Suurulere's Posts

Nairaland Forum › Suurulere's Profile › Suurulere's Posts

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (of 7 pages)

Culture › Re: How Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti Sacked The Alake Of Egbaland In 1949 by Suurulere(op): 10:00am On Sep 01, 2016

enm:
Op thank you for allowing God to use you to provide a wonderful morning. Abeg any piece on the aba women riot and others too.

You are welcome. Will research on that too.

Politics › Amosun Appoints Offor Emmanuel Ndimele, Igbo Man As Permanent Secretary In Ogun by Suurulere(op): 9:22pm On Aug 31, 2016

Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, southwest, Nigeria has approved the appointment of an Igbo man and 13 others as new Permanent Secretaries in the State.

The Igbo Permanenet Secretary is Mr Offor Emmanuel Ndimele.

In a statement on Wednesday and signed by the State Head of Service, Elder Sola Adeyemi, the governor charged the newly appointed Permanent Secretaries to reciprocate the gesture of government through renewed dedication, commitment, loyalty and selfless service to the rebuilding mission of the present administration.
The newly appointed Permanent Secretaries include Mr. Ofor Emmanuel Ndimele, (an Igbo man) Mrs. Odumusi Bettey Olubunmi, Mrs. Ajayi Funmi Mofoluke, Mr. Adewunmi Olayiwola Matthew, Mrs. Dosunmu Titilayo Olubodunrin.
Others are; Engr. Onajobi Jonathan Olukunle, Engr. Adelana Ademola Oluwole, Mr. Olatoye Julius Olufemi, Engr. Bakare Adeoye Tunde, Mr. Ipinniwa Steve Olusegun, Mrs. Gbadamosi Muibat Abiola, Mr. Rasheed Sefiu Aremu, Mr. Osolase Afeez and Mr. Agbaje Babatunde Aina.
According to the release, the new Permanent Secretaries would be sworn-in on Thursday, 1 September, 2016 at the Executive Council Chamber, Governor’s office, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta.

www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2016/08/31/governor-amosun-appoints-igbo-man-permanent-secretary/

2 Likes

Culture › How Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti Sacked The Alake Of Egbaland In 1949 by Suurulere(op): 4:44pm On Aug 31, 2016

On January 3, 1949, Oba Samuel Ladapo Ademola (1872-1962) the 7th Alake of Egbaland (1920-1962), abdicated the throne due to a strife with Egba women, led by Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (1900-1978) and her sister-in-law, Eniola Soyinka, mother of Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka (b. 1934) , on the issue of tax. The women were made to pay heavy taxes and were also maltreated.

After days, months and years of protest, the Alake, who was regarded as a stooge of the colonial master, was removed and forced out of office and had to move to Ogbomoso (other records say Oshogbo) where he stayed till December 1950 before things came back to normal.

The Lioness of Lisabi

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was born Francis Abigail Olufunmilayo Thomas to Daniel Olumeyuwa Thomas and Lucretia Phyllis Omoyeni Adeosolu, on October 25, 1900. She was a teacher, political campaigner, women’s rights activist and traditional aristocrat.

She served with distinction as one of the most prominent leaders of her generation. She was also the first woman in Nigeria to drive a car.

Ransome-Kuti’s political activism led to her being described as the doyen of female rights in Nigeria, as well as to her being regarded as “The Mother of Africa.” Early on, she was a very powerful force advocating for the Nigerian woman’s right to vote. She was described in 1947, by the West African Pilot as the “Lioness of Lisabi” for her leadership of the women of the Egba clan that she belonged to, on a campaign against their arbitrary taxation. That struggle led to the abdication of the Egba high king Oba Ademola II in 1949.

She was raised by parents who valued education and became the first girl-student admitted to Abeokuta Grammar School, hence, her nickname-Beere (which means first girl in Yoruba). She later went to England for further studies. She soon returned to Nigeria and became a teacher. On January 20, 1925, she married the Reverend Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti (1891-1955). He also defended the commoners of his country, and was one of the founders of both the Nigeria Union of Teachers and of the Nigerian Union of Students. The marriage was blessed with four children; Olikoye, Beko, Fela and a girl, Dolapo.

In 1918, Governor-General Lugard had introduced a system of direct taxation and created the Sole Native Authority which was a form of indirect rule whereby the traditional rulers acted as agents for the colonial government. The Sole Native Authority (equivalent to today’s Local Government) was headed by the Alake. It had far-reaching powers and all the previous checks and balances on the power of the Alake was eroded under the indirect rule system as kingmakers, chiefs and priests who could act to limit the abuse of power of the Alake were now dependent on the Sole Native Authority for their appointment to advisory councils. In plain words, they were rendered effeminate.

Before the advent of the British, women had participated in politics and had their own representatives. The most important, was the Iyalode on state councils whose duty was to protect and promote women’s interest. When they (the British) came, it never occurred to them that women had any significant role and so they never made any provision for it. Nevertheless, some women titles like Iyalode and Erelu remained but they lacked power and influence.

The aching issue for the Egba women was taxation. Having been subjected to tax by the colonial government, they provided as much as one-half of district revenues. Yet, they had no direct representation on the Sole Native Authority council, a situation they abhorred so much.

Further, the manner by which taxes were collected was often through insult, violence, chasing of women, beatings and stripping of young women ostensibly to assess their age.

As time went on, complaints increased, reaching a point where women decided that their only chance to gain redress of their grievances was a more militant approach. They considered the tax as foreign, unfair and excessive. They also objected to the method of collection.

This was the one issue which catapulted Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti into the political limelight, first in Abeokuta and then in Nigeria.

In 1923, she (Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti) had organized a group of young girls and women into the Abeokuta Ladies Club. The group was made up of western educated middle class and mostly Christian women who concentrated on crafts and social etiquette.

Around 1943/44, the Abeokuta Ladies Club regrouped and expanded to include market women who had approached Kuti to explain their ordeal to her. Most of these women were uneducated and it was at this point that Kuti began her political activism which aimed at raising the standard of womanhood in Abeokuta, encouraging learning among the adults and thereby wiping out illiteracy.

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was appalled to hear of the level of exploitation by the colonial and Egba Native Authority, harassment by police and representatives of the Alake against women. She discovered that the Alake, the traditional ruler of Abeokuta was diverting confiscated rice to his own stores, selling it and pocketing the profits (the rice had been confiscated by the government from women traders).

In 1946, the burden of taxation became unbearable and the Abeokuta Ladies Club metamorphosed to Abeokuta Women’s Union. This was designed to challenge both colonial rule and the male-controlled structure. Through the union, they opposed price controls and imposition of direct taxation, engaged in press campaigns and mobilized so much pressure against the Alake.

The Abeokuta Women’s Union was a well-organised and disciplined organisation. Mass refusal to pay the tax combined with enormous protest led to brutal response from the authorities as tear gas were deployed and beatings were administered. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti ran training sessions on how to deal with this threat, teaching women how to protect themselves from the effects of tear gas and how long they had to throw the canisters back to the authorities.

In late 1946, the Alake increased the tax rate for women. Thousands of women marched to the palace to protest these increases. The Alake’s only response was that if any woman felt her taxes are too high, she should appeal to him individually.

It seemed there was nothing to achieve, so the Abeokuta Women’s Union, through their leader, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, engaging in tremendous letter writing effort, outlined the women’s grievances to newspapers in Lagos and Abeokuta.

A mass movement was organised and they laid down objectives, some of which included:

Resistance against the poll tax
Resistance against harsh enforcement of sanitation regulations, the payment of water rate, and
The removal of the Alake from office.

