₦airaland Forum

eku_bear:
Shows like this, if they smell any weakness, they attack. So not sure if it is an anti-African sort of thing. They'll pounce on anyone who'll let them. Gotta be forceful.

Like this one


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9sLfCeKC-E

Former World Boxing Federation (WBF) titleholder, Bashiru Ali (aka Bash Ali) is stranded in Tripoli, the Libyan capital that has been the turf for violent clashes between opponents and supporters of Muamar Gaddafi, the country’s besieged strongman. Mr. Ali is the highest profile Nigerian caught in the violent uprising sweeping through Libya.

Mr. Ali sent out a distress email yesterday to friends and journalists expressing fear that he might not survive the haze of firepower that has gripped the North African nation.

Mr. Ali had gone to Libya to seek the financial support of the embattled Gaddafi in the boxer’s bid to become the oldest pugilist to engage in a championship title fight. Mr. Ali claimed the authorities in Nigeria refused to back him due to "corruption". The flamboyant boxer then traveled to Tripoli to explore the possibility of taking his highly publicized Guinness World Book of Records fight to Libya.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/nigerian-cruiserweight-boxer-bash-ali-stranded-libya

@EU TRUCKS,

Please what is the difference between Spring suspension and steel suspension?

Oh not again! Another Taiwo? What's it with this people? if one is not marrying his daughter, another will be scamming.

Another Taiwo again!

Afaukwu: But wait, in the next segment when the 2006 population census will be analyzed, the reader will be in for more shocker; the 2006 population census has Oyo State as the most populated State in the South-West outside Lagos, with a population of 5,591,581, while the most populated state in the South-East is Anambra State with a total population of 4,182,032. However in 2007 JAMB admissions, Anambra State recorded a total of 8,725 in admissions while Oyo State had 3,788….I am crunching the numbers.

Interesting

Mekusxyz:
This is a good anlysis of the JAMB data

It couldn't have been better analysed.

I beg to disagree on th OP's bases of conclusion. The op seems to base his conclusion mainly on d number of registered voters. We all know of a truth that of d more than 6m registered voters in Lagos=, at least 1/3 of that figure is Igbo. This trend is also maintained in other regions.

This is the same lies they were bandying around about Ndigbo and education until JAMB started publishing their data based on actual state of origin. Maybe INEC should toe d same line.

Truth be told, if there were free and fair elections in Nigeria, Ndigbo would be d most sought after bride in any part of Nigeria as their bloc vote could determine who wins. In that situation, it won't be out of place to have an Igbo deputy governor in a place likke Lagos state with significant Igbo population. It is not for magnanimity sake that you have/had 2 Igbo sons on the executive council of Lagos state.

In an ideal situation, the title of d post should be As Ndigbo gains relevance.

Ileke-IdI:
Are we still discussing why Ojukwu ran away like a bytch?

Thought you are supposed to be observing a 1 yr period of mourning for Mr. B?

I'll rather run than commit suicide. Obafami Awolowo committed suicide.

http://www.republicreport.com/how-awolowo-committed-suicide-written-by-abdulmunini-adeku/

Another nugget from Nigerian history. This is the text of Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu’s famous interview with Dennis Ejindu in May 1967. This interview took place just before the start of the civil war. It is probably the most detailed question and answer session with Major Nzeogwu. Enjoy….

Ejindu: I am glad to meet you, Sir. How would you feel if you knew that you are being regarded as a hero?

Nzeogwu: Very pleased naturally. But the truth is that I am not a hero. If there was any famous Major Nzeogwu, I have never heard of him.

Ejindu: It is rumoured that you have just finished writing a book, what is it like?

Nzeogwu: Good gracious! Ninety-nine per cent of all the stories you hear in this country are false. I have not written any book because there was nothing to write about. You can only write about a finished job. It would have been a useful means of warding off boredom though, but one did not do it for the fear that the authorities might seize the papers. However I had enough time to make detailed notes on what happened, and one might use them if in future there was any need to write something.

Ejindu: Before you went into prison, the cloud was so clear above this country that one could see very far into the future. Now that you are out, what do you see?

