I am always a strong believer that the Igbo political position in Nigeria must NEVER AGAIN carry water for others against Igbo core interests, no matter what.
As things stand today in Nigeria, we are almost at the same level we were pre-1966 (in the economy, education, and gradually moving up in the politics and military); so we must NEVER repeat the "Nzeogwu mistake".

Much as I don't like how Northern Nigeria has sworn to keep everybody down forever (refusing to go to school, and still insisting on ruling Nigeria), I am perfectly happy that governors of the Igbo East are doing comparatively well and we may soon get to a stage whereby we have states in the Igbo East with the highest living standards in Africa; Yes it will happen soon, just watch!

What we don't need now is to keep defending anybody anywhere in Nigeria without a VERIFIABLE return on our political goodwill investment.
It is on that basis (I hope) that we should continue supporting Jonathan, or stop.

We do not need anybody to "love" or "like" us in Nigeria. We just need to keep developing and increasing our accumulation of resources. The world only fear and respect men with resources. Ndigbo say that "Onye bu igu ka ewu na eso!" -the goats only follow a man with fodders.
Simple enough for the wise.

pazienza:

You are not making any sense, perhaps your long period away from Nairaland is affecting you.

In an independent Igboland,your stance would make sense. But in multi ethnic, multi cultural Nigeria, your stance against more Igbo states reeks of political naivety and gross ignorance of Nigeria's state of origin,quota system and federal character politics.


Infact your suggestion of non proliferation of Igbo states while the rest of Nigeria gets more states is nothing but political and economic suicide for Ndiigbo, and i sincerely hope we don't have people with this kind of your mind set,ever manage the affairs of Ndiigbo.

Choi! Ala ekwela Ngwele gba aji!

Nwokem some of you need to grow up and stop making stu..pid accusations that base on nothing.
If you have a point, make it and move on.

You talk about an "Independent Igbo land"; in your quest to establish that, pray tell us which is easier: To conduct a referrendum among 5 Igbo states, or among 9 Igbo states?
Current 5 SE governments STRUGGLE to meet to formulate policies that benefit the zone, and in most SE governor's meetings there are ALWAYS absentee governors. Now extrapolate to 9 governors and try again.
Even today, if your eyes see what they should instead of looking for who to insult, you would notice that there are no more reprisal attacks in the SE after attacks against Igbo in the North. Have you wondered why?
Some idiots here in Nairaland from Anambra and Imo CONSTANTLY tear each other apart because of some steewpid "state" differences, and your greed blinds you to these.

Nwokem puta n'uzo biko.

I am not part of erie taa a nwuo echi.

What I want is that the zones should become the federating units, and each zone should have its own constitution and police.
Each zone should have EQUAL voice at the center irrespective of how many states each has.
That is my position.

Next time ask me before insulting me.

Sloan:

I know onlytruth has never spoken sense since he was born because he was born with no sense really, I think the cockroaches and lizards eaten by you people during the war robbed all existing and new Ibos that human privilege? In any case, the difference here is that the NE did not declare secession, rather your incompetent ibo man president Elebechukwu Azikiwe's incompetence and inability to lead the country is the reason for BH. General Azzazzi said the same thing before he was killed in a helicopter crash by Ebelechkwi's PDP. Still the army is failing because the command in chief is weak, pussie president who cannot even command a colony of sugar ants! So mister, if you are waiting for the stupidity of declaring biafra treatment in NE, you are joking although everyone knows they've endured worse! They are not in a state of war, yet, thousands have been killed this year alone!

Isn't it interesting that the same people who ate lizards and cockroaches dominate and top you in ALL sectors of human development/achievement today in the same Nigeria, from education all the way to industry and commerce? Think about it for a second and you would realize that maybe y'all missed out on a very rich set of delicacies that could have grown your brains.
ALL your posts are filled with bitterness against the Igbo, and president Jonathan, as if we ate your meals.

You sound seriously injured. Pele o. Sorry o. Ndo o!

I am currently not a number one fan of the president (though I believe he is better than anything your APC can ever throw at Nigerians in 2015), but I believe the man is handicapped by virtue of his being from a minority tribe in Nigeria. In Nigeria, your loyalty starts from your tribe. Ijaw is not a numerical factor in the Nigerian nation. Everybody with brains know this, hence only bitter bigots want the president to punch way beyond his true weight. He won't, because he is not a fool.

