There has been an unspoken silent plot against Ndigbo in Nigeria since the end of the shooting phase of the civil-war. So many examples abound. The marginalization of Ndigbo, the politically induced identity crisis in parts of Igboland, and the brazen annexation of oil producing Igbo towns is already old news. Indeed the recent exclusion of the 2 Igbo oil producing states of Abia and Imo states in the Niger-Delta development initiative announced by Obasanjo 36 years after the civil-war is further proof that the conspiracy is still alive and well.

The latest trend and plot, is sweepingly questioning whether any single mortal among the estimated 40 million Igbo, South-east and South-south can govern Nigeria.This is all too familiar and undoubtedly part of the grand Nigerian conspiracy against Ndigbo, to keep Igbos out of power since the end of the Biafra-Nigeria war. As 2007 approaches, the objective is to paint Igbo leadership in bad light, so that Nigerians will begin to have doubts about the possibility of Igbo presidency. We have seen this pattern over and over again.

I highlighted Igbo achievers in my rejoinder to the vexed profiling of Igbo leadership, because leadership skills, charisma, and qualities are individual attributes. If an unlettered, unrefined, ignorant, and nondescript Abacha, Babangida, or Shagari could rule Nigeria when leadership was thrust upon them, then a lettered, refined, and accomplished Emeka Anyaoku, Ngozi Iweala, Alex Elwueme, Charles Soludo, Pat Utomi, Peter Odili, or Dora Akunyili can definitely rule Nigeria even better, if leadership is thrust upon them. Except anybody can explain to us what makes Abacha, Shagari, or Babangida more qualified outside the tribal politics of seeking to keep some groups out of power, which has been the trend in Nigeria.

Nigeria is a nation where mediocres are pardoned, and those who are qualified in their own right to provide leadership at any level are questioned.Let us have an Igbo president first, before we can conclude in comparism to all the other leaders if the Igbo can provide progressive leadership.There exists no logical reasons outside mischief and conspiracy, for profiling the leadership capabilities of Ndigbo, when there has been no Igbo president since 1970. Why judge an Igbo president, before we have had one, if it is not a malicious conspiracy? Is this not the same destructive ethnic politics that has contributed in rendering the nation comatose? Ruling a state where you remain susceptible to all manner of influences including godfathers, and presidential interference, is definitely not the same as becoming a presidential demi- God in Aso rock with absolute powers. Do I need to tell Nigerians that Obasanjo himself is behind the crisis in Anambra state, When enough has been written about that already? Only a mischievous Nigerian will claim not to be aware of the facts of the matter.

Martin Luther King spent his life struggling against profiling the whole black race, as he argued in his famous speech that "men should be judged individually, by the content of their character and not by their race". The emergence of people like Colin Powell, Nelson Mandela and their unblighted leadership proved Martin Luther right, and proved the Whites who had hitherto argued that blacks could not provide leadership wrong.

The solution to the protracted Anambra, and Igbo  problem is simple, and needs no telling. Obasanjo and his Northern caliphate co-conspirators should stop imposing unelected charlatans in Igboland as they have been doing since the end of the war. All the trouble makers in Igboland are playing out a script written from Aso rock. In the good old days, when Ndigbo elected their own leaders, Ndigbo did not have such problems. There is really nothing Ndigbo can do against a circumstance where people like Chris Uba have the backing and support of Obasanjo. If there is anything anybody thinks Ndigbo can do under that circumstance short of declaring another war, please they should tell us, we are all ears.

Nigerians should stop this unnecessary obsession with Ndigbo and concentrate on the real groups who stole $400billion and brought the country to her knees. It is counter productive to profile those who hardly participated at the highest level in such mindless looting and destruction of the nation. All sane and right thinking men should challenge such wicked conspiracy. Why judge an Igbo president before having one? Like  everything else this grand conspiracy will fail. I have a hunch, the messiah will yet be an Igbo, mark my words!

Comrade Lawrence Chinedu Nwobu

Email: lawrencenwobu@yahoo.com

Robot  Villager

# 1 Nigeria is a nation where mediocres are pardoned, and those who are qualified in ...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 31.10.2006 06:26

cdimkpa  Villager

# 2 I read that Abia and Imo has FINALLY been restored in the new Niger Delta initiative. But the fact of their initial exclusion speaks volume of the fate of Ndigbo in the present Yoruba- governed Nigeria. That said, Nwobu, I think enough has been said on this point. Needless overburdening the issue. Those who are hell-bent are hell-bent. As Dockowy or somebody said, what is genetic is genetic; no amount of preachment from you will change people's hopeless, and painfully so, one-track mentality. If some other Nigerians connivingly think that the Igbo cannot rule, let them ''carry go'' and continue to rule. That is their problem. As for me, I have elected to maintain a sit-down-look attitude even as Nigeria flounders, totters and eventually........................ When the dice is cast, the Igbo might yet be connivingly begged to come and redeem. Posted by cdimkpa| 31.10.2006 07:33

