₦airaland Forum

And if that is the case, we will now be a landlocked nation, surrounded on every corner by Nigeria. Do we even have enough space for everyone coming back? My mind runs back to chaotic situations during Christmas and festive periods. Let no one deceive you, life will be pretty more difficult economically than we might imagine. And because there are no industries in Igboland, even our “traders” will have to pay the only country surrounding us to bring in goods. There needs to be collective and intelligent thinking here.

asha80:
the question is are the people who constitute Nigeria eager to make the country work?

modhream:
Soon as I saw no industries,landlocked,surrounded by Nigeria,I just tuned out.Author doesn't know jack what he's talking about.
Give me compelling reasons why you think that Nigeria will work or is starting to work and not just these platitudes that we've had over and over and still find ourselves stuck in same position.
Over the years,despite changes in administration,it's still same structure,same policies,same everything designed to keep the people,especially those from a particular region,down.Start giving verifiable indications of a change of all these,for the better,or Biafra will always be an option.

shachris:
and who are the people that constitute the country If not you and I? Anytime we are serious about addressing the issues that Nigeria is bedeviled with, Nigeria would work then.

omenka:
Words on Marble!!

lygn19:
I just want to know... please just tell me.

lygn19:
Is dat what u call selfish interest?
If that selfish interest thrives it's because the Nigerian system has allowed it to, through its various fraudulent clauses and corruption practices, if Nigeria goes and an Anambra man is charged of corruption he wud executed simple and short, just like they do it in some Asian countries.
What next do u mean by selfish interest?

asha80:
that means Nigeria will not work in the nearest future because a whole lot of us are hypocrites and quite frankly know nothing about nation building

The probable Igbo nation’s leaders are the present day governors, senators, National
Assembly members, etc. Your guess is as good
as mine on their capabilities. Let’s be sincere
with ourselves, in the 16 years of PDP
government in Nigeria the only position Igbos
did not hold was just the Presidency.

We have had about five Senate Presidents, Deputy Senate President, Deputy Speaker, the Army chief, Immigration boss, the Prisons boss, Central Bank governor, ministers in key ministries of Power, Finance, Education, Petroleum, and Health. What has Igboland got to show for these positions other than installation of one chieftaincy title or the other?

As much as the majority of our complaint are genuine, we are part of the problem as well.

Another day, another whining.
So irritating.

These politicians, from Ohanaeze and the rest of
them are wailing not for the igbo people but for
their private pockets.

How much good did all the appointments they
had under jonathan bring to the entire region??

What exactly did Ekweremadu and Ihedioha do
for the people of the SE in 8years as presiding
officers??

What did David Mark achieve for the people of
Otukpo, let alone the middle belt, in 8years as
senate president?? We have seen pics of a police
station close to his house and have seen pictures
of his house- we know the difference- a house
with a rooftop helipad upon which was
graciously perched a private helicopter (of
course he can hardly drive around in those
roads in Otukpo), and a Rolls Royce Phantom
parked just at the foot of his corridor, probably
to take him to his private gulf course close to his
house.

These are the sort of things these men use their
positions to do and not to better the lives of the
average or poor nigerians. Yet when it appears
they've been excluded from invitation to dinner,
they wail all over the place, whipping up ethnic
and religious sentiments, and gullible Nigerians
like most of the posters above me and others to
come behind me foolishly elevate the pitch of
their cries to high heavens.
I pity all of una.

asha80:
I doubt that guy has been back in igboland in a long long time with that no industry line..if he said inadequate to cater the millions then I agree but saying no industries shows ignorance at its peak

shachris:
and who are the people that constitute the country If not you and I? Anytime we are serious about addressing the issues that Nigeria is bedeviled with, Nigeria would work then.

modhream:
!diot,that lie had been put to a rest since.It was the SE calling and working for a restructuring,with only Ebonyi pulling out while the SW scuttled it from the get-go with Lagos and Ondo vehemently against regionalism.Come up with another lie,pls

South West
The South-West delegation was headed by Chief Olu Falae. The region came with a federalist agenda that included state police and regional government.

