election.’ He said though the involvement of his son in the hijack caught him unawares, but that his son had always been known to `defend and promote basic human rights and the freedom of mankind’ right from his youth. He said no military regime could use his son for parochial interests. He said his son’s glowing records as a young boy `who cherishes die-hard rebellion against military rule”, would not at the same time be a pun in the intricate politics of power.[/b]

Richard said he was partly motivated by Abiola’s reputation as a generous person, saying that he was `proud to have risked his life to see freedom and democracy installed in Nigeria.’

He said `when I was growing up, I see the looting of public treasury, the wickedness of leaders, the I-don’t-care attitude and the rigging of popular elections across the country even today. 

I knew in my mind that this would lead to chaos and breakdown of law and order as we see today’ saying that economic and political frustrations `tempts the revolutionary flavor in all of us.’ 

For now, Richard and Lawal have since settled for a new life in Nigeria, after they came in quietly to the country from Niger, the day after they walked into freedom after barely a decade of incarceration. According to them, they continue to try hard, to put the past in the trash bin of history. 

The only regrets, according to one of them is that the `evil that Nigerians fought against several years back continues to luck around the country’s image.’ He said `its unfortunate that our leaders continue to oppress us, the worst being that we cannot even chose our representatives in the face of fraudulent elections and the daring posture of the perpetrators of crime.’ All however said they would not see the hijacking of plane as the solution anymore and that `they will in fact campaign against’ such or related action.

Richard himself said one good thing about the current socio-political milieu is that “Democracy has brought hope; it has given us an opportunity to reshape our destiny, though we are yet to practice according to the rule.’ Now that his ambition to be a pilot seems headed for the rocks, what other ambition has he? 

Ogunderu said `he wants to be the President of Nigeria.’ What will be his priority if he, some day, occupies Aso Rock, he said he will `provide the essentials of life; water, housing, energy and food.’ He is of the opinion that the `rage in the land’ and the `growing desperation of young and old people could be put behind’ if there is food on the table of Nigerians. He said: `A system where people cannot afford common vegetables and even gari cannot guarantee peace for the citizenry.’ 

He said if he becomes the President, he would `curb crime by engaging young people in compulsory education and agriculture. ‘ Lately, he has been involved in the campaign for the restructuring of the country, having worked as a social worker with the Pro National Conference Organizations, PRONACO when the group was canvassing for the restructuring of Nigeria for self-determination.

But for now, Ogunderu’s new wish of becoming the President of Nigeria remains a dream, just a dream, and nothing more.



http://kayodeogundamisi..com/2012/06/niamey-4-june-12-nigerian-boys-who.html?m=1

Never in the history of e-mankind has this many posts been hidden on account of an e-fight by so few. See "e-blood"

Tpiah and beaf broke a record.

If you missed that fight, just log out of NL and never return.

buzugee:

yeah as pertains to isaiah chapter 14. thats a chapter about the downfall of america. read it if you have the time. very informative.

I don't care about this article, but it will be foolhardy to ignore any assignment given by the venerable Wooli Buzugee.

My kemetic Oga, how is the weather on the mountain?? You saw all these before that over-educated professor.

Please bring us more revelations sir

ogugua88:

One would hope Nigeria, as a whole, would benefit, but I am doubtful. Biafra was created to solve the Igbo problem. Instead, we became bigger targets and were ganged upon until Ojukwu accepted defeat and Biafra was dissolved.

If you want my opinion, then I'll dictate it to you.

I have been reading this thread since it was formed and didn't post until today because of a post from Tpia, where tpia mentioned taking up a more widespread cause, with which I agree.

Some feel that Igbos should be the only ones putting their heads together to tackle lack of accountability, peace, and justice. If there was a perfect time to engage other Nigerians in fighting against corruption, injustice, and Boko Haram, that time is now. Nigerians are effected by all three of these things. Igbos are targets of Boko Haram, but other groups are victimized as well. Rather than retreat to our region and focus on ourselves, Igbos should be reaching out to others. Now.

My biggest fear is history repeating itself, and as of now, we seem to be on that track. The formations of Biafra and Ndi Igbo exclusive groups only exacerbates my fears. A very silly example, but I'll give it. My father attends events within the Nigerian community here. As in, every event that comes his way, he tries his best to be there or I'll go in his place, be it Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, or whichever else. What he's told me since I was young is "if you attend no one's function, don't expect anyone to attend your own". This is why I was livid when OnlyTruth and others were defending Igbos and their lack of participation during the protests in January. One of the downfalls of many Nigerians is the "do me I do you" mentality. As Igbos were noticeably absent, others will bear that in mind, especially if Igbos ever find themselves in trouble and in need of assistance or resources.
Some Igbos will be defiant or stubborn and tell you that they don't need other Nigerians helping them. If I read well, Biafrans fought for Biafra alone and were severely outnumbered in terms of soldiers and weaponry. This is life, not a Hollywood film like "300". Passion does not win wars. Outdoing the opposition does, and allies would help. Igbos share a commonality with most Nigerians in that many of us are angry that after 13 years of democratic rule, we have nothing to show for it.

Boko Haram is in Aso Rock and some of those in office fail to see the bombings as criminal, so reaching out to the Nigerian FG is out of the question. The only option I find logical is reaching out to other Nigerians. We all want justice, accountability, and peace. That's easy. How do we get there? This is why I suggested tending to "Nigerian issues" and reaching out to other groups. Therefore, if the time ever comes for Boko Haram and the FG to attack the Eastern region just like others have done before, we will not be alone this time.

