₦airaland Forum

Onlytruth:
We are NOT talking about access to the sea. We are talking about Igboland, sea access or no sea access.

Well I am talking about sea access using traditional Igbo territory. Anyway, we can all agree we are not discussing OIL!

I support this, but not just yet. First we need to go back our pre-colonial states. Once that is done, then we can finally unite. We have to start from scratch.

[quote author=ndu_chucks link=topic=574674.msg7418153#msg7418153 date=1293483666]Would one be right to also conclude that most of the oil producing land in both the old Mid West and the so-called ND area is Igboland? Please identify the remaining Igboland in present day South South region, for our education. Dalu o.[/quote]No one is talking about oil. We are talking about access to the sea! Igboland extends into Ika, Anioma & Ukwuani in Delta State. Parts of Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Benue, and Rivers state are Igbo as well.

I support Pat Utomi. Voting for him would not leave a nasty taste in my mouth.

Many Many Many lives will be lost if we invade Cote D'ivoire. Nigeria should think twice before getting involved in that nation. Plus, I do not know why people say that Cote D'ivoire went through a Civil War. It wasn't really a civil war, more like a dirty war, in which the nation was split between north and south. But you didn't have armed battles. Only a few people lost their loves compared to other African civil wars.

anonimi:
Each time I see people salivating over Donald Duke I puke.
Talk is cheap, haven't you heard? How much wealth did he amass as governor of Cross Rivers?
So he fell out of favour? Since you live in America Obama must have been in favour to become president- right? Maybe you can explain a bit more please.
Oh I forgot, we can hold ourselves to the lofty democratic standards of those long nosed Americans, or can we?

I see that you have a problem with Donald Duke. Well tell us why you do not like Donald Duke. I am not from his state, so enlighten me.

udezue:
Sometimes you have to show the ugly side of you for people to appreciate the good side of you. Umu Igbo take note.

We are not a barbaric people though.

Katsumoto:
You have got to be kidding.

Igwe Ocha (Port Harcourt) is a traditionally Igbo town. If you think the wider Igbo will give that up, then there would be a war. Many Igbos have this view, that is Igbloand is landlocked that it will not be prosperous. I do not subscribe to this view, but that is what the majority of Igbo think. Enugu and Port Harcourt are seen as crucial to Igbo development.

SapeleGuy, I think everyone in this thread has come to the conclusion that neither Oduduwa or Biafra want to have the Ijaw in a nation. Many consider that they are not worth the hassle. As long as they don't claim Port Harcourt, many Igbos would be ok if they had their separate nation. This is all hypothetical though. Even though I do not think Nigeria will be split up anytime soon.

I hope my post does not become misconstrued, but Yoruba Muslims are very moderate compared to the extremist Muslims found in the North. It doesn't surprise me that a Yoruba Muslim would lead the condemnation against this most heinous act.

udezue:
Let all split so peace will reign jare.

Who should split?

monkeyleg:
@Ochi_Agha,

Is it not a case that the whole country is stuck in the useless politics that hasnt helped us in the past. I have named others like Donald Duke who has probably had more exposure than PU, but is suffering the same fate. Now what would you attribute that to?

Well I cannot disagree with you about Donald Duke. That man is highly intelligent. I have met him before in the United States, when he came to speak to a Nigerian group that I am in. What he was talking about really made sense, and he had the experience to back up his statements. He should be actually leading Nigeria, but too bad he fell out of favor.

gbking:
i was on the joke section of this forum and i noticed that there were some jokes about lawyers.
why is it that nigerians dont like them?

No one likes lawyers. You can find jokes about lawyers on every continent. It is the most reviled profession, but people cannot do without lawyers.

Mobinga:
Next Up :: Nigeria . . . Its about time, really.

A country that needs to be split up more than Nigeria is the Democratic Republic of the Congo. If you think Nigeria is a mess, just look at the Congo.

Let me reiterate, Pat Utomi should start locally before aiming for the top spot. He should try to get a large following in Delta State before he tries to come on the national scene. I like his ideas, but he is suffering from that complex of building the wagon before buying a horse.

The Libyan government pulled a fast one on the UK. They believed that he only had 3 months to live, but he is actually doing fine. However, I hear the reason why he was released was due to the fact that BP has oil contracts with the Libyan government and Gaddafi wanted him released.

My paramount chief has spoken. To lose ones property over 40 years ago and it is still impacting him really hurts me to the core. This shows the importance of land in Igbo society. To have it stolen from you is the ultimate insult.

monkeyleg, I understand your frustration with some of the people who have responded. However, me personally, I feel he should join a party that is known nationally. (not PDP) Currently, his name is bigger than the party he represents.

For some reason, I feel Cote D'ivoire will be the next nation to be split as well.

Ymodulus:
Is he contesting as a representative of the IGBOs or those Yorubas or the HAUSAs , i want to know. Because i wont advice him contesting without siding a tribe.

He is not contesting as a representative of any tribe. The man doesn't see through a tribal lens, but that is expected of a Delta Igbo though.

