We refuse to be drawn into any diatribe with those that are not directly affected by this magnanimous invitation.

However, it is pertinent to point out one of the reasons for extending this invitation to The Administrator of this forum. This reason can be summarised thus:
On Nigerian issues, there is a certain unholy and immoral narrow mindedness that pervades the thinking faculties of many a westerner (Nigerian westerner, I mean). [ This I would call the syndrome]

Northerners admit to what they do not know and do not try to learn, easterners try to buy what they do not know or have, but westerners sometimes try to prove they know what they do not know. This is my candid assesment [as one born but not buttered in the west].

This has been very evident in most of the discussions on this forum, especially on the Niger Delta issue. Considering the level of 'influence' that the subject of this invitation 'commands' it became necessary to 'help' reduce this syndrome.

That this invitation has made some to feel bad (or guilty), does indicate that the syndrome is deep. Feeling bad, is actually an indication/guage of a psychological attempt at 'resisting' , arguing or struggling with the reality that this 'complex' brings up- ignorance.

Also, the fact that Niger Deltans under the employ of the Government are doing their jobs without being unduely regionalistic shoud be praised rather than being villified. It also serves to indicate that when something 'good' is done, the president (a westerner) gets the credit (of course in the eyes of all westerners affected by this syndrome), but anything that goes 'wrong' is labelled against the region of the Government official concerned ( that is what the minister of works did when he was confronted with the state of roads in the east- he promptly published names of igbo people in the employ of the ministry as if they were the cause of the problem).

We insist that Mr. Admin and other 'like minded' souls have no portion, inheritance nor interest in the Delta except the continued rape of that soceity for their own good. They are therefore totally unqualified to comment on issues that affect it.

We lack words to express our heartfelt dissapointment at not having the opportunity to host Mr. Admin, Seun due to his decision to turn down the offer.

Going by the response/decision of Mr Able Admin, Seun, to the magnanimous invitation extended to him by the good, wonderful, patient though oppresed and raped people of the great Delta, We hereby declare that he is most unfit to comment, advise or have a say in any matter that concerns this great region.

It is therefore evident, that he enjoys all the benefits that crude oil money brings to his village, hamlet, town and state but does not want to visit (even when all the cost is borne by another) the area to see for himself how many people die daily and instalmentally due to the insistence of the larger Nigeria to inflict pain and muderous actions on the great delta and its citizens.

@bros Charlisco, you know say you be homeboy, you can join the team that will welcome Chief Admin Seun to the great Delta.

@Oga Skidoc, Mr Admin is still thinking, he has not turned down the offer yet.

@ Lady Ocho, You are welcome to join the Admin if he grants you the priviledge.

Dear Seun,[/b]In response to a suggestion above,[b] you are hereby entitled to come along with a lady of your choice.
We are eagerly awaiting your kind consideration and reply.

@9aijaMan
Is the Niger Delta populated by angels?. Certainly not. Even then I wish that you compare some of your stories with the atrocities of area boys (abi Omo nile) in Lagos.

If you believe that Dangote wanted to site a cement factory in Rivers State, then I'm sure that you can believe that eskimos buy ice from the sahara desert.

The limestone deposit in mfamasin (Cross- river) is one of the largest in Nigeria. It  supported a cement factory called Calcemco for decades until NIGERIANS shut it down through corruption. It is this site  site that Dangote hopes to build a cement factory. It is not, was not and will not be Rivers because elementary Geography suggests otherwise. In any case it is still in the south-South, so what is the fuss?

Please look for better stories.

The actions of Niger Deltans today is a direct fallout of the cumulative anti- Niger Delta seeds sown by the Bigger Nigeria over the last four decades. It is time to get it corrected.

Indeed it is getting late. It is late already, very late.

By allowing this whole stuff to enter the South-South's intelligent communty who will always research for new ways of attacking the problem, Nigeria is certainly on its way to extinction.

It is very easy to kill one man, but to kill an idea?, You'll need to kill a whole generation of men.

@9ijaMan

Those 'educated and law abiding people' in Nigeria support and participate in the killing, bombing, murder, 'un-educating' and oppresion of those who you describe as violent. abi??

It takes a greater level of violence and senselessness to fly an airplane over a helpless village and insist on bombing it.

It takes blindness, hate and having a heart crossed with the devils fury to consistently oppress, torment and hound a people for over four decades and yet insist that nothing is wrong, then call the same oppressed people names 'senseless' and 'uneducated'

Dear Seun,

all expenses will be fully borne by me and any other person that is persuaded to do so.