South East
The region came to the conference tagging itself as the most marginalised. The South-East delegates wanted more states and reparation for the Civil War, among others.

shachris:
True and biafra would not change that. we need massive civic education in Nigeria to enlighten us on what we must do to ensure that this nation moves forward.

Have we ever demanded accountability from your federal representatives?

Have we stopped worshipping thieves because they dash us some of their loots?

Have we stopped giving and receiving bribes?

How much commitments have we shown on the government jobs that we are given.

Have we protested in anyway to show our displeasure with certain government policies?

asha80:
I doubt that guy has been back in igboland in a long long time with that no industry line..if he said inadequate to cater the millions then I agree but saying no industries shows ignorance at its peak

lygn19:
Is dat what u call selfish interest?
If that selfish interest thrives it's because the Nigerian system has allowed it to, through its various fraudulent clauses and corruption practices, if Nigeria goes and an Anambra man is charged of corruption he wud executed simple and short, just like they do it in some Asian countries.
What next do u mean by selfish interest?

gists:
Olodo let me educate you. Your beloved brethren asked for an extra state in the SE. It was SW that you now hate for not supporting your fo0lish war mongering Biafra agenda that was resolute in asking for regional autonomy. It was SS that asked for the closest to what SW asked. SS asked for resource control and devolution of power.

Read and learn baby wailing wailer




source http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/sunday/index.php/top-stories/17872-delegates-who-shook-the-national-conference

omenka:
True. There are countless number of cottage industries in the SE and some big industries like Coca Cola and NBL. I believe what the writer was referring to is what exists there in comparism to the industries that exist elsewhere (petrochemicals and other heavy industries).

angelberton:
Chidi Obi has reasoned with originality devoid of clouded eyes, unlike the uninformed internet warriors and market traders being manipulated by MASSOB and Kanu who is living fat off the generous donations made by sympathisers.

In truth, there is hardly any corner of Nigeria that an Ibo man has no property or business. The aggregates of these run into hundreds of billions of dollars. There are inter-marriages across virtually every tribe or ethnicity. Should the Ibos who are doing very well across the length and breath of Nigeria, except for Boko Haram which affects all Nigerians, leave and go back to Igbo land and start afresh? I foresee untold hardship even if that can be achieved, which I doubt.

Ibos are the chief architects of their marginalisation in Nigeria. There is a conflict of loyalty! Are Ibos Biafrans or Nigerians? Many of them call themselves biafrans. Nigerians will never vote for a biafran to be president of Nigeria.

Ibos are either biafrans or Nigerians. There are no two ways to it. Either to accept the obvious that they are part and parcel of Nigeria and fight for their rights within a prosperous Nigeria or engage in a fruitless 'freedom fight' for biafra. The choice is theirs to make and to live with its consequences.

SporaD8:
Funny you. but if FG investigate the lack of development in the region, and SE politician is implicated, your lot will that shouting, "selective persecution!" so who end up with nothing eventually?
You see now how hopeless the SE case is?

modhream:
Coca-Cola and NBL only heavy industries in the East?.You really should keep quiet when it comes to Eastern affairs,what you know can fit on the head of a pin and still have space left.

asha80:
question is nigeria a prosperous country?are the people who make up nigeria REALLY interested in a prosperous and working Nigeria instead of personal aggrandizement?

omenka:
Oponu, I think you need to prick your brain with that pin and generate a little spark of intelligence to help you know the difference between the bolded in your post and "some big industries like" as I stated.

