₦airaland Forum

I never called for an Igbo king. I called for a centralized Igbo authority with enough power to act on our behalf. Since we are already democratic, we should organize along something similar to the German example given by[b] UcheUwadi_ [/b]. Bottom line is that we must organize for collective action. Unbridled individualism will lead to our annihilation. We cannot afford that.
The little respect we have in Nigeria today is because our past role in Biafra and MASSOB of today. You don't have to agree with me.

~Bluetooth:
when did i tell you that my grandparents are igbo.fyi,i dont have any link whatsoever with igbo along my family ties.your write-up are outta point.what i want to know is the origin of the word 'biafra' and who invented it.onlytruth and abagworo should help you out if you dont know it and stop referring,please.

I never believed for a second that you did. Not to boast but I'm yet to meet anyone with Eastern roots that reason like you. NONE.

Kobojunkie:
Answer the question  . . . . 

Which question?

Your stock in trade is to call IGBO -IBO and BIGHT -BLIGHT.
You abuse me, I will abuse you back.

Kobojunkie:
Only an slowpoke feels insulted when asked questions of his reasoning! I didn't insult you, simply posted that the BIGHT OF BIAFRA contains way more groups than did actually fight. Claiming what I said is wrong without some counter facts from your end actually proves you the slowpoke here.

So you could actually type BIGHT?
Na wa o! Militancy is good sometimes. . .

Meanwhile enjoy more of Ibibio dance:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l3flYmu_MA&NR=1

Kobojunkie:
ROFLMAO!!!! So you have no clue that is where the BIAFRAN name probably came from>?? ROFLMAO!! And who is the idiot here??

The idiot is someone who argues without information and who insults people with morosely contrived words.

Kobojunkie:
That is NOT TRUE, and I am sure you know it. Look up the map of the blight of biafra, and then compare it with your knowledge of history.

I am forced to call you an idiot for the continued insult on my region.

Kobojunkie:
Again, some of the groups did NOT fight. That is a historical fight. And I am not here to discuss the HISTORY of this, which seems what you like to go on and on about. What I am asking is of the REALITY of this cause TODAY, as in NOW, as in what we need to look out for, not some almost 50 year old war.

I have asked this same question so many times of you. Someone else posed the same and yet no answers. What percentage of Ibos/Efiks/Ijaws etc want this? The question is really that simple.

You could start by asking your government to conduct a genuine census first. Coming here to muddle the truth will not change the facts. Abagworo posted that support for Biafra is growing in Rivers, Cross rivers and Akwa ibom. You are developing a heart attack over something you cannot stop. Take a chill pill pal!

Kobojunkie:
umm . . . .@Abagworo, this is NOT about Nigerians, or about what others think of Ibos. Matter of fact, there are Ibos out there who link Biafra to Ibos. The Biafran war was not waged by ALL GROUPS in the BLIGHT OF BIAFRA, so it will be a stretch to claim NOW that it was about the [b]BLIGHT [/b]OF BIAFRA.

Again, it is COMMON KNOWLEDGE that the biafran cause is linked to Ibos, not Ijaws, or ibibios, but Ibos.

Are you deliberately trying to provoke people here? I thought you were a decent person? Na wa o! Desperation is bad for health.
For your information, some of these groups -especially the ibibios fought till the bitter end to create Biafra. Keep decieving yourself. Even Ogonis also fought for Biafra. Ijaw role on the Biafran side was only overshadowed by the ignoble role played by characters like Adaka Boro, but still, it will be a lie to deny that they also fought for Biafra.

This video is the MOST TELLING I've come across. Enjoy!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4j8qqm9PYE&feature=related


I am now convinced beyond any doubt that the EAST IS ONE!

Watch this ibibio with the sound off, and the truth will stare you in the face!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbcYl1pcmFk&feature=related


Truly, we in the EAST are ONE people!

Please watch this video (Akwa Ibom women USA ) with the sound off:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Jaz8QFIxq8&feature=related

You be the judge.

~Bluetooth:
if igbo is different from biafra.why is igbo joining calabar and akwa ibom to the biafra cause.i asked asha80 to mention any prominent calabar or akwa ibom man equivalent of ojukwu that support biafra.please,not foot soldier.

I hate cutting your skull open to put stuff in! How many Igbo in the caliber of Ojukwu openly supports Biafra?
The Calabar man of Ojukwu's caliber is dead. His name is Phillip Effiong.

Biafra is a multi-ethnic nation. We have similar culture, values and mindset. But we have different tribes in Biafra. The difference is not like that between the Efik and the Yoruba. That is like east and west.
If you observe an African ritual conducted in Akwa ibom for instance, if you don't hear any sounds coming from the ceremony, you would swear it is Igbo by their dressing and mannerism. Language is really the only difference in Biafra.