I forgot to add that, in addition to having a feel of the fresh, unpolluted breeze from the Atlantic, you will see breathtaking views and have a lifetime opportunity to meet some of the most patient people on the planet.

Your response is still being awaited so that final touches can to be put into the logistics arrangement.

Kind Regards

You have never been to any part of Ibo- land?? Little wonder then.
I am still searching for any inspiration that can be drawn from that article as it is empty and draws blank on key issues.

However,
1. It beats my imagination to hear that OBJ had anything to do with the Imo Airport project which was built by the contribution of every Imo son/daughter including those in primary schools who contributed 20 naira each at a certain point.

2. It is alarming, betraying and an indication of crass ignorance to talk of road network in the east, and moreso to attribute it to the present Government. Even the onitsha road that was re-awarded last few weeks is a face saving measure after seven years of using it to drain resources and as a political toolkit.

3. That Igbos are at the head of the Obasanjo Intelligentsia should open his eyes to know that those he has been targetting are smarter than him.

Civil war?, maybe

Civil Uprising?, Certainly not.
The mass of the people are too tibalistic to support an idea based uprising

I hereby offer the NAIRALAND site administrator - Seun, an all expense paid , field trip and vacation in different parts of the Niger Delta.

This is aimed at helping him to add some 'sight and sound' to his views on the South -South and Nigeria as a whole

Duration: 2 months (begining at the time of his choosing)

Location: Divers places and lots of nights in the 'creeks'

Highpoints:

1. 'Meet the people' tour of great villages, hamlets, fishing settlements, canoe fishing in the high seas, living under the heat of gas flare for some weeks and experiencing some acid rains, etc

2. Some fresh palmwine and delicious fish dishes including boat regatta

3. Visit to some of the oldest kingdoms in Africa like Bonny, Brass, Opobo, Nembe, Benin, Efik/Calabar, etc

4. Proper debriefing at some of the choicest locations in Cross River (the people's paradise) after the field trips.

IT PROMISES TO BE LOTS OF FUN

I sincerely hope that he will find it fitting to honour this great invitation.

Two wrongs certainly do not make one right. However, a change in tactics and approach is often charaacterized as doing wrong.
The Nigerian question and the attendant riots (including those incited by religion) certainly demands more than the preachment of docility.

Until a few years ago, many had thought that violence and killing is domiciled in the northern parts of Nigeria and that the youths of those parts were born with the devil. But the change in response by easterners (and southerners generally) , followed by the rise and rise of bakasi/egbesu/odua boys has ended up drastically reducing the number of people killed in the north by religious charlatans. Otherwise, this cartoon stuff would have become a reason to send thousands of Christians to their untimely death.

After the reprisals (in Sagamu and Aba) that followed the last major violence in kaduna, their sponsors know better. They were the ones urging calm last weekend. They were even constituting themselves into crises management committees.

Lame and graveyard 'peace', that advocates for dumbness while your eyes are being gouged out by an 'adversary' is unrealistic and un-natural.

Touchy...very touchy thread.

Nigeria's case is clearly a that of '....hope deferred makes the heart sick'.

Now we know that the west is no more a part of the south. Long live the (Non-south) west.

People that falsify election figures have a listening ear and 'forgiving' heart in the Nigerian President.

He neither reports to the relevant authorities nor cause them to be prosecuted accordingly but rather leaves them to go and sometimes recommends (the same person) for higher 'National' responsibilities.

This article explains further.
http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/editorial_opinion/article02/050206

Do you think the President is an accessory after the fact of treason?

_{[Accessory - person who knowing that a crime has been committed aids or shelters the offender with intent to defeat justice -- called also accessory after the fact]}

Good revenge

ijebuman:

The violence or threat of violence may have played a small part but it was always the political pressure that ensured the government agreed to relinquish power.

Good to know you understand that it did play a part. What measure is up to you and whatever index you are using to measure. To be effective, politics must have two part - 'The Power and authority'. No organisation that is seeking to accomplish its goals will leave the power to another. Negotiations are very good, but be sure that it can fail, at which time everybody should be prepared to use his 'power'.

ijebuman:

Did the violence option work during the Nigerian Civil war? even though the federal forces defeated the Biafrans. They won the war but they did not win the hearts and minds of the ibos.

Sure you won't like us to start the war story all over. Enough said and learnt.

ijebuman:

Violence against a specific target may work in certain circumstances but i still don't see how that applies to Nigeria. People don't care about a target, they always attack the ethnic group they think is oppressing them. The Hausas will just start killing the Ibos and vice versa or it could turn religious.

