posted
Despite a court order from Justice Ade Alabi of the "detribalised" Lagos State, Adams Oshiomole has decided to go on strike against the fuel price hike which Obasanjos administration patriotically sacrificed to introduce to the nation as part of its long range vision.
Now the nation is at the brink. At the precipice. On the edge. On a collision course. The nation is at a crossroads.
I personally disapprove of this strike on the grounds that it is illegal. I reccommend that Oshiomhole bury his personal ambitions and submit to the legal process, instead of leading innocent people into harms way.
To Oshiomhole I have to say I am dissapointed in his attitude to mr. president;
A leader who has been forced by the failures of previous military administrations to:
-Abuse power in selfless sacrifice for the nation,
-Expand on the widely admired Nigerian principle of Igbophobia in selfless sacrifice for the nation,
-Expand on the widely admired Nigerian principle of Nepotism in selfless sacrifice for the nation,
-Kill thousands of innocent civillians in order to maintain law and order and the smooth flow of oil and power in selfless sacrifice for the nation,
-Peacefully submit to the introduction of sharia islamic code for the gentle and peaceful co-existence of a united Nigeria in selfless sacrifice for the nation,
-Entrench massive corruption in the tradition of "you chop, I chop" with a view to jump-start the economy in selfless sacrifice for the nation,
-Reintroduce the pleasures and conviniences of tribal and ethnic divisions and hatreds in selfless sacrifice for the nation,
-Rig the recently concluded elections in selfless sacrifice for the nation,
-Introduce, contemplate, formulate and implement the results of SNC in selfless sacrifice for the nation,
It is therefore beyond my comprehension why Oshiomhole should embark on a treasonable offence against a patriotic leader who has surely sacrificed a lot to deliver the dividends of democracy to a very ungrateful nation, especially at this point in time when the momentuum is in full gear and the president is on a roll.
For breaking the hallowed laws of the land in this manner, I propose that obasanjo deal decisively and urgently with Oshiomhole.
I reccommend that Obasanjo move to arrest and detain Oshiomhole and position military troops and riot police to make an example of anyone who partakes in this treasonable affia.
___________________ YA CAIN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN :) Posts: 1182 | From: TEXAS | Registered: Oct 2001
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ABUJA/LAGOS (Reuters) - Police fired teargas and live rounds to disperse protesters in Nigeria's two main cities Monday at the start of a general strike over fuel prices in the world's eighth largest oil exporter.
Police battled striking members of the umbrella Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) on the streets of Lagos and the inland capital of Abuja, after they defied a court order to launch the strike over a more than 50 percent rise in petrol prices.
"Protesters have made bonfires on the streets. The police have moved in and are firing teargas to disperse the people," said a resident of Area 1 district in Abuja. A Reuters journalist in Lagos saw police fire live rounds in the air to disperse a large group chanting anti-government slogans around burning tires in the middle of a major street.
"People are running in all directions," a witness said.
Armed police in Abuja wrestled union pickets preventing civil servants from entering their offices and NLC protesters used buses to block the two main entrances to the city's federal secretariat complex, witnesses said.
"The situation is very tense. NLC officials are distributing pamphlets calling on President Olusegun Obasanjo to resign," a Reuters reporter at the scene said.
"The police are trying to shove workers through the gates."
State radio said Obasanjo would meet NLC leaders later on Monday to try to halt the strike that many Nigerians fear could trigger violence in Africa's most populous country.
Shops and businesses were closed and commuter buses were off the usually chaotic streets of Lagos.
OIL UNIONS SPLIT OVER STRIKE
NLC President Adams Oshiomhole, who spearheaded a similar petrol-price strike in 2000 that led to violence and scores of deaths, said he could not predict what would happen.
It was not clear how the stoppage might affect exports of Nigeria's more than two million barrels per day of crude, as the two oil unions appeared split on how far they wanted to go.
While the blue-collar NUPENG said members involved in oil production would stop work, the senior staff PENGASSAN union took a softer line. It said only white-collar oil workers not involved in production and loading would strike Monday.
