₦airaland Forum

Posted by: dayokanu

Only truth

So you mean Biafra = Ojukwu? The money is for Ojukwus medical treatment?

That doesnt sound right

Ojukwu is a legend, the legend of a people and their struggle which Biafra stands for.
He epitomizes Biafra, bar none.

Having said that, I repeat, this money is ONLY A TOKEN - A DEMONSTRATION OF GOOD FAITH towards the Igbo.

Someone will have to pay for Ojukwu's medical bills. We (Ndigbo) can do it; but it presents the federal govt of Jonathan with an opportunity to begin the process of reconciliation.

@jason123 -Mr_southern_Nigerian_unity_provided_Igbo_is_serving_Yoruba/Itshekiri,

Read what I said about the price for peace. I don't have time for fools.

Whether these folks accept it or not, Nigeria has a destiny with the events of 1966- 70. It will be settled somehow someday. IT AIN'T DEAD BY A LONG SHOT.

What the government is doing is really commendable because you cannot have development without peace, and you cannot have peace if someone is feeling aggrieved (rightly or wrongly). You can all argue all you like, but 2 million people died from a war that should not have been levied upon them. History shows clearly that Biafra NEVER fired the first shot in that war. Gowon and Nigeria did.

I commend the government for this token, and I accept it happily, though more needs to be done in the future. Nevertheless, well done.  Cool

If you think for once in your life, maybe you will get it.

Posted by: dayokanu

Onlytruth,

So who should the money be given to?

Right now, I believe the money will likely end up paying for Ojukwu's prolonged medical stay in London.

It is only $10 m, and medical bills in developed countries go that high.

Posted by: dayokanu

Onlytruth, Hope the money wont be in exchange for other things cos with this money now, Your cries for development would have been silenced and most of the soldiers who fought the war are already dead

Like I said before, the money is a token. Ojukwu is an old man who is largely inactive. The money could go towards his medical bills, and Ndigbo would not forget this token.

It is a first of many steps towards genuine peace and reconciliation.

The beneficiaries are not even the folks who actually fought in the war. It is a token of good faith towards the Igbo and other Biafrans of the former eastern region.

We are waiting for others.

dayokanu, and anyone trying to bring back this vicious cycle argument of who did what in Nigeria-Biafra war are really missing the point behind this monetary token.

Whether these folks accept it or not, Nigeria has a destiny with the events of 1966- 70. It will be settled somehow someday. IT AIN'T DEAD BY A LONG SHOT.

What the government is doing is really commendable because you cannot have development without peace, and you cannot have peace if someone is feeling aggrieved (rightly or wrongly). You can all argue all you like, but 2 million people died from a war that should not have been levied upon them. History shows clearly that Biafra NEVER fired the first shot in that war. Gowon and Nigeria did.

I commend the government for this token, and I accept it happily, though more needs to be done in the future. Nevertheless, well done.  

Let me make some things clear (at least from my perspective). This money is by no means a "settlement" or fair compensation for wrongs done to N'delta or Biafra or Ndigbo or Ojukwu.
This is a token - a demonstration of good intent. When apartheid was beginning to crumble, there were similar "small" gestures from the minority ruling whites before the taps opened fully for black empowerment.

Anyone who reads this as a full settlement is a fool.

@Posters,

You can be from anywhere or claim anything, but please in your interest, never mention the sacred word "IQ".
Do so, and you will answer to SEFAGO. . a very vicious and fearless local IQ claims officer.

I'm lmao at SEFAGO the Anambra boy.

Anyway, SEFAGO, what is with you and IQ sef?

E be like say you patent am.

I was rollin' when I saw you daring that animal called Rhino over his IQ claims.

Well, at least, you'd make a good IQ claims enforcement police officer. 

Posted by: owobokiri

Me, I no sabi how person wey you carry for back go dey give you order on how to walk.

This is what stuck out for me.

@owobokiri

Very well said.

Bro Andre,

PDP has basically removed itself from Igboland; if not immediately, then ultimately.
Whatever support we gave to Jonathan is really separate. It was unanimous across party lines in Igboland.

