This indeed would be a masterstroke.

My problem with this Hosni Mubarak case is that it seems like the temporary Egyptian leadership is rushing to convict Hosni Mubarak of crimes in order to appease the Egyptian populace. It is their hope that by having Mubarak executed, this should appease the people who will be led to believe that justice has been served. However, a case such as this should be handled with care, by their judiciary and should not be a rush to judgement. It is my belief that many of the current leadership are using Mubarak as a scapegoat so that his death would shelter them from further investigation. Remember that most of the current Egyptian leadership was once part of his circle and even the judges were handpicked by him. They probably played a role and Hosni Mubarak's corrupt government, but by silencing him, they think it will be over. I doubt the people would be satisfied if Mubarak is executed and they will probably want more blood. This is how a revolutionary mob acts; look at the French Revolution and the Russian Revolution.

okada_man:

It is not easy to build a Nation and nurture an ideology, we've never tried building one, we've tried copying, but never invented or innovated a national philosophy, the Americans did, the British did, the Chinese did, Russinas did, french did, even with the close cultural affinity these people share, you can still see the unique differences in political ideology and culture. It starts and end with philosophy, ideology and culture.

When Gandhi a Western trained lawyer was wearing "sari" and practicing the virtues of Hinduism while using the same ideas to push for independence and anchor his people's mind on those principles, some folks called him crazy, although his country still have a long way to go, but today, they've made tremendous progress and they will definitely make more.  

I asked a question on page one, I will ask again: What is the Nigerian ideology? What is the Nigerian culture?

You ask an interesting question, but the answer is known to many. There is nothing like a "Nigerian ideology," nor is there a "Nigerian culture." This is not only found in Nigeria, but throughout the African continent. Our nations with the exception of Ethiopia, Somalia and Egypt to a lesser extent were made by an outside foreign power. Even though India went through foreign domination, the Indian subcontinent is united through a common culture that is deeply rooted in Hinduism and a common history. Gandhi was able to use this shared culture to his advantage, and he challenged the system that was deeply rooted in the history of his people. Nigeria and many African nations have no shared history or culture to use. The answers are as clear as the sky on a sunny day. How do our nations which were drawn so arbitrarily at the Berlin Conference of 1884 will progress if we do not have a shared history, culture or language compared to the nations that you mentioned? It will be very hard to create an ideology that would unite a people, when this unity was created through the domination and subjugation of a diverse group of people.

Where do the tithes of worshipers go to if not to the poor? The amount of religious pastors who are becoming billionaires while their congregations does not seem to be what Jesus and his disciples intended it to be. If one is to read the Old Testament of the Bible, tithing was only required under the Levitical (temple) system and has no place in the modern day unless the money is used for charity and to uplift the poor. Organized religion is just another way of keeping in chains. Pastors have amassed huge fortunes by fleecing their flocks, while supposedly leading them in the teachings of Jesus Christ. Tithing is another form of slavery, or spiritual slavery, where pastors use this as a way of becoming rich, while not using the money to uplift the poor like they are supposed to do.

Let us take a look at the Asian nations that have progressed since 1960, with a particular focus on the Asian Tigers of  Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. These four nations maintained high growth rates of over 7% a year between 1960 to 1990. During this time, they used their high GDP growth to industrialize their nation. We cannot forget that the Asian Tigers focused on their own respective competitive advantage. Singapore became a trading depot, South Korea focused on electronics and cars which allowed them to compete with Japan, Hong Kong is an international banking center and Taiwan has a diversified economy. However, I believe the main reason these nations were able to grow so rapidly and industrialize is, because they had a common origin and goals. Are these nations as diverse as the African states that make up our continent? The answer is no.

This is a question that I have pondered for many years. How come most nations on the African continent have not progressed compared to the nations that are found in the Far East, such as Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea. As African nations were gaining their independence, there was a sense of optimism that could be felt throughout the continent. What happened to this optimism? One answer that I could think is that the realities on the ground, became clear to our independence leaders. Some leaders wanted to consolidate power for themselves, in which they wanted to be seen as the father of their nations. Examples of these leaders can be seen in Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana. While other leaders wanted their own groups to reign supreme over the newly independent nations. This could be seen in Nigeria, Sudan and a host of other nations. A strong nationalism was needed in most African nations, where groups seen themselves as part of a nation instead of part of their people. Unfortunately this did not happen.