The difference between Igbo and Yoruba or Hausa is like day and night!

Kobojunkie:
But he only made assertions just as you have done all this while without some serious facts behind his claims. I can equally make the claims he did without providing support of any kind but what has that to do with reality? I equally know some Calabar people who do not really recognize themselves as Ibos. Matter of fact, I work with some of them and we go on and on about how Ibos are not calabars and calabars are not necessarily ibos.

And who said anything about Calabar being Igbo. You people keep mistaking Biafra for Igbo. The two are separate.
Please stop mixing things up. Thanks.

The truth is that Biafra is gradually growing back to shape and size in the EAST. Some idiots are scared because they know it is unstoppable, so they think they can stop it by lying.
The next group of leaders for MASSOB will likely be from a section of the south south. Note that I emphasized a SECTION of south south. That section was part of the first efforts and will definitively be part of the successive efforts. Other sections can join but only time will tell. As a matter of fact, I think that the feeling for Biafra is strongest from Far East (Cross river) and gradually weakens moving west wards (delta).

~Bluetooth:
with uwazuruike in jail,massob is finish.there is nothing on ground either peaceful or violent strategy to support all these claims about biafra.what we know so far is that you guys have a flag,anthemn and currency which doesnt have local recognition talkless of international.

You can believe what you want dude.

The next stage of things would be for MASSOB leadership or higher ranks to go to guys from Cross river, Akwa Ibom or Rivers. MASSOB is a real grass root movement. No elitist groups ever achieve anything in this type of agitation. Grass root is powerful.

~Bluetooth:
I havent heard of massob agitation as much since obasanjo cracked down on the group during his regime.the niger delta voice has over-shadowed massob.i was privileged to have who attends meeting of massob members in lagos and he told me he opted out because of the low calibre of people who attend the meeting.i remembered when they declared a three days protest informing people not to go to work but nobody even in core igbo zones obeyed such.you guys can wait as much as possible if you like,nigeria has come to stay and igbo or biafrans cant do a thing about it than to wait forever

Sorry o, I mistook you for Katsumoto earlier . I know you na You no sabi jack!

You cannot possibly understand. So believe what you want, ok?.  

To the general forumites:

MASSOB is unstoppable. With Uwazuruike in jail, it is even expanding more steadily. You can't stop the inevitable.

ChinenyeN:
I use "king" both literally and symbolically, to refer to actual kingship (literal) and centralized government/leadership (symbolic). It isn't necessary, and besides, it can't/won't work.

Well it has worked before and continues to work. I wonder the basis of your logic here. How can you deny something that is so self evident? This is so glaring that I call it "Ukwa achi n'aka o n'agba". It is like saying that a human being is mortal. Simple truth. Personal fears or beliefs cannot change that. Collective responsibility is better than unbridled individualism. Even some of the most capitalist and egalitarian societies have some of the most public interest programs.
Organize together or get wiped off history books. Some of the extinct "tribes" were disorganized like that.

Abagworo:
biafra spirit is high in rivers,akwaibom and crossriver right now.my reason might seem myopic but it is worth mentioning.i overheard labourers at a construction sight mostly from ogoja area of crossriver with a few etche,ogoni and calabar people discussing about how things would soon improve when they realize biafra.i teased them that it might lead to a war and they answered in confidence that they are ready to fight than to continue in this suffering.those of us that arent interested in biafra belong mostly to the middle and political class.

And those are in the minority! Believe me those middle income and high income folks would NEVER rock the boat. "The masses" of Biafra will be the foot soldiers, and they are in the majority.

~Bluetooth:
dont mind that onlytruth.I cant count the number of times that igbo in lagos have do away with orders coming from biafran headquarters.imo,i think most igbo are not really interested in the biafra cause especially those who have been acclamatized to outside the south east region.biafra is a dead cause and should be regarded as so.A cause that can not been realise in a 40 years is a big failure.

You claim to be a good student of history but I'm shocked by this bold quote from you. So, you mean you've never heard of agitations that lasted for hundreds of years? You've never heard of Zionism for instance? Believe me, new Biafrans have learned that "hurry hurry" is one of the biggest strategic mistakes of independent movements.
MASSOB has gradually expanded and continue to expand. It is unstoppable.

Meanwhile, chew on this quote below:

Abagworo:
biafra spirit is high in rivers,akwaibom and crossriver right now.my reason might seem myopic but it is worth mentioning.i overheard labourers at a construction sight mostly from ogoja area of crossriver with a few etche,ogoni and calabar people discussing about how things would soon improve when they realize biafra.i teased them that it might lead to a war and they answered in confidence that they are ready to fight than to continue in this suffering.those of us that arent interested in biafra belong mostly to the middle and political class.