The only reason I'm even bothering with this thread is that it is about sharing of national offices at the national assembly.

The fact remains that PDP won the national assembly elections and they won in SE, at least until the elections tribunals swing into action.

So, that this conversation is going on at all is enough indictment of any Igbo who voted for PDP in national assembly elections.

. . And please let us continue to ignore a few Yoruba goats here seeking attention.

The politics is far above them.

Some smart Yorubas have already commented on this thread. 

@ekt_bear

Stop trying to deceive yourself.
If the so called understanding was reached, why is the National Chairman of the PDP now zoned to the North?

Fact is there was NO zoning. That is why Jonathan contested.

Common sense dictates that party performance in zones should dictate who gets what.

I'm still waiting for my Igbo PDP members to tell us what happened at Obudu.

@Emperorolu Playmade

Let me help you a little.

Instead of this Chimpanzee to focus on his party and use his party to better the lives of Igbos in the SE ,he is busy ranting about Government positions that will not benefit ordinary Igbos on the ground.These men have disgraced the Igbo tribe on a massive scale and the Igbo youths should take action and deal with them VOTE ONLY APGA NEXT TIME.

There you have it!  

I have to agree Ezeuche. This is the most important thread on Nairaland. Bar none!

The war against Biafra was really about oil.

I see the evidence daily.

@ekt_bear

You are not making sense with your posts.
Who are you even arguing with? Have you ACTUALLY read what Umeh is saying here?

If the PDP zoned offices BEFORE the elections, then no one would begrudge them about this.
Fact is they DID NOT. Which is why Jonathan contested.

The topic is about sharing of offices AFTER the elections, which anyone with half a brain would know that it should reflect party performance in zones. Simple thing.

This is not zoning. This is simply allocation of offices based on performance of the party in zones.

So, to my Igbo PDP supporters; WHERE DID YOU GO WHEN THEY STARTED SHARING POSITIONS?

If you have no answer, then be prepared to be chased out of Igboland with sticks!  

Victor Umeh also stated that the agreement to support Jonathan is different, and we should wait till him programs are rolled out before deciding whether he betrayed us or not. I won't wait that long.
Igbo say that "okuko g'abu oke, ana ama ya na uriom" (actually core Nnewi proverb ) A chicken that will turn into a cock is known young (chic). So, I'm not holding my breath for Jonathan. What we did, we have done. Not going back.

As for the PDP members who are Igbo, they should ask themselves why this is happening.

Igboland is changing politically. The two most strategic Igbo states (Anambra and Imo) are APGA controlled now. The rest of Igboland will follow soon.  

^^
APGA is only cashing in!

Basically to say, "You supported PDP, what do you have to show for it now. Time to return home to APGA"

I don't respond to goats.

So, my information here is geared STRICTLY to Igbo PDP supporters.

Before this election, I never liked PDP. It is here on record. I only supported Jonathan.
My party remains APGA.

I am convinced that PDP rigged in the national assembly elections. Victor Umeh re-stated that fact. But that is for the tribunals to handle.

I am waiting for my Igbo brothers who supported PDP in national elections.

I advised them to vote APGA for national assembly and ALL local elections.

Jonathan got our unalloyed support. FACT.

When he roles out his programs, we will then know whether he is keeping to his pre-election promises.
We can't judge him yet.

But Igbo PDP members should explain to us what happened, else, PDP is a goner party in Igboland.

This has NOTHING to do with SW political maneuver. It is about trying to keep Nigerian one by all means, even if it means throwing Igbo interest under the bus.

But we are waiting for these PDP thieves in the next elections.

^^

It is because of oafs like you that I made my statement about SW. 

And let me add something quickly.
This PDP injustice has nothing to do with SW. They never even asked for it. In fact, some of them are even rejecting the position because I suspect that deep down their hearts, they know what game PDP is trying to play, and don't want to be used to continue divide and rule in southern Nigeria. So, that is settled for me.