The Alake was vigorously criticised, since he was considered the personification and symbol of the Sole Native Authority to the detriment of his people’s well-being. Although, the colonial government was the real source of power, the Abeokuta Women’s Union attacked its agents, the Sole Native Authority and the Alake. They challenged the Alake’s abuses of food and price controls, his interference in trade and court matters. He was also charged for demanding sex from some women who had left their abusive spouses to take refuge in his palace and charging them for accommodation.

In addition, the Abeokuta Women’s Union called for representation of women on all bodies that administered Egba affairs by members of the union. Their rationale was that since the men had not protected their rights, women’s representatives were needed to do so. The anti-tax protest was a long one with Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti at the head leading the women in the struggle.

In 1947, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti refused to pay her taxes and was arrested. At her arraignment where she pleaded “not guilty”, thousands of women congregated at the courthouse to demonstrate their support. The next year, she again refused to pay her taxes. She led the Abeokuta Women’s Union in laying down plans for a systematic programme of mass protest.

The first major demonstration held on November 29 and 30, 1947. Many women took part. As they neared the Alake’s palace, she commanded the marchers to stop, closed her eyes and told them that all those who were afraid should leave while her eyes were closed. None withdrew. They maintained vigil during which they sang abusive songs.

In reference to the Aba women’s riots of 1929, the women were careful to stress the importance of not allowing the authorities any excuse to attack them or use violence by making sure no weapon was carried. Many women were jailed but were later released.

In January, 1948, Kuti was banned from the palace for insulting the Alake and the British administration supported it. Administrative attempts to woo away the Abeokuta Women’s Union executive from its support of Kuti failed. They also refused to attend any meeting without Kuti.

By April, the women were determined to get rid of the Alake and obtain their demands, one of which included that the Alake be removed from office. They continued their demonstration and vowed to go on the streets in nudity (a taboo in Egbaland).

To gain time, the Alake decided to go for a holiday at the beginning of June in Jos, hoping things would cool off in his absence. He appointed a special committee to investigate the complaints of the women. He also suspended their taxation and agreed to women representative on the central committee. Alas, the women were no longer interested in anything he did.

http://www.historyvilleng.com/2016/08/22/how-funmilayo-ransome-kuti-sacked-the-alake-of-egbaland-in-1949/

5 Likes 8 Shares

European Football (EPL, UEFA, La Liga) › Re: Bournemouth Vs Manchester United (1 - 3) On 14th August 2016 by Suurulere(m): 3:03pm On Aug 14, 2016

Zlatan...

Serie A debut: GOAL
La Liga debut: GOAL
Ligue 1 debut: GOAL
Champions League debut: GOAL
#PL debut: GOAL

Ibrahimovic has also scored in 7 consecutive league games since September 2009. Wicked.

6 Likes

Education › Re: Ahmadu Bello University Postgraduate Programme For 2015/2016 Session by Suurulere(m): 10:26pm On Jul 31, 2016

Please, what are the likely questions to be asked for PGD Mass Communication entrance exams.. I studied Chemistry.. And is there access to past questions? Please, I need an urgent reply. Thanks.

Politics › Re: How Aguiyi-Ironsi, Gowon And Nzeogwu Met Their Doom On July 29 by Suurulere(op): 3:57pm On Jul 29, 2016

gartamanta:
Rejoinder

While it is not a good thing for Military officers to conduct coups, especially against democratically Goverments, the Nzeogwu coup happend at a time of national distress.

The coup took Ironsi by surprise, he was never part of it. Infact, Ironsi put down the voup in Lagos and ensured it faliure

3. The two main reasons given for killing Ironsi is that he did not try the coup plotters and that he promulgated decree 34 which centralised Government. These reasons are indeed silly. There are many coups that have been conducted in the past, both inside and outside Nigeria, were it took longer than six months to bring the perpetrators to book. So, killing Ironsi because he didn't try the perpetrators within the shortest time is ridiculous. As for decree 34, Military Government practices 'true federalism'

4. The second coup was far more bloody and was the perfect excuse for the North to step and control Nigeria via the same unitary system the accused Ironsi of

Are you saying Ironsi knew nothing about the coup?

Politics › How Aguiyi-Ironsi, Gowon And Nzeogwu Met Their Doom On July 29 by Suurulere(op): 10:12am On Jul 29, 2016

THE MYSTERY OF JULY 29: A TALE OF TWO GENERALS AND A REBEL
Major-General Johnson Thomas Umunakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi
was 41 years 10 months and 318 days old when he
became the Head of State of Nigeria on January 16,
1966 having been born on March 3, 1924 in Umuahia,
Abia State.

General Yakubu ‘Jack’ Dan-Yumma Gowon was 31 years
10 months and 287 days old when he became the Head
of State of Nigeria on August 1, 1966 having been born
on October 19, 1934 in Kanke, Plateau State.
Major Kaduna Patrick Chukwuma Nzeogwu was born in
1937 to his Igbo immigrant parents in Kaduna, Kaduna
State. He was an ambitious young military officer and a
Roman Catholic. He was a rebellious military officer and
the forerunner of the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps.
He was in charge of counter intelligence; the first
Nigerian to hold the post.

One interesting thing is that the rebel changed the
history of the country that brought the two generals into
power. One unified the country with a decree; the other
unified the country with a bloody civil war which lasted
for 30 months.

Of the two generals, as Head of States, one ruled
Nigeria the shortest (164 days) while the other ruled
Nigeria the longest (9 years). But there are unanswered
questions by historians; what led to this? Are these men
to be celebrated, castigated or forgotten in the annals of
Nigerian history? For the sake of posterity, let’s go back
to the beginning.

When Chief Anthony Enahoro (1923-2010) moved the
motion for independence in 1953, Northern lawmakers
kicked against it. Eventually, it was ratified and April 2,
1960 was approved for independence but Prime Minister
Alhaji (Sir) Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (1912-1966)
‘begged’ for it to be postponed till October 1 of that year.
In 1963, Nigeria became a republic and all ties with
Britain were cut off. Uniforms and insignia changed to
reflect sovereignty. As expected, Nigerianization of all
posts began earnestly which led the then British GOC
(Grand Officer Commanding) of the Nigerian Army,
Major-General Sir Christopher Welby-Everard
(1909-1996) to hand over to then Brigadier Johnson
Thomas Umunakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi (1924-1966) as the first
indigenous GOC in February 1965.

Meanwhile, there were rumours of an imminent coup as
early as January 1965. Five majors led by Kaduna
Nzeogwu (1937-1967) had concluded their plans for the
revolutionary coup as at August, 1965, which was the
mass annihilation of top politicians and senior military
officers in the country, due to the loss of control of
certain part of the country and widespread corruption.
Security reports concerning coup plotting were passed to
Prime Minister Balewa, who ignored them or chose not
to act upon it. On the morning of January 15, 1966, the
nation woke up to the frightening news that Prime
Minister Balewa was missing (he was later found dead),
the Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of the Northern
Region, Alhaji (Sir) Ahmadu Bello (1910-1966), Premier
of the Western Region, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola
(1910-1966), Minister of Finance, Chief Festus Samuel
Okotie-Eboh (1919-1966) and a host of others including
senior and junior military officers had been killed in a
military pogrom and putsch. Aguiyi-Ironsi was also
targeted, but he outmanoeuvred the boys, rounded them
up and took official control of the country.

Of the five majors, four were Easterners, while one,
Adewale Ademoyega (1933-2007), was a Westerner. The
new Head of State having dissolved the civilian
government was an Easterner.
These events raised tensions among the Northern elite,
especially in the Army, that the Easterners were behind
the coup, as majority of the coup plotters were
Easterners while majority of the casualties were
Northerners. In a bid to quell contentions in the Army,
Ironsi made Gowon, a Northerner, his Chief of Army
Staff.

