₦airaland Forum

From Saintohia

Questions:



1. In one sentence, why do you want to be Eze Ndi Igbo of NL?

2. What are you going to do differently to better position Igbos?

3. Do you believe in the Biafra Project? Please give reasons to support your answer.

Q: 1. In one sentence, why do you want to be Eze Ndi Igbo of NL?

A: Because I believe I have the experience to move us to the next level here

Q: 2. What are you going to do differently to better position Igbos?

A: I am already doing it, whether as Eze or not; and that is to agitate for more unity among Ndigbo, and to hold our governors accountable more, and also demand our fair share in Nigeria, or be allowed to secede. I have been a powerful voice of Ndigbo in this forum for over 3 years now, and I shall continue doing so whether I win or not.

Q 3. Do you believe in the Biafra Project? Please give reasons to support your answer.

A: I believe in a Biafran project of last resort. I have outlined my beliefs in my manifesto. Please revisit it. Thanks.

From JackBauerBalls

My question is simple:

What is your conviction that an Ezeship on Nairaland is relevant to Igbo people in the real world?

Thank you for a sound question.

Well, the simple answer is that as of today, Nairaland is the top Nigerian forum, and is visited by a lot of people. A proper Igbo voice here can even project our voice beyond even the capacity of a physical newspaper. It is time for us to start telling our own stories to the world. If I ever get to implement half of what I plan to do with my business, I hope to one day own a website that will unseat Nairaland.
All things are possible to those who believe.

alfaman1: Here goes.

1 - How old are you?

2 - Which part of igboland are you from? Describe your area very well to show you are a real nwafor Igbo.

3 - Do you agree that "One Nigeria" is better than an independent Igboland and that Igbos are murderers and kidnappers who should emulate Boko Haram and answer questions in the International Court of Justice about committing treason for trying to secede from Nigeria? Would you accept that someone who holds such views work in your cabinet or as your second in command?

Q: 1 - How old are you?

A: Nna which kain question be this? Should I also tell you my drivers license number, bank account number, passport number, and all other self identifying things, just because I want to be Eze of a faceless forum? Nna biko get serious.

Q:2 - Which part of igboland are you from? Describe your area very well to show you are a real nwafor Igbo.

A: I'm from Nnewi. Any one who knows Nnewi well would swear that I am from there. Apart from Biafra_rep, I think most Igbo forumers know myself and Alex_101. You may have asked this question because you are new here

Q:3 - Do you agree that "One Nigeria" is better than an independent Igboland and that Igbos are murderers and kidnappers who should emulate Boko Haram and answer questions in the International Court of Justice about committing treason for trying to secede from Nigeria? Would you accept that someone who holds such views work in your cabinet or as your second in command?

A: A fully functional "One Nigeria" is better for Ndigbo; BUT a permanently DYSFUNCTIONAL "One Nigeria" is the prime enemy of Igbo survival, and we must leave it by all means. Every Nigerian has a right to believe in anything provided his belief does not lead to murder of innocent people. As long as the final say lies with the Eze, his cabinet member can't say or do things contrary to collective Igbo interest. Such would not be allowed in my "government".

I have noted all reasonable/relevant questions, and shall start answering them as from later today. For those who have NOT asked asked theirs, please formulate one and drop it here. We are moving full steam ahead site na ike nke Chineke.

Thanks in advance!

MANIFESTO

Igbo kwenu!

O ga adiri Igbo nma!


Introduction


Umunne m,

I wish to first congratulate us all (contestants and voters) for a successful first round of this electoral process -the nomination exercise. It was a largely peaceful, smooth and rancor-less exercise, though it was a typical political event. Minus a few characters who tried to throw spanner in the works, most people here comported themselves with decorum, and the summary outcome is one that any decent Igbo person should be proud of. Special thanks go to our able electoral team which executed a flawless exercise. This has so far proven that last year's election was not a fluke, happenstance or a chance outcome. Igbo si na aka mere azu mgbaku.

Igbo kwenu!

Like I stated in my acceptance speech, the decision to go for another term is not an easy one for me. When we started this movement more than a year ago, one of the preliminary agreements (a transitional one, as time has proven that inadequate, leading to a constitutional amendment) was that the tenure should be for one year. That doctrine contributed to some extent to my lack of desire to contest (really contest) the last election. I was desperate for a successor, but history has proven me wrong on the need for a “willy nilly” type of transition: the “leave- the- stage- by-all -means” type of transition. It has suddenly dawned on me that what I should have been looking for is not necessarily a transition from one Eze to another, but rather a sustainable type of leadership whereby the successor could not easily deviate from the vision and mission of this movement. The emphasis should be on the leadership methodology. That way, most normal folks could step in and perform excellently while taking us in a steady progressive direction. On that realization, it became clear to me that I should return to do exactly that -create a leadership system that can successfully “auto-pilot” if need be. Please note that I am not suggesting a hands free leadership style; I am only suggesting a leadership system that is resilient, and can withstand most shocks (even internal ones) which are bound to show up as vested and ambient contrary interests start kicking back. That is why I decided to seek your vote once more.