The two seaports in Lagos were closed but the city's airport, Nigeria's main international gateway, appeared to be operating normally, officials said.
The National Union of Air Transport Employees said it would shut down airports across the country, while the taxi drivers' union ordered its members off the roads. The NLC advised motorists to stay at home and petrol stations to close.
Other unions ranging from port workers to aviation personnel had geared up for the walkout. A coalition of campaign groups, including the militant national students' body, back the protests. Opposition parties, who said Obasanjo's re-election in April was rigged, also threatened "mass action."
The price of gasoline was raised on June 20 to 40 naira (about 31 U.S. cents) a liter from 26 naira (about 20 U.S. cents), a rise which angered many Nigerians who see low petrol prices as the only benefit they get from their country's oil wealth.
The government said the strike was illegal because of a court order banning the protests. It also said workers who stayed at home would lose pay for days not worked.
___________________ Awo's political idea was based on the assumption that any town beyond Owo was Igbo or Hausa. Awo was not socialised; he was not a good mixer because he did not have the opportunity, which the secondary school offered. ~TOS Benson, Baba Oba of Lagos Posts: 2644 | From: United Kingdom | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
This Noruba Labour Congress strike is a joke. The speed with which the Noruba crowd was dispersed in Lagos has reinforced the cynicism that greeted Adam Oshiomhole's strike threat. Look for the workers to start slowly creeping back to work. Oshiomhole will be settled, and it will be business as usual. Posts: 49 | Registered: Mar 2001
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quote:Originally posted by addy: Kajethan, We are yet to read of any protests from the core Igbo states..feeble or active.
Addy:
Addy, Addy, the NLC people in "Igbo states" were rigged in by Obasanjo, just as he rigged in the governors, etc. Why would they join in the protest? As for Nd'Igbo, we have no dog in that fight. It is Noruba vs. Noruba.
Posts: 49 | Registered: Mar 2001
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quote:Addy, Addy, the NLC people in "Igbo states" were rigged in by Obasanjo, just as he rigged in the governors, etc. Why would they join in the protest? As for Nd'Igbo, we have no dog in that fight. It is Noruba vs. Noruba.
...Kajethan
In effect, are you saying that the increase in petroleum products price has no effect on the good hardworking people of the East?. Anyway, just so you are aware, it is the workers and common man that go to protest on the streets and most times, it is a spontaneous reaction,even when the Noruba(sic) Labor Congress dithers, strikes still go on.
Since Oshiomhole has led the way with this illegality against the beloved mr. president, I say it is hi-time Buhari/ANPP resume their peaceful protest of the rigged election since the entire world press will now be paying attention to any gimmick by mr. president or his police chief thug Balogun to fabricate creative reasons to murder peaceful marchers indiscriminately.
I also propose that before doing this, that Buhari contact all the world press and inform them and the govt. of their desire for a peaceful march against this illegal regime.
I suggest they check their ranks beforehand for fifth columnists who may be planted to provoke a confrontation that will give the police an escuse to justify mass murder.
To the world press, I suggest you appoint a pressman to tail all the governors and their men individually to any "briefings" they may hold including with mr. president, and position other pressmen to stay with the crowd and the police.
Otherwise, tomorrow we will be informed by mr. president that "some unruly crowd of lawbreakers were apprehended, with the possible loss of five to ten unfortunate individuals who got caught in the crossfire between police and protesters", to which Dubbya, Blair, Chirac, Putin, Schroeder, etc will be falling over each other to be the first to congratulate.
___________________ YA CAIN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN :) Posts: 1182 | From: TEXAS | Registered: Oct 2001
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quote:Originally posted by addy: In effect, are you saying that the increase in petroleum products price has no effect on the good hardworking people of the East?. Anyway, just so you are aware, it is the workers and common man that go to protest on the streets and most times, it is a spontaneous reaction,even when the Noruba(sic) Labor Congress dithers, strikes still go on.
