Article num 1. Titled *ONE NIGERIA* BY *BOB-MANUEL*

After studying and reading about *Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu* from every article written about him which I could lay my hand on, to a memoir of him written by his best friend while in the military *Olusegun Obasanjo* whom he fondly called *Ezigbo Oba* lol. My stereotype of Nigeria has been challenged.

Nzeogwu said that dividing Nigeria is ill-advised. And that should Nigeria disintegrate, he would pack his stuffs and leave the country.

His conspicuous disdain for corruption, Nepotism, tribalism and such social vices remains unparalleled, hence the coup. Though the coup was a partial success, it brought to a halt the directionless govt. Of Belewa, the chaos, the riots and the daily loss of lives and properties which was the portrait of Belewa's govt.


To enthrone or make supreme one tribe against others was never in chukwuma's mind. Although the Igbos and the nation as it were tribalized the coup, hence the lost of the intent and purposes of the "January 15 boys"


He stood and preached "One-Nigeria" a Nigeria void of corruption, Nepotism and tribalism. And he was ready to die for what he believed as good for the country of the moment.


*Ojukwu* endorsed the doctrine of One-Nigera. He was so immersed in this doctrine that when igbos ran back from the north, leaving their movable and immovable properties behind because the North tribalised the coup, thereby launching an onslaught against igbos, Ojukwu urged them to go back for the sake of national unity. They went back only to face more slaughter.


When a meeting was held by the then Eastern elders to declare "the Republic of Biafra", Ojukwu was not present. He was only informed and given a mandate to declare the Republic or watch them find another leader. Considering the Massacre of the igbos all over the country in consequence to Nzeogwu's coup, and how corrupt and tribalized the country has become, he reluctantly declared the Republic of Biafra, hence the civil war.


In his book " Because am involved " written after the war, Ojukwu was still preaching the doctrine of One-Nigeria, he gave instances of the U.S.A, Canada, Cameroon, Kenya, etc. That this are people from different tongues and tribes, but they came together and formed a strong political unit which is set to last forever. Why can't Nigeria be like that?


He illustrated how we can draw strength from our divergence. He said that the problem with Nigeria is the fear of unity. We are afraid or rather too paranoid to unify as a nation. I couldn't agree more. I have only gone halfway in reading the book, which I shall continue immediately after writing this article, therefore pardon my inability to buttress his views beyond this point.


This two controversial figures has been grossly misunderstood, misquoted and labelled tribal by both local and international media, the later accused of trying to usurp power under the auspices of Biafra. Yet a closer study of this two men reveals just the opposite, hence my imagination of how or what Nigeria would have looked like by now had the first coup fully succeeded, or if Biafra had won the civil war. Only God could answer that.

Like I said earlier, I have had a paradigm shift in my conceptualisation of Nigeria and her body politic, as a result of my painstaking study about this two men. I salute their courage and Bravery.



I feel like going to the north, to a core-hausa village. Stay with them for a while, admiring their culture, eating their food and learn a bit of their language, and also do same with the Yorubas.

Indeed its like Ojukwu said: Disunity has laid to waste the noble dreams of our founding fathers. And that unity does not mean uniformity.


Let's embrace the patriotic spirit displayed by this men and come together to form a strong political unit, I long to see a Yoruba become a Governor in the East and vice vasa, I long to see us intermarrying, love ur neighbour, irrespective of his tribe or religion, be good to other, so much in human behavior that I have learnt from this two national characters. Let build a Nigeria where equality, justice and meritocracy will be enshrined.
*I BELIEVE IN ONE-NIGERIA*
*BOB-MANUEL*

na zoo be this oooo

And the moral of the story is..............


If you are still searching for unity after 102 years of fruitless nationhood, cut your losses and go your separate ways. It is far better to separate peacefully than to be together only to be fighting and killing each other

Nigeria is joke, scared of Unity, yet scared of division, stuck in the middle of confused arrangement

T9ksy:




Am patriotic but have no dreams or desire to see a yoruba man becomes governor in the east. Charity, they say begins at home. Can an iboman knows and love me and my land more than his own?

Why is it that ibo's ideal notion of One nigeria is when their kinsman can become leader of govt/governor in other's region, most especially yorubaland (as we all are aware that such an abomination will never ever occur in the north)?

lol...we are saying the thing. the very first mayor of Enugu was from the North. that a man must first know and develop his place first is a very myopic political view. the interest of the nation should come first, irrespective of what tribe would benefit from the service. until we achieve this, our Democracy will remain in its infancy.

Hmmm

Honestly left to Yoruba, all this can be very possible..