₦airaland Forum

[quote author=ndu_chucks]Why are you people so lazy? You can confirm everything I wrote using google if you are not sophisticated enough to conduct a simple research.[/quote]ndu nwanne, wetin happen? I guess things change like they say.
Looks like you've turned on your Kanuri brothers.

Nigerians outside NW and NE cant tell the diff btw Kanuri and Hausa/Fulani. If you ask me - stay with your brothers, the Kanuris. Marriage is cheaper than divorce, lol.

Not making fun of you but, bro you lost it.

On amnesty - well, you already know my take on that. Boko Haram must be brought to justice, anything less than that will set Nigeria on a dangerous slope. We have laws, lets use it.

Just think about this - Boko Haram is asking for amnesty and cash while the supreme court is gearing to take Uwazurike to court for wanting out.

[quote author=ndu_chucks]Answers:

(1)If monetary compensation is deemed necessary as an incentive, in a comprehensive rehabilitation program, by the committee of experts looking into the issue, I will not have any problem with it. I oppose to blanket payment for amnestying anyone.

(2)What kind of question is this, Okah was pardoned along with MEND we do not have the authority or power to pardon him f or being convicted in South Africa. As far as Rev. King is concerned, the President can pardon him if he wishes, sebi he pardoned Alams.

(3)This is a dumb question.[/quote]I subscribe to your 'comprehensive rehabilitation program' but I'ld rather have Boko Haram members under-go such rehabilitation in prison than walk away with more money. Why some people want this shameful impunity to continue is mind boggling. Throwing money at muderers serves no one any purpose. If GEJ goes ahead with this poison chalice, with this kiss of death from the so-called Northern elders forum + progressives, he's finished. The same people who promised to make the nation ungovernable, the same people who never accepted the legitimacy of his presidency are now pushing him to pay cold-blooded murderers.

Instead of paying murderers, how about closing all almajiri camps and replacing them with proper schools and skill acquisition centers? How about institutions that'll add value to lives? Things that'll uplift the north in the next 10 - 15 yrs? I bet those asking for free money for those unrepentant little minded jihadists dont even think about the future.

It looks to me like core north is not as wise as I thought. If they were really smart they'ld be seeking for institutions and programs that last for ages considering the dearth of empathy that currently pervades Nigeria. Who knows, maybe GEJ is buying time, maybe he no longer believes in Nigeria and therefore would be more willing to pay murderers and have them confined to the north. But whatever game the Nigerian leadership is playing, my opinion is that it is dangerous and unnecessary. If there is anything the north needs more right now it is education! education!! education!!! Throwing money at Boko Haram will never get them to school neither will it turn around the abysmal literacy rate in the core north.

We're all poor in Nigeria. Yes, some are poorer than others. However, what is absolutely true is that perpetual poverty is a personal choice irrespective of any reason under the sun, historical injustice notwithstanding. Throwing money at a systemic failure and unreceptive culture is both a waste of resource and ungodly. Its either we fix the system or help the culture change from within. None of us made the north poor, in fact Gombe state gets more money than Anambara state yet Anambara people dont bomb their fellow country men. What's my point - (a) help the core north fix their broken education, or (b)Free them - they can have whatever theocratic government they desire. Throwing money at a culture or belief system that's at variance with yours is idiotic, unless you're counting down to the day you'll eventually pack and go.

[quote author=ndu_chucks]@OP,sir, your epistle is a few years too late. Why did you not ask this question before the amnesty given to MEND and the youths of SS region?

The truth of the matter is that the amnesty program which was implemented in the SS, in favour of MEND, is a great success, by any measure. It significantly reduced the killings, kidnappings, and negative economic impacts. It is time to support the President in his latest effort at resolving the Boko Haram issue. I fully expect your support.[/quote]For your info, I never supported neither do I even like the word amnesty. I prefer justice to any nonsensical pupulist word. I expect FG to give the ND people justice, ND deserves to have enormous say on how their God given resource is exploited. Amnesty to MEND is simply a band-aid which will eventually unravel as soon as we experience a serious cash crunch. The right thing to do, which I understand you hate to hear, is - give MEND and Boko Haram justice. Isn't it funny how SA jailed Okah whereas Kabiru Sokoto will soon walk away with more money?

MEND asked for resource control - give it to them if its their right.
Boko Haram asked for sharia - give it to them too if its their right.

Let me ask you ndu_chuks, do you agree we should pay members of Boko haram as part of the amnesty package?
Do you agree we should pardon Okah, Rev King?
Do you agree we should give amnesty to all Nigerian prisoners?

Be waiting for your response.

I know this issue will eventually become Yoruba vs. Igbo so, I will respect all you tireless e-warriors' right to do what you do best - fight while Nigeria burns and decays. Most of us present today will, hopefully, be around in the next 30 - 40 yrs. So, to that end lets take a moment to think about what Nigeria will look like in the next 30 yrs given the past and current trend. Like I said earlier, I respect everyone's right to smash his or her computer keyboard just to out-do the other guy, virtual guy I might add. But when we're done with e-fighting, can we take a moment and check out the trend of a location we all call our country.

The reason I titled this piece 'At what point does a nation lose her moral right to imprison offenders' is based on the recent amnesty committee being set up by our president. We all know the word 'set up' is just cosmetic, its just to provide the needed soft-landing for the president to eventually hand out freedom to Kabiru Sokoto and the rest of Boko Haram warriors. From my tone you probably understand by now that I'm not sold to this whole idea, yes I dont and its for a reason. The reason is simple - when are we, as a nation, going to start extracting our own pound of flesh from those who are destroying this nation? American prisons are filled with both big and small men. Rod Blagoevich is in prison, and incase you dont know, his predecessor has been serving time in the penitentiary and, perhaps, would welcome Blago inside the slammer.

A cursory look at Nigeria from the 40s through today shows an alarming exponential increase in all manner of impunities. At this point its no longer impunity in the high places, that kind is, I believe, implicitly accepted as an incurable Nigerian phenomenon. The type that's dangerous now is this relatively new civilian impunity and lawlessness. To make it worse, our government can't even prosecute offenders. I'm not and will not absolve GEJ in this, I believe he's now deep into it. In 2012, Kabiru Sokoto masterminded Madalla blast, he was arrested and some people let him loose, he got rearrested and now - this? Over 40 people lost their loved ones and someday they will watch Kabiru leave the jail-house. He will leave the pen richer than he was cause' that's the meaning of amnesty and rehabilitation.