And what is the philosophy behind this vision/mission?

Leadership Philosophy: IGWE BU IKE -unity is strength (as always).

As a good student of political philosophy, I have come to understand, that behind the defeat of every mighty nation, is the cancer of disunity. In fact, some of the greatest nations in the history of the world have been brought down by internal strife and civil wars, more than any external invasions. I have read many books on that, but perhaps the ones that touched me the most were the ones on the Biafran war. The accounts chronicled in those books, convince me, that the greatest reason for Biafra's failure was internal disunity/sabotage. At a stage during the war, Ojukwu was not sharing information on the war strategies/efforts with some of his commanders, for fear of them being leaked to the enemy. This further aggravated a bad situation, because no military can survive on the counsel and total control of one man, refer to modern wars, from second world war to latest ones. The most successful military are ones with many branches and commands. That is why democratic armies have won more wars than totalitarian armies. So, nothing can work without a fair dose of group effort born from unity. I seek your mandate to work WITH you; I do not seek your mandate to FOR you. I cannot do anything for you if you would leave me on a lurch and expect miracles. I believe that Eze Odumchi met a scenario that I'm describing now, whereby he felt abandoned -people he invited into his cabinet failed to show up and few people volunteered to work with him.

It is no secret that I hate division; in fact, I believe that division is the prime enemy of mankind. When some of us take positions that seek to create a separate living functional and progressive space out of our corner of Nigeria, we do so almost out of a survivalist compulsion, the first law of nature being self preservation; thus, we really do so only with a DEEP PAIN in our hearts. I shall get to this point a little later.

I believe that when people band together to face a challenge, there is almost nothing they cannot surmount. To elaborate further, I believe that a world devoid of racism/racial segregation is almost heaven on earth, where poverty and diseases are completely wiped out. A Nigeria where no one is cheated of his/her fair share (please note FAIR share, not “entitle or assumed share”), where everyone can live anywhere within the federation in peace and harmony is by far more desirable, than a fragment of it with the same qualities. The greatest truth about division is that once began, there is very little way of controlling it. That is why I personally believe, that if Nigeria can give us our fair share and provide an overall safe, peaceful, progressive and functional country, we should remain in Nigeria; ELSE, we should use ALL our existential resources to leave Nigeria, and do so expeditiously for the sake of our children. That is why every Igbo should follow political developments in Nigeria VERY CLOSELY; failure to do which can result in slavery for our generations unborn. In Nigerian politics, one plus one is not two; it can be anything unknown. In fact I usually say that in Nigerian politics, x+y = z^(1+/-n).


Politics:
Our political opponents from the North (and sometimes the west) often say that we Igbo are not willing to sacrifice for the nation. This allegation often comes when we demand to be given the opportunity of leading Nigeria. The allegation even becomes louder when we seek secession usually occasioned by lack of other viable alternatives to creating a functional future for our children. However, it is my humble opinion that no other nation within the Nigerian federation has sacrificed for Nigeria more than Ndigbo. The sacrifices have come in various forms, but often the most egregious ones come in blood. Years of riots after riots (and current Boko Haram) in Northern Nigeria has almost destroyed Igbo trust for living peacefully and freely in Northern Nigeria. It is on record that Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe basically sacrificed Eastern Nigeria independence in 1957 to accommodate a united Nigerian independence in 1960. However, immediately after independence, it became clear that key elements in the Ahmadu Bello political school did not see Nigeria as anything other than an estate to be subdued and ruled in perpetuity according to the whims and caprices of the Sokoto Caliphate. The nationalist (some would say naïve) attempt by junior officers in the army to correct that wrong headed philosophy resulted in the civil war in which 2 million Igbo/Eastern Nigerian civilians basically starved to death.

Meanwhile for another 40 years after that war, the North still carried on with total subjugation of Igboland by denying it of key infrastructure that could enable it develop a world class economy. The status quo remained until God intervened and set in motion a program that has taken Nigeria away (to some extent) from the firm grip of feudalism. An Igbo COAS is only emerging after more than 40 years, and yet, some voices in the North are already raising dusts over his appointment; and these are the same people accusing Igbo of lack of sacrifice? That is why each time we hear the accusation, it often comes across as an insult; and some of the accusers don't even hide the insult any longer.

So, our politics must reflect our history and be shaped by our current position in Nigeria. WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY; therefore we should consolidate on our gains even while planning for the future. Any political moves at this stage that would wipe out our investments and current holdings in the Nigerian nation should be shelved for now. Umunne m, anyi ji nwayo nwayo wee na abata na ebe anyi nobu tupu Januwari 1966. Unu lee anya ofuma unu ga ahu na anyi na abata n'ochichi n'ike 'ike.
Ihe anyi kwesiri ime bu iji nwayo.