Addy;
The effect of an increase in petroleum products price, such as it is, could not possibly be worse that the pain from the murder of innocent Igbos by a Noruba president of BiafraNigeria. The common Igbo man is not so foolish that he would refrain from "spontaneous" street protest when Igbos are murdered, but join Noruba pretenders and take to the streets to "protest" a fuel price hike instituted by another Noruba man, especially a Noruba man who is looking for an excuse to commit mass murder of Nd'Igbo.
Posts: 49 | Registered: Mar 2001
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quote:Originally posted by addy: Anyway, just so you are aware, it is the workers and common man that go to protest on the streets and most times, it is a spontaneous reaction,even when the Noruba(sic) Labor Congress dithers, strikes still go on.
Addy,
With due respect, I find it hard to believe that anybody can "spontaneously" embark on a strike against the beloved Mr. president/and vice Mr. Atiku just as those who dared to go on "spontaneous" strike against the formerly beloved mr. head of state (of blessed memory) and his goons (Hamza mustapha and Barnabas Msheila) were guaranteed to end up dead or in jail awaiting torture and mysterious death.
Please be careful about these assumptions because of our shared history.
The same latitude to "spontenaiety" which mr. Oshiomhole enjoys equally with groups such as OPC and AD is definitely not shared by all.
___________________ YA CAIN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN :) Posts: 1182 | From: TEXAS | Registered: Oct 2001
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I'm sure you can bear me out that there was a definite difference in the manner in which the dearly beloved mr. Abacha dealt with "spontaneous" northern protesters in comparison to the contemptuously "spontaneous" southern, especially Yoruba protesters.
What was even funnier was how abacha dealt with the "spontaneous" Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba protesters requesting that he run for civilian presidency.
Boy! did those guys make him maddd. and he surely lavished punishment upon their personal fortunes.
Obasanjo hired many of those protesters in his cabinet, and has not failed to pick their brains for strategy (T. Anenih and T. Ikimi come to mind), while many others rigged their way in to elected office on behalf of their eternally grateful constituents (a certain Nzeribe comes to mind).
Many others who did not belong in the "spontaneous" group did not live to tell about it, including Abiola.
Neither he nor his followers were "spontaneous" enough.
___________________ YA CAIN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN :) Posts: 1182 | From: TEXAS | Registered: Oct 2001
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posted
" This Noruba Labour Congress strike is a joke. The speed with which the Noruba crowd was dispersed in Lagos has reinforced the cynicism that greeted Adam Oshiomhole's strike threat. Look for the workers to start slowly creeping back to work. Oshiomhole will be settled, and it will be business as usual. "
Kajethan O My brother Oshiomhole was settled a long time a ago, the man needs no more settling to defend our nascent democracy
Addy
Here is a little secret for you, fuel has been in the range of 60 to 70 naira per a litre in the East for a long time now. As you know it was only Abuja, Lagos and the West that had been enjoying any form of fuel subsidy from Baba so don't be surprised if people find no reason to waste their time in the East over this nonsense.
In anycase did Obasanjo not announce his intentions to increase the fuel price before his landslide sorry earthquake victory in April? Oshiomhole was not living in a cave by then and he was also witness to the earthquake so why disturb the polity or has the nascent democracy now taken roots? It is no secret that Aremu with the help of Anenih had pocketed Oshiomhole and NLC way before the earthquake. The man has been riding around Abuja in Land cruiser jeeps with police escorts and attending meetings with Aremu including being a part of the ministerial search committee, how can he bite the finger that has been feeding him.
It was Oshiomhole who warned the opposition against throwing the country into chaos with mass protest, it is the same Oshiomhole that is now speaking from the other side of his mouth about mass protest. Even if Oshiomhole decides to rehabilitate himself by challenging the emperor, then his leutenants who are already waiting for their own turn to "come and chop" will be hastily summoned to the Rock to come and get their own "dividends of democracy" in advance. Ghana must go will simply change hands and labour will have a new leader, O pari. If impeachment does not work there is always a Justice "where my share" to do the job at the federal court. What a sad excuse for a nation.
