₦airaland Forum

@KenGali

You raised some points that got me thinking, some of which I've never thought of before. So I decided to do some research. I researched French oil production, consumption, exports, and reserves and came to the conclusion that France is a country with little to none oil considering the size of its economy.

France:
GDP: 2.6 trillion dollars
GDP per capita: $33,700
Oil production: 70,800 bbl/day (compare that to Nigeria's 2.4 million barrels per day)
Oil consumption: 1.986 million bbl/day
Oil reserves: 103.3 million bbl (compare that to Nigeria's 33 billion barrels)
Natural gas reserves: 6.937 billion cu m (compare that to Nigeria's 187 trillion cu m)

When I was done, I became convinced that France is a nation in need of oil, and Nigeria's oil is within scope.
Now, it is all beginning to make more sense.

I would advise these northerners ruling Nigeria like a herd of cattle to call a national conference so that we can found a solid country which can withstand foreign covetous activities. This is not time to shout down people.

I don't want to hear any more rants about Nigerian army this or that. That talk is pure idiocy.

We need real solutions, not empty boasts.

na_so:
David west as VP will not even get 20% river state(his home state) votes if GEJ is contesting as president. Except when a northerner who shows strong loyalty is the VP, a southern VP be it EAST, WEST, or SOUTH is sometimes even not as powerful as some ministers. From Ekueme to GEJ , experience has shown that the VP office is most times far less attractive as it appears on paper.

I have to agree with you. Let's keep watching though. This endorsement is laden.

na_so:
Picking David west as a VP when GEJ is contesting as a president is a waste of political space. The VP slot of Buhari should rather go to the SE, where it can affect voting.

But I have a problem with David west ,his position has not been consistent over time, he has severally asked GEJ to respect the zoning principle, so how come he now supports a view that zoning is outdated?

You have a point there except that the south east is not interested in the vice president slot. Of course that can change (politics is a fluid game )  if the right candidate is picked. But the south east would likely vote en block FOR a PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE of their choosing. If the south east governors stick to their guns, they would frustrate any VP candidate from the south east.

The south south on the other hand is a more fluid political space. If you pick an active agitator like Tam David West who can make noise about resource control, you can easily split south south votes. Already MEND is losing confidence in the Jonathan presidency over the resource control issue. A more militant voice may garner some support and split south south votes.

Ileke-IdI:
ONLYtruth, always so suspicious of someone lol.

What gave you the idea that those are Ghanaians intentions? are you undermining your own man in decision making and inability to recognize fraud? Anyways, judging by the history between Ghana and Nigeria, your worry is very well understood.

By the way, has any other country/business offered him the same deal? And why is NIgeria not taking action?

Well, goodluck with yours and your idea. I dont doubt your abilities

Believe me that is how I stay alive.

Lately, I've come to realize that Ghana is trying to outdo Nigeria in every field. They are not even interested in being the best in any field as long as they are better than Nigeria. That is not what would help a Nigerian company located in Ghana. If anything, they'll likely steal the concept; and when they are done, they'll make the owner an offer he cannot refuse: a poison chalice.

That is why I want Nigeria to address the national question urgently. We start with free and fair elections next year and go from there.

Did you notice that the chairman of APGA is in the visiting entourage to this Innoson facility? It shows the vision of the party for the East and the rest of Nigeria. Did you see any PDP official within 100 kilometers of this entourage?
Of course NO.

If APGA wins in all the south east next year, we'll likely see more coordinated support for companies like this.

Ileke-IdI:
True. . .  but does Nigeria have the same resources that can make his business more progressive?

Jealousy? On what can benefit everyone? Right. 

What other resources can Ghana provide apart from land and money? Electricity, or security can be provided with money. I'll tell you what Ghana is up to because I've studied those Ghanaians. They want Innoson to go and build a plant in Ghana, but their actual aim is to steal his ideas. Soon after he settles down, they will start giving him conditions regarding technology transfer to Ghanaians. They'll frustrate him out after they've successfully stolen his ideas. A healthy percentage of parts and components are made in Eastern Nigeria -Enugu and Nnewi. That technical know-how is what the Ghanaians are after.

