₦airaland Forum

I support any plan to keep the speakership position in the SW

Even if an ACN has to defect to PDP and maybe defect back to ACN in 2015

We cant afford to lose that spot

HEAVY pressure is being mounted on returning members of the Action Congress of Nigeria in the House of Representatives from the South-West to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party.


Investigations showed that this pressure is coming from some powerful stalwarts of the PDP in the South West who want to shore up the numerical strength of the PDP House members from the zone in a bid to enhance the zone’s chances of retaining the seat of the Speaker of the House.


At the moment, there are three PDP House members from the zone in the House, namely, Ajibola Muraina, Mulikat Adeola and Odebunmi Dokun.


The development came as politicians from the South-East and the South-West spent the weekend lobbying to clinch the number four position in the country.


Already, the Chief Whip of the House, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha; the Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Mr. Bethel Amadi; the Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change, Mr. Ezuiche Ubani; and the Chairman of the Committee on Banking/Currency, Mr. Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi, have expressed their desire to be the next speaker. They are all from the South-East.


Another likely candidate from the South-East, the Chairman of the House Committee on Marine Transport, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, is said to enjoy the support of many lawmakers, though he has not declared his intention to vie for the seat.


Muraina, a lawyer and protégé of former President Olusegun, is said to be the favourite of some power brokers to get the seat among the three PDP members from the South-West.


Muraina came to the House in 2007, the same time as Adeola. Dokun is a new member. The three are from Oyo State.


Adeola, a lawyer was reported to have told to some of her colleagues that she was as qualified as Muraina to clinch the seat, wondering why her name was hardly mentioned in the calculations.


It was learnt on Sunday that some PDP power brokers in the South-West were using their contacts within and outside the National Assembly to persuade the ACN members to defect and contest to become the Speaker of the House.


A source in the National Assembly said, “It is no longer hidden that some forces in the zone are fighting to retain the position of the Speaker.


“This was a pre-election understanding but the poor performance of the PDP has led to the negligible number of its members in the House.


“The defection idea is to increase the number of PDP members in the House from the zone and also to enhance the zone’s chances of retaining the Speaker’s seat.


“Those being wooed are also being reminded of the fact that they stand a chance of becoming the Speaker.”


Findings indicated that besides raising the number of PDP members, the defection idea was to widen the choices of candidates, besides Muraina and Adeola, should the seat be retained in the zone.


It was learnt that some key members of the ACN from the zone had allegedly agreed to serve as “contact points” the defection proposal.


Two lawmakers from the zone confided in The PUNCH in Abuja that they had been approached to defect to the PDP.


One of them said, “They have been bombarding me with telephone calls.


“But, this is a dicey situation; they say they are looking for at least 10 members (defectors).


“This is not the type of decision you wake up one day and say, I accept.”


However, another lawmaker and a third-timer, dismissed the proposal as “an impossibility.”


The lawmaker argued that the ACN would oppose any plan to sacrifice its membership on the altar of helping the PDP to retain the seat of the speaker in the South-West.


The lawmaker added, “The odds will be against any ACN member who accepts to defect.


“The member will surely face a hostile home front because it will be considered a betrayal of trust.


“Besides, the governors in the zone now are of the ACN apart from one (Ondo State). The proposal will not work.”


A separate account said that rather than losing its members to the PDP, the ACN caucus in the House might offer its bloc vote to any PDP candidate from the zone, who would contest for the position of Speaker.


Asked to comment on the issue, the Minority Leader of the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila (ACN, Lagos State), said that no ACN member would defect to the PDP, no matter the pressure.


He said, “Nobody in ACN is going anywhere; they must be kidding. We are intact. “There is nothing like that; it will not happen.


“What I do know is that the House will produce the Speaker that it wants, zoning or no zoning.


“They can zone it to anywhere; our concern is that the House will elect a Speaker that members want.”


According to Gbajabiamila, the House may elect a Speaker who is not “even in the calculations right now.”


But, a source close to the ACN lawmakers claimed that the minority leader was “economical with the truth.”


He said, “There has been pressure on ACN lawmakers; as a matter of fact, they have used the position of speaker and deputy speaker to woo them in the hope to secure one of the positions for the zone.


“In the course of the discussions, a member was offered the position of deputy speaker as an alternative, should the zone fail to secure the speakership.”

skypopson:
she never called herself a nigerian,her folks are.whats the stress coz she gats american certificate.why obama no come kenya come develop?america will always be number one in their hearts

trust me, Yorubas never forget home.

Yoruba First, Nigerian second, Nigerian-American third, Akata? never

^^^

Okay, I believe you now

You are clean Aare musiwa


Musiwa is not a criminal

[quote author=Busy_body link=topic=234706.msg8281987#msg8281987 date=1304890255]^^^but but but he is on our side nao


Yay, kaabo s'o ri eto Reemi, now all we need is Theseeker to join the mix keep on keeping it real all of una Sooko






[s]Just passing by jejely, hmmm, i have always known that spambot was biased[/s] [/quote]So you think Ooni used to pay homage to the Alaafin?

Abi Akoraye ni o ni?

I just got an information from a pal in Isreal that in addition to the "https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-662775.0.html" kaduna mass slaughter there seem to be a plan underway for mass murder of Ibos in Isreal at midnight.  This statement has not been verified to be true, it's just for informative purposes only, to ensure that Ibos in Isreal take extreme caution where possible.

Remii:
This is what that vindictive Akala created, the power tussle btw them have been solved with creation of Osun out of Oyo. Ooni has been been Chairman in Osun and Allafin Chairman in Oyo. Ti inu ile kan ban toro, awon omo ale ibe ni koi ti d'agba.



Historically, those who remember the origin of the proverb "Omode gbon agba gbon laa fi da ile Ife". It was about how Ile Ife stopped paying homage to Oyo by sending a male cow to Oyo and demanded its calf to be sent to Ife , and so on, and so on. Which means Oyo at time governed Ife.
History has it that when Oduduwa died, Oranmiyan was not  around, so his grandpa's properties were shared with nothing left for him. Infact no crown was reserved for him, that is why you hear "lade lade lade Alaafin ko lade (Alafin does not have crown) When he showed up later, the family, in a face saving tactics, gave him red soil and told him that his own share would be the whole of Yorubaland, that was how he started collecting homage (isakole) from all part of Yoruba land.

