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CRISIS: Stop olusegun obasanjo imposing andy uba, peter odili or other sell-outs on Igbo NOW; Time to reactivate the WAR ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Omenala Bu Ike Obodo. This Igbo maxim can be roughly translated as, "Culture is the driving force of any nation (civilization)".
This simply implies that for a nation to be strong and viable enough to attract or influence other nations, there must be an element in her culture which will enable her to exercise influence over other nations. Such a cultural element or attribute may not necessarily be spectacular or confined to that nation alone. However, it becomes a driving force owing to that nation's ability to utilize it as a rallying point for socio-political organization. Civilization is the process whereby a nation passes on superior or presumably superior culture to other nations through trade conquest or otherwise.
For instance, Islamic culture has remained the driving force of Arab civilization. Also, the English adventurous sea faring culture was the driving force of English civilization (the British Empire); the Spanish Armada, Napoleon's Army and Hitler's Army were all unable to conquer England (Britain) owing to her sea power. The Jews have remained a force in world politics owing to their culture of mercantile powers and technological endowment. Furthermore, the Jewish culture of self-belief has sustained them, even at the worst chapters of their history.
In the case of Ndigbo, the Igbo culture of self-reliance, truculent truthfulness and ultra republicanism made them the harbingers of freedom all over the world. It is a historical fact that Haiti, Dominica, Guadalupe, Martinique, etc are at least eigthy percent peopled by people of Igbo ancestry. The unconquerable Igbo spirit of self-reliance and independence was the basis of the 1803 Haitian Revolution, which dealt a fatal blow to Napoleon's Army and Navy that culminated in his final defeat.
Those who fathom any doubts about Haitian Igbo roots should visit www.biafraland.com so as to assess the letter written by the then Haitian President Dr Francois Duvalier to the Head of State of the then Biafra - Gen. Ojukwu - thereby recognizing Biafra. Dessaline and Touissant L'ouverture - the leaders of the Haitian Revolution were but content with freeing Haiti alone. They also invaded and freed Santo Domingo (Dominica). Furthermore, they formed the essential part of Simon Bolivar's Army which liberated Spanish Latin Americans from Spanish rule; they fought for him on the condition that he would abolish slavery in Spanish Latin America.
The victorious libertador did so thereby precipitating the abolishment of slavery in Portuguese Latin America (Brazil). The Igbo quest to abolish slavery by the United States precipitated the American civil war. Before then, the American slave owners hated the Igbo slaves owing to their spirit of untiring resistance. The Igbo slaves organized the ingenious Underground Railroad system facilitating the smuggling of black slaves from the Northern States to freedom in the Southern States.
Also owing to this unbreakable spirit of freedom, some Igbo slaves led by the legendary Oba chose to die rather than live as slaves. Arriving the Atlantic Coast of America, they linked hands with one another, chanting revolutionary songs they marched into the ocean and were all drowned in the full glare of their tormentors, who didn't bother stopping them because they knew it was impossible. To the slave masters it was an incredible act. To the other slaves , it was an irrevocable sacrifice. Naturally, they would be singing "Nzogbu Nzogbu Enyimba enyi", the legendry Igbo revolutionary song, which whenever sang turns lambs into lions uptil date, whenever it is sang enemies of Ndigbo feel threatened and the blood of Ndigbo present boil with Igbo nationalism even those of them holding federal appointments such as ministers. To the slave masters, it was incredible act. To the other slaves, it was an irrevocable sacrifice.
The price of their freedom had been paid and even the more docile slaves joined the truculent Igbo slaves in fighting for their freedom; even at the cost of their lives. Alex Harley in his classical book Roots mentioned the drowning of the ten Igbo slaves or what is referred to in American history as Igbo Landing. The actual Igbo Landing site is located in North Carolina. However, in commemoration of this sacrifice which can only be compared to the death of Christ on the cross, there are various Igbo landing sites in the New World including the one in Haiti. Most other women of that era had a specific role to play in the political organization of the community.
