₦airaland Forum

After I posted about the maltreatments that the people of Midwest faced under Awolowo’s Western Region which made them clamour for their own region with absolute ferocity, hordes of propagandists expectedly started twisting history and facts, as they are wont to doing, to suggest that the minorities in Old Eastern Region faced equal maltreatment like the people of Midwest but I’m here to disprove that fallacious claim by laying the facts as they are.

Of the three (3) original regions in colonial Nigeria, minorities were best treated in the Old Eastern Region. This was because projects were evenly distributed amongst all provinces of the region.

That was how Michael Okpara, the second Premier of the region after Azikiwe, built such legacy projects in the minority part of region like the popular Obudu Cattle Ranch (Calabar Province), Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt (Port Harcourt Province), Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout, Port Harcourt (Port Harcourt Province), Calabar Cement Factory (Calabar Province), etc.

Most of these projects are still there today.

Now, can anyone point to a single legacy project built by Awolowo in the then Benin Province?

State of Origin: Abia

Local Government Area: Umuahia North

Village /Town: Umuegwu Okpuala Ohuhu

Late Chief Dr Michael Iheonukara Okpara . GCON. LSM. LAH. a powerful nationalist, a natural leader, a patriot, was the Premier of the former Eastern Regionof Nigeria. He was known to be a leader who led by example and no probe ever found fault with his administration. He never compelled people to follow because the Igbo saw his leadership as a true and an honest one. He was born on Christmas Day. 1920 Education • Afugiri Central School Umuahia • Methodist College Uzuakoli 1941 • Yaba Higher College 1944 • University of Dublin Ireland • Royal College of Physician Edinburgh Scotland lob Experience and Employment • Assistant Medical Officer, Government Ilospital Maiduguri Set up Private Medical Practice in Umuahia 1949 1952 • Honorary Surgeon Amachara Methodist Hospital near Umuahia. during the time he started his political activism. Was arrested for organising a political rally in 1949, during the shooting of Coal Miners at Enugu. Joined the NCNC and drew up the Party's Manifesto on Health 1951 • Contested and won election into the Eastern House ofAssembly under the banner of NCNC 1951 • Was named the Ag. Chairman and Party Leader by Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe when he was President of Nigeria. At independence, when Zik left the Regional House as Premier. Dr Okpara was elected the Premier of the Region. • Appointed Minister without Portfolio Eastern Region 1952 • Minister of Health 1952 1953 • Minister of Production 1954 • Minister of Agriculture 1957-1958 • Appointed Premier of Eastern House 1959 and the Ag. President of NCNC Dr.Okpara's Achievements in Office Too many to list here but a few key ones include • Moral. Philosophical and Ethical Transformation of the Identity of the people of Eastern Region- He gave a focused leadership

• Transformed the Agricultural Life of the people- many Farm Settlements were built, food production enhanced • Industrial Foundation and Transformation- build industries like Golden Guinea. Ceramics. Rubber Factory. Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt and Enugu. Niger Gas Factory at Emene Enugu. Aba Textiles. Nkalagu Cement Factory. Pepsi Cola Onitsha. Owerri Shoe Industry. Asbestos Factory. Micheiin Factory in Port Harcourt. Obudu Cattle Ranch. Cement Factory in Calabar. Trans-Amadi Industrial Lay out in Port Harcourt.

• Transformed Education - built many primary schools, teacher training colleges, Alvan Ikoku College of Education, upgraded the number of secondary schools in the region, and allowed Missions to be partners in providing quality education and health care. • Built many hospitals and upgraded Health Centres and maternity home. Leprosy clinics at Itu, Oji River, Uburu. Uzuakoli got support and big grants in aid. • Roads, big water scheme, and rural urban development took place. Other Political Exploits • Known as M.I.POWER, he was the Leader of the United Progressive Grand Alliance (UPGA) - which defeated the traditional NCNC-NPC Alliance in the 1964 General Election • Had high Profile in Political links and partnerships. Respected all over the place because of his straight forwardness and sincerity.