PDP: I believe it is the ruling party and most of our states are already PDP, and the party is not really static. If it were, Obasanjo would still be in power: HE IS NOT. So, if a PDP president is giving us our demands -functional international airport at Enugu, second Niger bridge commissioned before 2015; Onitsha port fully functional, and all federal roads fixed and functional; then we may vote PDP again in 2015.

APC: It is VERY good that one of our governors -Gov Rochas Okorocha, is leading a section of APGA into that alliance. Perhaps this is one of the few times we've gotten in right in the Nigerian national politics. I do not believe that the alliance is bad for Ndigbo, provided it is not promising less that what the PDP is promising. Redundancy is always good in politics. Ndigbo si na ihe eji adi dike abuo aga n'okwu bu maka nke onye chefuru ibe ya echetara ya” -the need for two gifted orators to approach crucial negotiation is for each to remind the other of any forgotten issue. So, we welcome APC too.

APGA: I am of the opinion that APGA should remain and not wind down no matter what. It should be our local party that we vote for in gubernatorial, and state houses of assembly elections. It has performed well in those areas since its inception and should be encouraged to basically capture local politics in Igbo land. In national elections, APGA supporters should vote according to which party that is offering us more.

Regional Politics:
I still maintain that there is Eastern Nigeria no matter what anyone would say. The fact that minority sections have been carved into the “SS” zone changes nothing. If you doubt me, take a careful look at the presidency of Goodluck E. Jonathan. The mere fact that GEJ's political base in the SE (not even SS), speaks volumes. Note that “SS” includes parts of old Mid-west. In that part of SS, the only true political allies of GEJ are the Aniomas, and Ijaw. I tend to look at myself just as my opponent would look at me, not as I would look at myself. When one does this, one would agree with me that in Nigeria, there is still the old “East”,”North”, and “West”. The old North is losing the middle belt/NC to some extent, while the old West has lost Mid-west even before the war, though a renewed attempt to recreate it is continuing through efforts of ACN. The old East seem to be expanding and coalescing into a bigger alliance with the Middle belt through the PDP. These are the political permutations to keep in mind while we decide how to shape our political future.

National Politics:
What Nigeria needs is a national agenda to defeat Islamic extremism in the North. It is my studied opinion that this is at the very heart of Nigerian national failure. From 1960 till date, federal government policy has been to bend backwards to accommodate the North through CRUDE forms of affirmative action via the twin evils of “Federal character” and “Quote system”. In this system, sections which produce the least educated and least performing human resources are foisted on a developing nation with a need for expedited economic development. In a weird twist of resource allocation, more funds were pumped into education programs in the North for many years, with little or nothing to show for it. The funds mostly disappeared into private pockets because most people there would rather attend Islamic schools than western style schools. This created an endemic culture of poverty and deprivation, leading to a scenario where a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Charles Chukwuma Soludo lamented that “poverty is a Northerner”.

We know, that there are at least TWO very successful Muslim countries in the world -Turkey and Malaysia, and the common denominator in both countries is the brand of Islam they practice. In both countries, leaders emerged who saw a place for modernity in Islam” Atatürk in Turkey, and Mahatia Mohammed in Malaysia. It would seem to me that a southern Nigerian CBN governor cared more about Northern poverty than a Northern CBN governor. Food for thought! Methinks it is because the southern CBN governor has a better vision and understands that Nigeria can never move forward without eradicating poverty in the North. Where I differ with Soludo is on the way to defeat poverty in the North. I say defeat extremist Islam, and you would defeat poverty and ALL other Nigerian development ills across the Nigerian nation.

Once extremist Islam is defeated in the North, it becomes possible for any investor to open a business and create jobs. Igbo are known for our business abilities. Such is the North that we can live in and associate with in one nation. I singled out the North, because Igbo have been freely associating and living with other Muslims in Lagos and the West without any troubles, and economies of those areas benefit from it and reflect in lower poverty and higher standards of living. For as long as there is radical Islam in the North (the type that imposed Sharia without recourse to the federal constitution) the continued unity of the Nigerian nation remains in doubt.

It should then be in the interest of Ndigbo and all Nigerians to work towards total defeat of Islamic extremism.

What if all fails?

Nigeria will face a serious economic problem in the near future because of the dwindling of oil revenues and the increasing population. This is why I personally shudder at the thought of a Buhari presidency. The man knows no ways of defeating radical Islam or to create a modern economy. The fact that there are southern Nigerians who even think of supporting his candidacy is even more disturbing. What Nigeria needs in the BEST TEAM even if that team is entirely Igbo. We did it in the super eagles team and it paid; I believe it can pay again in national leadership.