Although they were not part of the council of Elders, under the aegis of the Umuada, important traditional ceremonies such as burial ceremonies and igba ukwu could not hold without them. They were also involved in conflict resolution and traditional sanctions. For instance, stripping themselves naked and marching to the home of any erring community leader was considered the height of humiliation for such a leader.
What could have given the considered Ndigbo the impetus to insist on teaching their conquerors democratic principles by telling them how they should be ruled and how they should not be ruled? Normally conquered people swallow hook line and sinker the ideologies of their conquerors, no matter how inferior they consider such ideologies to begin the interest of their survival.
But, not so Ndigbo. Never before has it happened in history that people who got conquered politically after losing a physical war would refuse to be conquered or even pretend to have been conquered ideologically. To further buttress this point, when one address a gathering or assembly in Igbo society, it is customary to salute the assembly. With Igbo Kwenu or Abia Kwenu or Nenwe Kwenu, as the case maybe. Alternatively, one can generally salute the assembly with Ohaneze ekelee m unu or Ohaneze mma mma nu (Ohaneze in this context refers to the Igbo phrase under discourse, not the pan-Igbo organization of the same name). Perhaps, the best illustration is the case in Obowu, Imo State, where one salutes the assembly as Ohanawueze meaning the people who are the king. It is a historical fact that monarchial societies are sustained by class distinctions. However, the Igbo society not being a monarchial one has always operated a classless society, regardless of the osu caste system as practiced in some Igbo communities.
Therefore, Ndigbo do not have a king(s) (monarchial ruler(s)) although they have always had their system of organized democratic government. That some Igbo sub-groups such as the Agbor, the Nri and the Aro later had kings can only validate the statement Igbo nwere eze in those instances but it cannot annul the universal Igbo truism Igbo enwe eze which predates the idea of kingship in any part of Ala-Igbo. Consequently, Igbo enwe eze is still valid and should not be misconstrued. It means that Ndigbo believe in power vested in the people (exercised through a council) as opposed to power vested in one man. It does not mean that Ndigbo do not have respect for their elders or that they do not recognize their leaders. As such those presently re-phrasing Igbo enwe eze as Igbo nwere eze do so not of ignorance.
Mazi Ikechukwu Oji
[ December 17, 2006, 08:39 PM: Message edited by: Amadi O. ]
___________________ achieve Biafra and show the difference Posts: 642 | From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Nov 2002
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It seems that we are now witnessing the beginning of the end of Nigeria ! Since Obasanjo and his handlers have decided that they should crown another northerner as Obasanjo’s hair apparent, they have probably rang the bell for the dismissal of the school for scandal called Nigeria . Obasanjo’s behavior is baffling. It is baffling because statesmen are supposed to be political realists who take the political lay of the land into consideration before making political decisions; folks who do not make decisions on sentimental and or idealistic grounds. In the context of Nigeria , political realism demands that Nigerian statesmen, through projective identification (human beings can project themselves to other people and imagine how they would feel about any particular situation) imagine how Igbos would feel if continually they are shut out of executive power in Nigeria . Igbos would feel like orphans in the Nigerian polity. Orphanage is not exactly the preferred state for any one. Nigeria gained independence in 1960, thanks to the struggle of Nigerian nationalists (who were predominantly Igbos). But since then no Igbo has had the opportunity to be the executive ruler of Nigeria . (Through a fluke, Major General Johnson Thomas Umunna Aguiyi Ironsi, who had not sought power, was the interim leader of Nigeria for seven months in 1966, before, as Major Yakubu Gowon said: power returned to northern hands, where, apparently, he believed, it belongs.) Beyond the Ironsi interregnum, no Igbo has had the opportunity to rule Nigeria . (To pacify Igbos, the Hausa-Yoruba rulers of Nigeria throw some crumbs to Igbos, such as, make an Igbo the deputy of the designated ruler: Abubakar Tafawa Belewa-Nnandi Azikiwe; Shehu Shagari- Alex Ekwueme; Umaru Yar’Adua- Peter Odili. Apparently, in their minds, Igbos can only play second fiddle rather than the key role. I say, shame on those Igbos who undertake to accept and perform such humiliating roles for their African colonial masters.)