As for your argument about Igbo secession, pray tell us, how many Nigerians did Igbo kill or kidnap before Gowon lauched a FULL SCALE "police action" - WAR against the East. Let me help you guess: THOUSANDS, or even hundreds? Weren't Igbos the victims of a pogrom, in which they were killed in thousands? As for "Boko Haram's " agenda, haven't you read where they pledged allegiance to Al Baghdadi yesterday? Clearly "Boko Haram" wants to establish an ISLAMIC STATE in NORTHERN NIGERIA and other parts of Nigeria they can conquer. They say so everyday.
In your skull, Biafra -a secular state- is worse than CALIPHATE -an Islamic state?

As for the "Biafran treatment", I haven't seen millions starve to death in the North yet.

GOAT.

If the Nigerian government is serious about fighting "Boko Haram" it should start by reorganizing the military to reflect the reality of the situation we are facing. It is st..pid to allow a person from the North East or even North West to command even a platoon in the force deployed to fight "Boko Haram". During the Biafra war, no Igbo person commanded any reasonable group of military men that fought against Biafra. Why is Nigeria still pretending that the Nigerian army is still one and acting like anyone can be trusted to command any task force? And then we wonder why operational information leaks to "Boko Haram". I deliberately put quotes around "Boko Haram" because we don't know yet who funds/equips them, but we know that they enjoy sympathy in the North. It can even be a Northern army waiting to march on the rest of the country.

Solution to the Problem:

Declare FULL WAR in North East (or the whole North as the case may be). This would allow for the Biafran treatment to be metted to the North, afterall we are all Nigerians, aren't we?

Ikengawo: Was the north in competition with the south at the confab? the problem is when we were all asked to sit down and talk all regions began painting it as some type of competition instead of a discussion. the north declared early they would flat our oppose anything from the south for no real reason other than typical nigerian mentality

how can the north 'lose out' of a discussion? Have every had a conversation with someone and lost a conversation unless you came in to compete (argue)? All sides could easily get exactly what they want but the north didn't propose anything it wanted, it simply opposed everything everyone else wanted.


The real truth is the north is a myth. There's no 'north'. The term was invented because the british didn't have enough motivation to create several colonies with everything north of the Lagos, Eastern and western colonies so it just declared it all as 'north'. It then contacted it's most powerful tribe, the Fulani by proxy of the Hausa, and called them Hausa-Fulani. Then it helped increase that tribes power in the region so it can rule the whole region indirectly.


today ALL of the other tribes have come to their senses and have realized that this arrangement has defrauded deceived and disenfranchised them. They have remembered that they are vastly different from the Hausa and most importantly the Fulani and can no longer allow those two to speak for them and kill them at the same time. the Caliphate is a dead concept and 'the north' went to the confab not realizing that. All of the other groups came and discussed while the caliphate came to argue.

How can the north lose when northern minorities are getting their own states and governing their own destinies for the first time in 100 years? How can the north lose when the middle belt has achieved all it's objectives? are these people no longer northerners? The Fulani oligarchy lost because it must lose for everyone else to move on and only wins when everyone is subjugated, but it's in one small tribe out of the 100s in the north that have won at this confab so how did the north lose?

Nwanne this your post is a CLASSIC meant to be saved for prosterity.
Dalu for an INGENIOUS comment.

Not only that, ethnicity and religion were key in enabling the onslaught on the North. Most northern delegates who are from minority ethnic nationalities, abandoned the North (they consider as Hausa- Fulani affair) to align with the South in dealing a heavy blow to the North. Religion also played a part as most delegates in religious solidarity, formed an alliance with South-south delegates in taking major decisions.

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we are witnessing a new paradigm in the Nigerian political evolution. Not that the concept is new per se ( I mean who can forget Joseph Tarka of the MBC in a hurry), but this time, with GEJ - a "minority" in charge- the opportunity is truly there to create a Nigeria where chauvinism and Islamic bigotry is dealt a mortal blow once and for all.

I'm really loving this new Nigeria with great zest!

Bro ndu_chucks I de greet o.
Please accept the new paradigm or be swept away by the tide. Do not say that you were not warned.

I ALWAYS hated divisions, and this state creation will never get my support even if it rectifies the marginalization of SE at the center.

Just see what is about to happen: people are about to be excised into a state they clearly don't want. I am yet to meet any Anambra person that wants to belong to any new state. The thieving politicians in the "national conference" are mainly representing themselves.

I also often wonder why my Imo brothers want another state carved for them. I believe that current Imo state is great AS IS and will only grow greater if left alone. I feel the same for Enugu (Adada thingy). Who says that Enugu can't develop and use the resources in Nsukka axis?

But by far the most laughable aspect of it all is that we are being told that the new states will practice "true federalism". Haha.
The older (bigger and strong ) states weren't allowed to practice it, it is the new tiny states that can fund state police (which must be included in any reasonable true federalism).