Like many have said, that strike will be over in 2 tops 3 days because the NLC leadership has been heavily compromised. The leadership of the BiafraNigeria Labour congress, Police, Judiciary, Legistature, Army,etc.and the noisey human rights groups in Lagos lead by Fawehinmi, have all lost their credibility and cannot mobilize the cross section of the citizenry accross the geographical zones effectively against the government. This is the price you pay for protecting the "nascent" democracy as represented by Aremu.Read Nnnanna Ocherome and weep for labour NLC's "charade" stirke Now BiafraNigerian will know what they mean when ther say be carefull what you wish for you might just get it.
[ June 30, 2003, 08:28 PM: Message edited by: chiboy ]
Posts: 1532 | From: USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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Thank you for that link. Here is what Nnanna wrote in part,
quote:Never in the history of this country has the President of the NLC been so intimately involved in the activities of the federal government, which, being the largest employer of labour, is supposed to be Labour’s number one target to watch-dog. Many people find it difficult to imagine Oshiomhole fighting Obasanjo with heart, given the symbiotic arrangement that the twosome have developed between them.
No wonder they call it the Noruba Labour Congress. Posts: 49 | Registered: Mar 2001
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Dream on if you think that Buhari will be allowed to use NLC to get to power in Nigeria. Maybe you left Nigeria a long time ago. The mood of Nigerians has changed. All this wishful thinking about removing the winner of the elections will not pan out. Nigerians have spoken and it is Obasanjo for the next four years. Got it? Posts: 68 | Registered: Apr 2001
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Thanks for providing that link. After reading the write-up, I have come to the conclusion that nothing more needs to be said on this issue.
The writer made all the arguements and answered all anticipated counter arguements that might arise. So I will leave it at that and encourage all to read the entire article.
But for those in this forum who are scared or too lazy to click on links, I have copied the article in its entirety below. Please read people!!
Once upon a time, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) led by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, was an effective vanguard of the ordinary people of Nigeria. Labour could be counted upon to rise up to the challenge of protecting the victim populace from the unfeeling policies of government. On, at least two occasions, the NLC was able to force the President Olusegun Obasanjo government to beat a retreat and reduce the jump in the prices of petroleum products.
When this organisation succeeded in breaking into Aso Rock and disrupting the composure of the lords of the manor in the year 2000, Obasanjo was at a loss how to handle the intruders. He was still very conscious of our recent past in which the international community isolated the military government as a result of its draconian handling of civil society’s legitimate democratic expressions. Government allowed itself to be humiliated by a Labour that had simply captured the hearts and minds of the people, who obeyed their call for a total strike.
However, the Federal Government came out of that horrendous experience and vowed: never again. The increment in the prices of petroleum products would be continued since it was a source of ready cash to take care of government’s various gluttonous needs. But never again would Labour - or any other strange element - be allowed to stand in the way of government’s objectives. As the federal government made ready to execute the 2001 increases from N22 to N26 for petrol for instance, it had perfected its act of approaching the issue with the ancient but effective strategy of applying the stick and carrot.
The Presidency mobilised the state agencies of coercion, including the courts. It also enlisted the services of Radio Nigeria and the Nigerian Television Authority to follow up with abrasive propaganda, especially against Labour, which was envisaged to react. The strategy to contain Labour became a dress rehearsal for the conduct of the general elections of 2003. The only difference is that the Army and the INEC were also recruited to help the ruling party to win the polls and contain any form of open protest.
Well before the new price increases were announced in 2001, Obasanjo had personally courted Labour. First, it announced series of upward adjustments in the minimum wage of public sector workers (its own idea of "cushioning the effects of the increases", forgetting that they constitute less than a quarter of the Nigerian population, which would be adversely affected by the increases). After that, the federal government also bought a large fleet of mass transit buses for the NLC, thus helping in making Labour the largest corporate road transport operators in the country.
Obasanjo followed it up by personally courting the friendship of Labour’s President, Oshiomhole, involving him in some official programmes of government. Oshiomhole was one of those invited to the declaration for his second term race by Obasanjo, though he did not personally turn up. The President appears at Labour’s May Day rallies. And Oshiomhole is a member of the powerful search team to select ministerial nominees for Obasanjo. Never in the history of this country has the President of the NLC been so intimately involved in the activities of the federal government, which, being the largest employer of labour, is supposed to be Labour’s number one target to watch-dog. Many people find it difficult to imagine Oshiomhole fighting Obasanjo with heart, given the symbiotic arrangement that the twosome have developed between them.