How old are you? 11?

[quote author=~Bluetooth link=topic=661677.msg8281940#msg8281940 date=1304889728]I learnt some indigenious ibos also stay in garden of Eden flexing with Chineke.Funny people.[/quote]I heard the real name of Adam was Adamuchukwu and Eve's real name was Eveioma

Am I missing something?

Ibo people, what have they done again ooooooo

It seems Hausas are planning to flood Suya market with cheap suyas


Hmmmmmmmm

OAM4J:
zstranger,

how did u bribe spam bot? I wouldn't even attempt to post half of that

Well spambot understands the supremacy of the Ooni over Alaafin i guess

Goes to tell you that spambot has more sense than that ediot segzyjoe

What an arse! Can you just believe the crap he posted?

The Heritage of Oduduwa: Traditional History and Political Propaganda among the Yoruba
Author(s): R. C. C. Law
Source: The Journal of African History, Vol. 14, No. 2 (1973), pp. 207-222
Published by: Cambridge University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/180445 .
Accessed: 08/05/2011 16:39


THE  HERITAGE  OF  ODUDUWA:  TRADITIONAL
HISTORY  AND  POLITICAL  PROPAGANDA  AMONG
THE  YORUBA
BY  R.  C.  C.  LAW


THE  use of traditional history for purposes of political propaganda, and its
consequent  falsification, are well  attested phenomena in  African societies.

Indeed,  Vansina,  in  his  classic  study  of  oral  tradition,  suggests  that  the
historian  should  a  priori  suspect  falsification  in  'official'  traditions,  i.e.
those whose primary function is political.'  In particular, traditions of origin
seem  commonly  to have such political  functions,  seeking  to legitimate the
present  political  order  by  placing  its  origins  in  remotest  antiquity.  In
many instances, it  appears that traditions of origin can be  plausibly inter-
preted,  to  use  the  often-quoted  words  of  Fortes,  as  'nothing  more  than
formulations  of  the  contemporary  scheme  of  political  and  ceremonial
relationships'.2 However,  difficulties  arise  for  this  approach in  contexts
where  the  political  order was  not  static.  It  has  been  commonly  accepted
that, when the political organization of a society was changed, its traditions
had to be adjusted to fit the new conditions.  It has, perhaps, been less often
appreciated  that  traditional  history  might  also  be  modified  in  order  to
facilitate changes in  the  political  system-certainly,  non-African  parallels
suggest  that  appeals  to  a  falsified  'ancestral constitution'  are  frequently
made by those seeking to bring about revolutionary change.3 But while the
fact  of  politically  motivated  alteration  of  traditional  history  has  been
acknowledged, little attention has been given to the process by which  such
alterations  were  effected.  Goody  and  Watt,  for  example,  refer  to  'the
unobtrusive adaptation of past tradition to present needs', without indicat-
ing  how  this  adaptation was  achieved,  or  how  it  could  have  been  'un-
obtrusive'.4 Too  often, it appears, historians and anthropologists of Africa
have  been  content  to  credit  the  rulers of  African  societies  with  a  power
like that of the Ministry  of Truth  in Orwell's I984,  to make alterations in
the existing  view  of history at will,  to suit their changing purposes, and to
win instant acceptance of each successive revised version. The  assumption
upon which  the present article proceeds is that, on the contrary, the alter-
ation  of  received  historical traditions must  always have  been  a matter of
some difficulty.

This  article is  an examination of  the use of traditions of  origin for pur-
poses of political propaganda among the Yoruba, with  particular reference
to the most powerful of the Yoruba kingdoms, QyQ. Its title, 'The Heritage
of  Oduduwa', alludes to  the common Yoruba tradition that all Yoruba, or
at least the  royal dynasties of  all the  principal Yoruba kingdoms,  are de-
scended  from a single  ancestor,  Oduduwa.  The  phrase,  'the  heritage  of
Oduduwa', it should be made clear, does not occur in Yoruba tradition, the
concept being borrowed by the present writer from the history of Classical
Greece.  An  ancient  account  of  the  military expansion  of  the  kingdom  of
Argos in  the Peloponnesos  during the  seventh  century B.C.  describes the
Argives  as having  'recovered  the  heritage  of  Temenos',5  Temenos  being
according to tradition the founder of the royal dynasty of Argos and one of
three brothers who had divided among themselves  control of  the  Pelopon-
nesos. The  parallels between  this  story and Yoruba traditions will become
clear in  the  course of this  article.
Yoruba Origins

The  Yoruba  occupy  an  extensive  territory,  embracing  southwestern
Nigeria  and  adjacent  areas  of  Dahomey  and  Togo.  They  compromise
several distinct sub-groups,  the most important being the Oyo in the north,
the  Ife,  1jesa, Ekiti and Ondo in the east, the  Ijebu and Egba in the south,
and the Ketu in the west.  Though  the various Yoruba sub-groups  share a
common  language and  culture,  they  have  never,  at least in  recent  times,
formed  a political  unit,  being  divided  into  numerous  independent  king-
doms.  Even  the use  of  the name 'Yoruba' to refer to the whole  group is a
recent  development,  which  does  not  pre-date  the  nineteenth  century.
Originally,  this  name  referred  only  to  one  of  the  'Yoruba'  kingdoms,
Qy9.6  In earlier times,  it does not appear that the various 'Yoruba'-speak-
ing  peoples  called themselves  by  any common  name. They  did,  however,
acknowledge a common  origin,  from the Yoruba town  of  Ile  Ife.
There  are  many  contradictory  versions  of  the  Yoruba  tradition  of
origin. This  needs to be stressed, since it has been obscured by the author-
ity customarily accorded to  the  version  recorded by  Samuel Johnson,  the
pioneer historian of the Yoruba, in his History of the Yorubas, published in
I92I1. [size=18pt] Johnson's  version,  which  he  derived from QyQ tradition, is in  fact
highly  tendentious[/size].8  Nowadays,  indeed,  it is  probably true  that relatively
few  variants are still  current as  oral tradition,  since  Johnson's  published
account  has  widely  supplanted  and  driven  out  differing  versions.  But
5 Ephoros,  quoted  in  Strabo,  Geography, VIII: 3,  33.