The Niger delta is definitely a ticking time bomb and i understand the frustrations that has led to violence. But no matter the amount of violence, lasting peace can only be achieved through dialogue.

The US is busy training and providing equipment to the Nigerian army and i don't think its for charitable reasons. Right now the violence in the delta has not reached the point where the Nigerian Army can use all out force to suppress it without risking an international outcry.
But remember Violence begets violence, if things turn ugly in the Niger delta, the international community will not interfere and the poor people of the delta will be at the mercy of the Nigerian army.

Who is going to fight a war? People do not fight wars anymore.... there is nothing like that. America knows why it declared that it is in a state of war even when the enemy has no name.
The dialogue of the last forty five years... where has it landed the constituents of Nigeria.

ijebuman:

You never proposed a Rawlings approach to Nigeria, you proposed that the country should break up and my point was that it couldn't happen without a lot of violence. The Rawlings approach would be a coup similar to the Nzeogwu and the failed Orkar coup. That approach keeps Nigeria as one but eliminates the corrupt political elite. I have no issue with that but you never raised it, hence i couldn't see the relevance to the issue.
[/quaote]
You certainly need to read my main post on the idealogical question. I advocated and still do advocate a loose federation where that the federating units and developmet blocks and not the present chop and quench set-up. The process by which it will be accomplished is left to the man at the centre.

ijebuman link=topic=5978.msg194550#msg194550 date=1138981452:

Namibia
The end of the cold war created an ideal opportunity for world peace, it enabled the US to become the sole superpower and it meant that it could stop funding anti communist insurgent groups around the world. South Africa had always justified its war with SWAPO by claiming it was fighting a communist insurgency. The change in US attitude enabled the UN to step in and resolve the issue.

So there would have been nothing for the UN to resolve if the people had kept mum and acted like zombie.

ijebuman:

The Berlin wall crumbled without a single shot fired..

because it was an economic separation and not an ethnic one like ours

ijebuman:

What inspires outside help is when the rest of the world (namely the US and its allies) feel they have a 'vested interest' in the outcome of a conflict.

When the chips are down, America knows where its Oil interest will be met.  If they have Cocoa or groundnut interest, they will also know where it will be met. Even palm Oil interest is well known.

ijebuman:

After their bad experience in Somalia, its unlikely the US will send troops into combat in Africa again, which means if there's a conflict in Nigeria, it will be left to the French to 'interfere' to safeguard Rep of Benin and Cameroun (since they have some form of defence arrangements with these countries) from the fallout from Nigeria. Who knows even Cameroun could get in on the act and annex parts of the delta.

What will be will be but to fold hands and look at this cruel fate is worse than whatever will be.
He that is down needs fear no fall. The yorubas wuill join their brother is Benin Republic while the Hausas will move to Niger.

ijebuman:

My point is, once the violence starts anything can happen and it will never be 'measured'. And if no outside force interferes to stop it Nigeria will join the list of war ravaged countries like Sudan, Congo and Somalia.

At the end it will be very clear that everybody needs peace but most of the constituent units did not want to sacrifice for it like it is in Nigeria today.

ijebuman:

I advocate dialogue and non violent ways to resolve our problems just like Martin Luther King. You seem to assume i support the status quo because i'm against violence. I don't know why ? its not like i'm a supporter of the government.

It is not always the best solution, but it is the shortest route to peace. Today the violence that the Nigerian state is meting out to some sections of it is not seen or recorded. I cannot tell you how many villages have been totally ransacked and how many girls have been impregnated by the soldiers. If it happens in your own village and to your sister or cousin maybe you will learn to like a little dose of violence.
Today (this afternoon), I saw military helicopters flying all over where I was doing something to get my daily bread. Their presence is chasing  is chasing the fishermen from their daily bread. We pray that soon those in the village of these soldiers( and those who sent them) will be chased away from their daily bread. My brother, I would volunteer(if you would agree) to show you the harm that this system is doing on innocent souls daily (thousands at a time) simply because they need money to share among themselves

ijebuman:

There are many other corrupt governors but i used Alams to highlight my point as his people supported him without questioning why he was caught with a large amount of money in London. The guy jumped bail and he was still accorded a heroes welcome. So if Bayelsa was an independent nation and Alams was the president, would he be less or more corrupt?

He would not be corrupt.He would not even have smelt the office because nobody would have allowed him to be the leader from 2003. I explained how the man got to the office.

ijebuman:

If you're from Bayelsa then i do apologise but I used it as an example because it is populated mainly by the Ijaws and since you were advocating breaking the country into ethnic constituents to solve our problems.