So, I ask - Do we still have the moral right to still hold a robber in prison? Where is the justification for keeping that petty thief in Kiri kiri? Why are we still still keeping that father who stole because he had no money to feed his family? why can't we rehabilitate him and let him go so that his children's lives can be bettered? Why are we this callous? If we can let people, who never told us they were hungry or jobless, kill over 3000 in space of 3-4 yrs go scot-free why shouldn't we posthumously pardon Anini and open the cage for Rev King?

When will this end? Fellow country men, do we want Nigeria or not? If we do why then are we not taking a stand and demanding that all offenders be put to jail. Before we go for eachother's throat, by that I mean Yoruba and Igbo, lets remember civil war, Odi, MKO election, Zaki biam, sharia riots, Berom vs Fulani, Akaluka, $12.5 billion oil windfall, farmers vs herders - need I go on? No one has ever been prosecuted for any of those, no one! And the list I made, which you and I agree, is just less than 0.1% of all the trouble we've been through yet it seems like we dont remember. To add to our endless list of shame it seems we've now arrived at a point where amnesty has become a tool - give my people some after all my brother gave your people one.

I understand that people are tired of the bombing and would rather want it solved here and now, I am too. But is there no other solution to our problems? By our 'problems' I mean our list of shame? Its obvious that different sections of this nation have different ways of life. North east and North west want a religious system, East wants to shape their future, and the West wants a system that fits their culture. Isn't this part of what Boko haram wants? Why do we have to let them kill 3000 before we give them amnesty? why not tell them to go have it so we can save lives? Is there any honest Nigerian who does not believe that giving each region the much needed space to develope is a no-brainer? I'm not talking about breaking up the country since we've all agreed to stick it out - I'm talking about extinguishing the source of our troubles.

If we all accept the source of our failure as a nation is this unnecessary ethnic fusion with no clear rules why dont we change it. Its a fusion that has given us unprosecutable offenders, its a fusion that's given us civil war, its a fusion that's given us military dictators who openly violated other groups due to the enormity of their home support, its a fusion that's made our leaders balance BS with BS - Alams coud not have been pardoned without giving it a national spread - Uwazurike, Asari, and Fasheun had to be arrested in a choreographed pattern to give it a national spread. Is this what we want?

We all need to stop this Yoruba vs. Igbo, North vs. South, and this vs. that nonsense before it gets too late. If we all need the same thing why dont we pull our strength together and demand an end to the source of our problem in the first place. But if hate eachother so much as to allow the nation limp from one era to another then maybe its time to call it an open season and let all offenders out of the cage, yes! amnesty to all.

I feel pained to state that Nigeria is a waste of God's green earth. We have money to pay murderers yet we dont educate the almajiris, neither do we arrest their fathers for creating the monumental trouble for responsible fathers. We dont even discuss closing almajiri shops schools because we're scared of the core north.

Tell me what would happen when oil price drops or when we run short of cash, does anyone know where to get the funds for amnesty package in the event of cash crunch?

I have a feeling many folks dont understand the implications of a "third world" amnesty - it means we will give the murderers a secret lump sum of money for killing and destroying our lives. We'll gently pat them on the back and then tell them to behave. They'll nod their head and move on, and thank allah, I almost forgot to add that one too. They'll marry multiple wives with scarce funds that would've been used to train more gradutes. Yet those who lost their own wives, husbands, and children are left to lick their wounds.

Let none of us be swayed by the utterances of politicians and free-loaders regarding this amnesty thing, this is Nigeria, I tell you - watch out for the next season and see how liars become saints without baptism. Today, it seems like amnesty is the magic wand. Maybe it is, but the question I want answered is - was Boko haram responsible for all the killings we've experienced in the north from day one? If Boko haram was not responsible, why then are we not interested in solving this problem once and for all?

We all know the root of the matter is that North East and North West have a different way of life. They prefer a religious/sharia system that, I also agree, will work well for them. We need to back off and let them have their system and autonomy and, if necessary, their own republic. Someone should tell me how amnesty or payment to Boko haram would stop this legal human yearning. The only thing I see is - bunch of 16 - 35 yr olds marrying multiple wives and passing the kids off to the rest of us. Need I add that in the next 16 years those kids will rise up and kill us more and then boom! we pay them - they marry more wives - make more babies - pass them off to our children - and in the next 16 yrs our children's children will get killed. GIVE THE NORTH WHAT THEY WANT AND DRAW THE LINE LIKE INDIA AND PAKISTAN! Lets stop this cyclical foolishness!

Maybe some of us enjoy how the core north is behind the south in every area of human endeavor. Maybe we like to use their not-so-good statics on literacy, poverty, and infant mortality to make ourselves feel good, I don't and I believe its about time we did the right thing by opening the cage and letting each bird thats air worthy fly. I honestly believe if we let the core north fly according to their God given strength, if we let them evolve their own peculiar ways and system - there is no way they would not catch up and do Africa proud.

Payment to Boko Haram is a wrong solution to a well defined and pronounced need. Maybe it'll buy us peace from now through 2015, but does anyone believe it'll stop the root-cause of the problem? The core north needs a religious system and its time to let them have it. The time has come for us to respectfully appreciate our cultural differences without hate or malice. Its time to open the cage and let all peoples of Nigeria fly.

[quote author=ndu_chucks]My people (aka MEND) will never bomb Abuja. (GEJ on national TV after Okhar and co bombed Abuja). We now know better.

The Igbos made the mistake of attempting to secede and carry all the oil territories with them, all under the pretext that the Feds reneged on some Aburi non binding agreement, and they are still paying for their crimes today.

This time around the fishermen from the SS and their co conspirators, Insha Allah, will permanently reside with fishes when all is said and done.[/quote]We're not the ones killing other people to be in Aso rock, or are we? What are we paying exactly - dude North East and North West literacy rate is probably the worst in the world, dont you think u should worry about that? Aburi or no Aburi, we've made it, and I might add, way better than the winners of the so-called Biafran/Nigerian war.

ndu_chuks, you should be ashamed of making careless comments. What are we paying for?- when your region is filled with beggars with all manner of diseases and all strains of polio yet you still think we're paying. If we decide to stoke this boko haram thing -dude your finished. If we decide to help boko with bomb making and delivery, then its over for u. I believe you know what we can do, aside all this noise making, when you're all alone and in your moment of truth you know what we can do. You know what can happen if we're really interested in setting the north ablaze through boko haram. We're interested in peace so we can do our biz, Igbo is super-duper interested in peace and it shocks me why some people would come here to peddle diarrhea of the mouth. We lose more than any other in times of crisis and it baffles me why my Yoruba brothers would think we're out to bomb them. Politics aside, rhetoric aside, Igbo no dey shit where e dey chop.