But if all these were to fail, then I would support Biafran secession from Nigeria, and I would do so fully convinced that there are no other ways. Some of the reasons why I hesitate to support Biafran secession these days is because I've had a complete second view of the circumstances that led to the war, and HOW the war was lost. Most of the shortcomings of the war period are still very much with us today. I would give one example. A scenario whereby nobody of note in Igboland raised a STRONG voice to CONDEMN a governor who issued a shoot at sight order against unarmed Igbo civilians in a Nigerian nation where the security officers are likely to come from a different tribe, and likely biased against local people; pray, are these not the types of people that would sell Biafran secrets to outside forces? I can understand that a governor would issue an arrest and detain order against an unarmed civilian population disturbing public peace; but a SHOOT AT SIGHT order? What is really going on in this governor's head when he issued that order?

So, I would rather create a local “Biafra” whereby every state governor is held personally accountable for his actions while in office, be it economic, executive, political or cultural. We need to start holding our governors accountable first. If we do that successfully for a few years, we may wake up to find that all our Biafran dreams have been achieved even without mentioning Biafra.


[b]Economy:
We need to create an economic hub in Igboland, a hub that would be the center of business and finance in Africa. It is possible and doable; we just have to believe and work steadily towards it! For that to happen though, we need an infrastructural revolution in Igboland. It is already happening at the low level and would need to excalate, incorporating big transportation infrastructure to drive a 21st century economy.

What infrastructure do I want to see in Igboland?[/b]

Immediate term: One functional international airport at Enugu

Long term: Three functional International Airports at Enugu, Owerri, Asaba/Onitsha

High speed rail linking ALL key cities in the East, from Igboland to minority areas of the East -Akwa/Cross, Rivers. We can start with the 5 SE states and gradually link other parts of the East.

World class Health care system (hospitals, research centers, labs etc)

World class Universities with engineering departments to power local technological revolution

Industrial clusters to focus on niche industrial productions to be determined later (could be automobile, ship building, flight engineering, etc)

Agriculture: Modern farming (mainly animal farming for local and export)

World class investment, banking and financial services

All these are only possible with a STRONG international access. None of it is possible without that.


I believe that the key to a more intrigrated economic region in the East is an economic hub in Igboland.

Culture:
The beautiful thing about Igbo culture is that it is very dynamic. It quickly adds and subtracts practices within it. This attribute however needs to be properly shepherded, else, strange and evil cultures may penetrate and endure. Kidnapping is a typical example. It is an old evil which (if we are to tell ourselves the truth) is a product of the same mindset that captured and sold people into slavery in the olden days. When slavery was abolished and Christianity penetrated deeper into Igboland, these practices died down, but now they seem to be making a resurgence.

In my humble opinion, just like the Christians of the olden era stopped slavery, Christians of modern era can also stop kidnapping in Igboland. Unfortunately for us, it would seem that current day Christians have abdicated their faith and now concentrate more on driving for finance. In a village where everyone is seeking for money (including the Church) who would bell this evil cat of kidnapping?

It is therefore my humble opinion, that ALL Igbo must begin to change his/her mindset towards money.
Ndigbo si na nkita nile na eri nsi, mana nke richaa buru ya n'onu, akpo ya “ori nsi”. I believe that other tribes in Nigeria love money equally, if not more, than Ndigbo. Why then should we allow kidnapping to be found in our families? Onye nwanne ya na ato madu, o bu soso ya huru ego n'anya?
So, let's keep life in proper perspective. There is a limit to everything. If your actions even remotely contribute to kidnapping in Igboland, YOU HAVE BLOOD IN YOUR HANDS.

I am a strong opponent of the Osu system in parts of Igboland. I am happy that this evil practice is slowly but surely dying a steady death in Igboland. Let us continue to harp on the need to scrap it totally from our lands.
I also advise a careful digestion of foreign practices before copying it. The advent of the Internet has created a situation whereby we wolf down all strange cultures, the origins and full imports of which we hardly understand. Please before copying anything, try hard to situate what you are copying in the broader Igbo society and culture. I believe in individual lifestyle choices, but an individual lifestyle that attract curses and other forms of evil into Igboland becomes a societal choice. Please do not choose evil for us!

On leadership agenda:
I have already stated that I would form a leadership system that can auto pilot. I would not share the details, but suffice to say that Ndigbo will always have a voice here, and the voice will always say our minds. If I win, I will use my experience from my year in office to execute a more successful tenure.

Thanks in advance for your vote.

Ndigbo Kwenu!

Anyi zuru ka eme!

Signed,

Onlytruth

Igbo kwenu!

After a thorough mind search over the weekend, and after carefully following proceedings here, I have decided to accept my nomination.

