A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode - Politics - Nairaland
Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Politics / A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode (1925 Views)
Anioma Nation Not Part Of Biafra — Okowa / Yoruba: A Nation, Not A Tribe / Yoruba: A Nation, Not A Tribe (2) (3) (4)
| A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by gratiaeo(m): 6:54am On Oct 20, 2013 |
[b] By Femi Fani-Kayode I was born on October 16, 1960 and consequently I celebrated my 53rd birthday last Wednesday. It was a quiet low-key affair in which, as is customary with me, I spent most of the day in fasting, prayer and sober reflection, surrounded by my loved ones, thanking the Lord for granting me yet another year of life and for delivering me from the hands of my numerous detractors and enemies. I also took the time to thank my dear wife and soul mate, Regina, for standing by me through thick and thin and for being such a blessing and my darling children who have had to put up with a father that is fast becoming one of the most controversial, misrepresented and misunderstood figures in Nigerian modern history- a title which I neither crave nor relish. It is because it is my birthday that I decided to share a few home truths today that will gladden the hearts of some but that may sadden others. Yet the truth must be spoken and even if my voice is drowned by the cacophony of dissent and rancour that sometimes trail such literary interventions, let it be on record that on this day the seed of truth and liberation was planted and the idea of a new beginning for a people that I have come to love more than life itself, my people, the Yoruba people of south western Nigeria, was berthed. And for these views, these ideas, these contributions and these philosophies, as disagreeable as they may be to some, I offer no apology. One of the basic truisms of nationhood is that we as a people must appreciate our roots. We cannot despise our roots and set them aside and expect to flourish. We cannot deny our family and claim to be a responsible member of the wider society. Yes we are Nigerians but every Nigerian has a foundation and a root out of which he sprouted. [/b] Continue reading..... http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/10/nation-tribe/ 1 Like
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| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by Akshow: 7:13am On Oct 20, 2013 |
Well spoken Mr FFK, personally. I am very proud of u. I'm very proud of ur love and commitment to see that ur tribe is not downgraded, insulted, bullied, oppressed and silenced by odaz. PROUDLY YORUBA! Powered by amala and gberi plus ewedu and our rich palm oil stew. 3 Likes |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by zeelo2014: 8:03am On Oct 20, 2013 |
Read the entire write-up. This is the way to go,beautiful essay not all those previous diatribes we've come to knoW him for. |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by nerodenero: 8:03am On Oct 20, 2013 |
I think this wrtie-up is probably one of his best write-ups in recent times.It is so on point and not the ones filled with derogatory remarks about tribes.Once again,it feels good to be Yoruba.The message is clear for those who understands it.Is our unity really not negotiateable?Are we not being held hostage and controlled by a few who are just interested in the entity called Nigeria inorder to enrich themselves?If we are to stay and live as an entity,time will tell but for me,I am with FFK on this that we are not just a tribe, but a nation and we should be ready when this entity breaks. |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by Nobody: 8:36am On Oct 20, 2013 |
Beautiful....lot of pride welling up inside me., |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by gratiaeo(m): 8:37am On Oct 20, 2013 |
continuation... [b]There is no such thing as a Nigerian who did not come from somewhere or who did not come out of a nationality that is a constituent and vital part of the wider nation. Nigeria is blessed with many proud, strong, distinct, noble, enlightened and sophisticated nationalities that make up the whole and each of them brings something or other to the table. From the Fulani to the Hausa, to the Nupe, to the Bini, to the Ijaw, to the Igbo, to the Kanuri, to the Idoma, to the Tiv, to the Urhobo, to the Itsekiri, to the Bacahama, to the Ishan, to the Igbira, to the Igalla, to the Efik, to the Ibibio, to the Isoko, to the Shuwa arab, to the Kataf, to the Kwale, to the Jaba, to the Zuru, to the Kilba, to the Kalabari, to the Ikwere, to the Gula, to the Gwari, to the Margui and so on and so forth, we all have something to offer and we all have a sense of self-worth and self-respect which was established and cultivated many years before Nigeria even came into existence. None of us must ever forget that beautiful root from whence we came for without it we become worthless. For Nigeria to be great each, and every one of its nationalities must first flourish and they must all be in a position to achieve their full potentials. I am a Yoruba man and I take immense pride in that. And contrary to the views of many, the Yoruba, like all the other wonderful nationalities that reside in the Nigerian space, are not a mere tribe. One of the most unfortunate aspects of not being properly educated is the fact that those that suffer from that affliction often accept everything that their slave and colonial masters and ethnic overlords tell them and, without thinking, they swallow the fables and labels hook, line and sinker. When a supposedly educated person insists on labelling a nation of highly advanced people, who have existed for thousands of years as a distinct race, who have had their own empires, who are the most educationally and culturally advanced on the African continent, who have a single language with approximately 20 different dialects within them, who have contributed more to the industrial, commercial and intellectual growth of Nigeria than any other, who have a rich and illustrious history and heritage which few in Africa can match, who number at least 50 million in Nigeria alone and who constitute the largest number of African people living in the diaspora on earth, whose people have spread all over the world and have strong historical, cultural, religious and ethnic roots in Benin Republic, Ghana, Togo, Haiti, Brazil, Cuba and many other places, whose people have settled into and legitimately lay claim to Ilorin, Kaaba, Akoko Edo and other parts of northern and mid-western Nigeria, whose offspring and progenitor established many kingdoms including the Bini Kingdom, whose pantheon