8 Johnson's  informants  were  the  Arokin,  the  official  historians  of  the  QyQ court:  see
Johnson,  History,  3. THE  HERITAGE  OF  ODUDUWA  209
many variants were recorded and published,  mainly by  the  obscurer local
historians,  during  the  late  nineteenth  and early twentieth  centuries.  The
existence  of these numerous contradictory versions of the Yoruba tradition
of  origin is  of  considerable interest,  since  this  dissensus  suggests  that  the
question  of  Yoruba  origins  has  been  in  the  past  a  subject  of  active
controversy.

Despite  differences  of  detail,  the  traditions  of  all the  principal Yoruba
kingdoms,  and also of the neighbouring  non-Yoruba kingdom of Benin to
the  east,  agree  in  claiming  a  common  origin  from  Ile  Ife.  The  royal
dynasties  of  these  kingdoms  are  supposedly  descended  from  a  single
ancestor, the  first king of  Ile  Ife,  who is usually named as Oduduwa.9 Of
the  arrival of  Oduduwa  at  Ile  Ife,  different accounts  are given.  In  some
traditions,  Ile  Ife  is  presented  as the  site  of  the  creation of  the  habitable
world,  from  which  all mankind dispersed  over  the  earth. The  surface of
the  earth was  covered  with  water,  and  Oduduwa  descended  by  a  chain
from heaven to create the  dry land.10 Other traditions represent Oduduwa
as an immigrant from outside Yorubaland who settled at Ile  Ife. The  best
known version of the 'migration' tradition, that given in Johnson's History
of the  Yorubas, brings Oduduwa from Mecca.11 Others locate the  Yoruba
homeland  rather  nearer,  for  example  in  Nupe,  the  immediate  north-
eastern neighbour  of  Yorubaland.12  Some  traditions  seem  to  represent  a
fusion  of  the  'creation' and  'migration' versions:  according  to  these,  the
ancestors  of  the  Yoruba  migrated  from  another  land,  came  to  a  vast
expanse of water across which  they  set  out  either by wading  or by  canoe,
and ultimately created dry land in the middle of it.13  It is possible  that the
'creation'  and  'migration'  versions  of  the  Yoruba  tradition  of  origin
originally  referred to  distinct  indigenous  and immigrant elements  in  the
population.14


During  Oduduwa's lifetime,  or soon after his death, his sons and grand-
sons  are said to have dispersed  from Ile  Ife  to found  their own kingdoms.
In  several versions,  the  founders  of  the  principal kingdoms  are presented
as the children of Oduduwa specifically by his principal wife,  Qmonide or
Iyamode.15 Various lists are given of the original kingdoms founded by the
sons  and  grandsons  of  Oduduwa.  Several  versions  name  six  original
kingdoms,16  Samuel  Johnson  names  seven,17  and  others  name  sixteen.18
Inclusion  among  the  original kingdoms  is  a matter of  great prestige, and
there is considerable disagreement about their identity. Almost all versions,
however,  agree  in  including  Qyo,  Ketu,  and  Benin  among  the  original
kingdoms.

[size=18pt]In  some  of  the  derivative kingdoms,  the  dynastic link with  Ile  Ife  was
given institutional expression, in the  rituals accompanying the installation
of  their  kings.  For  example,  when  a  new  Alafin,  or  king,  of  OyQ was
installed,  the  sword which  was believed  to have belonged  to  Oranyan, the
son  of  Oduduwa  who  founded  the  Oyo  dynasty,  was  sent  to  Ile  Ife  for
reconsecration before being used in the ceremony.[/size]19

At Benin,  parts of the
bodies of  the deceased kings were sent to  Ile  Ife for burial.20 The  principal
importance  of  the  dynastic  link  with  Ile  Ife  lay  in  the  fact  that  descent
from  a son  or grandson of Oduduwa was considered  necessary to validate
a king's  claim to the right to wear an ade, or crown with  a beaded fringe.2'


In  1903  this  principle was given  official recognition by  the British author-
ities,  who  brought  the Oni, or king, of  Ife  to Lagos  to  give judgement  on
the claim of the El.pe  of  Sagamu, a minor  Ijebu ruler, to wear an ade: the
Qni gave a list of twenty-one  kings with the right to wear ade, not including
the El4pe.22


It is difficult to assess what degree of truth, if any, there is in these tradi-
tions of origin from Ile  Ife.  Certainly, there seems little reason to believe in
the historicity of the individuals involved in the stories, since Oduduwa and
his immediate descendants were worshipped by the Yoruba as orisa (gods).
It  is,  no  doubt,  possible  that  they  are deified  mortals,  but  it  seems  alto-
gether  more  probable  that  they  are  humanized  deities.23  However,
archaeological evidence  from  Ile  Ife,  principally  the  brass and  terracotta
sculptures  found  there,  which  appear to be  associated with  some  form of
sacred  kingship,  encourages  the  belief  that  Ile  Ife  was  the  centre  of  an
early monarchy.24[size=18pt] It seems  quite possible  that Ile  Ife was the  first place in
the  Yoruba  area  where  the  institution  of  kingship  emerged,  and  that
princes of Ile Ife carried the institution to the other states.[/size]  It  is  not  neces-
sary to believe that,  as the  traditions claim,  the  dissemination of kingship
from  Ile  Ife  took  place  'at  a  stroke',  within  a  single  generation.  Since  a
principal  function  of  the  traditions  is  to  validate  the  royal  status  of  the
rulers of  the  derivative kingdoms,  it is natural for them  to  base the  equi-
valence  of  status  of  the  different  kings  upon  a  supposed  genealogical
equivalence  as  brothers  and  sons  of  Oduduwa.  Nor  is  it  necessary  to
believe  in  the  reality of  the  dynastic  connexion  with  Ile  Ife in  every case
where  it  is  claimed.  Since  origin  from  Ile  Ife  was  necessary  to  secure
recognition of kingly status, it is very likely that the  claim of descent  from
the  royal  family  of  Ile  Ife  was  sometimes  fabricated by  kings  anxious  to
legitimate  their rule.25


