Any time my Ibo friends complain about OBJ, i hardly have anything to say because, I have never been to any part of iboland.
Godson Offoaro is one Ibo man i respect, he wrote with facts no matter whose Ox is gored.

He claimed OBJ has done woders in Iboland, he mentioned the following

1) OBJ's best leuitenants are Ibo, that is Akinyuli,Soludo,Ezekwesile etc
2) Road network in the east
3) Owerri Airports among others

Please read the Article though long but MEANINGFUL and lets hear your views.

http://nigeriaworld.com/columnist/offoaro/022106.html

You have never been to any part of Ibo- land?? Little wonder then.
I am still searching for any inspiration that can be drawn from that article as it is empty and draws blank on key issues.

However,
1. It beats my imagination to hear that OBJ had anything to do with the Imo Airport project which was built by the contribution of every Imo son/daughter including those in primary schools who contributed 20 naira each at a certain point.

2. It is alarming, betraying and an indication of crass ignorance to talk of road network in the east, and moreso to attribute it to the present Government. Even the onitsha road that was re-awarded last few weeks is a face saving measure after seven years of using it to drain resources and as a political toolkit.

3. That Igbos are at the head of the Obasanjo Intelligentsia should open his eyes to know that those he has been targetting are smarter than him.

@

owo:

You have never been to any part of Ibo- land?? Little wonder then.
I am still searching for any inspiration that can be drawn from that article as it is empty and draws blank on key issues.

If i may ask, are you ibo?

That i have never visited a place does not necesarily mean i lacked the complete knowledge of Iboland, but i believe "Seeing is believing"

owo:

That Igbos are at the head of the Obasanjo Intelligentsia should open his eyes to know that those he has been targetting are smarter than him.

Who is he targetting my brother?

Is it Igbo votes for third time slot?

owo:

I am still searching for any inspiration that can be drawn from that article as it is empty and draws blank on key issues.

So that article is empty!
If you dont know, Godson is an Ibo but a Nigerian to the core, APGA member,he is not rich but he is not a beggar neither is he a PDP Contractor, he is a Social critic.
I read his article, ask for permission to publish it in this forum which was granted. I want my Ibo friends to confirm or reject what he wrote CONSTRUCTIVELY.

hey guys, dont want to crash the party but it's IGBO! IGBO! GB sounds different than B in our language.

thank you for your gracious audience.

@cHINANI
Sorry o
Igbo
What did you have to say on the Article?

sorry it took me so long to respond
@ Akoawole

i didnt like the article at all. it totally pissed me off. it opened by spending 3 paragraphs putting down igbos who live abroad. he was insinuating that those abroad are sell outs, how does he come to this conclusion

How does he know who supports the cause for Biafra? or who gives money to who he does not say and to me his credibility is already compromised. then he states
"The modern Igbo tribal jingoist is a confused man! He knows no history. His political thoughts are short circuited. He thinks life is dash rather than a marathon!"

maybe rather than dismissing BIAFRA he might delve into the issues that lead ppl to want to leave NIGERIA poltically. this would be much more intelligent and useful.

how so? simply b/c he supports BIAFRA he "knows no history", at this point this article does not sound "fair and balanced". t/out his article he implies that anyone who does agree w/ him, OBJ or criticizes them MUST support BIAFRA, but i know many who dont like OBJ and dont support biafra, is this man so short on igbo friends/family that he does not know any of this sort?

and i dont give a crap about generals/soldiers being igbo. for all i know, they might be sell outs too. "if you lie down w/ dogs, you get up w/ fleas."

also, there is such a thing as igbo efulefu, there are those who would wash their hands in the blood of their brothers for money (in ever group/race/ethnicities), all the noble hearted men in the world should watch for them so if he is called such it may be for a good reason,

he talks about positive (yoruba) reaction which is fine. but it seems to be that he is creating a binary or something, like its Yoruba/obj vs. igbo/east nigeria, is life really this black and white? if not, then why is this article structured so?

he goes on to write about the positive things that have come about in igbo state. and he is not lying, just making a phone call! sha! just the other day i called my aunt's cell and it was heaven! nothing like the old days, thank goodness.

but if he's so chummy w/ obj rather than getting millions why doesnt he ask obj to preseve, preseve what you ask? LIFE. obj arrests footballers, calls them conspirators and they must sit in jail. who is feeding their children. apparently, OFFOARO thinks it's the job of those abroad to send money[b] INSTEAD OF OBJ's JOB to PROSECUTE/CHARGE ppl in GOOD TIME AND HAVE FAIR TRAILS SHA![/b] well i say that men will feed their own families if they're given a chance!

but to get to the heart of your first post, many ppl, incl. igbos, dont FEEL as though OBJ is changing anything or improving nigeria. still igbos are killed in the north. yes, there are roads but still many roads are crap and cities are filthy. it is HUGE diff from the west, OFFOARO references shipping cars. yes, igbos do this b/c their relatives cannot get cars in nigeria. the economy does not support it so they ship them when going home to christmas and then leave them w/ family or sell it and give money to the family to live off of for however long.