• Had high reputation in many places so much so that during the 1966 Military Coup, there was no attack on him in his Premier's Lodge at Enugu. • After the Declaration of Biafra Republic,served as Political Father to the young Republic and identified with the people throughout the period of hardship and struggle. Went on some Foreign Missions on behalf of Biafra . • Went on self exile to Ireland at the end of the War and returned in 1978

Awards and Honours

• Honoured by his country with Grand Commander of Order of the Niger (GCON) • Ihe Abia (Light of Abia) posthumous. • Many streets named in his honour, College ofAgriculture and a University ofAgriculture named after him for his Agricultural Revolution in • Member of many Professional Bodies and Non-Professional Bodies

• He was married to Chief Mrs Adanma Okpara and they were blessed with many children. He was a Special Igbo Leader still remembered for his devotion, commitment and personal sacrifice for the good of his people. He never enriched himself at the expense of his people. He was an honest and Clean Man. He was a Leader the Igbo would not forget. He raised the Profileofthe Igbo and is still an ICON to be emulated as a LEADER.He died peacefully on December 17"' 1984. We wish modern leaders would be like DR MICHAEL IHEONUKARA OKPARA.

https://blerf.org/index.php/biography/okpara-michael-ihconukara-1920-1984/

This is a Tribune publication of 2020. Tribune is not owned by an Igbo man.

In many circles among the Igbo, many are wont to analysing the pace of development in Igbo land in the context of the First Republic politics, with a lot of stakeholders giving kudos and knocks to successive administrations in the geopolitical zone in the last six decades, writes JUDE OSSAI.

It is common for the people of the Igbo ethnic extraction to compare the first six years of independent Nigeria to 54 subsequent years. Their reason for the comparison are the physical structures, human capacity building and economic progress and prosperity recorded in the First Republic under the Late Sir Michael Okpara as the premier of the defunct Eastern Region. He is credited with laying a solid foundation and creating a template development agenda for the region which then covered part of the existing South-South states, excluding Edo and Delta states. Indeed, a lot of the people claim that the most remarkable period for the Igbo in the last 60 years of Nigeria as a sovereign entity was under Okpara because of his monumental projects scattered all over the region. He built many farm settlements in the present Southeast and South-South geo-political zones. He also excelled in different fronts, including commerce and industry.

For example, he built the Hotel Presidential in Enugu and Port Harcourt; established oil palm and cashew plantations in the present South-East and South-South zones, as well as established Nigergas, Nigercem, Niger Floor mill in Enugu, among others.

Golden era

Michael Iheonukara Okpara, known as M.I. Power on the political scene, held sway from 1959 to 1966. Aside being an advocate of what he called pragmatic socialism, he also strongly believed that investing in agriculture is key to Nigeria’s development. At 39, he was the nation’s youngest premier. Born on December 25, 1920 at Ohuhu in Umuahia, Abia State, Okpara attended Mission Schools and later Uzuakoli Methodist College before going to Yaba Higher College, Lagos, to study medicine on scholarship. Completing his studies, he worked briefly as a civil servant before going into private practice.

While practising medicine, he developed an interest in the Zikist Movement — a militant wing of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC). After the 1949 coal mines riot that led to the shooting and killing of some miners by the police at Enugu coal mines, Okpara and other members of Zikist Movement were arrested for inciting the miners to riot and later released. This action made Okpara popular, and with the granting of self-rule in 1952, he was elected into the Eastern Nigerian House of Assembly on the platform of the NCNC.

Between 1952 and 1959, he held various cabinet positions in the Region, including Minister without portfolio, Minister of Health, Minister of Agriculture and Production, among others.

In 1953, when NCNC legislators revolted against the party’s leadership, he remained loyal to Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and helped to keep the party united. In 1959, when Azikiwe resigned as Premier of the Eastern Region to become the Governor-General, Okpara became the leader of NCNC and presided over the Eastern Region from 1960 to 1966, when the military took over the government. He was one of the two Regional Premiers that were not killed in the coup.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/governance-in-igbo-land-54-years-after-okpara-as-premier/

Nlfpmod
Mynd44

Insightful

This are topics that should be making front page

Very informative and educative

Ogbeni, Obudu cattle ranch was developed in 1951, Okpara contested and won election in 1952.

