Ok.
I'm a Proud Igbo man as you could have figured from my moniker.
I have roots and relatives in Anambra, Abia, Enugu, Enu-ani, Imo and Ebonyi and have spent atleast one year of my life in all those parts of Igboland as a resident.
So as you can see I have a very broad knowledge about Igboland and Igbo clans than the average Igbo man.

I'm a core Igbo nationalist who believes strongly that Biafra should be an Igbo only project as I believe Republic of Igbo land should is Viable enough to be a full fledged functional and selllf sustaining nation of it's own , sharing boundaries with minorities.
I have done analysis on this here:https://www.nairaland.com/6570415/argument-economic-viability-alaigbo


I am also not averse to well restructured loose Confederation union with any Igbo friendly minority around us that express interest to be part of us. Such union must be well discussed and terms and conditions agreed upon by both parties.

However, I would prefer the first scenario of Igbo Only Biafra because I couldn't stop envisaging about the possibility of having a country whose lingua Franca would be Igbo language, where Igbo language would be used for presidential address and to debate in the Senate. Where Igbo language would be the official language of instruction in formal education system from kindergarten to University levels.
Where the national anthem would be written in Igbo language.
You can imagine how majestic it would be to have a Biafran Athlete win a medal in Olympics and they have to sing Biafran national anthem in Igbo while the rising sun flag goes up, in front of the whole world.
What about our national team winning AFCON and having Igbo National Anthem sang?
I have also discovered that except on few exceptions like Somalia where Islam and it's disruptive force is a big factor, Monoethnic countries are usually easier to run and easier to improve and make the living standards of citizens better.
Think of Germany, Austria, Japan,etc.


Apparently, I would very much prefer this first scenario, but I'm however not averse to scenario two. If well restructured. UK send joint team to Olympics, but Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland all have their own independent national football teams different from England National team.
Obviously, we can have similar arrangement.

Some weeks back on one of your posts I made a rebuttal about the erroneous and mischievous rants of some of my (our) misinformed Niger Delta brothers.

First and foremost let me tell you all a little story for the avoidance of doubt.

I am from the Agbo ethnic group in Cross River State. We are located in Abi Local Government Area which is a coastal settlement and unarguably the smallest LGA in Cross River State in terms of landmass and to a large extent population - slightly a few thousands ahead of Bakassi LGA.


My fore bearers both on my maternal and paternal side were given the opportunity to serve in then Eastern Nigeria regional government.

My grand uncle Dr.S E Imoke of blessed memory was an all influential cabinet minister in the regime of Dr M I Okpara. He held the Trade portfolio and was also Finance minister at the time until the unfortunate incident of January 1966.


He was the longest serving Education minister. His son the Urbane Liyel Imoke is the immediate past Governor of our state “Cross River”.

During the outbreak of the war, he was the Biafran Commissioner for Refugees and Humanitarian affairs. One of my maternal uncles also served as Permanent Secretary in the ministry of health at Enugu.


My maternal grand father was also a front-line member of the Eastern Nigeria regional house of Chiefs.

Outside my family circles, another great Cross Riverian M T Mbu was nominated a Federal Minister for Transport and Navy by the Igbo controlled NCNC.

It's on record that Mbu was Nigeria's first Ambassador to the UK, UN and the USA.

He is from Boki in Cross River state. Boki is another minority ethnic group just like my native Agboland. The Igbos gave him the opportunity to excel ahead of their own worthy sons at that time.


He is the father to a Senator MT Mbu jr. Another person who is noteworthy is the late Chief Michael Eta-Ogon who was the Administrator of the oil rich Port Harcourt province in the first republic.

He is also from the same Boki with Mbu. Thomas Weir Ikpeme an Efik man from Odukpani in my native Cross River was the longest serving Permanent Secretary in the Eastern Regional Ministry of Education.

The key point is that the Igbos were comfortable with us “the minorities” that was why they entrusted education solely in our hands.

Not only education but other critical areas like Public Works and Transport etc. N. U Akpan an Ibibio man from Akwa Ibom state was the technocrat behind the eastern regional public service. He was the Secretary to the regional governement

Thompson Akpabio, an Annang man from Ukana in present day Akwa Ibom state was the regional minister of health.

