₦airaland Forum

When contacted for comments on the contents of the U.S. cables, Jonathan's spokesman Dr. Reuben Abati said, "These issues are totally immaterial in the present circumstance. I cannot react to it because my brief at the moment is that I speak for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, not the governor of Bayelsa State.

In fact, you should understand that Wikileaks is about conversations between people, it is about peoples' opinion on a particular matter. So, I have nothing to say on that."

www.nairaland.com/attachments/180447_ROTFLMAO_gif3d0c775232c7f27cf80592785b9635b6


Laffta wan fall pesin on top Okada oo 

Corruption issues are immaterial?

Jonathan needs to increase Abati's allowance walahi. See hard work 

If it's not female beach soccer, I'm not watching

df2006:
@ okadaman,

your contribution surely hits the nail on the head, it is yet to be seen if Gej is a radical,
it is very true that the nigerian system is by patronage, and it now cuts across all tribes, but i must add that, a particular group of people from a certain region, have patented rights to this system, it is even used in their traditions, if not religion.



@ beaf, everything no be fight, relax.

Bro. That is the unfortunate reality. I really do wish GEJ well, but not convinced he can do it.

What we have in Nigeria is more of class oppression than ethnic or tribal.

Beaf:
Lol! Okada_man is a man with a good heart, but a grossly incomplete picture, that is why I have told him that his arguments are "formulaic" and "tragically flawed."

Just dey patronize me for dia, na you sabi 

Me wey I Razist die 

Beaf:
Another of your tragically flawed formulaic arguments that make logic weep.

Why do you think the establishment is fighting back so ferociously and why do you think GEJ is the very first President they are fighting? The answers will be very illuminating to you. You will find that your arguments only help the establishments evil tactics, its wisdom to study the terrain thoroughly before making statements.

Bro. I guess you read my "tragically flawed formulaic argument" as an attack on GEJ. Right? That's unfortunate.

Your assumption is that the "Nigerian establishment" is purely Hausa/Fulani/Islamic or some other ethnic jingoists. I can understand why you feel that way, but it's simply not the whole picture.

Nigeria operates a well oiled system of patronage across all major ethnicities and major religious groups. GEJ cannot break it unless he gets radical. He will not get radical. And we can't reform nada until we shake that patronage system to it's core.

Well, I don tok my own, just remember that you are not more Nigerian than I am. Make we dey look am, results and success don't lie. We dey this Naija together.  



P.S: For the sake of those who don't know, Jonathan is NOT the first president to face this kind of northern extremist uprising or attacks, the maitatsine religious conflict of the early 80's comes to mind, it claimed thousands of lives too, several pockets of religious extremism inspired violence occurred before and after that.


To be honest, I personally hope this is different and political ( because it will create some chaos among the establishment and leave them exposed and vulnerable) but I doubt it and I see little evidence to support that. They will join hands to crush this together and the patronage will continue.

eGuerrilla:
This is not a key requisite for a revolution to succeed.

Though it is true the owners of Nigeria currently move around with a swagger, like peacocks who refuses to alter its dignified manner of walking just because the forest is on fire (as Achebe once had me believing), they are simply not on the right side of history.
Once the rage simmering attains a critical mass, they will find little protection in the chain of colossal events which are bound to unfold.

Do I get an Amen/آمين?

Of course it's not a key requirement for success but a slip by them along the lines I mentioned will create a good atmosphere for a popular uprising.

I'm simply pointing out that in the absence of that "slip up" by the owners of Nigeria, I see no hope in the near term really. Our people are not tired or angry enough yet to do this all by themselves. Afterall, we are still the "happiest country" on earth.

The bubbling undercurrent of discontent is simply not strong enough to start an uprising talkless of sustaining one. We might need to suffer a little bit more or hope the owners make silly mistakes by failing to "spread the settlement" wide enough.

I forsee no revolution, I hope I'm wrong.

Abati, the ojuju-face chameleon

idupaul:
my fear is why did Nato allow 250 armored cars retreat into Niger,  Lets just watch how those cars will soon filter into northern nigeria on hit and run raid in reprisal for Nigerias hasty recognition of the NTC

I wonder.