Again you need to read what I advocate

ijebuman:

wow i knew you felt strongly about this issue but not to that point. Be careful what you wish for.

Maybe you would wish the same when you see innocent lives being made because there must be money to share to all and sundry.
On top of that, those for whose sake you are enduring the stress,pain, injustice and oppression tell you that you do not even have right to speak. that you should even bend your neck for them to cut it. that if they have an opportunity, they will remove you from your ancestral land so that they can suck the the oil. Their Children remind you how illiterate you are because the quota system did not allow you to be in the university while they (lesser mortals by every definition) went to study abroad on Federal Government scholarship.
maybe at that time you will you will have a worse wish.
When you stay wherever and hear that your mother's hut is burnt down by MOPOL, maybe then.... your wishes will  change

Enough said.

ijebuman:

@owo
I'm slightly disappointed, i enjoy political debate but i'm always frustrated when we can't discuss issues in an objective way without someone playing the ethnic card and claiming an opinion is based on ethnic loyalty

@Ijebuman
I understand and feel your disappointment. But you have just had a very slight dose of what I feel when it becomes obvious there is no humane, logical or objective reason for sticking to a position except for ethnic purposes.

On the Issue at hand, nothing explains why a man should be tried for a criminal offense because he said that he regrets that he did not kill his neighbour's child when he had the opportunity to do so.
Anybody that wants to kill will do so whether another person regrets it or not.

Therefore Gen. Victor Malu as a Nigerian Citizen is entitled to his regrets.

yemstrad:

That is why i will not join issue with you. It appears you are too tribalistic.

Please find below where the tribalism started. Note that I am not from the north

Akolawole:

It may not be inciting to the Southerners but to the Core North,

yemstrad:

For you information, the Yorubas are the less hypocritical people and that is why you see people like Prof. Soyinka, Gani Fawehinmi, Femi Falana, Beko, etc being always the first to challenge openly any untoward move from Obasanjo.

There you go again. Thank God for these guys but we know what they cannot challenge.

yemstrad:

What kind of person are you? A tribalistic type who will never repent.

I am Owo, born, bred and not buttered in Yoruba land. You cannot be more of a Yoruba than myself.
I stand for what I understand to be fair, right, equitable and just.

The issue is that freedom of speech/expression is a fundamental human right and must not be scarificed, mortgaged or sold for any reason.[/b]No matter who is involved. On this I stand and will not repent.

[b]Therfore Gen. Malu is entitled to his own regrets, opinions and views.

ijebuman:

You must be talking about a different South Africa, the White controlled government gave up power willingly due to increasing political and economic pressure from the rest of the world. (i'm sure you remember the Free Mandela concerts etc). Not mainly because of violence from the ANC. The ANC had been fighting since the 50s..

Despite the end of apartheid, millions of South Africans, mostly black, continue to live in poverty. The reason for this is attributed to the legacy of the apartheid regime and increasingly, what many see as the failure of the current government to tackle social issues.

Oh no it is the same South Africa. I wonder how you see a half full cup as being half empty. If the people had kept quiet and pretended as if everything is okay and were foolishly optimistic then nobody in the whole wide world would have applied any pressure on the white - led Government.
Why then did the ANC have a 'militant' wing? Is this type of 'wing' not present in every 'freedom' minded political organisation worldwide? Obtaining freedom from oppressors demands using multifaceted means. Would the Niger Delta question have come become the Nigerian question if not for the daring / sacrificial work of some of its citizens?
While it is not yet Uhuru for the the black population in South Africa, the black riots and have stopped and black empowerment (as a means to correct the ills of apartheid) has become the order of the day.

ijebuman:

Rawlings was a charismatic leader who came to power via a coup. I don't understand the relevance here

So so relevant. He ensured that those that had a hand in the plundering of his people were erased. Certainly some measure of violence. Or is it a measure of resignation to fate?

ijebuman:

Namibia also gained from the political changes in South Africa and the end of the cold war. SWAPO had been fighting for many years to no avail. It was a UN sanctioned peace plan that allowed it to gain independence.
Even after gaining independence they only got Walvis bay back due to political pressure (not violence) on the South African government.

Again, how would the United nations come into a place with a peace plan when nothing is amiss and the people feel stuck in their fate? What even inspires outside help?
You advocate for graveyard peace, when people are dying daily for no fault of thiers. You speak for the oppressors whose docile optimism, very similar to yours, has kept us where we are.

ijebuman:

So that now justifies his corruption. Please read my previous post to understand what i was implying..
Haven't you just contradicted yourself with your praise for the governor of bayelsa state despite his corruption. Do you think breaking Nigeria apart will solve all what you've listed? When it also happens on a state level.