The former Governor of Akwa Ibom state Godswill Akpabio is his nephew.

There were other high ranking cabinet ministers of minority origin like one of our family good friends, HRH Amanyanabo E P Okoya, Agada III the Ibenanowei of Ekpetiama in Bayelsa State, Chief. Erekosinma of Rivers and a whole lot of others who are too numerous to mention.

During the secessionist struggle, an Ogoni from Rivers state, Chief.Ignatius Kogbara was Biafra's Ambassador to Britain.

My dad's friend Chief. Lekam Okoi, from Idomi in present day Yakurr LGA of Cross River state was one of Ojukwu's trusted drivers. He is today a successful lawyer and a former commissioner in the Federal Character Commission.

Capt Akpet a minority from Cross River was also Ojukwu's dependable aide on intelligence.

Secondly for the avoidance of doubt, aside these political appointments, our people enjoyed immense goodwill from the Igbo dominated region by way of

My dad's immediate elder brother received a scholarship from the regional government that enabled him study for a PhD in soil science.

He is the first man “arguably” in Africa to obtain a doctorate in Soil science. I have friends across the Niger Delta whose parents, uncles, aunties and relatives also benefited from the benevolence of the Eastern regional government.

Unarguably our Niger Delta region received it's last major face-lift in terms of infrastructure when we were under the Eastern region.

Till the abolition of the regional system of government, the Eastern region was the most united region, they was never a recorded case of ethnic skirmish or BLOOD letting between the Igbos and other minority.

During the pogrom of 1966 we all carried the same cross to “Golgotha”, both Igbos and Eastern minorities were killed in their thousands across Northern Nigeria by the blood thirsty Hausa Fulani/Northern folks without blinking an eye.

It doesn't really matter if you were Igbo, Ijaw, Efik or a miniature Agbo person.

I never really wanted to bore you with reading this lengthy essay but it's my moral responsibility to tell the truth at all times.

I was thought by my fore bearers never to distort history and to always separate facts from fictions.

If we were not marginalized by the Igbos during the “analogue” age, how then can the Igbos marginalize us in this digital

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.legit.ng/amp/1092790-opinion-why-igbos-never-marginalize-minorities-by-rex-egbe.html

Nevertheless, the aim of this thread is not just to fantasize about how future Igbo only Biafra would look like, but to look into the accusations against Igbos by some Minorities( please I'm speaking strictly about Eastern Minorities) who argue that Ndiigbo marginalized them in defunct Eastern region and project that Ndiigbo would do same in Biafra.

So the question is: Are there really any statistical data to prove that Ndiigbo marginalized Minorities beyond baseless emotional accusations?
If yes! I would want a minority to bring them to this thread, because as an IGBO I have studied all statistics of appointments and projects in defunct Eastern region and found out that at no point did Ndiigbo marginalize minorities.

The Igbo constituted 2/3 of the population of Eastern region and all projects and appointments or scholarships done by Eastern region Government always reflected this ratio.
It also has to be recognized that Crude oil was not a major source of income for Eastern region for most of it's existence. Because I noticed that many minorities had twisted tales of Enugu and Igbos siphoning their oil wealth and using it to build Enugu, when in truth, PH was built on the back of Enugu coal resources for easy transportation to Europe through train to PH. The other source of income for Eastern region was palm oil, which Igboland was not lacking in. So there was never a time in Eastern region that the Minorities were the chicks laying teh the golden egg Ndiigbo were siphoning. Everyone contributed. Palm tree was abundant in Rivers, Imo, Abia, Akwaibom, Cross River and sparingly in Bayelsa, Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra.
But Enugu had coal!
It wasn't until 1956 that crude oil was discovered in Oloibiri and it took a long while for crude oil to be developed as revenue spinner. Remember that the civil war was in 1966. That's just 10 years later after crude oil discovery. Hardly enough time to develop it and exploit. Remember that crude oil was also discovered in Owaza in today Abia State at just 1 year after Oloibiri and while Oloibiri had since dried up, Owaza Wells are still running.