Egusi is an Igbo word if I am not mistaken. I could possibly be wrong, but the word seems to be of Igbo origin. Looking at the lyrics of the song, I wonder why Ghanaians would not be proud of Africans celebrating their African heritage. What is the problem with eating egusi with pounded yam? And why should Africans not wear traditional. These entertainers seem to be favoring Western society over African society.

Nepotism indeed is rife in Nigeria and it is quite disgusting. Even though many politicians around the world have been elected, because of their family name, it is quite disheartening to see this happening in Nigeria. Day by day, I am start to see the need for a revolution in Nigeria. Not only a political revolution, but a cultural revolution that change the minds of the Nigerian people.

ndu_chucks:

@Rousseau, I think people welcome different views. Posters here are just disappointed that beaf's posts and recent attitude have become scurrilous and outrageously opprobrious.

Are you trying to tell me that the people are not angry at Beaf, because of his message, but the way he is delivering the message? Even though you all may have a problem with the way he is delivering his message, why create a thread dedicated to him? Why the public shaming of someone who cares deeply about his region? Even though I am not a religious man in any stretch of the imagination, I am firm believer in the parable that states "he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone." I will leave this thread on those words.

Beaf is entitled to his own opinion. Why get upset with a man for supporting his candidate? Even though I do agree that he needs to tone down his rhetoric with those who do not agree with him, he still provides a different point of view from those who support other candidates. Beaf supports the candidacy of President Goodluck Jonathan. This is something we have all come to realize. Some of you on this thread prefer other candidates. There is nothing wrong with that. What allows a state to have a thriving democracy is to have a country that supports debates on the issues and the candidates. Therefore, do not castigate brother Beaf for his past transgressions. He just adds to the disparate views that can be found on the Politics section of Nairaland.

Ma_J_Blige:

Its like its black time for Nigerians in America? Was it not last week we read about the death of a Nigerian young man in the hands of a basketballer's minor son?

I do not think this killing was committed in the United States. The link led me to a Belize news agency, so I think this crime was committed in the Central American country of Belize. It is still very sad that this man was killed for no reason. The black on black violence that occurs throughout the world needs to stop. I too heard about the young Nigerian man who was killed by his best friend in Texas. I believe his last name was Bassey, and the man who committed who committed the crime was the son of a former basketball player and now coach of a NBA team. The world is becoming more dangerous.

If the economic climate in Nigeria was in better shape, then I would support this bonus for civil servants, because they deserve it. However, as nations are cutting back on their spending all across the world, Nigeria is continuing to waste money that it doesn't have. There is something morally wrong about the Nigerian federal government, with this "live for today, not for tomorrow," mentality. We should be investing in our nation's infrastructure, not giving civil servants or politcians bonuses. In addition, we should be investing in our children's future, by focusing on the education sector, because the children are the future in this nation.

Let us face the facts, there is no way that there can be 250 different ethnicities in Nigeria. At most, I will go as far as to say there are 50 ethnicities. Some of these so called ethnicities should be only considered sub-groups to a much larger group. The fact that many groups in Nigeria have rushed to be called an ethnicity is appalling. First, we need to redefine which group is an ethnicity in Nigeria, and which groups are just mere subgroups that are part of a much larger family. That can deal with the 250+ ethnicities.

These are the type of debates that I enjoy on the Nairaland section. Educated and free of tribalism and sectarianism. This is the true spirit of democracy. Where people share their different views and listen to each other. Even though we may not agree with each other, we are still being respectful of other people's opinion. Democracy is very beautiful when practiced correctly. If only our leaders could take note and work on behalf of the people instead of enriching themselves. They need to have these type of discussions in the Senate chambers instead of hurling insults and fighting each other.