of gods and traditional religion of ifa is respected and practised in many parts of the world, whose historical, philosophical, religious and cultural contributions to Ancient Egypt are well known and well documented, whose level of sophistication and exposure to the knowledge of western education is second to none and whose sense of liberalism, justice, decency, hospitality and fairness is not understood, appreciated or reciprocated by any other ethnic group or nationality in Nigeria and so much more and that supposedly educated person still insists on calling such people, despite their sheer numbers and their homogenous geographical setting, a mere “tribe”, then you know that that person is truly misguided. You may call others a tribe if you so choose but not the Yoruba. We number as many people as almost the whole of the UK or France and far many more than three quarters of the countries on the European continent and our history dates back as far as that of the Celts, the Normans, the Vikings, the Romans, the Greeks, the Egyptians and the Anglo-Saxons. Our forefathers are amongst those that went to the best institutions of higher learning and citadels of excellence in the world like Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Durham universities as far back as the early 1800s and they became the first lawyers, doctors, scientists, intellectuals, poets, writers, journalists, philosophers, priests and free thinkers on the African continent. Little wonder that our former colonial masters resolved in their hearts that we must never be allowed to take power at the centre because they saw us as their equals as opposed to being their serfs. We were right at the top whilst others were still living in villages in the deepest and darkest parts of the African forest. We forged and built great empires that we nurtured and protected with all that we had. Ours was not a primitive inheritance but a noble and righteous one that was established by the Living God and the hard work of our forefathers. And it is the memory of those great and powerful forefathers that I invoke today when I ask how far has our noble heritage taken us in the contraption called Nigeria? How have we fared as a people? For better or for worse? Our children ask us, ‘’Was it always like this’’ and who ‘’were’’ the Yoruba? They no longer ask who ‘’ARE’’ the Yoruba but who ‘’WERE’’ the Yoruba? Sadly that is our plight today- a people whose children regard them as ‘’once were’’ and no longer ‘’are’’. We are still who and what we once were and it shall always be so no matter what Nigeria and the world does to us. We are a nation, not a tribe. And we are a nation that is craving for recognition and nationhood. A nation borne out of centuries of sacrifice, hard work, perseverance and diligence and whose foundation is unsullied, noble and pure. We are a nation within a nation that is beginning to berth and that is eagerly waiting to be born. Today we invoke the spirits and rekindle the memories of our forefathers and we weep for our people. What do we tell them about how we fared after they left us and went into eternity? This struggle belongs to our generation yet the question needs to be asked- have we lived up to expectation as they did? Have we asked the relevant questions, provided the appropiate answers and fought the good and noble fight as they once did? We remember with great pride, great men and women of Yoruba stock that have passed on and we reflect on their noble struggle through the ages. Men and women that stood up when it mattered the most and made a difference like Samuel Ajayi Crowther, Sapara Williams, Richard Akinwande-Savage, Kitoye Ajasa, Cissie Obasa, Eric Moore, Herbert Macauly, Joseph Egerton-Shyngle, Curtis Adeniyi-Jones, Adeyemo Alakija, Theophilius Adebayo Doherty, Victor Adedapo Kayode, Akinola Maja, Joseph Akanni Doherty, Kofo Abayomi, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Wuraola Esan, J.C Vaughan, H.O. Davis, Adegoke Adelabu, Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo, Samuel Ladoke Akintola, Remilekun Adetokunbo Fani-Kayode, Frederick Rotimi Alade Williams, Bode Thomas, Adesoji Aderemi, Odeleye Fadahunsi, Oduola Osuntokun, Emmanuel Okunsanya Okunowo, Moses Majekodunmi, Adetokunbo Adegboyega Ademola, Benjamin Oluwakayode Osuntokun, Josiah Olawoyin, S.L. Edu, Samuel Shonibare, Matthew Abonmagbe-Okupe, Dauda Adegbenro, S.O.Gbadamosi, Adeniran Ogunsanya, T.O.S Benson, Augustus Meredith Adisa Akinloye, Adekunle Fajuyi, Samuel Ademulegun, R.A. Shodeinde, Olusola Saraki, MKO Abiola, Bola Ige, Micheal Ajasin, Abraham Adesanya, Ganiyu Dawodu, Adewale Thompson, Solanke Onasanya, Kudirat Abiola, Emmanuel Omotehinwa and dozens of others that are too numerous to mention. These names shall never be forgotten and those who bear them should hold their heads up high for theirs is a noble lineage. Yet many ask what is next for this great and illustrious nationality and this berthing nation called the Yoruba? How do we achieve our full potentials and become that which God has ordained us to be? Can this be done within the confines of the Nigerian state? Some have argued, quite rightly, that the way out is to have a Sovereign National Conference that will renegotiate the terms of our unity and revisit the very question of our existence as a nation. Yet the truth is that the forces that control the centre in Nigeria and that have controlled it since 1914 will never allow that to happen without a fight. It is their intention and desire to keep us together as one in a flawed and failed unitary state with it’s federal facade in perpetuity regardless of the grave damage that such a venture has wrought upon our people over the last 99 years. Successive President’s in the last few decades have offered government-sponsored national conferences none of which are sovereign and each of which could not possibly solve our fundamental problems or properly answer our nationality question. The mantra has always been that the unity of Nigeria is ‘’not negotiable’’ and our resolutions were always subject to their approval or the approval of some unrepresentative and questionable National Assembly which hardly represented the interests and views of the numerous nationalities in our country. We have one year to go before we achieve 100 years of being together as one entity and I believe that it is time for us to have a rethink and determine how we want the next 100 years to be. It is time for us to question all these so-called ‘’settled issues’’, ‘’no-go areas’’, ‘’non-negotiables’’ and ‘’givens’’. We can no longer be satisfied and content with the failed answers and ideas of a vain and fanciful unity that exists only in our minds and in our imaginations. An illusionary unity that our fathers and forefathers held so dear and even fought a civil war to maintain and uphold. Given the nature of those that control the centre today and their unholy intentions for the rest of the country we must revisit that question of unity and we must ask ourselves ‘’at what price?’’ The world is not static- it is dynamic and it is changing fast. Kingdoms come and kingdoms go. Empires fall and empires rise. Nations break and new nations are formed. The world is changing and the great people and numerous nationalities that make up Nigeria must espouse that change, accept it and not be left behind. What was good for yesterday may not be good for today. And what is good for today may not have been good for yesterday. That is where we are today- on the threshold of change. And I believe that the time for that change is now. It is a new dawn, a new day and a new era. And I fervently believe that the God of heaven and He who sits above the circles of the earth is about to do something new, something refreshing and something very dramatic. Why? Because we are a nation, not a tribe[/b] http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/10/nation-tribe/#sthash.sHcr7A6s.dpuf |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by bloggernaija: 9:12am On Oct 20, 2013 |
50,000,000 strong and patiently watching |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by Controversy: 9:32am On Oct 20, 2013 |
INDEED YORUBAS ARE GREAT WITH WONDERFUL HERITAGE History of Armed robbers, Company liquidators, Rapists and Notoriours official criminals in Nigeria. – By Shama Maliga by nigeriangazette •Following the slogan that a suspect is NOT guilty until found guilty by a competent court of law, hence, this is the authentic list of Nigerian TOP TEN ARMED ROBBERS AND TOP TEN CRIMINALS IN HISTORY, according to their ranks and origin in the history file of Nigeria. Many of you might be kids when some of these thieves invaded Nigeria. So before you argue blindly or baselessly, ask your parents or uncles first about them and how they brought Armed Robbery and Criminals in Nigeria, then you can come back with your comments or opinion. The lists are based on FACTS! NIGERIA TOP TEN ARMED ROBBERS 1. DR. OYENUSI The greatest Nigerian armed robber in history and number One Nigeria Armed Robber. Oyenusi is a Yoruba man from Osun State. 2. BABATUNDE – another notorious armed robber from Yoruba who bastardized white lace in his days with his gang. He operated with his gang almost the same time with Dr. Oyenusi- (the greatest Nigerian Armed robber in history). 3.FOLORUNSO – another powerful known armed robber of Yoruba origin who stole with blood in his hands. He was Babatunde’s best friend and they rob most times as a gang. He was said to have impregnated one of Babatunde’s wives before he was killed. 4.SHINA RAMBO : A no nonsense Armed Robber. Nobody knows whether he is for real or a myth. He is also proudly Yoruba. 5.LAWRENCE NOMAYAGBON ANINI - A celebrity Armed Robber that made dummies out of the Nigerian police in the 80′s. Lawrence Anini whose gangs caused fear and terror in Benin. He was from(Mid West) today’s Edo state and his mother is Yoruba. Many believed he’s smart in Robbery but not still as smarter or dangerous like Dr. Oyenusi(the greatest Nigerian Armed Robber). 6.MONDAY OSUNBOR - Another bloody Armed Robber of Yoruba origin. Osunbor is Anini’s deputy. 7.GEORGE IYAMU Inspector . Remember he was the senior Cop that made Anini’s career successful. He was a top Armed Robber in police uniform. He supplied intelligence and Arms to Anini’s gang. He was number three in Anini’s Gang and number seven in Nigeria’s Armed Robbers history book. He’s also a Yoruba man. 8. KAYODE WILLIAMS - Another brutal Armed Robber in history who later turned Pastor. The son of famous Mrs. Williams. Kayode was Oyenusi’s best friend and he is Yoruba. 9.OBIDIOZOR OTOKOTO - A ritualist, robber who killed people for ritual purposes, hitman, racketeering, loan sharking and general crime merchandise. He is igbo. 10.DERICO AND YEMO . Its a known fact, that most Yorubas are fond of calling the Igbos thieves on every slight misunderstanding among them. The truth is that the Igbos before the war are known for their hard work, intelligent and innovative smart spirit. They are not thieves. Other tribes envy them including our men who admires their fair in complexion tall beautiful intelligent women. Any sensible man from our region will prefer calling the igbos cheats rather than thieves. We know that Yorubas are the original Thieves and Crooks in Nigeria. The Hausa/Fulani before the Nigerian civil war are known for their honesty and hard work too. They are not thieves. The Yorubas before the war are known for stealing from Nigerians even for “juju” (black magic) trading. They are the real Nigerian thieves till date. As the Yorubas then steal from igbo traders around them, the igbos initiated a tricky stories that they (Igbos) eats humans, Every Igbo trader tried claiming “Ngwa” a dangerous village in today’s Abia state that was known for Cannibalism practice and rituals in the ancient days. All these attempts by Igbo traders was to create fears among their Yoruba thieves, whom Nigerians generally also regards as natural born cowards and Lazy bones. The civil war turned some Hausa/Fulani, Igbos and others tribes to thieves. The troubled Chad and Niger citizens who came to assist us in farming jobs and crisis with other Nigerians taught our people how to steal through looting during crisis. Stealing is not in our blood. We obey Allah’s message to the core. In our region, only the Tivs and some tribe in Jigawa are known to be natural born thieves. Tivs are not known for stealing before the war, our multiplication strategy during the civil war with our friends from Chad and Niger produced big thieves in Middle Belt and Yoruba. Niger and Chad are natural home for thieves. Chad wasn’t a dangerous place until crisis hits them severally which resulted in criminal minded activities across Chad and even in Northern Nigeria. Hunger that visited the Igbos during, and after the war forced some of them into stealing, especially when their money was seized by the FG. That’s the fact! They are not natural thieves and was never the first in Armed Robbery in Nigeria. Till date, they are not the one leading in Armed Robbery but Yorubas. Again, just like kidnapping which was first initiated by Niger Delta Militant, the Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba have never thought of Kidnapping as a lucrative job until Niger Deltans introduced it. Today, South South, South East, and Northern Region have found Kidnapping a good business. Though my research has shown that currently Delta state leads in the business and they mostly operate in the South East with dubious police officers as their intelligent agents. TRUTH BE TOLD. YORUBAS LEADS AS TOP TEN ARMED ROBBERS, COMPANIES LIQIUDATORS, RAPISTS AND NOTORIOUS OFFICIAL CRIMINALS IN NIGERIA CRIMINAL HISTORY FILE AND THEY ARE STILL LEADING TILL DATE 2013 Again, Yorubas topped the history list of Official Nigeria Criminals. They are the most destructive and tricky corrupt tribe in Nigeria with their serving officials in ministries/ government stealing huge among of Nigeria funds. Below is the TOP TEN OFFICAL NIGERIAN CRIMINALS 1.MKO ABIOLA (Remember Fela calling him ITT, Thief Thief) he was not jailed but was later punished by IBB. 2.TAFA BALOGUN TA(Yoruba): Jailed and served. 