₦airaland Forum

BTW I will be a very partisan Eze!

I noticed that some of the top Igbo men and women are in PDP.
Some say they are there because of the corruption in PDP which enriches them; but that is the problem.
We must start to look beyond money as we plan our rebirth.

It is very sad and unfortunate that some of the best Igbo men lost elections in Igboland because those of us who can think failed to vote for them! We closed our noses and voted some lower quality people who are in APGA. Sadly, we had to!

For instance, Prof Charles Soludo lost in Anambra state because he contested under PDP.
There is NO WAY he could have won. Anambra Igbos are die hard Ojukwu followers, and APGA would always win there. The same fate will continue to befall Ngige until he returns to APGA.
We Igbo youths will continue to campaign against those who put their personal interests ahead of our group interest! 

In Imo State, God intervened and conscripted Gov Rohas Okorocha to join APGA.
That is why Imo is under APGA today.
I have a SPECIAL love and admiration for Gov Rochas because he is looking to me more like our only hope in growing APGA.   
I'm sorry to say that Peter Obi has not impressed me. 

My preferred strategy would have been that Gov Rochas targets ABIA and Ebonyi states, while Gov Peter Obi targets Enugu state and may be Delta state.

APGA should also target Rivers State. 

Ok, here is my take.

My first target in my mission when I resume as Eze Ndigbo Nairaland, is to find a way to unite Ndigbo around one political party. Our success and failure as a people starts there.

I know that a lot of my Igbo brothers would attack this position and argue that we are free to join any party, and that it is strategically better to "spread our options". BUT the issue remains that we have a history in Nigeria, so it would be irresponsible of us to ignore our history as we plan our future.

Have we EVER made waves in Nigeria by following the so called "National parties"? Let's be honest.
NCNC was dominated by Igbo leaders and that was how we produced the first governor-general of Nigeria.
NPP was also dominated by Igbos, and that was how we got the speaker of the house of reps (even as non-national party per se).

However, that is not even the point.
The point is that if we ever really want to shape our destiny as a people, there is NO WAY we can do that while in a party of cacophony by the name of PDP. It can never be done because the party is very confused. Where everybody is talking, nobody is talking! FACT.  

We need to move to APGA en mass, if we want to be taken seriously in Nigeria.

Here I stand!

[size=16pt]‘We can honour Ojukwu by uniting under APGA’[/size]

By OLA AGBAJE

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The greatest honour the Igbo people can give to the late Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu is to come under the banner of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to sustain his vision of respect and dignity for people of the  South-east  within the Nigerian nation.

Lagos-based lawyer and activist, Theo Nwaigbo, made the clarion call while speaking on the death of the Igbo leader and its implication on the political fortune of Ndigbo in the country. He also spoke on other national issues

Excerpts:

Why we must unite under APGA?

Over the years, the  south-east  have been content with politics of errand tea boys in the corridor of power, apologies to our father, Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Eze Gburugburu of Igbo land. In the current political dispensation, it is only the Igbo that do not have any identifiable political platform of their own. And that is why they have been getting second fiddle treatment from the PDP. Nigeria by creation stands on tripod.

Only the  South-east  zone do not have their legs standing. [/b]The Yoruba have proved that their hearts and soul remain with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). The PDP is predominantly a northern party. This is why Ndigbo must unite under the APGA umbrella so that they can have their dignity and a voice of their own.

[b]APGA in Imo state

Reflecting on the success of the All Progressives  Grand Alliance  in Imo state in the last general election I can conveniently tell you that the party won fair and square. It is however important to point out that the victory was not based solely on the capacity of APGA as a party but more largely on the charisma and popularity of Owelle Rochas Okorocha. If he had joined any other party the party would still have won election the state.

It was his personality and pedigree that attracted coalition of forces against the power drunk Ohakim government. Before he joined the party, APGA was virtually at zero level in the state. The party only existed in the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Now the welcome party is over, the government must start to develop and grow the party to a formidable political organization in the state and the entire Igbo land. This is the challenge before him now. And it is a serious one for that matter because the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) hawks are still hovering around in the state. It is by developing the party into a formidable platform that he can help himself and the entire Ndigbo in the political configuration of the nation. Hence he must embark on drastic surgical operation of the party to give a total reorganization.

The ACN experience

If you can recall, the Alliance for Democracy (AD) was the dominant party in the Yoruba land. Unfortunately the party entered into a pact with PDP through  former  President Olusegun Obasanjo who was desperately looking for a political base. AD suffered a huge betrayal and they lost the entire South West, except Lagos state where Bola Tinubu played a smart fox. The party was changed to AC and finally ACN.

Having learnt the bitter lesson, the leadership of the party went back to the drawing board. Party leaders such as Asiwaju Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande, and Chief Osoba among others embarked on massive mobilisation and reorganization of the party. The result is there for all to see.

They recaptured the entire South-west except Ondo state. The lesson to be drawn here is that the Yoruba have bounced back as major force in the political equation of the country. They now have a solid political platform to advance the collective interest of the people. Other serious groups in other zones are now willing to collaborate and negotiate with the party on a larger scale. Hence, nobody can toy with the South-West people the way they will toy with the Igbo.

Ndigbo must learn from such rich experience and rally round in APGA as their authentic Igbo platform. Nigeria is a tripod so divinely created. Orji Kalu had that vision and was building something like that with the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA). Unfortunately, he suffered betrayal and he lost Abia and Imo in the process.

The challenges before Obi, Okorocha

Both Peter Obi and Okorocha has the responsibility to make APGA attractive to the people just the way Fashola’s performance made  ACN the right model for the people in the Southwest. I’m sure the people will have no choice than to come under the banner of APGA if they are able to deliver dividends of democracy to the people and demonstrate that governance is not just about sharing money to the godfathers and party cronies. Obi has really started well in Anambra and Rochas is not doing badly in Imo considering the enormous challenge he met on the ground. However, they must remain focus and steadfast in the service to the people.  They must make the two states model of good governance. If they are able to do that there would be no place for politics of  god fatherism and do-or-die in Igbo land.

