Why Igbos all over Nigeria should start thinking home. There is a systematic plot to reduce you to nothing over the years.


By Ishola Balogun

Early last Wednesday, Oshodi made the news again, with a bulldozer at work. On orders of governor Akinwunmi Ambode, it rumbled through the Owonifari market,Oshodi, Lagos, crushed and flattened everything on sight within the market. But cries of traders at the market, roared louder than the bulldozer which pulled down the market. “I am finished, I just arrived from China with over N20million goods, they have crushed everything. Where will I start from?” oshodi 1It was a cacophony of noise, curses, abuses mixed with rage and anger.

Even by-standers and onlookers did not spare the authorities, as some of them muted abuses on the Ambode-led government for destroying the market with goods worth over one billion naira. A few others said: Traders in Lagos are stubborn, they will never hear, that is good for them! Kenneth Madu, a trader in the market told Saturday Vanguard that he had been extremely brutalized as he lost everything he had labored for in the market. Battling emotion, Madu stated: “I just stocked my shop with new items I brought in from China a few days before the Christmas holiday. When I heard that they have sealed up the market, I rushed down to see if I can evacuate all my goods from the shop.

They denied us access into the market and chose to demolish the market with all our goods. I had more than N20million goods in my own shop. Others had more. All attempt to remove our goods failed. I even offered to give the police N200,000 just to allow me remove my goods, they refused. I have been brutalized and traumatized. This is murder, they have killed us.” He gazed again at what used to be his small shop that contained his over N20million goods leaned back to clear his over-burdened brain of the confusion and said: “This government is wicked and inhuman.” Asked whether there was any notice to that effect. He stated that there was no notice of the demolition, “they only came to serve a 21-day quit notice that Isopakodowo in Bolade has been provided. But the 21-day quit notice has not expired.

Even where they said we should go at Bolade is uncompleted, small and cannot contain all the traders in this market let alone attract the patronage we receive here,” Madu stated. Another trader, Mr Sunday Obi said: “I heard the government had sealed up the market while I was at home for Christmas, I quickly rushed down, but I got here on Wednesday.

They have demolished and destroyed everything I had in the market. I had over N10million worth of goods. I sell wires and electronics in my shops. This morning I came to see if I could pick up a few things from the rubble, but I saw fire everywhere again. Who set fire on what was left? “We don’t know. But, it means, there was a deliberate attempt for us not to pick up anything from here. If they (governments) don’t want the Igbos in Lagos, they should come out to tell us.

How can they demolished the market without allowing us to remove our goods? It is inhuman,” he said. Obi stated that over 2000 traders had their goods trapped in the demolished market, with huge loses that run into over a billion naira. “About 2000 traders had different goods in the market. I really can’t estimate what we have lost but a modest estimate will be over a billion naira.

At a time when people have spent all what they had to re-stock preparation for business in a new year, it is wicked,” he said. In 2009, Ambode’s predecessor, Babatunde Fashola, was praised for clearing Oshodi, ridding the areas of miscreants and easing traffic gridlock in the area. Following this development, Ambode who after inauguration said his government will govern with compassion, is perhaps set to conclude the unfinished job BFR started on Oshodi seven years ago.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/01/govt-doesnt-want-igbo-traders-in-lagos/

A cousin of mine was affected by this operation. Had no choice than to relocate to China. Imagine, going to China to hustle from scratch again. And you say Nigeria is one. Bullshit.

(Imagine that rag-head desert wretch insulting the great igbos.

If it wasn't for us, they will still be running Unclad and hungry in the desert but let me not insult a dead man. )

Mtswww!!! Wonders they say shall never end, chai!!! just imagine! these barbarian igbo's, talking about the northerners running unclad if it wasn't for them. Delusional illiterates, go and study the history of northern Nigeria and that of ur Southyeast, 500 years back, come back tell ur drug-peddling brother's who were unclad then.

blues20:
A cousin of mine was affected by this operation. Had no choice than to relocate to China. Imagine, going to China to hustle from scratch again. And you say Nigeria is one. Bullshit.

I hope that your cousin managed to succeed in China. Nigeria never has and never will be one. Where there should be competition and an ever growing desire to do better than your neighbour, there is hate-fuelled rivalry and a desire to make sure that your neighbour does worse than you. Thank you for your contributions to this thread .

Ngozi123:


I'm happy to see someone with a contrarian view here as it makes for a good debate. However, I want to know what betrayal you're referring to here.