I hope the Nigerian government understands the implication of having 250 armored Vehicles filled with the enemies of people they supported in our border neighbour country, Niger.

If Ghaddafi wants to destabilize Nigeria and revenge the "betrayal" or use his army as a bargaining chip, Niger is a good spot for him. Hmm

claremont:
Benin city, my beloved hometown, used to be one of the most peaceful ancient cities in the world. Unfortunately, the foul-smelling disease plaguing every other Nigerian city has infected Benin city; it has been turned into a den of thieves, murderers, and kidnappers. The government which should supposedly play it's role in providing security for it's citizens has abdicated it's responsibility; therefore, insecurity has thrived beyond redemption. I weep for my beloved city!!!

May the soul of Bayo Ade RIP!

I've always hoped that kidnapping for ransom will not get to Benin-city because I know they will over-do it. When it comes to stuffs like this, it's better not to even let them start at all.  

RIP bro.

Hmm na wah o. Hopefully these rebels know what they are doing. They don't need a guerrilla group on their border. They should diplomatically get those people to surrender.

Nothing will come out of these cables, those who are in charge of Nigeria know how to deal with their problems, Jonathan will do nothing, nothing at all. That is the agreement.

If Jonathan decides to play cowboy(HE NEVER WILL) then Nigeria can be assured of a destructive conflict. Nothing like that will happen though.

Stop deceiving yourselves people, those who are in charge of Nigeria are not dumb, they may be greedy and wicked towards regular Nigerians but they know how to take care of each others problems hush hush.

The last cowboy punk was Abacha and they silenced him before he could throw the country into war, and mess up their investment. They are not going to be that careless again soon.

BTW Jonathan is clearly not a cowboy or punk, he will manage the crisis as expected and directed. He will cause no radical change. None at all. Just be merry and be happy.

efisher:
There can be no unified revolutionary movement in Nigeria against corrupt politicians and an insensitive government. The best we can have is a tribal/ religious war. I do not think the day will ever come where Northerners, Easterners, Westerners and S.Southerners will ever come together and fight for the same cause. They will instead fight themselves. In other words, we will never have an "Egypt" but we can have a "Sudan".

Let me help your argument further for the sake of those who don't understand Nigeria.

Those who own Nigeria will never let things get to the stage where a popular uprising or revolution can occur, they know how to settle things hush hush and across the country.

Nigeria operates a SETTLEMENT SYSTEM, but only few lords are settled and it's their responsibility to keep the peace in their domain. The only way you can get a revolution is if one of these major players get's stupid, crazy or greedy enough to play a tribal game by.

1. Taking control and sidelining the others nationally.

2. Failing to share the loot with the noisy disgruntled elements in his domain and keep them quiet.

These two scenarios will not happen, because they are too smart and too aware of the implications.

The real owners cannot afford to be openly tribal or stoke tribal hate. It will consume everyone of them.

The unimportant regular Nigerians can be as Tribalistic as they want, they will only die of bitterness and hate induced heart attack. The real owners cannot afford to let ethnic sentiments consume them. They must settle across the board.

Nigeria cannot get a revolution until these people make a mistake, I don't think they will. The Money and power system is well organized.

NOTE: the Boko Haram issue is seriously capable of shaking things but as long as the controllers of that area keep the naughty noise makers in check, nothing will happen, if they cannot check them, they will or can call in help from the rest and look away while owners from other regions deal with the problem on their behalf.

Be merry Be happy, suffer and smile, then try ya best to break into the click. I Forsee No Revolution.

Caveat; If oil money suddenly dries up or reduce drastically before we diversify, it may affect this well oiled settlement system.




Tip: Attack the oil source if you are impatient. But be ready for the wrath of the real owners ----> Oil companies and their owner Countries.

Sorry

[quote author=ekt_bear link=topic=752916.msg9087998#msg9087998 date=1315277071]What must I do to get my own government-backed monopoly?

Perhaps we should hand over PHCN to me so I can become Dangote 2.0.[/quote]It is possible. You have to grovel before the right people for a period of time. You can make it of you try.