But the coup, as the coup plotters demonstrated, was a
revolutionary one to get rid of corrupt politicians and
officers in the country.

But how was the coup revolutionary, when defenceless
men were killed? Brigadier Samuel Ademulegun
(1923-1966) the officer in charge of the Kaduna garrison
was shot dead in bed with his pregnant wife. Ahmadu
Bello was also killed with one of his wives.
How were they corrupt, when only £5 and £10 were left
in the accounts of Balewa and Bello respectively? These
are issues some apologists are still struggling explain.
Whether the coup was Eastern favoured or not, it
brought into fore a united Northern Region in the Army,
regardless of tribe or religion.

Decree Number 34 of May 24, 1966 promulgated by
Ironsi was the beginning of the end for him. The decree
made the centre strong, thereby abolishing the powers
granted to the regions. Interestingly, Nzeogwu, in an
interview he granted in 1967, affirmed that Ironsi shot
himself in the foot with that decree. Another mistake
Ironsi did was the non-trial of the coup plotters of the
January 15, 1966 carnage.

These caused a massive unrest in the Northern part of
the country as the Northerners had gone against
delimiting of regional powers as far back as 1959. In
June 1966, Ironsi began a tour of the country (never to
return to Lagos) and met with Northern elite, assuring
them of a united Nigeria.

On July 28, 1966, he was hosted by the military governor
of the Western Region, Lt. Col. Francis Adekunle Fajuyi
(1926-1966) in Agodi, Ibadan. As he made to leave for
Lagos, Fajuyi coaxed him in spending the night in the
Government House.

On the wee hours of July 29, 1966, Northern soldiers led
by Major Theophilus Y. Danjuma (b. 1938) came to arrest
Ironsi, and questioned him about his alleged complicity
in the coup which saw the demise of the Sardauna of
Sokoto, Ahmadu Bello and Prime Minister, Tafawa
Balewa. But his host Fajuyi insisted Ironsi would not be
taken away under his watch. The soldiers overpowered
them, and violently stripped off their epaulettes. They
were also stripped naked, beaten and strapped to a
vehicle as they were dragged along to a shallow pit in
Lalupon, near Ibadan, where their bodies were riddled
with bullets.

For 3 days, the country had no leader and the most
senior northern officer in the army was chosen to head
the country.

One major factor that favoured Gowon as Ironsi’s
successor apart from being the most senior northern
officer in the army is that he is a Christian from a
Northern minority tribe. He is an Ngas from Lur, a small
village in the present Kanke Local Government Area of
Plateau State.

In his maiden broadcast to the nation, he promised to
stop further bloodshed and to restore law, order and
confidence in all parts of the country. But the civil war
which happened thereafter claimed more than a million
Nigerians, including innocent Biafran children and
artisans turned soldiers overnight who were ill-trained, in
reference to what happened in the 1967 Asaba
massacre.

Gowon’s role was to keep the nation as one and by
creating 12 states on May 30, 1967, infuriated some
Southerners who had hoped to break away from the
country. This escalated proceedings in the Eastern part
of the country and Biafra was formed. This secession
sparked reactions from the Federal Military Government
headed by Gowon and many lives were lost in a bloody
civil war that lasted from July 6, 1967-January 12, 1970-
a period of 30 months.

After the war, Gowon promised to hand over power to
civilians in 1976. But in 1974, in an Independence Day
broadcast, he reneged. Apart from this, there were
allegations of corruption in his administration as Nigeria
had experienced the oil boom of 1973. Although, he was
never found complicit in the corrupt practices, he was
often accused of turning a blind eye to the activities of
his staff and cronies. These raised agitations amidst the
military hierarchy and top politicians in the country, that
by late 1974, internal moves to remove Gowon had
begun and by June 1975, there were rumours of an
imminent coup.

On July 29, 1975, while attending an OAU summit in
Kampala, Uganda, a group of officers led by Colonel
Joseph Nanven Garba (1943-2002) announced his
overthrow. The coup plotters appointed Brigadier
Murtala Muhammad (1938-1976) as head of the new
government, and Brigadier Olusegun Obasanjo (b. 1937)
as his deputy.

The 29th day of July remains a significant day in
Nigeria’s history as the three men who changed the fate
of the country met their doom on that day. Only one of
them was lucky to be alive. Johnson Thomas Umunakwe
Aguiyi-Ironsi lost power and his life on July 29, 1966 in a
counter-coup. A year later, on July 29, 1967, Patrick
Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu while fighting on the
Biafran side lost his life in an ambush while conducting
a night reconnaissance operation against federal troops
of the 21st battalion under Captain Mohammed Inua
Wushishi (b. 1940). Also, on July 29, 1975 Yakubu ‘Jack’
Dan-Yumma Gowon lost power when he was toppled in
a bloodless coup.

Is the day July 29 in Nigerian History, especially as it
applies to these three men, a prophecy or coincidence?
Only chronologists can tell.

Source: http://www.historyvilleng.com/2016/07/22/the-mystery-of-july-29-a-tale-of-two-generals-and-a-rebel/

Literature › Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 82nd Birthday Today by Suurulere(m): 9:08am On Jul 13, 2016

So, Soyinka is my birthday mate. We were both born on a Friday the 13th, but I'm 26. Also from Abeokuta, but I believe in Christ. And I'm gonna win the Nobel Prize.

It's my birthday, people. You know what to do.

P.S: Thanks, nairaland for your message.

2 Likes

Education › Re: Ahmadu Bello University Postgraduate Programme For 2015/2016 Session by Suurulere(m): 8:23pm On Jul 07, 2016

Is PG form for 2016/2017 out? If it is out, please, how much is it?

Jobs/Vacancies › Re: Strictly For Those Interested In Teaching Jobs by Suurulere(m): 6:15pm On Jul 03, 2016

Greatzeus:
What the hell are you typing bro? Did you just indicated you could teach 10 subjects?Omg no serious educationists will take you serious or call you for job,I know cos I am one.
The only subject you are "qualified" to teach is chemistry and maybe one other science subject,that's even if you were a good student in school.Do you know what English entails and Geography? Do you think its just about rocks and types of rock?
Word of advice, limit your subject specialisation to 2 subjects that's related to your field of study.What you mentioned up there is a slap on the face of teaching as a profession.

Thanks man. I shall limit it to Chemistry and ICT then.

Education › Funaab's Admission Form For 2016/2017 Is Out.. by Suurulere(op): 9:05pm On Jun 30, 2016

Funaab Admission Form is Out. The form goes for N2,500 only. . Pre-Admission Screening Exercise (Interactive) - UTME and DE candidates. . Applicants are to print their invoice and apply online on admission.unaab.edu.ng Funaab Cutoff mark is: 180 for all Agricultural and Colerm Courses (Forestry and Wildlife Management, Water Resources and Agrometology, Aquaculture and Fishery Management, Environmental Management and Toxicology). 200 for Management/Commercial Courses, Physical and Bio Science courses, College of Food Science and Human Ecology, Veterinary Medicine and Engineering Courses. NOTE: Candidate who chose Bio-Chemistry, Biology or Microbiology but scored between 180 and 199 may be considered for Agricultural programmes if they are interested. Candidates can only change their courses through Jamb's website. Funaab doesn't process Change of Course. NOTE: The Pre-Admission Screening Exercise is interactive and holds from Monday, 25th July, 2016 to Wednesday, 27th July, 2016 . Candidates are to check the FUNAAB Admission Portal from Wednesday 20th July, 2016 to check their status. Shortlisted candidates should print and note their screening venues and dates. Visit admission.unaab.edu.ng for more details

Travel › Re: Cameroonian Wanting To Travel To Lagos by Suurulere(m): 5:57am On Jun 27, 2016

mcfunkii:
how long can it take before i reach lagos through this means

It depends.. If you are not breaking your journey, it is 22 hours. From Bamenda to Ikom is 200km, that's about 3 hours journey.