Peter Obi said something interesting about this PDP mess.
He said that Igbo people should go and ask Igbo members of the PDP about this.
It is time for Igbo PDP members to explain this nonsense to the Igbo nation.
Let them go ahead and try!  

I will ask that every PDP elected position in the SE should be contested in court by whoever lost.

We should try to pry as much positions as possible away from PDP.

Even if we get 10% back, we will wait for  the rest in the next elections.

The simple fact is that if this PDP injustice is allowed to stand, then PDP is DEAD at least in Igboland.
Umeh's main argument here is that if PDP had zoned positions BEFORE the elections, then it would be justifiable to simply follow their zoning rules. THEY DID NOT. Which is why Jonathan contested.

If you are going to now ZONE positions, doesn't it make sense to do so according to how the party performed?
Even if you decide not to zone, the norm around the WORLD is for the party to reward areas where it performed better in terms of positions. PDP can riggle and waggle as much as it wants, but this injustice to Ndigbo will not go unpunished.

And because we are even asking for justice in this case has already done the damage.

Even a 6 year old would not accept that a zone that produced 5 members of the house of reps would get rewarded first ahead of another that produced 35 members.

I'm going though the pains of explaining this because I know some Igbo who would come here in the future to say things like "well, has the position helped Igbo in the past; what has that done for my family. . . .blah blah"
If you say that, then be ready to forfeit your birthright. And please also share your wife with somebody.

As for me, next time any Igbo tells me to my face that he supports PDP, I will slap him/her first before asking questions later.
Nonsense.

I came across this document detailing all the road works in Anambra state, from the early 2000s to date, and it says a lot about who did what roads -Ngige and Peter Obi.
Document is VERY DETAILED.

You be the judge. 

That people call him “Aridite,” "Aradite" as a derogatory way of describing his prudence and inability to fritter away government funds on social parties and the servicing of government leeches, is a virtue rather than a vice.

LOL @ "Aradite" !

The guy reminds me of the song "Lets hear it for the boy", where the song goes:

"My baby may not be rich,
He's counting every dime!
But he love me loves me loves me . . ."


Probably the type of governor Anambra state deserves.

Sometimes I get angry that he is not spreading the ideals of APGA fast enough, but I am yet to see any evidence that this Governor is not among the best in Nigeria.

Over the years, I have been privileged to visit many Government Houses across the country, in the course of my work, as a journalist, to keep interview appointments with governors. My experience has been to meet with these state chief executives in the night, after official hours. I remember one occasion, where my interview meeting with a governor started at 2am and ended at 4.30am. By the time I left for my hotel room, to catch some sleep, in what was left of the night, there were many other people, in the governor’s lounge, waiting to see him.

And this is the case almost every day, as long as these governors are in their states or in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Some people would be wondering why those in government and, indeed, politicians generally, prefer to keep appointments in the night or hold meeting at such odd hours. One known politicians made a joke of it. He said that politicians meet in the night because that’s when honest people work. But my friend, who, I must confess, is mischievous, thinks otherwise. He said that governors and politicians are more comfortable holding meetings or keeping appointments in the night because they function like witches. His argument is that witches do not operate in the day time, as, according to him, they are afraid of light. Whatever is the case, whether politicians work in the night because it’s when “honest people” operate, as the politician said, or because they plot evil, like witches, as my friend would want us to believe, the truth is that nocturnal meetings or businesses are part of Nigerian politics.

However, recently, I was pleasantly surprised to see a different culture in one particular Government House. Our interview appointment with the governor was fixed for 9pm. And by 10.30pm, it was over. By then, there was nobody in the governor’s waiting room.There were no politicians or associates hanging out over beer and pepper soup. There were no half unclothed girls hanging out with politicians. There was no social engagement. And I understand that this is always the case in Anambra State, where Mr. Peter Obi holds sway as governor. The tradition is for the governor to go to the office in the morning, do paper work, attend to officials matters, hold meetings, attend state functions and return home when he would have finished the day’s job. If he has to hold state banquet, for any visiting official, it is usually before 8pm so that such social function would be concluded on time for people to go home. This is different from what obtains in most Government Houses in the country.