It used to be mostly an Hausa/Fulani thing, now it's more diverse, maybe more ND or simply PDP

If you are serious, notable mentors include;

1. Dantata

2. Dangote

3. Danjuma (notable military inheritor)

4. Chagouri (Lebanese)

5. Otedola

6. Adenuga

7. Tinubu (Zenon) via Asiwaju

8. Arthur Eze

9. Jimoh Ibrahim via Ibru Family

10. Late M.K.O E.T.C

Some are consistent old and new money Any-Govt-In-Power operators e.g Dantata, now Dangote, maybe Adenuga, they achieved this through sheer determination and focused ability to deal, grovel and remain loyal.

Others are seasonal or in and out money types e.g iwuanyanwu, igbinedion, maybe Ibru(more self-made, but a smart survivor)

You just have to pick the right godfathers and prove you are loyal, dedicated and discrete enough to protect the interests of the real  "Owners of Nigeria". Just in case you are wondering, the owners of Nigeria are few.

Here they are in order of importance;

1. The Military-Political inheritors ; IBB, OBJ, and the Boys

2. The Tribal and Religious Lords: Sultan, Emirs, Obas and recently a few powerful pastors.

3. The Controllers: Big Oil A.K.A MNCs and their Owner States.


My brother, I wish you Goodluck.

[quote author=Ileke-IdI link=topic=752551.msg9087897#msg9087897 date=1315274186][size=38pt]Why is almost everybody fat?[/size][/quote]Na una sabi we like them like that. All you Naija abroad should keep your slim hollywood-like tastes out of our big belle business. We like our celebrities fat, big, owambeish and fleshy.    

Life expectancy here is 45 years, let them enjoy before they die abeg. 

BTW, I think Aki n Paw Paw should be cloned.

Princek12:
Iyan, akamu, amala, fufu, lafun, semovita, eba,

guinness (odeku), gulder, harp, star, 33 lager

bokoto (cowleg), cow head, saki, edo, fuku, goat head, goat feet, goat nyansh, cow nyansh, ponmo--orisirisi

All join.

aribisala0:
it is only those of the ilk of the sundry irreverent and cantankerous iconoclasts that populate the auspicious medium that is nairaland that would strive to rubbish,ridicule or ride rougshod over the the hallowed reputation of that political Nimrod,nay the erudite,enlightened and illuminating patrick.

the noble edo squire noted for his constancy when the rabble railed and tergiversated. uncompromising in his forensic inquistion when halitotic liliputians cowered in hircine disarray and wallowed in the fetid mire that is the nigerian political landscape. sated and inured from their hyperphagic porcine gorging they acquiesced and applauded the politcal Indecency that corrupted,ravaged disparaged and devoured our patrimony but that great Cicero was not cowed, that true honourable; patrick ,found his voice and boomed against the morose,moribund and fulminating carbuncle that masked as a government.

indeed his voice shall resonate for centuries to come while the perplexed and inchoate brains that strove for our discombobulation are extinguished and relegated to the obscurity that they deserve

Epic phlegm!

This is not about Rebels or Ghaddafi, rebels have a right to remove a leader and ghaddafi can resist if he wants, that is their own internal Libyan wahala.

How they treat our own people is the issue here (Especially those we support) and what we are doing to help our own. Anyway I'm glad Ashiru is finally waking up, plenty don die already though.

The day an American president or UK Prime minister wear Agbada to their parliament, ours will wear suit.

I hope they are safe enough for the craziness of Lagos. More transportation is always good anyway. Lagos needs all it can get.

Ogbonaikenna:
When the nigerian government kills biafrans it's ok, but when nigerians are killed it is genocide, Sil.ly people rubbis.h country. The spirit of biafra will continue to punish nigerians

Dude, some of those killed in Libya are "Biafrans" too nah

The Wickedness and racism is too much. Wetin sef.

[size=18pt]Libyans Turn Wrath on Dark-Skinned Migrants[/size]
 

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
Last Updated: 11:02 PM CDT


TRIPOLI, Libya — As rebel leaders pleaded with their fighters to avoid taking revenge against “brother Libyans,” many rebels were turning their wrath against migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, imprisoning hundreds for the crime of fighting as “mercenaries” for Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi without any evidence except the color of their skin.