The Position of Ife

The  position  of  Ile  Ife  as  the  acknowledged  cradle  of  all  the  royal
dynasties  of  the  surrounding  kingdoms  would  seem  to  imply  a  special,
paramount status for the  Oni of  Ife,  the  occupant of  the  ancestral throne.
T[size=18pt]his  was  certainly the  view  of  the  Oni themselves.  Aderemi,  the  present
Oni of  Ife,  claims that when  Oduduwa, shortly before his death, bestowed
crowns on his sons, he first crowned his eldest son as Oni of Ife, and ordered
his other sons, the founders of the other kingdoms, 'to show filial obedience
to  their eldest  brother'. [/size]

In  consequence,  according to Aderemi,  'The  Oni
is still regarded by his younger brothers as their father'.26 This  conception
of  the  Oni  of  Ife  wielding  an  acknowledged  paternal authority  over  the
family of derivative dynasties has also been put forward by Ademakinwa, a
local historian of  Ife.27 It  has become  familiar in  recent years through its
adoption  by  Professor Akinjogbin,  who  has  christened  this  conception  of
the  state as a large family the  'ebi social theory'.28


It is possible that the Oni of Ife enjoyed such a position of acknowledged
paramountcy  in  very  early  times. In  recent  times,  however,  the  Oni's
claim to 'paternal' status and authority has been widely  repudiated by the
rulers of  the  derivative kingdoms.  For  example,  when  Aderemi  himself,
on a visit to the Ekiti area in  I936,  told the local kings, 'I am on the throne
as the  father, and you  are on thrones as sons',  the Ekiti kings replied that,
just  as the  Oni was  on  the  throne  of  his  father, so  also they  were  on  the
thrones of their fathers.29 Certain traditions relating to the  ancestry of the
Oni of  Ife  appear to have been  devised  specifically in order to counter the
Oni's  very plausible claim to  paramount status.  One tradition asserts that
the Oni is descended not from any of Oduduwa's children by his principal
wife,  Omonide,  but  from  one  of  his  sons  by  his  other  wives,  who  on
Oduduwa's  death was  given  a  broom  to  keep  his  grave clean.30 A  much
more  common  story  denies  altogether  the  royal  ancestry  of  the  Oni,
describing  the  first Oni as a slave. Versions  of  this  story are reported, for
example,  from OyQ,31 Ilesa,32 and Ijebu.33 Usually,  the  first Oni is  said to
have been a slave of Oduduwa's household,  often described as the son of a
woman  offered in  sacrifice, who was left  to look after the  palace at Ile  Ife

when  Oduduwa's  sons  dispersed  to  found  their own kingdoms.34 Another
version asserts that when the first king of Ile Ife died, an oracle advised the
elders to choose  as his successor the  first man they  should meet with, who
turned  out  to  be  a  slave  who  had just  escaped  being  made  a  sacrifice.35
These  stories  are regularly  supported  by  the  claim  that  the  title  Oni  is
derived  from  Qmo Oluwo ni or Oluwo ni,  'He  is  the  son  of  a sacrifice' or
'He  is  a sacrifice'.36
This  denial of true royal ancestry to the Qni of Ife offered an opportunity
for  other  kings  to  claim  for  themselves  primacy  of  status  among  the
descendants of Oduduwa.  It appears that such claims were put  forward by
the Alaketu of  Ketu37 and by  the  Qwa of  Ilesa,  the  principal  Ijea  king.38
[size=18pt]But  the  most  systematic  attempt  to  claim  the  heritage  of  Oduduwa,  and
the  one  with  which  this  article is  primarily concerned,  was  made by  the
Alafin  of Oyo. [/size]

To be Contd:

Chyz:
So ACN ruly is a Yoruba party. I hope Ngige is watching.

ACN na we own ooooooooo

OAM4J:
I agree with most of the thing you wrote, but to conclude that Ooni is insignificant in the scheme of things in Yoruba land and that there was no crown in ife is to also claim Oduduwa and Ife is insignificant. I dont know why some of you make it look like Oyo is the source of Yoruba Kingdom. Fact remains that Oyo was the headquarters of Oyo empire under Alafin and Ife is the motherland of all Yorubas and it's under the custody of Ooni.

Cant you see the contradiction in that ediot's post

Ooni has no crown? WTF? He definitely has never attended the Olojo festival

I hate when people post trash online.

Ooni has no crown. . . [size=18pt]ROFLMAO[/size]

Beaf:
Chickens are coming home to roost. ACN can be an effective party without some of the extreme positions they take.

Now that the elections are over, we should hear a few more voices from those that have found some of ACN's dogma's deeply troubling.

STFU

Spare ACN the unnecessary, senseless rants that have now become your trademark on this forum

It is none of your business who we choose to represent us.

If I were you, I'd  focus more on developing and proffering viable solutions on how to improve the living conditions of the numerous oil-dependednt, lazy folks that litter the landscape of your over-exploited oil cursed region.

A smart man once told me that " blessed is he who does not see the fault of others because he/she is busy with his own faults."

Free us, mind your goddamn business

Nnenna1:
I was talking to all of you. All you Igbo/Yoruba "tribalists." Sometimes I am very ashamed to be Nigerian seeing this.

Of course, with an Ibo name like yours, i would be too.

pussiedick:
Wot sex style can i use to get the pregnancy as soon as possible?

You are definitely a troll, a dull one at that.

You need to up your game, learn from Mama-gee

Igbo Kwenu

Igbo Kwezonu

Igbo Kwenu kwezonu

Oga mi Alex101:

You have indeed smoked the tribalists outta thier godarn hole

@oga mi Alex101: Still waiting for the list of Yoruba firsts, part 2, you promised some weeks back

alex101:
ha ha ha! I'm smoking the[b] terrorists[/b] tribalists out from their caves

More input! Input! Please terrorists tribalists input!