Did the Igbo dominate the Eastern region? Yes we did because our numbers warranted it. We were 2/3 of the population. But did we take more than 2/3 of the region appointments or projects at any point in time?
Nope. Instead when I wade through our dealings with minorities, I found out that sometimes we even had to forfeit our 2/3 portion to carry everyone along.

Though has posted many of the data I wanted to use to butress my points, but I would still have to analyze those data to drive them home.

I understand the importance of independence and strongly believe that every single African ethnicity should have the right to be independent if they so desire if small countries like San Marino in Europe of just 32,000 can be an independent country of their own, surely Ijaw of more than 2 million people should be able to aspire to be independent and not be part of any other country be it NIGERIA or Biafra, but what is not cool is for minorities to go on spreading false narratives of Igbos marginalizing them in Eastern region, when no such thing happened.

Many times, some of the emotionally charged stories we get from Minorities against Ndiigbo is that the region was marginalizing them while taking oil from their Region.
But we know that Crude oil was never a major source of income and revenue for Eastern region. It took long time for oil to be a money spinner.
Eastern region was always cash trapped and had to be innovative to make money. Minorities were not the only ones neglected. There are many parts of Igboland that never knew what Government meant. There was simply not enough funds to go round.

To show how inconsequential crude oil was in scheme of things in this period, Eastern region got only 65,000 pounds from crude oil exploitation in 1959. A big money for an individual, but hardly anything for a Region.
I would post a table for crude oil revenue for Nigeria between 1961 to 1965. Remember the civil war happened in 1967.
Because I notice when minorities talk of marginalization, they think of crude oil in this modern era when production has been ramped up and muddle it up with meagre revenues in early 60s when the country was still trying to develop the crude oil.

It is in trying to be innovative and create alternative source of Income for the region that the then Financial minister of the region,DR S.E Imoke introduced the P.A.Y.E system of taxation for the first time in Nigeria in 1956 as financial bill proposal to Eastern Assembly, which became a huge success in ramping up the region revenue and was subsequent copied by the rest of the country.
And guess who had 2/3 of the region population and hence contributed most (2/3) to the taxes? You guessed right, Igbos!

5

I am waiting for your ogbunigwe

Since Fulani people learnt how to open thread on nairaland, them do gree us rest again o.

Igbo people, don't bother, this person is not yoruba. Stop attacking yorubas for every anti Igbo thread or post. The fulanis are exploiting the two tribes both here and on Twitter. They know your unity is their Waterloo.

Ministerial appointments, provisional commissioners and Parliamentary Secretaries during eastern government

Eastern Economy during regional government

Trade in palm produce was a dominant feature in the economy of Eastern Nigeria. Though not indigenous to the region, the palm tree provided fronds for roofing of houses in the villages, palm wine for drinking and palm kernels as source of foreign exchange income. After World War II, prices sought for palm produce skyrocked and by 1954, Palm produce generated an income of 54 million pounds. However, the prices stabilized by the middle of the 1950s. Employment in farming and agriculture was a significant source of income for many residents engaged in yam farming and fishery. In the 1960s, the government promoted rubber, cocoa and palm grove schemes to increase the output of cash crops. The government also established farm settlements at Ohaji, Igbariam, Boki, Ulonna, Erei, Uzo-Uwani and Egbema to encourage agriculture.
Trading of goods was also a major part of the regional economy. In 1954, imports to the region was about 25 million pounds a year which were brought into the country by a few European firms but distributed by thousands of traders within the region. The trade in imported goods such as dried fish, motor parts, textiles goes on along with the trade in local foodstuff.
In industry, the coal mines of Enugu managed by the Nigerian Coal Corporation and Nigersteel's rolling mill which used steel scraps to produce mild steel bars were one of the few coal mines and steel plants in operation in West Africa in 1963. During the NCNC led government, a cement factory was established at Nkalagu, Nigerian Breweries chose a stout factory at Aba, a Tobacco and glass making plant was located at Port Harcourt. Presidential Hotel Port Harcourt and Enugu was built.