For Dudu_negro, I can only say wow! If its come to this then you need to go get checked out, fast!

Last time I checked, the earth was still very much free. We're all free to do as we wish provided its within the confines of the law. In fact some laws, especially when considered restrictive, get broken by the citizens and heavens do not fall.

Flying Israeli flag is a choice, loving Israel is also a choice - one I'm happy and willing to do for numerous reasons. Just to let folks in on why I will fly Israeli flag (too bad - I dont fly flags, maybe Biafran flag in future - now you're pissed! Biafra gets them all the time, lol) and continue to love them till the end of time.

Reason: When Nigerian men in uniform were shooting at "everything that moved and didnt move," Israel was part of the axis that tried to "save eveything that moved and pleading to move," - Now tell me why I should not fly their flag first before Nigerian flag?

Israel is blessed by God and they're CHOSEN, yes they're chosen - dont let that madrassa sermon, stormfront website, and your little hateful preacher tell you otherwise. I'm a christian and no matter what you think they do I still love them. If I can love the Arabs and the Europeans, if I can love the jihadists in the North even after all the lives lost in their hands, if I can do that tell me why I should resent Israel?

People, improve your lives and allow others do their thing as long as its not infringing on your right.

I am African, I'm not a Jew, will never be a Jew, and does not want to be a Jew because I'm not made by God to be one, but I love them because I love all peoples, if you have a problem with that you need to go get checked out.

Anyway, there you have it - flying Israeli flag is a mark of appreciation for their help to Biafran peoples. Folks, its action and reaction, get it? I bet you Zaki-biams know what color of flag to fly, that's if they're still willing to fly anything after the rest of Nigeria left them to their fate.

Brothers, don't kill people and wonder why the're not "flying your flag." Love and help them in their time of need and see if they wont reciprocate. I guess tomorrow Boko Haram will come out and wonder why the survivors of Madalla blast are uninterested in flying their AK47-crossed-Quran-superimposed flag. Wake up people, its 2013. Everest has been climbed, higgs boson's been cornered, Osama bin Laden is dead, your mama's soup is not the greatest, and your father is not the strongest. Its a new world now. Quit hating from your laptop - its time come out and embrace all peoples.

A prominet northern senator says the north is itching to kill the PIB bill. I found few of the senator's positions plausible. However, I'm of the opinion that the senator's few good intentions are the not the main reasons behind the new threat. I believe his fear lies in the power of the presidency to revoke licenses + host communities 10% pocket-money. One of the senator's powerful words caught my eye and that is - "If our observations are not reflected in the report, we will wait for them during the clause by clause consideration of the Third Reading. We have the numerical strength to force our way through." According to him, the north can force their way through - sounds like violation. Me thinks, maybe, we should let the north kill the bill with this "numerical strenght." Perhaps after the killing is over, then and only then shall our people wake up and smell the futilty and hypocrisy in this lopsided "nation."






From ADETUTU FOLASADE-KOYI, Abuja

The North is plotting fresh obstacles against the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) even as the Senate President David Mark is set to inaugurate four standing committees for the new oil law today.

The region is asking for an amendment of certain sections in the new PIB failing which it would deploy its numerical strength in both chambers of the National Assembly against the bill at the clause-by-clause stage of the Third Reading.

The Senate and the House of Representatives have taken the Second Reading and are now set to conduct separate public hearings on the PIB.

After three plenary days of debate on a bill for an Act to provide for establishment of a legal, fiscal and regulatory framework for the petroleum industry in Nigeria and for other related matters, Senate resolved that its Committees on Petroleum Resources (Upstream and Downstream), Gas, Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters would fine-tune the document submitted to it by President Goodluck Jonathan last July.

Besides fine-tuning the bill, the joint committee will also conduct a public hearing on the new oil law. One of the new set of demands from the North is unbundling of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and that the proposed National Oil Company (NOC) must be listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

Listing the NOC on the nation’s stock exchange, the region argued, would make it a public company open to Nigerians unlike what presently obtains with the NNPC. The North also wants the National Assembly to specifically amend section 118 of the PIB which makes provision 10 per cent of net profit of oil companies for the Petroleum Host Communities (PHC) Fund “by reducing it to just three per cent.”

Section 118 (a), (b) (c) explains PHC Fund as “profit derived from upstream petroleum operations in onshore areas and in offshore and shallow water areas, all of such remittances shall be made directly into the PHC Fund and (b( for profit derived from upstream petroleum operations in deep eater areas, all of the remittance directly into the fund for the benefit of the petroleum-producing littoral states and (c) for the purpose of this section ‘net profit’ means adjusted profit less royalty, allowable deductions and allowances, less Nigerian Hydrocarbon Tax less Companies Income Tax.” Some federal lawmakers from the North told Daily Sun that several probes initiated by the National Assembly “to ascertain the daily revenue accruable to the Federal Government from the sale of crude oil have always failed.

“The only constant from officials of the NNPC is that a daily allocation of 446,000 barrels of oil is available for local consumption. When you ask them how many barrels are refined locally and how many are sold and how many are used for crude oil swap with foreign partners, you will never get a straight answer. “If we allow the PIB to pass in its present form as submitted to us by the executive, it means the old order will subsist.

That, we will never allow. Imagine a situation where the Department of Petroleum Resources does not even have the equipment to measure how much oil is being drilled, yet, they now want us to approve its transformation as Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency.” The subsisting order where it is only the President and the Minister of Petroleum Resources who know the true state of NNPC activities with the Joint Venture (JV) partners will no longer be condoned, it was also gathered at the weekend. In addition to that, lawmakers also insist on amending sections 6 (g), (h) and (i) of the new oil law.

