₦airaland Forum

ijaw citizen: The last time I checked, the title of this thread is:
Why Igbos and Ijaws "MUST" unite-started by an Igbo man-Abagworo.

@OP[Abagworo]
I have always thought threads and rumination among Igbo in terms of building alliances and strengthening friendships is a waste of time. There are no permanent friends or enemies to any nation, so building bridges with our neighbors at this point is wrongheaded. Whomever you want to build alliances would ask what's in it for them and, in the case of the Igbo, suspect your every step no matter how much common interest there is.

Abagworo, including the Niger Delta, as a block, is mistaken. There are a few ethnic groups in the Niger Delta who have very strong bond with the Igbo and their potential entry into the Biafran union is what should be planned for in terms of what they can bring to the table. This is the discussion I think should be had instead (check www.nairaland.com/1331718/preparing-east-post-nigeria-future ). Rather than looking for allies at this time, we should instead talk of developing our realm, which I discussed here: www.nairaland.com/1248907/preparing-east-post-nigeria-future . I think this fixation on who Nigeria's president is and where he comes from is infantile. The president comes from Bayelsa, but what difference does that make to Bayelsa? And all this craze about oil would end soon by force when the US starts producing more than we do from shale oil and fracking. We should be talking of harnessing local talent. The manufacturing industry in Anambra for instance can bring the sort of African renaissance in wealth and job creation if it is not hobbled by government policy favoring Chinese imports. This is what we should be taking about, keeping in mind that Nigeria would not help this industry because it is resident in the East.

Whoever's been told and believes that "federal character" and "quota system" would address inequality has been lied to and deceived. It has only increased inequality. The low quality input into the system in terms of teacher employment and student recruitment brings down the quality of learning in these schools for everybody leaving private schools as the only alternative. The rise of private schools in the midst of decline of public education means only children with wealthy parents get the best education. This means the ladder to ascend the financial pyramid is taken away from children of poor parents. And this easily is one reason the rich would keep getting richer and the poor remain poorer. And all this because of smallmindedness.

Idoma Likita: I feel your Pain Sir. But Believe Me, Federal Character is doing more harm than good to those whom it was made to favour. I'm a Middlebelter, My Father Spread his Children across the Six Geopolitical zones to study. Believe me when I tell you my Siblings in the North are less competitive, more complacent, and totally dependent than us in the South. Keep up the Struggle Sir, A Smooth Sea never makes a Good Mariner.....Thanks Seun et al...Love you loads

No doubt, there is something about "affirmative action" policies that keeps people it is meant to benefit at a lower level. I am even against such policies for African Americans because it brings charges that they are not brilliant. This is because it causes them not to compete like the Asians have to. It's commonsense really. Lower the bar on a high jump event and the athletes would make a lesser effort, no need stress yourself when a lesser effort achieves the same result.

Sunny_bobo: @Op, are you a learner?

No. Are you?