How do the two match?

BabaRamota1980:
Ogbeni, Obudu cattle ranch was developed in 1951, Okpara contested and won election in 1952.

How do the two match?

Developed by who?

At least you admit it was built by the Old Eastern Region in a minority group province.

Meanwhile, talking about who developed Obudu Cattle Ranch…

Would you agree therefore, that because Jonathan flagged off the construction of the Second Niger Bridge and the Lagos-Ibadan Railway Line, he, and not Buhari, built the two projects?

This article below shows that Michael Okpara started investing in the ranch way before he became Premier of Eastern Region, and continued as Premier and as Minister of Agriculture in the Federal Cabinet.

I don’t sell lies and propaganda like some of you.

Records are emerging on how Obudu Mountain Resort came to Be. Since the Rebuilding of the Ranch By Dr. Donald Duke who was the Executive Governor of Cross River State from 1999 -2007 into a World Class Resort questions have arisen about the Origins of the Ranch.
Dr. Duke Rebuilt the Old Resort and installed a Cable Car a Helicopter Landing Pad,a Waterpark and 20 new Mountain Villas.

Today Obudu Mountain Resort is the Best known Tourism destination in Nigeria.
A report published in Birmingham Daily Post on the 3rd of December 1962 was Recently released by Ed Keazor who has released a Documentary on Dr. M.I Okpara who was the Premier of Eastern Nigeria until the Military Coup of 1966.

According to him: “The ENDC headed by Dr. Okpara and Dr Mbanugo invested £230,000 in the 1950s to build the road to Obudu up the mountain. This was even before he became Premier.”

The Daily Post has the Article titled “Nigerian Forest Becomes a Ranch.” “A tired group of brown-skinned herdsmen sat patiently at the foot of a towering mountain with kettles of water at their feet.
They had a rendervous with an English cattle buyer. They washed their feet carefully before kneeling to pray to Allah.

Villagers of Abamlika, close to the Cameroons frontier in Eastern Nigeria, are used to the sight of these Northern Nigerian tribesmen and their long-horned cattle, Reuter writes.
Twice a year, in November and March, the Fulani tribesmen trek down the mountain of the north and travel on foot for hundreds of miles through tropical heat with their humpbacked Zebu cattle. It is well worth the effort.

The Eastern Region Development Corporation pays well for delivery of the cattle to its mile-high ranch on the Obudu plateau.
The ranch is a bold enterprise sponsored by Dr. Michael Okapara, Prime Minister of the Eastern Region of Nigeria. He hopes that it will serve the two fold purpose of increasing Nigeria’s meat supplies and of providing an international tourist attraction, complete with chalets, golf course and swimming pool.”

According to well known Nigerian researcher and Archivist Dr. Raphael James the history of Obudu started with the British.
He states thus: in his book, “Blue Book for Southern Nigeria published in 1909 J.J. Thoburn, the Acting Governor of Southern Nigeria wrote that the Provincial Commissioner of the Eastern Province in his report states, “During the early months of the year under review the pacification and development of the country lying between the Cross River and Northern Nigeria boundary was continued by the military force under the command of Colonel Trenehard, D.S.O., resulting in the wide extension of Government jurisdiction and control in the districts of Abakaliki, Ogoja, and Ikom, and necessitating the formation of a new district with headquarters at Obudu about 80 miles north-east of Ikom and 30 miles east of Ogoja, practically leaving only the Munshi country to be brought under civilized government.
In this direction everything that could be done by the exercise of patience and friendly overtures has been done by the officer in charge at Obudu, first by Captain Fox, and since by his successor Mr. Weld, but without effect.”

Obodu is not just man made, though it became man-developed by Chief Michael Okpara when he was the Premier of Eastern Nigeria, as stated in his biography ‘Dr. M. I. Okpara A Biography by Chris Offodile in page 43 2his government also build Obudu Cattle Ranch and hotel complex and in fact launched eastern Nigeria to what would have become thriving tourist industry had the war not intervened.