I fear tyranny of the majority as well as tyranny of the minority. There are ways to balance both sides that need to be discussed. I like the United State model of government that can be transplanted into many nations across the world that have minorities groups that need representation. In order to give minority groups better representation, create regions out of ethnicities. Each region can have two votes, thus nullifying the power of the majority. However, to protect groups with larger populations, after another tier in government that represents the population aspect of each ethnicity. However, the institution that has two votes per ethnic group should be given more power than the institution that is based on population. We can compare to the House of Representatives in the United States that is based on population, while the Senate is based on each state. The need to form regions/states based on ethnicity is needed though in Nigeria. And this is something that I would support.

Katsumoto:

I agree that house of rep has more minority representation but why is it that despite having 12% of the population, there have only been three black senators in the history of the US? There are even less numbers for Asian and hispanic people. Why is the more minority representation in the US senate not higher?

The history of the United States explains why there hasn't been much minority representation in the United States Senate. I think you already knew that was the reason. Things are changing in the United States and the West in general, in which the younger generation feel comfortable voting for someone who is not their race or ethnicity. Societal norms change as a nation evolves. A perfect testimony to the evolution of a nation, was the election of Barack Hussein Obama to a nation, in which 46 years ago, segregation was the law of the land in a certain section of the country.

Katsumoto:

People always identify with something and vote along those lines. In Africa, it is ethnicity/tribe and in Western Europe, it is race. A truly representative US senate will include Caucasian, black, hispanic, Asian, red, native American, etc but the system has been designed such that it is always composed mainly of Caucasians. Even in Areas where there are huge numbers of non-Caucasians, Caucasians always win the seats because they always invariably have the numbers to vote in their 'people'.

You are correct to a point concerning Africa, but wrong as it pertains to Western Europe and the United States,  In Africa, most people do identify with their ethnicity first and foremost. However, your example concerning Western Europe and the West in general is far from the point. In Europe as well as in the United States, many people do not vote based on race except for minority groups, they vote based on where they are located on the political spectrum. Terms like liberal, neocon, progressive, conservative etc are used to describe people, not their race/ethnicity. And you also stated that areas, that are predominately non-Caucasian still have Caucasian representatives. This is something that I disagree with you as well. In the United States, there are special districts that have been designed for minority groups in order for them to have representation in the House of Representative. You have Congressional districts in Texas that are predominately Hispanic, in places like New York, you have Congressional districts that were created for Blacks, Jews and Puerto Rican/Dominicans/Cuban etc, in California & Hawaii, you have Congressional districts for Asians etc. The system in the United States allows for minority representation after the landmark legislation, the Civil Rights Bill of 1964 destroyed the last vestiges of Jim Crow. That is why your point is moot.

I empathize with the minorities of the Niger Delta though. The dream of self-determination that is found in the region is something to behold. All peoples have the right of self-determination and this is something that I wished the nations of the world respected. There is nothing wrong with drawing new borders. It is the people's right to determine their government and how they should be governed. This is an inalienable right that I feel this right is abused daily within many states. I support the self-determination struggle of the Basque people, Igbo people, Ijaw people, Chechen people, Palestinian people, the Southern Sudanese people etc. The right to govern yourself is something I truly believe in. If the people support it, then their will should be done.

Beaf:

Dude, ND people are only tired of being treated like dirt. There is no country in the World where citizens are exploited in the fashion the ND is in Nigeria, in fact other nations are appalled by it; that is why the ND kept cropping up in discussions throughout the BP spill in the US. But did Nigerians care or even feel any shame?

Are you sure this is true? I can think of a few nations that treat their citizens in that manner. Just ask the Tibetans whose country was incorporated into China. How about the people of Papua whose island is being exploited by the Indonesian government of its resources. Or the Tamils of Northern Sri Lanka. Let us not forget the Kurds who are found in Turkey, Syria, Iran and Northern Iraq who want a nation of their own, but four different countries see these people as a threat. The Niger Deltan plight is very sad indeed, but there are many people throughout the world who are suffering from oppressive regimes. The Niger Deltan people have every right to be tired and I support their cause. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere as the great Martin Luther King Jr. would say.