Each time Obasanjo is fighting his numerous personal political battles with his opponents, either in the National Assembly over "impeachment", or the ICPC Bill controversy or even the issue of "mass action" over the massively rigged general elections, Oshiomhole has always surfaced on Obasanjo side of the argument. He is either threatening to use Labour to picket Obasanjo’s opponents or he is accusing Obasanjo’s opponents of trying to derail democracy, as if Obasanjo has now become the same thing as democracy.In other words, the President’s strategy to bring Labour to its knees or to the presidential camp succeeded in achieving the latter. After overwhelming Labour’s half-hearted and belated struggle to reverse the 2001 hike in prices to N26 using the police, courts and federal media, Obasanjo made a vague commitment to once again increase the salaries of public workers by 12.5 per cent. It did not need more than a little common sense to reason what would be the result of the present round of fuel price hike interface, based on which Labour has threatened to start a nationwide strike from today (Monday, June 30, 2003). You can close your eyes and see that the strike, if it takes place, is already doomed to fail. In other words, if Oshiomhole’s NLC is pretending that its industrial action can make the government to return to the N26 per litre regimen, then it is taking the joke too far. If the administration is going to make any concessions at all they would be in two aspects: a slight reduction in the new pump price and the implementation the 12.5 per cent of public sector workers’ remunerational packages. The federal government must have envisaged a massive outrage over the 49 per cent jump of pricing. The chances are that the real target of adjust was N35 but as a gambit, the Presidency decided to start with N40 and come down when action begins in order to appear like a "listening government".
It is strange that a government that trumpets its commitment to transparency and accountability has never deemed it fit to explain how much each of the past fuel price increases fetched into the treasury and how the accruals were spent. The federal government, in refusing to give these details, even with an agency such as the Petroleum Products Price Regulation Agency (PPPRA) in place, forgets that these hikes are drawing directly from the pockets of the Nigerian people. When a government takes money directly from people’s pockets it has an obligation to explain how much was got and what it was spent on. Rather than this, what we are experiencing is a situation whereby government comes whenever it wants, to rob our pockets without bothering to tell us the purpose of the robbery. And Labour, which is supposed to symbolise the aspiration of the average Nigerian, neither asks the questions for convincing answers, nor insist on concrete dividends that will benefit more than a few public sector work force.
One thing that can be said for the President is that this time the hike was not a sneak policy. He made it clear even at the height of his campaigns for re-election. A man who is seeking election usually avoids revealing some of the hard policies his election attract. Obasanjo told us repeatedly that he would deregulate the prices of petroleum products. If Labour was really serious about its opposition, it would have done something when the matter was still a prospect. To keep quiet until a whole week after the policy had gone into effect and been accepted, especially in the Eastern parts of the country where the N26 pump price has never really worked, smacks of mischief and hypocrisy. And these are the very reasons the strike would fail. In any case, Obasanjo’s three weapons have been honed and kept ready for use on the NLC’s strike. The federal media will turn against Labour as soon as the strike goes into effect. The police will also swing into action. Labour leaders will be arrested and detained briefly and a court action will be opened against them over premeditated charges. After a few days Labour will call off the strike, after perhaps a marginal reduction of the pump prices and the enhancement of salaries of public workers. Labour and the federal government officials will then shake hands for the success of their conspiracy yet again.
The only regret, however, is that this may not be the last we are hearing of fuel price hike. Before the end of this administration in the next four years, Obasanjo will come knocking again. The Nigerian military mind has never been credited with imaginativeness when it comes to revenue generation. Increasing the prices of petroleum products is the easiest means of achieving new windfall of cash. Since the administration has found out how easy to effect it in spite of noisy protests, they will see no reason to stop using it.
quote:Originally posted by Yinka: All this wishful thinking about removing the winner of the elections will not pan out. Nigerians have spoken and it is Obasanjo for the next four years. Got it?
