BabaRamota1980:
Monkey,
You are quiet now. I dont like that. Talk to me....when Yoruba legends like Awolowo was creating milestones in Yorubaland your ancestors were just learning to replace leaf fiber with clothe fiber to cover nak.edness. There are many such tribes in this country. Which is yours?

12Monkeys:
That singular act mitigated against the old Eastern region's developmental strides and also caused great suspicion among non-Igboid peoples towards Igbo domineering stance. Enugu as capital will later come to haunt the Biafran cause.

Calabar as capital would have not seen to Western cameroon wanting to seccede. That singular act would have not serve as inspiration for the Ijaws fighting to leave eastern Nigerian.

What was exactly Azikiwe"s motive in making a remote and inhospitable coal town as capital beats my imagination.

Azikiwe was more interested in Lagos politics and economy and suffered huge myopia in not seeing the great potential cities like Calabar or even Port-Harcourt would have had as capital of eastern Nigeria which if he had foresight would have rivaled Lagos by now.

Even up till this day, Enugu remains a harsh place to reside and do business for the simple sake of climate, vegetation and access to water.

Enugu's limited growth today is because it is a mecca to all igbos because back when it was a coal city there were hardly any Igbo settlements there so for this said reason Igbos from across the SE can easily settle there without fear of being rejected as not being from there.

The major property holders and business interests in Enugu are not limited to Igbos from Enugu but from Anambra and Abia.

I have always believed Zik chose the economically and politically impractical Enugu so that he can be closer to his beloved Zungeru.

Lagos was Zik's base and as a non business oriented person he never saw the potential of other coastal cities in the East because he had no singular clue and this was also compounded by his fanatical obsession over national harmony.

Cross River and Calabar remain the most viable state and capital respectively till this day and with a serious minded governor, the state can easily overtake Lagos within the next 10yrs even under crushing opposition from ethno religious obstacles put in place by Abuja.

So if Zik could not see the potential of repositioning the eastern region back in the days, I wonder how that fool would have had a clue in the messed up political situation we find ourselves today with an overbearing Federal govt.

This same Zik supported the Sarduna's plan to balkanize the old western region by supporting the creation of the defunct mid-western region. Little did he also know that the same Sarduna was plotting with Awolowo to carve the Calabar-Ogoja-Rivers regions from the old eastern region.

Why the same stupid Zik did not support Awolowo in carving out a middle belt region out of the north beats me till this day. FYI, the mantra "one north" coined and reiterated by Ahmadu Bello was a rallying call to resist Northern balkanization. It is even safe to state that Awolowo and Sarduna were behind the plebiscite that saw western Cameron leave Nigeria and the subsequent Ijaw uprising for independence.

Azikiwe to me is a fool. If he had not been a typified Joe Igbokwe (Lagos lover) and an Nzeagwu (North lover), there won't have been so much animosity and suspicion of the Igbos by the other nationals of the old eastern region.

Fatherofdragons:
So op what's ur aim for opening this thread, cuz telling us that zik made a mistake will change nothing, the man is long dead and there no such thing as regional government anymore.

So why this thread?

12Monkeys:


Wrong!

As at 1953, the British had had enough of Nigeria. They only remained because democracy had not been rolled out in the north and that is why there was no Northern Nigeria parliament in 1953.

If the idiot Zik was not so engrossed with losing his beloved Zungeru, both western and eastern Nigeria would have declared independence.

The country was virtually being run by the natives through parliamentary authority. The British only still maintained the civil service, police and army under a program dubbed the Nigerization policy which will continue long after independence. That is why there was a British major-general as head of Nigerian forces up till 1963 and also explains why some British civil servants where retained in their positions.

Even the Sarduna stated in that inglorious interview granted the BBC that he will rather higher British nationals than retain the Igbos in the northern civil service.

Zik was the one through the Igbo dominated eastern Nigerian parliament moved the capital from Calabar to Enugu.

12Monkeys:
I don't understand why some igbos are insulting me here over calling Zik a fool.

If calabar had been the capital of old eastern region, would your brothers be going to Lagos to import cheap Chinese crap while getting insulted by the ingrate lazy yorubas?


What then is the call for eastern ports when you still revere Lagos?

It seems there is a Joe Igbokwe in every Igbo man.

Look at Abuja and how igbos have cemented their destinies in the hands of jihadist blackmailers.

You refuse to identify with your own homes and that closes to you but rather carry your foolishness like Zik to Lagos and zungeru.

Why then won't the yorubas mock you and the Awusa threaten you at every opportunity.

