₦airaland Forum

[quote author=Ejiné]I swear, with the state of things at the moment, if a Northerner were to run against a G-string, I'd vote the G-string instead![/quote]....it will still shock you that despite the shocking revelations of the wicked game plans of the core North, some southerners are still willing to vote for a Northerner

A paid Prophet of APC on the loose! Jonathan will not only contest but will WIN! I wonder what's wrong with all these APC propagandists all because of 'a power grab'!

Sincere 9gerian: It appears someone desperately needs the attention of Afam4eva.

Seun: False. Afam4eva is a good & valued moderator and has not been axed in any way.

Finally, the Don has spoken

Sincere 9gerian: I first heard about Nairaland on a TV programme about 2 to 3yrs ago. I guess it was during a talk show on AIT that one of the guests mentioned Nairaland. The name instantly made an impression and registered in my head.

From then I started visiting as a guest ones in a while. I finally joined late last year out of anger to tame the rampaging LIARS and propagandists.

How did you get to know about Nairaland?

Through a friend, and I have been a 'guest visitor' since 2008 but decided to join last year (April 6th, 2012) to do exactly what prompted you - fight the liars and bigots here to a standstill!

While the Pastor made some sacrosanct points in this piece, I beg to differ on his advice for Jonathan, in my own candid opinion, Jonathan is not doing badly not to go for another term and by the way, no region is superior to our co-existence, if the core North like they can continue in their whining that it's their turn to rule but as for me, Jonathan has the right to contest again, that is his own civic right as a citizen!

Dr. Bola Akin-John, founder of Church Growth, is an activist in Nigeria’s Christian community. He speaks with ADEOLA BALOGUN on how the country can overcome the Boko Haram insurgency

What is your take on the call for amnesty for Boko Haram?

It is uncalled for because, according to various reports, Boko Haram is a faceless group. And if you are going to grant amnesty to somebody, you must know them. Two, they must be fighting for a known cause. For God’s sake, Boko Haram is not fighting for a national cause. Rather, they are fighting for an Islamic cause. They said they want to Islamise Nigeria; at a time, they said the President must become a Muslim; though we know that their brand of Islam is not the genuine one that we are used to. They are extremists. So, if they are fighting, maiming and killing innocent people, destroying places of worship, to me, what they are doing negates amnesty. As a Nigerian, the way I look at it is that it is a northern agenda.

When the June 12, 1993 election was annulled, there was a lot of violence in the South-West and they said they should shift power and they gave it to (Olusegun) Obasanjo. Again, when violence escalated in the Niger Delta, they said okay, to pacify them, let us give it to (Goodluck) Jonathan. We don’t have to go far before we know that what is happening is a northern agenda. If they have grievances with the government, they should come out and talk, otherwise there is no basis for amnesty. If you grant them amnesty, what of those that have been killed? I know there are many things that the Joint Task Force in the North discovers everyday that they cannot disclose to the rest of Nigerians. As a Christian, I call on Nigerians to pray to avert a civil war. I beg our political leaders to face reality; it is time we sit together and talk. If we still want a Nigeria tomorrow, the various peoples that make up Nigeria should come together and decide how we want to be governed. People have called for a Sovereign National Conference but our government has been dancing round the issue. Either they call it sovereign or something else, it’s time we come together and talk. The National Assembly cannot do it. They are talking of the centenary celebration now; for what? Of course, we thank God for keeping us together since 1914, but people in other nations have come together and talked about how they want to be governed. It doesn’t need to lead to a war or disintegration. The bus park incident in Kano recently was, to say the least, a very callous act carried out by some people, just to chase southerners out of northern Nigeria. I just returned from the United Kingdom, what is happening there is that Scotland, which is under Great Britain, is going for a referendum to determine whether the people are going to remain under the UK or not. And the most disheartening aspect is that most of our political leaders travel and they see what is happening all over the world. But they come back home and pretend that they didn’t see anything. I think we should even use the centenary celebration to start the talks.

A school of thought believes that the escalation of violence in the North is because of 2015. Do you agree?