Many witnesses have said that when Colonel Qaddafi first lost control of Tripoli in the earliest days of the revolt, experienced units of dark-skinned fighters apparently from other African countries arrived in the city to help subdue it again. Since Western journalists began arriving in the city a few days later, however, they have found no evidence of such foreign mercenaries.

Still, in a country with a long history of racist violence, it has become an article of faith among supporters of the Libyan rebels that African mercenaries pervaded the loyalists’ ranks. And since Colonel Qaddafi’s fall from power, the hunting down of people suspected of being mercenaries has become a major preoccupation.

Human rights advocates say the rebels’ scapegoating of blacks here follows a similar campaign that ultimately included lynchings after rebels took control of the eastern city of Benghazi more than six months ago.

The recent roundup of Africans, though, comes at a delicate moment when the new provisional government is trying to establish its credibility. Its treatment of the detainees is emerging as a pivotal test of both the provisional government’s commitment to the rule of law and its ability to control its thousands of loosely organized fighters. And it is also hoping to entice back the thousands of foreign workers needed to help Libya rebuild.



Many Tripoli residents — including some local rebel leaders — now often use the Arabic word for “mercenaries” or “foreign fighters” as a catchall term to refer to any member of the city’s large underclass of African migrant workers.

Makeshift rebel jails around the city have been holding African migrants segregated in fetid, sweltering pens for as long as two weeks on charges that their captors often acknowledge to be little more than suspicion.

The migrants far outnumber Libyan prisoners, in part because rebels say they have allowed many Libyan Qaddafi supporters to return to their homes if they are willing to surrender their weapons.

The detentions reflect “a deep-seated racism and anti-African sentiment in Libyan society,” said Peter Bouckaert, a researcher with Human Rights Watch who visited several jails. “It is very clear to us that most of those detained were not soldiers and have never held a gun in their life.”

In a dimly lighted concrete hangar housing about 300 glassy-eyed, dark-skinned captives in one neighborhood, several said they were as young as 16. In a reopened police station nearby, rebels were holding Mohamed Amidu Suleiman, a 62-year-old migrant from Niger, on allegations of witchcraft. To back up the charges, they produced a long loop of beads they said they had found in his possession.

He was held in a segregated cell with about 20 other prisoners, all African migrants but one. “We have no water in the bathroom!” one prisoner shouted to a guard. “Neither do we!” the guard replied. Most of the city has been without running water to bathe, flush toilets or wash clothes since a breakdown in the water delivery system around the time that Colonel Qaddafi fled. But the stench, and fear, of the migrants was so acute that guards handed visitors hospital masks before they entered their cell.

Outside the migrants’ cage, a similar number of Libyan prisoners occupy a less crowded network of rooms. Osama el-Zawi, 40, a former customs officer in charge of the jail, said his officers had allowed most of the Libyan Qaddafi supporters from the area to go home. “We all know each other,” he said. “They don’t pose any kind of threat to us now. They are ashamed to go out in the streets.”

But the “foreign fighters,” he said, were more dangerous. “Most of them deny they were doing it,” he said, “but we found some of them with weapons.”

A guard chimed in: “If we release the mercenaries, the people in the street will hurt them.”

In the crowded prison hangar, in the Tajura neighborhood, the rebel commander Abdou Shafi Hassan, 34, said they were holding only a few dozen Libyans — local informers and prisoners of war — but kept hundreds of Africans in the segregated pen. On a recent evening, the Libyan captives could be seen rolling up mats after evening prayers in an outdoor courtyard just a short distance from where the Africans lay on the concrete floor in the dark.

Several said they had been picked up walking in the streets or in their homes, without weapons, and some said they were dark-skinned Libyans from the country’s southern region. “We don’t know why we are here,” said Abdel Karim Mohamed, 29.

A guard — El Araby Abu el-Meida, a 35-year-old mechanical engineer before he took up arms in the rebellion — almost seemed to apologize for the conditions. “We are all civilians, and we don’t have experience running prisons,” he said.

Most of the prisoners were migrant farm workers, he said. “I have a Sudanese worker on my farm and I would not catch him,” he said, adding that if an expected “investigator” concluded that the other black prisoners were not mercenaries they would be released.