@Katsumoto

Aha a! I think I get it now. You think that by denying it here, outsiders and foreigners would conclude that Biafran agitations are limited to nairaland. Typical Nigerian "scared of truth" mindset.
Keep deceiving yourself. Something tells me that it won't be long now before you will be forced to accept the inevitable. 

Katsumoto:
You like to argue off-point and with emotions. What has Zik and other nationalists fighting for independence got to do with my post?  I have not said that there are no good strategies. I said going by the comments on Nairaland that strategy may be a problem. Afterall, its only on Nairaland that I witness people advocating for Biafra. So my conclusion is based on the comments from those on Nairaland advocating for secession.

Dude, you seem to be really struggling to understand me and my points. However, I won't be drawn into the usual historical arguments that derail threads.
But, frankly, do you believe yourself when you say that it is only on nairaland that you see Biafran agitators? I mean frankly?

Na wa o for Nigerians!

So what is Uwazuruike doing in jail?
And why is MASSOB still growing quietly but steadily in the east?
I don't know which planet you live on. 

Katsumoto:
So you are just going to assume that everyone is with you and then find out afterwards? Strategy failed Biafra the first time, going by the comments on Nairaland, its obvious strategy would be a problem again.

I don't know why I'm saying this but do you think that if not for the Azikiwes (or Azikiwe in particular) that Nigeria would have ever gained independence from Britain?

Let me tell you, what Biafra needs is just FEW people with a GREAT STRATEGY. If you keep looking at the mob or crowd, you will miss the boat my friend. I don't know if there are Biafrans with such plans or strategy, but I wouldn't presume that there are none. Igbo adage say that "you should be able to guess your brothers feelings from the way you feel". Most Igbo and other easterners pass through the same thing in Nigeria. All these attempts at changing the majority feelings of marginalization by Igbo, and the yearn for Biafra is futile and lame. The whole thing is self evident.
Someone from your side (I think it was sjeezy8) said something about an Umuahia man living in the west who quickly sold his house and other assets and headed home when Biafra was declared should teach you something.
Don't underestimate this feeling.

ezeagu:
Well officially, and even then she can declare war on whichever country she wants because she's the head of armed forces and the prime minister has to ask her permission for anything war-related, but I understand what you mean.

Thanks for throwing more light on this.
The guy is against anything "king", but the irony is that Britain (which maintains one of the oldest monarchy in Europe) is also one of the oldest democracy in Europe. So they are not mutually exclusive. Both can co-exist.
The point is that a people's culture, ethos, values, politics, mores,and other broadly shared attributes, are only secured through collective responsibility which normally come through delegation of power to the center of the group. This is a sociological topic with some fierce political consequences. "Igbo enwe eze" was good in olden days. Some aspects of it can still be adopted, modified and improved upon certainly, but the bigger part is outdated and counter-productive today. It is almost suicidal today.
Even far more fractious groups today in Nigeria are organizing themselves around common interests and defending those interests with arms. If Igbo must ensure that we don't become slaves to others in Nigeria, we must organize ourselves around a body or a figure head.

We don't have choice about that.

ChinenyeN:
You seem to be erroneously assuming that a lack of[b] king [/b]means lack of strong leadership. We Igbo do NOT need a king (and like hell we want one). Aside from that, such a suggestion (laughable 'Eze Igbo') can simply NOT work. It is a pure waste of thought. It does not though mean that we cannot have good, strong leadership. Of course we can, but it musn't and simply cannot be centralized.

Just because[b] kingship[/b] worked out for others does not at all mean it will work for us. We can have something else other than kingship (or whatever other centralized system). That is my only argument.

I think you are mixing up things by over emphasizing "kingship". Mind you that many top countries of the world are not ruled by kings. Today, a British Prime Minister is more powerful than the Queen. So let's get that part straight.

What I am advocating for is a STRONG CENTRAL leadership in Igboland. We are no longer in the dark ages. This is 21st century. It has served others well, it will serve us well.

What I quarrel with is this primitive mindset which believes that everyman can be in his home and yet be protected by the group, when the man has not ceded any power or authority to another or group of others. That is illogical and has led to some many woes for our people. It does not work. This same reason is why Igbo were the easiest targets in most riots outside Igboland; because, frankly, no one was in charge and no one organized them to fight back. When the enemy came, they were simply picked up ONE BY ONE and slaughtered. Because everyone was busy making his one argument in one direction or another. This is simply suicidal logic; so simple that I find it unbelievable that anyone would even argue it.

So, since we live in the 21st century, I can (for now) call for a centralized Igbo authority. We can empower Ohanaeze or even MASSOB to act on our behalf. Only then can other interest groups take us seriously in Nigeria.
Like I said earlier, if I was among the leaders of Biafra, I would have fought and won (get Nigeria to concede that to us) a central Eastern or Igbo authority. Only that can we secure our interest in contemporary Nigeria. If they fail to concede that, we fight on as guerrilla forces. I doubt that Nigeria would not have conceded that in exchange for peace.

