₦airaland Forum

Posted by: EzeUche_

It is not about being alarmist, because I clearly stated that I remain optimistic about the current state of Igbo affairs. However, I am still wary of Obasanjo's influence over President Jonathan. That is why we, the Ndigbo must prepare for a worst case scenario. If we are disregarded in our vote of President Jonathan, then there should be consequences for that disrespect. I would Igbo leaders are discussing the current affairs of the Ndigbo and make sure that stand united against such an event. You can never be too sure what PDP and the elites from other parts of Nigeria are capable of. The problem with the Ndigbo are that we are too trusting of others. We have been like that since Nigeria gained its independence. Nnamdi Azikiwe trusted the North, Ojukwu trusted Awolowo etc The list is endless and we the Ndigbo have suffered dearly for our trusting nature.

The bolded can be easily remedied. This election will provide us with all lessons we need going forward, because we spoke with one voice for the very FIRST time.
How Igbo politics evolve going forward will largely be shaped by the outcome of current politicking. As a majority tribe in Nigeria, we have a lot of power (though latent). We can regain our position by simply playing cut throat politics like others. Whoever thought that doing the right thing can bring pains. Well, like the saying goes in some countries, "no good deed goes unpunished".

Let's keep watching the games. 

My greatest joy is that the whole Igbo are sensitized about all current political situation in the country, thanks to the massive mobilization and speaking for the first time with ONE voice in support for Jonathan.
This is not some under the table dealings. It all happened in FULL GLARE of Ndigbo. So, no one can tell us things in the future.
So, mobilizing to fight the injustice would be easy.

Let me quickly add that I still don't have any evidence to suggest that Jonathan would allow this to happen. It just doesn't make any sense. But I have since learned to adjust my brainwaves to any wavelength -from re-tar-ded and deranged levels to those of pure genius.

Like I said before, lets allow this one to play out first; but it would not hurt for us to start NOW to meet and strategize.

Posted by: Ileke-IdI

Things happening in Naija:

1) SE (or Igbos mainly) desperately want a union with SS to share national cake.

2) SW just dey look dey content with voting out PDP

3) We'll be wasting time and money focusing on election reruns and election court suits.

4) SW, Edo, Itsekiri, Kwara are observing each other and contemplating on a union.

5) North, realizing dem don lose power, dey worry about their future. No more "This is my paddy, he can get me a job".

I hope you are joking about the bolded. You of all people should know that SS needs Ndigbo more ('cos we have Ndigbo there too), than we would ever need all of them. If you say that SE sees the benefit of a political alliance to BOTH regions, then yes, you may be unto something. But one individual from one tribe cannot represent a region of about 20 tribes.

If Ndigbo (notice I didnt say SE) decides to demand our share in Nigeria, I shudder at what would happen. If seems as if the more we leave Obasanjo unchallenged, the more he assumes a god-like position in Nigeria.

It may be time to team up with opposing interests to Obasanjo's continuing rule in Nigeria.

Believe me, the whole problem is from SE. We need to show that we are serious in Nigeria. We cannot keep accepting any scenario. There is a time to say enough. This may be that time.
We have many options, ranging from simply realigning politically, to plans for outright secession.
But, knowing Nigeria well, secession will get us a long way. Whether we leave depends on Nigeria.
From the return to democratic dispensation in 1999 till today, all I see are sustained attempts to keep Ndigbo down.

If we don't show that we are serious, WORSE things are in store for us.

Agwo emeghi ihe ojiri wuru agwo, umu aka achiri ya n'aka.

It is time to pull our resources together and go get our due.

I repeat, no one would take us serious in Nigeria until we show that we are not interested in being anything but a majority tribe that God created us to be. We can secede, and if they love themselves that much, they should not oppose our secession. They can continue without us.

The question is, Are we serious about fighting for our fair share and our right to be treated with respect?

I guess the Imo people can leave us forward from now on.

I lost confidence in Peter Obi a long time ago.

@Ezeuche,

Frankly, it is too early to know how this would end because of some "duhs" in the prognosis.  

Some things are immediately obvious though; for instance, Jonathan is not showing himself a strong person as president, and I say so because an old retired man like Obasanjo is still dictating things in PDP. Secondly, it is self evident enough that if Ndigbo had gone for the VP to a northern candidate, Jonathan would not have won.
That is why talked about the "duhs".