Kilode?!, I love your quote by the world renowned Diderot, "men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest." Truer words were never spoken. Are you by chance a fan of Romanticism? I find many of the philosophers during the Age of Enlightenment as some of the finest philosophers that have ever lived. This one of the few aspects of European culture that is worthy of praise in my honest opinion. These philosopher were truly kings amongst men. From Diderot to Voltaire, I enjoy reading their works of art.

eku_bear:

@Rousseau: To some extent you are correct. But I don't think the US even fears one ethnic group alone. If Yoruba act up, hire Hausa and Igbo to put them down. If Hausa act up, have the other two put them down (pretend GEJ wins and these Boko Haram types cause trouble. GEJ could then wipe them out w/o the US intervening to help the North.) And we saw what happened when the Igbos and the "strongest army in Black Africa" (pardon me if I misremember the quote from Ojukwu  ) tried to cause wahala.

The scenario that would truly threaten the interests of the US is if two or more of the big three agreed on something. Of course, this isn't likely to happen, since all three of us dislike each other (at least, imo).

The U.S. fear any ethnic group that can disrupt their oil supplies. Even if the conflict last for a few months, the U.S. will still hurt if oil production is cut in half or more. The U.S. relies on Nigeria's crude light oil, which is the best type of oil in the world. It is much more cleaner than the heavy crude oil that is found in the Middle East and Venezuela. Oil is vital to U.S. national security and any threat to threat to its oil imports can have a drastic impact on the U.S. economy. Read about the 1973 Oil Crisis and how it impacted the United States. This could happen again if the Niger Delta descends into chaos. I can only think of one of the major ethnic groups that can threaten the oil supply of the United States and that is the Igbo, due to their proximity to the oil producing regions. Just imagine if Nigeria was exporting oil prior to the birth of Biafra. And then the Igbo secessionist had made their move. Remember that oil exploration and production could not be dreamed of until Biafra was capitulated. Oil prices would have skyrocketed around the world, and the U.S. would have to act. After reading some of the Wikileaks, the U.S. is worried that they do not have any consulates in Enugu or Port Harcourt. That shows that the Niger Delta and the East in general is very important to U.S. interest. A nightmare scenario for the U.S. and the Nigerian state would be to have the Igbo join the Niger Delta cause. However, I doubt that will ever happen due to mistrust from both sides.

To be honest, the U.S. only looks at the people who have the numbers to make a difference. Even though the Niger Deltan militants who mostly hail from Ijawland have become a thorn in the U.S. interest side, they are not considered a major threat. What the U.S. is more worried about if one of the three major ethnic groups are causing problems, because the U.S. knows that numbers matter in Africa. When a major ethnic group such as the Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa are fomenting trouble, that is when the U.S. starts to worry. People need to be more realistic as they approach this situation. If my history is correct, Adaka Boro's Niger Delta Republic only lasted a mere 12 days. Compared to the rebel Igbo-separatist Biafra which lasted almost 3 years. You all can do the math. That is why, the Ijaw youth should tone down their rhetoric and look to the past and see how long their war can last. I see no problem with attacking oil pipelines in order to get the multinational corporations and the Nigerian state to listen, but talks of war is too reckless for my liking.

Beaf:

Go to the AFRICOM website and search for the 2015 scenario. That was a full military rehearsal for an anarchic Nigeria, anything else is guesswork.
Nigeria is the 4th top oil supplier to the US, and is set to overtake Saudi Arabia in the very near future. That should put the ND's position in US foreign policy in perspective:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/company_level_imports/current/import.html

The SS is Nigeria as far as the World is concerned. Better to try resolving SS issue's than any ethnic think they can bully the SS, but Nigerians like to live in fantasy land and avoid straightforward matters.

Dude, I surely wasn't being sarcastic. The US will obliterate any doubting Thomases that imagine the ND is free game, they have been getting impatient for quite sometime now and the Abuja bombs might just be the required catalyst. The ND is viewed as part of United States security.