I keep saying that you igbos living in the north are the only ones giving these barbarians the opportunity to have the audacity to come to the negotiating table with their threat to repeat another pogrom.


Can you not learn from your stupidity and that of zik?

IPOB failed because you like the Hebrews in Egypt that refused to follow moses saw the little scraps you benefited in Egypt over your salvation.

Biafra failed primarily because of your arrogance towards the ND and your own fair share of traitors as it us no secret that many igbos became rich after the war as a result of their treason towards biafra?

If Biafrans can not help themselves then who can?

I am a staunch supporter of biafra primarily because I believe every people deserve the right to self rule and that I am in principle against multiculturalism plus the most important fact that an Igbo nation will see to an emancipation of other oppressed minority people in this God forsaken Marxist contraption.

Now, once again, Zik remains a fool. If you support Zik stupidity blindly then you are no different than the Yoruba bastards who still worship that criminal Awolowo.

BabaRamota1980:
Zik had always believed his roots is in Bini and Oduduwa as his progenitor.

He leaned Westward, did not see himself as an Ngwa or Wawa son.

I will bring 10 pictures of Zik dressed as Yorubaman for every picture of him you post dressed as an Iboman. Goodluck finding just one!

BabaRamota1980:


You come from a subperior clan. You have no right to know about those superior to you. Yoruba own you. You owe me answer. What leaf cladding clan produced you?

BabaRamota1980:
Zik had always believed his roots is in Bini and Oduduwa as his progenitor.

He leaned Westward, did not see himself as an Ngwa or Wawa son.

I will bring 10 pictures of Zik dressed as Yorubaman for every picture of him you post dressed as an Iboman. Goodluck finding just one!

PFRB:
12Monkeys has not provided any proof of his assertion. It looks like this thread is meant to insult Zik.

PFRB:
12Monkeys has not provided any proof of his assertion. It looks like this thread is meant to insult Zik.

PFRB:
12Monkeys has not provided any proof of his assertion. It looks like this thread is meant to insult Zik.

PFRB:
12Monkeys.
It is funny that you can be doing such a thing in Nairaland . You should know that it will be busted. You went to wikipedia and put things that you like then turned round to cite them as authorities. Too bad.

Malawian:
For those who wish to argue with their keyboards, lemme give you what to type..
How exactly do the British plan on subjugating the Igbos if they don't get a fool to do it for them. Zik was taken to London as a kid to be taught how to be stupid.
You can now continue arguing with your keyboards.

Enugu:the Coal City of yesteryears.

Founded in 1909 by a team of geological explorers led by Sir Albert Kitson, Enugu was just like one of those “evil forests”, or at best, a farmland used by surrounding villages. It was the discovery of coal on top of Udi escarpment that attracted residents to the area.

Enugu or Enu-ugwu, which consists of two Igbo words – Enu (Top) and Ugwu (Hill), meaning ” Top of the Hill” or “Hill Top”, derived its name from a little village east of Ngwo Town, situated at the top of Udi Hills, where coal was discovered in 1909. It was then called ” Enu–ugwu Ngwo“. However, much of the European “Enugu”, which we all know today, lies at the foot of Udi-Awgu-Nsukka hills, surrounded by a stretched low hills, and sits at an altitude of 240 miles above sea level.

The main indigenous people of Enugu are Ogui Nike, who live in areas around Hotel Presidential, Obiagu, Ama-Igbo, Ihewuzi and Onu-Asata areas. Other groups include Awkunanaw people, who live mainly in Achara Layout and Uwani areas as well as the Enugwu Ngwo people who live on the hilltop, with their farmlands sprawling all over the valley. The discovery of coal deposit in their land gave rise to settlements around the foot of the hills, and as the population grew, the city expanded into the areas of other indigenous inhabitants. It was then called Enugwu-Ngwo, before it was changed to just Enugu.

The first immigrant settlers in Enugu was an exploitation team of coalminers under a British mining engineer named William John Leck. The team was accompanied by a gang of labourers led by Alfred Inoma from Onitsha. They all came in 1915. They were later joined by prisoners who were brought down from Udi to the coalmine. The prisoners built their own prison yard and set out to work in the mine.

While William Leck and the White men who came with him settled at Hill Top, Alfred Inoma and his group settled at a place known after him, called Ugwu Alfred. Alfred Inoma died very early, but William Leck lived in Enugu until his retirement in 1942.

