The huge presence of Yorubas in the UK could also be explained historically. It dates back to the pre-independence era. The British colonials and missionaries established their foothold in Southwestern Nigeria, before they moved inward. The first educated Nigerians and professionals came to England from that part to study and went back home. Of course, if your father went to Oxford or Cambridge he talks about it all his life, and naturally, his children would follow suit. For instance, the first Nigerian lawyer happened to be Sapara Williams, who was trained in England; it sought of became a family tradition for many members of the clan to follow his footsteps. You end up having the tradition down to 4th generation of the Rotimi Williams family. Another e.g is Fani-Kayode, grand father qualified as a lawyer in Cambridge, father must go to Cambridge as well, then the son would have to do same, otherwise the family tradition is broken. Going to another country or even university is not even considered!

You could posit a similar argument for Igbos and the US, Zik went to the US, built UNN and pattern it after the American univerisities, with close collaboration with institutions in the US. Majority of students going for postgrad students from the East, by default end up in Howard or somewhere close.

@ DayoKanu & Aloy+Emeka, I am not sure of the exact stats, but Igbos presence in the US, even goes back to the slavery times. It's a documented fact, that more slaves were taken from Igbo part of present day Nigeria to the US, than from other parts; just like you have more Yorubas taken to the Carribean and South America e.g, Jamaica, Brazil.

Another factor for greater Igbo presence in the US is the fact that, they were the first ethnic group to be given the Green card by the US government as a result of the Nigerian-Biafran War.

I've had a good time reading thru the posts. Sometimes I just laugh to myself at some
people's sense of humour while making their points.
When I was in JSS2 or 3 ages ago, in a social studies lecture, I remember a topic
our teacher taught us 'Dignity of Labour'. Somehow for some reason, I've never
forgotten it. Don't ever mock or look down on other people solely because of what
they LEGITIMATELY do to earn their living. The world is not always black and white.

Also, I would like to agree with a previous poster that our experiences inform our opinion,
It's always good to be aware of this to avoid over generalization. If you come to UK and
live or move among Nigerians still struggling to get their firm footing, you are likely to conclude
that, that is the lot of every Nigerian here, conversely, if you live among well established Nigerians,
you are apt to conclude that all Nigerians have easy life. Remember, it's not always black and white.
Sometimes, it's grey!

Schooled in unijos, lived in Jos for more than 7 years. Narrowly missed being hit in 2001 riot, still remember meandering thru road blocks in our car while Hausa-Fulani almajiris were shouting allah akhba baying for our blood as we sped to the safety of our home, after being holed up in a 'temporary refugee camp' for a night hearing gun shots. Saw trucks carrying dead bodies for mass burial just outside the town. Remember an Ibo guy working in Standard Trust bank then, slaughtered like a ram even though he was married to a Muslim girl.

I don't just get it, what is the worth of life in Northern Nigeria?

As if I didn't have enough, I lived for a year in Bauchi and also narrowly escaped Bauchi almajiris who are even more thick headed and vicious than the Jos ones, I witnessed ugly matchet cut to the head of a man who passed the same road I passed, about 30 minutes earlier, thank God he survived.

What is the worth of life among almajiris? sadly it is worthless, because they have absolutely no reason for living. We use to joke in Bauchi amongst Southern corpers that 30 almajaris lives cannot pay for the life of one corper, whose parents have invested love and education in, and would mourn if he's killed. Many almajaris have no single person to mourn them even if they are killed.

How many non-hausa, non-fulani 'settler' would dare dream of becoming a governor in Kano, Sokoto or Katsina even if he has lived 1000 years there, when the north is fighting tooth and nail for Jonathan not to occupy Yardua seat, even though he is constitutionally empowered to become the president in absence of the incumbent president, because they are 'born to rule' as Sokoto slogan proudly proclaims.

Islam has become the ready tool of Hausa-Fulani in Nigeria to cause terror to the rest of the nation, because most times, it's even very difficult to differentiate the authentic Hausa-Fulani culture from the religion a lot of them profess.