Naija for life  Villager

# 3 =cdimkpa> When the dice is cast, the Igbo might yet be connivingly begged to come and redeem. I hope, I fervently hope, that Nigeria will indeed be blessed with an Igbo president in the near future, in the hope that many Igbos will be moved to forswear insults, like the one above, that non Igbos are constantly subjected to in this square. Until that happens, I guess Ijaw oil will continue to redeem all Nigerians, including IGBOS. And isn't it ironic, that the Ijaws, to whom we all (Including IGBOS) actually owe our fortunes to, are the ones least likely to trumpet their indispensability to Nigeria? Posted by Naija for life| 31.10.2006 08:55

Abraxas  Villager

# 4 Hi, folks! Zzzzzzzzzzzzz ........(snore.......snooze!) To Her be the Glory......May Her name be praised. Muchas gracias. Don Juan Carlos ABRAXAS (III) Posted by Abraxas| 31.10.2006 09:09

Omega  JJC

# 5 My people, First of all, let me say that I am Ikwerre-Igbo. I have had to ask my dad to clarify all these confusion among the Ikwerre about who they really are. He was really enraged about that question. He said to me; "son, you are Igbo of Ikwerre extraction." He said any Ikwerre man who says he is not Igbo is a bastard, and that it's civil war politics. I have read all the articles posted on this site, and believe me, I do not understand why the hatred on Igbo by other Nigerians. The Igbo has never ruled Nigeria since after the civil war, so why this animousity toward them. Nigerians should direct their anger towards the North and the West, and not the East. What have the Igbo done wrong? One Pukpabi was attacked for using statistics to show Nigerians that truly, the Igbo are the most educated Nigerians. But why? His was in response to the insinuation that Ndi-Igbo are all traders. Remember, a female Yoruba Nigeria federal minister made the most stupid statement about Igbo going back to do what they know how to do: trading, instead of aspiring to be President. Just in case you guys have forgotten, Nigeria's "leader" since 1970 has been Gowon (North), Murtala Mohammed (North), Buhari (North), Obasanjo (West), Shagari (North), Buhari (North), Babangida (North) Shonekan? (West) Abacha (North), Abubakar (North), obasanjo (West). My question to these hate mongers is, "which of these 'miracle workers' is an Igbo man?" Chinda Amadi, MBA Illinois, USA Posted by Omega| 31.10.2006 09:50

Auspicious  Villager

# 6 =Naija for life;136594>I hope, I fervently hope, that Nigeria will indeed be blessed with an Igbo president in the near future, in the hope that many Igbos will be moved to forswear insults, like the one above, that non-Igbos are constantly subjected to in this Square... And isn't it ironic, that the Ijaws, to whom we all (Including IGBOS) actually owe our fortunes to, are the ones least likely to trumpet their indispensability to Nigeria? Naija for Life: You are right; the irony is right in everyone's faces. May I however join you in FERVENTLY hoping that the turn of the Ndigbo to be in charge of the affairs of state comes sooner rather than later - in the nearest future. Amin! Auspicious. Posted by Auspicious| 31.10.2006 10:01

Abraxas  Villager

# 7 Hi, again, folks! Zzzzzzzzzzzzz ........(snore.......snooze!).......K'o ye e, ipade alaadun ni m'on'she Zzzzzzzzzzzzz ........(snore.......snooze!).......Je k'o ye e, ariya alaadun ni m'on'she Glory be to the Mother, and to the Daughter and to the Holy Champagne. May Her funkified name be psychedelically praised. Muchas gracias. Don Juan Carlos ABRAXAS (III) Posted by Abraxas| 31.10.2006 10:12

Auspicious  Villager

# 8 =Omega;136600>One Pukpabi was attacked for using statistics to show Nigerians that truly, the Igbo are the most educated Nigerians. I was one of the respondents to Pukpabi's comments. He was not "attacked" for doing what you said he did, but was simply advised to come down from his high-horse and stop the arrogant chest-beating over "proving" what we all know - that the Ndigbo are an academically bright, industrious, and free-thinking people as a group. That aside, Pukpabi has a history of spewing venomously angry ethnicist remarks about the Nigerian nation-state - remarks that tend to undermine the self-esteem of other groups that make up the entity called Nigeria. The likes of Pukpabi have to understand that in this cesspool arrangement that we have at present in Nigeria, all the ethnic groups have suffered under only one group - THE ELITE. It is not a Hausa problem or a Yoruba problem or an Ijaw problem. The Elite under whose boots the people of this land have groaned for years are present in EVERY ethnic group; we have Lamidi Adedibu in Yorubaland, we have Arthur Francis Nzeribe of the Igbo extraction, we have Alhaji Wada Nas of the Hausa/Fulani(?) extraction as well. The list goes on. This is why it PAINS me to read comments like that of Docokwy. Why can't somebody talk to him? Why must he say "Yoruba" did this and that? Or Ednut's penchant for collectively maligning the "Awusas" (his quote)? Or anyone at all that maligns the Igbos, Yoruba or Hausa as a group! Can't someone call these people to order? Why must Pukpabi show so much hatred for the rest of us Nigerians, because of people like Obasanjo and Co.? Do they think we like those individuals any more than he does? The real hate-mongers are those who view everybody else with distrust. The real hate-mongers are those who spend their days and nights labelling other peoples. The real hate-mongers are those who shroud-up and point fingers at others all the time, pointing out how much better than others they are - making out that others are of inferior heritage; that only them have the brains, the means and the way. And the sooner they realize this, the better it will be for them. I talk of individuals here and NOT the collective Ndigbo nation. I talk of the Docokwys, the Pukpabis et al. Ednut does not count anymore because he is irrelivant. Auspicious. PS: The "header" above is not to insult you, Omega. Posted by Auspicious| 31.10.2006 10:24