At times like this, I wish there is an Eastern Nigerian government to help fund this great company. I'm still holding out hope for such a government because Nigeria is too bogged down in primordial encumbrances.

The guy has a lot of ideas and plans on how to deepen auto manufacturing in Nigeria in the long run. The question is this: Will Nigeria embrace him or would they rather keep ignoring him until he relocates?
A lot of good companies left Nigeria that way.

I'm planning one of those unique companies in Eastern Nigeria, but I'm taking it slow. Mine is not into manufacturing though. No rush at all.

Ileke-IdI:
Objective. I think He should leave to Ghana.

It seems to me that Nigeria wont change until they realize the many opportunities that could have been theirs.

And what exactly can Nigeria offer?

Nigeria can offer money, cold cash! With that he can provide his own electricity and security. You'd be surprised what money can do in the hands of a resourceful man. He has demonstrated his resourcefulness already. All he needs is financial support. All first world countries give financial support to automobile manufacturers. Nigeria can do that.
Assuming jealousy go gree.

I suspect that Tam David West is gearing up to work with Buhari somehow. He may even be a vice presidential candidate. That opens up Jonathan's rear.
Watching this closely.

That's how we roll folks! Proud of this my brother. Nigeria must not lose this guy. In fact Nigeria should double whatever incentive Ghana is offering. I'm getting tired of those Ghanaians poaching our ideas. First Nollywood. Now this guy.

Inno should stay put.

seedord247:
It means you pass the Jamb exam and you eventually get admission into university.

@THE AMAKA
Actually it means a freshman in college. 1st year student at university.

Powerful endorsement.

[size=16pt]Zoning outdated, free, fair election is it – Gen. Buhari[/size]

Kaduna— Former Head of State and presidential aspirant of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the scheduled 2011 general election, Major-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, said Nigerians should not dissipate energy discussing presidential zoning even as he described it as outdated.

According to him, “in my view, the right way to prosperity is for this country to get credible leadership; leadership that will provide good governance, transparency and accountability in the handling of the public affairs; leadership that will rule with the fear of God and be fair and just to all.”

He also hinged the nation’s prosperity to the conduct of free and fair elections which he explained will bring about credible leadership.

Buhari spoke yesterday in Kaduna at the launch of a book, The Sixteen Sins of General Muhammadu Buhari, written by a former Minister of Petroleum, Prof. Tam David-West.

[b]“This country has suffered so much from the art and science of deceit, corruption, evils of sectional, ethnic and religious sentiments.

“Let us for once address issues on how to repair our decayed infrastructure, provide energy, good education, healthcare, security and generate employment.

“I, therefore, challenge the people especially the media, organised labour, the academia and the civil society to evaluate us, the politicians, on these rather than engage the nation on unnecessary and selfish distractions.

“The Nigeria of this era should be made of a community that tasks its leaders on their past performance and how they will improve upon that.

“I think it is out of date to bore the people of where one comes from, the language he speaks or his mode of worship.

“We should ask: can we trust him? Can he put our country right? This is what Nigeria requires today: Leaders of character, achievement and accomplishment.

“In the end, getting credible leadership and the conduct of free and fair election is not the responsibility of anybody but that of Nigerians.

“If Nigerians choose to remain where they are or even want to go backwards, it is their choice; if they choose to make the country better, it is also their choice.”

Prof. Tam David-West, in his remarks, asked Nigerians to give Buhari another chance to rule Nigeria saying, “Buhari performed a feat that no country has ever achieved as no one country has been selected to be given increase in oil quota.

“Nigeria made over $20 billion. Yet, here is a man that Nigeria is suppressing. His enemies are vocal, but he is not vocal, he is a very humble man. He will not challenge them.