Folks are just deluded, honestly.
They should just leave Anambra alone. We are tired of divisions and sharing of "national cake". We want to work biko.
Our future is in our hands.

Proud Anambra son.

No wonder.
Ever since I stopped debating people like bacanista in nairaland, my IQ improved dramatically.

Why is this eagle left handed? I mean why is the light in the eagle's left hand?

I understand that logos are supposed to contain symbols that are understandable to its owners.
Why is my eagle left handed?

A makwa m na ndi a achobero itinye anyi ncha na otu nzuzo.

Anyway, let me summarize and leave:

GOVERNMENT BUSINESSES DON'T WORK IN NIGERIA.

NONE OF THEM WORKED IN 50-something odd years since Nigeria's independence.

Nuff said.

Signing off,

Yours truly,

Onlytruth

Horus:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhKNtgj77Pw

Drone (UAV) Made By Nigerian Airforce

Omo, I fit use catapult sef down that thing.

Omo_Tier1:
However, have you asked yourself, how come these same individuals who happened to have managed government owned ventures to failure, end up with successful ventures of their own?

You keep going on about weapons systems, how can you build a weapons system when ordinary laboratory to perform NHV is a rare sight in Nigeria? How many renowned materials laboratory abound in nigeria? Do you even have stable power to be able to run a 6 axis spindle CNC machine for 24/7 machining?

You need to have the blocks in place before you can build a house! Unfortunately in Nigeria, we want to build a house but refuse to either mould blocks or go buy some.

You are shifting grounds unecessarily.
As I write this, INNOSON is using parts made in Nigeria (about 60%) from factories in Enugu and Nnewi, to build Nigerian vehicles.
He is achieving that feat where Nigerian owned PAN FAILED.
Private companies are run to survive in places where government ones fail.

CFCfan: As actual aircraft production is on the high side, I think the Airforce institute in collaboration with some local schools, can start with the manufacture of high-tech helicopters.
Hopefully, the President, ministers (on official duty), and top leadership of the National Assembly, would use them as part of the presidential fleet.
The Airbus/Boeing planes should continue to be used for international trips.

manny4life:

Question is not whether they're there but what is their strength in terms of research, development, production and sales?

Well, I guess we shall see one of these days, but my sense tells me that they are doing well so far.
If the owners have good business sense they will soon move on to something more challenging.
Like I said, government should support them with grants, tax breaks, and direct funding where necessary.

Omo_Tier1:
How come in CHINA, government ventures and businesses are very successful? SNOPEC, COMAC, CHINAOIL, you name them, they are all state owned yet are profitable and making money for the Chinese government.

It tells you that it is just another myth when people claim government are just bad in direct venture development.

Have you ever asked yourself while all the military ventures owned by government always seems to deliver, and in most cases are profitable?

Dude, did you even read ANY of my earlier comments at the top of this page? SMH.
Anyway, I'm not really here for argument. We can agree to disagree.

manny4life:

No company will stake all their money for that kind of enterprise, it doesn't make any financial sense. Before any company commits to this, the govt would have invested heavily into this, and before the govt embarks on this type of enterprise, they got to make the foundation first. Like you said, the synergies have to be in effect before anything goes. I wouldn't support a govt investing into ABC Nigerian Aircraft Manufacturing Company with their education and research background as zero.

I hope you know about PROFORCE in Nigeria. The last time I checked it was NEVER a government company.

Omo_Tier1:
It cannot be private from scratch! It has got to be solely government owned and funded until the structure is established for private individuals to come in, then the government pull back.

No private investor would want to burn their money in any investment the way the aerospace industry burns money to develop aircraft. Only national government would be able to afford that because of their nearly unending streams of cash flow.

On the bolded point, I think I need to stop arguing with you on that.
ALL government owned ventures (parastatals) in Nigeria FAILED.
We do not have an ability to produce our own weapon systems solely because of that.
Next?

Omo_Tier1:
The drones produced by Airforce, was a starting point and perhaps a steep learning curve. My very disappointment with that drone was the politicisation and the inglorious celebration that greeted here announcement by an inept government.

Designing an aircraft is really no a big deal, the real issue is manufacturing, assembly and testing. This is an area where unfortunately, you have not got the skills, you are screwed big time.

Your claim of fractious government in nigeria as reasons why government funding of an aircraft project would not work, maybe I need to remind you that in the US, each time Boeing is to build an aircraft, there is a huge state and federal government squabble over who and where gets what, yet that does not prevent Boeing from still design, manufacturing, assembly and selling aircraft to the rest of the world.

All we need is the right people with the right mind set.