Oga mi sir: Have you seen this:

[quote author=bk.babe97y link=topic=662576.msg8281235#msg8281235 date=1304881238]List Keeps Growing: Evil, wicked, Blood-sucking Ibo Man Shoots Wife 5 Times in Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Written by Elombah.com    
Friday, 25 February 2011 23:09
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[img]http://www.nigeriadailynews.com/thumbnail.php?file=images1/Max_Ezimora_482938852.jpg&size=article_medium[/img]


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Indeed, it has happened again! That was the cry among the Nigerian community in the United States when news about another family violence death broke. Sorrowfully the list of list Nigerian accused of murdering or attempted their wives grew today as a Nigerian man, Maximillian Ezimora, has been arrested in Atlanta after shooting his wife, Uchenna Ezimora, five times. The wife, described by a source as a hard working registered nurse in the Atlanta area, survived the shooting and is currently hospitalized.

Reports say 500 Nigerians are in US Jails charged with femicide
Mr. Ezimora, who reportedly hails from Adazi, Anambra State, is being held in Fulton County jail in Atlanta. He is charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of firearms while committing a felony.
The couple owns a business, Maxing Groceries, on Fletcher Street in Atlanta. Reports have that the business license is in Mrs. Ezimora’s name.
Last year A Florida based Nigerian pharmacist, Olufemi Ademoye was charged for second degree murder for allegedly killing his wife over what family friends alleged as dispute over the paternity of the couple's 17 year old son. While on Aug 2010 One of Nigeria’s most respected poet and professor of English and Literature, Dubem Okafor died in the United States after shooting his wife Cheryl 37.
Other cases that made headlines are the Police arrest of a suspect, 41-year-old Kelechi Charles Emeruwa, on a first-degree murder warrant in the death of his wife. The children were unharmed and taken into custody by police. The children would be cared for by Child Protective Services until they could be placed with family members, according to police.
Emeruwa was charged in court the following day, Tuesday, with the murder of his wife.
In another case a Texas Dallas County jury recommended life in prison for Theophilus Ojukwu, 47, a Nigerian national after he pleaded guilty to the murder of his 36-year-old wife Melvina. The judge consequently sentenced him to life imprisonment. Theophilus on Saturday, March 25, 2006 reportedly fatally beat his wife on the head with a socket wrench while their four children, ages 4 through 9, were in the house and heard her screams.
Theophilus pleaded guilty after the 911 tape was played for the jury. In the recording, he admitted to the slaying. He is spending 40 years in prison before eligibility for parole.
Till Death Do Us Part’ seems to be a catch-all phrase demonstrative of how deeply in love bride and bridegroom are with each other when exchanging vows before a clergy, family members, friends and well-wishers. Little did Chidiebere, a nurse, know that her death would come in the hands of a man she once loved; a man that solemnly swore to protect her in sickness and good health, in poverty and in riches, and of course, a man that swore to be there for her until death do them part. Sadly, little did Ms. Ochulo know it was going to be a deadly broken vow!
This is another Nigerian marriage that ended deadly was in Burtonsville, Maryland on New Year, Monday, January 1, 2007. Another Nigerian abruptly ended the life of his wife in Burtonsville, suburb of Washington, DC. Mr. Kelechi Charles Emeruwa, 41, of Old Umuahia on New Year, cut short of his wife’s life, Chidiebere Omenihu Ochulo, 36, of Old Umuahia in their 4200 block of Dunwood Terrace in Burtonsvillle, Maryland home. It was reported that Chidiebere died from stab wounds. However, Officer Melanie Hadley, spokesperson for Montgomery County Police, could not confirm it citing, “official autopsy report is not out”.
Other similar stories of deadly domestic violence among Nigerians in the United States are the case of Mr. Theophilus Ojukwu, 46, of Enugwu-Agu, Ihe in Ogwu LGA, Enugu State, who killed his wife in their 5400 block of Barcelona Drive home in Garland, Texas on Saturday, March 25, 2006 has since been sentenced to life in prison.
Similarly, in Grand Prairie, a suburb of Dallas, Texas, Mrs. Monireti Abeni Akeredolu, a 46-year old Nigerian lady met her untimely death in the hands of her estranged husband, Mr. Ebenezer Akeredolu, Sr., 48, on Thursday night, September 8, 2005, a day after her birthday.
Also, on August 10, 2005 in Euless, a suburb of Dallas, another Nigerian husband, Johnny Omorogieva, 45, murdered his wife, Mrs. Isatu Omorogieva, 35, by savagely striking her on the head numerous times with a hammer in the full glare of his 7-year old daughter.
With the exception of Mr. Emeruwa who’s awaiting trial, these men have since been sentenced to prison. Unfortunately, the surviving children of these families are left to grow up without their parents.
Some people continue to wonder why some of these marriages end deadly. It appears that the gargantuan societal pressure of living a good life coupled with an undue burden from family members in Nigeria continue to exacerbate the already troubled many Nigerian marriages. Additionally, some Nigerian marriages in the Diaspora are steadily and surely growing out of love. Compounding the marital problem is the issue of infidelity on both sides.
Sadly, infidelity has ruined some Nigerian marriages in America. Some of the recent divorces have claims of infidelity as their primary causes of marriage travails.  Marital infidelity is causing a vast majority of Nigerian marriages flagging with the inevitability of total collapse. No other Nigerian community has suffered more jinx of infidelity than the Dallas area Nigerians.
The aspersion has permeated the fabric of what was once considered a cohesive community. This has broken the trust members of Nigerian community once had with each other. Sad still, the infidelity among Nigerians has been worsened by the recent trend.
The latest trend is the annual visit—pilgrimage as some call it—the men pay to Nigeria in the month of December. While in Nigeria some of these men engage in a high risk behavior with flawed boldness and reckless and perhaps, short-lived excitement in the face of ravaging effects of AIDS. This reckless behavior is utterly deplorable.
Nevertheless, it’s not only dreadfully wrong, but also sacrilegious for anyone to take the life of the other, especially his or her spouse. There are other options to get out of a marriage besides killing a spouse. Domestic violence is not one of them; Nigerian community everywhere must help stop this madness—domestic violence!