If I were among top Igbo politicians now, I would simply ensure that we maintain our rejection of Secretary to the FG.
They should give it to other zones.  

When we start showing that we are serious with pulling out of Nigeria altogether if these nonsense scenarios continue, everyone will come back to their senses.

We need to move out of PDP en masse and join APGA. From there we should hold an all Igbo conference to deliberate on how to leave Nigeria. Believe me, if we put our heads together, we will either get our fair share in Nigeria, or SECEDE. Simple.  

Lets see how this whole thing develops.

I am not a PDP insider, heck I never liked the party. Just supported Jonathan, and I hope he is smart enough to realize the implication of pandering to the whims of Obasanjo. He is the president. End of story.

As for Igbo politicians, it is time they prove where their loyalty lies; whether with PDP or with Ndigbo. They must choose. And I don't see Ndigbo backing down on these minimal demands.

I am happy that we have settled an age old question, which is whether to stand for fairness, or to stand for our own interest and survival. I am especially happy that PDP and GEJ got at least 85% and 97% support respectively in SE.

I also heard that Rochas can speak fluent Hausa.
Well, in national politics, that is an asset. All the top politicians we've produced before can speak Hausa

All he needs is to start from SE, then move to SS, then North Central, before getting to core North.
He really does not need SW, though I hate to exclude any zone in my political calculations.

He should start NOW if he is serious about becoming Nigerian president one day. He needs to first prove himself in Imo as a quintessential governor. After that, the coast is clear.

I really hope that Rochas would not make the mistake of returning to PDP because he will regret it.
What he needs to do is to rebuild APGA, first by helping to remove Victor Umeh and replace him with Chekwas Okorie.
All these can happen within a few months of taking office in Imo.
Next is to design a national plan of how to take APGA to all the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria; and I mean REALLY plant the party nationwide.
I know it would not be an easy task, but if he even succeeds by 50%, he can be Nigeria's president someday using APGA.

If he returns to PDP, he will be shut down like they did before.

Posted by: Eziachi

I totally agree withh you. APGA and Chekwas Okorie needs urgent reconcilliation. Chekwas need to go and see Ikemba while he is still breathing and apologise.

I honestly believe that a Chekwas Okorie leadership without his big ego would have turned APGA into a strong force in the Old East, not just Igboland by now. Okorie is very political savvy like the Tinubus of this world when it comes to Nigerian kind of democracy and politics.
But he has to come down and apologise and accept that he was wrong and they should also bring back the like of Izuogu,Onyeaguocha, Uzodinma Okpara. I cant see why the  in Abia state called Orji can't be sacked if APGA GOT THEIR ACT TOGETHER.
PETER OBI and Victor Umeh, as long as I am concerned are politial love-addicts.

For a long time on this forum, I have maintained that Victor Umeh should be removed and Chekwas to take back his place because Umeh is clueless. Peter Obi is a complete disappointment in national politics. Even the death of youth corpers couldn't move Obi enough to issue a tough statement. Heck even Ekiti state governor made tough statement to show his anger at the murder of innocent youth corpers. But not Peter Obi!
I had prayed quietly for Rochas to win in Imo so that we can get a real strong APGA governor for the first time.
My hope is that he lives up to expectations and stay in APGA to build it up (after taking it away from inept Peter Obi).
We need a party that can articulate our political positions in Nigeria, not a tower of babel called PDP.

My chaplet is still in the water.  

^^

We need a new Ikemba of Igboland.
Our ailing leader needs to be replaced by a tough character like Okorocha. But more importantly, I think it is time Imo take over the leadership of Igboland.

This is just what we need now.

My Imo state brothers never let me down any day.

This election has proven the character of Imo citizens.
We in Anambra state need to copy this tenacity of purpose our Imo brothers have demonstrated once again. We give up too easily.

It is time Imo lead Ndigbo to the promised land.

This election is not really just about Rochas Okorocha.
It is about voting out a non-performing governor even if he is supported by the highest power in the land.
This is just what we need in Igboland.

Umu nnem, jisie nu ike. Anyi kwu unu n'azu.

My Imo state brothers never let me down any day. 

This election has once again proven the character of Imo citizens.
We in Anambra state need to copy this tenacity of purpose our Imo brothers have demonstrated once again. We give up too easily. 