“So, I have to stand up for Buhari. I have to shout from the Niger Delta creeks to the Sahara, that here is a good man that Nigeria is suppressing. Please God, let him lead us.”[/b]

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/07/29/zoning-outdated-free-fair-election-is-it-gen-buhari/

Beaf:
I 100% agree with the above.
You might have noticed that I have once again started calling for true federalism. It is because, for once, I am seeing the possibility of achieving it peacefully. Here's how;

[list]
[li]We channel every iota of our energy into attaining credible elections and make sure Jonathan delivers that as his bottomline[/li]
[li]With credible elections in place, we elect credible leaders[/li]
[li]Our credible leaders would have one paramount mandate, the delivery of true federalism[/li]
[/list]

If we follow the above script strictly, we will get everything we want easily; the SE, SS and SW all want true federalism, I am of the belief that partial autonomy is easily sellable to the Middle Belt minorities. So it should be easy to peacefully restructure the nation once we have credible elections.

I'm in total agreement with all the key points bolded. We can really only begin a new nation after we have elected credible leaders. All the other issues would die a natural death. For instance no credible leader would cede an inch of Nigerian territory.

I've taken time to read through the whole 11 pages of this thread. The comments have been quite interesting, and while I was going through them I came to a sudden realization: We need to sit down as a nation to re-found Nigeria from scratch. I don't want to say much but it seems like the Cameroonians are watching Nigeria, casing, scoping, and staking us out, and nibbling at Nigerian territory one bit at a time.
Naturally, I had a momentary surge of patriotic anger at Cameroon, but it was quickly doused by realism, one of which is that I come from a country where a section of the country "cannot be trusted with the presidency". Even my cousin -the current Nigerian president- is being told in subtle ways that he is a usurper by the "owners of Nigeria". On coming to that realization, I recoiled again.

I would say this, for Nigeria to effectively defend her territorial integrity, all forms of marginalization and injustice MUST STOP, today. Not tomorrow. The interesting thing is that we live in a new world now where no nation really has secrets.
It is no secret that Nigeria is a country at war with itself, and that is the only reason Cameroun was able to steal Bakassi from right under Nigeria, and Nigeria could not do anything. I still feel the pains of those Bakassi returnees as Cross rivers state struggles to resettle them, with federal government carrying on as if nothing happened. I am not from Bakassi, but I am an easterner and can share in their pains. I won't say more than that.

Nigeria must sit down and re-found a nation if at all possible. For instance, there are things I and my people would NEVER accept in Nigeria. We can pretend all we want, but if those things remain unaddressed, Cameroun would keep poking a finger into Nigeria's eyes because they know that strategically we are a weak nation.

Anger is not enough here. I saw a lot of folks fuming and threatening war. Well, y'all should know more than that. The only Nigerian president that ever defied Cameroun and her allies is dead.

I've taken time to read through the whole 11 pages of this thread. The comments have been quite interesting, and while I was going through them I came to a sudden realization: We need to sit down as a nation to re-found Nigeria from scratch. I don't want to say much but it seems like the Cameroonians are watching Nigeria, casing, scoping, and staking us out, and nibbling at Nigerian territory one bit at a time.
Naturally, I had a momentary surge of patriotic anger at Cameroon, but it was quickly doused by realism, one of which is that I come from a country where a section of the country "cannot be trusted with the presidency". Even my cousin -the current Nigerian president- is being told in subtle ways that he is a usurper by the "owners of Nigeria". On coming to that realization, I recoiled again.

I would say this, for Nigeria to effectively defend her territorial integrity, all forms of marginalization and injustice MUST STOP, today. Not tomorrow. The interesting thing is that we live in a new world now where no nation really has secrets.
It is no secret that Nigeria is a country at war with itself, and that is the only reason Cameroun was able to steal Bakassi from right under Nigeria, and Nigeria could not do anything. I still feel the pains of those Bakassi returnees as Cross rivers state struggles to resettle them, with federal government carrying on as if nothing happened. I am not from Bakassi, but I am an easterner and can share in their pains. I won't say more than that.