3.BODE GEORGE (Yoruba): Jailed and served. Celebrated by his own people as a “hero” on his return from Prison. Funny! Yoruba man goes to jail for stealing, he becomes a Yoruba Hero and gets the red carpet treatment by his kinsmen and Owambe declared on his head with joy all over the city. In other part of Nigeria, he would have been an outcast. 4.JAMES IBORI (Niger Delta): jailed and still serving in UK. 5. ALAMS- Forgiven and his file closed 6.FEMI FANI KAYODE (Yoruba): Stolen over billion of USD. To be jailed SOON. Case file very wide OPEN. He’s currently enjoying fresh air and social medias. He will still maintain number six in Top Ten Nigeria Criminal list when jailed. 7.FAROUK LAWAL 8.OTEDOLA: File still Open 9. DIMEJI BANKOLE: File still open 10.TINUBU File still Open 11.Cecilia Ibro Jailed and served./Iyabo Obanjor(two of them dragging same rank. Apart from carrying guns, and stealing with pens, Yorubas still leads the TOP TEN COMPANY LIQUIDATORS IN NIGERIA with MR. RUFUS GIWA (Yoruba) as number One on the list. Rufus Giwa Liquidated UAC, and BABATUNDE JOSE (Yoruba) ranked as number two, he liquidated Daily Times. More so, Yorubas leads the TEN TOP NIGERIA BRUTAL RAPISTS with a Yoruba traditional RULER from OSUN state who Molested a female Youth corp member as number one in the list, followed by other nine Yoruba notorious Rapists. I am not in anyway glorifying these names but the reality is that I’m cautioning our brothers in South West Nigeria to reduce their crimes against humanity and stop accusing others of being criminals when they are historically known as Criminals and Naturally born with criminal blood. Yorubas who occupied most Nigerian top medias in Lagos have for long been in the business of changing history. Giving other tribes bad name while aiding and abetting evils around them. Its wrong to paint other innocent tribes or persons black while hiding your evil and most dangerous crimes among your people. We thank Allah for His light over darkness. No one can change history. No one can stop born criminals from making news head lines no matter how silly journalists tries to hide them because they are from their tribes. If the South west confused Journalists couldn’t stop DR. OYENUSI, ANINI and the rest from making black history for themselves in the 60s, 70s and 80s, then who are you to stop numerous deadly and natural born Armed Robbers, Rapists and Official Criminals of Yoruba origin, terrorizing Nigerians daily in the street of Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja road, Ore-Benin road, Alade road and other parts of Nigeria from making black history for themselves. Nine months pregnancy is too big to be covered with mere palms. Your criminal brothers are natural born crooks. We shall be talking about Ritualists, drug traffickers and Kidnappers in full next time. I will deem it necessary to post authentic lists from NDLEA of 3,000 names of convicted drug traffickers in the history of Nigeria. So, don’t bother talking about them here. When we open the official file, you will be shocked to see that Yorubas still rank VERY HIGH and still top the list among Nigerians caught in Drug trafficking internationally and nationally. The dubious Ibadan-Lagos media couldn’t hind it but they only anchor their journalism in gossips and blackmails. Let’s now discuss this ten top Armed Robbers, Liquidators, Official Criminals and Brutal Rapists which Yorubas are leading and numbered most in history till date. We need good investors in Nigeria. Crimes are our major problems as a nation and it have been stopping inventors from embracing the opportunities in Nigeria. I have not been happy since some of our brainwashed brothers with their friends invaded our region. Thanks be Allah, our region is gradually coming back to normal. I’m very glad that our people enjoyed Sallah without any bomb blasts. Those who lost loved ones during the rains of these thieves, liquidators, rapists and criminals must have been reminded of their pain when reading this post, I therefore sympathize with them once again. Please bear with me. If you hate this truth so much, please kindly hit your browsing device on the wall or better still force yourself on a speed train for a kiss. Thank Allah, some of our trains are working now. 1 Like |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by Degis(m): 10:04am On Oct 20, 2013 |
Controversy: INDEED YORUBAS ARE GREAT WITH WONDERFUL HERITAGE Yet another candidate of Yaba Left!. So, from your Ngwa Land, Lawrence Anini is Yoruba?, George Iyamu is also Yoruba abi?. No wonder Malaysians use your backwater tribe for Target practice 2 Likes |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by Controversy: 10:06am On Oct 20, 2013 |
FEMI FANI KAYODE IS EITHER JOBLESS, NITWIT, IGNORANT OR ALL OF THE ABOVE [b]The natural thing for me would have been to ignore the provocative postulations of this failed and drowning politician who, in his infantile fantasy, has assumed the position of the spokesperson for our dear Yoruba brethren. Initially I felt it would be unnecessary to dignify the attention – hungry former minister who has been “enjoying” the company of our anti- corruption agencies of late by authoring a rejoinder to his diatribe. I have however decided to do a rejoinder for the sake of posterity and the deep mutually beneficial economic, professional, religious and even matrimonial relationships that have existed between the Yoruba and Igbo even before the birth of Mr. Femi Fani – Kayode. I have tried to summarise the Fani – Kayode’s venom and hate – laden “bitter lies about the Igbo” into nine numbered statements which I shall comment on and traverse seriatim viz: “I am not in this debate for……… political gain.” Pretension to being the spokesman for the Yoruba race. Nothing could be further from the truth than the preceding quote. Since