All indications are that there are three, more or less, equal tribes in Nigeria : Hausa 24 million, Yoruba 22 million, Igbo 20 million. (Source: World Almanac.) Given this population parity, it would seem that common sense dictates that all efforts are made to accommodate the feelings of these three dominant groups. Peace in the polity would seem to depend on how the three dominant groups are treated. Political realism dictates that rulers take into consideration their opponents feelings, assuming that they desire peace and stability in their country. Apparently, the Hausa and Yoruba, the rulers of Nigeria , consider the Igbos a defeated people and do not take Igbo feelings into consideration in making political judgments in Nigeria . I believe that this is an egregious mistake. If come next year, another Hausa president becomes the leader of Nigeria , we might as well kiss Nigeria good bye. Nigeria probably cannot survive another eight years of continued marginalization of the Igbos.
Those of us who have struggled to avoid joining the Biafra crowd will certainly see no hope in Nigeria and will make decisions that serve our best interests. We cannot afford to be second class citizens forever and ever, particularly if those who are appointed to rule us are most likely to accomplish nothing significant for Nigeria . If one may ask: what good is it to Nigeria if Igbos are continually alienated from the country? Common sense (which, apparently, is a scarce commodity among the rulers of Nigeria ) suggests that all people in a polity be made to feel a part of that polity. Allowing people to participate in all facets of national life is one way to get them to feel that they have investments in the polity’s welfare. Those who feel invested in a polity work for its survival. On the other hand, if you systematically give a group of people the impression that they do not belong to the polity and are, at best, tolerated as second class citizens, what exactly do you expect them to do? Laugh and smile and go along with you? Do you expect them to be satisfied because you treated them as dogs? Do slave masters expect slaves to be happy and contented? Or do they invest in police (and other so-called law enforcement agencies) to control the restive enslaved masses? And how long can they control people? Forever? Human nature disposes people to seek freedom and self governance. Like birds, human beings may be caged for a while but the moment they have opportunity they fly away to freedom. Nigeria is increasingly becoming like a cage for Igbos. Nigeria is increasingly a place where Igbos freedom is curtailed. It seems that Igbos are relegated to second class status in Nigeria . Black on black colonialism, that is, Hausa-Yoruba domination of Igbos, would not be tolerated for long, for it is unnatural to subjugate a group of human beings to other groups’ perpetual rule.
Africans fought to free themselves from European rule; they did not fight to have themselves ruled by other African groups. Hausa-Yoruba colonialism must be fought as we fought white colonialism.
In the best of circumstances, those swept under the rug, as is obviously the case of Igbos, fume with anger and bid their time until they come to their own. All things being equal, Igbos feel not respected in Nigeria and are angry at their continued powerlessness in Nigeria . Of course, a few Igbo opportunists, the unprincipled types, pitch their tent with the unscrupulous rulers of Nigeria , hoping to pickup the crumbs of bread that fall from the table as the children of the table (Hausas and Yorubas) eat. These pragmatic, opportunistic Igbos are found in the ranks of the PDP kleptocrats. These clowns are there for their pockets, and not necessarily because they love Nigeria . If some powerful personality makes a move to remove Alaigbo from Nigeria , these Igbo quislings, being amoral and shameless, would redirect their loyalty to Alaigbo. The point is that to say that some Igbos are participating in the present keptocracy of Abuja is to deceive ones self, for those Igbos are essentially criminals participating in the looting of Niger Delta oil revenue.
In several essays, I pointed out that many contemporary Igbos have a siege mentality. They feel besieged and persecuted by their fellow Nigerians. They feel constantly under attack by Nigerians. Whereas this social paranoia has some individual causation, yet it has social causes. Those who feel attacked, unless they are totally delusional, tend to be attacked. The Jews, another group with a siege mentality, were empirically discriminated by Europeans. Whereas, Jewish arrogance played a role in their neighbors hating them, the fact remains that their neighbors attacked and killed six million of them during the Second World War. By the same token, Igbo arrogance plays some role in their hated status, but the fact remains that they are attacked, marginalized and frequently killed by other Nigerians. The self and other selves are in a dynamic relationship where both affect each other. You cannot say that what happens to the individual is only his fault or the faults of others; it is the fault of both parties. In a General system, everything affects everything; all persons adjust to the behavior (stimuli from) of other people. The observable functional paranoia found in many Igbos is partly a product of other Nigerians unwelcoming attitude towards them. Been shut out of the corridors of power in Nigeria plays a role in Igbos apparent sense of been unwelcome in Nigeria .