“So the first Nigerian to develop the Obudu cattle Ranch is Dr. Michael Okpara. ” Obudu was developed by Dr. Okpara in two phases: 1. A ranch which was invested in by the ENDC in the 1950s and 2. The Tourist Resort which was completed by 1962.

The ENDC invested heavily in the ranch in the late 1950s when Okpara was Minister for Agriculture and the Resort which he continued when he became Premier in 1959.
Let’s not forget the NCNC had been in power in Eastern Nigeria since 1951″says Keazor. Further Research by Biographer for Dr. M.I Okpara Mr. Edwards Keazor revealed more information from Different Publications especially the Nigerian Magazine No. 60 of 1959. The transcript from the Magazine had this to say Nigerian Magazine No 60 1959

https://atqnews.com/africa-archives-reveals-the-history-of-obudu-ranch-resort-and-how-dr-m-i-okpara-built-the-resort-in-1962/

saintjimos:
Insightful

This are topics that should be making front page

Very informative and educative

Lol!

Things like this don’t make front page on Nairaland nah!

If I had posted about Bobrisky ordering new set of bleaching cream, fiam, it will land on front page with the speed of light.

Hehehe

BabaRamota1980:
Ogbeni, Obudu cattle ranch was developed in 1951, Okpara contested and won election in 1952.

How do the two match?

Dude is allergic to truth..

Never take him serious..

The problem with these HiPOB miscreants is they always know how to attract problems from other regions and will always be the first to cry murder by the time you start paying them in their coin

Thank u for that info, as the FG failed to bring back history, we will bring it back for them

they ronu nazist are already in panic mode, they hate to hear good news about igbos meanwhile the Midwest saw the development taking place in minority region in the east hence there quest to break out

Samething will happen in Biafra and minorities from nigeria would want to join in

After the last election this 2023 with all the things I saw during the campaign period, I concluded that I will never take any history of Nigeria written by south westerner seriously anymore till I verify it in details, the lies and falsehood unleashed by some of these folks is so alarming just because of politics and hate..

Awolow stole the resources of the people of Edo and delta state to develop ibadan. Till today, there's no block of classroom or project in awolowo's name in Edo state or Delta state. No wonder 98 percent of the people of delta and edo state voted to leave the western region. The yarribas also stoned the people of Edo and delta while leaving the western region.

We know the true bigot and tribalists.

OP during the time of the Eastern region there was nothing like Port Harcourt Province. Port Harcourt was under Owerri Province. Okpara just like every average Igbo man felt he was developing Igboland.

Read and digest your info first before spewing trash on nairaland. Minorities were subdued especially after Nigeria gained her independence. Only the north treated her minorities fairly, hence their level of unity till date.

In the South all the minorities opted to leave. SW Cameroon eg Bamenda province, Mamfe province, Kumba province and Victoria province left the Eastern region to join Cameroon, because of oppression by the Igbos.

Midwest region left the Western region to be on their own based on the same feeling of oppression.

The Ijaws tried leaving the Eastern region, but Adaka Boro was arrested and jailed by Ojukwu and our Igbo grandparents.

During the civil war, the military president who was Gowon had to grant the minorities their wishes which weakened the strength of the Igbos.

So stop opening thread of lies. Even till date minorities have it worse in this country.


Building a hotel and an industrial layout does not mean Igbos were good to the minorities. Ask yourself who were the people working in the hotels? Igbos!
Who were the people heading the affairs of the hotels? Igbos!
What factories/companies were allowed to operate in the industrial layout? Igbo owned.


Or you want to tell us that the Yorubas and the Hausas never built any meaningful infrastructure in areas of their minorities? Then you lie....

Really, wow
He try oo unlike his fellows who invest in Ponzi and betting platform to further make poor people poorer

AwkaFinest:
OP during the time of the Eastern region there was nothing like Port Harcourt Province. Port Harcourt was under Owerri Province. Okpara just like every average Igbo man felt he was developing Igboland.

Read and digest your info first before spewing trash on nairaland. Minorities were subdued especially after Nigeria gained her independence. Only the north treated her minorities fairly, hence their level of unity till date.