Hello country number 193
Introducing South Sudan

In January 2011, if all goes to plan, the citizens of the autonomous southern part of Sudan will vote on whether South Sudan should become an independent country. Despite an astonishing lack of preparation for the referendum, the vote will be a chaotic but resounding “yes” for independence. And that is when the trouble will start. Or rather, restart.

War between Sudan’s largely Arabised north and the largely non-Arab south began in the early 1960s and stopped after a peace accord in 1972, only to start again in 1983 and continue until 2005. In a land of immense differences, history says that those between north and south are played out through civil war.

But the emergence of South Sudan as the world’s newest country (number 193 if you count by UN membership) will not spark a new war. Instead, the conflict will be within South Sudan. This is a place of tribes, jealous of their cultures and lands. The largest think they have a natural claim on the oil revenue that will come with independence. Where oil is the only resource beyond the subsistence economy, that is a recipe for disaster.

Sudan’s oil has been known for 30 years. First estimates were that there was some, but not much. Now there is believed to be plenty. Proven reserves are 6.7 billion barrels, according to BP. That may be only a 40th of Saudi Arabia’s reserves, but it is an awful lot relative to Sudan’s poverty.

Sudan’s productive oilfields are right on the border between north and south, and many have assumed that this fact of geography ensures conflict. Yet the opposite is true: oil has smoothed the road to peace. It was only after the Khartoum government became oil-rich enough to equip its army properly that it realised it had to make terms with the south: no matter how much was thrown at defence, the oilfields were never going to be controllable by force of arms.

The terms of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005 included a 50-50 split of oil revenues between the north and the south, until 2011. What happens to the oil money after the referendum on southern independence is open to negotiation. Bad temper and walkouts from the negotiating table are guaranteed; but armed conflict is unlikely. Although the oilfields do indeed overlap the border, most of the significant wells are in the south—just. But the export pipeline that runs to the Red Sea and turns oil into money is in the north. For a long time to come, both sides will have to compromise around that reality.

What is more, both north and south have enough on their plates without more fighting. Omar al-Bashir, the president of Sudan, is a brutal pragmatist. He already faces a catastrophe largely of his own making in the far western province of Darfur, along with a demoralised army and a rural population fed up with repression and poverty. Another round of civil war is the last thing he needs: he is more likely to wait for the new South Sudan to unravel of its own accord.

That need not happen if South Sudan gets far-seeing or even just plain capable leadership. It will have neither.

The president of South Sudan will be Salva Kiir—a Dinka and civil-war stalwart but no visionary. His vice-president will be Riek Machar, an opportunist warlord from the next-biggest tribe, the Nuer. Both have spent the past couple of years securing the interests of their own kinsmen, and frightening off international investors.


No road to happiness
Meanwhile the cash flowing into the south since 2005 has evaporated. A best guess is that $7 billion has come and gone. The government of South Sudan says correctly that there are more schools and clinics. But where is the infrastructure to support the economy? Half a decade after the oil money began to flow, this remains a land of rutted tracks and kerosene lamps.

Other countries with competing tribes manage to carve up economic interests and keep rivalries in check. But first there must be something to carve up. South Sudan has no skills and virtually no economy beyond oil. That oil will produce another $1 billion in 2011. Like the billions before it, it will be squandered, generating popular disappointment, distrust and dissent.

http://www.economist.com/node/17493375

monkeyleg:
@Ochi_Agha ,

He has been doing this as far as I understand, but the problem still remains the bread garri and rice politics we are so used to in Nigeria. It is so difficult for the common man to understand policies that would benefit him, as far as they are concerned, once every 4yrs  politician turn up with bag of rice and tomatoes to canvass votes, now is this how we agree we must reach the common man? or do we stand to be accused of the same thing the others are doing?

All politics are local my friend. In free and fair elections, Pat Utomi would have to do that. People like to look out for their own interest. If he needs to give the regular man bread, garri and rice, then so be it. Once you get in office, then you can enact the policies that can help the regular man. The trick is to getting the votes so that you can be put in office. I do not think he has won the hearts and minds of the common man. His support base is among the educated class. If you go on his facebook account, many of his supporters are in the Diaspora, not in Nigeria. I bet 75% of Nigerians have never heard of Pat Utomi.

monkeyleg:
I do conceed that maybe the bottom up approach might have been useful, but that is supposing we had a proper electorial process which we dont have. And under what party in the first place. Beside those who have been involved for so long have not done any good. So the experience in this case may not have been entirely relevant. He is approaching it from the same level as Ribadu

Grassroots campaigns would be the best in his case. If you have the support of the common people, then you may have a chance. The good people of Nigeria need to understand that they have the power to create change in Nigeria. The elite are not going to work on behalf of them. Pat Utomi needs to become a man of the people.

monkeyleg:
@Ochi_Agha,

Very nice, a man with a clear vision and a good heart. He has my vote anyday. Knwoing that my vote represent selflessness and progress for the common man

Yes a very symbolic vote. However, I think he could be put to better use if he starts locally and works his way up. They may be the best route for him to take.

Ola, you do bring up a good point though. Even though Pat Utomi is seen as a good guy, I do think he does lose some value as he runs for president in each election. I don't want him turning into the Ralph Nader of Nigeria.