As far as I know, it's the only religion in the world founded by a desert warrior and a brigand, that terrorise the whole of Arabian peninsula in the 7th century and spread by the force of arms to the other parts of the earth. Look at the world and see the hate and terror the adherent of Mohammed's way of life have done to their victims; recently in Malaysia, burning churches and slaughtering christians, in Kenya confronting the police in a riot, in Sudan, killing and despoiling the innocent, in Pakistan and India, attacking christians and Hindus, In Isreal, suicide-bombing Jews, it goes on. And Nigeria, Abdul-Mutallab was going to bomb 280 innocent souls out of the sky on christmas day in order to go and meet his 72 virgins Mohammed promised the Jihadists in their perverted, peculiar, lust delusional paradise. What a monstrous bankruptcy of belief. What if Islam means war?

The question is; Is it NEPA or whatever it's called now supplying the electricity?
That geographical entity is just a huge joke.
I hope it falls safely in front of Aso Rock without harming anybody.

Congratulation President Obama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a drop of tears in my eyes.

I didn't even know Kennedy said in 1958, that in 40 years, they would have a "Negro" in the White house.
How prescient, his statement has become!

Some of the comments here about events that preceded the civil war and the war itself are so shocking because of complete disregard for historical facts of that period. Fajuyi was a loyal officer to Ironsi and insisted that the coup plotters cannot take away his guest away from government house in Ibadan and sought to prevent them from arresting Ironsi. He was said to have jumped into the army truck at the risk of his own life, just to prevent them from killing Ironsi and in the process got himself killed. The leader of the gang was T Y Danjuma, and the guy that was alleged to have pulled the trigger that ended Ironsi's life was one Col Musa Bitiyong, who himself was executed by IBB in Vatsa's coup of 1985. Even though a fight was said to have broken out among the coup plotters and they exchanged fire among themselves because some regretted the death of Fajuyi, he had already paid the supreme price. So there was nothing about Yoruba conspiracy or cowardness in the matter of Ironsi's death.

On to the civil war, even some Biafran officers admitted that Ojukwu's decalaration of Biafra was premature. Awolowo had assured him if the East seceded the West would follow suit, but in the ensuing panic and confusion, without alerting the West he went ahead with the proclamation, while the preparation were still being made by all the parties. Ojukwu and the Eastern officers were safe in the East, Northern soldiers were still occupying Lagos and Ibadan immediately after their counter coup. For Yoruba officers to declare war on them would have been an express invitation to wholesale massacre, like they had done to the Ibo officers. Even at that, it was still a Yoruba officer, Col Victor Banjo, whom Ojukwu later executed  that led the Biafran invasion of the West.

Now we Have our man at last. Let every other club begin to quake at the potency and richness of our attack!

We Were sure he wanted to leave Real Madrid, and almost certain he would end up in Chelsea, but having him sign for Man City is incredible! I reckon he thinks Man U and Man City are the same.

Honestly, it's hapaulleing

@akinstacey,
                   I suppose the New Yorker writer said something about the people of Lagos in his write up. He came away with the impression of a "typically Lagosian" facial expression as, "hard, closed and unsmiling, yet quick and shrewd, taking in everything, ready to ward off an obstacle or seize a chance". Yes, the peculiarities of Lagosians is unmistakable and it seems it does sometimes compensate for all the unsavoury aspects of the city.There is no denying the fact that Lagos could retain this special place it holds in the life of our nation, with less of its many negatives. Even the most ardent Lagos lovers cannot continue to bury their heads in the sand about the present state of its landscape and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, a survey by Economic Intelligence Unit  of 127 cities across the world published on BBC website today, found out that Vancouver is the best place to live. Guess where our own dear Lagos occupies; not exactly the worst place like Jakumo would have us believe, Lagos actually came 5th, that is, if you count from the bottom up!