Of course, that is the reason. Since the President has started sending several body languages about his intention to contest in 2015, Boko Haram insurgency picked up again. I want to say something, how I wish the President would shun any attempt to contest the next election. I am saying this as a servant of God and somebody who loves the President. But he should not leave without convening a national conference to see how we are going to live together. We can’t continue like this. Even former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who failed to use the opportunity he had to do it, has started crying out that something must be done to avert a crisis. I don’t want the President to contest in 2015 because it will lead to crisis. I know President Jonathan has a lot of pastors praying for him; I know that he has a lot of people that are encouraging him, but for the sake of Nigeria, let him not contest. Let him sacrifice his ambition for the sake of Nigeria. The North may want to make the country ungovernable for him if he goes ahead to contest. And if he wants to leave, one legacy I would love him to bequeath to Nigerians is to convene a national conference. The signs are so ominous but we pray that God will take care of us.

The thinking when Gen. Andrew Azazi was removed for Dasuki as the National Security Officer was that the Boko Haram insurgency would go down…

It’s part of their political calculation. What happened to Azazi at the end of the day? Was he not the one that died in a helicopter crash? What he said by then, is it not happening now? He said the government knew these people; he said it was the PDP that was behind the crisis. We all thought that with Dasuki in charge as a northerner, the whole thing would die down. Of course, for a few months it abated, but it has since escalated. Our political leaders are there for themselves alone and they are making it a do-or-die affair. I was reading in the paper this morning about a coup in Central African Republic, I pray it doesn’t happen in Nigeria. You see, when people in government don’t have the interest of the greater society at heart, that is always the result. Although we are not praying for it, if you make a peaceful revolution impossible, you are preparing the ground for a violent revolution. We have enough crisis on our hands, people in government should therefore tread softly and face the reality. I think the period of centenary celebration is a chance to convene a national conference because if you married someone and you realised that the number of years you experienced crisis was more than when you had peace, there is nothing wrong for the two of you to sit and discuss the way forward. We need to sit down; majority of Nigerians would love it but I know that the only people who would not want it are the northerners.

We had always thought that the Boko Haram insurgency was limited to the North until recently when some arms were unearthed in Ijora Badia in Lagos. Is that not a signal that it has spread?

Let’s thank God for His mercy. Remember that during the Niger Delta uprising, there was a bomb blast in Lagos. It is a possibility, but I pray that our security agencies would be on red alert to discover more and on time. The government should see what is happening as a wake-up call and do what is right.

Is it true that Christians and Muslims will always find it difficult to live together in Nigeria?

I studied Islam because a good pastor should have knowledge of Islam. Muslims and Christians can live together but we have the extremists, who say that the Qur’an says if someone converts from Islam to Christianity, he should be stoned to death. The extremists use that to destroy and kill. Remember the days of the Maitatsine riots, that was how it started. But we have moderate Muslims who are genuine like the Ansar Ud Deen people, very good people. From time, we have been living together; there are Muslims in Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Osun and many other states and they are living together with others. In Europe, there are Muslims without extremism. Religion is a personal thing and there is no reason why I should impose my belief on you. One thing we fail to realise is that the present situation in the North had started a long time ago when they would not give southerners permission to buy land in the North. They would ask non-indigenes to live in Sabongari. The killings started with the Maitatsine riots in the 80s. Look at Jos, Muslims and Christians had lived peacefully together for a long time until they politicised Islam. Even the largest Muslim nation in the world, Indonesia, there are Christians there and they live peacefully.

Some people have blamed poverty for the escalation of Boko Haram activities in the North. Who is responsible for the poverty?

It is politics. If you look at it, the number of years the North ruled the nation is more than those from the South. If the North is poor, who made it to be so poor? I remember the days of the late Gen. Sani Abacha, when fuel price was increased and there was an uproar. The Petroleum Trust Force was set up and was headed by Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. Most of the roads, hospitals financed by the PTF were concentrated in the North. That worked against him during his campaign for the presidency. So, I believe we can all live together on the basis of tolerance and freedom.

Essentially, don’t you think the South needs the North to live?