Section 6 (g) empowers the minister to “upon the advice of the Inspectorate, grant, amend, renew, extend, or revoke upstream petroleum licences and leases” while (h) further explains that “upon the advice of the agency, grant, renew, extend or revoke downstream petroleum licences for gas transportation pipeline, gas distribution networks, refineries, LNG and GTL plants, petrochemical plants and gas exports.”

Also, section 6 (i) stipulates that the minister would “advise the president on the appointments of the chief executives of the Upstream Petroleum Inspectorate, Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency, the National Oil Company, the Asset Management Corporation and any other government agency or corporate entity established or to be established pursuant to this Act…”

Lawmakers would have none of that and agree, across the political divide, that the Senate must reserve that right, as granted it by the 1999 Constitution, to screen and confirm presidential nominees for any government appointment.

“In this new PIB, the President may nominate but the Senate must retain the constitutional right to screen and confirm any appointment made in the company. If we are sincere about reforms in the oil sector, then, the way things are done must change and be seen to be transparent.”

Should the four committees fail to address these issues, the region is perfecting plans to stop the passage of the bill at the clause-by-clause stage when the report is considered on the floor. “If our observations are not reflected in the report, we will wait for them during the clause by clause consideration of the Third Reading. We have the numerical strength to force our way through,” said a ranking member of the NSF who declined to be named.

Fresh facts also emerged at the weekend that the North is not comfortable with the fact that the two standing committees on Petroleum Resources (Upstream and Downstream) are held by the South south. Senator Paulker Emmanuel chairs the Upstream Committee while Senator Magnus Abe leads the Downstream Committee. In addition, they are equally angry that a southerner also chairs the Gas Committee, led by Senator Nkechi Nwaogu.

“With the equation stacked against us, that was why we insisted that a northerner, chairman of the Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Umaru Dahiru, must also be involved in the consideration of the PIB.” Dahiru is the chairman of the Northern Senators’ Forum (NSF).

Members demanded he stepped down from the office in a tense meeting which held in Senate Hearing 1 last Tuesday. Dahiru, however, refused to resign which led a splinter group within the NSF to convene another meeting, this time, comprising only ranking members with a view to moving a motion for the disbandment of the entire NSF’s executive council.


http://sunnewsonline.com/new/cover/north-in-fresh-plot-to-stop-new-pib/

ijaw citizen: Migration is different from possesing a territory. To possess or inhabit a territory means the territory must be a virgin land without prior occupants. So what you call "migration" is indeed expansion ( not encroachment) just as the case of large groups like Yoruba, Igbos etc. And expansion stops when they meet the boundary of a people different from them in all ramifications, as such any subsequent migration into someone else's territory, you would be seen as an alien. You don't and can't expand your territory onto someone else's territory unless you're prepared for war.

Migration is seen as an INFLUX of foreign people into a territory already occupied by a people which are either accommodated or resisted depending on the intentions of the aliens.

So not every people are immigrants, some are real and true owners of a territory - aborigines. And some are not, they are only tolerated.

What are you suggesting - kick Itsekiri out because they 're not 'aborigines'? There's nothing wrong with Itsekiri being a subset of Ijebu or whatever. Itsekiri may have started as Yorubas but today could be 40% Ijaw, 30% Isoko, 5% Yoruba, and remaining% whatever. Ethnicity is more like diffusion of gaseous molecules, with time it disperses and may not be retracted. It blends with its surroundings perfectly. Every ethnic group is mixed somehow, none of us is pure 'anything.' We all are, to some extent, connected to one another and we all migrated from somewhere. What am I saying - no ethnic group has a superior claim to exist and thrive on a land more than the next neighbouring group.

GEJ has not indicated he's contesting. If he throws himself in the ring, then its over. It doesn't matter who's against him he's still going to win - that's Nigeria for you. This man and his kinsmen sit on the source of our wealth - I'm still figuring out who'll will push him out. I believe most of us do not subscribe to fraudlent polls but it still does not change the truth on ground which is - Nigeria hasn't completely, maybe not at all, evolved as a nation. It would've been easier not to let GEJ smell the presidency than to let him enjoy it and then think we can toss him out - just like that! lol. And to make matters worse, I dont see anyone coming to save the day should "our hell" break loose. Even America won't come as quick as you think because when you think about it the US is decrementally buying our oil. So, folks I say this again - who is going to chase GEJ out if he's contesting? Not with this kind of coalition I'm seeing now. What I see now is a sectional coalition that can only succeed in galvanizing GEJ's kins, friends, and regional alliance.

Its imperative to state here that beneath all the political grandstanding is the core north's quest for power - plain and simple. GEJ's authority has and will always be illegitimate to them. I would like to see them field someone from MB then I'll tender my unreserved apology. Sectional interest can't remove GEJ as it is now, too late. Like I said, sectional interest will only galvanize opposite/counter sectional alliance that's been the strenght of the president. To remove GEJ, the nation needs a different interest that's not ethnic or regional. As much as I have my reservations on GEJ, no other president has ever been opposed like him in Nigerian history. And the reason is simple - Core north regions don't think he should be there (SW opposes him of late, that I understand, but at least SW opposed OBJ).

In summary, let the core north kill Boko Haram and Ansaru cells, show us we're all Nigerians by fielding a Berom, Tiv, Idoma etc, then and only then I'll know their intention is not sectional. But as long as they're masking their ethnic and regional interest with 2015, forget it - its either GEJ is returned or we part ways. GEJ has already tested power so, too bad - genie is out of the bottle. Maybe if we survive 2015 we can then sit down as brothers, friends, and equals without all the entrenched ineterest, hate, and bigotry that are draining the life out of this nation.

[quote author=ndu_chucks]Your doomsday scenario and latent wish for the demise of our great country will, Insha Allah, never come to pass. Nigeria will move forward with or without the support of pessimists. If GEJ loses the election, that is if he is actually contests, nothing will happen. There will be noise from some disgruntles and jobless youths from SS and that will be that.

I predict that drones would have been made available to Nigeria by then - the kind that can penetrate deep into the strongholds of terrorist groups deep in the North and the creeks of the South.[/quote]Nwanne, its been a long time. How u dey. Anyway, I do not have a "latent", lol, wish for the demise of "our great country." If there's any "latent" wish in Nigeria, I believe its yours - your wish to have power by all means. Nwanne, the issue is your wish not mine. If you kick it down a notch I think things 'll fine, but if you don't then we will part ways soon.