Some of you guys are just dull beyond belief.

angelberton:
No country is without problems but they work hard at solving it. Nigeria must begin with tackling corruption on its way to realising its full potential and prosperity!

zendy:
This Chidi Obi who wrote this rubbish is an Igbo man who doesn't know anything about where he comes from. There are many Igbos who were born or raised in other parts of Nigeria like Lagos, kaduna and Abuja who are like that. The only thing of interest he said was about not making Biafra an Igbo affair which is very important because the minorities of the SS must carried along. The rest of what he said is complete nonsense. He said that Igbos are marginalised in Nigeria but does not want to admit that Biafra is the best way to end Igbo marginalisation forever. He said that Igbos have helped develop Nigeria and we should leave Nigeria after our all our contributions to the Nigerian state but he doesn't want admit that charity begins at home. Igbos should be developing their home land and one of the biggest motivations for this is the emergence of Biafra. He said that Igbos don't have any industrial base whatsoever. Is this guy for real I challenge anybody to refute the fact that after Lagos, Anambra state has the largest industrial base in Nigeria. This Chidi guy should go to see the largest market in west Africa at Onitsha and the industrial sophistication of Nnewi then come and tell us what he thinks. He said that Igbos are landlocked. Someone buy this guy a map! PortHarcourt is an Igbo city. A world class seaport can be built in Oguta in Imo state. Anither tributary runs from Abia state into the Athlantic Ocean. People like Chidi Obi still think small, that's why he can't see past Nigeria to the huge potentials of the future Biafra.

angelberton:
Chidi Obi has reasoned with originality devoid of clouded eyes, unlike the uninformed internet warriors and market traders being manipulated by MASSOB and Kanu who is living fat off the generous donations made by sympathisers.

In truth, there is hardly any corner of Nigeria that an Ibo man has no property or business. The aggregates of these run into hundreds of billions of dollars. There are inter-marriages across virtually every tribe or ethnicity. Should the Ibos who are doing very well across the length and breath of Nigeria, except for Boko Haram which affects all Nigerians, leave and go back to Igbo land and start afresh?

I foresee untold hardship even if that can be achieved, which I doubt. Not least is the fact that almost 98% of South South do not want to be associated with or join Biafra in whatever shape or form. Moreover, majority of Nigerians are prepared to go to war to see that Nigeria remains one indivisible country. Most Ibos are not prepared to undergo another war.

Ibos are the chief architects of their marginalisation in Nigeria. There is a conflict of loyalty! Are Ibos Biafrans or Nigerians? Many of them call themselves biafrans. Nigerians will never vote for a biafran to be president of Nigeria.

Ibos are either biafrans or Nigerians. There are no two ways to it. Either to accept the obvious that they are part and parcel of Nigeria and fight for their rights within a prosperous Nigeria or engage in a fruitless 'freedom fight' for biafra. The choice is theirs to make and to live with its consequences.

midolian:
Biafra is not the Igbo nation, but the Igbo nation was part of Biafra. I think those agitating for BIAFRA should clearly state what Biafra is. And to make Biafra a reality, all Igbo speaking and non-Igbo speaking Easterners (SS/SE), who were part of the original Biafra must be involved. Otherwise we are mistaking the Igbo nation for Biafra. The circumstances that led to the declaration of Republic of Biafra cannot be wished away; and that was why the region as it were gave Ojukwu their support and looked up to him. And there is the general view that there was sabotage from non-Igbo speaking members of that union.

Nigeria as a nation has come a long way after the civil war. In reality, as much as we want to deny it, there has been much more integration among and within ethnic nationalities in Nigeria after the war. Be that as it may, I am proudly Igbo and can`t exchange my “Igboness” with anything else. But I think we are better off in a prosperous Nigeria. Igbos has sacrificed a lot to get Nigeria to its present state and we would be short-changing themselves to leave and then start nursing another country. Fortunately or unfortunately, the Igbo man has helped in developing other parts of Nigeria where he lives than he has developed Igboland. So we cannot be building and developing businesses all over Nigeria and not Igboland yet clamour for a country in a region that has no economic base whatsoever. Maybe we think it is buying and selling in Aba and Onitsha that will determine our economic prosperity as a nation.

Let’s forget our unalloyed support for former President Goodluck Jonathan; our people were entitled to their conscience and whoever they want to support. But the truth is that there is mutual distrust between the core Igbos and our Riverine neighbours, who incidentally are Biafrans as well. But are they ready to go along this revival of the Biafran nation? If yes, then that’s a starting block. But their body language does not suggest that. Therefore the result of the agitation will now be a Republic of Igboland and not Biafra.