the end of the former minister’s lack luster tenure as federal minister of aviation and the exit of his lord and master Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo from power, Fani-Kayode appears to be sinking deeper, by the day, into political oblivion. To make matters worse, his political party (PDP) in his native Osun State and Lagos which he now claims as state of origin appears not to be doing well in the two states which the PDP lost to the ACN. Even within the PDP he has little or no relevance. The latest rumor is that he has joined the ACN or APC as it is now called. He urgently needs to earn the trust of Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Mr. Fashola and other leaders of the party. How can he be shut out of the corridors of power at the federal and state levels? How would he be able to maintain his “big man pikin” lifestyle? Even if he has gained from one form of rehabilitation or the other, he knows that rehabilitating a failed politician from irrelevance to relevance may not be easy. A drowning man will naturally attempt to claw at anything and everything whether real or imaginary to save himself from extinction. He is indeed in this so called debate for purely selfish reasons, having failed as a federal minister. He did not only fail Nigerians, but also the Yoruba. I knew the state of Murtala Muhammed Airport Lagos, Benin Airport, Enugu Airport, Port-Harcourt Airport and others during his tenure and I know the state of these airports under the present minister. Fani – Kayode misused a God given opportunity to prove himself a hardworking and honest person but blew it. Save for the payment of salaries, he cannot point out any tangible or significant achievement as minister. If indeed Fani – Kayode is a Lagosian as he claims, he should explain to all how and why he suddenly went politically deaf and dumb when Obasanjo unjustly withheld the allocation to Lagos State for months. If he cares to know, Lagos State at that point was being sustained by the taxes paid by companies and individuals resident in Lagos of which at least forty percent is Igbo. What makes him more Lagosian than these Lagosians? In line with his character, he couldn’t even wait to be fully forgiven, accepted and given a position among his new found friends before he began to speak for them. I must add at this point that if Sen. Tinubu (Asiwaju) does not disassociate himself from Fani – Kayode’s present diatribe and megalomaniac outburst, the Igbo would be right to assume the he spoke on behalf of APC and the Lagos State government. I have associated closely enough with the Yoruba for over twenty years to doubt if the very respectable sons of Yoruba land like Sen. Adeseye Ogunlewe (a former minister of works), Prof. Wole Soyinka, Prof. Yomi Osibanjo, Mr. Ayo Opadokun, Prof Taiwo Osipitan and many others would agree to be associated with the infamous and ignominious submissions and falsehood of Fani – Kayode. The APC must know that no selfish, designer- tribalist can ever be a political asset to any party. Fani – Kayode is already doing an irreversible damage to the electoral fortunes of APC in Lagos and in the East especially, and I am in a position to know. How sad. The outrage that greeted the deportation of Igbo from Lagos is asinine and uninformed because Lagos belongs exclusively to the Yoruba. The deportation of any person from one state in Nigeria to another is a fundamental breach of the person’s constitutional right to reside in any part of Nigeria. The exercise is, in itself, an iron fisted affirmation or naked and brutal use of power. It is an admission of the irresponsible failure of the Lagos State government to care for the less privileged within its area of jurisdiction. If indeed the idea behind the deportation was to link the destitute with their kith and kin, in their home states, the Lagos government should tell the world the names of the relations to which they handed over these so called destitute by 2 a.m. at Upper Iweka Road motor park. The Lagos government has a sworn duty to do good to all citizens in Lagos. I believe that ownership of any modern cosmopolitan city like New York, Lagos, etc could be categorised into three. The first type of ownership could arise by indigeneship which could arise from being born in a place or being the child of any parent who came from a particular place. There is also the second type of ownership which arises on account of acquisition of pieces of real estate and other economic investments, and there is also the third type of ownership which could arise by settlement and legal residential status over time in a particular area. None of these categories of ownership excludes the other, rather they should be in constant positive interaction while complementing and improving each other. None is superior to the other. None can exclude the other. It therefore follows that Lagos is “someone’s land” and that someone could be Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Kanuri, Ijaw, etc as long as he falls into any of the categories. It was on account of this that a man from Ife could claim to be a Lagosian. It was also on account of this that a man from Kwara State and another from Osun could become governors of Lagos State at various times. It is also on account of this that Obama is the President of America. The mutually beneficial and long standing relationship that have always existed between the Igbo and their Yoruba brothers/ sisters would not be impaired by the narrow -minded postulations of a man in dire need of rehabilitation. Sincerely, Fani- Kayode’s article under reference is the most childish, pitiful, rickety, wobbly and watery article I have ever read. He is indeed everything a graduate of Cambridge University should not be – a weak, weltering and ineffectual man. As minister of aviation, he could be likened to a man who mounted scaffolding, pulleys and tackles, gathered all the tools in the neighborhood with so much noise, demonstration and precept and then set no brick. Such a man cannot be a political asset but an onerous liability. Did it ever occur to him that the former Intercontinental Bank became the giant that it was on account of Igbo/Yoruba synergy? Does he know how much revenue the bank generated for the Federal and Lagos governments? The number of people it employed? A “big man pikin” like him is in no position to appreciate these. The Yoruba have been accommodating……. allowing Igbo do in Lagos what the Yoruba have not been able to in Igbo land. The Yoruba did not need to allow the Igbo before they could come back to Lagos after the civil war. The Igbo traveled to various parts of the country immediately after the