Nzeogwu: A job very badly done. If I may borrow your metaphor, the atmosphere is admittedly somewhat cloudy. But I don’t think there will be rain. Indeed if you look steadily up you will find that the sun is not yet set and might still peep through. The trouble is that people generally can’t tell which is a rain cloud and which is not, and as a result they tend to be confused. As you know there is too much bitterness at present in the country, and in the past people had imagined that they could conveniently do without one another. But the bitterness will clear in the end and they will find that they are not as self-reliant as they had thought. And they will long to be together…. The .same applies to the Northerners. It may take ten or fifteen years for them to come together again but there is no doubt, as far as I can see, that they will. You see, in this world of imperfection, it is sometimes very difficult to capture the ideal. But we can, at least start with the second best.

Ejindu: What is the second best?

Nzeogwu: A Confederation.

Ejindu: Before I come back to that, may 1 take you back to January, 1966. What exactly happened at Nassarawa (the premier’s residence at Kaduna) on the night of the 14th?

Nzeogwu: No, no, no; don’t ask me anything about that, I don’t want to remember it.

[b]Ejindu: All right. A lot has been talked and written about the January coup. But how tribalistic was it really in conception and execution?

Nzeogwu: In the North, no. In the South, yes. We were five in number, and initially we knew quite clearly what we wanted to do. We had a short list of people who were either undesirable for the future progress of the country or who by their positions at the time had to be sacrificed for peace and stability. Tribal considerations were completely out of our minds at this stage. But we had a set-back in the execution. Both of us in the North did our best. But the other three who were stationed in the South failed because of incompetence and misguided considerations in the eleventh hour. The most senior among them was in charge of a whole brigade and had all the excuse and opportunity in the world to mobilize his troops anywhere, anyhow and any time. He did it badly. In Lagos, even allowing for one or two genuine mistakes, the job was badly done. The Mid-West was never a big problem. But in the East, our major target, nothing practically was done. He and the others let us down.
[/b]
Ejindu: You must have anticipated that Gen. Ironsi would let you down in the end. Why did you surrender to him the way you did?

Nzeogwu: I was being sensible. The last thing we desired was unnecessary waste of life. If I had stuck to my guns there would have been a civil war, and as the official head of the Army, he would have split the loyalty of my men. Again, you must remember that the British and other foreigners were standing by to help him. Our purpose was to change our country and make it a place we could be proud to call our home, not to wage war.

Ejindu: It has been said that Gen. Ironsi set out to complete your job for you. Was there anything you did not like in his administration?

Nzeogwu: Yes, everything. First he chose the wrong advisers for the work he halfheartedly set out to do. Most of them were either mediocre or absolutely unintelligent. Secondly, he was tribalistic in the appointment of his governors. Thirdly the Decree 34 was unnecessary, even silly in fact.

Ejindu: But you wanted a unitary government?

Nzeogwu: No. Not a unitary government as such. We wanted to see a strong centre. We wanted to cut the country to small pieces, making the centre inevitably strong. We did not want to toy with power, which was what he did.

Ejindu: Tell me, what do you think of him as a soldier?

Nzeogwu: I am afraid I cannot tell you that. But I will say that as a person he was very well liked and as the Supreme Commander, his orders were promptly carried out.

Ejindu: If he joined the Army as a gunner, he must have progressed as a military strategist?

Nzeogwu: Yes, if he had, he could have done so. But he actually joined the Army as a tally-clerk and was a clerk most of the time.

Ejindu: From the present chaos, what type of Nigeria do you envisage?

Nzeogwu: In the first place, secession will be ill-advised, indeed impossible. Even if the East fights a war of secession and wins, it still cannot secede. Personally, I don’t like secession and if this country disintegrates, I shall pack up my things and go. In the present circumstances, confederation is the best answer as a temporary measure. In time, we shall have complete unity. Give this country a confederation and, believe me, in ten or fifteen years the young men will find it intolerable, and will get together to change it. And it is obvious we shall get a confederation or something near it. Nothing will stop that.

Ejindu: Do you think there will be any war?

Nzeogwu: No. Nobody wants to fight. The East which is best equipped and best prepared for war, does not want to attack anybody. The North cannot fight. And Lagos cannot fight now. If they had attacked the East in August or September, they would have had a walk-over. Today, I think they will be ill-advised to try.

Ejindu: An Englishman said to me the other day that the best thing Ojukwu can do is to take over Lagos. Do you think he can do it even if he wanted to?