Some of the alienated Igbos work for what they call Biafra . They tend to look with nostalgia at what they believe is the shining moment of their people’s self governance during the Biafra episode. They yearn for an opportunity to return to that brief moment of glory under the sun. They make Emeka Ojukwu, the Biafran leader, a heroic figure and worship him.
This crowd is largely composed of unsophisticated Igbos. So far, they have not attracted the Igbo intelligentsia. But the continued maltreatment of Igbos is surely going to make the goals of the Biafra crowd attractive to the Igbo middle class. As the educated class of Igbos join the clarion call of the Biafrans for secession, Nigeria will certainly suffer. It does not bode well for the continued existence of Nigeria for the rulers of Nigeria to continue to be insensitive to Igbos desire to be associated with ruling their country. Obasanja and his handlers insensitivity to Igbo pride is beginning to irritate those of us who hitherto pitched our fate with Nigeria ’s survival.
If it has not occurred to Obasanjo and his handlers that they are alienating Igbos by returning power to the north, rather than to the south east, I believe that they have sowed the seed for the destruction of Nigeria . Since Obasanjo has decided to have another northerner replace him, as he had one replace him in 1979, and subsequently relegated Nigeria to mediocrity, the time has come to reconsider the Igbos continued association with Nigeria . Even though ones particular predilection is for larger political entities, not small nation states, but if the price of staying in Nigeria is the continued marginalization of the Igbos, I say that it is time for this forced marriage to end. Nigeria was always an artificial marriage, a contrived social construct with none of the ingredients that make for nationhood. The various peoples of Nigeria do not have similar outlooks on life; the various groups have cultures that are as dissimilar as night and day. Perhaps, it is about time for each of these disparate groups to go their separate ways and develop according to theirs nature. Perhaps, it is time the Igbos are no longer weighed down by uncompetitive peoples who do not seem to realize that what makes for progress is the unfettered competition for the allocation of resources, and the most competitive, the fittest allowed to win, but share their wealth with the weakest…hence mixed capitalist-socialis t economy. Perhaps, nature and nature’s God does not intend for the people of Nigeria to stay together in the same polity? I speak for me: if the Hausa and Yoruba scheme to foist another incompetent northerner on Nigeria , hence relegating Nigeria to another era of political and economic irrelevance, I am in support of Igbos leaving Nigeria . It is time to take the idea of The Republic of ALAIGBO seriously, and stop fooling ourselves into thinking that a moribund colonial construct can be put on a proper footing to make a difference in the world?
"Sophisticated" one-nigerian, ozodi osuji finally seeing what the Biafrans saw in 1967 when they said NO to the nigerians.
___________________ achieve Biafra and show the difference Posts: 642 | From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Nov 2002
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I was really very angry with the analysis of nigerian politics you wrote here, not that I care about nigeria and its politics; for all care, it could GO TO HEIL. I'm more concerned that you have already started justifying the evil nigerian politics that played out yesterday. My question to you is why are you trying to pacify the Igbo already only hours after the fact. You would have been more credible if your present position on dpd politics was known before yoroba/awusa showed you their ugly hands again, that you one-nigeria Igbo pdd do not count. And like a coward, you are already swallowing the bitter pill, justifying the whole thing after the fact. Why is it that the artificial space called nigeria is more important to you than the development of Igboland that would come with Biafran independence? Why do you one-nigeria Igbo support the evil empire that has continued to hurt Biafran people?
My only comfort is that people you or the dpd fraudsters will not determine the fate of Igbo/Biafra.