In the South all the minorities opted to leave. SW Cameroon eg Bamenda province, Mamfe province, Kumba province and Victoria province left the Eastern region to join Cameroon, because of oppression by the Igbos.

Midwest region left the Western region to be on their own based on the same feeling of oppression.

The Ijaws tried leaving the Eastern region, but Adaka Boro was arrested and jailed by Ojukwu and our Igbo grandparents.

During the civil war, the military president who was Gowon had to grant the minorities their wishes which weakened the strength of the Igbos.

So stop opening thread of lies. Even till date minorities have it worse in this country.


Building a hotel and an industrial layout does not mean Igbos were good to the minorities. Ask yourself who were the people working in the hotels? Igbos!
Who were the people heading the affairs of the hotels? Igbos!
What factories/companies were allowed to operate in the industrial layout? Igbo owned.


Or you want to tell us that the Yorubas and the Hausas never built any meaningful infrastructure in areas of their minorities? Then you lie....

See talk so Awolowo the suicidal fellow didn't regard Western region enough to develop other minorities.

It shows how tribalistic and sectional you Ronus can be.
Igbo are warming and welcoming to sundry but the ronu are searching for themselves and families first.

Penguin2:
After I posted about the maltreatments that the people of Midwest faced under Awolowo’s Western Region which made them clamour for their own region with absolute ferocity, hordes of propagandists expectedly started twisting history and facts, as they are wont to doing, to suggest that the minorities in Old Eastern Region faced equal maltreatment like the people of Midwest but I’m here to disprove that fallacious claim by laying the facts as they are.

Of the three (3) original regions in colonial Nigeria, minorities were best treated in the Old Eastern Region. This was because projects were evenly distributed amongst all provinces of the region.

That was how Michael Okpara, the second Premier of the region after Azikiwe, built such legacy projects in the minority part of region like the popular Obudu Cattle Ranch (Calabar Province), Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt (Port Harcourt Province), Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout, Port Harcourt (Port Harcourt Province), Calabar Cement Factory (Calabar Province), etc.

Most of these projects are still there today.

Now, can anyone point to a single legacy project built by Awolowo in the then Benin Province?


https://blerf.org/index.php/biography/okpara-michael-ihconukara-1920-1984/

It was the British who built Obudu Ranch

Lord Lugard and the British founded and built Port Harcourt around 1914

GeneralPula:
Dude is allergic to truth..

Never take him serious..

What silly truth are you talking about?

The most unfortunate thing is engaging you horde of narrow-minded elements who cannot travel to save your life...

I had cause to be somewhere in the rain forests of Cross River, in a place called Bendeghe in Etung Local Council...

The cocoa and palm plantations established by Azikiwe and Okpara are still delivering agricultural produce today...

Life should begin and end with mindless propaganda...

Igbo like to do big things yesterday, taa na ruo mgbe ebighi'ebi

Christistruth00:
It was the British who built Obudu Ranch

Have you been to Obudu Cattle Ranch before?


Why are you making an irresponsible assertion that you cannot substantiate?

I have been there so when I talk you should listen...

maintenant:
What silly truth are you talking about?
The most unfortunate thing is engaging you horde of narrow-minded elements who cannot travel to save your life...

I had cause to be somewhere in the rain forests of Cross River, in a place called Bendeghe in Etung Local Council...

The cocoa and palm plantations established by Azikiwe and Okpara are still delivering agricultural produce today...

Life should begin and end with mindless propaganda...

The person you are talking to knows You are giving him good information and education, but His problem is with the name

He is destined to do tribal gbasgbos all the days of his life till him go die enter grave

Just let him be, soonest he will have some people enjoin him in the tribal jabbing his god created him for .

That's what He is expecting from You

AwkaFinest:
OP during the time of the Eastern region there was nothing like Port Harcourt Province. Port Harcourt was under Owerri Province. Okpara just like every average Igbo man felt he was developing Igboland.

Read and digest your info first before spewing trash on nairaland. Minorities were subdued especially after Nigeria gained her independence. Only the north treated her minorities fairly, hence their level of unity till date.