Katsumoto:
Last week you were campaigning for IBB, now you are thinking of supporting Goodluck. Can you make up your mind?

I can see that you find me very difficult to understand. Believe me I am very easy to understand. Your problem is that you keep seeing me as a typical Nigerian or Igbo who is only after his own personal/selfish interest. What if I told you that I am one of those natural born leaders? Leaders who are completely devoted to the course of their people without any personal gains?

I have no permanent friends in Nigeria. Anyone who can deliver on the following for my people gets my support:

A fully functional International Airport
State police
Abolish quota system and federal character
Fix all federal roads in Igboland.

Anyone who can do these IS MY FRIEND AND GETS MY VOTE.

Get it?

Katsumoto:
I am of the opinion that if a majority of people do not want to be part of a nation, then they should be allowed to form their own nation. But the question for you Dede1 is, 'what if you are in the minority?' What if a majority of Igbo people do not want a separate nation? Are you going to force your personal opinion and wishes on a majority?

Its like asking what if Nigeria is a first world country?
Pal, I didn't know you could descend this low.

Simple population census, Obasanjo could not even allow tribe to be included in the questionaire, and you are here asking this question.

Let us have a fair census first with tribe included, and leave a box that asked Igbos whether they want to remain in Nigeria or not and see the result. Even folks with assets all over Nigeria will vote in the affirmative.
Ojukwus father owned the most number of houses in Lagos before the war. Did that stop Ojukwu? lmao!

ChinenyeN:
Onlytruth, it isn't a matter of everyone being king at the same time. It is only a matter of there not being a king in the first place. Instead, it would be people-appointed/selected representatives (either for a term, or case-specific :: I prefer a functional mixture of both). That is how it should be. We can still exhibit republicanism, to an extent, but it must never be overdone.

There should be NO Igbo king, ever.

I would make one point, I have never seen a people survive for long without a strong and organized leadership. Even in the bible ( I love that book! ) when the Israelites were about to leave Egypt, God sent Moses. They were a very disorganized and loose tribes just like the Igbo today. They needed a central figure to lead them out of Egypt. After Moses, came Joshua and all the other "Judges" until God finally anointed Saul the first real king of Israel. Through those years Israel always had "Elders" just like the Igbo. Their society functioned much like ours -the oldest person is respected, the young men fought wars, the priest/prophet is respected and his/her opinion always sought and all that.
Still they had leaders (from Judges to Kings). So, Igbo will not survive long if we continue this way. Mind you that the world is organizing round leaders today.

Even the most democratic countries in the world have STRONG leaders. So, yes we NEED a strong Igbo leader whether elected or imposed! If we elect one, we must give him/her the power to act on our behalves. What we have in Ohanaeze is just a body of emasculated people. We cannot survive that way. We must empower someone or a body to ACT on our behalf and give him/her/them all the resources they need to deliver for us.

This primitive mindset must end!

Katsumoto:
Republican as a term in the US is just a party, not political ideology and not to be confused with Igbo republicanism.

I always avoid going into arguments over definitions because they tend to derail threads. I've seen some good threads derailed by long arguments over definitions and I won't fall for that here.
For now, you must accept the most basic form of this "republican" definition, which means a system that works only when all agree. In order words, every man or woman is entitled to hold a position (no matter how idiotic) or else the group can never come together to act. Summary -unbridled individualism.

I believe that this system may have worked for us in the olden days when we had no need to come together. Igbo never fought off any organized external aggressor until the British showed up. The few Igbo clans that were organized were very tough to subdue by the British. The British simply appointed "warrant chiefs" to organize the rest.

Bottomline is that in those days (prior to British and Nigeria) Igbo republicanism was okay. Today, it is outdated and irrelevant, almost threatening our survival as a people. Today, you see Igbo businessmen being hounded all over Nigeria and Africa with no one to intercede on their behalf. The little respect we have in Nigeria is because of Biafra and Ojukwu's leadership, because frankly that was the first time Igbo would come under one leader and by God we were powerful!  So, Igbo republicanism is counter productive in our contemporary Nigeria. We won't survive long if we continue with it. When Ralf Uwechue assumed the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, that was the first thing he complained bitterly about. There is NO WAY everyone can be king at the same time. Just no way!

If I had fought in the Biafran war, I would have ensured that our gains as a people are sustained even if we had to surrender. We made some gains and I believe single Igbo leadership was that gain. Anyone attacking that is attacking my chances of survival.

I don't believe that "Igbo has no king" mantra. It is OUTDATED and IRRELEVANT. If you don't have leaders, then, be prepared to serve others, or worse, go extinct!