www.elombah.com[/quote][quote author=bk.babe97y link=topic=662576.msg8281268#msg8281268 date=1304881682]Faces of "innocent" Ibo wife killers; and their "wicked" victims!!!

https://mssaboh.com/images/killer1.jpg


https://mssaboh.com/images/Kelech%20I%20Charles%20Emeruwa2.jpg


https://mssaboh.com/images/Kelech%20I%20Charles%20Emeruwa1.jpg


https://mssaboh.com/images/Theophilus%20Ojukwu%20medium.jpg


https://mssaboh.com/images/Theophilus%20Ojukwu%20Victim.jpg


https://mssaboh.com/images/beaten%20woman2.jpg


https://mssaboh.com/images/Monireti%20Abeni%20Akeredolu%20and%20Ebenezer%20Akeredolu.jpg


https://mssaboh.com/images/John%20Onwuka.jpg


https://mssaboh.com/images/Michael%20Collins%20Iheme1.jpg


https://mssaboh.com/images/Mr%20LeKan%20Fawmi1.jpg


http://mssaboh.com/NigerianWifeKillers.html[/quote]

SEFAGO:
^ Also no Hausa has ever entered Harvard in the history of the school . Why break the status quo? There is like one at MIT though.

I think you should be more concerned about the number of universities in Jamaica. Its one thing to be jumping up about oyibo universities. I would love it when Oyibo people can post on whatever site they visit- Hey James Got into University of lagos , and get similar responses though

There was one at OAU when I was in secondary school.

hercules07:
The Oba of Benin is respected, the Sultan of Sokoto too before the GEJ election wahala, the Awujale learnt his lessons when Awo dealt with him, all the ones in Oyo and Osun are chop and quench monarchs, the guy in Lagos is not doing too badly too.

If you ever want to grow up to be something in life, you'd better stopped allowing newspaper headlines making your decisions for you. Stop mentioning Ooni's name. You know very little about what really happened.


Omo ale lo n fi owo left juwe baba e.

I don't care whose ox is gored but the only relevant king in Nigeria is the Oba of Benin. The Awujale probably still commands some respect because he isn't afaid to say it like it is. The rest are jeun soke kings; only looking after their own welfare. The current Ooni is an example of why kings have lost relevance.

You dont get it, do you?

This is never about the personality of Olubuse II, its about the institution; the throne of his, and in a way, our, fore fathers.

And, FYI, it is time you guys stopped talking about what you know little about.

Be careful bad-mouthing him; very few people can ever achieve half of what he achieved personally before ascending the throne.

If you have no respect for the revered throne, good, but stop writing about things you read in the Newspapers. Greatness does not approach him who looks down on others

[quote author=dem_people link=topic=662524.msg8279580#msg8279580 date=1304859769]Very good initiative from the SW. Interesting development.

The S.E already have something like this initiative in the pipeline. Something along cooperation on power generation development for the region using the coal deposits in Enugu, agricultural infrastructural development in Ebonyi state etc.

Its time all states start thinking about social, political, economical and infrastructural development along regional lines. [s]Who knows, there could be cooperation between the SE and SW on economic and political areas. [/s][/quote]Over my dead body.

may it never happen in my lifetime

Yorubas work with Ibos? Hellz NO, i'd rather sell the SW to the whiteman.

^^^

You also failed to add that they make up 90% of lagos population and own 85% of Lagos real estates. What about their exploits in Isreal? Isnt it worth mentioning?

I heard they own 50% of the properties in Gaza and 60 % of real estates in Baghdad. Igbos are doing great things I tell ya.

Make you na leave Kobo alone oooo

Kobo iyawo mi atata

[quote author=ndu_chucks link=topic=662524.msg8279277#msg8279277 date=1304853853]Novel idea. Political parties poking their noses in the economic development of the states they control politically. (New fund raising tool for future elections )

I would have prefered that this was a cooperation between states devoid of any political party influences. I smell a rat, i[b]ncluding Alpha Beta and the like[/b].

The idea is excellent, but please get political parties out of the equation.[/quote]I see Alpha Beta ( aka Lagos) metamorphosing into Alpha beta 'gbogbo e' ( aka Lagos, ogun, Osun, oyo, Ekiti and Edo)

na who be the maga?

Another white elephant project

Is that not why odua investment was created?

ACN, they've mastered the act of deceit

Too many new projects, another day, another stupidddd idea, make dem implement one make we see

Today na lekki, tommorow na free trade 'whateber,' next tomoorow na to create 1 million jobs, now it is SWERDCO, stupiddd people


Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me

South-west Regional Development Commission ko, Asiwaju Swiss account ni

Awon ole oshi, koni da fun gbogbo yin lai

[quote author=tpia@ link=topic=662218.msg8277590#msg8277590 date=1304813390]Tranny oshi.

God punish you and your ilk.[/quote]Daddy e lo n ba wi

Iwo fugly yiiiiiiiiiiiiii

What the Economy Lost to Elections
Written by Salif Atojoko font size Print E-mail Be the first to comment!

An empty Lagos road: Period of election is bad time for businesses Photo by Paul Kuyoro
Nigerians recount the losses caused by restriction of movement and closure of borders during the recently concluded elections

The 2011 elections have come and gone, with winners popping champagne and the losers still smarting from defeat. Undoubtedly, however, the elections have left a sour taste in the mouths of Nigerians who are still counting losses suffered as a result of curfew imposed from 10 pm on the eve of election to 6 am on election days and restriction of movement on election day as well as closure of the country’s borders.