I'm referring to 1966 coup. how o earth [for what reason] does major nzeogwu killed sardauna! assuming that nzeogwu didnt do that silly act, do you think we would be witnessing all these drama that are currently happening in this country?, as long as i'm concerned, they (igbos) initially shot themselves on the leg by (first) assasinating sardauna (second) by coming out with biafra plan, at the same time trying to build bridge (politically) among other regions. who is fooling who!

Ultimate300:
I'm referring to 1966 coup. how o earth [for what reason] does major nzeogwu killed sardauna! assuming that nzeogwu didnt do that silly act, do you think we would be witnessing all these drama that are currently happening in this country?, as long as i'm concerned, they (igbos) initially shot themselves on the leg by (first) assasinating sardauna (second) by coming out with biafra plan, at the same time trying to build bridge (politically) among other regions. who is fooling who!

I suspected that this was what you meant... how do you explain this video of the Sardauna that happened prior to the First Military Coup?

Ngozi123:


I suspected that this was what you meant... how do you explain this video of the Sardauna that happened prior to the First Military Coup?

you the funny thing about this talk of the igbos being the problem and the cause of Nigeria problem is not only amusing to me but outright hilarious to say the least. okay let us agree for once that all the igbos home and abroad sat down together and had a meeting about the igbo soldiers killing the leaders of the west and north,there was a counter coup. vengeance was unleashed on the "useless igbos" who claimed to be wiser than all,and who claim to know it all. many igbos were killed in the after math. those who did not even have the slightest idea of what transpired in the political realm. were murdered on the streets,women with pregnancies had their belly ripped open. the blood of these people were not enough to atone for the death of their leaders,they succeeded in killing 3 million Igbos. waged an economic war against them. but against all odds they raised their heads above the murky waters. i wonder the number of igbos that will have to die to please these people. igbos are getting stronger every day. the enlightenment is getting stronger everyday. the truth us that people shouldn't be scared of the kanu guy. what they should be scared of is the numerous "kanu's" yet to gain consciousness who probably might be extremely enlightened. thats when the return leg preparation would commence.

blues20:
A cousin of mine was affected by this operation. Had no choice than to relocate to China. Imagine, going to China to hustle from scratch again. And you say Nigeria is one. Bullshit.

Why was there no noise when governor of Abia state did same? Your governors demolish shops and you hail then as hardworking, while those in the SW do same and you cry to the UN. Is that not hypocrisy?

@blues20 and everyone else in this thread, please ignore the above poster. He's looking to continue an argument I had with him in another thread.

blues20:
Questions Nigerians need to ask themselves and cure themselves of Igbophobia.

If it is not the Igbos that did these terrible things against fellow Nigerians and to the image of Nigeria, how are they Nigeria's problem? In any case in the few positives about Nigeria, have the Igbos not been at the forefront of it? Is it not mainly the Igbos that gave Nigeria, Africa and the world, Nollywood-the third largest film industry in the world?

Is it not the Igbos that gave Nigeria and Africa the best writers from Christopher Okigbo to Achebe and Chimamanda among others? Is it not Igbos that gave Nigeria the JJ Okochas and Kanus of this world that set European leagues on fire, so much so that when Obasanjo visited Germany in 1999 it was JJ Okocha's jersey that was presented to him by German Chancellor in recognition of Okocha's impact in German football?
Is it not the Igbos that has given the world renowned scientists and physicists including computer wizards like Philip Emegwali?

Is it not Igbos that is at the centre of technological revolution in Nigeria where any automobile part can be fabricated and manufactured at Nnewi? Is it not Igbos that are producing made in Nigeria cars, buses and jeeps like Innoson Motors is doing at Nnewi, Anambra State thereby proving that what the Whiteman can do Africans can also do, if not better?

Is it not Igbos that own 80 percent of hotels in Abuja (National Bureau of Statistics) and significant numbers in Lagos thereby rescuing millions from poverty and unemployment?

Is it not the Igbos that are paying the highest rents for shops along major streets in major cities across Nigeria thereby empowering the landlords of their host communities?

Is it not the Igbos that are producing the best tailors in Nigeria whose ‘finishing’s’ can be compared to the best tailors around the world and tailors from other parts of Nigeria are going to Aba, the commercial capital of Abia State, to learn how it is done thereby empowering other Nigerians and adding value to tailoring business nationwide?