Nzeogwu: Yes, I think the East is strong enough to do it if they want to. But it will serve no useful purpose. It can only serve to destroy life and property. You see, the effective power does not lie in Lagos but in Kaduna, and if you remove Gowon somebody else will take his place. If you capture the South against the North, all you can achieve is civil war, disintegration and border clashes.

Ejindu: Finally, let me come to the controversy over your release. Much as it has been a popular action you have been released by the east government against the wish of the federal government. What do you say to that?

Nzeogwu: All I can say is that I am happy and grateful to be out. We feel grateful to the Nsukka students for their persistent demand, and to the boys in the barracks for their pressure on the authorities in the east. And to the Nigerian public in general for their concern over our welfare.


http://maxsiollun./2008/02/20/interview-with-major-nzeogwu/

OGUN STATE

Iyabo Obasanjo

nwabobo:
You felt betrayed when you left Biafra?

Ehm, I have always refused to pass judgement on those that I left behind. During a war the situation changes very rapidly. At the time I was leaving there was absolutely no reason for surrender. But then, in six hours, something could have happened. I don't know. It is possible in a fluid situation and given the unequalness in this conflict. I left ostensibly because the situation was bad, to seek, ehm, and support of France through the intermediary of the Ivory Coast. We had hoped that what would happen would be that France would contact England and we would probably arrive if not to cease, I mean ehm we expected to have a ceasefire at least, then to go on negotiating the type of settlement that was acceptable. And at that time the one thing that was not acceptable was capitulation without guarantees for the lives of our people.

Why did you leave?

It was decided that because of the urgency of the situation, that the only person who demanded immediate audience and got (it) outside, was myself.

Was that a consensus or you had to agree?

I had to agree because the original team did not include me. And then after the cabinet came back again at different points and finally, it was in fact not at all, ehm, it was almost, well it was not a consensus because I was the only dissenting voice.

This should at least clear the air on the allegation that he ran away to avoid being captured or killed.

ANAMBRA

Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke (Former DG, NSE)

KWARA STATE


Gbemisola Saraki

alj harem:
can you shut your mouth jarus,.,., where did you get that from

ZIK that his burial ground in the east was destroyed

or is it the same ZIK that ran away without tipping others about the coup

can you stop your nonsense

Ever heard of the soi-disant Zik myth?

Jarus:
I now agree he was the richest of his generation, that means Dantata was generation after him cos I'm sure Dantata was also reported in media as richest Nigerian of his genertation. Meanwhile Abiola was also the richest Nigerian of his generation.

Good you have agreed. In today's naira, Adenuga and co are nno where near Sir L P ojukwu.

The celebrations of Nigeria’s 50th Independence Anniversary have come and are almost gone but the fall-out are still topical. From the bomb planted by some faceless, heartless terrorists to the dinners, debates, symposia, workshops and national recognitions and awards by the President. The solidarity visit of African Heads of State and goodwill messages from world leaders added flavor to the frenzy.


I join the rest of the world in congratulating our dear President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces on this auspicious occasion and wish him and all Nigerians well. The Nigeria project must get done no matter the odds by the grace of God.
The giving of awards and recognitions by any leader is not an exercise done hastily but one well thought out and one based on unassailable and known facts and measured achievements. Such awards tell a lot about the evolution of a people and when it is got wrong, it leaves much to be desired and distorts history. In Africa however, the choice of recipients of awards are most of the time determined by political expediency. The ones we saw at the 50th Anniversary are not different from the African style.

Not minding that Africans hardly get it right at occasions like this, I still felt a need to put down my thoughts (which I insist, are my personal thoughts for which I take full responsibility) on a particular award or recognition of the night for the record and for posterity. A half truth told over and over again assumes the status of truth. I write on the award given to Alhaji Dantata for being the foremost businessman of his era.


While I do not harbor any malice against this respectable and industrious Nigerian of his time, I wish to state (and I want to be corrected if I am wrong) that Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu (of blessed memory) of the same era was shoulders higher than any businessman or woman of his time. He was a colossus, pragmatic and humble. I believe Alhaji Dantata could have qualified for an award or recognition but in another category.


My conviction that Ojukwu was the greatest businessman of his time is informed by not only what I saw and heard (as I was barely born then) but what is recorded even by the Nigerian Government in our National archives. I know as a fact that the Queen of England visited Nigeria in 1956 and was chauffeured by Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu’s personal driver and guess what car she drove in, his Rolls Royce. Mr. Abiefo was the chauffeur and only passed on a few years ago with the honour of having driven the Queen.