Inasmuch as we complain of marginalisation, there have always been Igbo sons and daughters around our “oppressors” who are only interested in personal gains. Have we got real and charismatic Leaders in the mould of Ojukwu, Azikiwe, Okpara, or even Sam Mbakwe in Igboland now? Maybe one can say Ekwueme and Anyaoku, but those ones without disrespect are almost past their prime presently in terms of the physical rigour required to lead a new nation. We are likely going to be between the rock and hard surface.

And if that is the case, we will now be a landlocked nation, surrounded on every corner by Nigeria. Do we even have enough space for everyone coming back? My mind runs back to chaotic situations during Christmas and festive periods. Let no one deceive you, life will be pretty more difficult economically than we might imagine. And because there are no industries in Igboland, even our “traders” will have to pay the only country surrounding us to bring in goods. There needs to be collective and intelligent thinking here.

I strongly believe that we are marginalised, or are meant to believe. Most developments, which are phenomenal, in Igboland are individual and community funded. That is why the Igbos are the only region doing one launch after the other, one fundraising after the other to bring basic amenities to the people. I know Igbo students have to endure high cut off points to gain admissions into schools and Universities. I know, and I personally suffered this, that our names alone rule us out of some jobs in Nigeria. But we have to unfortunately accept the fact that this was compounded after the war. Igbos were in high and mighty places before that period and deservedly the first of this or that in the army, police, business, politics etc. We have gradually built ourselves to that level and beyond. It is not our fault that whatever we lay our hands on prosper, even in the face of oppression. But agitating to be move on alone with some of the reasons being postulated is like playing the victim always. We are part of our marginalisation. Where are our Igbo leaders and politicians?

The probable Igbo nation’s leaders are the present day governors, senators, National Assembly members, etc. Your guess is as good as mine on their capabilities. Let’s be sincere with ourselves, in the 16 years of PDP government in Nigeria the only position Igbos did not hold was just the Presidency. We have had about five Senate Presidents, Deputy Senate President, Deputy Speaker, the Army chief, Immigration boss, the Prisons boss, Central Bank governor, ministers in key ministries of Power, Finance, Education, Petroleum, and Health. What has Igboland got to show for these positions other than installation of one chieftaincy title or the other? As much as the majority of our complaint are genuine, we are part of the problem as well.

Inasmuch as we complain of marginalisation, there have always been Igbo sons and daughters around our “oppressors” who are only interested in personal gains. Have we got real and charismatic Leaders in the mould of Ojukwu, Azikiwe, Okpara, or even Sam Mbakwe in Igboland now? Maybe one can say Ekwueme and Anyaoku, but those ones without disrespect are almost past their prime presently in terms of the physical rigour required to lead a new nation. We are likely going to be between the rock and hard surface. The probable Igbo nation’s leaders are the present day governors, senators, National Assembly members, etc. Your guess is as good as mine on their capabilities. Let’s be sincere with ourselves, in the 16 years of PDP government in Nigeria the only position Igbos did not hold was just the Presidency. We have had about five Senate Presidents, Deputy Senate President, Deputy Speaker, the Army chief, Immigration boss, the Prisons boss, Central Bank governor, ministers in key ministries of Power, Finance, Education, Petroleum, and Health. What has Igboland got to show for these positions other than installation of one chieftaincy title or the other? As much as the majority of our complaint are genuine, we are part of the problem as well.

The Igbos should not shy away from requesting what is due to them. The Igbo politicians should fight for the Igbo cause in Abuja, no one from another tribe will do it for us. But to me that should be within the Nigeria nation, in a prescribed and orderly manner.

I am of the opinion that the Igbos’ should continuously agitate not to be marginalised or side-lined in the scheme of things in the Nigerian federation. We should shout it to the roof tops without being violent when over a dozen-and-half political appointments are made and no Igbo person is there; when other regions have at least six states each and the South-East has only five. You are entitled to use any radio station at your disposal to alert the world of the vindictive actions of the government against the race.

Marginalising Igbos is a sad reminder of a war mentality; of people who have been “defeated.” And it can only lead to agitations and more agitations for sovereignty.