It was the discovery of coal in Enugu in 1909 that led to the founding of the city of Port Harcourt in 1912, which was to serve as an outlet for the shipment of coal overseas. The town was named after a one-time British Secretary of State for the Colonies, Mr. Lewis Viscount Harcourt.

Soon after the opening of the coalmine in 1915, the Colliery Management embarked on massive recruitment of labourers to work the coalfields. It was also the same year that the first shipment of coal from Enugu to the United Kingdom was made.

The influx of workers in Enugu to work the coalfields led to the establishment of “Colliery Villages” to give shelter to these immigrants. That was how places like Coal Camp and Iva Valley came into existence.

In 1917, Enugu was declared a Second Class Township under the Colonial Order in Council No. 19 of 1917, along with Udi, which was declared a Third Class Township. Accordingly, a Township Advisory Board (TAB), consisting of Mr. J G Lawson, acting District Officer; Mr. J S Hayes, Colliery Manager; Mr. A B Milliken, Assistant Engineer; Mr. E C Braithwaite, Medical Officer; and Mr. W Reeder, Senior Superintendent of Prisons, was set up to take care of the political administration of the town.

In 1929, the Colonial Government gave approval that the administrative headquarters of Southern Provinces of Nigeria which then comprised of Onitsha, Ogoja, Owerri, Calabar, Ijebu, Oyo, Abeokuta, Ondo, Benin, Warri, as well as the Mandated of the Cameroon, be moved from Lagos to Enugu.

Enugu remained the Capital of Southern Provinces until 1939, when the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Mr. W G A Ormsby-Gore, in a memo dated September 17, 1937, approved the splitting of Southern Provinces into Eastern and Western Provinces with capitals at Enugu and Ibadan respectively.

Enugu was also capital of Eastern Region, capital of the sovereign Republic of Biafra, capital of East Central State, capital of Anambra State, and now, capital of Enugu State.

Among those who held forte in Enugu and from there presided over the affairs of the people entrusted into their care were Professor Eyo Ita, Leader of Government Business (1952 to 1954); Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Premier (1954 to 1959); Dr. Michael Okpara and Dr. Francis Akanu Ibiam, Premier and Governor respectively, (1959 to 1966); Colonel/General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Military Governor, Eastern Region/Republic of Biafra (1966 to 1970).

Others were Mr. Mr. Anthony Ukpabi Asika, Administrator, (1967 to 1975); Colonel Anthony Aboki Ochefu, Military Governor, (July 1975 to October 1975); Colonel John Atom Kpera, Military Governor, (1975 to 1978); Colonel Datti Sadiq Abubakar, Military Governor, (1978 to 1979); Chief Jim Nwobodo, Governor, 1979 to 1983); and Chief Christian Onoh, Governor, (October 1983 to December 1983).

There were also Navy Captain Allison Madueke, Military Governor, (1984 to 1985); Group Captain Emeka Omeruah, (1985 to 1987); Colonel Robert Akonobi, Military Governor, (1987 to 1990); Colonel Herbert Obi Eze, Military Governor, (1990 to 1992); Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Governor, (1992 to 1993); Navy Captain Temison Ejoor, Military Governor, (1993 to 1994); Colonel Lucky Mike Torey, Military Governor, (1994 to 1996); Colonel Sule Ahman, Military Governor, (1996 to 1998); and Navy Captain Benson Agbaje (1998 to 1999).

The rest were Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, Governor, (1999 to 2007); Barrister Sullivan Chime, Governor, (2007 to 2015): and Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Governor, (2015 to date). Each and everyone of them had contributed one way or the other in changing the face of Enugu.

12Monkeys:


And the google search was also my doing?

Enugu became capital of Eastern Nigeria in 1960 shortly after independence.

Go ask your Grandfather

12Monkeys:


Guy, I am pro Biafran and a staunch supporter of Igbos here to the point I have been categorised as Igbo.

Let us be honest, Azikiwe and Ojukwu did not help their cause by being paternalistic and condescending towards the other nationals in the old eastern region.

giles14:
hmmmm!


so for your mind you dey make sense

Azikiwe to me is a fool. If he had not been a typified Joe Igbokwe (Lagos lover) and an Nzeagwu (North lover), there won't have been so much animosity and suspicion of the Igbos by the other nationals of the old eastern region.

BabaRamota1980:
Zik had always believed his roots is in Bini and Oduduwa as his progenitor.

He leaned Westward, did not see himself as an Ngwa or Wawa son.

I will bring 10 pictures of Zik dressed as Yorubaman for every picture of him you post dressed as an Iboman. Goodluck finding just one!