Essentially, we don’t need the North to live. What is the North giving us more than food? If the southern governments are serious with agriculture, we can provide all these things because we have enough land. You remember when there was a crisis and those bringing things from the North could not come in, that was when some southern governments woke up to cultivate things like tomatoes and pepper. We can live without the North if they feel they don’t want us together.

http://www.punchng.com/politics/jonathan-should-sacrifice-2015-ambition-for-nigerias-peace-akin-john/

With the way Nigeria is structured politically, Jonathan cannot try it or else there will be a conflagration! However, the situation in up North over the years call for such move but not in Nigeria for now except there is a total revolts from the 'tenants' up North!

Quaritch: The burial of Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu.

https://sphotos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/536098_10150698394137030_1762673414_n.jpg


Nzeogwu's grave at the Military Cemetary, Kaduna.

https://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/538406_3795191406253_921370132_n.jpg

I just love this guy for REAL! A determined soldier, a reformer, a defender of truth and above all, a true PATRIOT! Adieu,Patrick Chukwuma Nzeogwu

dasparrow: I humbly suggest you crawl under a stone or move back to the 12th century. This is the 21st century and there is really no room in modern society for your backward manner of thinking. With men like you, it is no wonder Nigeria as a country continues to remain a third world non progressing country that cannot even boast of constant electricity supply and clean drinking water for its over 140 million citizens.

The advanced nations of the world became what they are today because both their male and female citizens were given equal opportunities to contribute immensely to making them the great economic powers we see today.

Grow up son and think of a way of making Nigeria great and corrupt free rather than allowing your chauvinist demonic spirit keep your brain and manner of thinking enslaved and backward. I wonder what your mother would think about your negative sentiments towards women. Is that how she raised you?

'Aparo' you are one of the main reason white men said that 'if you want to hide anything from a blackman, put it in a book, because he will never read it' in your own case, a thread was created for your perusal but you did not bother to read and understand before you start to 'gas out' like a monkey! Did I asked you for your 'lectures'? The thread is damn too simple for a simpleton to comprehend, I never made mention of me liking or hating a woman as my boss for instance, but was sharing a common feeling among guys not necessarily all of them. Truly, your mother should be ashamed of your level of education even in a 21st century

This thread is a real 'archive' for future references! Welldone @ OP!

Now this is the type of thread that deserves to be at the frontpage not all those gossips and psychobabbles we see around these days! @ OP, welldone for this enlightening piece!