It is not an easy decision. I cannot even begin to explain how hard this decision is for me, but you have to believe me. I have a lot to do for myself this year; but, in my worldview, what is leadership if not sacrifice? There is a new paradigm of culture which we (my last cabinet and I) want to introduce to Igboland (a culture of self sacrifice for group interest), and it would be irresponsible of me to abandon all that at this stage. Also it is very self evident that my people need me now, perhaps more than last year.

@Okija_juju

Our people say that "nwata ji mma na otu aka, were aka nke ozo jide oku, o buru na mma ebeghi ya, oku ga ahu ya" (a child who wields a naked fire with the left hand, and a knife with the right hand, risk either being burnt or cut.) Nuff said on that.

At the core of the Igbo consciousness today is whether to go for outright secession, or to tough it out in Nigeria. I have already answered that question several times before here. One cannot be different from the core interests of his people. Our people say that if you enter a village where every member has one ear, you should cut off one of your ears, else, you will be seen as "other". Igbo is ONE; warts and all. I shall elaborate more on this when I make a detailed campaign speech.

I see myself as a pragmatic choice for now, and if I win, I plan (among all other things) to help train my co-contestants by sharing PRACTICAL experiences with them in my new cabinet.

Igbo ekele m unu ozo.

Signed

Onlytruth.

I think it is time for me to make my own endorsements.

I nominate in the following order:

(1) Andre Uweh
(2) Alex101

This process is getting richer by the day. To God be the glory.

Andre Uweh: Wow, a lot of water has passed under the bridge. Where have I been?. Anyway, been too busy with Child birth. The thread is so long now and I cant read all. Odumchi has resigned?. Why did he resign?.
@The electoral team, the office of Eze Ndigbo (Nairaland )suits me and am prepared to serve my people. Is this coming too late?. If so, can I nominate someone else, or is it too late as well?.
Ndigbo, uwa dikwara unu mma.

Bro Andre happy new year and welcome.
You were missed very badly during our days (or weeks) of trial, leading up to this moment. In any case better late than never.
Congrats on your new baby.

Let me start on a sombre note because of the sudden abdication of the throne by our brother Odumchi.

I have many things to say and I shall try to capture all the points as much as possible.

I start by saying that the sudden departure of Odumchi throws a wrench in the works of our little “organisation” of Ndigbo here in Nairaland. I personally did not expect him to resign. All I said was that he should appoint a cabinet and start work immediately, because there is a clear vacuum of leadership among Ndigbo here because of his distance and silence. My greatest concern was not about anything more than that Ndigbo were already beginning to tear at each other across state lines. I had wanted that to be checked by somebody in Igbo leadership here, often with a single comment or two calling warring parties to order and warning them of consequence if they didn't stop.

None of that happened.

I remember how we labored to cage some renegade characters who cause division in Igboland. We succeeded to some extent because their activities have reduced drastically (though Mad-cow just joined them this year). It has often (and always) been my belief that if Ndigbo can stand together, we can achieve ANYTHING, whether as Nigerians or as Biafrans (both options remain on the table). However, we shall achieve NOTHING if all we do is look at each other from across state, LGA, geopolitical zones, and towns divides. To me, that is even the most urgent job for the Eze here. When we make significant achievement in that direction, believe me Nigeria will beg us to become the kings of Nigeria. That is the basis of my mindset and worldview as far as Ndigbo are concerned. Odum was my Prime minister during my tenure, and I had hoped he would step in fully, but I was wrong. I respect his wishes.

The second issue I want to discuss is that of the manner in which the owner of this site (or his sidekick called Mukina2) banned me without any concrete reason other than a show of power. I believe that the moderators of this section (OAMJ4, Afam4ever (ezigbo nwa), and erstwhile Jarus, know my views about such show of power. Without any intent to insult much, I believe that it is logically anachronistic that a business owner would “ban” someone contributing to his business. LOL. I am from Nnewi, a typical business town, and own an existing business in Nigeria, and about to start a potentially bigger one here in the US this year; so I understand how important certain “builders” are to business. In conventional business (brick and mortar business), one of such builders group are “contacts” (sometimes people pay millions to get them). The contact may not be giving you money directly, but definitely does so indirectly. I believe I am a builder in Nairaland, who even deserve PAY for building this site with solid comments and insights. So, I would be damned to ever accept been banned by anybody here. LOL. There are two ways I can react to this ban, and I would not discuss any for now, so let me move on to the main gist here.

I am pondering what to do about another run at this office. Ordinarily, I would not even think of running again (refer to my belief about being an unappreciated builder on Nairaland); but I am contemplating another run because I even see some people trying to reverse psych me, a typical nwa afo Igbo. LOL. They hope that by insulting me, I would fall for their windbagged gambits.
Perhaps the most compelling reason for me to run is because none of the people who I have personally worked with and noted their commitment to Ndigbo and leadership strengths, wants to run. PointB for example is my idea of an excellent replacement for me. FACE (who has not come to Nairaland for sometime now) is another. Both are from Abia state, the state that produce top leaders and generals (not that it matters though). I still would beg PointB to hand over this electoral bag to someone else and take up this role. I am not a good bureaucrat, I would have offered myself for this election commissioner job, even if to relieve PointB and deny him any more excuses.