Whoever wins in 2015 is, perhaps, inconsequential. I believe what should worry folks who think they own Nigeria is whether the votes 'll be along ethnic or regional lines. If it is, then its either GEJ goes back or its bye bye to Nigeria. The heat, sabotage, incitement, hate, religious violence, and political brinkmanship that'll ensue could unravel the myth of One Nation. Nigeria of yesterday is over. The one we have now is more cracked than it's ever been before. And I suppose those who love it with all their might should equally do their all to avoid this impending manifestation of our agelong faultline.

I remember reading Macbeth in high school and always pondering on the relationship between prediction and fulfillment. If my memory serves me right, Macbeth, in the book, was told by the 3 weird sisters that he would be king thereafter and, right or wrong, he eventually became king. One could argue that if he hadn't heard the 3 weird sisters, maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't have rammed things in a flash like he did, maybe natural justice would've rewarded him with the throne. Why is this story important - Ok, let me land it. Its important when you look at the prediction that Nigeria may not survive 2015. Prediction can set an action rolling if the "actioners" are, overtly or covertly, seeking for the same outcome for which the "predictioner" has predicted. Whoever wants to keep Nigeria alive post 2015 must make sure 2015 election is not a sectional one that has GEJ on the losing side.

Umunna, chukwu gozie unu.

Gbawe: Look, you are still making the same mistake by going off tangent again and disregarding the points others make perhaps to satisfy a need to frame things around your outlook. An outlook you would see is inconsequential if you only focus on what others are saying instead of trying to smuggle an SE/SS or ethnic perspective into everything. Also, I really don't know why you are mentioning Buhari here.

My original point made was that GEJ may not get the ticket because he has to defeat the Northern caucus in the PDP to gain it. It is looking unlikely to me right now. GEJ's failure will simply mean the PDP will present a Northern Presidential candidate. The mega Party will do the same. Nigeria will get a Northern President, whether some like it or not, and nothing will happen because the stage at which the ordinary Nigerian cannot complain of 'rigging', i.e internal Party election, has been used to cleverly take GEJ out. That is what is likely to happen in my opinion and everything you say here would then simply appear superfluous to issues and rather vainglorious.

We are not at the stage where you should start dragging the SE/SS/SW or North into any obligatory regional responsibility/role. We are at the stage where all politicians from all regions, even if processes are tainted with ethnicity, must be respected to churn up their candidates. We have no say in that stage of issues and it may take GEJ out. You need to make that distinction otherwise you will continue to talk of things that don't matter now and may never matter or come into play. This is the stage to just watch what the Parties are doing instead of getting ahead of ourselves.

Lets do justice to what you wrote and maybe, just maybe, we'll see who's trying to outsmart who in Nigeria's political brinkmanship.

You wrote this:

Gbawe: Look, you are still making the same mistake by going off tangent again and disregarding the points others make perhaps to satisfy a need to frame things around your outlook. An outlook you would see is inconsequential if you only focus on what others are saying instead of trying to smuggle an SE/SS or ethnic perspective into everything. Also, I really don't know why you are mentioning Buhari here.

What, according to you, "others" are saying or point they're making which, in your view, I "disregarded" was that come 2015 GMB/Fashola are the only hope of defeating GEJ. I guess if I had bought into that okie doke I would be considered a "patriot" or detribalized Easterner/Igbo by GMB/Fashola die-hards. You said that I mentioned Buhari and smuggled in SE/SS. Well, I ask - is Buhari no longer relevant to the 2015 anymore? And for SE/SS being smuggled into the debate, what about those "others" who, I assume, are aligned with you politically and are, unrepentantly, calling Igbos "Igbos" and GEJ "retardeen?" You think thats not ethnic agenda? Come on, we're not fools. I called this whole thing "political brinkmanship" for a reason. And for clarity, I didnt smuggle in SE/SS ok, those that cast their 2015 political preference on the evil alter of exclusionary politics did, not me.


Again, you wrote this:

Gbawe: My original point made was that GEJ may not get the ticket because he has to defeat the Northern caucus in the PDP to gain it. It is looking unlikely to me right now. GEJ's failure will simply mean the PDP will present a Northern Presidential candidate. The mega Party will do the same. Nigeria will get a Northern President, whether some like it or not, and nothing will happen because the stage at which the ordinary Nigerian cannot complain of 'rigging', i.e internal Party election, has been used to cleverly take GEJ out. That is what is likely to happen in my opinion and everything you say here would then simply appear superfluous to issues and rather vainglorious.

To the above I say - yes, its possible for GEJ to lose PDP ticket but one would be a dummy to wholly bank on that. And for the records, there is no Northern Caucus, what you see is, primarily, NE/NW caucus so if I were you I would not rely too much on the word "north."

Again what seems to have been lost in this back and forth is the fact that incumbent president will be extremely difficult to defeat under our current conditions - whoever fails to realize that is either a fool or a noise maker. To defeat GEJ, the challenger must create a formidable coalition that cuts across all political power-blocks. Any objective reader here can see the cheerleaders of GMB/Fashola has decided on the blocks they need to kick GEJ out.

Just to cover all case scenario. Even if GEJ fails to clinch PDP ticket he's still free and financially capable of running under a different party. He's the president, he's got the bully pulpit and he can milk it for all its worth which you and I know will, if he gets 95% of SE/SS, spell doom for Nigeria.

One of your statements above reads "Nigeria will get a Northern President, whether some like it or not, and nothing will happen," I'll be waiting for 2015 to remind you of your "declaration." If you ask me I'll say Northern president in 2015 is not feasible unless, of course, you mean NC.

On this:

Gbawe: We are not at the stage where you should start dragging the SE/SS/SW or North into any obligatory regional responsibility/role. We are at the stage where all politicians from all regions, even if processes are tainted with ethnicity, must be respected to churn up their candidates. We have no say in that stage of issues and it may take GEJ out. You need to make that distinction otherwise you will continue to talk of things that don't matter now and may never matter or come into play. This is the stage to just watch what the Parties are doing instead of getting ahead of ourselves.

I would say this - You wrote well but the issue is - do we really practice what we preach? Are we telling others to calm down while plotting to take them out? Where there's alliance there's a counter alliance. The offsprings of men and women who made it through 1966 -1970 must and should be cautious of people who're gathering and chanting "Igbos" while unapologetically pushing their kinsmen forward.