In the South all the minorities opted to leave. SW Cameroon eg Bamenda province, Mamfe province, Kumba province and Victoria province left the Eastern region to join Cameroon, because of oppression by the Igbos.

Midwest region left the Western region to be on their own based on the same feeling of oppression.

The Ijaws tried leaving the Eastern region, but Adaka Boro was arrested and jailed by Ojukwu and our Igbo grandparents.

During the civil war, the military president who was Gowon had to grant the minorities their wishes which weakened the strength of the Igbos.

So stop opening thread of lies. Even till date minorities have it worse in this country.


Building a hotel and an industrial layout does not mean Igbos were good to the minorities. Ask yourself who were the people working in the hotels? Igbos!
Who were the people heading the affairs of the hotels? Igbos!
What factories/companies were allowed to operate in the industrial layout? Igbo owned.


Or you want to tell us that the Yorubas and the Hausas never built any meaningful infrastructure in areas of their minorities? Then you lie....

The load of baloney you just put up there just turned history on its head...

The north was the worse culprit in the marginalisation of minorities...

Read your history, Mr Fake Igboman...

The Middle Forum is probably the oldest minority political platform in the history of Nigeria so what are you talking about?

Southern Cameroon did not opt to leave Nigeria because of the ridiculous reasons you adduced but because they enetered into a kind of confederation with Francophone Cameroon with the option of seeking full independence after a short period of time...

The crisis in Ambazonia or Anglophone Cameroon today is an attempt by Anglophone Cameroon to call back the agreement that was reneged by Paul Biya in the 1980s...

Before you post these childish opinions, I suggest you do your research first...

maintenant:
Have you been to Obudu Cattle Ranch before?


Why are you making an irresponsible assertion that you cannot substantiate?

I have been there so when I talk you should listen...

It was a Scottish British Officer who was from a Cattle farming family in the Scottish Highlands that first insisted that Obudu was a Prime area for Cattle Ranching after visiting it

Read the document attached the British built and managed Obudu Cattle Ranch

The Scottish Officer proved to be very right and the British successfully managed and expanded Obudu Cattle Ranch it was after independence that things got messed up

A British District Officer was even living there at one time before independence

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.tiesawards.com/biography_edest/8F1MWTnV0kzxcozZYDh2Ft0DS9HPyhcsDjxD4NDA.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjVqLGRwvL_AhUXQ0EAHY3ECCUQFnoECAwQBg&usg=AOvVaw1bUGZeLmXyzuCxN3sq1yF8

maintenant:
The load of baloney you just put up there just turned history on its head...

The north was the worse culprit in the marginalisation of minorities...

Read your history, Mr Fake Igboman...

The Middle Forum is probably the oldest minority political platform in the history of Nigeria so what are you talking about?

Southern Cameroon did not opt to leave Nigeria because of the ridiculous reasons you adduced but because they enetered into a kind of confederation with Francophone Cameroon with the option of seeking full independence after a short period of time...

The crisis in Ambazonia or Anglophone Cameroon today is an attempt by Anglophone Cameroon to call back the agreement that was reneged by Paul Biya in the 1980s...

Before you post these childish opinions, I suggest you do your research first...

The North was the worst culprit, yet Northern British Cameroon voted to join northern Nigeria because they felt they were treated fairly by the north.

The north was the worst culprit, but the north has been more united than the south since the onset of this country.

The north was the worst culprit, yet you don't see northerners opening threads everyday to force themselves on minority tribes of the north.

The North was the worst culprit, yet since the creation of this country voting pattern of the north has been uniform on average.

The north was the worst, yet the level of uprising by minority tribes against the majority has been overwhelming in the south as compared to the north.

The north was the worst, yet you'll never see a northerners insulting minority tribes of the north online and offline.

Doesn't sound true

Christistruth00:
It was the British who built Obudu Ranch

Lord Lugard and the British founded and built Port Harcourt around 1914

Are we talking about who built Port Harcourt or who built Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt?

Brendaniel:
After the last election this 2023 with all the things I saw during the campaign period, I concluded that I will never take any history of Nigeria written by south westerner seriously anymore till I verify it in details, the lies and falsehood unleashed by some of these folks is so alarming just because of politics and hate..