My claim of the humongous stature of Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu as a business mogul of his time is not just based on this feat. It is on record that he was the first president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, then the Lagos Stock Exchange. The record is there and his photograph today still adorns the Nigerian Stock Exchange gallery in Lagos. Under his Presidency of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, there was no rival claim or litigation on his Presidency as we see today. Stock prices were a true reflection of their value and there was harmony in the stock market.


Nigerian economy in Ojukwu’s era was an emerging economy but even at that, this great Nigerian carved a niche for himself by investing so much in blue chip Companies where he was either Chairman or Director. Amongst such Companies were Guinness, John Holt, Nigercem, Constain amongst others. In fact, due to his relationship with Mr. Constain, he, Mr. Constain became the guardian of Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu’s son, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu during his days as a student in Oxford University, England.


Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu was not just a good and large hearted businessman, he was a visionary. At a time when a lot of people did not reckon with the real estate sector, he moved in from the Capital Market and owned several houses in Ikoyi, Lagos and other highbrow areas in Nigeria. He also encouraged quite a lot of his friends both young and old to invest in the markets where he excelled. He encouraged his politician friends financially without counting the cost and asking for anything in return but good governance. The likes of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Dr. M. I. Opara to mention but a few were beneficiaries of his benevolence. This is a mark of a good leader, friend, patriot and trail blazer.


[b]Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu enjoyed the services of a number of lawyers including the late F.R.A. Williams, QC, S.A.N. He also enjoyed the services of other professionals at a time when his peers never believed in professionalism and were not ready to pay professionals for whatever reason. [/b]I can go on and on but I think the message is clear. Nobody did it better than he did. His educational foundation remains unrivaled to the glory of God. I therefore wish that the honour due to this man never goes to another again.


http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/sir-louis-odumegwu-ojukwu-not-dantata/77015/

Jarus:
Ojukwu Jnr, though stupendously rich, was not the richest man of his generation. Kano's Alhaji Dantata was. In Abiola's generation he was unanimously agreed to be the richest Nigerian(from 1980-1993), just as Dangote is regarded as the richest Nigerian now(even thougj some people will disagree that Adenuga is as rich as, if not richer than, Dangote, only that most of his companies are not quoted. But let's leave it at Dangote richest). At no time was an Anambra indigene regarded as richest Nigerian.

In our world where there are surfeit of wimps and sybarites as leaders, Ojukwu has dared to be different. He chose the part of service at the expense of great personal comfort, promising to reverse what many would easily accept with groveling obeisance. He refused to be ensconced in the confines of his father’s great wealth as many would easily do while playing possum to the poverty of their immediate environment. Rather he sees wealth as a means to an end and not merely for conservation or satisfying selfish needs. Declining his father’s offer of a position in Louis Ojukwu’s business empire, he opted to serve as an administrator in the Udi province from where he later enlisted in the army. Not many people know today that his father was the first Nigerian millionaire; the first black man to live in Ikoyi whose Roll Royce was used by the Queen of England during Nigeria’s independent celebration. That Ikemba Nnewi was the first Nigerian graduate to enroll in the army even as he rose to become its first quarter-master general. He did so as a recruit and the first to call saprika by its proper name, safety catch.

http://nigerian-newspaper.com/ojukwu.htm

Jarus:
Ojukwu Jnr, though stupendously rich, was not the richest man of his generation. Kano's Alhaji Dantata was. In Abiola's generation he was unanimously agreed to be the richest Nigerian(from 1980-1993), just as Dangote is regarded as the richest Nigerian now(even thougj some people will disagree that Adenuga is as rich as, if not richer than, Dangote, only that most of his companies are not quoted. But let's leave it at Dangote richest). At no time was an Anambra indigene regarded as richest Nigerian.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu was born on November 4, 1933 at Zungeru, Niger State, to Nigeria’s first millionaire businessman and pioneer President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Sir. Louis Phillippe Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art2010122323183845


I don't know how the 1st millionaire in Nigeria was never the richest man in Nigeria. That could be a case of a son having a son before his father had one.

ANAMBRA

Lady Janet Mokwelu (1st Nigerian female legislator)