The shooting war may have ended, but the civil war has continued albeit by other means. A lot of Nigerians have continued to bury their head in the sand and pretend that all is well; some have even queried the Igbo cry of marginalisation, while some others have continued to live in denial, the obvious fact notwithstanding. However the naked truth remains, that while a great majority of the Igbo have moved on since the end of the shooting phase of the war, other Nigerians and the federal caliphate government in particular has refused to move on.

 Apartheid In Nigeria:

The continuing Apartheid policies of the caliphate government targeted at Ndigbo bears witness to this undeniable fact. A very interesting and glaring aspect of the continuing war by other means unfolded recently. The caliphate Nigerian government are always at their wits end  when it comes to inventing evil Apartheid schemes with which to marginalize or exclude others.

 
In 1970 at the end of the shooting phase of the civil war, the caliphate government together with Eastern saboteurs invented the phrase “Abandoned property”, which they used to rob Ndigbo of their property in Port Harcourt (Igwe ocha) of all places in a supposed “one Nigeria”. Once again a new phrase “coastal states of the Niger-Delta” has been invented in a bid to exclude the oil producing states of Imo and Abia from the development and employment initiatives recently unfolded by the federal caliphate government. See link. http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/editorial/ed18082006.html

It should be noted, that the term “coastal states” was invented specifically to exclude the 2 Igbo oil producing states, but the evil schemers made a tactical error by including Edo state, which is not by any definition a coastal state. Whereas Imo and Abia states are officially classified among the 9 oil producing states, with Imo state classified as the 5^th, and Abia state as the 7^th largest oil producing states in Nigeria, the evil and divisive federal caliphate government could still so brazenly, callously, and unconscionably exclude 2 Igbo oil producing states, while including some states that produce far less oil.

 
Those who are so quick to find fault with Ndigbo, when they complain of discriminatory Apartheid policies of the federal caliphate government, can now begin to comprehend that Igbo marginalisation is real, and a fact of life. It is a cleverly planned evil scheme that has dominated the post- shooting war politics of the caliphate government. It has been actualised in different phases beginning from 1970.At one time a curious boundary adjustment  annexed most of the oil producing areas in the then Imo state and relocated them to Rivers state. A prominent Igbo oil producing town known as Obigbo annexed from Imo state, even had it’s name changed to Oyigbo in a bid to  de-Igbonize or destroy the Igbo identity of the town. If all the oil producing towns annexed to Rivers state from Imo state where to be returned, Imo state would be among the top 3 oil producing states in Nigeria.

A certain young man joins the Police, Armed forces or federal civil service; because he is Igbo he cannot aspire to reach the peak of his career. In the Police he cannot aspire to become the Inspector general, in the Armed forces he cannot aspire to be the Chief of army staff, or even a general until recently, in the federal civil service he cannot aspire to become a permanent secretary. Federal Infrastructure in the East is a no go area, as it is virtually non-existent. Such is a graphic analysis of the depth of the Apartheid Igbo marginalization in post- shooting war Nigeria, and the assault, trauma, and deprivation that Ndigbo have had to live with since almost 4 decades.

Post war politics in other nations; have been markedly different from the Nigerian route which has been largely punitive and exclusionist. At the end of the American civil war, President Andrew Johnson from Tennessee who took the reigns of power in 1865 after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln was from the secessionist Southern America. Reconciliation and reconstruction was genuine. True federalism continued with every state retaining  the right to develop at their own pace. Issues based democracy free of rigging, and free of a candidate imposing caliphate also continued unfettered.  To date there is no record of marginalisation, discrimination, or containment in either the professions or in infrastructure in post-war America.

Nigerian revisionists have attempted to sell the lie, that it took 100 years for an American from the erstwhile secessionist south to become president. There can be nothing farther from the truth, As President Andrew Johnson a bonafide Southerner became president less than a year after the end of the American civil-war.

Post-war Europe after the 2^nd world war, incidentally the bloodiest conflict in human history, is another case in point. By 1953 less than 10 years after the end of the war, France and Germany  erstwhile bitter foes put their past behind them, and started the nucleus of the European Union that has to date metamorphosed into a vibrant, dynamic, and mega-progressive union. So many other examples exist of how positive, genuinely reconciliatory post-war politics in several nations have led to highly progressive societes.The bitter and failing Nigeria we have today, full of hatred, ethno-religious strife, and crunching poverty, is a direct fallout of the obnoxious Apartheid policies introduced at the end of the shooting war, which has only served to exacerbate the lingering and unrelvolved contradictions inherent in our forced geographical space.