The question you should be asking yourself is which side will the United States choose if this anarchic Nigeria scenario comes to fruition? Will they choose the side of the Nigerian state, or will they choose a loose band of militant groups with different ethnic loyalties? I have pondered these questions for a while. Nothing has shown me that the United States will stop supporting the Nigerian state if there is indeed chaos. The U.S. doesn't like dealing with people who they do not know. The Nigerian political elite are a people they feel comfortable with, because they continue to protect U.S. interest in the region. Militant groups such as MEND are seen as threats to U.S. interest. So yes, I believe the U.S. will intervene in the Niger Delta if their interest are being threatened, but I doubt they will side against the Nigerian State.

eku_bear:

In any such battle in Nigeria, the US will stand idly by the side until the winner is clear, then join that side (but not even with troops or military resources, just words.)

They will not get directly involved.

I agree with you, up to a point. If you threaten the U.S. interest in the region, the U.S. will react due to the nation's reliance on cheap, foreign oil. Any fluctuation in oil prices, will cause the United States to act if it wants to or not. Politicians in the U.S. are always worried about oil prices, because they know that the price of oil can impact their economy and their political careers. That is why I would not be so quick to say that the United States will not be involved in a conflict. However, I do agree with you that the U.S. will wait until a winner is clear. The United States doesn't really like betting on a losing side, so they will take a wait and see approach. However, the creation of AFRICOM specifically should be more cause to the worry that the United States is prepared to send marines into the Niger Delta to make sure that the oil continues to flow.

londoner:

@rosseau , I edited my post, and no Nigerian here is blaming foreigners.
However, some citizens of neighbouring countries ARE part of the sect on Nigerian soil.
Where you aware of the deportations in November?

I have come across some post on this discussion board blaming foreigners, that is why I continue to reiterate my point. The fact that this is a Nigerian Islamist group operating within our borders is quite alarming. That is why the situation in the North needs to be addressed before things get out of hand. The implementation of Sharia law in the North, which goes against the Nigerian Constitution is one major factor that is causing some of the problems in the region. That is why I am a firm believer in the separation of Church & State. It is never good to mix religion with politics. This is something that the Nigerian state needs to learn about. Religion is necessary but on a more personal matter. And yes, I am aware of the deportations in November. But that is a red herring.

londoner:

@Rosseau, we all know that the people who perpetrated the events are likely to ALL be Nigerian. However, Boko Haram originates in Niger, and just a few weeks ago several people from Niger were deported from Northern Nigeria for their suspected involvement in the sect on Nigerian soil.

Boko Haram did not originate in Niger. This homegrown Nigerian Islamist group originated in Maiduguri. Their leader was Ustaz Mohammed Yusuf who was from Borno State in Northeast, Nigeria. I am not saying that the organization hasn't attracted foreigners from Chad, but the majority of its members are from Nigeria. Northern Nigeria is very fertile ground for Islamist group to find recruits, because of the current state that the region finds itself in. That is why I do not understand how some Nigerians can blame foreigners for these attacks, when there are many northerners who subscribe to this way of thinking. The ideas may be foreign to Nigerians, since many of these beliefs come from the Wahabbi tradition that originated in Saudi Arabia, but the people perpetrating these acts are Nigerians.

Tippy Top:

Years of neglect has driven these people to make this threat. Go to Abuja and see what Niger Delta resources did (if its too far, try Lagos).
Nigeria would have been like Rep of Niger without the Niger Delta oil. We need true federalism in this country.

Even though I agree with you that years of neglect of Ijawland has driven many Ijaws to desperation, there are other routes to travel than the route the Ijaw youth are traveling. Ijawland has been systematically neglected even before the Nigerian state received its independence. The Ijaw were sidelined by the colonial government, when there region was incorporated into the British empire, because they sided with the Portuguese over the British. The British decided to favor the Itsekiri over the Ijaw, which I feel was the beginning of the neglect of Ijawland. During the regional government phase, minority rights were stifled as the Hausa-Fulani, Igbo and Yoruba fought amongst themselves for dominance forgetting about minority groups such as the Ijaw and other groups that make up the Niger Delta. And lets us not forget the acts that were created after the war to take the oil from Ijawland to increase the revenue of the national coffers. I understand the history of neglect that the Ijaws must be feeling, and that is why I can empathize with them.