You still have not said anything different from what I said already.
Governments support strategic companies and they can make requests of those companies, BUT they never force them to do things that impede their abilities to develop and deliver the product.

manny4life:

I still think though that they should partner with schools as well as foreign partners. For instance, if Air force Institute partners with say Embry Riddle, the leader in Aviation education here in the U.S., believe me, they will go places. At least, the education will be one hurdle gone through, and the next part will be the resource including funding. Although I agree that for it to be successful though, due to the type of enterprise it is, it still needs govt intervention which includes subsidies, grants, much need funding and what not.

Yes, of course I alluded to that when I said that universities should find the niche themselves when they see the companies springing up.
It is called SYNERGY, and synergies are almost natural events.
Let the companies come first, and then watch as some of these universities latch unto the opportunity.
It is like fuel and matches.

For a verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry looooooooooooooooooooooong time in Nigeria, the federal government kept propping up auto manufacturing parastatals like PAN, but they remained on life support.

Today INNOSON is taking the sector to another level, with almost ZERO government support.
Now, imagine what he can do with some grants from government.

Governments are just bad in direct venture development.

Omo_Tier1:
But I am sorry to say, it does appear you have no inkling how Airbus, Boeing, COMAC, Bombardier, Embrae, Hawker Sidley, etc. came to be. There is no civil aircraft manufacturing company that exist today in the world that was borne out of solely private enterprise.

Aircraft design, manufacture, sales and after sales business is a multi billion dollar business and you absolutely need government funding to be able to survive in this business.

If you are not aware, it takes approximately 6 to 8 years to get an aircraft from market study/concept development to EIS first flight. Throughout these 6 to 8 years, you will have to BURN cash continually running into billions.

The Airbus A350-900 would have gulp $12bn by the time it enters into service with Qatar Air Q2 this year and B777X, is being estimated to gulp nearly $10bn plus by the time it enters into service by 2024. Tell me, how many Nigerians or private individuals have such free cash to burn with even the possibility that you would not break even for another 5 to 6 years after EIS.

The government needs to step in, help get something going, then, pull out and allow the private investors take over from there. Even when the private investors do take over, the politics of Aircraft business is such that you will require your national or regional government body to back you up in order for you to do business successfully.

You ended up supporting what I've already said, though I know that most of you people don't bother to read comments first before commenting.
I said that the government can help BUT only by way of GRANTS, TAX BREAKS, and DIRECT FUNDING (where necessary).
BUT the venture itself should be private.
How is that different from what you just said?

CFCfan:
I think the Airforce building it's own Planes (helicopters) is a welcome idea. The proposed institute can also work side by side with some schools such as FUTO, UNILAG etc.

In Nigeria, NO it is a very bad idea. The so called drone the Airforce produced is laughable compared to what a PRIVATE company would have produced.
Nigeria has a particular reason why such direct government venture cannot work -the country is too fractious and divided. Such direct government venture can only work in countries with ONE DOMINATE tribe or nation, like China, or Israel. Diverse nations and even first world ones rely on private companies, because they are far more efficient in such nations.
In Nigeria, government things are sited and run for political reasons. That is why the government should steer clear of sectors that it wants urgent transformation, like aviation technology.
For much of my life the federal government owned defense industries corp (DIC) can't product Sh$$t. By now, it should be producing strategic weapons systems like missiles. But they are stuck in the mud all these years.

...And we don't need another federal government school for this.
We already have universities in the country. Let them carve a niche for themselves in aviation engineering WHEN they see the opportunity in the PRIVATE aviation engineering companies.

Enough of "federal government this and that.."

CFCfan: The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh has appealed for assistance from the Federal Government to enable the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) establish a viable aircraft production center in the country.

Badeh, also appealed for the approval of the bill to formally establish the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), as a federal university to help provide the human capacity to drive NAF aspiration for local production of aircraft.

The idea (local development of aviation technology) is a very good idea, but I also see the seed of failure there - making it a government venture and forcing in on the airforce.
This should be a PRIVATE VENTURE, and MUST NOT be forced to operate at the "center of unity". If someone is motivated enough to start a company that do this in any part of Nigeria, let the government support the person with GRANTS and tax breaks, and even direct funding where necessary, BUT hands off the rest!

Nigeria is batting far below par because of this proclivity to centering and "governmentization" of every strategic venture in the country.

That Igbo boy in Imo state tinkering with building helicopters from scratch should go to such private companies to work.
That is HOW it is done in countries that dominate such sector.

I know that I would make a GREAT Nigerian president one day.

T9ksy:

When exactly in 1966? January or July?

