₦airaland Forum

PHIPEX:
I would have responded to Aigbofa but i just realised that he is not worth it cos someone who spent several hours here responding to every comment is either Jobless or bored.

RIP IKEMBA NNEWI, EZE IGBO GBURU GBURU

At least no one will dare say again that IGBOS HAVE NO KING

^^^^^
Seconded. And please ndigbo, do not allow nitwits like  Aigbofa to engage and derail important threads as one concerning Ojukwu at this moment of our unity.

To think that no meaningful igbo son or daughter has expressed dissent regarding Ojukwu being held in high esteem. But that some idle brain  from the bush somewhere is attempting to write off 30 million people as fools that he really is on the subject matter.

Pogroms of Ibos had already taken place in the North and they now grew more severe, claiming the lives of tens of thousands of easterners, and prompting over 1m of the luckier ones to head for their region of origin. Colonel Ojukwu was soon regretting the broadcast he had made earlier, in which he had asked Ibos in the North to return home since the situation was “under control”. Instead, the scene was set for a war that was to last for 30 months and claim the lives, it is said, of 1m people through fighting, hunger or disease. Some put the number much higher.



People had wondered how and why ndiigbo resisted the warfor so long. Think of gruesome killing in the north and Nairaland kind of yoruba hatred for igbo and you would be getting close to the picture!

Candidly, it would amount to a disaster if senate had approved a Nigerian state burial for Ojukwu. That will certainly have minimized everything Ojukwu ever represented.

It is still fresh that Chinua Achebe REJECTED a mock honour from the the so called NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT. In his own words "nothing had changed" that made him reject previous honours! For Ojukwu also, nothing had changed from the time he took arms in an attempt to defend his people from obvious hatred and massacre.

What makes people believe that Every Nigerian will drop dead when the so-called oil subsidy is removed? The young man that wants to spearhead a revolution in Nigeria with a booklet is a funny dreamer. I guess he can neither slap the face of a police officer who boldly extort 20 Naira from commuters, nor can he make trouble with some ministerial worker who will not produce his legitimate document until had paid a bribe.

The guy who started a revolution in Algeria began with uniformed officials on the roadside, it then snowballed to reach the presidency!. Corruption in Nigeria is endemic, Jonathan cannot single handedly fight it neither did it commence with him; people surrounding him are all corrupt. It is funny when I read that pdp is corrupt while other parties are not. Proponents of this idiocy must demonstrate that all states outside pdp are devoid of corrupt practices.


If fuel subsidy is what your revolution is about, then you are jobless. I would expect a revolution to be about true federalism and the hammering out of a contract between citizen and state; so that each individual knows their rights and responsibilities, just as the state would know its rights and responsibilities.
Why can't your revolution be about the passing of the PIB, the abrogation of the anti-people land use decree, the repealling of the petroleum act etc.


I quite agree with Beaf on the above. The Nigerian problem is not all about oil and its subsidy. Many things are wrong in Nigeria. Do we have a list of what the opposition parties have proposed in the house to unseat the ruling party? This is how democracy works. Do we have a united Nigeria that is ripe for a Revolution?
the below postulations make make sense to me.

If it is less than a percentage of Nigeria that is enjoying fuel subsidy, there there is no point still keeping it in the budget, remove it and lets see the aftermath effect.
If we can bear it then let it "goes", if the adverse effect will be unbearable then reposition it back to the budget with full monitoring system.



Posted by: His Majesty

Truth be told, dis fuel subsidy thing is a double-edged sword, it has its pros and cons. Its not very gud dat sum faceless cabal are ripping off trillions of naira from Nigerians through the subsidy, but if its successfully taken away as the govs are clamouring for, hw can Nigerians be guaranteed that the proceed wuld be used to improve on our lives, rada dan been embezzled by our politicians. Mind u all, Sum of these house of reps guys dat do want the subsidy are behind the scene beneficiaries of it. This issue should be critically analysed by our leaders before taken any lasting position on it. IMO Nigeria is not ripe for subsidy removal.