Below is my food for thought for you:
The fate of Nigeria lies in the hands of GEJ come 2015, try and remember that.

Gbawe: Your post would make more sense if you did not assume it is a foregone conclusion GEJ will run in 2015. He may not even gain the PDP ticket and may actually be given the treatment he dished out to Sylva regardless of any amount of Nigeria's money he is planning to spend to buy support.

His candidate , that his pitch for the PDP ticket relies on entirely, could not even become Chairman BOT of PDP despite team GEJ having plenty of time to plan and initiate winning strategy. Ali, drafted in at the last minute and effectively a semi-retired and disinterested Politician, defeated the candidate of the sitting President embarrassingly to the extent they had to claim "deadlock". After that event, GEJ is now trying to med fences with OBJ.

If we were a less sentimental people, it will be obvious to many that events are already suggesting that GEJ will struggle to get the PDP ticket for many reasons and for the fact he has alienated many,many, many influential folks than is politically healthy.

Yea, I agree, there's always a non-zero probability that he might be jilted by PDP power-brokers. Anyways, nothing is etched in stone. Whatever permutation we all make online is always going to be just online, you never know what and how the wind will blow, thats why I consider proponents of exclusionary politics as jokers.

Like I said earlier, I have personally downgraded GEJ score-card. But if I were to be in Nigeria in 2015 and the opposing party failed to present a realistic and all inclusive challenger (assuming GEJ is in) then I would go for GEJ. If anyone is interested in having GEJ removed without much after-election doom, that person better make sure GEJ's base in SE and SS is contested. Leaving his power base in those regions intact while seeking to measure "the drapes" is pure fantasy. These two regions are arguably more sick of Nigeria than the rest, so when I hear funny folks say stuff like "we outnumber them" or "we count them out," I say ride on bro, but soon you'll go over that cliff.

Nigeria is already drifting apart, needless to say exclusion will make it worse. Buhari sure will pull in lots of vote from NE and NW but will get zero in SE and SS - if thats not iron curtain I dont know what is. Too many people already feel bad about him and to make matters worse hes never, not for even a single day, tried to clean his image in SS and SE.

In the last election he disregarded them, why? Even Awo, despite the fact he knew he was unliked in the East he still went to Aba and sought for their vote - Aba of all places, if you understand Aba you'll get my drift. Some parents lost their children during after-election violence in the north and, rightly or not, they hold GMB somehow responsible yet he never mounted any kind of high-powered image campaign down south to dispel the allegations. I know he said a few times he wasn't responsible but gosh! hes played into the hands of either bad fate or his opponents. Its either he cant sell himself or hes dismissive of others. Maybe he thinks only NE and NW will win him the thing, I guess now hes included SW as part of the axis that'll get it for him. Buhari may turn out to be the only unelectable saintly politician in Nigeria's History. I feel sorry for him.

Wadeoye: Igbos have never voted for Buhari and they wont in 2015 because their own definition of leadership is different and very uncivilized. Hence, it is not the killing in the north that changed their mind but rather their usual hatred for other tribes and religion.

South West is the majority ethinic group in the South and we dont have any issue with Buhari. The reason we are working out an alliance with Buhari's CPC.

This is why Nigeria's luck ran out eons ago.
You've written off SE and SS, because, according to you, you're the majority ethnic group in the southern hemisphere. Dont let Lagos population fool you. This is a new Nigeria, its no longer the one "you" operated in 70s through 80s. The Nigeria "we" [emphasis on 'we'] have now is the one "minorities" have found their voices and will never be taken lightly. It'll be nice to see how far "your old Nigeria" will go with Igbo majority, SS, and some middle belt minorities already counted out.

Think about this: What if GEJ wins again? What if GMB wins but GEJ rigs and is declared winner? What do you think'll happen - nothing, nada, rien! Maybe protest in Lagos, violence in Kano and nothern Kaduna - end of the story. GEJ happens to double as mr president and son of the "oil" soil, remember that. If you push him too much or if he feels like hes been chased by "outsiders" he might unleash his "brothers" to shut the oil down and, bro, there's nothing you can do. The last time MEND was active remember how much oil revenue we lost? I guess by now you know who the boss is.

There is a gigantic world of difference between reality and fantasy - fantasy here is simply counting out your paymaster or telling him how hes surrounded and outnumbered. But the reality is - he owns the wealth and he can turn the tap off at any time of his choosing. Mind you, I'm not in anyway implying SW or any other zone for that matter will die or decay once oil is gone, rather I'm saying once the oil is gone that "your" Nigeria you so much used to intimidate and outnumber others will go the way of exponential decay in matter of months.

Now who's the boss! You or the man you outnumbered?
If you're still in doubt as to who the boss is, ask why Boko Haram is still not paid like we did to MEND.

For NL folks this is my take on GEJ and 2015. I think GEJ is a C-/+ leader. I dont think he has any serious agenda for Nigeria. However, if the other political parties field Buhari in 2015 then dont blame GEJ for winning again 'cause he will win. Buhari is more saintly than GEJ - that I believe, but electability in Nigeria political landscape does not and may never depend on one's degree of sainthood. We've been doing passi passi since 1970. Anyway, if the merger btwn CPC and ACN takes place and GMB runs against GEJ, lets assume GMB pairs with Fashola (have nothing agaisnt Fashola - he seems to have his head screwed right), its clear the outcome'll be combustible for the nation. Nigeria will split down the middle and anything can happen.

[quote author=Dudu_Negro]Xmas was fine, thanks for asking. Wishing you a, soon, Happy New year.

This topic might sound like Im picking on Igbos, but frankly I believe Hausa will not win 2015 either and I have a topic that will share my opinion on that. It will come. Hausa has ruined this country just as much as Igbo did to capsize our beginnings.

I don't see anything wrong in pushing an Igbo nationalism. The social structure that will work for you is one which is so organized that it harmonizes with your customs. The Nigerian system works best for the other two because customarily they lived a society similarly structured and organized around a central point of authority and power delegation or hierarchy. So unlike Igbos, the Yorubas and the Hausas naturally settle into the role and know just what to do to exercise political authority and trust when ruling from the top. The Igbo president is soon disoriented because he is out of custom and dispenses power negatively. If you look in East today this is exactly what you will find in each of the state where the individual governors have either declared publicly that ndigbos are difficult to govern or in the case of Chime, he has abandoned his job.