Critics of Okorocha

It is quite expected that those who never wanted good things for the people, those who are still aggrieved over the sudden termination of the chop-chop politics will find it difficult to come to term with the dawn of light in the state and so will pick on anything to criticize him. While it is too early to start assessing his government, it is quite clear that he has been able to restore hope to the people. He has been able to arrest the ugly situation he met on the ground.

However, he must remain focus  and avoid the usual banana peel through periodic auditing and evaluation of the people working with him. A lot of  hawks,  wolves in human skin are trying to get closer to him.
Sustaining committed APGA members It is good to consolidate on the gains of the election. Yes,  I agree with that but we should not forget that during the April elections, some PDP warlords did everything to protect the interest of the man sent to prevent Owelle Rochas Okorocha from winning the election.

Also, some ACN chieftains did same for their candidate. However, the APGA faithful with the support of the people and God won the fiercely contested election. Some of them even staked their lives  in the face of intimidation and harassment. They refused to compromise APGA’s candidate even in the face of tempting offers. Therefore, it would not be fair, just and equitable to sacrifice the interest of such loyalparty men  to satisfy the interest of defectors  from other political parties whose loyalties cannot be guaranteed now.

This is where I want the governor to strike the balance between the new crowd and the tested loyal APGA faithful who were at the forefront of the war during the election. He  should not forget those who put their lives on the line at various polling stations. He should be mindful of those who fought against him to sustain Ohakim in power but who are now telling him that they love him more than they love Ohakim.

He should be wary of such political turncoats who are only interested in what they can benefit from his government. Such people are everwilling to jump to any available ship at any available opportunity.
APGA must be built on strong party discipline and loyalty, which must be cultivated at all levels. For  example, they have their internal policy which requires any newcomer to spend certain period of time before he could be considered ripe for certain positions. So, if you are an ACN, you should be committed to that party.

South-east and tokenism

[b]Yes, you may call it compensation. For example, when an Ibo man is appointed  Secretary to the Federal Government or Deputy Senate President but with due respect, I would describe such purported compensation as an insult to the collective sensibility of the Igbo people considering their  contributions  and sacrifice to the building of Nigerian nation.
The war ended 40 years ago and people are still talking about compensation. We are not strangers in this country. That is why I am advocating for a political platform on which we can stand and negotiate for power. We don’t stand on porous grounds and say we want to negotiate. [/b]The most clearly identified political party with undiluted Igbo antecedent today is APGA and this must be on the commitment of everybody that believes in the cardinal objectives of the party. It cannot be built on the shoulders of lily-livered adventurists who cannot be trusted on any principle or ideological stand.

As I  talk  to you, opportunists, adventurists and political turncoats have invaded APGA. This is where both Obi and Okorocha have a great task. They must walk together to build genuine loyalty among their followers. They must identify committed party faithful and make them the real pillars of APGA across Iboland. There is nothing wrong with an Ibo party. There is nothing wrong with a strong Ibo- based political party. You must be a good tribal man before you can be a good national leader.

Nigerians and megalomania. Which one be BRICN again 
Why not some REAL BRICK and mortar infrastructure on the ground.   

I never believe that a revolution is ever possible in Nigeria, but in the face of these shocking levels of youth unemployment, and a complete absence of a social security or unemployment safe net, I could be wrong!

[size=16pt]A nation and her discontents[/size]

By Obi Nwakanma

Last week from Abeokuta, former president Olusegun Obasanjo, expressed fears about imminent mass revolt as a consequence of the criminally high rate of youth unemployment in Nigeria. Obasanjo is afraid that this revolt might lead to Nigeria’s equivalent of the Arab Spring. T[b]he former president has good reasons to fear, and indeed, he should be very, very afraid.[/b]

As Nigeria enters the Harmattan of its own discontent, it is important to place in clear context the validity of the fear expressed by one of the vital actors on the Nigerian stage; one whose actions have also contributed substantially to the Nigerian condition and to its current levels of discontent.

Nigeria has the highest level of youth unemployment in the world according to the minister for Youth Development, Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi. The Obasanjo administration’s action or inaction had a lot to do with this terrible situation. Under him, Nigeria squandered its great wealth on figment.

To date, the Federal government has refused to release the audit of the NNPC – Nigeria’s cash cow – which ought to show the Satanic level of corruption in that Dantesque pit, as well as show Obasanjo’s own complicity in the impoverishment of Nigeria. Nigeria’s is impoverished when individuals seize public resources through privatization, fail to protect national wealth, or build the public infrastructure that would support the ease of civilized life for citizens.

Nigeria is impoverished when its highly skilled youth are wasted through intergenerational unemployment. Nigeria’s unemployed youth number stands at 20 million or about 45% of Nigerian youths. That, in fact, is a charitable number given the reality, but no less alarming given that the total number of unemployed across the spectrum, a figure which I’m not even sure is available to the Ministry of Labour, is more horrendous. There is no Directorate of Labour Statistics that I know of under the Labour Ministry. If it does exist, it is inactive. But unemployment and under-employment in Nigeria – that situation that produces a profound sense of listlessness from inertia – is immeasurable.

It is the greatest source of anxiety and depression among Nigerians. Depression leads not to mood jocose as we know – but first to a morose population who soon after become bellicose. Nigerians have crossed the mood morose and have slipped into that zone of the bellicose. The signs are all around us. Defiance campaigns are now steadily and openly mounted against the authority of the federal government.

There’s much careless talk now about the validity and even desirability of a Federal government of Nigeria. Revanchist movements are much bolder in their organized forms. Ethnic nationalists seeking the end of the Nigerian nation are staging, everywhere, acts that openly challenge the sovereign will of the Nigerian state. To put it simply, we are in the throes of an uprising, and the smell of Thunder already floats in the lavender mist of this noon of our discontent. There is now the problem of the Boko Haram. Two schools of thought have linked the emergence of this group to some cross-border attempts to destabilize Nigeria and render it incoherent and weak, particularly given the rise of the Sahel region as a key global epicenter for global energy security. The other school of thought squarely places it on the internal revolt by a disenchanted Muslim youth population who reject the idea of the nation as it is currently constituted because it is unjust and corrupt.