On a final note, Gej takes responsibility of what appears on his political score board just as every other leader.

my ten kobo.

lucenzo:
One thing I've noticed about my Yoruba brothers is that they are cowards.

AWOLOWO. He was always waiting for someone to do something for him, typical of a Yoruba man. The 1966 coup was meant to swear him in as the new president. The coup failed, so he denied ever knowing of such a plot. He traded sides with Fulanis against the igbos during  the war, so that he could be installed as president after the war. Murtala's death gave him further hope of being a president, afterall, his kins man (OBASANJO) was the head of state. obasanjo did not hand over to him and that was the best chance he had at been a president before taking his life  outof frustration. ( he drank otapiapia)
Abiola.   Abioa wined and dined with the military. Obasanjo, Abacha, Babangida, Vatsa,  were all his friends. Abiola single handedly sponsored buhari and babangida's coup. Final preparations were made in his daughter's naming ceremony few weeks to the Babangida's coup. Like a typical yoruba man, he wanted things to be done for him(coward). unfortunately for him, his fulani friends betrayed him and he was  denied of his so called mandate and was locked in the prison like a common criminal. He was later poisoned by his fulani friends and nothing was done about it in the west. He died a church rat. His kinsmen collected bribes after his death from thesame fulani"friends". Do we need to talk about saro wiwa? The civil war has always been about the fulanis and their quest to rule Nigeria. You cannot take it away from them. Have you forgotten about Usman Dan Fodio? his life was all about a conquest and that"s what his generations are still doing. Nigeria to a Fulani man is a conquest.

And that's why Ojukwu took one good look at Awo's carcass and named him the best president that Nigeria never had. Biafra is greatly vindicated by his lost at presidential bids, same as Abiola who was also killed by his northern friends. Yet some idiiot wants us to make June 12 a national day celebration. I just de laugh.

The Yorubas must declare where they really stand because the saying goes that once bitten twice shy. Awo made pretentious statements in the past like the chameleon and coward that he was. I don't see ndigbo being tricked into another war. Let them fight their own battle as Biafra did or we continue to live together in this un-holy marriage called Nigeria.

HAS IT OCCURRED TO ANYONE THAT THE REAL WAR AND ITS JUSTIFICATION IS BETWEEN iGBO/YORUBA, EVEN AL -HAREM OF NO FIXED ADDRESS HAS DISAPPEARED. THIS IS A FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOR THE WARRING TRIBES.

HOWEVER, THE EVENTS THAT LED TO PAST TRAGIC WAR SCENES ARE STILL WITH US, YET MANY OF US CONTINUE TO POINT ACCUSING FINGERS ELSEWHERE, COULD BE SHARE JEALOUSY

My little knowledge of economics talks about viable ventures, and such ventures generate more money which in turn have multiple effects in an economic system.

Nollywood is viable, reaching out to a wider world market which translates to more youths being absorbed. (marketers, more actors and actresses, engineers, graphic workers etc.)

Nigerians involved in the film industry are tax payers also; If the PAYE - pay as you earn- still operate, Money injected into it is not dumped into the sea. It's a mistake to always compare our economic needs to that of the USA, we have different exigencies.

Nigeria is in dare need of infrastructural based transformation, this is true, the meagre amount invested on Nollywood will not stop such other bids.

I hope somebody is not suggesting that those medical equipment were simulated. The important thing is that the lab is working. However thanks to Igbo in diaspora.

Okija_juju:
Why are we using tax payers money to fund an industry that is supposed to be dominated by the private sector?

Why not inject that money into NTA which has turned into a National embarassment

^^^^^
Tax payer's money shall be geared towards creating employment for the unemployed and Nollywood will do just that.
Puttam for NTA and Dem go chopam neat yet no employment will be created; guys will still blame gofment for a misplaced priority.