Statutory corporations
[b]The task of managing the trade and income earned in palm oil kernels was given to the Eastern Nigeria Marketing Board and the Eastern Nigeria Finance Corporation. The Eastern Nigeria Marketing Board came into effect in 1954 and was given the responsibility to manage the region's cash or export crops. [/b]The board assigned grade to palm produce according to free fatty acid content and then assigns producer prices to each grade. The board conducts the purchase of palm oil and kernels that are to be exported through the use of licensed buying agents and engages in the evacuation of the produce to the ports for export. Most of the profits from the sales of export produce is transferred to the Eastern Nigeria Development Corporation. The development corporation was involved in producing quality palm oil kernels for the export markets through erection of pioneer oil mills and the development of other export crops such as cocoa, cashew nuts, rubber and coconut. Rice cultivation was also encouraged in Abakaliki and Ogoja

Okkm

When Mazi Igboid starts a thread, you just know it's about to GO DOWN!!!

This guy is not igbo fulani bastard "one Nigerianist"

Eastern scholarship board

Why did southern Cameroon secede if we treated them well.

[quote author=rafindo post=102362554]Why did southern Cameroon secede if we treated them well.[/quotesol

Southern Cameroon was a British Trust territory, it was not actually a Nigerian property.

Igboid:
Some weeks back on one of your posts I made a rebuttal about the erroneous and mischievous rants of some of my (our) misinformed Niger Delta brothers.

First and foremost let me tell you all a little story for the avoidance of doubt.

I am from the Agbo ethnic group in Cross River State. We are located in Abi Local Government Area which is a coastal settlement and unarguably the smallest LGA in Cross River State in terms of landmass and to a large extent population - slightly a few thousands ahead of Bakassi LGA.


My fore bearers both on my maternal and paternal side were given the opportunity to serve in then Eastern Nigeria regional government.

My grand uncle Dr.S E Imoke of blessed memory was an all influential cabinet minister in the regime of Dr M I Okpara. He held the Trade portfolio and was also Finance minister at the time until the unfortunate incident of January 1966.


He was the longest serving Education minister. His son the Urbane Liyel Imoke is the immediate past Governor of our state “Cross River”.

During the outbreak of the war, he was the Biafran Commissioner for Refugees and Humanitarian affairs. One of my maternal uncles also served as Permanent Secretary in the ministry of health at Enugu.


My maternal grand father was also a front-line member of the Eastern Nigeria regional house of Chiefs.

Outside my family circles, another great Cross Riverian M T Mbu was nominated a Federal Minister for Transport and Navy by the Igbo controlled NCNC.

It's on record that Mbu was Nigeria's first Ambassador to the UK, UN and the USA.

He is from Boki in Cross River state. Boki is another minority ethnic group just like my native Agboland. The Igbos gave him the opportunity to excel ahead of their own worthy sons at that time.


He is the father to a Senator MT Mbu jr. Another person who is noteworthy is the late Chief Michael Eta-Ogon who was the Administrator of the oil rich Port Harcourt province in the first republic.

He is also from the same Boki with Mbu. Thomas Weir Ikpeme an Efik man from Odukpani in my native Cross River was the longest serving Permanent Secretary in the Eastern Regional Ministry of Education.

The key point is that the Igbos were comfortable with us “the minorities” that was why they entrusted education solely in our hands.

Not only education but other critical areas like Public Works and Transport etc. N. U Akpan an Ibibio man from Akwa Ibom state was the technocrat behind the eastern regional public service. He was the Secretary to the regional governement

Thompson Akpabio, an Annang man from Ukana in present day Akwa Ibom state was the regional minister of health.

The former Governor of Akwa Ibom state Godswill Akpabio is his nephew.

There were other high ranking cabinet ministers of minority origin like one of our family good friends, HRH Amanyanabo E P Okoya, Agada III the Ibenanowei of Ekpetiama in Bayelsa State, Chief. Erekosinma of Rivers and a whole lot of others who are too numerous to mention.

During the secessionist struggle, an Ogoni from Rivers state, Chief.Ignatius Kogbara was Biafra's Ambassador to Britain.

My dad's friend Chief. Lekam Okoi, from Idomi in present day Yakurr LGA of Cross River state was one of Ojukwu's trusted drivers. He is today a successful lawyer and a former commissioner in the Federal Character Commission.