The Kano protests were eye-openers and a great example as to how far Nigerians have come. Christians and Muslims held hands and protested. They even formed a peace covenant. When Muslims were praying, Christians stood outside the mosques and protected them. When Christians prayed, Muslims stood outside churches and protected them. I won't forget that, and other Nigerians shouldn't either. We are all tired of being angry at government and angry from being tired of waiting on government to change. If Senators from north, south, east, and west can unite against same-sex marriage, then Nigerians from north, south, east, and west can unite against corruption, injustice, and violence.

I applaud your well nuanced sense of justice, fairness and foresight. You demonstrated it exceedingly well in this post.

It is very heartwarming to read indeed.

I must say though that the obvious fears expressed by many of those on the other side of this discussion is understandable, considering the history of this country. Not everyone can rise easily above their fears and pursue a larger broader goal like you expressed here. We will need to continue to be our brothers keepers as we struggle to help our people see the bigger picture.

Again, what you wrote here in a few words is simply a gem ogugua. Well done sis.

It is becoming hardcore here o

Too bad for Portugal. So close

OAM4J, Katsumoto and co need to "sheath" their swords so pious women like Isale can return to this thread abeg, I heard she's traumatized by all the "sword flingings" going on here

Katsumoto:

Is Shakabula the same as a Dane gun?

It's snider rifle jare. I bet you inherited a few of them. No?

Tgirl4real: What is going on here

I am confused

Hi, I'm Kilode?! Big fan.

You are the Oprah lady that did the world famous Dayokanu interview abi? Can you please interview Katsumoto? Thanks

^
Yes. It is very shameful sir

sir-p2007:
This letter should be taken to shredding machine for immediate action.
l always believe that marginalisation is a theory propanded by selfish individuals to satisfy their greed at the expense of others.
Until we discard enthnicity and celebrate unity,issues like this will always come up.
These folks crying blue murder should tell us what they have done or intend to do to better the lots of d urhobo pple.
Why re they not agitating 4 good governance that will benefit all nigerians instead of fighting for a set of pple within d country.
If as they claimed d ijaws re favoured,does it mean d ijaws re exempted or immune 4rm d decadance in d country(health,education,infrastructure,crime etc)?
WE NEED STRUCTURAL DEVT THAT WILL BENEFIT ALL NOT THIS ''VILLAGE FAVOURISM''

Well, these kind of groups write these kind of letters because their past actions ballooned on their faces. Many Nigerians clamoured for a more pan-Nigerian election in April 2011, but some folks insisted they had to get their son in power and stick it to the "Awusa". Well the result was that we got one of the most divisive elections in the history of Nigeria in 2011.

The massive rigging and intimidation aside, through their divisive ethnic and religion themed campaign, they managed to get many to vote based purely on those kind of sentiments. So here we are now.

I must say though, ethnic identity in a country like Nigeria is not entirely bad, people have to identify with something to define and ground themselves, it's just human. But the tragedy of Nigeria's case is when these kind of natural impulses are exploited so callously by a greedy, visionless political class. That was the case in 2011 as it was in past elections and even during Military rule.

Hopefully we can learn and improve as we approach 2015. Syria is a good example of why we really need to learn fast. Competence and merit above sentiments is very essential as we move forward.

I remain hopeful.

ballabriggs: Shell is still a pain on my community and we have a man from the Niger Delta as President for over two years. We have Oronto Douglas who was a Niger Delta 'rights activist' as his Special Adviser on research and strategy- whatever that means- yet we cannot guarantee the safety of our environment. How do we push our cause when Jona eventually leaves power? Who would listen to us? Sack Oronto Douglas now!

+1

Very important questions from ballabriggs.

LOL

And your own forbearers were armed with "shakabula" rifles shey?

Ok o.

Good to know you are doing well, heavy Oyinbo condemned flying machines are dropping on us here left and right, may the Irunmoles continue to protect their people.

naijababe:

You forget say hin get MPD

Bee mo si ti fi oro MPD yii to eyin Iya leti o

Igbala ku s'owo yin o, e ma dojuti mi o.

Hmm, Aberdeen + Oyel money.. Seen

~quickly scribbled down two more names for my PAC fund raising~



This thread must yield fruit. I can't shout.

Where is the [b]"our son must be president so we can chop like hawusa people" [/b]crowd now?

How far with the chopping?

24 hour electricity don reach una village?

Katsumoto:

No, more like Anakin Skywalker's internal battles as he was tormented by his good and bad sides.

Avengers na just battle between good and bad guys.

Yes. Hulk in The Avengers share that similarity with Darth Vader too, he a Dr Jekyll /Mr Hide kind of character.

Anyway I'm none of those sha. I only battle imperialists and people running around with crooked cutlasses acting like they are carrying Samurai swords

What's up bro, how is Osaka-Madrid treating you?

So how did they vote?

Who voted for and who voted against?

Also, can the Senate by itself amend an act of the national Assembly without a vote by The house of representatives?

I thought Senate + House of Reps = National Assembly, No?





Anyway, for those who are interested, below is the link to vote and proceedings on the HOA site, it has not been updated since February though, maybe we can get some detailed info from reporters covering the house.

http://www.nassnig.org/nass/votesenate.php