My list is as follows:

ILLITERACY & IGNORANCE ,   feed all forms of human failings
RELIGION                         ,   which in Nigeria is about being a chief judge over your neighbour
GREED                              ,   fuels non regard for the welfare of your neighbour
TRIBALISM                        ,   the first three are instruments in the hands of greedy politicians
                            who see this as a chance to be there, for personal aggrandisement, they use the   tribe factor 

A KNIFE IS AT THE VERY CENTRE OF OUR POLITICAL SET UP AND THE CENTRE CANNOT HOLD ,  na so so management.  

all other sectors suffer due to the above factors.

eze-phobia is worrying most igbo folks. No one wants to hear that another is in a leadership position - typical igbo enweze mentality - and that's our undoing in getting a political sloth in Nigeria.

it is obvious most of u are speaking out of ignorance. Most developing countries issue visa on arrival to investors and staffs of Multi national companies. e.g staffs of UBA, GLO,SHELL ETC who are not Nigerians get visa on arrival in Accra if they present letters from their company. GEJ is not saying the visa should be given to every Joystick,tom and harry.
[quote][/quote]People just derive pleasure from undue criticism. Many countries issue visa at the port of entry demanding higher visa fee for that purpose. Anyone without valid papers who decides to embark on a trip would be risking deportation. Government however needs to guard against bribery which is difficult to tackle in Nigeria.

Reggie2:
A'm gladdened by your reply to my post. Deploying the military in troubled areas of the north would amount to declaring a state of emergency. Doing so ipso facto means that the federal government is accusing such neighboring countries of acts of terrorism by their citizens; it has political implications in an ECOWAS set up.

Do the governors of BOKO HARAM areas agree that their states be militarized? Do reps from these areas agree with you on this? Can Jonathan declare a state of emergency unilaterally because of a terrorist group? Big questions for you and I.  

It appears you are in a hurry to state that these terrorists are fighting Nigeria from across the borders. Do you have any proof for this? When government recently deployed the military to deal with BOKO HARAM, there were a number of indiscriminate killings. Northern reps were the first to ask for a complete withdrawal and even an apology. We must agree that these people (BOKO HARAM) are Nigerians who are fighting for a misguided? cause. Unconfirmed sources are that they may be present even in the military.

You see, the FAST approach to resolve BOKO HARAM may not be all that easy. Government ought to investigate if these guys are acting in isolation or if there are people behind them. I do not believe that GEJ sees it as a northern problem. Its like saying that the middle crises is a northern problem! Human lives have equal value whether Xtian or Muslim.

The above is in reply to alj harem

A'm gladdened by your reply to my post. Deploying the military in troubled areas of the north would amount to declaring a state of emergency. Doing so ipso facto means that the federal government is accusing such neighboring countries of acts of terrorism by their citizens; it has political implications in an ECOWAS set up.

Do the governors of BOKO HARAM areas agree that their states be militarized? Do reps from these areas agree with you on this? Can Jonathan declare a state of emergency unilaterally because of a terrorist group? Big questions for you and I.  

It appears you are in a hurry to state that these terrorists are fighting Nigeria from across the borders. Do you have any proof for this? When government recently deployed the military to deal with BOKO HARAM, there were a number of indiscriminate killings. Northern reps were the first to ask for a complete withdrawal and even an apology. We must agree that these people (BOKO HARAM) are Nigerians who are fighting for a misguided? cause. Unconfirmed sources are that they may be present even in the military.

You see, the FAST approach to resolve BOKO HARAM may not be all that easy. Government ought to investigate if these guys are acting in isolation or if there are people behind them. I do not believe that GEJ sees it as a northern problem. Its like saying that the middle crises is a northern problem! Human lives have equal value whether Xtian or Muslim.

Posted by: alj_harem

Boko haram is a Nigerian Problem that needs to be tackled FAST !!!!!! the sam way MEND, OPC were tackled.

saying No Jonathan, No Nigeria and relating it to Boko haram which is a terrorist group associated with a section of the country is BAD.