In the absence of these men I can vouch for, another man that I would LOVE to replace me here is Alex101. I have known Alex for a few years now, and he is a lion heart. I also know his LGA in Imo state (Ideato South, LGA). This area is known for producing some of the best Igbo sons and daughters in ALL fields ( business, education, politics, military, etc). So, I would endorse Alex to replace me if I decide not to run. If Alex emerges, I believe we can support him with Igbo eggheads here (who fully understand what the deal is about Nigeria and Biafra). If we do that, he would make an excellent Eze.

I also wish to appeal to ANY able Igbo man to step up and contest this election. We need you NOW.
Talk and criticisms and side tackles are very easy, but they are reserved for COWARDS. The best way to prove yourself is to step up and offer yourself for service. I believe I have done mine.

For all those who accuse me of pushing out Odumchi, what can I say since you've already made up your minds. LOL. But bear one thing in mind, IGBO UNITY is very fragile, and any Eze MUST always show up for a fight anytime he sees that unity being threatened by anybody in this site. It is one of the reasons why we all HATE Alj-harem. He always works to disunite us. So, our new Eze must never keep quiet when he sees Igbo going freely at one another. I know that the job is tasking, and may even portend some personal risks, but Ndigbo say that “okwukwe ka nwa ewu ji amago nne ya” (it takes a higher level of faith to attempt the seemingly impossible).

Let this process continue. I shall make my decision known to you subsequently.

Dalu nu. Jisie nu ike.

Igbo nma nma nu!

Signed,

Onlytruth.

Dudu_Negro: onlytruth,

if you compare the culture section of today to the culture section of two years ago, you will see dramatic changes. Odumchi, Ifyalways, Abagworo, Chinenye, Afam, Ezeachi.......and too many to mention here have turned the Igbo focus around and embraced the beauty of your culture to breed understanding and knowledge.

The politics section on the other hand was better two years ago than it is today.

There's nothing wrong having your Eze as the overall cultural face and voicefor umuigbo and then perhaps nominating sub titles to serve as warriors on the politics section . The authority given to the warriors must have some checks and reporting in order that they do not topple or challenge the power of the Ezeship.

You would at least agree that our Eze could have appointed a Prime Minister who would be his voice here. He does not need to be here always. BUT HIS VOICE MUST BE HERE ALWAYS.
Assuming you are interested in the truth.

Afam4eva: So, now i'm the one destroying from withing. You lots always have something to say when someone does not agree with you. I'm a MOD in this section and it's my duty to make sure that common sense and decorum is maintained here. Is it so difficult to ask you not to throw insults around? Can you pass across a message without arming it with infantile curses. It's a shame when grown azz men behave like kids. You should know better.

Isn't it funny that you started seeing the insult when I decided to start replying some of the brazen insult on Igbo men here?
Where were you when the insult was flying around all day?

Nna take a careful look at yourself and make sure that you are not used by anybody to destroy your own people.

Use your power to serve your people. If your employers reject that, RESIGN. That is the honorable thing for a nwa afo Igbo to do.

I ask again, who will stop Ifyalways insulting all of us who want our Eze to lead? For how long should we allow that?

Fair questions begging for fair answers.

Afam4eva: If you don't obey the rules, you'll most definitely be banned.

If your rule is to stand by and watch Ndigbo destroyed, then I will have to say that I was wrong about you. LOL

Whatever is stopping you.

@ALL UMU IGBO I HOPE YOU ARE ALL WITNESSING OUR DESTRUCTION FROM WITHIN.

Afam4eva: At least let's desist from insulting anyone here.

Go back in this thread and start from where she started insulting all Igbo men.

As a matter of fact, Yoruba people here have found in her a worthy trojan horse with which to destroy Igbo cohesion and strength.
BTW don't ever threaten me again with a ban for attempting to do what you don't want to do.

Nairaland does not pay my bills.

@Ngwakwe

Nwanne I hear and understand you. I am also very busy, and that is why I stepped aside from this post. However, please note that without personal sacrifice to offer self for a role, one loses the right to criticize what is being offered in this case.

All criticisms must begin with SELF first.

ifyalways: I am mobile only truth and would dissect your post to me when I get to my PC.

I owe you one animal, and it would be paid in full.

I will take it upon myself to cure your schizophrenia once and for all. I know exactly HOW to do it.

ifyalways: You!
Do I look like I need foot soldiers like you?you hide behind the scenes, send your flag bearers to attack this leadership then when it gets hot and they've done enough damage, you come in with your gun-in-left hand and pigeon-in-right hand to offer peace offering. Lmao move over please. Move as in disappear from my face.
Thank you.