ashson: Some 100 Advices from Qur'an

1. Do not mix the truth with falsehood (2:42)

2. Order righteousness to people only after practicing it yourself (2:44)

3. Do not commit abuse on the earth (2:60)

4. Do not prevent people from mosques (2:114)(2:114)

5. Do not follow anyone blindly (2:170)

6. Do not break the promise (2:177)

7. Do not engage in bribery (2:188)

8. Fight only with those who fight you (2:190)

9. Keep the etiquettes of war (2:191)

10. Protect orphans (2:220)

11. Do not have sexual intercourse during menstrual period (2:222)

12. Breast feed your children for two complete years (2:233)

13. Choose rulers by their merit (2:247)

14. No compulsion in religion (2:256)

15. Do not invalidate charity with reminders (2:264)

16. Help those in need by finding them (2:273)

17. Don’t consume interest (2:275)

18. Grant more time to repay if the debtor is in hard time (2:280)

19. Write down the debt (2:282)

20. Keep the trust (2:283)

21. Do not spy and backbite (2:283)

22. Believe in all prophets (2:285)

23. Do not burden a person beyond his scope (2:286)

24. Do not become divided (3:103)

25. Restrain Anger (3:134)

26. Do not be rude in speech (3:159)

27. Think deeply about the wonders and creation of this universe (3:191)

28. Men and Women have equal rewards for their deeds (3:195)

29. Wealth of the dead should be distributed among his family members (4:7)

30. Women also have the right for inheritance (4:7)

31. Do not devour the property of orphans (4:10)

32. Do not marry those in your blood relation (4:23)

33. Do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly (4:29)

34. Family should be lead by men (4:34)

35. Be good to others (4:36)

36. Do not be miserly (4:37)

37. Do not keep envy (4:54)

38. Judge with justice between people (4:58)

39. Do not kill each other (4:92)

40. Do not be an advocate for deceitful (4:105)

41. Standout firmly for justice (4:135)

42. Cooperate in righteousness (5:2)

43. Do not cooperate in sin and aggression (5:2)

44. Dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine are prohibited (5:3)

45. Be just (5:

46. Punish for crimes in an exemplary way (5:38)

47. Strive against sinful and unlawful (5:63)

48. Avoid intoxicants and alcohol (5:90)

49. Do not gamble (5:90)

50. Do not insult others’ deities (6:108)

51. ’Having majority’ is not a criterion of truth (6:116)

52. Don’t reduce weight or measure to cheat people (6:152)

53. Do not be arrogant (7:13)

54. Eat and Drink, But Be Not Excessive (7:31)

55. Wear good cloths during prayer times (7:31)

56. Forgive others for their mistakes (7:199)

57. Do not turn back in battle (8:15)

58. Protect and help those who seek protection (9:6)

59. Keep Purity (9:108)

60. Never give up hope of Allah’s Mercy (12:87)

61. Allah will forgive to those who have done wrong out of ignorance (16:119)

62. Invitation to God should be with wisdom and good instruction (16:125)

63. No one will bear others’ sins (17:15)

64. Be dutiful to parents (17:23)

65. Do not say a word of disrespect to parents (17:23)

66. Do not spent money extravagantly (17:29)

67. Do not kill your children for fear of poverty (17:31)

68. Do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse (17:32)

69. Do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge (17:36)

70. Speak to people mildly (20:44)

71. Keep aloof from what is vain (23:3)

72. Do not enter others’ house without seeking permission (24:27)

73. Allah will provide security for those who believe only in Allah (24:55)

74. Do not enter parents’ private room without asking permission (24:58)

75. Walk on earth in humility (25:63)

76. Do not neglect your portion of this world (28:77)

77. Invoke not any other god along with Allah (28:88)

78. Do not engage in homosexuality (29:29)

79. Enjoin right, forbid wrong (31:17)

80. Do not walk in insolence through the earth (31:18)

81. Lower your voice (31:19)

82. Women should not display their finery (33:33)

83. Allah forgives all sins (39:53)

84. Do not be despair of the mercy of Allah (39:53)

85. Repel evil by good (41:34)

86. Decide on affairs by consultation (42:38)

87. Try for settlement between people (49:9)

88. Do not ridicule others (49:11)

89. Avoid suspicion (49:12)

90. Do not spy or backbite (49:12)

91. Most noble of you is the most righteous (49:13)

92. Honor guests (51:26)

93. Spent wealth in charity (57:7)

94. No Monasticism in religion (57:27)

95. Those who have knowledge will be given a higher degree by Allah (58:11)

96. Treat non-Muslims in a kind and fair manner (60:

97. Save yourself from covetousness (64:16)

98. Seek forgiveness of Allah. He is Forgiving and Merciful (73:20)

99. Do not repel one who asks (93:10)

100. Encourage feeding poor (107:3)

Sorry, just being curious here, if these are in the Quran then which 'Quran' are those bloody Boko Harams quoting from? Please furnish me with answers don't bombard me with insults at least you said this here; 26. Do not be rude in speech (3:159) and here 99. Do not repel one who asks (93:10)

Most times I have realized that women especially in this modern time, would want to compete with their male counterparts and even exhibit some bossy tendencies toward their subordinates especially when he is a male in a scathing way! I have heard from many guys around that, they would rather prefer to be under a fellow guy as their boss and earn 'little' than to be under a female boss and earn 'much'! This is just an observation and not an opinion trying to generalize! Guys, do you have contrary views?