However, I would not go as far to say that Nigeria would be like the Republic of Niger without the Niger Delta oil. The land I feel that is blessed with many natural resources is the North. The soil if managed properly is blessed with many nutrients that can feed not only Nigeria as a whole, but West Africa in general. The South-West of Nigeria is blessed with many natural resources as well. Most people do not know, but the South-West has the largest natural gas reserves in all of Africa. And the region also has a lot of gold. In addition, the South-East is also blessed with natural resources as well such as larges reserves of barite and coal. All of these regions are blessed with many natural resources, but they have neglected many industries on the reliance of oil. The South-West should revive its cocoa sector, the South-East should revive its Oil palm sector and the North should revive its groundnut and cotton sector. Every region in Nigeria can be wealthy, without relying on oil.

And it is a stretch to say Lagos was built off of Niger Delta oil. Lagos was built off the backs of cocoa farmers from Ekiti state. The good people of Ekiti have every right to claim that if it wasn't for their cocoa, Lagos would not be like it is, since it was their crops that started the foundations for Lagos. However, I do agree that Abuja was built off of Niger Delta oil. That is why this country needs to practice true federalism. But, federalism will not solve the problem of corruption amongst the political elite. This cuts across all regions, tribal affiliation and religions. You will still have a corrupt few who do not have the people's best interest at heart.

If people believe that Boko Haram ranks are filled with foreigners, they are sadly mistaken. The people who make up Boko Haram are homegrown and they have always been present in Nigeria. Northern Nigeria is fertile ground for Islamist organizations to find willing recruits, because of the lack of education in the region as well as the high levels of poverty. Do not forget about the extremist Imams who preach in this region and you have a volatile mix. Do not blame foreigners for these events, the people who perpetrated these evens are definitely Nigerians.

Frank-C:

I don't think you have listened to E.K Clark.

Chief E.K. Clark knows his limits. Most Ijaw youth believe him along with other Ijaw elders have sold themselves to the Nigerian political elite and the multinational oil corporations. His power in the Niger Delta has been overestimated in my honest opinion. He does not have the clout to control the various Ijaw militant groups that operate within the region, so he is a non-issue in my opinion. Even the MEND commanders who accepted the amnesty program have been replaced by other commanders who still believe in the "cause." There is a generational gap within the Ijaw community. Ijaw youth are becoming more violent in their assertion for control of the resources, while traditional Ijaw leaders and politicians are trying to take a diplomatic approach. These two groups are fighting for the control of the social movement.

Madame President Rousseff is a worthy successor of Lula who transformed the Brazilian economy. I see nothing wrong of the left-centre approach that Lula implemented in Brazil, because it has helped many Brazilians rise from poverty. Brazil is a stronger nation with its robust and growing economy and its growing influence in the international system. It is good to see a vibrant democracy in that hemisphere as well. And the fact that the President Rousseff has vowed to continue to follow Lula's policies should be a breath of fresh air for many in Brazil. There is a reason why Lula has an approval rating of over 70%, which is amazing for a national leader of any country. This is a momentous occasion for the good people of Brazil as their nation rise in status.

They are not winning any allies to their cause with utterances of this sort. I am starting to see a generational gap amongst the Ijaw elders and the Ijaw youth. Ijaw elders are willing to work with the Nigerian state, while the Ijaw youth see violence as the only necessary tool to get what they want. The latter need to be careful as they travel down this route. I can empathize with them concerning their anger at the Nigerian state, but they should not make threats of this nature. Their is a need for diplomacy and tactfulness at this moment in Nigeria's history, because there are nefarious events at play that threaten the Nigerian state as we know it.

This savior worship of President Jonathan is quite amusing. People should not worship their leaders, it is their leaders who should be worshiping the people, since it is from the people, in which they get their power. President Jonathan is a man just like you and I, and should be only seen as a man. This is a very similar phenomenon, that occurred as Barack Obama was running for president of the United States. Many in the American populace seen him as some sort of savior for the country, but now many see him as only a man after two years in office. He did not have a magic wand to fix all of the United State problems, just like Goodluck Jonathan does not have the power to fix all of Nigeria's problems. That is why it is best to leave the savior worship for your own particular God and not a human being. We the people have the power to make a difference in Nigeria.