Boko haram has obvious links with al shabab. Al Jazazeera's yesterday documentary revealed that political misfits hide under the guise of religion to kill innocent people and then make stupid demands. It is illiterate and pretentious to equate Boko haram with MEND. If the past administration negotiated with the Niger Delta and then tried to crush Boko haram, there must be a motive.

I see that haram argue vigorously that the BOKO HARAM problem must be resolved FAST. If he is not a spokesman of this terrorist group. Let him tell us over this forum what the government must do TO RESOLVE IT FAST. But let him not dish out a menu of poverty to be dumped on Jonathan's shoulders. I want to remind HARAM that his terrorist brothers were receiving  "EDUCATION DISADVANTAGE" ALLOWANCE from past governments (federal), from oil money; and we did not hear them bomb anyone for being told to go to school!

All can be said of the east but cowardice. OHANAEZE has sounded a warning, PENDULUM OF ACTION HAS SHIFTED THE OTHER SIDE. We are practicing democracy which is a game of numbers. Removal of elected officers must go through democratic process, all these ranting is BULLSHIT

eghost247:
[size=13pt]But what is it with all of you the man never seems to do anything right in your eyes Rubbish Haterz[/size]

IT IS BEGINNING TO DAWN EVEN TO GEJ'S MOST GENUINE AND CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICS THAT THERE IS MUCH MORE THAN MEETS THE EYES IN THESE PEOPLE'S STYLE OF POURING SCORN ON THE NIGERIAN PRESIDENT[/b]. HE IS A LEGITIMATE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA UNTIL HIS TERM OF OFFICE EXPIRES. VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE CAN ONLY BE PASSED IN THE HOUSE BY ELECTED REPS AND NOT BY A BUNCH OF FACELESS AGITATORS WHOSE REAL MOTIVE IS NOT CLEAR.

Sir, Do you drink tea in your country?
Yes, we does. Sir Abubakar, Tafawa Balewa during one of those constitutional conferences in London. He had accepted several cups of tea not knowing he had to turn the cup downwards to signal a stop to the waiter.

I am now the beautiful bride of Nigerian politics, Zik's NPP sought by both UPN and NPN for a coalition.

If after all troubles I am disqualified, I will take my medicine as a man, Zik on attempt to disqualify NPP

I want somebody to tell Zik that if he is IWE, I am Iwe also , a 2nd Republic political diatribe between the two men of timber and caliber,AZIKIWE and[b] MBADIWE[/b]

The igbo people were celebrating yam festival , OBJ reacting to popular protests in the east during his days in office

Topic: Ibadan student unrest:

Sir, what do you say about student unrest?

Adelakun "How can they rest? Rest ke? when them go read iwe ti ti ti, then go disco,

I have desperately been peeping through the muddy waters of Nigerian politics with a view to locating what Jonathan had done so profoundly wrong in his one year rule to deserve all the bashing he is presently receiving from some quarters of our polity. My intention here is not to devil for GEJ yet, the whole thing seem to beat my personal imagination!

Agreed that GEJ's every decision appear shrouded in the fear of Northern domination (real or imagined), agreed that this morbid fear translates to utterances and lukewarm attitude in dealing with security issues in the North - not a credit to him, yet holding him personally responsible for accrued political, economic and corruption woes of the country is question begging.

The political class of today's Nigeria is a creation of post war successive military ruler-ship which created a wealthy group of phantom politicians. The same people still occupy the seats of both the Senate and Reps with exception of a few. The same political parties, manifestos and slogans are still the same when Nigerians went to the pools in the last election. I am quite surprised that no one seem to question our Generals who suddenly become super rich and are now seen as the best candidates to move the country forward. 

In a real democracy, opposition is done by political parties without a majority. It is their duty to convince the electorate that they can do better if voted in the next election. And it is their duty to educate Nigerians on why removal of fuel subsidy, for example, will do more harm than good on a short/long run. It is not enough for the press to pour out emotive venoms of castigation to score a political point.