You are too tiny to be visible on my radar. You only appeared on the radar (briefly) when you replied to some of the GREAT sons of Igboland whom you have taken upon yourself to insult daily because you tasted what you never thought you would taste.
Nwa nkapi.

ifyalways: Afam, Odumchi and ogugua can be dethroned. That's right and I agree. But there must be a valid reason and due process must be adhered.

It will be wrong and resisted in full force if due process aint followed.
Again, most of the people propsing his dethronement are claiming that their reason is because he is NOt representing us well,(might be true) and his tenure brought dis-unity to us. The former might be true but the latter is a big fat lie.

Odumchi's short regime is even the one that have successfully brought out all igbos from their shelves. Every one now has a voice UNLIKE the previous tenure.

So, if the voice is that of a mad man like Chino11, he should be allowed to continue having it without being cautioned or sanctioned?
Then what are we talking about here? What is the Eze's role here then? What is the need for this office then?

I know you know better than to make such argument. You know better.

9ja_I_hail: Ify spare us with all these threats biko, who are you and why do you think you alone pulls the weight to hold majority igbos to ransom? Nne stop seen things only from your own angle. Nothing works in organization of many except when it move with collective effort.

Please give chance for peace to rein.

My brother help me ask o. Before we know it, nne ewu amago nkpi. Only in Nairaland.

ifyalways: @thread, the greatest lie anyone can tell himself is to claim that Igbos here were united, spoke with one voice with the previous tenure. That's a lie and I'm putting it out on your faces. We just didn't care !!! QED
We ignored the charade Cos we can't be bothered and that is not equal to "the eze was speaking for us"
Besides the election, how many Igbos cared or acknowledged the previous eze?Odumchi's tenure is making waves because of 2 reasons:
Some of us care enough now and want to be involved.
The mischief makers who thinks here is their tiny kitchen where their words are final.

Make we see now. Let that "he"" who thinks he is going to dethrone Odumchi and install his puppet prepare well. You guys refuse to give the boy peace and you think you'll smell it? I laugh in Önicha

The funny thing is that you are alone in that view. If you were right, a person in the mold of Ngwakwe(who voted for Odumchi) would not have moved for Odumchi's ouster. There is time to see a mental health professional.

Nobody can intimidate umu Igbo into accepting a lame leadership. It doesn't happen offline, and it will not happen online.
You are actually doing Odumchi a great disservice, but I think he is fine with it. So, go on.

Odumchi, I will share a little anecdote with you.

In Nnewi my town, there was a period of conflict, when one of the royal family members started contesting the position of Igwe, challenging the current Igwe Kenneth Orizu who has been on the throne since 1963. I don't want to bore us with irrelevant origins of that conflict. However, Nnewi has FOUR clans (towns basically within Nnewi) which we call "agba n'ano" (four quarters), each has an Obi.
The most powerful Obi from one of the clans (Otolo) doubles as the Igwe of Nnewi. The next most powerful Obi is the Obi of Uruagu. A royal son from the Orizu side went to see this Obi of Uruagu, to ask for his support to oust Igwe Kenneth on the basis that the Igwe is not educated enough. Well, the Obi of Uruagu told the man seeking his support that the most powerful and vicious masquerade in Nnewi (I won't mention the name, lol) is actually BLIND. The carrier of the masquerade cannot see! But guess what, his minders and followers give him more insight than any other masquerade. He told the man to go home and use his education to support the Igwe and be his "eyes"!
You see why Nnewi is still together, even though the town is basically FOUR towns, and the royal stool has never been contested for not less than 4 hundred years since it started.
The moral of the story is that there are MANY umu Igbo here willing and able to offer service by working in your cabinet and speaking for you, BUT you have to pick them and assign them roles. That is how I did it, and you are a witness to that.

Time is not on your side. Igbo interest must come first.

odumchi: Ebe m no ugbua o ji nkeji iri abuo na ano gafee elekere ato na isi ututu. Chi boo m edeachiri unu. Ka chi foo nu.

Eze Odumchi, ebee ka i no? I no na oru? Nwanne gbaa nnukwu mbo echi kpoputa aha ndi cabinet gi.
Otu onye adighi abu eze.
Ndumodu a si m n'ala obi puta. Ihere na eme umu Igbo na nairaland. Ha ahughi onye ndu.

@Ngwakwe

Nwanne I hope you shall make yourself available for any bye elections to replace the Eze in the near future if that becomes necessary.
I hope you realize that we elected the available person. Maybe this fiasco will propel you umu Igbo to start making yourselves available for leadership here. Onweghi onye nwere efe, mana kedu ihe madu g'eme?

Bliss4Lyfe: All moderators on dis site should be sacked from holding igbo office.

Show of shame is too much, taking a break and back in the summer.