Issues
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
We all know that Nigeria is broken. We've seen our leaders more interested in personal profit than national progress. We've seen our families' welfare take a back-seat to corruption and patronage.

But it doesn't need to be this way. We can turn the corner. This is the election where we all stand-up together and demand a government that works for the people, not the powerful; that requires transparency and holds our leaders to account; that invests in our country's ability to produce goods, generate jobs, and create wealth among all people and in all regions.

It is time for change. It is time for a new Nigeria:

A new level of transparency in Nigeria. We seek the reform of our democratic system to ensure full transparency and accountability. Machine politics and the God father syndrome manipulate the system, producing leaders with no connection to the governed who proceed to use government to build up personal wealth. Only by being open and transparent, can we ensure that our government policies reflect the will of the people and the best interests of our nation. We will require all budgetary records and leaders' personal financial disclosure forms be posted on the government website, open to investigation by journalists, political organizations, and ordinary Nigerians. We will ensure the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill, and when passed sign it with immediate dispatch.

A new political ideal in Nigeria. Our leaders need to be servants to the people, committed to shared ideals and honest, open government. The term ‘servant leader’ has to be used genuinely as a manifestation of an intention to serve the people and not just campaign rhetoric to be discarded after being sworn into office.
A new political discourse in Nigeria. Our debates can't center on empty promises and division. The fact is that we're all in this together. Only by coming together and having an honest debate over our policies and future, can we escape our collective struggle.

A new class of leaders. We can't expect the same corrupt players to take us in a new direction. We need to bring into political life a new class of leaders – people of integrity and proven track records of service, honor, and competence. We need a democratically elected team that will collaborate, poll their intellectual capabilities, and make a road map for progress in Nigeria. We need the best and brightest to accomplish a quantum leap in progress that can take Nigeria from "Paradise deferred" to "Paradise reclaimed". We seek to draw from the "Principled Centered School" of leadership in preparing a legion of people of character as new leaders who are passionately committed to the advancement of the Common Goodwill of our national endeavor.

A new grassroots in Nigerian politics. We need a movement of millions of young people that collectively stand-up and say "enough is enough." We need to take politics away from the corrupt elites and give it to the people. We need a new generation of Nigerians to demand change, to take responsibility, and to become the foundation for a new Nigeria – a generation that passes on a better nation to its children.

A new ear to the people. Let them participate. Open up the halls of government. We need to encourage our average citizens to communicate with their leaders. By implementing new technologies via the Internet, we can help Nigerians organize and have their voices heard by our government. And we will invest in building capacity at local government. There needs to be a real link between our representatives and their constituents.

A new role for women. We seek to effectively empower half of our population, the women, beyond tokenism, to affect and influence our politics. These are our mothers, sisters, daughters – they too demand a say in changing our country and building a new Nigeria that works for all of us.
A new respect for ALL Nigerians. Despite our differences—in religion, socio-economic status, region, age, language, and sex—the simple fact is that we're all in this together. We will lay the framework for responsive governance, recognizing human freedom, the solidarity that flows in our humanity. While we understand the importance of affirmative action, we expect it to be unnecessary as we invest in education – the great equalizer.

A new philosophy for government. We will introduce a government philosophy which builds an effective partnership between government, the private sector and social civil society. In the past, government was a hurdle to cross – a bribe to pay or a broken utility to replace. But with openness and transparency, a real investment in our infrastructure, reasonable regulation, and a strong respect for the rule of law, we will foster enterprise and create an environment for business to flourish.
A new role in Africa and the World. We seek to restore dignity to Africa's place in the world through giving voice to an educated and enlightened people in World Affairs. And by providing commerce with the rule of law, transparent government, and a forward-looking infrastructure, we can become globally competitive.

Culled from Utomi for Nigeria

monkeyleg, I would support him. Even though my vote would probably not matter, he still has my support. I like his ideas and what he stands for. And you cannot expect much from the corrupt PDP.

I wish him luck. In an advanced democracy, this man may have a chance. Sadly, Nigeria stifles some of its greatest minds.

Pat Utomi officially declares to run as a Presidential Candidate in the 2011 Elections

Nigerian politician, Patrick Utomi recently officially declared to as a Presidential Candidate in the 2011 Elections via a declaration on Silver Bird Television minutes ago. He announced that he will be running as an aspirant under the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties. More details as the story unfolds.

http://www.citizenscentral.com/2010/12/pat-utomi-official-declares-to-run-as-a-presidential-candidate-in-the-2011-elections/

That thread should have been placed in the cultural section, it should not have been deleted. There was nothing tribal about that thread as a few posters have stated.

I didn't even know who Berom people were until last year.

ON JOS: “It's unfortunate that when the whole world is coming together, we are busy getting innocent lives being lost. It is a very unfortunate circumstance. So I think we should blame the political class for getting us to this stage because it was not like this before; but this has gotten bad. If a leadership is good, the followership will be good.”

- MUHAMMADU SA'AD ABUBAKAR, Sultan of Sokoto.