Yinka,
Got it. Thanks.
___________________ YA CAIN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN :) Posts: 1182 | From: TEXAS | Registered: Oct 2001
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posted
One question though, who owns Vangard newspaper and why did it allow Nnanna's article to be published or is the article for the online version only?
___________________ Feel me? Ofu onye ana asi unu abia go. - Ednut Igbo-American . www.airamericaradio.com visit her. Posts: 2447 | From: Mother Earth | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
NwaBiafra, I do not want to come as arrogant or intrusive, but for lack of a better way to say this, can you let everybody on this forum in to this business of checking one's PM once a challenge or rebuttal is thrown?. Is it another way to say'Ignore him?". Once again no intent to disparage, just need to know if we all belong.
UkaObasi, It has become evidently clear even to the greatest optimists that Obasanjo is a terrible politician. The painful aspect of the whole thing is that the Yorubas saw this a long time ago. Increasing petroleum products prices without such important palliative measures smirks of insanity, the language is also downright confrontational and insensitive. Anyway, he whom the gods want to kill, they first make mad. This sure tops it all!
posted
Most Nigerians should be able to distinguish between two type of problems:
1) between African countries and the neocolonialists 2) internal or inter regional problems.
For those who follow what happen in other parts of the world, the IMF give or impose conditons on third world countries. The solution, usually the selling of public firms to richer countries, otherwise called privitization does not always favour developing countries. For that reason, countries like Gambia, Argentina, etc have big problems. The illegitimate government in Nigeria has the same proposals. The problem is that Obasanjo's admin is not the type to say 'No' and find alternative solutions better for nigerians, otherwise he would have done it since 1999. Apparently he agreed to import electricity from French-facetted-Congo or to close all refineries and import fuel. Nigerians should not allow the above two things to happen, no matter the government..
It could be under this condition that the fuel hike has been done. My proposal is and has always been to protect Nigeria from external looters. Then latter, for other misunderstandings, we will sort ourselves out.
Strike or peaceful protest is a constitutional right in Nigeria. We should not allow anybody to use the court or any other means or threat to deny Nigerians of that right.
To recapitulate my opinion, a) mass protest against rigged elections is always possible and it is our right
b) mass protest against fuel hike is a good idea. It should be encouraged by all Nigerians. It could give impetus to people feeling reluctant in (a) to understand that it is possible. It could trigger that much needed emancipation.
c) the present regime is illegal, the killing of any Nigerian would render Obasanjo personally responsible. He knows it.
d) Nothing will ever change for good in that country if we have no plans of ours. There is no God, so he cannot do anything for us. I will come back latter to this last point in details latter and in another thread(already started).
As most of you already know, NLC should have been used to protest against the rigged elections, among other things that happened in Nigeria. But we should not forget mass protest under present conditions is new in Nigeria, the earlier the habit is inculcated in the society the better, because there will be other things outside fuel hike or rigged elections where mas protest will be needed.
___________________ 1) Everything you can imagine is real->Picasso
2) They taught you the praises of their God, and these hosannas, when tuned into your sorrows, gave you the hope of a better world to come-->Patrice Lumumba Posts: 379 | Registered: Apr 2003
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quote:NwaBiafra, I do not want to come as arrogant or intrusive, but for lack of a better way to say this, can you let everybody on this forum in to this business of checking one's PM~~~Addy
Addy,
You said it all from the above. Yes you are being intrusive. Why in God's name would I want to let you and the likes of you in my business???
I suggest to you that you mind your own business just a freindly warning to you, please don't start a fight with me in here because you will get your feeling hurt very badly.
You are already being challanged in this forum for incoherent Utterances in this forum, which to day you have not extricated yourself out of that mess, now you want to get into my business?? be warned that is all I can say to you.
___________________ BIAFRA MUST RISE AGAIN. LONG LIVE BIAFRA!! Posts: 1080 | From: California, USA. | Registered: Oct 2002
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