Nne please don't leave because you are one of the FEW Igbo ladies here that understand the mission and vision for a strong Igbo voice.
We shall miss you badly if you take that break. Now is not the time for taking breaks. It is time to move full steam ahead.
Biko stay.

Ngwakwe: Don Chris and Ify-nne, please stop this exchange of words. We have a crucial matter to resolve before our collective future is drowned.

In this 21st Century, the pen and internet are much mightier than the sword.

Let's learn from Israel's shortcomings, they always win the war but usually loose the battle to Arabs who use media and falsified documentaries to portray Israel as monsters that kill innocent Arabs.

Ndigbo can't afford another grievous mistake in strategy as was in 1967. Let's sale our stories and raise our voices for equity and fairness. Ndigbo are becoming targets of aggressive trade policies both in Lagos and Africa at large.

Please, both of you should cease fire this time for sober reflection.

Which is why we created this office in the first place to lead that effort. Thanks for capturing the essence of this office, and its SOLE responsibility.
All attempts to change that responsibility shall fail miserably.

Yoruba_Omoge: Jesu! N384bn?

Yes, it a smart way of managing money. Any smart person would pay of a high interest loan QUICKLY, even before buying food, else the yoke remains on his neck and inevitably steal tomorrow's food, often multiple times!

Only a SPECIAL leader can make this judgement call.

Sincere 9gerian: The reforms done so far in PHCN is earth shaking, unprecedented and history making. No wonder we'v been in darkness all this while. The process has been tedious and financial cost collosal. Only a focused and firm govt with enormous political will can see this process thru without hitches.

GEJ is about to make history. I urge him to remain steadfast and keep his eye on the ball. The current reforms in PHCN, particularly privatisation, will be the greatest singular positive development in this country in decades

My brother, you have spoken the CONCRETE TRUTH.
All past federal government leaders (especially the military ones) avoided "NEPA" like a curse. They couldn't touch it, though they could manage to steal billions of dollars.
I have always suspected that this is the real reason Nigeria is in darkness.
Now imagine 50,000 leeches sucking us dry for YEARS on.

If Jonathan pulls of this quiet revolution, his name will be written in BOLD GOLD.

In a sane country, someone at the police headquarters of the area would have been arrested and charged with murder in the first degree.
I don't understand the type of education people get in Nigeria. I wonder why the courts and prisons are there in the first place. Why not scrap them so that we know that Hobbesian state is the full order of the day.
When Prof Nwabueze ( a legal luminary) stated that Nigeria is a failed state, this is part of what he must have in mind.

Whoever did this must necessarily be charged to disprove the Nwabuezes.

My prior concerns are gradually beginning to manifest, and I predict that it will precipitate soon. I don't know how else to say this, but I always thought that it should be clear enough that Ndigbo are unique (in very positive, and negative ways). Show them your leadership ability and they will follow you faithfully. Ojukwu did it during the war. He earned Igbo followership. When he deviated a little during the 2nd republic, he was dropped and matched all over by Ndigbo.
When he retracted his steps and started leading Igbo properly again, they rewarded him by making him Eze Ndigbo gburu gburu. Upon his death, he was given a burial which a Nigerian president never got. That is how special Ndigbo are. They can adore, but they can also toss any leader into a trash bin if he fails. It did not start today; it shall not end today.

The office of Eze Ndigbo Nairaland is the most fragile of any Igbo leadership position that I know, because it is a faceless forum. So, it demands even more FOCUS, attention, leadership skills and strategies for it to remain relevant. I feel pained that some of what I worked very hard to impart on Igbo (unity, common purpose, holding our heads high, brotherhood, necessary militancy in defense of our interests, political alertness, cultural revolution, and many others) are being allowed to died slowly. Threads are popping up almost daily in which Igbo are busy attacking each other, and it is some of people who wish us extermination that are having a field day in those threads and even this one. I am not happy about that.
Some of our COMMITTED Igbo leaders here like PointB, and FACE, know of these fears I had before now.

@My brothers Ngakwe (who I'm sure voted for Odumchi) and Malawian, re@lchange, and others; your fears are my fears. Let nobody think otherwise. I do not pretend, and would be damned before I lie to myself about how I feel. However, let's be patient till at least March.

Thanks all.

The only party that gains from APGA's factionization is PDP because PDP is closest on the ground in SE. With what is going on now, Peter Obi might simply move all his political assets into PDP and Anambra will become a PDP state once more. If that happens, its game over for APGA in SE.
As for APC, people in much of SE will blame it for dismembering APGA and shun it like plague. Perhaps this is all for good.

My ideal candidate is a man who sees the true potentials of Nigeria, and has skills to harness it fully.

His name is Charles Chukwuma Soludo

I have a feeling that until Jonathan leaves, Soludo will stay low under the radar. As soon as Jona leaves after 2019, my candidate shall rise.

I may have to sponsor him with my own money.

Soludo is the only solution.