From Ikom to Onitsha is 7 hours and from Onitsha to Lagos is 6 hours. That's 16 hours plus your journey from Yaoundé to Bamenda which is about 6 hours too if you to pass through Bamenda, Mamfe and Ekok to Ikom.

Bon voyage.. And hope you have a good knowledge of English?

1 Like

Education › Re: Facts About Nigeria: You'll Be Shocked To Find Out You Don't Know 99% Of This by Suurulere(m): 5:45am On Jun 27, 2016

Patience Jonathan does not have a PhD but an honorary degree from a South Korean University and Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe never ruled Nigeria. He was just a ceremonial (figurehead) president.

Travel › Re: Cameroonian Wanting To Travel To Lagos by Suurulere(m): 10:23pm On Jun 26, 2016

From Yaounde to Bamenda to Ikom. From Ikom motor park, take a bus to Onitsha.. Then from Onitsha to Lagos.

From Ikom to Onitsha is 2000 naira and from Onitsha to Lagos is 3500 naira... You don't need to pass through Calabar. It is wasting of money and time. I hope this helps..

Jobs/Vacancies › Re: Strictly For Those Interested In Teaching Jobs by Suurulere(m): 8:20pm On Jun 23, 2016

Please I need a teaching Job in Kaduna South or Zaria. I have a BSc in Chemistry. I intend to further my studies in ABU Zaria (Mass Communication). I can teach, Chemistry, Biology, Agriculture, Geography, Computer Science, History, Literature-in-English, Government, English Language and Christian Religious Studies.

Please intimate me with any vacancy in these areas...

3 Likes

Politics › 18 Years After His Death: 18 Interesting Facts You May Not Know About Abacha by Suurulere(op): 1:48pm On Jun 08, 2016

General Sani Abacha was born on Monday, September 20, 1943 in Kano and also died and was buried on Monday, June 8, 1998.
Today marks 18 years of the demise of General Sani Abacha, the most popular Kanuri person in the world, who was arguably regarded as the most patient man on earth. A man of diminutive stature: just 5feet, 4inches. You would be thoroughly stupefied at his height. A man of fire, iron and steel. The General lorded absolute power and unbridled authority over 120 million souls. Not even Generals dared cross his path. Those who did, knelt and wept before him while he offered them tissue paper to wipe their salty tears.
Not even a plea from the Pope could melt his heart. Mandela begged him to no avail. No one messed with Abacha. He was gentle. Listening. Cunning. Daring. Attentive. Dangerous. Brave. Abacha was Brutal. It will thrill you that for all his evils, he accepted who and what he was. Indeed, the history of Nigeria is incomplete without a succinct recourse to the man Sani Abacha. To some he is a hero, to others he is a tyrant. To many more, he just had flaws that he was too carefree about protecting.
Here, we take a look at 18 interesting facts you may not know about General Sani Abacha:
1. A Kanuri originally from Borno State, General Sani Abacha was born, brought up and buried in Kano State.

2. He married a Shuwa Arab, Maryam, also from Borno state, in 1965 and they had six boys and three girls. The first child, Ibrahim, died in a plane crash in 1996. The last of their children was born in Aso Rock in 1994 when Abacha was 50 and his wife 47.

3. Abacha was the first and only military head of state who never skipped a rank to become a full-star general.

4. He never held a non-military appointment in his career until he became minister of defence in 1990 (later re-designated secretary of defence in 1993). He was a Lt. Gen. then.

5. Many streets in Sierra Leone are named after Abacha, because he was instrumental to the restoration of peace and democracy in Sierra Leone and Liberia after years of civil wars. He is credited with restoring Nigeria’s standing as an African Power when he twice ordered the Nigerian Military to Intervene and restore the civilian and Democratic governments of Sierra Leone and Liberia after a series of Military Coups in both countries.

6. He oversaw an increase in the country’s foreign exchange reserves from $494 million dollars in 1993 to $9.6 billion by the middle of 1997 and reduced the external debt of Nigeria from $36 billion in 1993 to $27 billion by 1997.

7. Abacha operated a complicated style of leadership, and he gave a free hand to all those working under him. He allowed them to carry out their duties without interfering (he was a master at delegating duties), he allowed them to disagree with one another and even debate during meetings.

8. Abacha spoke softly, almost inaudibly, like in a whisper and you have to strain your ears to hear him. He was not a man of emotion, he never raised his voice even when angry but he lets actions, not thunderous words, speak for him.

9. Two of the most important recommendations of the 1995 constitutional conference he set up are: 13% derivation for oil-producing areas and six geo-political zones.

10. He increased fuel price just once in his four-and-a-half years in office and set up the Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund, which was widely acknowledged to have performed well in infrastructural development and intervention programmes in education, health and water.

11. He is by some records the most successful coup plotter in the history of Nigeria’s military. Abacha participated in every single successful coup in Nigerian history and was instrumental in the coups which brought and removed General Muhammadu Buhari from power in 1983 and 1985 respectively.

12. It was under Abacha that Nigeria became a perpetual importer of petroleum products, as all the refineries packed up.

13. In 2004, Abacha was listed as the fourth most corrupt leader in history.

14. Abacha rarely appeared in public, refused to grant interviews or allow the publication of any personal information about him, and developed a habit of working only at night.

15. In 1995, Time magazine named Abacha “Thug of the Year.”

16. Abacha died in June 1998 while at the presidential villa in Abuja. He was buried on the same day in Kano, according to Muslim tradition, without an autopsy. This fueled speculation that he may have been executed extra-judicially by way of being poisoned by political rivals via prostitutes. On the contrary, the government cited his cause of death as a sudden heart attack.

17. Abacha remains the shortest Head of State in Nigerian history. He was 5feet, 4inches tall.

18. He left fifteen grandchildren; eight girls and seven boys.

Source: http://www.historyvilleng.com/2016/06/08/18-interesting-facts-you-may-not-know-about-general-sani-abacha/

Politics › .. by Suurulere(op): 2:34pm On May 17, 2016*

“

Politics › Amazing Things Ojukwu Said About BIAFRA/BIAFRANS To The BBC After The Civil War! by Suurulere(op): 3:39pm On May 13, 2016

“I am Emeka Odimegwu Ojukwu. I was sometime general of the People’s Army, the leader of Biafra during the Nigerian Civil War in the years 1967 to 1970. In all of all the world wars, the most cruel is the civil war. The Biafrans fought with everthing they had. They were out-manned, out-gunned, out-everything. But they stood; held up, shoulders back, chest out and they stayed properly, classically British. We could not understand the British Government could even fail to see the justice of our position; we could not understand even, that the world, seeing injustice could just stand…by and ehm, when we cried out in pain over the suffering of the children with extended stomachs, kwashiorkor and all these things, we…we cried out. We felt actually the world owed us understanding and that was the one thing the world never gave us. Our people suffered greatly. They were deprived, they were bombarded, and ehm…..they were totally rendered totally destitute in the period.
You might also ask me immediately then, ‘why continue the war?’ Because we the Biafrans saw ourselves throughout the entire period under the threat of genocide. And even when we couldn’t fight anymore and moved forward into surrender, we surrendered practically in the belief that this was the end.” Ojukwu speaking to the BBC after the war."