The clan social structure is what you excel in, where individual people manage their affair independent of the other and the clan head is the final authority to dispense power. Unfortunately Nigeria is not structured like that and I dont think it ever will. As I said there are three markers- 1963, 1966 and 1967 - to prove your rowdiness and wildness in positions of power. You will need to use existing opportunities in your homeland as models to exhibit and showcase a "renewed", "reborn", "reawakened" and "transformed" Igbo brand, its difficult, going by current events in alaigbo, to trust that you have left your old schemes behind.[/quote]Good to know you "care about us." But without sounding combative, wont it be nice if you show us what good the "organized and traditional top-down" political approach of the north and west has brought to Nigeria. I mean, lets say for argument sake all that you said of the Igbo leadership style was accurate, lets assume they are, then what? What about Yoruba and Hausa, does it mean Nigeria is doomed? Igbo has been out of power since 1966 yet Nigeria is not eldorado, in fact we all can agree its gotten worse. So, what really happened to the organized and wonderful leadership of the West and North??

You can see now that underneath that well structured write-up of yours lies the hunger to vilify and ridicule. I would like you to show me one positive piece you've done on Igbo since you came to Nairaland. For one positive write-up you show me, I will bring to you 5 positives I did on Yoruba.

Nigeria is in tatters because we all made her so, in fact I can confidently say that Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba, and Igbo destroyed Nigeria, we can pick the order in whichever form that tickles our ego but there's no denying that we all know that minorities didnt destroy this nation, the big three did in varrying degrees. Why not write about that. tell us how the three groups, in their bid to cheat the minorities, destroyed a promising nation. As much as most people dislike Sanusi, he at least has the balls to call a spade a spade sometimes. Making any meaninful headway entails that men suck up their ego and ethnocentrism and let out the bitter truth without finger pointing or sermonizing to other groups. It means you accept that you're equally bad, if not worse than the other man you've spent 42 years lampooning.

[quote author=Dudu_Negro]Sam,

It's nice to see you again. .

Nigeria as a democracy is not immune from social challenges that burden democracies all over the globe. We are relearning now what we should have perfected years ago if the first Republic had been left to grow and mature into the visions envisaged in the 50s.

The smooth treasurable round pebbles you find on the bottom of a stream have a tale to tell. They started out as rough jagged edge rocks, kicked and despised. As the stream ferry them along they bump sharp force into one another loosing a chip here and there and which reduced them from large rock to small stones and finally till there is no sharpness left and there is no more losses and when they bump against one another now they only bounce off, not chip away.

Reflect on this wisdom my brother. [/quote]I did reflect on it. Contrary to what political detractors and irredeemable doomsayers foresee in Eastern political lanscape, the future of my people and her friends/neighbours is bright. Did anyone foresee the masterstroke Ndigbo delivered during GEJ election? Wishful thinkers thought the people of Eastern heartland would never vote for Ijaw because, in their disjointed political permutation, Igbo and Ijaw are still locked in a war that ended 40 years ago. The reason I digressed this bit is to emphasize how far we've moved on with our lives, yet on daily basis people from the so-called "winners" and "one Nigerianers" keep yapping about how we're going to avenge this and that, steal spoon and fork from Abuja if elected, and commandeer all state apparatus (apparatus that are inexistent).

Dude, we've moved on and, most importantly, tirelessly on the march to a divine-predetermined fate with destiny. We aint looking back bro. To end the story - I dont care if you have the presidency as yours forever. In fact, whoever is interested can knock their entire families out with it. What's more important to me at this point is to work, pray, and hope that both the current and future generation of Igbos are embracing sciences 'cause that's where the future is - not some political permutation in Arewa land or Dudu_negro land.

On a lighter note, hope ur xmass was nice and BH free.

ACM10: Nwanna Sam, glad to have you back!
Compliments of the season.

Nwannem, Chukwu gozie gi. Ka ekeresimesi nka, na afor ohuru nkea na abia wetara anyi udo na oga n'iru.

[quote author=Dudu_Negro]the bolded........how do you plan to accomplish that?


Currently, as has been the case for years, Igbo continue to antagonize and push buttons that trigger red flags and unsettle trust with the major political blocs.

To successfully put Igbo in power in 2015 will require support and endorsement from the leadership of one or the other of Yoruba or Hausa voting bloc. Igbo was ostracised from the presidency over 40 years ago for its arrogant assault and violent attack in 1966, aimed at decapitating Yoruba and Hausa at the top and making them impotently weak enough that Igbo become the de facto and unrivaled commandeer of the future of Nigeria.

Anyone sitting in the presidency have complete and unabridged ownership of authority and power and it is imperative that the person is humble and perceivably trustworthy.

Let's look at some of the past markers that has damaged trust and left Igbo in the cold.

1.
It cannot be disputed that Lagos and primarily the West played a most significant role in the rise and popularity of NCNC in the ten years period leading to independence. Instead of honoring its successes and landmark acceptance in the West, Azikiwe, NCNC leader, made calculations to topple Yoruba control of West and impose Igbo dominance completely over the South.

2.
Western region included all the territories in current Yorubaland all the way to the banks of the Niger in modern day Delta state. In 1963, Azikiwe as President of Nigeria worked with his party stalwarts to destabilize and break the political loyalty and hegemony of AG in Western region. This plot produced three outcomes.

a. a political riot and state of emergency in West that succeeded in a splintered loyalty
b. a campaign to dishonor AG and pro West champions; Awolowo and Enahoro were imprisoned.
c. In an effort to further humiliate the West, Azikiwe cut off Benin and Delta provinces from Western region and called it Mid Western region.

3.
In its coup of January 1966, Igbo calculatedly murdered the sittin head of goverment of Western Nigeria and a traditional high Chief in Yorubaland, Ladoke Akintola. They also assassinated Brigadier Ademulegun and wife and Colonel Sodeinde. Not a single Igbo politician, traditional Chief or military command officer was killed. Likewise they assassinated head of the Nigerisn goverment, Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, murdered head of Northern government and a traditional high Chief of the Fulanis and Northern military Officers. Okotie-Eboh, a Mid Westerner and Nigerian minister of Finance was also assassinated.