In recent days, the provisional government has started the effort to centralize the processing and detention of prisoners. Abdel Hakim Belhaj, the leader of the Tripoli military council, said that as recently as Wednesday he had extended his protection to a group of 10 African workers who had come to his headquarters seeking refuge.

“We don’t agree with arresting people just because they’re black,” he said. “We understand the problem, but we’re still in a battle area.”

Mohamed Benrasali, a member of the provisional government’s Tripoli stabilization team, acknowledged the problem but said it would “sort itself out,” as it had in his hometown, Misurata.

“People are afraid of the dark-skinned people, so they are all suspect,” Mr. Benrasali said, noting that residents had also rounded up dark-skinned migrants in Misurata after the rebels took control. He said he had advised the Tripoli officials to set up a system to release any migrants who could find Libyans to vouch for them.

With thousands of semi-independent rebel fighters still roaming the streets for any hidden threats, though, controlling the impulse to round up migrants may not be easy.

Outside a former Qaddafi intelligence building, rebels held two dark-skinned captives at knifepoint, bound together at the feet with arms tied behind their backs, lying in a pile of garbage, covered with flies. Their captors said they had been found in a taxi with ammunition and money. The terrified prisoners, 22-year-olds from Mali, initially said they had no involvement in the Qaddafi militias and then, as a captor held a knife near their heads, they began supplying the story of forced induction into the Qaddafi forces that they appeared to think was wanted.

Nearby, armed fighters stood over about a dozen other migrants squatting against a fence. Their captors were drilling them at gunpoint in rebel chants like “God is Great” and “Free Libya!”

Rod Nordland contributed reporting.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/05/world/africa/05migrants.html?_r=1&hp

We are no longer "appealing" now we are "protesting"

Homepage please.

@ekt.   Yes. As far as Nigerian politics is concerned, he did nothing strange. Those who think Nigeria is one united country are just ignorant jokers with a "pie in the sky" mentality.

This country is as divided as moses's red sea. Nah oil dollars dey keep us together.

Relax101:
I wonder if they don't listen to news about the massacre going on in libya.

Well, generally, our leaders are world experts at "burying head in the sand" "I put tissue for ear" and other similar games.

I think they specially teach them to "play the ostrich". They are very effective at it.

Beaf:
Now that the initial mistake has been made, we should expect robust action to save the lives of Nigerians and all other blacks.

Right. I really hope for "robust actions" too.

But I also want Ashiru fired, he was supposed to cover this flank for Mr President. Anyway that's GEJ's call.

As long as mistake and responsibility is accepted.

Beaf:
Dis Ms. Sanders sef! Na wa for am o! Na jass she de use?
A whole general, singing like a canary! 9ja!

Beaf you know how most of these leaders roll now. Always eager to kowtow to foreigners and sell their people out.

Just sitting in front of the US ambassador is enough to make Many of them sing and dance like bewitched foooools

It's sad they had to pull Gbenga Ashiru out of a church service to do a job he should have done weeks ago.

I hope my president GEJ gives him a sack/Query for this laxity, many people already died!

[quote author=tpia@ link=topic=752039.msg9080222#msg9080222 date=1315194590]nigerian leaders can be comedians sometimes.[/quote]Right they certainly do a good job of playing funny with serious situations.

Anyway, this is better than the silliness and "head in the sand game" of the last few months.

I think this deserves to be on the homepage too.

[UPDATE] Nigeria Protests Killing Of Its Nationals In Libya. Finally Listening!


Gbenga now growing some balls

BTW, shame on all those who were badmouthing hapless and oppressed Nigerian migrant workers from thread to thread, telling them to "go die jor".  God forgive una. If we don't stand by our people nobody will.

I hope Gbenga will do his job dutifully now, stop denying the obvious and put pressure to bear on those racist, muderous Libyans!

May the Dead RIP 

[size=18pt]Nigeria protests killing of its nationals in Libya[/size]
By Yusuf Alli 4 hours 3 minutes ago



Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru
Nigeria is protesting to Libya’s Transitional National Council (TNC), Britain and France the killing of its nationals in the troubled North African country.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru abandoned a church service yesterday to take distress calls of Nigerians in Libya, including their co-ordinator, Mr. Daramola Siji.