civil war and began to set up their businesses. In the same manner, people from other regions who had things to do in the East also traveled to the East immediately after the civil war. How would the spoilt silver spoon kid know that Igbo and Yoruba were involved in formal and informal business and professional relationships prior to the civil war. Business profits and indeed our currency notes do not have any tribal marks. Fani – Kayode failed to tell us what Igbo have been allowed to do in Lagos that the Yoruba have not been allowed to do in Enugu, Onitsha or Port-Harcourt. Is it in the area of education? There are Yoruba students in the higher institutions in the East. There are Yoruba traders in the East. There are Yoruba workers in the East. As a Students Union President, I was always invited for Yoruba cultural day celebrations and I participated actively in such celebrations during my university days in the East. Yoruba students also participated fully and actively in the general cultural day celebrations during my university days and we had fun. It is doubtful if any Yoruba man would be denied an opportunity to pay for a property that is up for sale on account of his tribe. If any Igbo man decides to sell his property, he like his Yoruba brothers would be interested in collecting a fair price for the property. The problem here seems to be that the Yoruba are not as migrant and adventurous as the Igbo. In every state of the federation today, you would discover that after the indigenes of the states, the Igbo are the next in population – thus confirming their belief in the principle of one Nigeria. If the Igbo are more visible in Lagos and other cities located in the South-west, it would be because it is in their culture to settle down and ply their trade anywhere they consider safe and profitable. Statistics have shown that the voting population of Lagos State is more than forty percent Igbo. Most of these voters are tax payers whose taxes end up in the coffers of the state government. Would it be fair for a law abiding club member who pays his annual subscription to be qualified to vote for other club members while being disqualified from standing for election on account of his surname? If Fani – Kayode’s problem is the increasing number of Igbo in Lagos and their demand for greater representation in government, why would that up-set any true democrat? Could it be that the deportation policy is aimed at reducing the number of Igbo in Lagos? Mr. Fashola and his party should please clarify this. The point I am trying to make here is that the few Yoruba who have agreed to settle in the East have been allowed to do what their Igbo brothers have been allowed to do in Lagos. Sen. Tinubu is a title holder in my home town in the East just like some Igbo are traditional title holders in Lagos, Ibadan, etc. As a matter of fact, Asiwaju’s title entitles him to sit nearer to Igwe Iaz Ekwueme’s throne than myself on certain occasions. Igbo are domineering and unaccommodating because they never had any history, monarchs, structured societies. An Igbo adage has it that the spoilt child who does not leave his mother’s hut to join others for moonlight activities would end up believing that the moon only shines on his mother’s hut. Fani – kayode should tell the world how many (if any) Igbo friend he has. The party under which he became a minister was PDP. The party started as G18 then G34 and later fused with other groups to become PDP under the guidance and chairmanship of the revered Dr. Alex Ekwueme. How can a beneficiary of Igbo accommodation say that the Igbo are not accommodating? Unknown to many Nigerians, we are enjoying democracy today because of the maturity, accommodating, and selfless spirit of Ekwueme, an Igbo man. When the retired multi-millionaire generals hi-jacked the PDP and imposed Obasanjo as presidential candidate, the permutation was for Ekwueme to revolt and cause problems enough to derail the transition programme. Being the super intelligent man that he is, Ekwueme congratulated Obasanjo and toured the whole of the East campaigning for him. Many Igbo companies today have on their staff list, hardworking Yoruba men and women. It is Fani – Kayode who is unaccommodating. He is the one without a history as he does not seem to be sure of his state of origin. Does his Lagosian status start with his father, grandfather, great grandfather or more? The rabble-rouser is in no position to understand that while some segments of the ancient Igbo society e.g (Onitsha, Arochukwu, Nri etc) had monarchs, others ran republican democratic structures that maintained peace and order and encouraged enterprise. I recommend Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” to Fani – Kayode. That may help secure his deliverance from the disease of combative ignorance. The ancient Hebrew society had no monarchs but that does not mean that they had no history and neither does it mean that they were unaccommodating. Ditto the Igbo. Only a man suffering from terminal Igbophobia could spew something so hollow, so shallow and pedantic like Fani –Kayode’s “bitter lies about the Igbo.” The Igbo introduced tribalism into southern politics because one Mr. Dadi Onyeama in 1945 told an Igbo gathering that the domination of Nigeria and Africa by the Igbo was only a matter of time. In his hatred of the Igbo, Fani –Kayode conveniently forgot to mention that the various ethnic nationalities were all engaged in some form of healthy competition to be better than the others. Who was Dadi Onyeama? A federal legislator who was never at any time a spokesman for the Igbo. The statement was not credited to Dr. Azikiwe, Dr. Nwafor Orizu or any leading Igbo figure of that time. The Igbo man would not form a party and hand it over to a Yoruba man like Herbert Macaulay did for Azikiwe Nothing could be farther from the truth. I have already mentioned the role of Ekwueme as the founder of the PDP. We must not forget that Ekuweme opened the doors of his newly formed party for all including the Hausa, Yoruba, Ijaw and all other ethnic groups. This was the same party that went ahead to de-register it’s founder while Fani-Kayode was in the corridors or even bedroom of power. ”Unlike them we are not mere traders but major industrialists………producing university graduates at least three generations before they did.” There is nothing wrong in being a trader. There is dignity in labour. Of what use is the unintelligent comparison? What does it add to the progress and unity of Nigeria? There are traders and industrialists among the Igbo and among the Yorubabut since he is interested in the Igbo, he should be reminded that CHISCO, ABC Motors, Innoson