I do not believe that tongue lashing, disrespect and share bigotry are the best bets for balanced information dissemination in Nigeria.

Good. Nairaland is finally running a unity litmus test for members.

If leadership of Nigeria is still sort among those who swear that, education "wallahi i no gud", then WAHALA dey. A people deserve the type of leadership they receive. History provides the best insight into the future. Why can't ordinary Nigerians aspire to rule that country? abi na curse? Jona no get shoe and i no get gun, but make i carry de go jare.

Our two positions are interestingly converging into an acceptable postulation. In my previous posts, I started out with an eye witness account of a personal war experience; then went personal when I talked about post war stay in the west. I want to add that during my NYSC period when I deliberately chose Ibadan - since I could choose, being foreign trained - I met two guys who later became dear friends. One is of Edo extraction, the other is from Kaduna. During a moment of financial travail in Nigeria, one of them was dearer than any blood relation. When friends entrust charming wives and children in the care of each other, then there's absolute trust. I was spurred into coming to study abroad in the 80s by a bosom friend of Yoruba extraction, we have remained friends till date. This is to state that I can stand clear of parochialism informed by tribal sentiments.

It is hardly reasonable to be held responsible for the sins of our fore fathers who sold our brothers into slavery. Yet we can never stop to condemn such actions as ill motivated and wrong. Same with the killing of twins in the east and such other practices done out of ignorance. Pope John Paul asked for pardon on behalf of Xtians who committed atrocities in jihadist fashion. I may be wrong but Germany sought pardon for Nazi treatment of the Jews.

In our internal situation, there was no truth and reconciliation committee vested with a duty to make recommendations for purposes of history. This is why there is still heated and endless debate on this subject. How I wish that some of the things you wrote about could feature in such a document, e.g, mob action, lack of control, inexperience, fear of domination; even the 1st coup and Ojukwu's rash decision for an Igbo Republic. Wars have rules and regulations, believe it or not, a child of about ten/twelve years - which I was then - is quite capable of narrating scenes of horror. Nobi dem say or my papa told me.

Thank you for a soothing reply to my post. I would like you to know, matter of fact, that outside my 3 year forced sojourn in the east between1967- Jan 1970, I lived all my life in Lagos before migrating abroad. My Yoruba language is more fluent than my Igbo, accent and all. Having said this, I will proceed to correct a few of the things that you said.

1. I did not use the word "all Yorubas" because Wole Soyinka is Yoruba - read my write-up again. I said almost all, that I have met.

2. I came back to Lagos in January 1970 - had to accept humiliation of being branded OMO OJUKWU of the koboko kind; it is quite natural for fellow children to taunt others in a weaker position. However the legend of cannibalistic prowess coupled with knowledge of yoruba was a vital shield then. Growing up and going through Secondary School, I was privileged to discuss the events of the Biafran war with fellow students.

3. I have the impression you decided to cluster all NL Igbo claims on my eye witness account. There was an igbo coup agreed, several other coups had taken place in Nigeria without corresponding ethnic cleansing.

4. In yorubaland it was not a case of hebrews fleeing into the RED SEA with Pharaoh in hot pursuit, yet this was undeniably the case in the north; and that is the pogrom widely talked about.

5. It will not be right to blame Biafran woes only on Yorubas just because they participated rightly or wrongly in the war. My contention is that history has a way of repeating itself if we do not learn from it, or if the truth is hidden. Ojukwu's responsibility lies on his bluffing his way through a suicidal war by declaring an Independent Biafra (my opinion) knowing obvious limitations. But he was duty bound to give a sense of protection to igbos who were massacred like flies.

See another thread.