They associate the corruption of a modern Nigerian state with the values of the west.Wednesday’s bomb incidentin Kaduna highlights Boko Haram’s determination to achieve its objectives. Its persistent forays beyond the reach of Nigeria’s security services, is also quite clearly symbolic. Equally symbolic is that this latest bombing of Kaduna happened just at the end of the meeting of the Arewa Consultative Forum in that city. The North of Nigeria has basically become ungovernable following Religious and Ethnic violence, from the once recumbent city of Jos to the farther reaches of Maiduguri.

These developments in the north speak largely of discontent with the idea of Nigeria – one in which the North feels itself isolated and powerless. They are not alone. This past week, Niger Delta militants seized the bridge at Lokoja leading to Abuja;the OPC militia took over the streets of Lagos firing Dane guns in the air to register their dominance of the land. A spokesman of the Oodua Group, Dr. Akintide, backed the action with a statement calling for Yoruba secession by 2015. Such calls have become more frequent and less tongue-in-cheek.

At the risk of oversimplifying the Nigerian situation, it is just proper to place the destabilization of Nigeria squarely in the hands of a number of factors and people, including folk like Obasanjo, whose current warnings of a mass revolt surely speaks to his own nervousness. Nigeria was founded as a modern nation in 1914by British colonialists. For an increasing number of Nigerians the fusing of what they have seen as once disparate groups into one modern nation is contradictory and unworkable.

It is a fraudulent argument, of course, because within the construct of modernity, the nation is a complex category of affiliation. It is neither marked by ethnic nor linguistic boundaries.



According to one of the finest theorists of ‘Nation,’ Ernest Renan, the modern nation is“a historical result brought about by a series of convergent facts. Sometimes unity has been effected by a dynasty, as was the case of France; sometimes it has been brought about by the direct will of provinces, as was the case with Holland, Switzerland, and Belgium; sometimes it has been the work of general consciousness, belatedly victorious over the caprices of feudalism, as was the case in Italy and Germany.” In the case of Nigeria it is the result of the exertion of an external, colonial will to complete a historical process.

But a true Nigerian consciousness has yet to emerge, challenged by the internal fissures that have erupted especiallysince the civil war, heightened by an irresponsible political leadership which has failed to comprehend the relations between the spiritual and material conditions of nation and citizenship.

The Nigerian does not feel any part of Nigeria. He feels himself more part of his miracle-making church or his infidel-baiting mosque or his membership of an “ancient kingdom” of something or the other.There are two central affiliations now open to most Nigerians: the Religious and the Ethnic which de-emphasizes the Nation as a viable space of production. Even the discursive means of nationalism – the newspapers and other Media – have become sources of religious and ethnic fundamentalism.

Corrupt political leadership has vigorously exploited these and the easy sway of the Plebes. Political leaders steal and squirrel away so much of the commonwealth while young men and women languish in poverty – without jobs or in its absence, some form of unemployment benefit.

The gap between the rich and the people is so wide, and so far, the consequence is general discontent and individual desperation. The revolt is just a matter of time. No question about it.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/12/a-nation-and-her-discontents/

Andre Uweh:
position accepted.

You are welcome on board, Andre Uweh, the Ohanaeze Liaison Chief in the cabinet of Eze Ndigbo Nairaland.
Thanks for your offer of service. We, Ndigbo appreciate you, ezigbo nwa afo Igbo.

I say a huge THANK YOU to both Ejiné and manny4life.

Ejiné, I agree with about 90% of your feelings and proposals,  however, please tone down your attack on Igbo sons here. You should understand that they are hurting because of our situation in Nigeria.

I share your feelings (almost 100%) on the issue of state creation and taxation in Igboland. I am more in support of stronger regions/states than proliferation and weakening of the various federating units.

manny4life, I totally agree that private sector should drive certain key infrastructural development in the East.

odumchi:
Oh ok. I accept your offer. Eze nke mbu, chiri gawa.

By the powers vested in me as the Eze Ndigbo Nairaland (elect), I hereby appoint Odumchi as the new Prime Minister (Onowu) of Ndigbo Nairaland. I look forward to a great working relationship with you beginning on January 1, 2012.
Please make use of the email address included in my acceptance speech to contact me at your convenience. We need to always stand on the same position and project the unity of Ndigbo Nairaland.
Thank you for making yourself available for the service of Ndigbo.

Long live the Onowu Ndigbo Nairaland, Odumchi!

odumchi:
What are you trying to say?  

Onlytruth, I like your proposal but before I decide, I want to ask: what will be the role of the Prime Minister?

The Prime Minister is in charge of the implementation of policies, or objectives of the goal of the Eze Igbo Nairaland.
He is the chief adviser to the Eze Igbo. His counsel to the Eze Igbo rises above those of other chiefs. The Eze Igbo defers to him as the person with the "how to" skills to get messages streamlined towards the defined goal of the Eze Igbo Nairaland. In the absence of the Eze Igbo, the Prime Minister represents him.

Since this is purely an online affair, all duties are also online.

My first statement of intent to my fellow Igbo men and women (and Nigerians as a whole), is that not everything is for sale! In my part of Igboland, certain parcels of land known as the "Ani ime Obi", or "Ala ime Obi", or "Ana ime Obi", was never for sale, no matter the amount of money being offered by a prospective buyer. It was "aru" or "alu" -anathema and sacrilegious, for anyone to sell such land.  Also, certain titled men known as the "Ndi Ichie" COULD NEVER BE BOUGHT WITH MONEY, OR LUCRE. Period.

That was how it used to be in Igboland, but today, all those golden cultures have given way to a culture of unbridled greed for money and lucre.

As I put forward this agenda for an Igbo rebirth, I begin by challenging all of us young Igbo men, to revert to the ways of our ancestors. We must declare, testify and assert our determination to dethrone money as the reservoir of self worth, and repudiate any attempt to enthrone that value system in Igboland. It must stop! O ga akwusiriri!  