Is it not the Igbos that are creating Computer Villages all over Nigeria and spreading IT knowledge to all Nigerians? Given all these positives and more that were not recounted here, the big question remains; in what ways are the Igbos problem of Nigeria? Or is it the case of envy as pointed out by Columnist Femi Aribisala in his highly recommended article entitled: “Nigeria Cannot Survive without the Igbos” published in his columns in www.premiumtimesng.com and Vanguard respectively!

Culled from http://pauluwadima..com.ng/2015/10/is-igbo-problem-of-nigeria.html

I found this part particularly interesting. Whenever we talk up our achievements, we're always accused of "chest-beating". It's okay for others to constantly talk about the negatives associated with Ndigbo but the moment an Igbo person wants to talk about our positives, we're "chest-beating". I believe that this is all designed to ensure that the Igbo does not 'rise above his station'. Sir Bello, Sheikh Gumi and Oba Akiolu all implied this in the op.

blues20:
A cousin of mine was affected by this operation. Had no choice than to relocate to China. Imagine, going to China to hustle from scratch again. And you say Nigeria is one. Bullshit.

lollz!

Using Nairaland as an example, the suspicion and paranoia that many Nigerians feel towards Ndigbo is often manifested in, not only hate speech, but also an obsessive desire to interfere in our business and show faux concern towards us. If you look carefully, you'll find that the same ones who pretend to show 'concern' for us in one thread are the same ones who will say or support bigoted things about us in another thread. These are what we call the 'covert Igbo haters'. The people quoted in the op fall under the bracket of 'overt Igbo haters' but most Nigerians fall under the 'covert' bracket.

Examples of said 'faux concern':

https://www.nairaland.com/3560448/ipob-turned-majority-once-loving#52619769
https://www.nairaland.com/3688988/igbo-jew-status-dna-test
https://www.nairaland.com/3620860/enduring-grip-historical-falsehoods-igbo

The last one makes for particularly grim reading as the op later goes on to 'boast', albeit subtly, that the Igbo population will be reduced to just 2000 people if another civil war happens- what a shame .

For the Igbo people who disagree with this , let me give you an example. Yakubu Gowon, a man who dated and had a child with an Igbo woman, made the famous "no victor, no vanquished" statement at the end of the civil war. This is all well and good but what is most interesting is what happened after he made this statement. Nothing. Nothing at all. No efforts were made to build the ruined Eastern lands back to how they were at the start of the war and no efforts were made to rehabilitate the Easterners who suffered during the war. One would have thought that someone who claimed that there were "no vanquished" people would at least try to make sure that the Easterners were fully integrated into Nigerian society again, especially someone who had close ties to some of them, right?

This example is similar to what we see with many Nigerians today. Some pretend to consider Ndigbo as their compatriots but if you ask them whether they think that Igboland should be given more federal funds, most will disagree, whether subtly or more aggressively. I urge all Igbos to try this with their Nigerian friends, colleagues or family members and see what the response will be.

Ngozi123:
For the Igbo people who disagree with this , let me give you an example. Yakubu Gowon, a man who dated and had a child with an Igbo woman, made the famous "no victor, no vanquished" statement at the end of the civil war. This is all well and good but what is most interesting is what happened after he made this statement. Nothing. Nothing at all. No efforts were made to build the ruined Eastern lands back to how they were at the start of the war and no efforts were made to rehabilitate the Easterners who suffered during the war. One would have thought that someone who claimed that there were "no vanquished" people would at least try to make sure that the Easterners were fully integrated into Nigerian society again, especially someone who had close ties to some of them, right?

This example is similar to what we see with many Nigerians today. Some pretend to consider Ndigbo as their compatriots but if you ask them whether they think that Igboland should be given more federal funds, most will disagree, whether subtly or more aggressively. I urge all Igbos to try this with their Nigerian friends, colleagues or family members and see what the response will be.

Are you surprised? Have you not noticed that the only way you can be accepted as a true Nigerian is when you hate and bash your tribe Igbo? Joe Igbokwe comes to mind. He is a Nigerian because Igbos are still playing bitter politics. This is exactly what they wants to hear. Kill your people, burn them down, those of you in the Delta, deny your ethnicity, then you'll be accord a full Nigerian. Do you think Nigeria will ever make progress with such divisive, diabolic, primitive and barbaric mind towards a major part of her constituents? Na. They will not.