lastly, i dont think that OBJ should serve a 3rd term simply bc it wouldnt be good for Nigeria. in my eyes, naija is a young democracy and many, many things are still wrong. we must get new blood and not let anyone get TOO COMFORTABLE in order to affect change and stay away from the coups of the past. if OBJ keeps globe trotting, trying to stir up business deals for his son rather than shaking his tail feathers out of office in nigeria, the future isnt going to be so fruitful.

that's my two cents.

baba, with all his bad sides can manage to boast of a few good points. but those good points pale in comparison to his mistakes. however, one bad thing which he'll do and all his little good will be wiped from nigerian memory is this 3rd term issue.

listen, the 3rd term is not about 2007. it is about nigeria's future.50-100-1000yrs to come. it is a horrible precedent. it means any future president can come in and change the constitution. it reduces our constitution to a mere piece of paper.

the u.s constitution has served that country for over 200yrs with about 80 ammendments. the u.k has no written constitution but it's laws are one of the most difficult to ammend on earth. in 40yrs nigeria has had about 5 different constitutions and the last one (1999 constitution)is only 7yrs old and we are rushing to make over 100 changes in it including 3rd term.ha!

i pity those legislators being used today,when it will boomerang on them i'll offer no apologies. when issues of emergency rule was debated in high political meetings,many governors overlooked it b/c they thought it was aimed at ngige but when the axe came,it landed somewhere else.

when audu ogbe was busy rigging the elections in 2003,he was happy,when it came back calling he cried foul.i didn't pity him.diya followed abacha against the wishes of his people,when the bubble bursted,we know how it happened.so let the legislators change the constitution.i'm a christain,God will always see me thru,no matter who is ruling(he may even make me gain from the 3rd term)but the nation will never forget her villains.

True talk

" If OBJ elongates his term in power, would he be the only one that have done so in history.

If I think OBJ deserves a third term as is being speculated, do I (Godson Offoaro) not have the right to air my views to say the reason why I think he should do it?"

This statement compromises any honest legitimate views he has about OBJ. Our young democracy must be guided according to the tenets of accepted democratic principles. A third term sows a very dangerous precedent that no amount of perceived short-term gains will justify.

People lets not forget wat the topic is all about - igbo marginalization.
People from other tribes are always quick to deny this. They sometimes back up their claims with allegation that igbo people are the cause of their problems But all that is either lie or half truth.
Igbo's have never been fully been forgiven since we lost the civil war and any government that came up ever since has been playing out this unwritten laws against the igbo nation. Lets forget the fact that sometimes, some crooked politicians of Igbo extractions have been close enough to the ruling class and ususally have their own gain and nothing else in mind. But one thing is still obvious all these igbo politicians are like any other selfish human beings who also exists in other tribes therefore it is quite unfair and hypocritical to say that igbos are the cause of their problems. We have such people in yoruba and in hausa. The good ones (igbos) are not allowed to come close to ruling this nation. Why did IBB and others made sure that Ekwueme did not come close in '99. Even when it was obvious that Obasanjo is not the right choice in 2003, the hausa nad yoruba nation reconciled quickly to edge out Ekwueme again when it was obvious that he is the only candidate fro PDP.
Federal Infrastructural development in igbo land is shameful. Everytime we hear about reconstruction/rehabilitation of roads in the country. Check them out, its either in the north or west or an already awarded but abandoned contract in the east. For many years now the government have been planning to dredge the river niger, yet, Second Niger bridge? An aberration! Believe it or not, there is an unwritten hate policy against the igbo in this nation. Checkout the military, how many igbo generals do we have. How can they trust igbo man with the highest military post.

Some people will also want to tell me that igbo is least in population. Another government lie. Any town or city in this country have igbo population as the second largest. The census will not like to disclose this and thats why they wont include tribe in the counting. Lagos is Over 7 million, tell me how many yoruba and how many igbos? Kano is even more. But they wont tell you how many igbos in sabon gari. go to Abuja, maiduguri and else where. Its all igbo. Yes thats because we travel. We are the most travelled people in the country.

I have more to say but whatever I say i will be telling u that igbos are marginalised.

By the way, I heard that Igbo language is no longer a major language in the country. Is that true? I cant confirm it yet.

in my opinion, i do not think there is hardly a group in nigeria that does not have a legitimate claim to having been marginalised, though some may be more so.

Whenevr the Igbos cry marginalisation, i want to believe they do so against the Federal government but have they stopped for once to access the performance of their elected officials particularly their effort in mitigating the effect of this MARGINALISATION.

With all sense of modesty and fairness, i sincerely think that the Igbos are marginalised just like any other group in nigeria and on whether this current administration has done anything to improve the lot of the Igbo or not, whatever applies to the Igbo applies to all other groups in Nigeria. That is because this administration, like several before it, does not have the interest of any section of the country at heart except that of those who sposored the campaigne of political office holders. This underscores the reason why poverty, hunger and other vices pervades the land while the government continues to declare monumental successes in its policies.