No doubt, Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon will be sorely missed at the 'hallow chamber', a man I loved listening to. A master of diction whose 'choice of words and rhythm of flow is second to non!

nwando: They said a man's worst enemies are the people in his own household
It is so true
Good thing you are are not allowing a bunch of these loud mouthed eediots that share the same tribal leaning with you influence you
Even a fool can see this thread is senseless
Someone is afraid of a mod for being Igbo?
Good that you can stand your ground like in the Achebe hall of shame thread of last December and ask them to go and hang
Your earned a lot of respect there
It is after all your website and you have a duty not to appear to insult a section of your readers and supporters
The most they can do is call you names and threaten to leave( but never do)
Like anyone would miss their posts

If Ikenna will help you bring sanity,by all means carry on
People will just have to deal with it
Cheap blackmail is for cowards,don't give them a chance

Just to buttress on your valid points, whether the 'bunch of bigots' here like it or not, Ikenna has come to stay as a 'Moderator in the Politics Section' and no matter the level of tantrums thrown at him he will definitely outlive them! I am using this medium to APPEAL to Oluwaseun Osewa (Owner, Nairaland) to give Ikenna a freehand to operate in the unbiased capacity he has promised, in regardless of those 'red-herring tactics' displayed by those jittery bigots! Because I can see that Ikenna is the NEED OF THE HOUR

Personally, I will tell you that two major tribes control and run things as far as the economy is concerned! The Yorubas hold sway in the Oil and Gas sector (which remains the driving force behind our economy), banking and finance, food and beverages and telecommunication while the Hausa-Fulanis command the army, immigration,civil service,oil & gas (with the Yorubas),customs and most government parastatals and agencies! These two major tribes in my own candid opinion are indeed in charge!

Seun: This is a completely false and nonsensical lie. I have never appointed a moderator to favour my tribe. My decision to appoint Ikenna351 is based on his passion for the cause. I just decided to give him a chance to do something about it. Daz all.

Your decision on this one, I believed is on the right path and well intended and my hunches seem to be telling me you've judged rightly! I just believe Ikenna will DO IT RIGHT!

[quote author=ndu_chucks]I suspected you were pea brained, the above confirms it. [/quote]The chameleon at his usual game of wits again

OAM4J: Ladies and Gentlemen of Politics Section,

I think we have had enough debate on the new moderator. Ikenna351 has not made any new rule. He has only advised people to stick to using Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa on NL just like we have done in the past. He has not and he is not banning anyone for using Ibo, Yooba or Yoruba etc for now.

Ikenna351 is here to join the fight in putting an end to tribal attacks which am sure many of you want. Even if some of you dont believe in that mission, please let him do his job and let the attack stop. So far he has not done anything outside the rules of Nairaland.

So I plead with you all to let us rest the matter and focus on discussing Nigerian politics. For instance, Boko haram has rejected amnesty even before it is offered, what is now the way forward to our security challenges?

Thank you all.

Fixed but still broken! Are you sure this is what Ikenna represents here? Its better he speaks to us himself to clear the confusions on the minds of many here! I thought he said we all should stick with Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa!

Dede1: Are you insinuating people other than you should use only words familiarized with you and ilk? I hope nairaland is not getting out of control.

Not really but let's support this guy!

Katsumoto: How is 'yoruba' are criminal more sane than Yoruba are criminal? Is bigotry absent?

I am in support of action (whatever that is) against trouble makers but not in support of dictatorship.

Banning willy nilly has never worked on NL because troublemakers can easily open new monikers. I think amending posts would be more effective as many would take exception to their posts being modified.

Now you made a point here! 'Yorubas are criminals' may not be offensive to many here but 'Yaribas are criminals' may be highly offensive to many Yorubas here, why? Many of us are used to the word 'Yoruba' and not 'Yoruba' this is nothing but the truth! Let's give Ikenna a chance and also support him! Too many meaningful issues to benefit from here but bigots would not

Katsumoto: Yes, I am a poor immigrant who is poorly educated, and working on minimum wage but I love Whitey because they didn't send me back at the border with my fake papers.

Really Katz (my Japanese Samurai friend) you mean you have a connection to 'fake papers' no wonder you changed into your new image here

Dede1: Why would this Ikanga character stop on words? Would it not be fashionable if he\she extends the so-called measure of sanity to the manner people write their sentences? I bet you that he or she will term the expression to have Nigeria divided into ethnical nation states as bigotry.