Nigerians are being attacked in Tripoli, Benghazi, Gath, Agadez and Sirte, the hometown of the embattled Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, whose 42-year grip on power has been removed by a six-month insurgency.
A source said: “Unharmed Nigerians are being killed in tens for no just cause. In some instances, they violation Nigerian women before shooting them to death.

“Yet, this is the same TNC that the Federal Government is backing in Libya. The blacks are not involved in Libyan crisis; they do not deserve this massacre.”

In one of the distress notes sent to the Presidency and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Siji, who is from Emure-Ekiti, said: “We cannot go out of our homes, my wife and children. We will certainly be shot. We don’t have food and we lack everything.

“We can save lives. I am calling on AU to act and save African families boxed in troubled Libya and if anyone could reach out to the Nigerian government to stop the killing of Nigerians by the former rebels who are now the new leaders in Libya, it will be better.”

In a telephone chat with our correspondent, Siji gave details of how Nigerians have become the targets of the rebels.
He added: “The truth is that when Gaddafi was in office, he had sympathy for black Africans and many have even settled in Libya.

“Nigerians have been the butt of the attacks on the blacks because the rebels could hardly differentiate them from Ghanaians, Malians, Nigerians, Burkinabes, Senegalese and Gambians.

“They are really killing many Nigerians and this is just unfortunate.”

The Nation learnt that Amb. Ashiru was moved into action after getting the distress call yesterday. He shelved a church service to attend to the calls.

A government source said: “Apart from talking to Siji directly, the Minister also reached out to the TNC, Britain and France on the need to stop the killing of black migrant workers, especially Nigerians.

“For about five hours yesterday, the Minister was talking to the TNC leaders, Britain and France on why the genocide must stop.

“The Federal Government has pleaded with Britain and France to prevail on the TNC leaders to ask their foot soldiers to end the massacre of blacks in Libya.

“I think immediate action has been taken and there will be respite for not only Nigerians, but all the blacks in Libya.

“The government has also asked the TNC to liaise with Siji, who will now serve as a coordinator or Liaison Officer on how to protect the blacks, especially Nigerians.

“Also, the Nigerian Ambassador to Ethiopia has been asked to relate with the Nigerian community in the Libyan cities. The Ambassador will also work directly with the TNC.

“The Ambassador is also expected to send hourly situation reports to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where a desk has been opened to monitor TNC’s attitude to blacks, especially Nigerians, in Libya.”

This is the second time in the last four days that the Federal Government has protested to its TNC ally in Libya over the massacre of black migrant workers.

The Minister said Thursday: “The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria wishes to note with concern reports of incessant abuse of helpless civilians in Libya by some unscrupulous elements who continue to take undue advantage of the ongoing crisis in that country, particularly to carry out attacks on Black migrant workers and other Black Africans stranded in Libya arising from crisis in that country.


“Regrettably, these reports revealed outright killings, violation and extortion of money from these helpless Africans who have taken refuge in camps as well as those in detention and incarceration.

“This development is a deviation from the overall expressed desire of the TNC, the African Union and indeed the United Nations for the restoration of democracy and good governance in Libya.

“These extra-judicial killings certainly run contrary to Nigeria’s call for the leadership of the TNC to be magnanimous in victory and can only stand in the way of peace building, early reconciliation and reconstruction in Libya.

“While confirming that the concern of the Nigerian government on this reported development has accordingly been brought to the urgent attention of the representative of the TNC, the government seizes this opportunity to call on the leadership of the TNC to immediately take steps to check the excesses of these unscrupulous elements in Libya in order to pave the way for the restoration of genuine democracy and true reconciliation for all Libyans.

“Nigeria reiterates its support not only for the yearnings for political freedom by the Libyan people, but also in the ability of the leadership of the TNC to restore order in the Libyan society at the shortest possible time.

“Government believes that the immediate task for the enthronement of democracy, rule of law, political and socio-economic reconstruction and development in Libya should be carried out without hindrance.”

Images of black Africans camping near the port in Tripoli, the Libyan capital, were shown on Sky News yesterday. The refugees spoke of attacks by the rebels, who violated women. Many immigrants have been killed, they said.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/18432-nigeria-protests-killing-of-its-nationals-in-libya.html

If cunny man die, nah cunny man go bury am