Nigeria is one of the only countries, where a civil war was concluded without recourse to guerrilla warfare. That stroke of good luck, I submit has been destroyed by the negative, retrogressive, and evil post-war politics of caliphate Nigeria. The government of Nigeria has spent more time devising evil methods on how to marginalise, contain, and arrest the development of Ndigbo, than they have spent thinking of how to develop Nigeria.

MASSOB though still non-violent is a legitimate reaction and response to the long years of criminal Apartheid policies visited on Ndigbo.There is a limit to which you can push a people to the wall. A whole generation of Ndigbo are growing up with deep hatred and resentment towards a caliphate Nigeria, in which they feel no sense of belonging, and in which they see their potentials, and development deliberately arrested. Ignoring this trend would be at Nigeria’s peril.

It should be noted, that no army no matter how powerful has ever successfully defeated militants employing guerrilla warfare tactics. Iraq remains a clear pointer to such a scenario. I am not an advocate of war; neither do I believe in war as the best means to resolve political differences. But the fact remains, that if the federal caliphate government does not make a bold move to put an end to such brazen obnoxious Apartheid policies against Ndigbo, there is no way Nigeria can escape a muscular unwinnable guerrilla conflict with Ndigbo somewhere in the future.

History bears witness, that men have almost always chosen freedom, to external or internal colonialism, slavery, or bondage. In all cases they have preferred  death to a life of servitude. The Nigerian situation is exactly the same. People will in due course prefer to die, rather than accept such evil and inhuman acts of Apartheid.

 As I have said previously elsewhere, the hypocritical caliphate Nigerian government though always quick to shout “one Nigeria” yet they remain the greatest enemies of Nigerian unity. Their Apartheid policies, as exemplified by the “Coastal states of the Niger-Delta” exclusionist agenda, reinforces and vindicates the beliefs  and convictions of those who believe their salvation lies in tearing down an evil, incompassionate,unprogressive,and moribund caliphate Nigeria.

In conclusion, I wish to state, that the “Coastal states of the Niger-Delta” initiative is bound to fail, for the same reasons that caliphate Nigeria is failing. No project founded on evil conspiracies, mago-mago,  419, naked deception, and exclusion can succeed. Until the day, the “Pharaoh’s” of caliphate Nigeria becomes sober, if ever, and begins a process of genuine reconciliation, honest dialogue, inclusion, and equality, anything Nigeria touches will undoubtedly continue to fail.

Comrade Lawrence Chinedu Nwobu

Email:lawrencenwobu@yahoo.com

Robot  Villager

# 1 Nigeria is one of the only countries, where a civil war was concluded without recourse to guerrill...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 21.08.2006 07:54

Obi  Villager

# 2 Comrade Nwobu, "Coastal states"--- Abia state geographically has parts of her territory squarely in the Niger delta, and is only 5 nautical miles to the Atlantic coast through her dredge-able Azumini Blue river. Imo state has navigable river to the Atlantic coast as well. We don't still understand Obasanjo's definition of "coastal states" that included Edo, and threw the Igbo oil producing riverine communities out. It is regrettable that it is only when people "Dokubonize" their grievances that they are heard. We are watching. Posted by Obi| 21.08.2006 12:27

No Smoking  Villager

# 3 LoL! Navigable rivers to the Atlantic Ocean = Coastal??? From my old geography of Nigeria notes, some/all of the following states will qualify under that fatuous definition: Sokoto, Zamfara, Niger, Kwara, Benue, Adamawa, Yobe, Gombe. In the words of His Royal Palmwine Highness Zebruddaya, "It has been the man, who has climbed the kolanut tree with his mouth, who has known the bitter-bitter of it." Posted by No Smoking| 21.08.2006 17:58

WallaceBobo  Villager

# 4 Point of correction: Andrew Johnson, although a southerner, fought on the side of the union my friend. He didnt give up his post as senator when the secesion started and went on to become vice president, and then president when Lincoln was assasinated. He was nearly impeached afterwards (for being moderate in favour of his southern brethren in reconciliation efforts) and lost his re election bid. I think it was inappropriate to use him to support your argument of america's rapid reconciliation after the american civil war. To use Andrew Johnson as an analogy in the biafran case is to imagine some Igbo guy who decides to fight on the Federal side (tufia!) and then after the war was made Gowon's deputy. Gowon is then asssasinated and this guy becomes head of state. However, even though he is head of state, anytime he tries to influence policies that are seen to benefit his people he is threatened with removal. In the next election, he is voted out and no other Igbo is voted in again for a hundred years! you see, the american case is definately not a good example, moreso given the fact that Biafra had the clear moral standing, unlike the american south. Posted by WallaceBobo| 22.08.2006 05:20