The Igbo-rubbishing political whirlwind has not even subsided and my people have started another rubbish analysis that will again last for the next 5 years!
Let me remind those rejoicing that Jonathan and Yarafua will be at the helm of political affairs in nigeria that they are dead wrong. These two comic figures are just puppets and mice at the service of the king kobra, Obasanjo who handpicked them as his errand boys. To cement this fact, Obasanjo has just changed PDP constitution to renew and even escalate his ruling position as the head of PDP and transitively the president of nigeria. Under the new concept, the Yoruba factually continues to be president, the Hausa becomes a nominal president and Jonathan is just an errand boy who was manufactured by Obasanjo after the Alams saga.
That was the british concept as delivered through Prince Charles during his Hausa visit last week.
The Igbo is the only ethnic block out of site in this political puppetory and the grand conspiracy goes on.
Jisie nu ike Emenike
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ HEN is only a Chicken
People,
The disgrace called Igbo politicians, have now been permanently written in the Nigeria's golden book of shame - now they know they are not trusted and that politics has many faces - the one you see and the ones you can not see until it happened. What a people and what a mess.
Some how, I did not feel bad with what happened in Abuja this weekend. I felt calm and peaceful at heart. That is why I can confidently say there should be no outrage. Igbo got what they planted - distrust, and disgust.
While I do not feel bad about the Yar'Adua selection, I think I felt very good about the selection of the man from Yenegua. It is an action that Nigerians should support. It is about time a person from that end of the region saw the top echelon of powers too. I think it was good that they looked for new hands to man this ship we called Nigeria. I am convinced that the man from Katsina is little known because he did not hijack any resources to make noise with like some did in the south east states. Because he is not one of the thieves and the man from Yenegua is not a pronounced known thief, their pairing is OK by me. It also goes to teach the theives who have amassed wealth to buy the position that it is not for sell. I am confortable with the HAUSA man because, generally, Hausa people a fair minded as we observed during the Shagari era. They believe that the Igbo has skill needed in Nigeria and are not hessitant in using them.
Leadership is about serving the people not about tasting power. Any one that wants to taste power should join NEPA and take a bite on the cold electric hot wire. I think Obasanjo made a wise choice in asking the efulefus to drop the theiving ideas. How can a team that did not do much for their small states think they can lead a country? There is nothing wrong with HAUSA man being president if he can spread resources and development to everyone. Alaigbo developed more rapidly when managed under a Hausa president than we have seen recently under our own brothers. Ndigbo are more united when they have no power positions to fight over. What the president did was use a back -door way to empower the people of the SOUTH-SOUTH. If placed on the pool, they may not have secured that much power, but as VP, they have easy access to power. He solved two pressing problems with this one effort- the North are not going to say he fooled them and the SOUTH SOUTH now have control of the power access in Nigeria because the VP actually runs the country. It is a more pressing need for National unity that the faulty Igbo Quest to taste power.
What this has also done for Ndigbo on the position side is empower Ojukwu to consolidate power in the South East and unite for Igbo so they can gain higher voice in the Nation. I told you so, he will tell those in the PDP. They have worked for food and that is all. Now they can just crawl back into their shells so Ndigbo can become empowered properly. This action by PDP is good for bring reality back to sense of the Igbo PDP followers- they do not count because they are not trusted by their own party.
There is one thing we forget and it was Umoru Diko who made it clear. If the Hausa did not become president or VP, they feel left out and disconnection to power. The reason he felt that way, he said, was that being at that level of power is the only way they feel part of Nigeria. They have no oil to give to the nation, they have no intellectual expertise to give, they have no articians and technicians to give and they have nothing pronouced to contribute to the economy technologically, except their ability to lead at the top and keep the nation peacefully united. People complain less when a real Hausa man is leading, because they are fair minded. The Igbo does not trust Igbo and the Yoruba does not trust Igbo or Yoruba (we saw how they supported Obasanjo). The SOUTH SOUTH does not feel safe under the Igbo or the Yoruba. It is the reality at play. What matters is that folks at the grassroots are empowered economically and politically.