For instance, Musa Ibrahim, a taxi driver in Ilorin, Kwara State, did not see any sense in not allowing people to move around during the elections. “My business was adversely affected because I live on daily earnings from this work. On the average, I lost about N3,000 on each day of the election and this is quite painful. That was why immediately the voting ended, I rushed out to see what I could still make to sustain my family. We have voted in times past and nobody imprisoned us,” a frustrated Ibrahim said. To make up for the lost time, Ibrahim and other transporters hike fares when they commence business after election hours.

Apart from artisans and petty traders, operators of eateries in Ilorin were also greatly affected by the restriction of movement on election days. Mr Biggs’, Chicken Republic and Royals all recorded losses. A staff of one of the eateries, who pleaded anonymity, told the magazine that his company lost over N100, 000 each election day due to the restriction of movement, which forced the eatery to shut its doors to customers. Though the eateries and other businesses eventually opened after voting hours, hardly did they realise as much sales as they would have had if there were no restriction.

To Tawakalitu Usman, a petty trader dealing in Fura, a local milk drink, the election days proved to be bad days for her business. “I lost well over N7,000 daily on these days, and that is a lot of money. To minimise my losses, I opened my shop immediately the voting ended.” She counselled, “Voting or elections should not be planned to affect businesses.”

By late last week, Tolani Iredele, a trader in Akute Market, Ogun State, who deals in provisions, was yet to recover from the losses she suffered during the elections. As far as she is concerned, nothing compares with daily earnings, which she was deprived of for four election days. Abimbola Oyegbenro, managing director of PIC Computers, Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos, thanked God the elections came to an end last week because it almost crippled his business. “The election slashed my total income, I make an average of N50,000 daily from sales of computer and accessories. But in the last three weeks I have lost about N150,000 from my sales for the three Saturdays and Tuesday the federal government declared curfew and restricted movement.” What was particularly painful to him was a big business deal that coincided with the election. He said, “I imported some computer components and accessories from China and my client from Katsina who is supposed to come and pick them up has not come because he can only travel on Saturday but the restriction of movement and post-election violence have wrecked everything. And these are goods worth hundreds of thousands of naira,” said Oyegbenro.

The client too will have some story to tell, like other businessmen in cities across the country. Oyegbenro is even lucky that he had cleared his consignment ahead of the elections. This is because the closure is not limited to restriction of movement within the country; the federal government also closed the borders at every election. The ministry of interior says that the closure and the restriction order form part of designs to ensure a hitch-free exercise. What that means is that while the exercise is going on there will not be any form of business transaction in the country, even as business across the border will be frozen.

No company in the semi-formal sector depicts the despondency of the election days like Kamasco Nigeria Limited, a big consumer and general electronics store based on Ahmadu Bello Way, Kaduna. According to Joseph Panaki, the sales representative of the company, the election and the violence that followed it cost his shop over N10 million as it was forced to close down both on the election days and the violence it generated. Adejohnson Ventures, an electronic store located on Ahmadu Bello Way, had its share of misery during the elections. According to Semi Azeez, its accountant, the store lost about N500, 000 each day it closed during the elections. He added that the store was closed for more than seven days due to both the election and the violence that ensued. “The election has cost us a lot. Election should not make people to lose their businesses,” said Azeez. In states like Kaduna and Bauchi where riots broke out after the presidential election, there was an added trouble. The curfew imposed to curtail the riots added further damage. According to Azeez, “The effect of the curfew has also been devastating on our businesses.”

Sales also nosedived for Destiny Bookshop along Ahmadu Bello Way, Kaduna. “The election crisis has also affected us because we could not open. Then came the curfew, which has incapacitated our business. Everything has cost us about N10 million because I have two other bookshops in Kaduna,” said Celestine Destiny, owner of the bookshop. In fact, Ahmadu Bello Way alone has over 70 stores, which specialise in goods ranging from electronics, furniture to home and offices. In the views of many residents, the elections may have cost the businesses on that street alone over N500 million.

The elections also took a huge toll on the capital market. After a sustained appreciation of crucial indices of the capital market since late last year, particularly with an 11 per cent leap in January, the indices began to drop steadily in April, giving investors concerns. For instance, the Nigerian Stock Exchange’s all share index fell from 27,797.39 basis points recorded on January 25, 2011 to 24,733.38 in the first week of April, wiping off the earlier gains. Similarly, market capitalisation fell from N8.885 trillion in January to N7.902 trillion in April 2011. A key reason for the downturn in activities of the capital market, analysts said, was the fact that many investors who doubled as politicians sold their stocks to raise money to fund their campaigns. A lot of investors were said to be sceptical about investing in the market, especially during the elections, following the uncertainties that may surround the outcome of the elections.

Experts, including Mike Itegboje, president, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, fear that the capital market might not witness meaningful activities long after the elections are concluded. Foreign investors are reportedly also watching and waiting to see how the elections would go and their impact on the economy, expressing fear that if something negative came up as a result of the elections, they might find it difficult to move their funds from the market.

Olufemi Awoyemi, managing director, Proshare Nigeria, was emphatic last week that the period of elections was a bad time for the Nigerian economy. Analysts at Meristem Nigeria, a securities firm, forecast that the downturn in the capital market might continue well after the elections. They said apart from the fact that many investors sold their shares to fund their campaigns; others had adopted a sit-and-watch attitude to know the direction that things would take.

Daniel Nkwocha, lecturer, Criminology, Evan Enwerem University, Owerri, also said that on the days the various elections were held, all business premises, offices and shops within the country were shut down, even as international flights were restricted, which resulted in heavy losses to operators in all the sectors of the economy. He hinted that an average of N90 million was lost by a single airline, while at the Lagos ports, a lot of money was lost to demurrage as about 1,500 containers could not be cleared.

It is almost impossible to correctly quantify in numerical terms the losses suffered by businessmen, government agencies and the economy generally while the country was shut down on election days. However, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, estimated that Nigeria lost N210 billion. The organisation figures that for each day of the election that the economy was shut down, losses totalling N70 billion were recorded in terms of output and income, mainly in the informal sector businesses, which depend on daily incomes. The calculation is that since the nation's gross domestic product, GDP, is $173 billion, about N26 trillion, Nigeria would have lost N71 billion in one day.