I shall endeavor to lead by example; therefore, I Onlytruth do  hereby swear by the God of heaven, and by the spirits of our ancestors, that I will NEVER be bought with money or any other earthly material in order to subvert truth.

So help me God!  

Our journey begins here!

alj_harem:
What a good thread, I so much enjoyed it. good ndi igbo Nairaland. I salute  

Mazi Eze Onlytruth, I salute you once again.

You're welcome Alhaji. I still maintain that you need to repent though. Subterfuge is not a mark of a decent human.
Nobody is perfect, but please try to stand up clearly for what you believe in no matter the consequences. 
Deploying deceit may even work against your objectives. 
Nuff said.

BTW I extend my hand of fellowship to you, and would take yours, provided it is not leprous. 

To see a supposed "lady" freely throwing around words like "puzzy" is truly depressing.
Ona no de shame sef? Tufiakwa.

Okija_juju,

The election was very transparent and enjoyed the highest level of integrity. You lost the fight even before the main poll, because you are not ezigbo nwa afo Igbo. Your tribe remains dubious and at best "exotic". Ndigbo will never be led by those suffering from acute identity crisis, or those at war with themselves, because such men can never give us sane direction.

Thank you for spicing up the contest a little, but with all due respect, you lost! Let it be! Not only was the election highly transparent, and supervised by the moderators of this forum, I won with more than 50% of the total vote cast.
That is no mean feat in a forum such as this.

If you continue in this line of bitter loser mentality, I will be compelled to invoke my powers (through my Ohanaeze connections) to demote you from your current highly disputed title of Agu ji egbe 1 of a still highly contested "Nri", to Atulu ji egbe 1 of Neverland.

Umu Igbo ibem

Fellow Eastern Nigerians

Fellow Southern Nigerians

Fellow Nigerians

Friends of Nigeria worldwide 

I, Onlytruth, Ikenga Dike 1 of Anaedo, Ndu di n’eziokwu 1 of Igboland, hereby extend my warmest greetings and regards to you all on this epoch making event here on Nairaland, Nigeria’s leading online forum.

I am humbled beyond words by your decision to appoint me your e-leader –Eze Ndi Igbo Nke Mbu Na Nairaland (Eze Igbo 1 of Nairaland). This event (election of Eze Ndi Igbo online) is unprecedented in the annals of online forums; this would be the very first time one of the most dynamic nations of Africa (Ndigbo) would appoint an online leader, and since Nairaland is the topmost online Nigerian forum, Eze Igbo Nairaland becomes the de facto Eze Igbo online worldwide. 

Dalu nu, deme nu, ka nu, maazi nu, unu emeela, deje nu, mma mma nu! Thank you! 

Igbo kwenu!
Muo nu! 
Zuo nu!
Rie nu!
Kwezuo nu o! 

Though the contest for this e-office started almost jokingly, it quickly gathered the necessary seriousness and momentum as would any other Igbo business and program, Ndigbo being a very serious nation. Ndigbo si na ebe ana ama njakiri, ka ana ekwu ezi okwu (serious businesses are often initiated through banters); so this is a serious as it gets!
To my fellow contestants who played by the rules, I thank you all for putting yourselves forward for the service of Ndigbo. I hereby assure you all that my victory is collective; we are all winners! Thank you for honoring Ndigbo with your offer of service! To my fellow contestants who tried every trick in the book to violate the process, I say shame on you; please repent! 

As my office begins to take shape, I ask for your assistance and support by making yourselves available for any assignment which I may extend to you as ezigbo umu afo Igbo! Thank you in advance! My office is very ceremonial and whatever authority that derives from it is purely advisory, voluntary, and without any compulsion to anyone whatsoever.

I need to state early enough that the goal of my one year statutory tenure as Eze Ndigbo Nairaland is to enjoin you my entire fellow Umu Igbo, to rise to the challenge of an Igbo renaissance to drive our survival and advancement in Nigeria. The renaissance drive assumes firstly that we as Ndigbo have strayed far away from our cultural, spiritual, religious and moral base, and the situation requires an urgent retrace of our steps. We must remember the point of our deviation, and emphasize a determination to mend our ways. I hereby advise that we be guided by these two Igbo proverbs as we design our rebirth:

Ndigbo si na onye  amaghi ebe mmiri bidoro maba ya agaghi ama ebe okwusiri. (a person who does not know where the rain started to fall on him/her would never know where the rain stopped falling on him/her)
Ndigbo si na onye ekwughi ka oha eburu ya gafee ama nna ya! ( a man who gives the wrong impression of his true status, would inevitably be carried past his own fathers gate)

Umu nne m, agwo no na akirika! (brothers there is trouble in the land!) because we just lost our foremost leader, Dim Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.  However, I have a feeling that you all know that already! My job as Eze Ndigbo Nairaland is to ingeniously design a path to our renaissance, and this I will do, so help me God! I begin that process by going back to the ways of our ancestors, which is the “Igwe bu ike”, and “Umunna bu ike” strategy. It never failed us before the advent of “modernity”; it will not fail us this time. As a Christian also, I draw inspiration from God’s command to Joshua after the death of Moses in Joshua 1: 7-10.

I began this process by registering an email address for the office of Eze Ndigbo Nairaland, an office email ezendigbo_nl@hushmail.com, which shall be handed down from one Eze to another in the coming successive years here on Nairaland. Everyone (both friend and foe) is welcome to contact me directly using this email address.

To my fellow Eastern Nigerians, I wish to re-emphasize our brotherhood and good neighborliness. Since the beginning of history till date, there has never been any inter-tribal war amongst different peoples, tribes and nations of Eastern Nigeria. The event of the civil war did not even lead to one. There was both support, and opposition to the Biafran secession effort from ALL tribes in Eastern Nigeria. Ours is a region of exemplary inter-tribal harmony and peace. It is a remarkable feat which must be commended and bolstered, and for which every Eastern Nigerian must be very proud. We have intermarried; conducted slave trade together without discrimination along tribal lines; co-survived the injustices of power, and continue to live in peace with each other despite some invidious divisive strategies unleashed on us to create division in Eastern Nigeria, thereby making the region easier to exploit. It is time for us to recommit ourselves to a common goal of regional political integration and economic empowerment. SE and SS should always move together in the internal politics of Nigeria. 