Udoka Estate, Awka
Posts: 749

Offline Boko Haram Justifies Biafra & Vindicates Ojukwu - SaharaReporters
« on: Yesterday at 02:40:45 PM »
________________________________________
Boko Haram Justifies Biafra And Vindicates Ikemba Nnewi Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu

The Boko Haram (BH) claims it is avenging the “extra-judicial” killing of its leader, Muhammed Yusuf, who died at the hands of the Nigerian Police in 1999, during the presidency of the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua – a Northern Muslim. BH waited for Jonathan, a Christian, to become president before taking terror to a new level.

It added to its manifesto the annihilation of all Christians in the North; the removal of all churches and all businesses associated with Christians from the North; the introduction of Sharia law throughout the rest of Nigeria (13 Northern states now have Sharia law); the removal of all symbols of Western-styled democracy; and the abolition of Western education altogether. This manifesto could be dismissed as the wishful thinking of a deranged group, except that members of BH are dead serious (no pun intended) about achieving these goals. They have essentially made Borno and Yobe States ungovernable. They have the presidency on its heels, sweating and fretting; they have the security agencies hobbled and in shambles; they have all Nigerians restive and pensive; and they have the international community paying rapt attention.

To the rest of the civilized world, BH’s activities exemplify the very definition of “Ethnic Cleansing”, genocide or Jihad. It happened in the old Yugoslavia and now there is no more Yugoslavia. It happened in Sudan, and now we have the countries of Sudan and South Sudan. It happened in Germany…the infamous Holocaust…and now we have the new Israel.

It has happened in Nigeria before…this wanton killing, maiming and destruction of properties. Ah, you forgot? You forgot the Northern pogrom of 1966 which was the precursor to our first civil war? I say “first” because I think we are headed for the second one. During the pogrom, hordes of Hausa/Fulani people, like flies, invaded the homes of Igbo people in the North, slitting their throats and clubbing them to death…without provocation, and with utter impunity! I didn’t read this in a history book. I witnessed it with my own eyes as a kid in Zaria. I lost my innocence then. My family was spared because my father had one of those tribal marks native to Ibadan, and he was a devout Muslim.

So, today, suppose a group springs up in Enugu under the aegis of Christianity, with a name like say…Eastern Sons of Christ (ESOC), and begins the killing and maiming of all non-Christians, especially people of Hausa/Fulani extraction, along with some of their Yoruba collaborators. Imagine the ESOC laying explosives in and around businesses, mosques and homes owned by people other than members of the ESOC tribe. Imagine a similar group, under the name of say…Western Sons of Christ (WESOC), stands up its operations in Ibadan, targeting all Hausa/Fulani Muslims, along with their Yoruba collaborators (there are many Muslims in the Yoruba kingdom). Imagine yet another group springs up in Port Harcourt, under the name of say…Southern Sons of Christ (SOSOC), killing people of Hausa/Fulani extraction - Muslims, along with their Yoruba collaborators.

If the ESOC became a terror group like the Boko Haram (BH) has become, it would be justified. It could claim vengeance for the thousands of Igbo people that were, without provocation, ruthlessly massacred by the Hausa/Fulani during the pogrom. It could further justify its actions by claiming more maltreatment during the ensuing civil war (1967 – 1970), and yet more maltreatment following the so-called “No Victor No Vanquished” truce evident in the continued marginalization of the Igbo in most spheres of influence in Nigeria.

If the WESOC became a terror group like the BH, it could claim that it was tired of being caught between the Hausa/Fulani Vs Igbo (Muslim/Christian) fights. WESOC could say that it frequently suffered with ESOC each time the Northern Muslims embarked on one of their barbaric extermination missions and that ESOC never gave it enough credit. Instead, ESOC blamed WESOC for not joining in the Biafra cause. (WESOC can’t even claim any monolithic Christian stronghold in its geographical area, and can’t state with any degree of certainty which of the two major religions enjoys a numerical superiority in its communities.) WESOC can further claim that when one of its illustrious sons, a strong Muslim for that matter - MKO Abiola, won the election for President, the Hausa/Fulani Muslims, before morphing into BH, killed him rather than allow him to rule.