Politics › Why Calabar Was Never The Capital Of Nigeria! by Suurulere(op): 5:08pm On May 11, 2016

In a primary school in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, a male teacher was coaching the pupils in current affairs of Nigeria. The session attracted me as I listened with rapt attention. Then, he asked a question that many historians don’t seem to have an interest in; “Which city was the first capital of Nigeria?”

“Abuja,” a boy answered.

“No,” the teacher scolded the boy with his eyes. “Abuja is the current capital,” he barked at him.

“Lagos,” a girl suggested, not sure of her answer. I was already nodding my head.

“Lagos? No,” the teacher replied. I was shocked. I assumed he was joking. Until he said, “Okay, the answer is Calabar.”

Calabar? At that point, I was vexed. Is this what we have been teaching future generations? It is better to not teach at all, than to distort history.

In light of this, I decided to write this article to inculcate in us and to teach our children the right history that Calabar was never the capital of a one Nigeria but one of the capitals in a divided Nigeria.

I will not want to bore us with the history of Nigeria from 1849-1906 because that is not the objective of this article. But, let me take extract some few points from Wikipedia:

“Southern Nigeria was a British protectorate in the coastal areas of modern-day Nigeria formed in 1900 from the union of the Niger Coast Protectorate with territories chartered by the Royal Niger Company below Lokoja on the Niger River.

The Lagos colony was later added in 1906, and the territory was officially renamed the Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria. In 1914, Southern Nigeria was joined with Northern Nigeria Protectorate to form the single colony of Nigeria. The unification was done for economic reasons rather than political—Northern Nigeria Protectorate had a budget deficit; and the colonial administration sought to use the budget surpluses in Southern Nigeria to offset this deficit.

Sir Frederick Lugard, who took office as governor of both protectorates in 1912, was responsible for overseeing the unification, and he became the first governor of the newly united territory. Lugard established several central institutions to anchor the evolving unified structure. A Central Secretariat was instituted at Lagos, which was the seat of government, and the Nigerian Council (later the Legislative Council), was founded to provide a forum for representatives drawn from the provinces. Certain services were integrated across the Northern and Southern Provinces because of their national significance—military, treasury, audit, posts and telegraphs, railways, survey, medical services, judicial and legal departments—and brought under the control of the Central Secretariat in Lagos.”-en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Nigeria_Protectorate

On Amalgamation Day, January 1, 1914, Lord Lugard said, “You are all aware that His Majesty’s Government, after long and mature consideration, arrived some time ago at the conclusion that it would be to the great advantage of the countries known as Southern and Northern Nigeria that they should be amalgamated into one Government, conforming to one policy and mutually co-operating for the moral and material advancement of Nigeria as a whole.

The Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria will be placed under the control of a single officer upon which the control of a single officer upon whom His Majesty has been pleased to confer the title of Governor-General, thus indicating the importance of this country among the Crown Colonies and Protectorates of the Empire. That portion which has hitherto been Northern Nigeria will be known in future as the Northern Provinces, while the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria will be known as the Southern Provinces of Nigeria; For the present, the Central Headquarters will remain at Lagos, and the Governor-General will divide his time between the Headquarter Stations of the Northern and Southern Provinces.”

Where were the Headquarter Stations of the Northern and Southern Provinces?
Southern Province

From its foundation, southern Nigeria was administered by a high commissioner. The first high commissioner was Ralph Moor. When Lagos was amalgamated with the rest of southern Nigeria in 1906, the then high commissioner, Walter Egerton, was made into Governor of the territory.

Egerton became Governor of Lagos Colony, covering most of the Yoruba lands in the southwest of what is now Nigeria, in 1903. The colonial office wanted to amalgamate the Lagos Colony with the protectorate of Southern Nigeria, and in August 1904 also appointed Egerton as High Commissioner for the Southern Nigeria Protectorate. He held both offices until 28 February 1906. On that date, the two territories were formally united and Egerton was appointed Governor of the new Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria, holding office until 1912 (Calabar was the capital of this new Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria. However, most of the colonial, diplomatic activities and high level official businesses were carried out in Lagos).

Northern Province

In 1885, Niger district protectorate was under African Company and Niger Delta protectorate was under Royal Niger Company which was formed in 1886. In 1900, both protectorates were added to some part of Niger territory to form the Northern Protectorate. Northern Nigeria was a British protectorate which lasted from 1900 until 1914 in the present country of Nigeria.

The first High Commissioner of the protectorate was Frederick Lugard who actively suppressed revolutions and created a system of administration built around native authorities.

On 1 January 1900, the Royal Niger Company’s charter was revoked and the British took control. The Royal Niger Company was paid £865,000 and was given the rights to half of all mining revenue in a large part of the areas for 99 years in exchange for ceding the territory to the British government. Lugard was appointed the High Commissioner of the newly created Northern Nigeria Protectorate.

Lugard first settled in Lokoja as regional capital to continue with the colonial conquest of the region. Two years later, i.e in 1902, he moved the capital from Lokoja further upstream of River Niger, to Jebba. However, Jebba remained the headquarters for only a few months. Towards the end of the year, he moved even further upstream to Zungeru with the intention of making it the permanent capital of the North (Zungeru became the headquarters for the protectorate in 1902, because it was the most northerly city accessible by river transport).

Many Nigerians will remember Zungeru, a major railway town, as the birth place of Nigeria’s foremost nationalist and first president, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. His father had worked there as a railway staff. It was also the birth place of Biafran Warlord, Chukwuemeka Ojukwu and former Senate President, David Mark.

For a while it seemed as if Zungeru had succeeded where Lokoja and Jebba had failed; it remained the regional capital for 12 years. However, with time, Lord Lugard himself began a search for a more central and more accessible location than Zungeru.

His search finally ended at a location on the Zaria plains, roughly in the middle of the region. Not only was Kaduna centrally located and much more accessible than Zungeru, the Zaria plains in which it was located were well served by two major tributaries of River Niger, River Kaduna, which gave the settlement its name, and River Gurara.

No sooner had Lord Lugard settled down in Kaduna as regional capital in 1912, than he began to plan for it as Nigeria’s capital, ahead of the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates in 1914. This followed his promotion that same year as Governor-General of the amalgamated Nigeria. As Governor-General, he did not hide his dislike towards Lagos and recommended that the capital be moved to Kaduna as quickly as possible. “Government House, Lagos,” he wrote in one of his papers, “would make an excellent hotel if the transfer to Kaduna was achieved.”

The transfer was never achieved. First, the Colonial Office in London thought Kaduna was too far inland for quick and effective communication between motherland and colony. Second, in 1919, Lord Lugard was succeeded as Governor-General by Lord Clifford, who did not share Lugard’s hatred for Lagos. In any case, such a transfer was considered too expensive an exercise by the British.

And so it was that Lugard could not fulfill his wish to see Kaduna become the capital of both the North and Nigeria but of the North only.

Conclusion

When the British established the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria in 1914, Lagos was declared its capital.

Lagos maintained its status as capital when Nigeria obtained its independence from Britain in 1960. Lagos was therefore the capital city of Nigeria from 1914 until 1991, when it was replaced as Federal Capital Territory by the planned city of Abuja, built specifically for such purpose.

But, a colony is not a sovereign state. Historian, Professor Michael Crowder in his article, Lugard and Colonial Nigeria – Towards an Identity, speculated that “By definition, colonies were not sovereign states and where relations with other countries were concerned, these were conducted for them by their imperial governments. Likewise, the colonial official did not ‘represent’ his country in his colony, even when he bore a diplomatic title like that of ‘Resident’ in Northern Nigeria, but rather exercised power on its behalf over people who had lost their sovereignty.”