4th-5th January 1967

cheruv:
I never knew you were this petty minded..why were you paranoid? its not like the ijos are an endangered species or that those areas claiming not to be ijo reduces your ijoness one bit.
Igbos are business minded and have no wish to dominate you or take away the collection of penisulars and islands you call home,trust me on this

You are wasting your time with that iediot masquerade. For now, it would be better to remind him that Ijo own no land in the East.
No fishers, water dwellers, or boat people own any land anywhere in the world. They live on waters.
The Ijo are earliest european slaves/porters who helped the early slave dealers to conduct the ignoble trade.
Have you taken time to listen to "Ijo"? It is the most FOREIGN language you'd hear in Eastern Nigeria.
Their behavior is also totally alien to that part of Nigeria. They are LAZY and THOUGHTLESS. They contribute NOTHING to development.

ijaw citizen: The fact there is some form of enmity/rivary between Opobians & Andonis doesn't make them less Ijaws, Andonis are as Ijaw as the man in Bayelsa or Okrika. I simply don't know why you say Andonis(alternatively called Obolos) are not Ijaws.

Again, where do the "Igbos" in Bonny & Opobo come from?
What are the Igbo communities in Opobo & Bonny?

Pls educate me.

To answer that question we must also asked WHERE DID IJAW COME FROM? The two are inseparable questions.
There have been very sound arguments made here in Nairaland that "Ijo" are from GHANA, and were European porters who served the early European slave traders from 1400s. There is no cultural or linguistic link between Ijo and any other Eastern Nigerian group.
When the time comes we shall remind you of that.

In parting, let me say this.

Every minority ethnic group in Eastern Nigeria should always thank God for Ndigbo, because Nigeria would have been far worse for them if there are no Igbo in the East. The only group feared in the East are Ndigbo. They can choose to believe whatever they want, this fact will never change in a thousand years! A lot of them would have been since ethnically cleansed by "emotionless groups" from other parts of Nigeria.

We shall continue to support Jonathan for as long as he continues to protect our interest and speak in the language of Eastern Nigerian brotherhood.
If he does not, we shall turn him lose and face front.
Ken Saro Wiwa wanted it that way; it was too late for him by the time he found his senses back.

Nuff said.

Signing off,

Yours truly,

Onlytruth!

superstar1:

Ijaw_citizen is not Alj_harem.

Well, he is a Yoruba. His character is YORUBA. He runs away when confronted.

I have since come to the conclusion that the people hating Jonathan the most are not even from the North but from the WEST of Nigeria.
I can bet my money that "Ijaw-citizen" is a PAID troll from the WEST, and only "ALJ-HAREM" operates 24/7 here. He is a jackal of a character.
His activities here have not reached a critical mass -a point when Igbo posters here turn against Jonathan. I presume that this is why the real Ijaws here are not speaking out yet on his activities.
But with the way things are fast unfolding in Nigeria, nobody knows when that tipping point will come.
I wish Jonathan well, not out of emotion, but out of FAIRNESS.

ONLY A LUNATIC HATES FOR HATING SAKE.

superstar1:

This guy is very funny. How can yorubas stop corporate organisations from relocating? did michelin not relocate to Ghana?

Do you think corporate bodies take decisions based on ethnic colouration?

Do they care who is hausa or urhobo or igbo? What they care about is their profitability and security of investment --- capitalism at its best.

The way you people from alaigbo reason, always make one to question your brain reasoning capability.

Ijaw_citizen said it all, by telling you based your myopic decisions on emotions. let me also add this, your myopic decisions always make you to lose sight of long time objectives.

Nobody is making any emotional decision.
Jonathan is from our region; we have no choice.
When Yar adua was there, his COAS was from THE NORTH. All his strategic national security positions were Northerners.
Jonathan knows within his heart that he cannot rule Nigeria without using human assets from his region of Nigeria. He would have SINCE been kicked out by YORUBA and HAUSA.
FACT.

ijaw citizen: You guys reason to shallow!

Why should I bother myself over relocation of multinational HQs when I could just render them useless by making sure no oil flows. Asking people to relocate those structures is tantamount to begging them, and when they do, they see it like they've done you a favour for getting what belongs to you.

Why not just "give them an offer they can not refuse" rather than begging. In case you don't know thats the Niger Deltan tactics working for us today: GIVING PEOPLE AN OFFER THEY CANNOT REFUSE. I don't wanna run my mouth by mentioning names.

So you see, we don't reason alike, matter of fact, you reason too sentimentally & myopic.

What you are doing in Nairaland will eventually fetch Ijaw that confrontation.
It is either you hate Ijaw with a passion or you are really a very DUMB Ijaw.