And if the SOSOC was to become a terror group exactly like the BH, it could claim that its previous acts of blowing up oil pipelines and kidnapping for ransom did not fully achieve SOSOC’s goal of 50% oil revenue allocation. It could argue that “our oil” was being used to build skyscrapers, mansions and “six-star” hotels in Abuja, Sokoto, Maiduguri and Yola, while “our people” in the Niger-Delta couldn’t fish or farm without fear of pollution. It could argue vengeance for the brazen, state-sponsored killing of one of its illustrious sons - Ken Saro-Wiwa, during the presidency of a Hausa/Fulani man and the desecration of his body by pouring acid on it.

In essence, we could have anarchy all across Nigeria, not just in the Northeastern States and Abuja, and no one would have peace. These groups could all find nebulous excuses to justify unleashing mayhem on the rest of the country like the BH is now doing and we would have our second civil war.

We had the Maitatsine riots of 1980, largely in the same Northeastern area. We have had other similar incidents in the intervening years, all aimed at building a homogenous, Islamic caliphate in Northern Nigeria. The military governments of the day easily put down those riots and attacks. But that was before the advent of the use explosives as weapons of terror. In 1980, Maitatsine rioters, progenitors of the BH sect, used knives…long knives…to attack Christians. Now they use guns…machine guns…and explosives to mow down innocent, unharmed people. Then they brazenly take onto the internet to claim responsibility for their dastardly acts. And like Al Qaida, they have amorphous, nameless and faceless leadership.

It is clear that since Nigeria’s amalgamation, the Hausa/Fulani Muslims of the North thought of themselves as superior beings, compared to the Christians of the South, and particularly the largely-Christian Igbo people. In fact, if you have the trust and confidence of a Northerner, you will frequently hear him derisively refer to Igbo people as “impure” and “lower-than-dogs”. This may sound like I am fanning the embers of ethnic crisis here. But I am stating the facts. I know that Igbo people in power today are aware of this, and so are their Yoruba and, of course, their Hausa counterparts. They are just too timid to say it in the open. I am not in power and I am not timid. I grew up in Zaria as a practicing Muslim. I attended Arabic/Islamic evening classes, lived in Kano and Maiduguri and finished my elementary school in Bukuru, near Jos. I also speak Hausa better than I speak English. So, before anybody castigates me as a basher of the North or of Muslims, they better take cognizance of the fact that I had firsthand experience. Notice how no Hausa/Fulani of significant profile, like say…the Sardauna of Sokoto, the Emir of Zaria, the Emir of Gwandu, the Emir of Maiduguri, Ibrahim Babangida, Mohammadu Buhari, Abubakar Atiku, Abubakar Umar, etc…has come out to openly denounce the BH sect. Their quiet acquiescence should not be interpreted as cowardly or coincidental. It is calculated.

The hatred of Igbo people and Christians by the Hausa/Fulani people remains palpable. Northern Muslims just manage to tolerate them. If they thought they could harm a Christian or an Easterner and get away with it, they would do it in a jiffy, without compunction and without remorse. And they would do it in the name of Allah. I have read the Qur’an, to include the Hadiths, and I have not found any portion of it where the Prophet Mohammed (PBOH) enjoined, sanctioned, urged or ordered adherents of Islam to destroy believers of other faiths. Of course, we have ultra-right-wingers in all religions, including Christianity, but none is waging such destructive and bloody war against “non-believers” like our Northern brothers. I think it is even tantamount to heresy referring to them as “brothers” those who have taken self-righteous indignation beyond any scintilla of reason. They are reprobates.