For me, this style or what I would call the Obi governance model is the best and it’s highly recommend to those who want to work and keep their sanity. When a governor or chief executive does not have unnecessary crowd around him, whether in the day or night, it is easier for him to think. In such situation, there will not be much distraction, which is a disease most people in government suffer. When there’s less distraction, much more is achieved. When there is distraction, nothing would be achieved. It’s clear that about 90 percent of productive time in government is used for frivolities and politics, while a paltry 10 percent is used to do the real business of governance. This explains why government fails, most times, in this part of the world. Were those in government using 90 percent to work, while 10 percent is for leisure or ceremonies, I bet you that the country would have moved many notches ahead.

I would also give Governor Obi kudos for his ability to reduce the cost of governance to the barest minimum. At a time when other governors have hundreds of aides, in special advisers, executive assistants, senior special advisers, advisers, commissioners and other officials, Anambra State is noted for making do with a compact cabinet and governor’s aides. With lean cabinet and manageable aides, money that would have been spent paying salaries and allowances to obviously redundant government officials, whose are, more or less, hangers-on, is saved and used for the development of the state. We have always known that one of the problems of governance in the country, at whatever level, is the large overhead or running cost. Owing to the appointment of an army of aides, a large chunk of the budget is spent on recurrent rather than capital expenditure. And this does not contribute to the development of the country or the improvement of the welfare of the majority of the citizenry.

[b]I think that Obi’s style is a lesson in economics. That people call him “Aridite,” as a derogatory way of describing his prudence and inability to fritter away government funds on social parties and the servicing of government leeches, is a virtue rather than a vice. That he prefers to travel light, only with the necessary people and not with large number of government officials, on his entourage, is a blessing for Anambra State, as it is a way of conserving funds. If others in government operate the same way, the wastages that are inherent in government would stop and government would have more money to work for the people, who they have a duty to cater to.
No doubt, it’s because of Obi’s ability to cut out waste in his operations and government that has made it possible for Anambra, which is neither an oil producing state nor receiving jumbo monthly allocation from the federation account, to execute projects that touch the lives of residents and indigenes of Anambra. From executed projects, in the last five years that Obi has been in the saddle, there is an indication that the governor has done well. This is glaring in road construction and reconstruction, health care delivery, education, manpower development and wealth creation, among others. [/b]

To be sure, the road network in Anambra, both at the state capital and in the communities and their good condition cannot but excite any motorist. More exciting is the inter-connectivity of the communities with good roads. With this link, it is easier to connect one community to another, without knowing the boundaries. I learnt that in constructing roads, some communities, which had, hitherto, been cut off, owing to the bad state of the roads, now have asphalt roads, for the first time. With this, these communities are connected to the other parts of the state. This, I dare say, makes it easier for farmers, for instance, to transport their farm produce to the cities, where they would sell them to earn money for the upkeep of their families.

From what is on ground, Obi has also done something commendable in the educational sector. The development of the permanent site/main campus of the Anambra State University, Igbariam, is a bold step for a governor who has made education one of the cardinal points of his government. With the take over of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, which was built by Anambra State government, by the Federal Government, successive Anambra State governments have been developing a new state university. I understand that the original plan for the state university was to have the main campus at Igbariam, while there would be another campus in Uli. But a former governor of the state, it is said, changed the programme and instead made Uli, his hometown, the location of the main campus of the university, while Igbariam became the other campus. No doubt in the spirit of justice and equity, Obi decided to go back to the original concept and therefore, reverted to Igbariam as the main campus. Now the permanent site of the main campus, at Igbariam, is being developed, with construction work going on in about two faculties and the administrative building.

Primary and secondary schools have equally received a boost in Anambra, with the establishment of computer centres and science laboratories. Also, the plan to construct 4, 000 new classrooms, for primary schools, across the state, in four years, is being pursued vigorously. In the healthcare sector, the development of a teaching hospital, among others, cannot but excite many, who know the importance of such a health centre. With construction work already at advanced stage and equipment being assembled, it’s expected that when the hospital comes into operations medical students would be better trained, while those who are plagued by complicated ailments would have a place to receive good medical attention.