In the final anylysis, i do believe that if the Igbo, for whatever reason anybody is advancing are being marginalised, it is not because there is a conspiracy against them, but because for several years now Nigeria has not been fortunate enough to have the right kinds of people at the helm of affairs. And apart from that, i think the time has come for us to subject the activities of our state Governors to serious scrutiny because they also have a key role to play in the development of the nation. Above all, Igbos should stand up and take their place in the running of the country, they've never lacked in human resources but they've never been found to have a common platform for pushing a common Igbo agenda. so if the Igbo are to take thier rightful place in the scheme of things, they must come together and act like one. Then, the Igbo will be taken seriously.

they are not marginalised at all!!!!!!!

Imo airport was built during 1979-1983 under Mbakwe? So what has that got to do with Obasanjo?

alj harem:

they are not marginalised at all!!!!!!!

Are you not ashamed that you are joining this particular thread 3-4 years late. Why not join the current Igbo threads going on in the politics section?. You treasure in exhuming old threads that will see Ndigbo and others lock horns together, poor boy.

@ Andre

Earlier monkeyleg said Pat Utomi will be coming to the UK for some type of event.Would you happen to have any information of that[b]?[/b] I have a friend who is trying to work on getting the Igbbankes included in Anioma. I think speaking to a fellow Anioma son like Pat Utomi may be of help to her and their organization.

chyz1:

@ Andre

Earlier monkeyleg said Pat Utomi will be coming to the UK for some type of event.Would you happen to have any information of that[b]?[/b] I have a friend who is trying to work on getting the Igbbankes included in Anioma. I think speaking to a fellow Anioma son like Pat Utomi may be of help to her and their organization.

Am in touch with Izu Anioma leaders. Am wating for them to raise the issue. Some two years ago, Pat Utomi addressed the Igbo Youths in U.K, but this time, I do not know yet his mission.
Pat Utomi is more cherished with the entire Igbo than only Aniomas here. Some of them are not happy that Pat does not let them know his intentions before declaring his intentions to run for elective posts in Nigeria.
Also am in touch with Ika Union president in the U.K. What surprises me is that most people pushing for the merger of Igbanke to Delta state are not the Ikas but the larger Igbo voices.

Andre Uweh:

Am in touch with Izu Anioma leaders. Am wating for them to raise the issue. Some two years ago, Pat Utomi addressed the Igbo Youths in U.K, but this time, I do not know yet his mission.
Pat Utomi is more cherished with the entire Igbo than only Aniomas here. Some of them are not happy that Pat does not let them know his intentions before declaring his intentions to rum for elective posts in Nigeria.
Also am in touch with Ika Union president in the U.K. What surprises me is that most people pushing for the merger of Igbanke to Delta state are not the Ikas but the larger Igbo voices.

Thanks.Good news.I will continue to search what he is to do in UK. I'm hoping there is no political bitterness between the Ika and Igbanke. Is there a website that one can be heard(that the emails are actually read) concerning the Anioma situation?

chyz1:

Thanks.Good news.I will continue to search what he is to do in UK. I'm hoping there is no political bitterness between the Ika and Igbanke. Is there a website that one can be heard(that the emails are actually read) concerning the Anioma situation?

The Izu Anioma has a website where you can contact them. But it seems to have broken down. You may try this: www.aniomapost.org.uk.
If that fails, you can reach them via Ohanaeze U.K as some of their leaders are members of Ohanaeze U.K.

Andre Uweh:

The Izu Anioma has a website where you can contact them. But it seems to have broken down. You may try this: www.aniomapost.org.uk.
If that fails, you can reach them via Ohanaeze U.K as some of their leaders are members of Ohanaeze U.K.

May God Bless You. Thanks.

igbo have more than enough in elected position. jonathan is part igbo.

becomrich4:

igbo have more than enough in elected position. jonathan is part igbo.

gbam

alj harem:

gbam

gbitch

becomrich4:

igbo have more than enough in elected position. jonathan is part igbo.

IBB is part yoruba but still weren't satisfied and even clamoring for a "yoruba" president.

Wondering about Igbo marginalization
Why don't you begin with doing an accurate head count of all Nigerians, and Igbos in particular.
I mean a census not based on some form of sharing federal cake

Akolawole:
@

If i may ask, are you ibo?

That i have never visited a place does not necesarily mean i lacked the complete knowledge of Iboland, but i believe "Seeing is believing"



Who is he targetting my brother?

Is it Igbo votes for third time slot?



So that article is empty!
If you dont know, Godson is an Ibo but a Nigerian to the core, APGA member,he is not rich but he is not a beggar neither is he a PDP Contractor, he is a Social critic.
I read his article, ask for permission to publish it in this forum which was granted. I want my Ibo friends to confirm or reject what he wrote CONSTRUCTIVELY.

@Bolded, if you have never been to Igboland, then you lack çomplete knowledge on it. As you said, seeing is believing. More, social integration is the best. Go to any Igbo land and live there for atleast 5 years. Then you can authoratively claim to have complete knowledge of the part you stayed (you can never have knowledge on all part of Igboland)

Thank you.

chyz1:


IBB is part yoruba but still weren't satisfied and even clamoring for a "yoruba" president.

Now Jonathan is part Igbo?
Eyin Nizooria, werey niyin!

Idiots!