Capt Akpet a minority from Cross River was also Ojukwu's dependable aide on intelligence.

Secondly for the avoidance of doubt, aside these political appointments, our people enjoyed immense goodwill from the Igbo dominated region by way of

My dad's immediate elder brother received a scholarship from the regional government that enabled him study for a PhD in soil science.

He is the first man “arguably” in Africa to obtain a doctorate in Soil science. I have friends across the Niger Delta whose parents, uncles, aunties and relatives also benefited from the benevolence of the Eastern regional government.

Unarguably our Niger Delta region received it's last major face-lift in terms of infrastructure when we were under the Eastern region.

Till the abolition of the regional system of government, the Eastern region was the most united region, they was never a recorded case of ethnic skirmish or BLOOD letting between the Igbos and other minority.

During the pogrom of 1966 we all carried the same cross to “Golgotha”, both Igbos and Eastern minorities were killed in their thousands across Northern Nigeria by the blood thirsty Hausa Fulani/Northern folks without blinking an eye.

It doesn't really matter if you were Igbo, Ijaw, Efik or a miniature Agbo person.

I never really wanted to bore you with reading this lengthy essay but it's my moral responsibility to tell the truth at all times.

I was thought by my fore bearers never to distort history and to always separate facts from fictions.

If we were not marginalized by the Igbos during the “analogue” age, how then can the Igbos marginalize us in this digital

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.legit.ng/amp/1092790-opinion-why-igbos-never-marginalize-minorities-by-rex-egbe.html

..so why didn't the minorities support Biafra?

rafindo:
Why did southern Cameroon secede if we treated them well.

Rafiu the abokinna, stop disguising like werey.

We never treated them badly..
But at this point we we don't want a Nation together with them.

All we want is biafra with or without Niger delta

They can have a nice country of their own

Uteghe:

..so why didn't the minorities support Biafra?

Who brought the idea of biafra ...who co chaired the meeting that declared biafra
Who was biafran vice president ? Who named biafra ?

mrvitalis:

Who brought the idea of biafra ...who co chaired the meeting that declared biafra
Who was biafran vice president ? Who named biafra ?

Keep your Biafra to igboland

Uteghe:

..so why didn't the minorities support Biafra?

Philip Effiong was from was from where (Ibibio tribe Always Ibom)

The popular Radio Biafra DG , Okokon Ndem was from where (Efik cross River state) and many others..

garfield1:


Keep your Biafra to igboland

Shut up! Biafra is made up of old Eastern region.

Face your south west, typical afonja !

post=102361497:
Ministerial appointments, provisional commissioners and Parliamentary Secretaries during eastern government

97% vs 5%

Provisional and Parliamentary Secretaries were the prerogative of each province and constituency respectively, different from the 97% & 5% appointments by the Premier.

-Osu amaka

garfield1:


Keep your Biafra to igboland

That's the idea

So many lies have been peddled about Ndigbo by Yellow Bar people and believed by yellow bar people.
The yellow bar people even go out of their way to use their lies as source for arguments

Honestly speaking, if Nigeria breaks up South south groups apart from the edoid groups(Edo republic) would do exceptionally well in a biafran nation....the igbos, ijaws, ikwerre, efiks, and other ethic groups within the south south all share alot in common with the south east, interethnic marriages, being neighbors, similar cultures and religions....makes for the perfect country. Most people can't differentiate between Igbo and ikwerre, or Igbo and ijaw.....they are all blood brothers, and there's no biafra without their south south cousins and vice versa.

rafindo:
Why did southern Cameroon secede if we treated them well.

Cameron (colonised by germany) was split by the french and English after Germany lost in the second world war.
It only made sense that southern cameroon join those they are familiar with

mrvitalis:

Who brought the idea of biafra ...who co chaired the meeting that declared biafra
Who was biafran vice president ? Who named biafra ?

Why didn't the minorities support Biafra? I'm an Oron man. I don't know the origin and meaning of Biafra. Oron will never be part of it. Oron is richer than some European countries so it's country on it's own. If you want Biafra, best of luck.

COMEDY SECTION PLEASE - MOVE ASAP