So, as Calabar was the capital to the Southern Protectorate of Nigeria, Zungeru and Kaduna were capitals to the Northern Protectorate while Lagos became the capital of a colonial Nigeria in 1914.

So, it would be an historical fallacy to quip that Calabar was the first capital of Nigeria. What would happen to Zungeru and Kaduna which were capitals the same time Calabar was a capital?

Like Abeokuta, Kano, Asaba and Ilorin, Calabar is a capital in Nigeria but not at any time a capital of Nigeria.

Thus, I can assertively affirm that Lagos was the first capital of Nigeria and she did not gain that right until October 1, 1963, when Nigeria cut off all ties with Britain to become a republic and a sovereign state.

Source: http://www.historyvilleng.com/2016/05/11/a-distorted-history-why-calabar-was-never-the-capital-of-nigeria/

Politics › 25 Amazing Facts On Nigeria's First And Only Prime Minister by Suurulere(op): 4:59pm On May 09, 2016

1. The only book on Balewa, Nigeria’s first and only Prime Minister, was written by a foreigner; “Abubakar Tafawa Balewa – A Right Honourable Gentleman” by Trevor Clark.

2. Abubakar was born in December 1912 in the village of Tafawa Balewa, in modern day Bauchi State. The name of his birthplace was appended to Abubakar’s name (Abubakar Tafawa Balewa).

3. Tafawa Balewa took its name from two corrupted Fulani words: “Tafari” (rock) and “Baleri” (Black). So he grew up with the nickname, “Black Rock.”

4. He had very humble origins. His father was a slave who rose in service of the Madaki of Bauchi and became a district head.

5. He was his father’s only child, but Abubakar would go on to have nineteen children. His father, Yakubu Dan Zala was of the Bageri ethnic group, while his mother, Fatima Inna was Fulani.

6. As a child, he attended the Bauchi Provincial School. He was shy, quiet and not outstanding.

7. He later attended the Katsina Teacher’s Training College (1923-1933) and graduated with a third class certificate. His best subject was English Language.

8. In 1945, he obtained a scholarship to study at the University of London’s Institute of Education where he received a teacher’s certificate in history.

9. He helped found the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) which was originally intended as a cultural organization. It later became a political party in 1951 due to the Northerners’ suspicion of Nigeria’s unification and domination by Southerners.

10. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa later became the Federal Minister of Works and in 1954, Minister of Transport. He was also the senior minister and leader of the NPC in the House of Representatives.

11. He never really believed Nigeria could be one country until he visited America in 1955.

12. Because the Sardauna of Sokoto, Alhaji (Sir) Ahmadu Bello, had no interest in living in the South, Balewa was sent to Lagos to become the federal Prime Minister in 1957.

13. Although, he was Nigeria’s Prime Minister, he was not the leader of his own party (NPC) and thus remained in the paradoxical position of being a head of government that had to defer to and take instructions from his boss, the Sardauna.

14. He gained several awards from the British; OBE in 1952, CBE in 1955, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in January 1960 and was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Sheffield in May 1960.

15. On January 15, 1966, he was abducted from his official residence by armed soldiers led by Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna who were executing Nigeria’s first military coup.

16. His corpse was later found in a bush at Ifo, present day Ogun State, along the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway, in a state of putrefaction.

17. His body now lies inside a tomb in Bauchi declared a national monument. The tomb includes a library and a mosque.

18. His image appears on the N 5 note.

19. He was survived by his mother, four wives and nineteen children. He had a posthumous daughter who was born two weeks after his death.

20. At his death, his bank account was in red and his house in Bauchi was a mud house.

21. As an eloquent speaker, he was often referred to as “The Golden Voice of Africa.”

22. As Prime Minister, he sometimes wrote his own speeches and he used to like driving around Lagos (then Nigeria’s capital) by himself. He loved to drive fast.

23. His favourite food was tuwo, miyan kuka (soup) and bitter-leaf soup, with extra bitterness.

24. His favourite drink was water and fura de nunu (a traditional Hausa drink) and his favourite outfit was a simple kaftan and the baban riga. He never wore a suit.

25. He was a bibliophile and he a novelist. He once wrote a novella titled “Shehu Umar,” an interesting story about a saintly boy who was kidnapped by slavers and taken across the desert to a town of the Arabs where, as fate would have it, he overcame personal anguish to become an influential man in the country.

http://www.historyvilleng.com/2016/05/09/25-amazing-facts-on-nigerias-first-and-only-prime-minister/

Travel › 25 Scintillating Facts About Cross River State by Suurulere(op): 4:08pm On May 05, 2016

25 SCINTILLATING FACTS ABOUT CROSS RIVER STATE
(The People’s Paradise)

1. Originally created in 1967 as South-Eastern State, it was named Cross River State in 1976 after the River Cross (Oyono River), which rises from the Cameroun Mountains and empties itself into the Atlantic Ocean.\

2. It is bounded to the East by Cameroun Republic, to the South by Akwa-Ibom and the Atlantic Ocean, to the West by Abia and Ebonyi States and to the North by Benue State.

3. It is the 19th largest state in terms of size and 28th in terms of population in Nigeria.

4. Ejagham and Efik are the major languages in the state.

5. The Efik language is widely spoken in Cross River State, and as far as Arochukwu in bordering Abia State.

6. The capital is Calabar, one of Nigeria’s clean and safe cities. It also has a major seaport.

7. There are 18 local governments Areas (Abi, Akamkpa, Akpabuyo, Bakassi, Bekwarra, Biase, Boki, Calabar Municipal, Calabar South, Etung, Ikom, Obanliku, Obubra, Obudu, Odukpani, Ogoja, Yakurr and Yala) in the state that make up 3 senatorial districts.

8. Major cities are Calabar, Ugep, Ikom, Obudu and Ogoja.

9. Only one major (federal) road connects 10 local government areas from the popular Watt market in Calabar. They are, Calabar South, Calabar Municipal, Odukpani, Akamkpa, Biase, Yakurr, Obubra, Ikom, Yala and Ogoga. The road still goes on to Kastina-Ala in Benue State.

10. As other states in Nigeria, Cross River state operates a democratic system of government.

11. It is the only state in Nigeria, whose Governor (Ben Ayade) and Deputy Governor (Ivara Esu) are professors (egg-heads).

12. Ayade hails from Obudu while Esu is from Biase.

13. The rarest animals and plants can be found in Boki local government.

14. The highest concentration of different species of butterflies in the world can be found in Akamkpa.

15. With an average population density of about sixty-five persons per square kilometers, Cross River State is about the most sparsely settled state in Southern Nigeria.

16. Cross River State boasts of being the venue for the largest carnival in Africa.

17. Various annual festivals are, Cross River State Carnival (26-29 December) in Calabar, Yakurr Leboku Yam festival (28 August) in Ugep and the Calabar Boat Regatta.

18. Cross River State is the leading tourism state in the country. Especially the capital, Calabar. Visitors from different parts of Nigeria come to the city in large numbers all year around.

19. Tourist attractions are, the soaring plateaus of the mountain tops of Obanliku, the Obudu Mountain Resort, the Rain forests and Mountain walkway canopy of Afi, Waterfalls at Agbokim and Kwa, the monoliths at Ikom, Cross River National Park at Boki and the Obubra Lake at Obubra.

20. Others are, the Etanpim Cave, in Odukpani, the Tinapa Business Resort, Calabar Marina Resort (which houses the Calabar Slave Museum, the Cinema and a view of the Calabar River where one could take a boat ride around or to Oron in Akwa-Ibom State), Calabar Residency Museum and Mary Slessor Tomb.