I was in that part of Nigeria during the last election.
Who insisted that serving PDP governors, no matter how bad, should be returned to power so that second term can be guaranted?.........search for the answer.
Text messages that even were sent round a place like Port Harcourt advising people against going to vote since the result has already been determined in favour of the incumbent..... Those that went saw enough guns, matchets and intimidation.
Is that the most corrupt Governor in Nigeria?. How about Ladoja? is he in EFCC net?
Are you a stranger in this 'Jerusalem' that you do not know where the headquarters of corruption is?
After they imposed him against everybody's wishes, they now want to use him to create an ethnic stereotype. Be sure that he was a stooge and his problem with his masters is that he switched camp, we know better. I gave you the names of three other governors in the same region. why don't you use them as an example?
Even as bad as that guy was, he did far beyond what Ladoja and the Osun state Governor combined have done. In short there are at least 10 states that if I add their accomplishments... it would not equal that of Alams.

ijebuman:

My question remains the same, you used Yugoslavia as an example in your previous thread. What you are advocating is quite different from what happened in all these countries.

In Yugosalvia, NATO and the UN went in because every group started defending itself against the ethnic Serbians. Maybe you think they were just folding their arms and writing newspaper articles as a defence. Certainly NO. They stood up for their rights and fought back... every man for himself though they were not as organised as the Serbians.
Because the Serbians had the upper hand and were clearly starting to commit genocide which would have led to a civil war, the sorrounding countries and the UN had to step in to avoid an all out war that would have destabilised Europe. No UN or NATO force would have gone there if the Croats, Slovenians and Bosnians had kept quiet and believed that one day a miracle will happen and the Serbians will stop thier 'domination' campaign.

ijebuman:

And in our case the 'measure of violence' that will be needed may lead to the possible genocide of certain ethnic groups.

Okay so be it. Then the world will know that those that masquaraded as do-gooders while killing-a-little-at-a-time were actually murderers and wolf in sheep clothing.

Don't forget that those that think they have the power now may just find themselves as the victims.

While not advocating for 'nuclear' warfare.... it is good to state clearly that we are in a state of war because the agents of death are at work in every facet of the country's life even when these agents are perfectly surmountable

It is good to point out that there are no absolute solutions. Every solution brings its own problems along with it. However, resigning to the fate of being stuck with a problem does not and will not solve it. It is better to make new mistakes rather than repeating old ones.

Is it a co-incidence that all but two of those wishing that Malu be hung are Yoruba by their screen name?
Maybe not.

Are northerners fools? No. So why should a whole region be stereotyped this way.
Was Malu wrong to serve Nigeria.... even under Abacha? Then all civil servants should have resigned.

These grave diversion and stereotype really shows a lot.

ijebuman:

Please give me examples in Africa where some level of 'violence' has bought real peace
The war in Yugoslavia involved outside forces (NATO and the UN) to end the civil war, if they hadn't interfered i'm sure it'll still be going on.
This is Africa my peeps you think anyone will care ? Look at what happened in Rwanda ?
be careful what you wish for..

We're stuck with Nigeria, lets look for ways to solve our problems as a united entity. The people oppressing the majority are a small minority that cuts across ethnic groups. This group of 'elites' will still oppress the majority in any configuration that emerges from Nigeria.
Bayelsa state is a typical example, the governor couldn't give a toss about his own people. Do you think he will behave any different if Bayelsa was a sovereign nation.

The black South African Population used a measure of 'violence ' to back up their struggle. today they are growing in prosprerity despite the odds
Jerry Rawlings used a measure of it to salvage Ghana. today we go there for holidays and send our Children to school. The same people we drove away in 1980-82.
Namibia pushed out the white suprmacists with some measure of 'violence'
Ugandans aligned with some measure of 'violence' led by Yoweri Musuveni to send Idi Amin and his cohorts parking. Today it is known as the land gifted by nature.

WE ARE NOT STUCK WITH NIGERIA.
The Oppressors are not a small minority. The actors maybe few but those that are supporting them are many, very many. If people can still sing the praises of the current president despite all the missed opportunities, scandals, unresolved murders/arson, failures sprinkled with very little success then you can be sure that the number is much.

If you claim that the Bayelsa State governor did nothing for his people, then it is certain you have never visited Bayelsa. Ask me. I know what Bayelsa was in 1999 and I know what it is today. It is certain that the place is not heaven but I'm sure those young men schooling in russia on State scholarship will not agree with you neither will the students of NDU like to see you eyeball to eyeball.