Nigeria must sit down and re-found a nation if at all possible. For instance, there are things I and my people would NEVER accept in Nigeria. We can pretend all we want, but if those things remain unaddressed, Cameroun would keep poking a finger into Nigeria's eyes because they know that strategically we are a weak nation.

Anger is not enough here. I saw a lot of folks fuming and threatening war. Well, y'all should know more than that. The only Nigerian president that ever defied Cameroun and her allies is dead.

trueword:
I am not telling igbos to not form biafra. My only point was that if they do, they should at least ensure that their brothers along the coast will come along with them. Because during Biafra war some of the people along coastal regions distanced themselves from being part of Igbo.

Igbos may control Nigeria's economy, but why do they not use that advantage in the current Nigeria to get what they want?

I see your point but we cannot force anyone to join us.
Of course there is constant dialogue among eastern groups concerning the issue of Biafra. Contrary to the lies being peddled about us, we are not forcing anyone to join us in the struggle for a Biafran nation.
All our brothers in the south south are free to join the movement. No great nation is found through coercion or force.
An eastern confederacy would most likely be the model of a complete eastern based Biafran nation, and I even suspect some people in delta state and benue might even join up as well. Bottom line is that it is not by force, and we can go it alone if need be.

That T.A Orji even gave some thoughts to these PDP overtures was baffling though not surprising. PDP is desperate and they need south east badly. We won't let them though. We are waiting for them at the polls. They try to steal it, we would resist them.

EzeUche:
[b]Most recently, there is a deluge in the fortunes of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) especially in the South-East. Apart from Governor Obi’s winning of the February 6 Gubernatorial Election in Anambra state and his subsequent swearing-in for the second term, there seems to be a mass movement towards the party in the state. Two legislators in the Anambra House of Assembly have decamped from the PDP to APGA and one member of the House of Representatives is set to decamp from the PDP to APGA soonest. [/b]The arrangement is said to have been concluded. This does not include many other supporters of the major players who decamped with them.

A major break-through is in Abia State, where Governor Theodore Orji with his numerous supporters decamped from the Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA), the party in which he contested and won the Abia Gubernatorial polls in 2007 and joined the APGA. That was after an alleged protracted inclement political condition in the hands of his godfather and mentor, the former governor of Abia State and the Chairman Board of Trustees of PPA, Orji Uzor Kalu. It was said that the influence of the mother of the former governor, Mrs. Eunice Kalu, alias Mama Excellency, who with her son, was alleged to run the affairs of the party as a family business, became too much on the governor and he had to seek refuge elsewhere. He found APGA. Attempts had earlier been made to deny this rift between the governor and the Kalu family but the recent events exposed the fact. Another big fish that moved into APGA with Gov. Theodore Orji is Senator Uche Chukwumerije, one of the most respectable and vocal senators of Igbo extraction. This finally sealed the coffin of PPA in the country.

Also, the APGA came very close to clinching the governorship of Imo State on the 16th of July, 2010 through the Supreme Court judgment. However, the judgment went the side of Ikedi Ohakim, the incumbent governor of Imo State and a decampee from the PPA to the PDP. The Supreme Court ruled that the relief sought by the APGA candidate, Chief Martin Agbaso is basically an election petitions tribunal matter and cannot be entertained by the Apex Court. Though Chief Victor Umeh, the National Chairman of APGA accepted the verdict, he pointed out that both the Election Petitions Tribunal and the Appeal Court had earlier declined hearing on the matter. That was why they went to the High Court. However, he and his supporters must have been greatly consoled by the previous Supreme Court judgment that finally ratified the expulsion of Chekwas Okorie, the former Chairman of the party from the fold. The chairmanship tussle had lasted so long and nearly marred the chances of the party winning any elections. It was a big relief and a plus having it solved for the last time. You cannot win all the time.