Dede1 you are introducing some funny jibes into your post, I think there is no big deal to what Ikenna is doing, let's not make a 'mountain out of this mole-hill' I totally support this move from him! Respect

Dede1: I can not believe young Nigerians have embraced laziness and wished to dim the light of enlightenment in nairaland. It is a case of irredeemable idiocy for anyone to regard original or alternative names of certain ethnicities in Nigeria as derogatory.

Must we always go to our graves with what the silly Europeans and colonialists handed down to us? Are we not human enough to explore our history other than the craps Europeans impacted on us? I remember someone posted interesting facts about Igbo as a derivative of Gboo (Ancient or Old or Original) people. Ndigboo could have been anglicized as Ndigbo or Ndibo depending on the European airhead that scripted the pronunciation for further literary work. The same goes to Yoruba, Yooba, Yoro.ba or Yoruba. I recently found out that Hausa is also known as Hausawa,Haousa, Ausa and Habe etc.

How does writing Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba etc curb any form of bigotory? Nobody can simply force another person to love, like, appreciate or befriend another person. It is human to dislike period.

Dede1, I have to disagree with you on this one! What Ikenna is trying to portray here is to prevent unrepentant bigots from having their ways when meaningful discussions are going on here, we should all support him! Agreed, Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa will not prevent some people from stopping their level of bigotry but with sanctions they will shape up, and being an educational site, sanity is needed because not all Igbos here enjoy seeing Ibos, Heeboes, Eboes spellings or Yorubas seeing Yoruba, Yeriba, Yaruba etc so to avoid all those excuses that, 'its a typo, when we all know they are intentional' why can't we just stick with Yoruba or Igbo spelling for now!

Katsumoto: Is the new mod God Almighty? Why should only him have the final say on the subject? This subject was discussed at length by many posters. Isn't this a dictatorial policy? I always use the term Igbo but on principle, I am against the ban of anglicized words just because some folks are sensitive. Yoruba was a Nupe term for Odua people; the Brits anglicized Yoruba to Yoruba. The Yoruba aren't complaining.

As long as a word has been used in published text in a non-derogatory manner, then it should be accepted here. May be the Espanol should complain about the anglicized spelling of Espana (Spain). Frankly, I think it is pathetic for grown men to be complaining about this issue. Its like a fat 10 year old crying about being called fat.

Personally, I don't have any grouse with the terms 'Yoruba or Ibo' as the case may be but I am actually on the side of avoiding going round in circles as usual, he is trying to bring sanity back into this section which in time pasts bigots have abused, can't we just give him a chance? I still maintain that there is no big deal if Ikenna is enforcing 'Yoruba or Igbo' spelling as the recognised spelling here to me it's no big deal! We've been down this road before let's apply something drastic, I believe you are a fan a 'sane environment' let's kick out trolls off the politics section, my point

HAH: Mr fashewun take it or leave it the new Awolowo has been born and his name is Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Just justify the pay from your paymasters.

You must be a 'blind clown' to compare the great sage to a great fraudster as Tinubu! What do they have in common if I may ask? If na play, stop am, abi ki lo n se e gan

Katsumoto: Ndu_Chucks is not a nutcase.

He is asking valid and appropriate questions and getting no responses.

The interpretation of certain rules are a bit wooly at the moment.

Katz you know me too well here (even though we may not agree all the time on some political issues ) well the valid points you claimed Ndu was raising to me are not but somehow convoluted! The new Mod came with an easier solution to checkmate the level of bigotry and tribalism that has turned the 'political section of Nairaland' into a centre of diatribes and now Ndu is trying to draw back the hand of time and my unanswered question to him is, what is so difficult in adapting to a generally accepted Yoruba or Igbo spelling for now? I need answer or answers!

bloggernaija: Stop using this $16 trillion already debunked rubbish. The amount spent was about $6 billion dollars for the 8 new power plant and transmission stations which jonaduh is claiming has his accomplishment.
Also note that obj paid for them in cash(oil price $48 a barrel) .jonaduh is borrowing money to pay for nothing(oil price $99 dollars a barrel)

Definitely, it will be a bunkum because Jonathan is involved but its ok if Obj is involved, what a way to go!