It is political foolhardy for any one tribe, or group to feel superior to another, or to feel more Nigerian than another, or to scheme or collude with outside interests to subjugate one tribe or group in order to gain the upper hand, because at the end, all Easterners would be the losers! So, enough of treachery! We are brothers and good neighbors, and so shall it remain, so help us God! 

To my fellow Southern Nigerians, I hereby extend my hand of love and fellowship to you all as partners in search of peace and justice in Nigeria. It is self evident that Ndigbo find more peace and safety in Southern Nigeria than in Northern Nigeria. That alone, demonstrates true potential for peace, and can be a model for peaceful co-habitation of all Nigerians within the Nigerian space. We, Ndigbo, appreciate the peace we share with one another in Southern Nigeria, and wish to continue that peaceful co-habitation. However, I must state that whatever misunderstanding we may have with some Eastern and non-Eastern Southerners have centered largely on the civil war and this address to you would be incomplete without addressing some aspects of that. The civil war has been fought and won/lost, so we must move on. However, we Ndigbo feel that the main cause of the civil war –which is unbridled greed for power and political hegemony-, remains unaddressed in Nigeria. Whether you accept it or not, some of the goals of Biafra remain attractive to different groups in Nigeria, and by different names – Arewa, Middlebelt, Odua, etc, and this can only mean that the idea of Biafra was not based on greed as some of you often accuse us of, but rather a genuine attempt to find peace and progress within a politically and culturally stable space. I have always stated here that Biafra is not and cannot be my first choice for Ndigbo if all the ideals of equality encapsulated in the Ahiara Declaration, are implemented in the Nigerian constitution. We Ndigbo are not die hard secessionists; we are simply lovers of peace and progress.

So, if Nigeria cannot grant us our genuine rational and fair hopes, I would always echo the words of the great lion of Igboland/Biafra, Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, “Biafra is always an option!”  Whenever you mock our attempted secession, you shut the door to logic and fair hopes of all decent humans both within and outside of Nigeria. What is fair is fair, period, even if you may not want it for yourself. It is wicked and evil to try to play spoiler to your neighbors’ fair self help plans, because you are free to design similar plans for yourselves. Treachery is not exclusive to any individual or group. Evil is always easy, and all humans have equal capacity for evil. Therefore, let us learn to respect one another. 

To my fellow Nigerians from the North, by both human and divine design, you have enjoyed the longest period of access to power at the center in Nigeria’s history as a nation. In that period, nations which were behind Nigeria in development in early 1960s (when you were not in total control) have frog leaped ahead of Nigeria, while we struggle with such simple things as electricity supply. We appreciate your contribution to nation building, but we appeal to your conscience to see a need for a change in direction of power within Nigeria. Nigeria must enthrone merit as the basis for political leadership. The years of “dark horses” must come to an end. Enough of born to rule mentality, especially when those imposed on Nigeria are hardly literate enough to understand the stakes for Nigeria. 

In the year 2011, when other nations of the same independence age as Nigeria are moving into first world status, Northern Nigeria is still grappling with diseases which have been successfully eradicated in some of the poorest countries in Africa. To add to the problem, Nigeria is now the only black sub-Saharan African country with cases of suicide bombing and Islamic extremism. Northern Nigeria is gradually falling into a civil war, and there is no way that war would not metastasize throughout Nigeria unless we collectively pull the plug on power greed. I say this, because I want to believe that there is still hope for Nigeria; nevertheless, I do not believe in “indivisibility” of Nigeria because only a mad person would cleave to a failed methodology. Nigeria’s indivisibility should announce itself when things are done right. It can never be imposed whether by force of arms, or “by a multitude of people” to borrow from Lord Denin.   

To friends of Nigeria, I enjoin you to continue to contribute to our discourse here on Nairaland, and offer your opinions and advice on the way forward. We always appreciate you. Please keep coming!

To the Mods, I Onlytruth, Ikenga Dike 1 of Anaedo, Ndu di n’eziokwu 1 of Igboland, Eze Ndigbo 1 (elect) of Nairaland, wish to thank you for your support during this process. You proved yourselves classy, diligent and decent Nigerians. We, Ndigbo, say a huge thank you! 

To the greatest online Chairman of the Highly Independent Electoral Commission of Nairaland –PointB- I say a huge thank you. May your days and your tribe(family) increase, Amen! 

Long live Ndigbo, Long Live Eastern Nigerians, Long Live Southern Nigerians, Long Live Nigerians, Long Live friends of Nigeria.

Igbo kwenu!
Eastern Nigerians kwenu!
Southern Nigerians kwenu!
Nigerians kwezuo nu!


My proposed Eze –In-Council (subject to amendments)

Prime Minister – PointB, or[b] Odumchi[/b]
Ohanaeze Chief liason officer –Andre Uweh
Umu ada Leader –Ifyalways
Traditional Priest (eze mmuo) – Nri Priest
Chief Political Strategist – Obiagu1

Open offices:

Please suggest using the email provided.

Okija_juju:
@ Onlytruth

First of all let me start by saying thanks for pointing my spelling errors, I'm quite impressed that it was only a 'q' & 'k' mistake I made. You knw I never did take interest in written igbo in high school as I thought french would serve a better purpose in life than written Igbo. Thanks all the same, correction duly noted.

Now, I couldn't help but notice what you said about your folks owning a gun. So your daddy legally owned a gun, most likely a dane gun (single shot) or perhaps a 12guage shotgun, and the most interesting part of your post was were you said "It helped him ESCAPE BACK TO THE EAST" when the pogrom broke out in 1967. Now I wonder why your Father despite owning a rifle thought it necessary to return to the East rather than sit tight and shoot it out with the Northerners like John Rambo. Hmmm. . .