If Bayelsa is so bad why not use Cross River or Akwa Ibom or even Delta as a case since they are also in the same region. The people know those that will protect their interest and help to build and egalitarian society.

@Nferyn, the discussions that have above point to some of the reasons why idealogies do not work here neither do they find grassroot support.
In addition to these, the Illiteracy level is high, very high. Even some educated folks are illiterates or unexposed in the correct sense of the word. It is not helped by the poor reading culture  and fear that is prevalent.

However, a little seed of grassroot ideological lectures and enlightenment will do no harm. But let the proponents know that it may never catch up in his lifetime.

During the war, Awolowo crafted the Onshore Offshore Oil dichotomy ....We gave them one inch, the sea.

In late seventies, this man called President today added the land to the sea and took over everything through the Land use Act.

By 1984, they took even the freedom of spech, association and gave themselves the right to endless detention without trial through Decree 4. thereby taking over all possesion and personal freedoms.

Malu is an ordinary Nigerian Citizen, what ever his office was, he therefore every right to his opinions and regrets.

Should we un-earth all the statements the current president made about Babangida and his government while the latter was in power? Was he arrested and tried even in that Military regime?

@Ijebuman: The president stated that Mr Uba told him face to face that he rigged the Anambra election. If subverting the wishes of the Nigerian populate through fraudulent means (including arson, removing a sitting governor by force and several unsolved politcal murders in Anambra) is not treason, then treason does not exist.

Micheal Moore also has his own supporters in the American armed forces.

Gen. malu is therefore entitled to his own regrets and opinions
All democrats at heart understand this.

@Nferyn, while thinking about the issues you have raised, I stumbled on a articlesome years ago. The report was written in 1998-99. I hope you find it useful.

http://www.socialismtoday.org/31/nigeria_end31.html

you may also find the other articles useful
http://www.socialismtoday.org/31/index.html

@Ijebuman, your point on the resources issue brings out the harm that a wrong educational / societal value system has done to us. That is the value placed on one human being (whatever his place of origin).
It also highlights our conception of what we call peace.
This understanding states that; Killing people with hunger, ignorance, pothole filled roads, mortuaries called hospitals, pollution etc is living in peace while removing the one cause of all these problems by violent means so that all else will be well is not peace.

It takes some level of 'violence' to maintain real peace. It is why about 20% of the black male population in America have been to jail while that country has violently pursed its enemies into the Pakistani mountains all in a bid to maintain the peace.
It is why Yugoslavia of old could not remain one but had to 'violently' split into four (maybe five) countries.

While not advocating for 'nuclear' warfare.... it is good to state clearly that we are in a state of war because the agents of death are at work in every facet of the country's life even when these agents are perfectly surmountable

The refugees of this war are there in every country of the world, and in every village in West Africa (Even in Sierra Leone and Cote D'Ivoire). If things were as good as they should be, they would have been in Nigeria.

davidylan:

sound arguments owo,

first question:

how do you go about the converting Nigeria's present unitary govt (ridiculously tagged a federation) into a confederation seeing that the dominant north are firmly against it (for their own selfish interests)?

Are we really sure that the Urhobo will suddenly turn around and embrace the Itsekiri simply because they now have a "Niger delta" regional govt?

Ife and Modakeke? Both amicable parties in the proposed western region?

The process of 'converting' is one that can always be worked at. There are a thousand and one ways once the will is present. For instance, if the energy expended by rulership in curbing the effects and aftermath of fuel price increases in the last 15 years were aimed at restructuring then we would have gone a long way. My views are expressed in the answer to Ijebuman's queries.

Ife and Modakeke? Urhobo and Itsekiri? Aguleri and Umuleri? Junkuns and Tivs?.... and all the likes are, candidly speaking, storms in the teacup compared to the south south or south east against the other parts of Nigeria or the current attacks on economic interests and widespread political killings. We would be foolish to expect 'perfect' graveyard 'peace' neither would we be expecting them to become best of friends overnight. One thing is certain though, insisting that local governments can only be created by the Federal Government triggered or encouraged about 60% of these conflicts. These are the same people that have been living together for over a hundred years. In any case the local Government phraseology and operation can only successfully work in the north where the population density is lower. For a place like Warri/ Effurun, Ughelli etc... the local Government stuff is a total failure.

ijebuman:

Agree up to this pointThe problem here is that you assume this process could happen in a peaceful way. With the resources at stake it would be all out war as each part of the country fights for whatever it can get.