In a desperate move to counter the movement of Gov. Orji and basically in frustration of seeing the house of PPA collapsing over his head, Orji Uzor Kalu returned to the PDP from which he decamped to form the PPA. Though the state chapter of the PDP has denied the ex-governor’s return to the party, his movement can be likened to that of the former vice-president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who, after a long battle with his boss, Olusegun Obasanjo, left the PDP and became a major factor in the Action Congress (AC), and later returned to the PDP against all expectations. Orji Kalu had a similar battle with Obasanjo and the PDP before he left the party. The politician has no bus stop and stories of such political flirtation abound. This puts a very fundamental question to the numerous parties in the country as regards their principles, manifestoes, aims and objectives. One finds out that the politicians have no clear vision of all these. They just want money, fame and power. The easiest way to achieve these is through political parties. Every other thing is mere story.

However, my focus remains on APGA as a party. Honestly, I fear for its soul. Many people have sought for a party that will grow from the ashes of the PDP and its tattered umbrella. But no party in the past and present has marched its ghoulish powers. It swallowed all of them and their remnants do not last long before they helplessly return to it on their knees to remain the rags for the masters’ shoes. One must note that initially the PDP did not set out to become the shark. Those who formed it had good intentions for the country. But it was made a monster by greed and avarice of infiltrators especially the money-bags who do not brook opposition. That was how it began to swallow other parties.

Right now, I see such movement of infiltrators into APGA which may destroy it. It is true that politics is a game but good name is more than a game. It is life. It is greater than wealth. The Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Chairman, BOT of APGA, should know that it is better to have quality than quantity and that the party has done well is not because of its quantity but quality. I believe strongly that “too many cooks spoil the broth”. Yes. Politics is a game of numbers but not all numbers. It must be a good number. The new entrants into the party should be men and women who have in mind doing good for the people and not just those who need refugium peccatorum – refuge of sinners. Such people, when they get what they want, go their way. It has happened before. I always remember the words of my lecturer, Fr. Thaddeo Onoyima that, “The recruitment of women is not the problem. The problem is management and control.” It is not all who seek membership into the party that will be accepted. There should be insistence on integrity of the intending members. Any follower of my works will know that my words may not have been accurate, but they have not failed. Beware! APGA, beware!!

Meanwhile, since Orji has found a twin brother in Obi, let the past stories of the stranglehold and godfatherism in Abia State cease. The money that was allegedly used in maintaining one family can now be channeled to the provision of democracy dividends to the state. The APGA government can rewrite the political history of the south-east and make it the envy of other zones of the country. What it takes is the type of courage that Obi has exuded from the onset. Orji must learn this to do better as we expect the best from Obi.

Rev. Fr. Clement Muozoba

Yes I'm watching the T. A Orji saga and I hope APGA can keep him and reform him. Honestly I don't see how PDP can win elections in the south east if APGA stays the course.

PDP is trying desperately to capture south east, but they will meet us at the polls. We are waiting for them. 

trueword:
Did you even bother to read my previous posts? I am comparing the core igbo land to the original map of biafra which included non-core igbos. And how does their choice not concern me?

And what is your point really?

First you claimed Igboland is landlocked, we told you not to worry about us in our "landlocked" country.
You changed it into GDP, we told you that we will be fine since we are hardworking and control Nigeria's GDP already. Now you are asking another dubious question. What are you really up?

Igbos are determined to do this no matter what you say.  If you are one of the minorities, just mind your own territory, you don't have to worry about us if you don't want to join up. Thanks. 

trueword:
I am not against the idea of forming Biafra. I am just looking at things from a different viewpoint.  If you look at the top economies of the world most of them have a coastline. I raised the issue of being landlocked because if the rest of Nigeria decided to ensure that no roads or ships would be able to reach the region, then the place can only be accessed by plane.

Just because Somalia has refused to use their coastline to their advantage for things like tourism does not mean that having one would not boad well for the economy and strategics. Also Botswana has much larger land space  and less people than Biafra would so you can not directly compare the two situations. Nigeria's income per capita may not be as high as Botswana due to Nigeria has 150 Million people while Botswana has 2 Million. So Botswana GDP is divided unto less people.

Wouldn't it be interesting to take a closer look at Nigeria's GDP to find out the distribution? Don' be surprised if Biafra takes a lion share of that.
I know that sports-wise (eg super eagles and super falcons) are enjoying heavy Biafran support.