At a certain point in their existence, some goons will follow a path to nairaland and narrate to us that Biafra does not need to exist because Ndigbo allegedly do not love themselves. Yet the jackasses still find it fit for Nigeria to remain intact where lack of love has been physically exhibited.

pazienza:
The most annoying part is the way rules are constantly being amended and changed at any given point in time, to cast the Igbo as villains.

It's almost like he is being expected to swallow all the hate messages directed towards his part by Igbophobic Nigerian groups without reacting back, as any reaction on his part is termed an evidence of his hateful nature.

He is also expected to not debunk stereotypes built on falsehoods and calumny campaign by his detractors any attempt by him to do so is termed revisionism and yet another evidence of his villain nature. Lol!

The good thing is that this Current generation of Igbo youths are more than capable of returning hate for hate, in such a magnitude the Igbophobic beings are not used to, most of them just can't believe it, out forerunners were not this aggressive towards them.

And the good news is that the upcoming Igbo generation will even be better than the current one at this.

Correct!
When Igbophobes read the truth from Igbo, they are usually dazed and then end up screaming 'Ipob' in a weak attempt for a come back.

Despite all attempts to paint him as a visionary, Sarduana's name belong to historical trash, just like those of George Wallace. Time will tell who is favored by history and who is not.

Ngozi123:
... with regards to Ndigbo

As the great philosopher Karl Marx once said, "History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce."

This expression is most befitting the situation currently going in Nigeria today. The situation, of course, being Nigeria's developed paranoia concerning Igbo people.

[url=
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZmGGt_8smM][/url]

The video details Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, talking about his 'Northernisation Policy'. In the video, Sir Bello reveals his feelings about Ndigbo, particularly his fears over an Igbo domination in the civil service sector in the North. Sir Bello's sentiments here were not particularly surprising at the time, considering that many Northern leaders were apprehensive about Nigerian independence for the same reason. However, what is rather surprising is the fact that many Nigerians still share these sentiments today.

Here's what Sheikh Ahmed Abubakr Gumi had to say about the presence of Igbos in the Nigerian Army:


https://9jainformant./2013/02/02/sheikh-gumi-alerts-nation-on-igbo-domination-of-nigerian-army/

Although Sheikh Gumi's anti-Igbo agenda is very clear here, what I'm more concerned with is the syntax here. Note that he says at the start of the paragraph "dangerous trend in promotions..." It's shocking that when he says "dangerous", he's not referring to any incompetence on General Ihejirika's part, rather the fact that he believes that Ihejirika was enlisting more Igbos into the army. In his eyes, the Igbo is intrinsically dangerous.

The danger associated with the Igbo and their supposed desire to dominate is something that, as Sir Ahmadu Bello suggests, must be dealt with swiftly and directly. The Igbo mustn't rise above his station. Whilst Sir Bello sought to deal with this situation by employing a "Northerner First" policy, others choose to stifle the Igbos by immediately shutting down any Igbo acts of dissent. A good example to use would be the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu's comments about Igbo residents daring to vote for a candidate he didn't endorse:



http://saharareporters.com/2015/04/06/raw-video-oba-lagos-threaten-igbos-over-governorship-election

It's clear that the Oba was not accepting of any case of Igbo dissent here, even going to the extent of threatening to drown them if they went against his word. It's evident that the monarch, just like Sir Bello, feared the Igbos becoming too powerful in his jurisdiction.

To conclude, I'm worried about this ongoing trend as, just as Marx said, 'history tends to repeat itself as a tragedy first' therefore it is something that needs to be dealt with now.

^^^^^^^^^^^
The accusations have been the
overbearing attitude of some Ibos
by other Nigerians at specific
points in the country's history from
the 1930s to the present era.
That is why the English- speaking
Cameroonians chose to leave the Old
Eastern Nigeria for Cameroon in 1961.


There was also before and after
1960, a strong movement comprising
The Ijaws, Ogonis, Ibibios, Annangs,
Efiks that wanted a separate Government
devoid of "Ibo domination" and the
movement was called COR [Calabar,
Ogoja, Rivers] movement.


In the last book Chinua Achebe
wrote, he also wrote about the
tendency by Ibo to be loud and overbearing and engage in
unnecessary exhibitionism.
The Ibo men are perceived to
exhibit this attitude of victimhood
more.