Herein lies the burden on the educated , enlightened and broadminded. Properly understood, Nigeria is terrible poor and sticking to the current arrangement is embarking on perpetuating this gross poverty.
Getting this segment of the populace to see the bigger picture is key to peacefully restructuring.

But which resources are at stake? Oil? Iron Ore? gold? or Men?
Oil will leave us impoverished - Even when we achieve 4 million bpd in 2010 it will not support a minimum wage of N50,000...($360) which is which is still ridiculously low for a family. Nferyn can help us with the minimum wage of Belgium. So why die fighting to keep what will not be enough.
It is not renewable and the world is on its way to fashioning out alternatives.

Iron Ore and Gold are still nonrenewable and will not give as much money either. Ghana is a clear example of what gold cannot do.

Men? In this we have the best of resources. Always renewable and cannot be outdone. We can never have enough space to state the obvious possibilities and wealth and that this resource can engineer. Look at  America, Japan, Taiwan, Britain and Europe generally.

I therefore propose that for Nigeria to 'confederate' peacefully the following steps can be undertaken (in which ever order that is found suitable)
1. Create a buffer period of five years during which the next steps will be implemented.
2. Create arbitrary units either along current religio-geo-political leanings or along better lines
3. Let each village, hamlet, autonomous community, clan, emirate or what ever grouping that naturally exists bring out its representatives. Towns and cities can clearly be divided using equal land areas.
4. Let there be a referendum where each community chooses the federating unit that it wants to belong. A simple majority determining the winner.
5. This will determine the natural boundaries of each unit.
6. Natural representatives can now sit and determine what form of Government they want to run and choose their single representative to the central government. Its their future and they can decide to be what they want to be. Each region should agree on its own constitution run its affairs.
7. Financial contribution to the centre should then be progressively scaled down from 100% to 10% over 5 or 8 years and do same for all areas of National life.
8. Have an overriding and wholly agreed constitution that does not infringe on the rights of the federating unit and insists on basic human rights for all citizens everywhere
9. Ensure that Power and Authority lie in each of the federations.
10. Above all, every unit must be able to have an overall development goal that becomes the rallying point for all and sundry
(Write the vision down so that he that reads he may run with it)

Though not exhaustive, the steps spell out some framework within which a good level of change can be accomplished without much ado. As with every thing that has to do with human beings, the actions, reactions etc cannot be fully modelled or predicted. It therefore behooves on the leader at the time to fashion out ways of overcoming obstacles towards achieving the goal of a growth based confederation.

Separating Nigeria into development based, confederating units is a clear possibility and remains one of the simplest yet comprehensive solution to the National question.

I wonder why the American president did not arrest Michael Moore for preparing and releasing Farenheit 9/11 into the public domain.

Freedom of speech is what it is called and it is guaranteed in a democracy.

That is why Chris Uba told the President face to face that he rigged the Anambra Election yet, he is now in the PDP board of trustees. He was not arrested and charged for commiting treason against the people of Anambra State.

Afterall, what is good for the goose is good for the gander. So what is this noise about?

I therefore insist that[b]Gen Malu is entitled to his opinion, regrets and plans[/b] and has commited no wrong nor incited anybody

As stated by Ono, the Amalgamation is the source of a lot of problems. However, forty six years after,it is 'unwise' to blame that for all our woes. We should have gotten up and found a way round that set back. This inability to rise above the amalgamation anomaly was ( and is being) compounded by the ethnic cum corrupt mindedness of those that led us through the barrels of the gun and those that foisted themselves on us.
Above all, the civil war of 1967-1970 which came shortly after independence instilled an unexplainable docility (or cowardice) in the population. It made the general population to be wary of standing-up for their rights even when they were dying for not demanding them.

This docility is the the current curse on the land. It has been exploited and is still being exploited by the powers that be. Forming a group/movement based on an idealogy or even being an idealogue is a taboo to some segments of the population.

Can one region lead the way in self development??... Yes it is possible. But look at the scenario.
A. The current structure of states were not created on the basis of economic feasibility or a great deal of cultural homogenity. The reasons for creating them , among other factors were as diversed as the following
1. Actual need and demand by the people (eg the midwestern state of the first republic)
2. Military ruler's wife place of origin, (eg Asaba as the capital of delta state did not have any clear link with the aspirations of the greater delta people).