So, economically, don't worry about us. When the time comes, we will survive.

9jaganja:
I haven't been to Igbo land so I don't know how bad it is. But in Lagos Igbos excel and Obasanjo had many  Igbos in his cabinet so I don't think  it is the case that Igbos are marginalized in terms of politics. Development?. Onlytruth on another thread, you were saying well off Igbos are doing. Remember the Revolution thread? there. But I think federal roads in Nigeria all over are really bad. I couldn't drive in Nigeria when I went last Christmas traffic was too scary.

lol! Yep, driving in Nigeria is not for the uninitiated.

Igbo marginalization is a well know fact in Nigeria. Please don't mistake our individual achievements for lack of marginalization. We excel individually because we have a never say die spirit. I can tell you that most Igbos that live in Lagos today would have relocated back to the east if there is a functioning international airport and if the seaports in the east like Calabar and Port Harcourt are fully functioning like Apapa ports. The marginalization extends into things like federal presence. The Niger bridge has been squeaky for many years now. It only started getting federal attention with the Jonathan presidency.

Bottomline is that Igbos feel like they don't belong in Nigeria and it is not a figment of our imagination. It is real.
Perhaps the biggest obstacle to Igbo self actualization in Nigeria is the issue of quota system. That is how an Igbo legal expert with many years of experience never finds his footing in Nigeria because he is often sidelined for a less qualified guy from the north. I attended a news briefing by a certain Nigerian ambassador sometime ago and was thoroughly embarrassed by the man's command of English and his choice of words. Some of my colleagues noticed it but were magnanimous in their appraisal of the man in order not to hurt my feelings. I kept asking myself: Is this the best Nigeria can produce for this post?

So the list is long, but our immediate concern is to get the same number of states as other zones, completing the international airport at Enugu, Fix the Onitsha bridge and build a second one as back up, and upgrade eastern ports. These would benefit Nigeria as a whole.

trueword:
I don't see the point of forming Biafra if it will be a landlocked nation (just the 5 southeast states). I don't see any advantage in that. Unless the Biafra you are talking about contains the same areas it did back during the war time, then I see an advantage.

Also, what is preventing igbos from ridding themselves of these bad governors that are causing the region to remain under developed?

Don't worry about us bro. It is our problem isn't it?

As for the governors, don't worry about them either. Only outsiders see them as a threat, we don't because we know them, and we know how they got "elected". Only one governor -Peter Obi of Anambra state- was elected by us.

9jaganja:
Igbos should present their candidate now!! They should go for it honestly! No more zoning means they are in it for whenever they can win. If having an Igbo president will settle you guy's mind and make you feel like a part of the country you feel marginalized in, Then go for it. Bring someone out now!!!! Though I don't think Igbos are marginalized, I think Igbos feel marginalized so that limits their own determination in Nigeria. Igbos aren't marginalized in my opinion it's just past events.

lol. You sound like you don't know much about Nigeria.

Igbo land is the most neglected in terms of federal presence and infrastructure in the whole of Nigeria. Igboland remains the only majority tribe zone without a functioning international airport. All federal roads in Igboland have been neglected by successive federal governments. The list is long. Only recently with the appointment of Ogbonna Onovo was the first time the Igbo produced an inspector general of the police, and all this is irrespective of the fact that Igbos excel in their chosen carriers including the police. No Igbo has been the chief of army staff in Nigeria's history.
This is a country we helped found, yet we are treated like a captured people. Well, even a captured people would not be held captive indefinitely. One day will be one day.

Yes, we feel marginalized because we are.

Beaf:
What happened to good old declaration of WAR?!

I'm tired of those bastar'ds!
We gave our own people from Bakassi away, because we were scared of a fight. . . But it was ok to massacre the Odi population in the same period.

I couldn't believe what I was reading. I still can't believe it. Is this really true?

You know how things go in Nigeria. We'll be thinking it is a lie until one day some Nigerian president will sign it away.

Funny country.