It is time Imo lead Ndigbo to the promised land. 

This election is not really just about Rochas Okorocha.
It is about voting out a non-performing governor even if he is supported by the highest power in the land.
This is just what we need in Igboland.

Umu nnem, jisie nu ike. Anyi kwu unu n'azu. 

@Ezeuche,

The true measure of success of GEJ presidency for me is the extent to which he moves the economy eastwards. If he upgrades PH, Warri  and Calabar, and do some serious work in rail to link them up with Aba, Onitsha, Enugu and Abakaliki, that would help lay the infrastructure needed to move the economy eastwards. We can do the rest by moving our businesses from Lagos.
Enugu, PH, Ibom, Calabar and Asaba, international airports should also be equipped to handle the large traffic that will come with this effort to move the economy.

This, for me, is the measure of success. If he does that, we will support him again in 2015.  

Anytime there is talk of Eastern Nigeria or alliance between the SE and SS, these Yoruba folks start developing heart attacks! Chai!  

That should tell people in both zones that there is something powerful about the East.  But, duh!

That is why Jonathan must work VERY HARD to revive the East and SS.
If he does that successfully, we will keep supporting him even in 2015.

The first restructuring we need in Nigeria is to move the economy to real source of the money - THE EAST.  

After that, we can talk about other restructurings.

@Johndoe100

You are a very intelligent dude.
You see how these SW goons are busy attacking Igbo instead of facing the points you are raising. They are VERY ANGRY at Igbo people because we voted for GEJ. They have always worked to isolate SS from Igbo (an impossible task  ) for all these years, because they know how powerful we BOTH (SS and SE) can be in Nigeria if we stick together.
Keep your focus.

ACN should be kicked out of SE and SS. Ngige or not!

I hear that GEJ wants to make PH a major seaport amongst other plans to open up Eastern and SS economies.

That is why we voted him in the first place.

I totally agree.

I strongly suspect that Ngige will dump the ACN soon, and rejoin the PDP. He is a smart man, and he doesn't need anyone to advise him on this issue.

The alliance that will likely endure in Nigeria is the SS, SE and NC (middle belt), and these are PDP zones. Ngige will soon realize that he cannot go far in ACN.  For instance I know he harbors executive position dreams, eg, president, vice president or governor.

Posted by: aloy-emeka

What is this fixation about Igbos and the latest massacre?. The media also presented pictures of onbly the Igbo victims when the highest number of casualties came from Yorubas. Enough of this nonsense because it ain't only Igbos who lost in the post election massacre.

Below are the list of those butcghered by amajiris: count how many of them who were Igbos compared to other tribes/ethnic groups

I think the bolded is incongruous for two reasons:

(1) The killing of Igbo people in northern Nigeria has been going on for a long time, and we may be approaching a critical mass when we say enough is enough. Though some Nigerians feel offended by this fact, but we share the same mindset with Jews who suffered something similar. As a result, even one Igbo death in the north can lead to another civil war, if not precipitously it will eventually lead to it. Other tribes can speak for themselves.

(2) Nigerian tribes value human life differently. A northerner may simply say "Allah ya isa" over his almajiri son's death; afterall, he never invested much in him, while an Igbo family will never be able to get over the death of a son whom they invested heavily on by sending him to the university.

So, lets keep things in proper perspective.

Those southerners mocking the Igbo over these killings will one day face these killings and loses alone, long after we have seceded. 

Almajiri economics again at the CBN. Whatever happened to "free market economy". Now we are quasi socialist.

Please someone chase away that mallam from the CBN before he ridicules Nigeria in international circles.

To understand how outrageous this is, please read the article again, and for every place there is a word "Christian", replace it with "Muslim"; and every place there is a word "Hausa" replace it with "Igbo". If you do that very well, you would agree that all northern politicians and governors would be up in arms by now.

That is why I am convinced that -on national issues- we probably have the worst set of governors in Nigeria. Truly sad.

Who shall speak for Ndigbo at the center?

Umu nne na umu nna m, nnukwu nsogbu di kwa!

In fact I prefer that APGA be taken from Peter Obi. He has failed APGA.
This is part of why I pray fervently that Owelle Rochas Okorocha should win the Imo guber elections. We need a powerful man to take away APGA from Peter Obi.