Once more sentiments seem to have beclouded your better sense of judgement Mr. Eze Ndi Igbo. I am glad your folks made it out alive, but now these are some of the things you may wish to take into consideration before you reply me;

1. The 1967 situation and that of 2010/2011 are very very different. A gun would have been helpful in a riot situation against a mob, but not against a clandestine type enemy who is dropping bombs by night and blowing it up after they have long gone or even a suicide bomber type situation. You will be at the pearly gates long before you can remember that you even own a gun.

2. Your father ran back home. In his case, I am pretty sure that if he had been pre-warned of an imminent attack, he would have skipped town long before the mob ever got to him.

3. I'm glad you know the gun laws in Nigeria, but I dare you and any Easterner up North to walk around town branding a pump-action or a 12-guage shotgun (old western style) and let's see how well that works out for you.

You said I am not igbo. That's fine and inconsequential at this moment. Igbo, yoruba or whatever does not change nothing. Common sense is avaliable to all and sundry without prejudice to ethinicity. Maybe the reason for your being unable to critically analyze the situation might be because you are even more Igbo than I. Once more I tell you this, owning a gun will achieve absolutely nothing against the present tactics of the Northern terrorists.

You and other Ndi Igbos should move. Life is more precious than silver and gold. Failure to move despite the several warnings would simply mean you know the situation on ground and accept liability for whatever befalls you. Do not expect the Igbos to rally and declare Biafra just because greed would not let you see reason.

The gods are wise, I have said my piece.

Udo dili ghi.

Okija_Juju (Agu ji egbe 1 of nairaland)

Firstly, I would advise you to perfect written Igbo before you should EVER AGAIN dare to be "Eze" of any Igbo group, online or offline. I nu go?
Okay, @topic, I don't even think you read my first post on this thread, neither do know my position on the issue here.
If, as evidence has shown, you did not know my position, why did you try to attack me?
Here is my position

Good, but they should think about HOME more, unless they show me a plan to defend themselves in Jos with ARMS in the future.
Mourning without plans is no plans.

I have a first choice, which is that they should return to the East, ELSE (as in a programming conditional statement), they should defend themselves by whatever legal means at their disposal.

Yes, my father (and his brothers) used "double barrel" (shot guns) to repel a mob of Hausas killing and burning their way to their home in Sabo Gari Kano. They did that for sometime, before Ojukwu (when he was still at the 5th batallion in Kano, may God bless him!  ) sent some soldiers to bring a temporary peace which enabled them to flee to the East. The Ojukwu that you love to hate, saved thousands of Igbos in Sabon Gari Kano in 1966.

I believe that owning a gun would provide a first line of defense before a more permanent solution (government intervention) is brought in to control the situation. Knowing Nigeria very well, that permanent solution may never materialize, so your gun may be your only hope and friend.  

BTW you should be telling your fellow die hard one Nigerianists to provide security to Ndigbo who follow your philosophy by living and investing in all parts of Nigeria. You shouldn't be advising them to return to the East! lol.
Don't you practice what you preach?
Which kain jipiti yarn be dat sef  

@ShangoThor

Your mission's goal is simple, but your objectives may be a little tricky, especially in light of the fact that some local Nigerians (like Alj_Harem and ndu_chucks) are beneficiaries of the same evil you are trying to fight, and they are not withdrawn from the conversation, but are rather deeply embedded among us causing as much deceit and disunity as possible.
Just watch, whenever you make strong efforts to unite southern groups, these characters would spring up to muddle the waters as much as possible. I don't even think education has anything to do with it, because Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo were more educated than Sir Ahmadu Bello, yet Bello outwitted both men quite a few times. These folks would do anything, kill anyone, basically try anything to retain their advantage.

I have a lot of respect for Ojukwu because he was the only southern Nigerian who put up the strongest challenge to the internal colonization agenda. He fought it till death. He never threw any southern group under the bus as he did it. He never saw an opportunity to gain the upper hand; rather he fought it with all his might. Though he lost, he remains the only one who fought it. When your brothers mock that, it tells us that they love slavery, simple and short.
Igbo people would NEVER attempt another emancipation war again in Nigeria partly because your brothers have not changed from their ways. Some of them tell us to our faces that they would repeat the same treachery if we try again to break free from Nigeria. I am not saying that we defer much to those things because if we see another opportunity, we will still try to break free from Nigeria, but I want you to understand that working together may never happen.
I still remain your fan though. 

Ileke-IdI:
this OPC people are not doing it right. Epic fail!
SOMETHIING THEY SHOULD HAVE PROPERLY PLANNED AND KEPT QUIET UNTIL WHEN IT'S MOST NECESSARY.
This display is supposed to help who exactly? What needs to be done is immediate arrest of those carrying illegal/ unregistered arms.

Please stop. You're a grown azz man and this display of shameless lies won't help you or anyone.

When have you called your ppl to order? You're infact the person that instigates tribalism on here. Inciting your people to post hate-words against the Yorubas, while you do so. i remember when you used to control EzeUche like the brainless duck (no offense) he wasn't, inciting him when I've gotten his tribalism cooled down.

Where you also not the same person happily "welcoming" your "brother", Willy Willy after his usually obsessive posts against the Yorubas? Oh yea, you all still want to claim that he's not "your people".

Stop the nonsense. The charade is getting old. A fool in his 30s will be a fool in his 40s, and a fool until his inevitable death.

Whatever you are smoking, please make sure you deliver first, else you would damage the developing brain of an infant. WilyWily is my brother.

ShangoThor:
@ Beaf, Gbawe, Aigbofa et-al

I plead with you guys to Cease fire, and sheath your swords.

We need to administer your collective intelligence to guide the more vulnerable in our populace in relation to what is gradually unfolding in our Nation.

The Country is on the verge of regional warfare, so Please stop, my brothers from East, Mid-West, South-South, West and Middlebelt.