The Igbos should not shy away from requesting what is due to them. The Igbo politicians should fight for the Igbo cause in Abuja, no one from another tribe will do it for us. But to me that should be within the Nigeria nation, in a prescribed and orderly manner. Marginalising Igbos is a sad reminder of a war mentality; of the attitude to a people who have been “defeated.” And it can only lead to agitations and more agitations for sovereignty. So the present government should be addressing the anomalies that are making the Igbo seek to go it alone. Let there be a level playing ground for all Nigerians.

In agitating for Biafra, we should be careful what we wish for and give it thorough thinking. Igbos fought a war, lost the war, lost a million people, lost properties in several cities of Nigeria. And these are things we should never lose again. Igbos are dynamic and very mobile people; the large Nigeria nation enables us to express our ingenuity and doggedness. Igbos have invested a lot in making Nigeria what it is today. Inter-ethnic marriages, business and personal relationships have been built across the bridge, and we cannot not wish these away.

Let us think before we take this Biafra issue further. Let us study South Sudan, Eritrea, Ukraine before we plunge into the lake of ice or fire.

http://blogs.premiumtimesng.com/?p=168324

modhream:
Coca-Cola and NBL only heavy industries in the East?.You really should keep quiet when it comes to Eastern affairs,what you know can fit on the head of a pin and still have space left.

modhream:
Akanda eda,comprehension really is your problem.SW came with,but who's delegates sabotaged it in committee,for fear of APC dominance and seeking special status,if not Ondo and Lagos?.Tell me what would have been the fate of your "region" without Lagos,economic powerhouse and Ondo,your only oil-producing state?.The whole pre-conference mouthing fell like a pack of cards after those two made their positions known.
Yes,SE asked for equality of states across zones,but more importantly,they came with a position paper on restructuring,same as they submitted to the NASS constitutional review committee.Apart from enu ofo,which one did SW come with,pray tell?

[size=18pt]7 Nigerian States With The Highest IGR[/size]
The National Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday released the Internally Generated Revenue profile of 23 states of the federation for the year 2014.

According to the report, Lagos maintains its lead over other states, generating 47 per cent of what all the other 22 states collected as IGR in the same period. Here are 7 states with the highest internal generated revenue:

[size=15pt]Lagos - N276.1bn[/size]
Rivers - N89.1bn
Delta - N42.8bn
Enugu - 19.2bn
[size=15pt]Ogun - N17.4bn[/size]
[size=15pt]Oyo - N16.3bn[/size]
Akwa Ibom - N15.9bn
Source: http://www.nigerianbulletin.com/threads/7-nigerian-states-with-the-highest-igr.113268/

angelberton:
Chidi Obi has reasoned with originality devoid of clouded eyes, unlike the uninformed internet warriors and market traders being manipulated by MASSOB and Kanu who is living fat off the generous donations made by sympathisers.

In truth, there is hardly any corner of Nigeria that an Ibo man has no property or business. The aggregates of these run into hundreds of billions of dollars. There are inter-marriages across virtually every tribe or ethnicity. Should the Ibos who are doing very well across the length and breath of Nigeria, except for Boko Haram which affects all Nigerians, leave and go back to Igbo land and start afresh?

I foresee untold hardship even if that can be achieved, which I doubt. Not least is the fact that almost 98% of South South do not want to be associated with or join Biafra in whatever shape or form. Moreover, majority of Nigerians are prepared to go to war to see that Nigeria remains one indivisible country. Most Ibos are not prepared to undergo another war.

Ibos are the chief architects of their marginalisation in Nigeria. There is a conflict of loyalty! Are Ibos Biafrans or Nigerians? Many of them call themselves biafrans. Nigerians will never vote for a biafran to be president of Nigeria.

Ibos are either biafrans or Nigerians. There are no two ways to it. Either to accept the obvious that they are part and parcel of Nigeria and fight for their rights within a prosperous Nigeria or engage in a fruitless 'freedom fight' for biafra. The choice is theirs to make and to live with its consequences.