@Dede1

I am very angry at Peter Obi, because the silence of Ohakim and all other PDP governors in SE can be explained in the twisted sense that they may be hamstrung by their PDP encumbrances as a national party. So, they may rationalize that since Jonathan is yet to begin his second term, they should wait and allow him to act in due time. Same can be said of Jonathan. Not that I agree with it, but I remember that Obasanjo did exactly the same thing during the mad years of sharia troubles in northern Nigeria. When Obasanjo finally acted, he took away power from the core north and moved it to the middle belt and south. That is how we are where we are today. So I can understand GEJ silence a little.

But Peter Obi is completely free and unencumbered. He is in APGA! Heck occasions like this is exactly why we created APGA in the first place, to operate outside the so called mainstream to defend our interest and those of all progressives in Nigeria. But alas, Peter Obi has abandoned ship, and is now seeing himself as a PDP man. Hence his stoic silence. 

I really lament the Ikembas absence and Peter Obi's inept leadership of APGA.
Like I said in one of my earlier threads here, I think that APGA should be taken from Peter Obi, or it should be merged with PDP.

@Mikeansy

You hit the nail on the head about the usual fallacy of not being able to find employment as a product of skipping the service. It is so laughable!
A lot of folks who never served for a day landed jobs before any of us who did. Heck they started one year ahead!

But the most important point you made is that one has to be alive first to earn a living. Aik Ukoma will NEVER earn a living.
It is too late for him.

Methinks that this thing should be THOROUGHLY investigated and those responsible brought to justice.
This is part of why I would have preferred a Dora Akunyili at the national assembly.

And I am very angry at Peter Obi for maintaining stoic silence throughout this mess.
Heck even governor Orji of Abia spoke out!

And your Hausa neighbor to whom you ran for protection would have to kill you or he gets killed too.
PURE RWANDA.

@Igbo parents in da house.

Please stop this idiocy of sending your kids to the north for some moronic service. We don't have a nation yet, at least one that is real.
Imagine being pursued into a police station, and still get killed.
PURE RWANDA.

But come to think of it; which Igbo parents would allow their daughters to serve in northern Nigeria?
Chukwu ju!

Even if I was posted there during my own service, my parents would not have allowed it. And I am a fearless able bodied Igbo man willing to fight anywhere. Yet my parents would'n't even think of it.
Now talk about sending my sister there! Pure madness.

Look at the omalicha nwa that idiotic almajiri almost killed.

The bolded feels eerily like scenes from "Hotel Rwanda"!

These people committed atrocities and should really be brought to justice.
This should not go unpunished walahi.

I slept in the bush for 3 days to stay alive – Female corps member

From GEOFFREY ANYANWU, Awka
Saturday, April 30, 2011


Miss Vivian Chidinma Anumba is one of the lucky corps members who survived the recent Bauchi mayhem, where many young people serving their fatherland were butchered.
The female corps member, who hails from Uzoako community, in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, read Banking and Finance at Federal Polytechnic, Oko and was serving at Shira Local Government Area, Bauchi State, from where she ran home, like a refugee.

Narrating her ugly experience to Saturday Sun, Chidinma said she slept in the bush for three days, running for her life, as all she had, including her credentials were burnt by hoodlums in Bauchi.
Her experience in Bauchi and alleged treatment by her state government on return are pitiable.


How did the violence start in Bauchi?

Actually, the major problem started after the presidential election on April 16, 2011. From the polling units, they started pursuing us, threatening to kill us if President Goodluck Jonathan won. They nicknamed corps members, PDP or Goodluck. They insisted that if Goodluck won, they would kill us.

On April 17, being Sunday, we received threats also that corps members, especially Christians, would be killed. When the presidential results were being released and Jonathan was winning in 21 states, they started threatening us again. Later, they started burning houses and killing corps members. When trouble got to our arena, in Shira Local Government Area, we started running. They killed some of our colleagues. They cut them into pieces.

How did you escape?
It was survival of the fittest. They started going from house to house, room to room in search of corps members. Even if you were to run into an Hausa man’s house, they would kill you. When we ran into a police station, they came into the police station to kill us. In fact, police station was not safe because they killed some policemen and burnt the place down.
So, we continued running, for three days, until Tuesday, April 19. That was when we were rescued. They had to call SSS people to convey the surviving ones to SSS quarters in Bauchi town; that was where they gathered all surviving corps members and from there, they were taken home by their different state governments.