B. One of the fundamental laws of the the Federal Government is the land use act. It states in effect that every land and its resources belongs to it (the Government) at any time. Therefore making every citizen a tenant because they (the Central Government) can enter into the land and take possesion at any time after paying some centa for the trees and any tombstone.
Therefore, all the money obtained from any natural resources, go to the Federal Government including the Value added tax. Every constituent state (of course created using the above mentioned criteria) goes to the Fed Govt (the centre) for money every month without which they cannot even pay salaries to their staff not to mention carrying out developmental investments.
Currently, - no state in Nigeria can fulfill 1/10 th of its commitments from its internally generated revenue. The states are therefore mere apendages of the Centre.
- The Police (and its control ) is not in the hands of the state governor. Therefore the meaintenance of peace and security lies with the Centre.

It is therefore 'impossible' for a region or state in Nigeria as presently constituted to set itself on the path of growth


What levers of power do those in power hold and how can these be counteracted by an opposition force?
As explained above, the strangle hold is profound and total. The financial, military, educational and sundry aspects of life are being directly controlled from the centre. Its mind boggling.
For Instance, nobody can have admission to any of the nation's 70 or so universities without going through one central body JAMB. Attempts to add university based tests have just begun this year.
The Opposition that can counteract these forces can, at best, be formed around educated people. However, this group is totally fragmented by their ethnic cleavages. This fragmentation in addition to brain drain is the amin clog in the wheel of having a virile opposition group. There is just no idea (that cannot be overthrown by tribalistic and religious tendencies) around which a good system can be built.

In the light of these, my personal conclusion has remained that, the country should be fragmented into religio-ethnic-economic groupings where the negative forces (mentioned above) cannot (or do not have enough potency)to drown the voice of reason and development.
I have always asked my fellow country men for just the main reason why Nigeria must remain one. Unfortunately, there has never been one sound, unbiased and objective reason.
A confederation of loosely bound states sharing foreign affairs, army etc ... will suit Nigeria better than this incoherent and un-natural union.

Only then will the progressive idealogies have enough pull and become a good magnet for all and sundry in the respective confederating units. As stated in some posts above, it 'worked' briefly in the first republic.

If General Malu who served Nigeria for donkey years and retired to his own house is an Idiot, then there is no adjective in the dictionary to describe those that retired and came back to ensure that Federal Government houses are sold to members of their family.

Indeed there is no word bad enough to describe those that ejected Federal Government staff from Federal government houses so that they can make money. Some of the evictees even died in the process.

If Malu (as rough as he is) is thirsty for power then those that are behind the  blood-thirsty, arson-commiting god-fathers all over the land (including sitting and dining with them) deserve to be tried for treason.

If having a credit rating equal to Brazil's (maybe because $12bn of the blood money was used to pay some debt) is something to cheer about, then those that stole the loans are saints and will be 'canonised' by 'angel gabriel' himself.

May the wailing women arise and weep for Nigeria - the land that exalts mediocrity.

nferyn:

Wouldn't it be better to leave governance to local levels of traditional representation? Isn't there more chance of having a true system of checks and balances than with a highly centralised state?

That's correct. Infact many of the political/economic debates on this forum arise from this fact.
Unfortunately, the current unitary system of governance, created by the military, is one of the major causes of Nigeria's 'mis-development'.
Certainly, local level of governance and mangement of men, materials and resources would translate to net growth. However, those that are currently controlling the central government and those benefitting from it do not want this.They are afraid that they might not be able to survive on their own. This fear is the basis for the current problem in the Niger Delta region and the agitations that have followed. Socialism exists when those in positions of authority as much as appreciate what it is in addition to believing in it. Many of the groups that were coalesced to form Nigeria were under monarchs in pre-independence times. Therefore rulers are glorified and wealth is might. Therefore, socialism with its attendant wealth distribution philosophy is a hard sell when the rulers have not yet had their fill and have not finished oppressing all their enemies

nferyn:

This should give rise to a left wing political party/alliance. Is there anything of this sort? What about trade unions?

There is little of this. The presence of strong ethnic and religious cleavages totally weakens the concept of forming an alliance with another person or group on the basis infrastructure. For as soon as a person from one group mounts the saddle of leadership, his kinsmen begin ensure that they silence every opposition whether the leader's actions are right or not.
This system is what has killed the trade unions, in addition to thier being decimated, chiefly, by the current government due to its opposition to hikes in petroleum product prices.

nferyn:

It seems to be a self-perpetuating cycle of dependence. Do you have a more insightful structural analysis for this?

There have been lots of analysis on this and other problems. The truth is that, apart from a spell (unplanned) of two and a half months, Nigeria has not had a broadminded soul or even a graduate as its leader.
It has therefore been led for 98% of its post independence life by small minded men.

Will it overcome this trend of dependence in the near future?  Certainly not... if current and past trends are anything to go by.