We have huge responsibilities ahead of us. Let us not end up being narcisistic and egotistical, I repeat that we have huge responsibilities ahead of us.

Our fathers generation failed us miserably, and we will do even worse if we cannot put our differences aside.

Please stop the character assasination, we need to start building bridges for the testing times that are gradually unfolding.

I am humbly begging you all.

ShangoThor:
Beaf and Gbawe, I am being humble when I am begging you to stop!

Beaf please let it go. It's time to prepare for the War that is unfolding, the bigger picture.

ShangoThor:
Gbawe and Beaf you both know what I'm saying makes sense.

It is absolutely pointless trying to get the last word in.

As intelligent characters I find your collective intelligence inspiring. We need wisdom on NL now more than ever.

Now Gbawe, this is what I call calling your people (or everyone) to order.
In this Nairaland, I have not met another Yoruba like ShangoThor (I'm not saying this because he is here). This is what I call finesse and class.

I have often called some of my brothers here to order over certain issue in the past. There was always the risk that they could call me names and tell me to back off, nevertheless I do it sometimes. YOU NEVER DO SO GBAWE.
Igbo people say that "Ogbara nkiti, kwere ekwe" - (keeping quiet is tantamount to acquiescence/ acceptance), which means if you see someone dancing on the graves of innocent Eastern kids killed during a perfidious war, you are morally bound to speak up, else you are no better that the person doing so.

@ShangoThor, you know I have always respected your opinions in the past, but I have to warn you that what you are hoping to achieve may be next to impossible because of difference in value system.
However, you can continue, and I would always support you. In that effort to support you, I want to tell you a few facts about Nigeria.; historical facts.

Historically, there has NEVER been an attempt by an Igbo person to mass murder Yorubas or any other groups in Nigeria. The coup of January 1966 targeted less than 20 people -politicians and military. The coup was even adjudged "patriotic" and "nationalistic" by key Yoruba leaders like Obasanjo and Adekunle. They both acknowledge the naivety of the junior army officers who conducted the coup, but they never called it an Igbo coup, or attempted genocide. Even if there is still a debate around that coup, history records that there was no attempt to target ordinary Yoruba or other Nigerians.
Why then did Awolowo and Adekunle voice out open support to total annihilation of Igbo population through military and food blockage?
I hope you see why your mission may have to focus more on reining in your senseless brothers who still make mouth with open backstabbing and wicked treachery.

Trust is not an easy thing to gain. Treachery is always the easiest!

Adenkule interview
Adekunle fought against the truth:


Journalist: We’re still talking about the issues that led to the Nigerian Civil War

Adekunle: Ha! The first thing was that the British were trying to hand over. Somebody must control the government, somebody must control the armed forces, somebody must control the money, foreign policies, and other developmental infrastructure. The British had a soft spot for the Northerners. All the organizations necessary for the officer cadet, for the officers, for the formations were all situated in the North. It’s only very little formations that were put in the South.

At the time of independence, the highest number of formations including the brigade, the battalions, the artillery, the supply and transport, the intelligence were all based in the North. Anything you find in the south was just a make belief. And that gave the North the opportunity to sit on the throne of Nigeria, and see it as their birthright. The British not only dominated the Armed Forces, they allowed the location of the formations to be mainly in the North. The repercussion would come up later. The North could do anything. They could say anything in the name of Nigeria, if they do any nonsense, they will get away with it.

The police was the same. The police was more in number and they were spread all over the country than the army. And when the Air Force came, they were mainly located in the North. When the Navy was formed, it was located in the south, but then the Navy wasn’t developed as the Army was developed. They didn’t give them adequate equipment.

Even, if you look at it now, look at Jos for example. There are some military establishments there that shouldn’t have been. Look at Kaduna again, the School of Artillery in the North, the Joint Service Staff College is in the North. The factory for the manufacture of the ammunition is in Kaduna.



You’ll find that Sudan is in trouble now, because the North was made to dominate the South and the south refused. That’s the same thing that happened in this country where the south through Ojukwu was saying the North hasn’t got the brain, they had only got the men, that the North cannot rule Nigeria. But the British had already given the whole of the country to the Northerners, to dominate forces, they only gave them the Army, they gave them also the gumption to say that their population was more, that they were the richest and so they dominate the whole of the country. . .


I'll post where he talked about the lie about Igbos wanting to steal the resources of "Rivers" people. Yet he echoed the same lies as he conducted his ethnic cleansing exercise in Eastern region of Nigeria.

He was a lying, betraying, treacherous and wicked man who went to war AGAINST HIMSELF, and against HIS OWN INTEREST. He was even dumb too.
If this man had Igbo blood, I would denounce being Igbo. 



Rewind:

But the Yorubas had no soldiers, no fighting troops, all they had were clerks, nurses, intelligence officers. So we had to leave Enugu. . .


From there, we were at Aburi. Aburi was just mediating in the fracas in Nigeria, to bring peace, by Ghana. It was the Ghanaian Head of state who brokered the peace. Then Gowon was brought in as Head of state, we accepted. And that was how the Easterners in the west, in Lagos and all over Nigeria packed their things and went back home. [b]Then Ojukwu declared: “No peace, except the regions were given autonomy.” He directed that his people should not take any instructions from the centre. [/b]The East were depending more on the oil. The West had no oil. The North had no oil. The North didn’t like that and they took it upon themselves that there must be a war to fight and get money, money to run the government.

And that was how the whole thing went. Up till today, the armed forces is not the same because the truth is no more there; the comradeship is no more there, the love of the armed forces and not speaking your own language is no more there. Parochialism has taken over. The Northerners had used the fracas to increase the number of soldiers they had, to locate the ammunition depot, artillery depot, and armoured depot all in the North.

All the military institutions that mattered very much, go to Jos, Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano, you’ll see them. It’s a sort of domination of the country. Up till today, that domination is still there.

To make matters worse, the number of soldiers who were enlisted from the time of Gowon became more in the North, because they say they have highest population, the largest land area and the largest area must be defended and the population must reflect in the army.