tonsoyo  Villager

# 9 =Auspicious;136606>I was one of the respondents to Pukpabi's comments. He was not "attacked" for doing what you said he did, but was simply advised to come down from his high-horse and stop the arrogant chest-beating over "proving" what we all know - that the Ndigbo are an academically bright, industrious, and free-thinking people as a group. That aside, Pukpabi has a history of spewing venomously angry ethnicist remarks about the Nigerian nation-state - remarks that tend to undermine the self-esteem of other groups that make up the entity called Nigeria. The likes of Pukpabi have to understand that in this cesspool arrangement that we have at present in Nigeria, all the ethnic groups have suffered under only one group - THE ELITE. It is not a Hausa problem or a Yoruba problem or an Ijaw problem. The Elite under whose boots the people of this land have groaned for years are present in EVERY ethnic group; we have Lamidi Adedibu in Yorubaland, we have Arthur Francis Nzeribe of the Igbo extraction, we have Alhaji Wada Nas of the Hausa/Fulani(?) extraction as well. The list goes on. This is why it PAINS me to read comments like that of Docokwy. Why can't somebody talk to him? Why must he say "Yoruba" did this and that? Or Ednut's penchant for collectively maligning the "Awusas" (his quote)? Or anyone at all that maligns the Igbos, Yoruba or Hausa as a group! Can't someone call these people to order? Why must Pukpabi show so much hatred for the rest of us Nigerians, because of people like Obasanjo and Co.? Do they think we like those individuals any more than he does? The real hate-mongers are those who view everybody else with distrust. The real hate-mongers are those who spend their days and nights labelling other peoples. The real hate-mongers are those who shroud-up and point fingers at others all the time, pointing out how much better than others they are - making out that others are of inferior heritage; that only them have the brains, the means and the way. And the sooner they realize this, the better it will be for them. I talk of individuals here and NOT the collective Ndigbo nation. I talk of the Docokwys, the Pukpabis et al. Ednut does not count anymore because he is irrelivant. Auspicious. PS: The "header" above is not to insult you, Omega. Good talk Auspi, some of us have argued repeatedly on this forum that the problem of Nigeria is not about conspiracy of one tribe against the other but our elites from all tribes taking us all for a ride. Igbo leadership even though they have not produce a President since 1970 are known to have worked in connivance with most terrible dictators in Nigeria history. Most noticeable voices for IBB Presidency come 2007 are mostly Igbo. What have I to do with conspiracy against Igbo Presidency when nobody in family as ever been a councillor? I beg make you guys go sit down jare, if you abuse my tribe too much we will start joining issues with you. Posted by tonsoyo| 31.10.2006 13:08

Obi  Villager

# 10 Mazi Nwobu, Igbo matters have somehow been overstretched here in the NVS. From my observations, It gladdens the hearts of some few idle irritants to see you or some other Igbo write repeatedly on Igbo cause. Please, stop bothering yourself. Better political days for the Igbo will surely come, and that will not happen with the approval of these unimportant hangers-on in the NVS. Obasanjo apart, the Yoruba as a people, are good and hospitable lot. I like them. Politics aside, I have an in-depth knowledge of the race. The first Yoruba lady married into my family in 1966 passed on recently. In 1978, one of my uncles hooked another one, and she is still with us. In all, I, Obi has 14 first-cousins with Ondo ancestry. Obasanjo is not anti-Igbo. You'll agree with me that this man, in his tenure, has up-turned many post war anti-Igbo policies. Some of which are unnerving to the beneficiaries of the policies in the South, particularly in the former Eastern region (name(s) withheld). Everything that's got a beginning must have an end. Obasanjo, who amputated Igboland as a young victorious General, understood that the Igbo as a giant race, would surely awaken to take her rightful place someday. And today, he is in the fore-front of that return-to-glory history. Look at his cabinet. We shall see where he is going to throw his weight in 2007. So my brother Nwobu, Keep posting your articles here; I enjoy reading them. To Mazi UKPABI (JURIS DOCTOR): Thanks for your superior arguments. NEVER YOU BUCKLE! To Mazi CHINDA AMADI: Thanks for the insight. Posted by Obi| 31.10.2006 14:02

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