For us from Anambra State, we found ourselves home here with the help of Imo State Governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim. Some entered ANIDS bus to convey them from Bauchi to Awka and on the way, some were involved in accidents; some of them are still in the hospital, as we are talking now.

Did you see them kill people?
I know some people that were killed. There was this young man; he was my neighbour and he was to get married by June. He was a batch three corps member. Unfortunately, they killed him. There was another person, who was like our pastor there. They killed him too. There, they isolated Christians; anywhere Christians are is a forgotten land. They see it as a land that is corrupt. So, they burnt all the churches there. The man we saw as pastor came home after the service that day. We prayed in the house. He helped people to safety. In the process of trying to show people the way to escape, they killed him. They were three roommates. They killed two, with the exception of one who came back with us.
Many others were injured; some of them couldn’t even stand; they were still on wheelchairs before we came down to this place. I got pictures of those killed with my phone. The bodies were taken to the mortuary. Most of them are still in mortuaries in Bauchi State. Their people were coming down there to settle with NYSC officials before they will carry the corpses.

Are you saying there was no security at the polling units?
The security they gave us in the polling units did not do anything because all of them are Muslims. They beat me up in my polling unit because there in Bauchi State, they didn’t do election; they would just command you to share the ballot papers among the parties. Even after obeying them, they won’t be satisfied. After the election, they threw us into a truck and commanded us to start counting for CPC. In fact, if not for God’s intervention, we could have been violated.

You said that you slept in the bush while escaping. What happened?
We slept in the bush behind a rock in order to be safe, because they started going from house to house in search of corps members to kill. If you are an Hausa man and they suspect that corps members are in your house, they would search and anyone they saw was dragged out and dealt with.
They burnt all my property; they burnt my documents, but I really thank God that at the end of the day, I was able to escape. As I said earlier, even the police station we ran to for rescue, was burnt. People that were inside, who were not at alert, became victims. But we had to run into the bush, slept there for three days, before we came out. It was then that we heard that they were coming to evacuate us.

How were you evacuated?
I had to fix myself into the Imo State flight. Ohakim had to send a flight to us and we landed in Owerri. He hosted us. He lodged us in different hotels and at the end of the day, he gave each of us N5, 000 for transportation from Owerri to Awka. He took us to the Government House, entertained us and after entertaining us, he lodged us, gave us transport fare. We from Anambra State, we are about 100 plus that followed the flight. We came back to our own Government’s House that day; we don’t even know how the Governor’s Lodge is because they sent us back from the gate. They asked our driver to turn back and packed somewhere. They stopped us at the gate and addressed us. They gave them N1, 000 each after that. He then asked us to come back on Wednesday. Now, on getting to that place, we were ignored. We sat there from morning till afternoon and the thing we heard was that the governor had travelled. One person came and addressed us and said that we should write our names and that if they had any information for us, they would call us.

We learnt that you met with Dr. Chris Ngige. How come?
We were there when we heard that Onwa (Ngige) was around and we decided to come here.

How did your parents react when you returned?
Oh my God! My mum was happy, though until I got home I did not tell her what was happening to me. It was only my brother that I was telling everything, because I knew my mum would have a health crisis if I told her I was in such trouble, even if I was still alive. She would die before I came back.

What are you going to do next?
I am preparing to go for a thanksgiving in church. I didn’t know that I would still be alive till today because, at a point, I had to say my last prayer that if they met me I was dead. They were everywhere, ready to kill. It was God that brought me home without any scratch.

Posted by: Gbawe

The classic retort of the protectionist area champion . My friend , you are on a Nigerian forum and we are discussing a Nigerian state and Nigerian politicians so grow up !!!

My friend sharrap dia!
You come here twisting things and trying to score a cheap point thinking no one would challenge you.

You lied against Akunyili and I called you out. End of story.

Yes, she lost because she contested against Ngige, and Anambra state love Ngige. Simple.

I speculate that a lot of people that voted for Ngige over Akunyili don't even know the difference between a senator and a governor.

Anambra state just lost an opportunity to have a fearless voice at the senate.

ACN should draft Ngige as their presidential candidate in 2015. If they know what is good for them. Ngige would make a great president.