But somehow, they have used the media to polish themselves as the most refined and accommodating of all the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.

While they paint everyone else as the devil.

AwkaFinest:
OP during the time of the Eastern region there was nothing like Port Harcourt Province. Port Harcourt was under Owerri Province. Okpara just like every average Igbo man felt he was developing Igboland.

Read and digest your info first before spewing trash on nairaland. Minorities were subdued especially after Nigeria gained her independence. Only the north treated her minorities fairly, hence their level of unity till date.

In the South all the minorities opted to leave. SW Cameroon eg Bamenda province, Mamfe province, Kumba province and Victoria province left the Eastern region to join Cameroon, because of oppression by the Igbos.

Midwest region left the Western region to be on their own based on the same feeling of oppression.

The Ijaws tried leaving the Eastern region, but Adaka Boro was arrested and jailed by Ojukwu and our Igbo grandparents.

During the civil war, the military president who was Gowon had to grant the minorities their wishes which weakened the strength of the Igbos.

So stop opening thread of lies. Even till date minorities have it worse in this country.


Building a hotel and an industrial layout does not mean Igbos were good to the minorities. Ask yourself who were the people working in the hotels? Igbos!
Who were the people heading the affairs of the hotels? Igbos!
What factories/companies were allowed to operate in the industrial layout? Igbo owned.


Or you want to tell us that the Yorubas and the Hausas never built any meaningful infrastructure in areas of their minorities? Then you lie....

First of all, you are not Igbo.

Second, instead of wasting your time to write this long epistle, why not simply enunciate the projects that Awolowo sited in the Midwestern Province when they were under Western province let it be that it was only Yorubas that were in charge?

Again, is it not to Okpara’s credit that he saw every territory under the Old Eastern Region as Igboland which made him want to develop everywhere evenly?

Would you compare him to Awolowo who saw minority territories as not Yoruba land and therefore not worthy of being developed?

maintenant:
Have you been to Obudu Cattle Ranch before?


Why are you making an irresponsible assertion that you cannot substantiate?

I have been there so when I talk you should listen...

I even provided a link for them to read and cure their ignorance but they would rather behave like programmed robots that has no brain of their own.

Very pathetic lots!

The OP is from Anambra

The OP is from Anambra

If you know you know

Penguin2:
First of all, you are not Igbo.

Second, instead of wasting your time to write this long epistle, why not simply enunciate the projects that Awolowo sited in the Midwestern Province when they were under Western province let it be that it was only Yorubas that were in charge?

Again, is it not to Okpara’s credit that he saw every territory under the Old Eastern Region as Igboland which made him want to develop everywhere evenly?

Would you compare him to Awolowo who saw minority territories as not Yoruba land and therefore not worthy of being developed?

First of all I'm more Igbo than you are.

The deeds of Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello in their regions of control are well gazetted. I'm not here to spoon feed you, rather I'm here to burst the lies from empty chest beating fellows like you and the OP.

Calabar was a bigger city as at then than Port Harcourt which was only formed around 1912. So what stopped M. Okpara from doing these things in Calabar?

No, he only focused on Enugu which of course was the capital and located deep in Igboland. Then Port Harcourt which was growing at that time, also boosted by the discovery of crude oil in Oloibiri, with it's sea port already built by the British.
So M. Okpara had no choice but to focus on Port Harcourt too, because it's under Owerri Province and as at this time the natives have been fully subdued by Igbos. So to him he's expanding Igboland.


Ask yourself why will an average Ikwerre detest being called Igbo?
Why will an Etche man, even an Omuma man detest being called Igbo?
Why will an Ogba man detest being called Igbo?
Why don't Ogba people sell lands to Igbos?
Why are we Igbos naturally careful around Ijaws?
Why did Ojukwu immediately arrested Adaka Borro?
Why don't you see threads on nairaland by people from Bayelsa & Rivers, Akwa Ibom & Cross River attaching themselves to the SE?
Why is it only we Igbos opening threads on a daily basis to force a relationship that the other party is not showing any interest in?

When did we Igbos become this weak?