21. Cross River State can be accessed by air through the Margaret Ekpo International Airport at Calabar and the Bebi airstrip at Obanliku, by sea through the Calabar seaport and by road from different parts of the country to other parts of the state.

22. The main crops can be found in the northern and central part of the state. These are cassava, yams, rice, plantain, banana, cocoyam, maize, cocoa, rubber, groundnut and palm produce. While in the south, sea foods are mostly eaten.

23. Major livestock in the State are cattle, goats and sheep. Rearing activities are mainly undertaken by Fulanis, except in Obanliku at the Obudu Cattle Ranch where organized cattle ranching takes place.

24. Mineral resources in Cross River State include limestone, titanium, tin ore, ceramic materials and hard stone.

25. The weirdest of all cultures. Compared to other cultures in the state and the country; in Obudu, Northern Cross River, where the State Governor hails from, the wedding ceremony is done in the groom’s house instead of the bride’s house.

Source: http://www.historyvilleng.com/2016/05/05/25-scintillating-facts-about-cross-river-state/

Politics › What You May Not Know About Alhaji (sir) Ahmadu Bello, The Sardauna Of Sokoto. by Suurulere(op): 2:43pm On May 03, 2016

Hard Facts About Alhaji (sir) Ahmadu Bello

His father died when he was 6 years old.

He was the only surviving son of his father and mother, Mariyamu.

He was a great grand-son of Shehu Uthman dan Fodio, the great Fulani jihadist.

He got his Islamic and Arabic education as a teenager from Mallam Garba who was the Imam of Rabbah village.

He finished at the age of 16 top of his class.

He attended the Teacher’s Training College, Katsina (later Barewa College) where he was a School Prefect and Class Captain.

Thereafter, he graduated as a Teacher in 1931 with a credit equivalent Grade III result.

He was appointed by the Sultan of Sokoto to work as a teacher at the Sokoto Middle School, where he was once a student and taught from
1931-1934.

He was appointed a rural administrator (District Head) at the age 25 in 1934.

He gave birth to a daughter after his death (posthumously).

He became a candidate for the succession to the throne of the Sultan of Sokoto at the age of 29.

He made attempts to become the Sultan of Sokoto but was not successful, losing to Sir Siddiq Abubakar III who reigned for 50 years until his death in 1988.

The new Sultan immediately made Sir Ahmadu Bello the Sardauna (Warlord) of Sokoto, a honourary title and promoted him to the Sokoto Native Authority Council, these titles automatically made him the Chief Political Adviser to the Sultan. Later, he was put in charge of the Sokoto Province to oversee 47 districts.

In 1943, a drama played out when he was thrown before the Sultan’s court for misappropriating jangali (cattle) tax for the Gusau region where he was the Councillor.

He was sentenced to 1 year in prison, but spent 3 months in jail.

By 1944, he was back at the Sultan’s Palace to work as the Chief Secretary of the State Native Administration.

In 1949, at the age of 40, he was nominated for a seat in the Regional House of Assembly.

He spoke impeccable English, and respected many European values.

Sir Ahmadu Bello keenly encouraged female education.

In 1954, Sir Ahmadu Bello became the first Premier of Northern Nigeria.

He never had material accumulation instincts, did not accumulate wealth and gave out whatever came into his possession. He was scrupulous and prudent with public finance but generous with his own money.

In 1955, he made his first pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The ‘Work and Worship’ motto on the Northern Nigerian crest was adopted by him.

He chose to remain the Premier of Northern Nigeria and gave the position of Prime Minister to his hand-picked candidate, the late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, who was then the Deputy President of the NPC.

Sir Ahmadu Bello never sought the leadership of Nigeria.

He once stated that he would rather be the Sultan of Sokoto than to be the leader of Nigeria.

At various times, he made inflammatory statements about the Ibos as He once referred to them as the ‘Jews of Nigeria’ whose sole purpose is to dominate wherever they find themselves.

In 1959, Queen Elizabeth II (b.1926) made him a Knight of the British Empire (KBE), and that explains the ‘Sir’ in his title.

In 1962, he became Pioneer Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria.

He founded the Bank of the North (now Unity Bank).

He founded the Northern Nigerian Development Company.

He established the 16,000-seater Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna.

He established the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna (the only military university in Nigeria)

He established the University of Northern Nigeria, which stretched from Samaru in Kaduna State to Funtua in Katsina State, on the 4th of October, 1962 now known as Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.

By the beginning of 1966, it was quite clear that the Sardauna was one of the most powerful figures in the country, and many believed that he was actually the most powerful, even much more powerful than the Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

His party, Northern People Congress (NPC), held sway over 29 million out of 55 million Nigerians.

On his way to Umrah (the Muslim lesser pilgrimage), he received a letter with threats to kill him.

The letter was said to have stated: “We have arranged to kill you and the Prime Minister (Alhaji Tafawa Balewa).”

As a devout Muslim, the Sardauna believed that giving his life in the service of Northern Nigeria was worth the sacrifice and that death was a certain end.

He later said of the threat: “Don’t worry, continue to get useful information. I know what to do.”

On the evening of 14th January, 1966, armed soldiers, led by Major Patrick Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, arrived at his residence at Lugard House, Kaduna, with the message of death.

He told his family to stay away in safety but they would have none of that. They all trooped behind him as he came out of the family quarters and in a matter of seconds, he was surrounded by the soldiers led by Nzeogwu who fired at his babanriga. And immediately, blood sputtered from the point of impact through the beard on his face.

At that point, his first and eldest wife, Hafsatu, threw herself at him in a final embrace. They were both shot.

He was believed to have been killed instantly when a bullet penetrated his spinal cord.

Brave till the very end, he had faced the soldiers and introduced himself as the Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of the Northern Region.

He once referred to Nigeria as the ‘mistake of 1914′ but he later worked for and gave his best for the new nation of Nigeria.

He died leaving £10 in his bank account.

Source: http://www.historyvilleng.com/2016/03/13/what-you-may-not-know-about-alhaji-sir-ahmadu-bello/

Romance › Re: How Do You Turn A Lady Down Without Hurting Her by Suurulere(m): 6:06am On Apr 23, 2016

Tell her you have HIV/AIDS, Ebola and Syphyllis. She go even pity you and run away.

Politics › Amazing Facts You May Not Know About Nigerian Leaders by Suurulere(op): 4:40pm On Apr 14, 2016

Till date, no President/Head of State has been born in or after 1960, the year Nigeria got her independence.

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is the only President whose exact date of birth is unknown. He was shoeless when he wooed his first wife, Remi. He is diabetic.

He’s the only president to lose his wife, Stella, while in power.

Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan are the only Vice Presidents to ever become President in the nation.

Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari are the only persons in the nation’s history to rule as Military Head of State and Civilian President.

The two Presidents who succeeded Obasanjo, first as Head of State in 1979 and as President in 2007 did not complete their tenures.

The two Presidents were North-Westerners; Presidents, Shehu Shagari (Sokoto State) and Umaru Yar’Adua (Katsina State).

While soldiers were dying at the battle front, Yakubu Gowon was getting married in Lagos. He is the youngest Head of State at 32 years and also the first to get married while in power. He also ruled the longest (uninterrupted) for 9 years.

Alhaji (Sir) Ahmadu Bello was killed with his wife in 1966 by Major Kaduna Nzeogwu. His great-grandfather was the great jihadist from Sokoto, Uthman Dan Fodio. The largest university in West-Africa and second largest in Africa is named after him.

Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo was a smoker. His father died of small pox.

Alvan Ikoku (the man on the 10 naira note) and his son, Samuel were political enemies.

Alhaji (Sir) Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was not supposed to be Prime Minister in 1957, but Alhaji (Sir) Ahmadu Bello (as the
leader of the NPC). He gave Balewa the position and referred to him as “my lieutenant in Lagos”.