It is actually not a case of Nigerians
being paranoid, it is a case of the
overbearing acts of some Ibos
which others have found to be
condescending in social, political
interactions.

I hope this perspective helps.

Konquest:

^^^^^^^^^^^
The accusations have been the
overbearing attitude of some Ibos
by other Nigerians at specific
points in the country's history from
the 1930s to the present era.
That is why the English- speaking
Cameroonians chose to leave the Old
Eastern Nigeria for Cameroon in 1961.


There was also before and after
1960, a strong movement comprising
The Ijaws, Ogonis, Ibibios, Annangs,
Efiks that wanted a separate Government
devoid of "Ibo domination" and the
movement was called COR [Calabar,
Ogoja, Rivers] movement.


In the last book Chinua Achebe
wrote, he also wrote about the
tendency by Ibo to be loud and overbearing and engage in
unnecessary exhibitionism.
The Ibo men are perceived to
exhibit this attitude of victimhood
more.

It is actually not a case of Nigerians
being paranoid, it is a case of the
overbearing acts of some Ibos
which others have found to be
condescending in social, political
interactions.

I hope this perspective helps.

Thanks for your contribution.

While I understand that some Igbos have the capacity to be very proud of their achievements, sometimes even going as far as being obstentious in their behaviour, it does not explain the very real paranoia that Nigerians have towards Ndigbo. I say this because when you ask a Nigerian why he 'fears' Igbo domination, their response is likely to be extremely irrational. E.g. They are everywhere, they are criminals, they buy up all of our land that we sold them and they only hire their own people, or something to that extent.

So, you see, this supposed 'condescending' attitude that Igbos have is just one facet of their hatred towards Ndigbo. We're not hated because we are overbearing, we're hated because we are everywhere and are thriving, on the most part.

Seriously, ask a known Igbo-hater why they hate Igbos and see how illogical their response would be.

Ngozi123:
... with regards to Ndigbo

As the great philosopher Karl Marx once said, "History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce."

This expression is most befitting the situation currently going in Nigeria today. The situation, of course, being Nigeria's developed paranoia concerning Igbo people.

[url=
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZmGGt_8smM][/url]

The video details Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, talking about his 'Northernisation Policy'. In the video, Sir Bello reveals his feelings about Ndigbo, particularly his fears over an Igbo domination in the civil service sector in the North. Sir Bello's sentiments here were not particularly surprising at the time, considering that many Northern leaders were apprehensive about Nigerian independence for the same reason. However, what is rather surprising is the fact that many Nigerians still share these sentiments today.

Here's what Sheikh Ahmed Abubakr Gumi had to say about the presence of Igbos in the Nigerian Army:


https://9jainformant./2013/02/02/sheikh-gumi-alerts-nation-on-igbo-domination-of-nigerian-army/

Although Sheikh Gumi's anti-Igbo agenda is very clear here, what I'm more concerned with is the syntax here. Note that he says at the start of the paragraph "dangerous trend in promotions..." It's shocking that when he says "dangerous", he's not referring to any incompetence on General Ihejirika's part, rather the fact that he believes that Ihejirika was enlisting more Igbos into the army. In his eyes, the Igbo is intrinsically dangerous.

The danger associated with the Igbo and their supposed desire to dominate is something that, as Sir Ahmadu Bello suggests, must be dealt with swiftly and directly. The Igbo mustn't rise above his station. Whilst Sir Bello sought to deal with this situation by employing a "Northerner First" policy, others choose to stifle the Igbos by immediately shutting down any Igbo acts of dissent. A good example to use would be the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu's comments about Igbo residents daring to vote for a candidate he didn't endorse:



http://saharareporters.com/2015/04/06/raw-video-oba-lagos-threaten-igbos-over-governorship-election

It's clear that the Oba was not accepting of any case of Igbo dissent here, even going to the extent of threatening to drown them if they went against his word. It's evident that the monarch, just like Sir Bello, feared the Igbos becoming too powerful in his jurisdiction.

To conclude, I'm worried about this ongoing trend as, just as Marx said, 'history tends to repeat itself as a tragedy first' therefore it is something that needs to be dealt with now.

Cc: pazienza, blues2022, bigfrancis21, Myplaydiary, Igboid, paschu et al

In light of this anti-Igbo song being circulated in the North, I will reiterate that I really believe that history is repeating itself. Igbos around the world must be vigilant and prepared for the worst.