The Onitsha business parks could not have come at a better time than now. Onitsha, which is one of the biggest business hobs in Africa, needs such facilities to fully realise its potentiality. And talking of business, it’s commendable that Obi has been able to attract a South African company, Castel Brewery, to establish a plant in Anambra. Such business outlet would go a long way in restoring confidence among businessmen and woman, to the effect that business could thrive in the state. Needless to mention the number of jobs such facility would create in the state.

The question would be asked: If Obi is doing this much, how come some people in the state are saying that he has not done anything? I do not know. However, what I do know is that it will be a miracle for a governor to have peace in a state where all the big names are in opposition political party and want their group to be in control. This is even moreso when you consider the fact that it was in Anambra that a sitting governor, in the person of Dr. Chris Ngige, who, came to office through a flawed election that was eventually annulled, was abducted by some powerful members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Also, recall that it was in Anambra that an organised mob, sponsored by powerful politicians, held sway for many days, within which period government property, including Government House (administrative and official residence) were destroyed. In Anambra, Obi was also impeached illegally and he only regained his mandate through the instrumentality of the law. He was equally shoved aside in 2007, when his tenure had not elapsed and had to resort to legal action to regain his seat. All these show that opposition is strong in Anambra and any governor whatsoever, let alone one who is in what could pass for a minority political party, must, naturally be under fire.

In such a setting or circumstances, it’s obvious that Obi will not have rest and cannot impress his transducers, who would rather have somebody from their political party or their crony to occupy the governorship seat in Anambra. However, the fact that Obi was able to win an election, for a second term in office, shows that the masses appreciate what he has been able to do in the last five years. Also, the fact that his party, the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), won about 60 percent of the seats in the state’s House of Assembly, for the first time in nine years and produced many House of Representatives members is an indication of the acceptance of Obi by the majority of Anambra people. The onus, therefore, is on him to press on with his programme, so that by the time he completes his tenure there would not be any doubt that he fulfilled, diligently, his own side of the Social Contract.


A look at the Peter Obi governance model
PUBLIC SPHERE By Onuoha Ukeh [onukeh@sunnewsonline.com]
Friday, May 20, 2011

^^
It can happen in APGA.
All they need to do is move there first. If they do that, Peter Obi will immediately lose his total control of the party. In any case, the emergence of Rochas Okorocha in Imo state should start the process of taking back APGA from Peter Obi. Lastly, Peter Obi will leave office in about two more years time. After that he may become completely irrelevant in APGA.

. . Again, I also want the decamped PDP member who join APGA to caucus with ACN in the national assembly.

I will never support any alliance with the North again. Their game is almost infantile, and long expired.

@FirmKY

You make it seem as if the SE is desperate for a political alliance with SS. The truth is that it is in the interest of BOTH regions that SE is not short changed in the emerging dispensation because no one would play that role in Igboland.
Our alliance must be mutual in WORK and BENEFIT.

I was among the champions of that alliance going into the elections. On that basis, I supported Jonathan, though I remained a strong APGA person. I urged Igbo to vote Jonathan and APGA as well. I never liked PDP. You can check my posts. I called it a tower of babel. Now I call it a tower of babel with evil designs against Igbo destiny.

If you have any concrete information to prove me wrong, I am waiting for it.

The emergent political alliance between SE, SS, SW and NC must not be on Igbo back. We have paid enough dues for Nigeria's unity. Others should try too.

^^
I posted this in response to Beaf's assertion that no one is demanding the position from the SE.

Folks should be honest.  It serves no one to feign ignorance.

If the position is useless, why was OBJ banging the table.

The whole thing reminds me of when we were kids (about 4-5 years old), my senior brother would openly "steal" the meat in our collective plate of food, and while eating it, he would frown his face as if the meat was bitter.

The trick didn't work on me then. This won't work on me today.