I find the writer's article on Lagos extremely fascinating and the discussion it has generated also equally interesting. Am intrigued by the arguments between the die-hard Lagos lovers and those that have phobia or hatred for the city. I must say, just reading through the article brought the picture of that place to my mind again, and I allowed myself some chuckle at how graphic the description was.

For those who love Lagos warts and all, I can't begrudge them their feelings for the city where they were born and have grown to love. But after visiting and living in Lagos briefly, I must say that I was extremely disappointed in the rotten filth that is strongly associated with it. And after talking with those Lagosians who knew Lagos from ; let's say 70's backward, I discovered that most of them look back nostalgically to those halcyon, idyllic days of Lagos as a human, neat, organized place with well fuctioning infrastructures, rather than glorying in the present squalid, maniac, crime ridden city that it is.

Is it possible for Lagos to shed off some of its notoriety as a  jungle of chaos and disorder, a dirty, putrefying city of garbage and yet retain its pre-eminent position as a commercial capital of Nigeria? That, I think, should be the concern of Lagos lovers rather than castigating the journalist for describing accurately what assaulted his eyes.

Ignorance, my broda. Shameful ignorance!

It seems I have not seen anybody mentioning the fact that some government policies here in the UK makes single parenthood attractive to many young women. All you need do to get on their benefits is to get a young man to inseminate you and you get your name on the register for some easy fantastic package. Recently they proposed attaching a nurse to all pregnant teenagers to ease the burden of motherhood for them. Then from their, those who don't have identifiable fathers for their children would of course go on to claim their benefits. Is it any wonder that Britain is a leader in this societal anomaly? As a young girl, what more incentive do I need to become a single mother?

Everything you see in another culture must be replicated in Nigeria abi?
You'll start kissing on the street and soon graduate to sleeping around in the park like dogs.
Everything Oyibo do, u must copy and sadly the best part of their culture is difficult for us to emulate.

@somze. Where were u when we scored a record 7 goals against an Italian team?
The truth is Manchester United has played better football this season, and are deserving champs.
It would be a fantanstic feeling to have all Chelsea fans, players and that offensively, loud-mouthed clown of a manager of yours mount a guard of honour for us on weds night when we enter Stamford bridge.

Your final heartbreak would be in Wembley on 19th of May, when your so-called unprecedented Quadruple would be officially a pathetic Single despite your billions and profligate spending.

UP MAN U!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Up Man U!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By the time we are thru with u guys, u'll have only the Carling's cup (the smallest of the 4) to cradle in your hands.
It's so sweet u guys will be playing us with respect as the new champs on weds. After all the money u've spent , it must be a trying time for you for the massive lost. Liverpool shut up the boisterous Mourinho from Champions league, Arsenal managed to end ur premiership hope, and finally Man U, the new champs, would wrestle the FA cup from ur hands. At the end of the day, the so-called Quadruple would become just the Single (Carling's cup) u were lucky to win from Arsenal because they were the better team that day.
UP Man U!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Up Man U!
It's so sweet to have it after Mourinho's numerous tantrums.
Quadruple is reduced to double now, hopefully after FA cup, it would be down to just the Carling's cup for the billionaires. It's a massive lost for them if you ask me, after the big spending.

I hope Man U would be able to stay at the top for many seasons. We need to bolster up the team though; by the time Owen Hargreaves arrives, we should get some strenght and stability at the back. It would be good if we could get one sharp stiker in addition, I keep on wishing we could get Dimitar Berbatov from Hotspur, I believe he would fit in well for us.
Congrats Man U!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just hope the whole noise about the election doesn't drive Nigeria to the precipice again.
Even if the election was not rigged, what is there to choose between the main front runners, Buhari (the general turned Sharia fanatic) and Atiku, super rich VP for 8 years, with no discernible vision, except to continue his looting of the nation's wealth.