Igbos are yet to apologize for these inhuman atrocities

4.
The purpose for going to war was to liberate his fellow Igbos from what they termed "unprovoked terror and hatred against Igbo people" (see 3 above), but what Ojukwu had in mind was quite different. With pre-printed flags he marched into Ijaw territory and planted Biafran flag, headed West and in newly created Bendel state unleashed untold pains after sacking the neutral governor and planting another flag and a Biafran as new governor. He then set his eyes to go and overrun Yorubaland.

Igbos are yet to apologize to Bendel and Delta people and Yoruba people.


Ndigbo's covetous love to own and rule Yorubaland is endemic. They say one thing but act opposite. Yorubas have therefore learnt, painfully, to use this weakness as a tool of manipulation to draw and accomodate Igbo but never again to allow them access into the gates of political acceptance in Yorubaland. They remain locked out even though they contribute immensely to revenue generation in Lagos. This is reflected in their constant anger and dissaffection for Lagos politics and the Yoruba elites that rule the state.

Very recently another Igbo grievance revealed itself when Chinua Achebe, Igbo most achieved literary giant, shared with the world what he thought of Awolowo. This was widely applauded by Igbos in all strata of society. Awolowo is highly reverred in all of Yorubaland and even outside of it and for Igbo to dishonor him in a memoir is tantamount to mounting a live rooster on the chest of murdered Balewa and circulating the photograph amongs his kindred as a message of virile Igbo dominance (rooster was the NCNC party symbol) over a limp North. No dishonor and humiliation can be greater....it calls for a checkmate from the other side!

Why does Igbo take pride in humiliating dead persons that cannot defend themselves? I am open to hear them explain this trait.

So I should wrap this up. Again, going by the history, I cannot see how Igbo is able to convice Yorubaland to accept and endorse the Igbo political brandof arrogance and humiliation of rivals. As a weapon of assassination, words is just as lethal as a bullet - one kills and damages the character, the other kills and damages the body. The Igbos have broadly been spoken for and their voice championed by Achebe and in which they collectively assassinated Awolowo. Your only chance for a 2015 presidency resides in an endorsement by the Northerners.

Good luck and see you in 2015![/quote]Dudu's unhealthy obsession with Igbo, I believe, is now at a fatal stage. I expect to hear how you and your "king makers" have improved the lives of "real Nigerians minus Igbos" during the fourty years of your much touted "Igbo political wilderness." And while you're at it, please do tell us how you intend to create wealth and lift the masses out of poverty post 2015, because its glaring GEJ's tenure is and will not work for you neither will Igbo man's shot at the highest position reset your tensed pulse.

I'm sick of hearing Igbo wont lead, they're arrogant, they killed us, they stole this, they stole that, we hate them, they're evil, and blah blah blah yet its not like Nigeria has been out of the woods since you won your "no victor no vanquished BS."

My point - Show us the right way of get the hell out of my way. Nigeria deserves better and if you haven't provided it all these fourty years of unbroken and unfettered access to power and oil resources then you should either keep quiet or, at the very least, remove yourself from our midst. Your daily sensational front-page piece on Nairaland thats usually riddled with fatal obsession with Igbo doesn't provide leadership or answers to problems - Its high time you recognized that.

I believe Odumchi is a mature, level-headed, and politically adept fellow who knows when to talk and when to put his tongue back in. Irrespective of my likes and/or reservations regarding his emergence, one lesson to be learnt during the whole process is - those who wish to serve in Igboland henceforth should learn to be mild tempered, less confrontational on irrational issues, put our collective interest over and above theirs, talk less and act more, and most importantly, dont be fixated - know when to cut a deal politically and go home. I say to future Igbo leaders - learn, learn, and learn.

PointB is a selfless and trusted Igbo. I urge true brothers and sisters to not only follow, but emulate him.

Awake9ja: As a Benue man that i am, i must say "enough is enough" to all the killings by core-north.

The biafran/nigeria war is what i regret when ever i remembered it.
my father who fought in that war told me that they also see it as a mistake even during the war and after that war.
he one's told me that they fought while the few hausa and fulani's in the war keep taking the glory.

We know our friends and our when the time comes.
we can never make another mistake.

It's not so easy for us to stand up and say "we are sorry to the biafran's" but
they must know by now that we are deeply sorry. not for them to assist us but that we have found out the mistake in the war.

emmke: I strongly believe that the middle belt states like Plateau, Benue, Taraba etc should quit that arewa consultative forum. We don't belong there and clearly they (the core northern states) do not have our interest at heart. Imagine the mofos keeping mute while the fulanis went on their killing spree only to spew craps when the StF decided to evacuate the fulanis for the sake of peace. Kudos to Gana and fcukx Oseni, he's a persona non grata in Plateau anyway.

There is something I've noticed in all your posts and that is - MB people are, to some extent, tired of playing the old game and at the same time dying avoidably and senselessly right in the heart of their homeland. No other part or section of this country gets killed in their region but MB people. I'm not sure how much culpable the MB people are in this whole bloodletting - maybe they're as guilty as their guests, however what is natural, moral, and universal is that no man should feel unsafe in his house.

I wish you all would stop the tit for tat for the sake of your children - just a wish, I know its not gonna happen soon and based on that, I support the MB people in their bid to feel safe at home, define who they're and not be seen as an appendage of the north (I'll withdraw my support if you guys are actually the guilty ones).

Lets work for peace in our time.

lagcity: puccy ibo man . always starting shit they cant finish

antitpiah: His cowardice. Reminds us all of Biafra.

Kazeem1987: Probably an Igbo man since it was in America. Useless bunch are always getting beat up anyway. That stupid African American savage is not much better.

antitpiah: I doubt a Yoruba man can be humiliated like that.

In Nigeria, every one beats Ibo people
Now, illiterate, uneducated Akatas are giving them the beating of their life . . . maybe it is time these cowards headed back to Isreal, their ancestral land.

Sorry to burst your bubbles - that man is not Igbo in any way, shape or form. I guess saying hes Igbo kind of helps you guys sleep at night, but deep down you know where hes from 'cause you heard his accent. Any Igbo with a heavy accent such as his would not have missed adding "nna" in one or two places - and y'all know it.

For those who want to fully verify the set of people who're more inclined to run away from one-on-one combat or face-off, I advise you go to Lagos since its our own Nigerian New York (melting pot). Try messing with random people there (at least ten from every ethnic group in Nigeria) and at the end tell us what the result is.

Ignorance or hate - I havent quite figured out which is worse.