Group of Companies, Emzor, Coscharis Group of Companies, Chicason Group of Companies etc are not mere traders. These are Igbo companies employing Nigerians including Yoruba. Even if the Igbo started producing university graduates three generations after the Yoruba, have the Igbo not excelled in every profession or trade? The first successful separation of Siamese twins on African soil was by Prof. Festus Nwako and his team at UNTH Enugu. Anambra is one of the states with the highest number of indigenous Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN). In engineering, Prof. Barth Nnaji, the late Prof. Gordian Ezekwe and many others are from Igboland. Would anybody mention architecture in Nigeria without mentioning Ekwueme? Do you talk about mathematics without Prof Chike Obi? The Igbo have a string of negative firsts including the first military coup in Nigeria and drawing the first blood in the events of 1966-1970……they launched a vicious and unprovoked attack on the rest of the South. “Sons and daughters of the Federal Republic lost their lives…trying to stop the Biafrans from taking our Land” Every ethnic group in Nigeria has its positive firsts and negative firsts. Before Aba and Benin produced “Osisi Kankwu”, and “Anini the law” respectively, Lagos had produced “Oyenusi”. The same Igbo Fani-Kayode hates with so much venom and is trying to denigrate recorded many positive firsts in Nigeria. The first Nigerian PhD holder in mathematics was Prof. Chike Obi, an Igbo. The first professor of mathematics in Nigeria was Prof. James Ezeilo, an old boy of D.M.G.S Onitsha, an Igbo man. The first Nigerian professor of music is Prof. (Igwe) Laz Ekwueme, an Igbo man. The first open-heart surgery on African soil was by Prof. Aghaji and Prof. David Nwafor and their team at the UNTH Enugu. Prof. Kenneth Dike was the first African vice chancellor of any university on African soil. Prof. Eni Njoku, another Igbo, was the second. The first President of Nigeria was Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. These are remarkable positive firsts recorded by the Igbo who, according to Fani-Kayode, were not producing university graduates until when the Yorubs had produced their third generation of graduates. Prior to the first military coup, which many Igbo haters dubbed an Igbo coup, the Igbo were already in the commanding heights of business, politics, academics, bureaucracy, etc. The Igbo would not need to stage any coup against their tribal interest if that was their calculation. They were already at the top and so did not need to stage a coup to remain there. If anything, the Nzeogwu coup was an anti-Igbo coup as it was targeted at a government headed by an Igbo man. The young army officers, who carried out the said coup, were not sent by the Igbo State Union (the equivalent of Ohaneze Ndigbo in those days). Fani-Kayode went further to celebrate the massacre of Igbo in the North and also said that no Igbo was killed in the West. I know some Igbo who escaped by the whiskers from AN Barracks Yaba where many Igbo were slaughtered. If the “big man pikin” would understand Prof. Wole Soyinka’s ‘The Man Died’, he would see that Igbo were killed everywhere including Lagos. It was Soyinka’s condemnation of the genocide and his attempt to end it that landed him in Gen. Gowon’s jail. Even if Prof. The Igbo had every reason to go their separate way and take their destiny into their hands hence the secession attempt which was not really the first in Nigeria. Isaac Adaka Boro had attempted to excise the present Rivers and Bayelsa states from Nigeria long before the declaration of Biafra. The Igbos did not declare war on Nigeria. All they did was to declare their homeland area, their safe haven where they can protect themselves from their fellow Nigerians who did not want them anymore. It was a legitimate attempt at self -preservation. It was Nigeria that declared war on itself and by extension the Igbo. The civil war has come and gone and we are all Nigerians now.Pursuant to the provisions of Chapter II of the 1999 Constitution, every Nigerian should work hard to achieve national integration. We must love, respect, encourage and assist each other in line with the provisions of our Constitution which provides in S.15 (2) as follow:“…….national integration shall be actively encouraged, whilst discrimination on the grounds of place of origin, sex, religion, status, ethnic or linguistic association or ties shall be prohibited”.[/b] 1 Like |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by Controversy: 10:10am On Oct 20, 2013 |
Degis:what is this one saying... |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by ikeyman00(m): 10:27am On Oct 20, 2013 |
^^^^ the igbo are simply pillars of the country! they know!oh there Can u feel it! fear us cuz we are on different lane like they say the igbo brought civilization to kano; before then they are used to mud house |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by Kingspin(m): 10:39am On Oct 20, 2013 |
This organise bigotry called Femi Fani-Kayode is still existing in the past. You cannot have yours own thing and also want to take from others. In other words you speak for your self alone and not for others. Maybe he is waking to hear that USA has taken over their colony master the great British. He should not be speaking like a prodigal son that want to return back to his people. You dnt force people to love you. The NDLA should do their work very well. We dont entertain out of control sentiment too much of everything is bad. He is a tribal extremist. |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by ebamma(m): 10:40am On Oct 20, 2013 |
ikeyman00: ^^^^ the igbo are simply pillars of the country!and how is this related to the above topic, must u tribalise all threads, aren't u tired of all this igbos vs yorubas fights here on nl? |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by AlfaSeltzer(m): 10:52am On Oct 20, 2013 |
ebamma: and how is this related to the above topic, must u tribalise all threads, aren't u tired of all this igbos vs yorubas fights here on nl? Read the Kayode nonsence write-up. It is highly tribalistic. I will just give you one quote to meditate on. Given the |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by 0WillyWilly: 10:53am On Oct 20, 2013 |
Controversy: INDEED YORUBAS ARE GREAT WITH WONDERFUL HERITAGE@Shaama Maliga, You are 1000000% correct, the Genetics make up of Yorubas should be Modified, if not Fraudulent activities in Nigeria will have no end. This Shama Maliga , you too much oooooo. |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by dridowu: 12:08pm On Oct 20, 2013 |