My own guess is that Yar'dua would still have won if the election was free and fair. And under the circumstances, he might well be the best of the unelectable lot. He has a university degree, if only to please those that have been craving for a graduate to rule Nigeria, he was one of the few politicians in the whole country to ever publicly declare his asset as a governor, so he can at least, lay claim to being a man of integrity.
Not that If I had the opportunity to vote, I would have voted for him. I would have gone for somebody like Pat Utomi, but I know he doesnt stand a chance in that Nigeria political terrain as it's presently constituted, (he's not politically tested too, you might say, it's just his credentials I find appealing).

After all said and done, let the Nigerian elites and political contractors sort themselves out, after all, most of their actions have little or no positive benefit to the generality of the people. Things would continue as they are (Pray am proved wrong).They are actors in a revolving circus, and when the shenanigan turn violent, they would flee to join their wives, concubines and children in their mansions in Europe and America.

IT'S SAD.
YOU JUST WONDER WHETHER IT'S BREAKING NEWS OR DE JAVU ALL OVER AGAIN.

I hope its not too late to contribute to the discussion.
I find it sad (almost in tears as I read his letter) to learn about the scandal surrounding Pastor Ted.
I have been blessed by his ministry,as I have sat under his ministration  3 years ago.
His words on the sin of the flesh, that day still rings in my ear,and it all the more makes me remember the words of Paul,that has been quoted here;'Let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
There is also words of admonition from Peter(who should know better):
  Wherefore the rather,brethren,give diligence to make your calling and election sure:for if ye do these things,ye shall never fall2 Peter1:10)
God's grace is available to help us as we daily encounter temptations.
Let the believers pray he's restored like David,Peter were after moments of failings, and leave the accusers to savage him as that is their job.
The word of God stands forever despite one of his saints, that missed the mark.

@Afam
I've asked you the 'expert' on the idyllic lost paradise of communism to educate us on it.
No need to google it because,my knowledge of it predates the google and wikipedia era and besides, it has become an impotent force and dogma,confined in its revisioned, less harmful form to ?Russia, China,Cuba and the backwater,hunger-plagued North Korea.

And if you are perceptive enough like your supposed much reading  should have made you,you would know I didn't dodge the question.

Afam,
I sympathize with your compartmentalized reasoning.
I still stand by my statement that in the era gone by,communism was the menace of the age just like the sons/slaves of Allah and their doctrine of Jihad is the evil of our own present age.
'assuming the ideology itself causes death'.
That speaks volume about your knowledge of communism.
Ask the victims of its horrors and purges in Russia,China, and nations of former Soviet bloc and elsewhere in Africa and they would be able to enlighten you better whether it causes death.
Even hardboiled communists unabashedly say this.

I've challenged you to open  another thread and enlighten us on the peace and tranquility we're missing when communism ceased to be the dominant terror of our world.

@twinstaiye
I hope you don't bury your head like an ostritch in the sand for too long.
It is not a question of interpreting, it's about what the wives,sex-slaves and the contemporary mullahs of Muhammad said or wrote about him that we refer to.These are from Islamic 'holy books'.

You can't say anything evil about Jesus,because he was completely sinless.Even people who tried him couldn't find anything wrong with him.
Muhammad had too many skeletons in his cupboard and it stinks so much,that's why u get jittery and ready to kill people when they know this and say it.
If Muhammad was brought to trial like Jesus was,he would have been convicted of murders,assasinations,incitement to murder,genocide,war crimes,rape,paedophile,piracy(in the original sense), armed robbery and plagiarization of the Talmud and the Holy Bible,etc.
So much for a prophet.

Jesus said 'you would know the truth and the truth would set you free'.

am surprised u read books about Stalin and u don't know what's wrong with Communism,Stalin was one the high-ranking apostles of that doctrine.And he murdered 11 million of his countrymen in the name of the creed.If that's the only thing I know about communism to be convinced of how it valued human life then am satisfied.
Hitler killed 6 million Jews and other nationalities.So what's wrong with Nazism?

May be u shoud create a separate thread on communism and let people talk about it,as this is mainly on the pope and islam.