Obi  Villager

# 5 No Smoking: What I meant was that "coastal" was a wrong choice of word. If the coastal states of Lagos and Ogun were excluded from that union, It all means that the binding force of the union is not their littoral features, but rather their natural endowment--Oil, which Abia and Imo happened to be blessed with. Though not coastal in the pure sense, the proximity of Abia and Imo states to the sea, technically does not disqualify them as coastal states. The littoral features of the present Imo state was instrumental in the Nigerian federal troops DIRECT amphibious landing at Oguta during the war years. Awesome vessel-sized military machines sailed right into Oguta in Imo state from the nearby ocean. And these features differentiates lower-Niger from the upper Niger states which you mentioned. Posted by Obi| 22.08.2006 14:37

whytboi  Villager

# 6 No Smoking, good day. I believe the issue at hand is not how close the State is to the coast, but whether or not it produces crude oil! Your reply smirks of tribalism. That is part of our problem in Nigeria. I believe you should no better than make a comment like that. Imo and Abia states are part of the oil producing states in the country so why don`t benefit from their blessing (or CURSE)? The whole issue stinks of marginalization. I wonder what the governors of these states have to say to this..............hmmm??? Posted by whytboi| 22.08.2006 15:52

No Smoking  Villager

# 7 =whytboi>......... I believe the issue at hand is not how close the State is to the coast, but whether or not it produces crude oil! Your reply smirks of tribalism. That is part of our problem in Nigeria. I believe you should no better than make a comment like that. Good day, whytboi. Maths helps in understanding the law. If you were around in Nigeria during the first OBJ handover in 1979, you would be familiar with the occasion when great legal minds found it very difficult to solve the rider: What is two-thirds of 19? The Presidential election results case went all the way to the highest court in the land. The verdict of the Supreme Court of Nigeria turned out to be what any eight-year old child could have solved, at least on a cheap calculator. For the avoidance of doubt, 19 x 2/3 = 12.666. For the case on this thread, let Z represent the set of {Oil producing states}. This set consists of two subsets: X = {Set of coastal oil producing states} Y = {Set of non-coastal oil producing states}. There is no doubt that X + Y = Z. The problem appears to come from those who, in typical Nigerian fashion, want to hustle themselves into one set or the other. So, Onyeocha my brother, tribalism no dey inside O.... :biggrin: Posted by No Smoking| 22.08.2006 18:02

Tony  Villager

# 8 @No Smoking: Your reasoning is clearly influenced by tribalism. Which without any doubt, is what is killing Nigeria. Any initiative for oil producing areas must as of right, include all oil producing areas. The effects and hazards of oil production is the same everywhere,wether coastal or not.Not to talk of the many oil producing towns annexed from Imo state into Rivers state in the 70's. Please kindly go back, and read the Vanguard editorial link, and see what they have to say. The term "Coastal" without any doubt was invented in the normal Nigerian evil fashion to exclude Imo and Abia states. However Edo state which is nowhere near a coast was included.Please go back to your Nigerian map, and see if Edo state has any coast. As the Vanguard editorial said, we cannot talk of "one Nigeria" and at the sametime be excluding others. The problem is not coast,as the coast does not print money. The problem is oil.However i realise that tribalists like mr no smoking remains the greatest obstacle to justice in Nigeria Posted by Tony| 22.08.2006 19:56

No Smoking  Villager

# 9 Na wa O!! Logic doesn't work on hustlers.. :eek: If Edo State is non-coastal, but has been included in the subset of oil-producing states, it proves my point that hustlers upset the system. Tribalism may be a useful big word where some of you are concerned. it has no basis in the argument here. Edo State has had the opportunity of producing TWO military Vice-Presidents of Nigeria. You should direct your searchlight to determine if either or both of those two VPs got involved in the mis-position of a non-coastal state in a subset of coastal states. Or, more importantly for your cause, if they can help to hustle your states into the fold... :biggrin: Posted by No Smoking| 23.08.2006 16:42

Tony  Villager

# 10 @No smoking: Reading the comments coming from people like you, and your somewhat mocking attempts to deliberately confuse or trivialise a very important issue of glaring injustice, i can only conclude that Nigeria is a lost cause. Posted by Tony| 23.08.2006 17:30

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