Herbert Heelas Samuel Macauley (the man on the 1 naira note) was the first Nigerian civil engineer and the first to institute a political party in Nigeria. He was the grandson of Bishop Samuel Ajayi
Crowther.

Generals Murtala Mohammed and Sani Abacha were both born and buried in Kano.

Murtala Mohammed as Head of State had no convoy nor escorts.

General Sani Abacha had 9 children and the last child, a boy, was born in Aso Rock in 1994.

Sani Abacha was born on a Monday and died on a Monday.

Umar Musa Yar’Adua was the first
President to die while in Office.

During the civil war, Emeka Ojukwu sleeps everyday with his boots on.

Gen. Johnson Thomas Umunakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi maintains the record as the tallest Head of State and ruled the shortest (194 days). He was the first Military Head of State.

Sani Abacha is the shortest at 5 foot 4 inches. He divided Nigeria into 6 geo-political zones.

On May 29, 2016, Christians would have ruled for 25 years and 9 months while Muslims would have ruled for 30 years
and 6 months.

Chief Ernest Adegunle Oladeinde Shonekan is the first civilian without a political party to rule Nigeria. Hence, the only unelected civilian to rule Nigeria.

Ernest Shonekan ruled the shortest for 2 months and 21 days while Olusegun Obasanjo ruled the longest (both military and civilian) for 11 years, 7 months and 18 days.

Both are the only South-Westerners ever to rule the country.

Both are from Abeokuta in Ogun State.

Both are Christians.

Every Nigerian Head of State with an Ogun State indigene as his deputy, whether removed or sustained, died in office.

All civilian presidents were once teachers, except Olusegun Obasanjo.

Niger, Katsina and Ogun States are the only states to have produced two leaders who had ruled the country.

Nigeria had no leader for 3 days (July 29-August 1, 1966).

The only president who had no executive power at all was Dr. Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe.

Goodluck Jonathan is the first President from a minority tribe (Ijaw) in Nigeria.

Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh founded the Central Bank of Nigeria in 1959.

1 Like

Nairaland General › 24 Corps Members To Repeat Service Year In Oyo, Sokoto. by Suurulere(op): 4:16pm On Apr 14, 2016

No fewer than 18 out of the 4,034 Batch A, 2015, Corps members who served in Oyo State would repeat their service year due to
evasion of service continuously for three months.
Stephen Bankole, NYSC Director of
Information in Oyo State, made the disclosure on Thursday in Ibadan in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.

He said that extensions of service were given to no fewer than seven corps members, ranging from one week to four months.
“Extension occurs when a member did not attend his Place of Primary Assignment regularly or has not been signing monthly payment voucher as at when due.

“However it is only NYSC headquarters that ratifies cases of abscondment,” he said.
Mr. Bankole said that no fewer than 33 corps members who served in the state got married during service year, while 50 went
on maternity leave.

“We had about 1,753 males and 2,281 females.
“Six received award of exemplary service while 11 received award for execution of projects in their host communities,” he said.

He urged the corps members still in service to live exemplary life and be good citizens to avoid falling victim of extension of service or abscondment after their service year.

The information officer advised the outgoing corps members to make good use of the entrepreneurial skills they acquired during service to enable them become self employed.

“They should go into the larger society to earn their living honestly and legitimately as
good citizens, no shortcuts,” he said.

In Sokoto, six Corps members are to repeat the service year for various offences, the NYSC Coordinator in the state, Thomas
Yamma, has said.

Mr. Yamma said on Thursday in Sokoto at the passing out ceremony of the NYSC batch "A" corps members deployed to the state, that the action was taken to serve as deterrent to serving corps members.

He said that four other corps members have had their service year extended by two months.

“This is a punitive measure taken against the erring corps members for violating the rules and regulations of the corps.
“Three other corps members were
bestowed with the state’s prestigious merit award, four others got the chairman’s awards, while several others got commendation letters.”

The coordinator commended the state government, Sokoto Sultanate Council, and people of the state in general for their
sustained moral and financial support to the corps members.

In his remark, the Chairman of the State NYSC Governing Board, Muhammad Abubakar, assured that the government would continue to give priority to the
welfare and security of all corps members deployed to the state.
(NAN)

www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/201793-24-nysc-members-repeat-service-oyo-sokoto.html

Christianity Etc › Re: Why Did God Create The Tree Of Good and evil If He Didn't Want Man To Sin by Suurulere(m): 10:29am On Apr 11, 2016

"Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard? That the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary; there is no searching of His understanding."-Isaiah 40:28.

If we know everything about Him, then He is no more God.

Forget Adam and Eve and be like Jesus...the Second Adam and the Lord of Heaven.

Nairaland General › Re: Amazing Animal Facts You Never Knew. by Suurulere(m): 9:23pm On Apr 06, 2016

1. Lions can mate 50 times a day.
2. Kangaroo is an Australian language which means "I don't know."
3. The eye of an ostrich is bigger than its brain.
4. In Ecuador, 80% of the people have been bitten by a snake.
5. You can lead a cow upstairs, you can't lead it downstairs.
6. The Chimpanzee is the only animal that can recognize itself in a mirror.
7. A snail can sleep for two years.
8. Chocolate kills dogs.
9. A sloth spends 90% of its life sleeping.
10. A group of bears is known as SLOTH.
Finally, elephants are the only mammals that cannot jump.
Source: My brain and years of research and reading.

2 Likes

Politics › Re: Real Reason Why President Muhammadu Buhari May Not Complete His Tenure. by Suurulere(op): 6:43pm On Apr 04, 2016

It's as if some of you find it hard to comprehend. You find it hard to reason, yet you may be learned. All that is laid here is that once your deputy is from Ogun State, you may not complete your tenure (Unfortunately,, it has always resulted in death). It is a fact and history is there to unravel this enigma to us.

Unfortunately, Aguiyi-Ironsi, Murtala and Abacha were casualties and we hope we knew this fact before ranting unwholesome words. Like the Tecumseh's curse, the Ogun State curse too is a mystery and I won't be surprised if the President does not complete his tenure (I don't wish him death). But I hope he does, for the good of the country. For the good of us all.

Politics › Real Reason Why President Muhammadu Buhari May Not Complete His Tenure. by Suurulere(op): 12:14pm On Apr 04, 2016

The Ogun State Curse: Why President Muhammadu Buhari may not complete his tenure.

Did you know that every Nigerian leader with an Ogun State deputy died in office?

Read on: www.historyvilleng.com/2016/03/13/president-muhammadu-buhari-on-the-cliff-of-unwanted-history/

Politics › Interesting Facts About Nigeria Leaders by Suurulere(op): 11:49am On Apr 04, 2016

How much do you know about Nigeria, especially her leaders? Who founded the Central Bank of Nigeria? Did you know that Obasanjo had no shoe when he wooed his wife? Also, only two states has produced the most civilian Presidents in Nigeria's 55-year old history? Read on: www.historyvilleng.com/2016/03/13/interesting-facts-about-nigeria-leaders/

Education › Re: Uniben Direct Entry Admission Guide Thread 2016/2017 by Suurulere(m): 7:32pm On Feb 23, 2016*

Please. I need the past questions for Pharmacy department. My e-mail is theprimogeniture@yahoo.com

Education › Re: Abu Here We Come 2016/2017 by Suurulere(m): 7:41pm On Feb 15, 2016

Do ABU accept BSc. (2nd class lower) in Chemistry with a CGPA of 3.32 to study Pharmacy through Direct Entry? Need an urgent answer please..

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (of 7 pages)