Long before the elections, experts observed that government officials had jettisoned governance, relegating the problems of the country and the management of the economy to the background. For many months before the elections, the National Executive Council, NEC, presided over by the President Goodluck Jonathan, failed to meet regularly and when it met, no critical economic decisions were taken nor progress made. Public sector projects and contracts were not attended to. The President once castigated his ministers who often left their duty posts for campaign trips.

Indeed, the election dealt a heavy blow on the 2011 budget, which is yet to be passed, making Nigerians to doubt the performance of the budget if eventually passed. The budget may yet suffer more delay, as the President will be preoccupied with appointments and the task of forming a new government up till May. "This has implications for projects that should be executed to improve the investment environment as well as the welfare of the people because planning and productivity are affected in some segments of the private sector," observed Femi Deru, president, LCCI.

The colossal cost of the elections to the economy has led to calls by Nigerians that President Jonathan must work with the national and state assemblies to restructure the electoral process because Nigeria cannot afford the current cost of elections to the economy. "For each day the economy was shut down, losses are suffered in terms of output and incomes. Informal sector businesses are even harder hit as many of them depend on daily incomes," Deru said. He noted that investors' confidence was weakened before and during the elections due to uncertainties that come with elections, particularly since the country has a poor track record in managing political transitions.

Many Nigerians considered it absolutely unnecessary to declare election days work-free. Nigeria is described in some quarters as a holiday nation, which Ugo Stevenson, an Owerri-based actor, decried last week. "Consciously or unconsciously, we push ourselves into celebrating more instead of working. I don't think it should be so because it takes a heavy toll on the economy," explained Stevenson. According to him, as a nation in dire need of economic growth and development, Nigerians should work more especially since there are only two ways an economy thrives: from the services it renders and the products or goods it produces. "So, if we are not producing anything as was the case during the holidays for elections, and leaning on what other economies are giving us, it means we are losing and it is affecting the economy," continued Stevenson.

Oladapo Awosokanre, executive director, African Development and Advocacy Centre, AFRIDAC, United Kingdom, UK, who was in the country to monitor the elections, said it was quite unfortunate that the elections were carried out without consideration of its effect on the economy. "It is quite unfortunate that we actually had to halt all commercial activities. Elsewhere, especially in the UK and the United States, US, elections are held while all commercial activities go side by side. That was why it was quite alarming when Attahiru Jega, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, cancelled the April 2 election suggesting a postponement to Monday, the first working day of a week. I see that as quite unfortunate because the cost of losing so much money in the economy is not something that our leaders actually consider when they are doing things," said Awosokanre.

According to him, it is only in Nigeria that "we have holidays at random without any concern for the economy. I understand that we lose almost N70 billion everyday there is a halt in commercial activities. And I am sure that is just a conservative estimate in a country where we don't usually keep data." While recalling his experience in the last election in the UK, which brought in David Cameron into power, Awosokanre said people were able to cast their votes and at the same time carry on with their normal commercial activities, "because all you need to do in an election is to go to the polling booth at the appointed election hours, and vote accordingly. We do not have total clampdown like it operates in Nigeria.”

Yusuf Adamu, manager, Red Roses Restaurant, Kano, is of the view that Nigeria has not reached a level where emphasis is placed on time. “We have not yet come to the recognition that time is money. Restriction of movement during elections amounts to shutting down the economy because it leads to loss of man-hours, which inflicts an incalculable damage to the economy,” he noted.

In countries like the UK, Adamu said businesses were allowed to go on while elections held between 8 am and 10 pm. “The time span usually allocated to the exercise allows everyone to vote at their own convenience without necessarily shutting down the economy. In our own case, the fear of rigging is the reason why this cannot be done for now,” he added.

Just like the UK and the US, elections in Ghana do not require restriction of movement and shutting down the economy. Adu Koranteng, a Ghanaian journalist, said the Ghanaian government did not declare a holiday during the presidential election in 2008. “We vote every 7th day of December in an election year, businesses are not closed and people go and vote only to resume back to their work. So, the election does not shed anything from the economy apart from the money spent on it,” Koranteng said.

Chuks Okoroezi, Lagos-based businessman, advised the federal government to show more interest in the impact of restriction of movement on the economy during elections. “What government needs to do is to set up a study to find out exactly what the country loses each time movement is restricted to conduct an election. If we know that X billion is usually lost on a single day when movement is restricted, we would be able to say whether the economy can cope when this is done four times consecutively within a month in an election year. Otherwise, we may have to stagger the elections for different levels to hold in different years, so that we can give the economy time to recover before we inflict another damage to it by way of a fresh restriction of movement,” he argued.

Stevenson expressed optimism that with the increasing level of political consciousness demonstrated by Nigerians during the elections, the country would soon toe the line of its counterparts in the developed world, by embracing a voting pattern that would not necessitate shutting down the economy. “In the future, Nigerians would definitely go to vote while they are working with the level of political awareness now raised unlike in the past. Maybe technology would have been introduced where people can go in, slot in their cards, do their voting and go back to their offices or back home," he stated.

Kola Jamodu, president, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, however, believes that it is a price worth paying for an enduring democracy, which will promote a business-friendly environment through the election of capable hands. “MAN has a long-term view of Nigeria. So, we cannot be laying emphasis on short-term losses incurred during elections. Our members understand that our businesses would be better for it if the elections work out well and Nigeria becomes better entrenched in the comity of nations. If there is no Nigeria, there will be no MAN,” he said.

In his view, it was not out of place for INEC to restrict movement during elections; the ultimate target should be that in the future people would be able to vote online. Nkwocha also believes that if the elections at the end of the day produced credible leaders at all levels, it would more than make up for whatever the economy lost as a result of the temporary shut down.

The lessons for the federal government and Nigerians generally is to borrow a leaf from advanced countries and, perhaps, Ghana and refine the process of conducting elections without grounding the economy. The consensus is that the overriding objective of preventing rigging by restricting movement on election days would no longer justify the colossal losses to the economy.

Actually Musiwa is making a lot of sense on this thread

Ikorodu would have been a better location.