Proudly Yoruba Man to the core. Emi oni fi owo si ju we ile baba mi. Olanrewaju ni baba loke ma se Orilede Omo ile kaaro ojire |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by russellino: 12:32pm On Oct 20, 2013 |
Fani Kayode is a sickening beast who failed at being a lawyer of repute despite his fathers money used to send him to cambridge. He became minister under OBJ because he was a good lackey and his achievements were mismanaging N16 billion aviation funds, recruiting hundreds of his village guys into different positions and leaving behind N400 million in hotel bills and party/ashewo expenses for his successor to clear. Now that PDP isn't paying him and SW is under the AC.N which has yoruba nationalism as a pillar of its agenda he has turned to the TRIBALISM INDUSTRY to recruit as many impressionable and easily misled youth as well as his fellow tribalists who were too timid to come out of the closet. "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel" - Samuel Johnson |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by SmartTalk: 2:08pm On Oct 20, 2013 |
I am in full support of this new tact of rallying support for a new nationalist agenda for the Yoruba people. Let's discuss more about this here: https://www.nairaland.com/1485623/support-yoruba-nationalism |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by OrlandoOwoh(m): 2:45pm On Oct 20, 2013 |
Controversy:He knows what he is saying. |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by geeez: 3:37pm On Oct 20, 2013 |
Seriously if I was from some other tribe, I would have been jealous of the Yorubas Its easy to understand the bitterness of those who aren't but keep hiding their frustrations behind the swipes they take at my people I love everything Yoruba ... the language, the culture, the food, the history, our music, our intelligent and progressive men, our beautiful and voluptuous women including our braveness (no other tribe has fought and won more wars, no other tribe have faced gun totting soldiers fighting for the weak and oppressed - Soyinka, Fela, Falana, Beko, Bakare, Femi Kuti, Yinka Odumakin, Fawehinmi, Adesanya etc, I salute you) Baba God! I thank you for making me, me 5 Likes |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by Degis(m): 3:54pm On Oct 20, 2013 |
Orlando Owoh: Thank you jare, my brother. The small girl doesn't know her right from left. Whenever they see any write up that is Anti Yoruba, they run to Nairaland to post it, without reading the contents and verifying its accuracy. If Yorubas are criminals like that scoundrel wants us to believe, How is it that the most dangerous region outside the terrorist enclave of the North East are the backwaters of Enugu, Anambra, IMO, Ebonyi and Abia states. I never knew Orji Uzor Kalu, Chris Uba, Authur Eze, Auther Nzeribe, etc are Yorubas |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by Nobody: 4:52pm On Oct 20, 2013 |
We were right at the top whilst others were still living in villages in the deepest and darkest parts of the African forest. We forged and built great empires that wenurtured and protected with all that we had. What is more tribalist than this! Smh my darling children who have had to put up with a father that is fast becoming one of the most controversial, misrepresented and misunderstood figures in Nigerian modern history- a title which I neither crave nor relish. WHO CARES ! Attention seeker smh |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by ochukoccna: 4:57pm On Oct 20, 2013 |
^^^^^^^^^^^ What is tribalist in what he said?  Even with the rewriting of history by the whites, who doesn't know civilization started in Egypt?  Its if he was rubbing it in the face of other tribes [which he did not] that you know he's going beyond prescribed boundaries FFK has his many faults, but who does not?  You might look at a 2pac Amaru Shakur or a Fela Anikulapo Kuti as social nuisances if you look solely at their lifestyles However separate that from their music and then , YOU WILL HEAR A MESSAGE One second to none that still reverberates even years after their passing Alex Salmond, Scotland's First Minister, yesterday proposed Scotland's independence in his party convention Something he said he'll make a priority in next year's referendum and take up with UK's prime minister David Cameron No one is calling him names in UK for that but it is rather generating informed debates even amongst some other Scots who prefer Scotland to remain in the UK Listen to the message of this messenger for Nigeria is a lie which has long unravelled Even if we must stay as one nation,we need to renegotiate the terms of our existence away from that forced on us by mama Charlie and her goons Monkey no fit dey work for baboon to chop again 1 Like |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by nku5: 5:16pm On Oct 20, 2013 |
ochukoccna: Ffk disparaged the idea of the national conference on one hand and on the other he's singing songs of freedom for oduduwa nation. Guy just loves attention |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by Nobody: 5:28pm On Oct 20, 2013 |
ochukoccna: ^^^^^^^^^^^ Where did I attack him? Didn't I went for the message? When someone start making such assumption his people is better than others? What is the difference btwn that and kkk people that says same about others. He is not the first to say that in Nigeria even my own mother thinks that way too..that igbos are ahead of others in nigeria and no difference.. That's the way she and this attention seeker sees thing and guess what it does to the society? Hatered to others!! That is how uthman don fodio, hitler, some arabs, racist whites sees things and no difference..it takes a little ignorance to be this way. |
| Re: A Nation, Not A Tribe By Femi Fani-kayode by ochukoccna: 7:19pm On Oct 20, 2013 |
nku5:Only the ignorant do not know that Jonathan has ulterior motives for declaring his conference If you took out time to read what FFK wrote there he alluded that Nigeria has[b] 'An illusionary unity' and also that "It is time for us to question all these so-called ‘’settled issues’’, ‘’no-go areas’’, ‘’non-negotiables’’ and ‘’givens’’." I do nor recall Jonathan's conference offering this[/b]  Toaskarity: I never said you attacked him, no You read my post with that mindset I only asked what is tribalist in what he said and from your confession what your mother says too The problem comes when you attempt to force it down every one's throat like Hitler did or our own young majors in 1966 to devastating consequences the KKK have a supremacist agenda and go about enforcing it like the 1966 majors did How have the Yorubas done similar? 1 Like |
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