So, if the West, the East and the South conclude that the North has gone beyond redemption, why not grant the North its request? Why not draw a real, physical border with the North and allow it to rule its people like it wishes? By now, we all should know that no attempt at placating the Hausa/Fulani people would prevent them from sliding into their banal recidivism. I have absolutely no problem having to apply for a visa to visit my Alma Mata in Zaria or Bukuru. By their acts, the BH sect has vindicated Odumegwu Ojukwu and proved the venerable Obafemi Awolowo wrong about Biafra. Awolowo fought to “keep Nigeria one” but it is now clear that the task had always been only one-sided. The North obviously did not get that memorandum and so did not share the same objective. We need to quickly adorn the Ikemba of Nnewi with rose-bedecked garlands for being brave and visionary enough, as far back as 1966, to attempt Biafra. Ojukwu, who was humiliated, harangued, vilified and exiled for knowing (that far back) that the North was always going to be implacable, should be celebrated as a hero and rewarded as such before he passes on to the great beyond. And I am not being facetious or sarcastic.

The North now wants its own country – one ruled by Sharia and devoid of any semblance of Western civilization. We should let them have it peacefully. Those who have called for a Sovereign National Conference should redouble their efforts. Nigerians need to talk amongst themselves now so that they can peacefully decide how to coexist. Otherwise, the inevitable combustion will swallow everybody. If you have not been directly (or even remotely) touched by the BH attacks, you may not appreciate the urgency of deciding peacefully the future of Nigeria. If you have never seen a full blown war firsthand, I hope that you and your family continue to be protected from finding out how it feels. It is not a pretty sight.

@ aribisala0

I had rested my case earlier but,

Your recent post excuses a rather reckless reaction to my eye witness narration of a war tragedy which was quickly faulted as one sided. In my post, I mentioned that I was a mere child who could not make any sense on why anyone - Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba - could have caused so much sufferings on his fellow humans. I said that after hostilities, I attempted to read all accounts of what could have caused the war in the first instance. From Madueboh, to the Five majors, to Fredrick's Emeka, etc I tried to piece things together. I have read books of international law (see Akhaust) where genocide was alleged. The topic was, if there is a burden on the Federal side. The Federal side does not necessarily mean the Yoruba tribe. Yet I remember saying that most Yorubas I have met sing a tone that is obvious - that of blame to the Igbo. I remember mentioning Wole Soyink, a Yoruba, who refused to sing along. If there were atrocities committed on the other side similar to my personal experience, you only had to say it, to justify the other side of the story - since mine is one sided.

Since you spoke of not being a lawyer to anyone, please be reminded that for lawyers, a burden, of proof, is a pendulum whose weight may reside heavily on onside of a divide. Ndibe's article says that the federal side bears that burden. Our position - yours and mine - is to prove him wrong.

It appeared scandalous to hear that there were returnees from Lagos! I maintain that many families fled from Lagos including mine. Those who were trapped behind or were unwilling to run told stories (I cannot confirm) that they had to hide. I challenge anyone to prove that Ndigbo did not run for their dear lives from Lagos. Be reminded also that when Ojukwu came back from exile, he fought in court for years to get his abandoned family property back. Check the law books.

Finally, events that led to the war are sadly creeping back even though die hard apologists will not admit it.

I am still waiting for northern APOLOGISTS who blame Jona for these laughing Jackals that boom themselves to hell. Where are the enlightened Arewa youths? Why can't they engage in enlightenment campaign to stop these fools from self destruction? Or are they enjoying their heroic action?

I am baffled at the extent of misdirected anger on this thread. Labour, of all organisations, is the least expected to engage in this form of economic sabotage. I would rather commentators realised that Jonathan did not personally supervise the signing of the auto importation deal. Agreed that his government ought to tempestuously quash the ill informed contract, by citing State policy, yet ignoring home made products of comparable quality for imported ones, has the Nigerian factor written all over it. Nigeria is very sick with people who believe that nothing goes for nothing; with people who think that selfless service is abnormal rather than normal. Labour was the first to go crying over oil subsidy but will not think twice before signing way 5 billion to China.
Nigeria needs prayers or rather, a mental revolution.