Journalist: Can we ever have accurate census figure?

Adekunle: Never. If you want to have an accurate census, then you must start from birth and death. Is it the North that has got land mass that is uncultivated, that it takes miles getting from one village to another. We have been manipulating the system and we’ll keep on manipulating it.

Census is a big joke. It’s like a ritual that must be conducted. If you want to go from one village to the other in the North, you can go miles without seeing anybody. If you want water, you will go miles before you get water. Agriculture doesn’t go with them, so how then did they get the population, the money that they say they are contributing more to the revenue of this country. It’s the same lie that has been told to the Rivers people, that we are going to save you from the headache, from the oppression of the East, come along.

phreakabit:
Lets not castigate him. Rather let us encourage him. He has showed great courage in his determination to grow intellectually.

hehehe!

alj_harem:
Brothers ke.

Egbon leave that side, the Igbos on this forum can trully bring the animal in anyone. You really have to have a sane mind to really start discussion with them or better still insane at times.

Trust me egbon, awon omo ajekuta ma mo mi won gbadun yoruba rara. E gba ti mo se soun fun yin e !!!!

Na lie my friend.

phreakabit:
Gbawe I applaud your attempt at accentuating the little intelligence you posses . . . .But, let me point out that inverted commas don't make you sound or seem any more intelligent than you actually are. Was the quote in your post above necessary? I repeat, most of your post are utterly incoherent.

Chei!

I thought I was the only one that noticed the bolded. Frankly, I never read past his first sentences.

Okija_juju, I would advise you to as least learn written Igbo and stop polluting our language with strange words like "qua" instead of "kwa". I know you don't value Igbo that much, but please try, because core Northerners like Ndu-chucks and Alj_Harem write better Igbo than you. 

On the issue of bearing arms, I know that the Nigerian law allows hunting riffles. So, don't teach me Nigeria law of gun ownership. My father owned some and they played a very important role in his survival during the crisis of 1966, making it possible for him and my mum to escape back to Eastern Nigeria. I am a STRONG believer in the right to bear arms.
In fact, I strongly believe that any business or property owner MUST own a gun.  "Eze Igbo NL" title would not change my core beliefs as Nwa afo Igbo,  especially when I know it would help my people survive a mass murdering jungle such as Nigeria. The same reason is why the Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria are armed with dangerous weapons (legal or not). 
As Nigeria wobbles along, every clash involving the Fulani ALWAYS leads to the death of THE OTHER GUY, not Fulani.

Until Nigeria negotiates the terms of citizenship, I am only more interested in the survival of the golden fish of Nigeria -Ndigbo.

I will tell you once more that you are not Igbo even though you are trying to force yourself on us after mocking our heroes. Take your advice elsewhere. They are not needed here. 

alj_harem:
why are you angry,

Macjieve that wrote that rubbish of yorubas on there knees is in lagos or is it not ?

I am not making mouth, but I can tell you that if you try to eat me, just consider afam and macjieve dead

Onya ara

If I ever see your leg in Nnewi, I will sacrifice two of your nuts to our local goddess "edo". 

Now, it should be clear enough to all that Adekunle almost worshiped Igbo army officers whom he kept referring to as if to lift his own military image/standing. He kept mentioning Chukwuka, et al. lol

Adekunle was TYPICAL. Chai!  
This is the same man AFTER THE WAR.

We’re still talking about the issues that led to the Nigerian Civil War

Ha! The first thing was that the British were trying to hand over. Somebody must control the government, somebody must control the armed forces, somebody must control the money, foreign policies, and other developmental infrastructure. The British had a soft spot for the Northerners. All the organizations necessary for the officer cadet, for the officers, for the formations were all situated in the North. It’s only very little formations that were put in the South.

At the time of independence, the highest number of formations including the brigade, the battalions, the artillery, the supply and transport, the intelligence were all based in the North. Anything you find in the south was just a make belief. And that gave the North the opportunity to sit on the throne of Nigeria, and see it as their birthright. The British not only dominated the Armed Forces, they allowed the location of the formations to be mainly in the North. The repercussion would come up later. The North could do anything. They could say anything in the name of Nigeria, if they do any nonsense, they will get away with it.

The police was the same. The police was more in number and they were spread all over the country than the army. And when the Air Force came, they were mainly located in the North. When the Navy was formed, it was located in the south, but then the Navy wasn’t developed as the Army was developed. They didn’t give them adequate equipment.

Even, if you look at it now, look at Jos for example. There are some military establishments there that shouldn’t have been. Look at Kaduna again, the School of Artillery in the North, the Joint Service Staff College is in the North. The factory for the manufacture of the ammunition is in Kaduna.



You’ll find that Sudan is in trouble now, because the North was made to dominate the South and the south refused. That’s the same thing that happened in this country where the south through Ojukwu was saying the North hasn’t got the brain, they had only got the men, that the North cannot rule Nigeria. But the British had already given the whole of the country to the Northerners, to dominate forces, they only gave them the Army, they gave them also the gumption to say that their population was more, that they were the richest and so they dominate the whole of the country. . .


I'll post where he talked about the lie about Igbos wanting to steal the resources of "Rivers" people. Yet he echoed the same lies as he conducted his ethnic cleansing exercise in Eastern region of Nigeria.

He was a lying, betraying, treacherous and wicked man who went to war AGAINST HIMSELF, and against HIS OWN INTEREST. He was even dumb too.
If this man had Igbo blood, I would denounce being Igbo.  

Gbawe:
Abeg sharrap !!!! I repeat that Beaf is a Yoruba wannabe. If you know the meaning of wannabe you will "shame" for your hero Beaf instead.

So you don't see anything wrong in your statement? Oh well. We come from two different poles in Nigeria.

BTW I believe that Nigerians who can speak more than one Nigerian language are superior to those who cannot. 

Gbawe is nothing more than a smooth criminal bigot, just like Katsumoto. That line about [b]Beaf [/b]wanting to be Yoruba is the lowest comment I've seen here in years!

I shame for you Gbawe! Na wa o!