In fairness, selecting a HAUSA MAN may be how to keep Nigeria moving forward. This generation of Igbo seeking leadership will be exhausted by the time 8 years came and went. At that time, a better crop of Igbo will emerge to accept power. I am happy it was not Andy Ubah as that would be rewarding bad behavior. I said the other day that political mathematics is a living subject and never a constant. Nothing is over until it is over. As it stands, the computation that emerged from the PDP seams well articulated and I think I feel comfortable by it. These two guys have nothing in the national closet. They have no known skeletons and did not have serious intent to contest - meaning they have no agenda and should be glad to serve the nation with gratitude. If they are elected, I think they have no reason to be trouble makers because their burden is simple.
But the Hausa intellectual who felt it was the time for the Igbo to be president may feel differently and their people may go out enmass to vote against the Katsina man just so as to show pragmatism. Onye-igbo that is true to heart about leading Nigeria may still emerge in the general election. This is not over because the PDP is not as we knew her. They have disintergrated and do not have the kind of muscle they used to rig in 2003. This election has not been won yet.
What this Obasanjo calculation has done is to help keep Nigeria one. A president from the SOUTH would have given the company of IBB and BUHARI an egde to link their bad selves to power by taking over the entire North. They would have cornered the North at the same time that Ojukwu corners the SOUTH EAST and the man in Lagos, Jakande, corners the SOUTH WEST. Given that the North are very loyal people to their regional callings they would have followed that lead and would have made this coming election a regional game. What is known is that the Yoruba does not vote an Igbo and may not vote any non yoruba in a fair election. The Igbo may likely follow APGA. By deeping down the river for a VP, it means the SOUTH SOUTH may stay their usual direction of voting with the Northern parties. This gives the man from the North a chance to nationalize his win. He will win the 3 regions of the North and may be the Middle Belt region, and he will also take the SOUTH SOUTH. The Yoruba will go back to AD as the Igbo circle around APGA if the electoin is a free and fair one.
What this means is that what happened in 1979 between the NPN and NPP may happen again. APGA will join forces with PDP to secure majority in the Senate and in the House of Rep. Also APGA may secure some ministerial positions and other plus appointments for their willingness to support PDP. What is important here is that the IGBO may nolonger be represented by the Corrupt that sold out to PDP. The outcome will empower APGA and render alaigbo the most democractic region in Nigeria. Note that since Igbo have no slot on the presidential ticket, they have no obligation to steal votes like was the case in 2003.
Ndigbo know enough now not to vote PDP into power. Those whose hope have been dashed will be busy rubbing their eyes and covering it in shame. Theymay not harbor the desire to go out a canvas votes as they would have done. Alaigbo is for APGA to lose. On the surface it may seem as this is a betrayal of trust. But the reality is that it may bring more properity to the Igbo land. Whomever governs need Igbo to make it work. So we will always be employed, but what is difficult is what the Igbo do with their employment.
There is going to be another fight within PDP. Obasanjo's comfortable position will not last. He will be forced out after a year or so and the North will consolidate power somehow. Obasanjo will start making godfather-type demands and that will not sit well with the man in power and he will do what others have always done. Because he has nothing to lose, he will begin to gradually resist orders from Ota farm. He will begin to ask the man to focus on chicken farm work. Quiet people are not always as loyal as they look. Note that a typical HAUSA man believes in the ability of the Igbo to get things done. That is whay we should rely on for survival. And that is what God has put in us to make us relevant as citizens of Nigeria. Ndigbo will always be relevant whether we are president or not and more so when we are not.
What Obasanjo has done by siding and empowering these folks is a first step in cleansing Nigeria's politics. He knows PDP will not win in Anambra unless the election is rigged, so Andy Ubah may return to Ota farm to become a farm hand. If he can pull this up, then he may have done well for Nigeria. These new people may be directed to select new hands and no old criminal for ministerial jobs and that will become the second step in cleaning up the system. If they select any known corrupt person, that will make them suffer the same distrust OBJ has sufferred in his war against corruption.
HEN
___________________ achieve Biafra and show the difference Posts: 642 | From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Nov 2002
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