DEUS VULT...GOD WILLS IT......(Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont in 1095.)

In 1094 or 1095, Alexios I Komnenos, the Byzantine emperor, sent to the pope, Urban II, and asked for aid from the west against the Seljuq Turks, who taken nearly all of Asia Minor from him. At the council of Clermont Urban addressed a great crowd and urged all to go to the aid of the Greeks and to recover Palestine from the rule of the Muslims. The acts of the council have not been preserved, but we have five accounts of the speech of Urban which were written by men who were present and heard him.

[adapted from Thatcher] Here is the one by the chronicler Fulcher of Chartres. Note how the traditions of the peace and truce of God - aimed at bringing about peace in Christendom - ties in directly with the call for a Crusade. Does this amount to the export of violence?

Most beloved brethren: Urged by necessity, I, Urban, by the permission of God chief bishop and prelate over the whole world, have come into these parts as an ambassador with a divine admonition to you, the servants of God. I hoped to find you as faithful and as zealous in the service of God as I had supposed you to be. But if there is in you any deformity or crookedness contrary to God's law, with divine help I will do my best to remove it. For God has put you as stewards over his family to minister to it. Happy indeed will you be if he finds you faithful in your stewardship. You are called shepherds; see that you do not act as hirelings. But be true shepherds, with your crooks always in your hands. Do not go to sleep, but guard on all sides the flock committed to you. For if through your carelessness or negligence a wolf carries away one of your sheep, you will surely lose the reward laid up for you with God. And after you have been bitterly scourged with remorse for your faults-, you will be fiercely overwhelmed in hell, the abode of death. For according to the gospel you are the salt of the earth [Matt. 5:13]. But if you fall short in your duty, how, it may be asked, can it be salted? O how great the need of salting! It is indeed necessary for you to correct with the salt of wisdom this foolish people which is so devoted to the pleasures of this -world, lest the Lord, when He may wish to speak to them, find them putrefied by their sins unsalted and stinking. For if He, shall find worms, that is, sins, In them, because you have been negligent in your duty, He will command them as worthless to be thrown into the abyss of unclean things. And because you cannot restore to Him His great loss, He will surely condemn you and drive you from His loving presence. But the man who applies this salt should be prudent, provident, modest, learned, peaceable, watchful, pious, just, equitable, and pure. For how can the ignorant teach others? How can the licentious make others modest? And how can the impure make others pure? If anyone hates peace, how can he make others peaceable ? Or if anyone has soiled his hands with baseness, how can he cleanse the impurities of another? We read also that if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the ditch [Matt. 15:14]. But first correct yourselves, in order that, free from blame , you may be able to correct those who are subject to you. If you wish to be the friends of God, gladly do the things which you know will please Him. You must especially let all matters that pertain to the church be controlled by the law of the church. And be careful that simony does not take root among you, lest both those who buy and those who sell [church offices] be beaten with the scourges of the Lord through narrow streets and driven into the place of destruction and confusion. Keep the church and the clergy in all its grades entirely free from the secular power.

See that the tithes that belong to God are faithfully paid from all the produce of the land; let them not be sold or withheld. If anyone seizes a bishop let him be treated as an outlaw. If anyone seizes or robs monks, or clergymen, or nuns, or their servants, or pilgrims, or merchants, let him be anathema [that is, cursed]. Let robbers and incendiaries and all their accomplices be expelled from the church and anthematized. If a man who does not give a part of his goods as alms is punished with the damnation of hell, how should he be punished who robs another of his goods? For thus it happened to the rich man in the gospel [Luke 16:19]; he was not punished because he had stolen the goods of another, but because he had not used well the things which were his.

"You have seen for a long time the great disorder in the world caused by these crimes. It is so bad in some of your provinces, I am told, and you are so weak in the administration of justice, that one can hardly go along the road by day or night without being attacked by robbers; and whether at home or abroad one is in danger of being despoiled either by force or fraud. Therefore it is necessary to reenact the truce, as it is commonly called, which was proclaimed a long time ago by our holy fathers. I exhort and demand that you, each, try hard to have the truce kept in your diocese. And if anyone shall be led by his cupidity or arrogance to break this truce, by the authority of God and with the sanction of this council he shall be anathematized."

After these and various other matters had been attended to, all who were present, clergy and people, gave thanks to God and agreed to the pope's proposition. They all faithfully promised to keep the decrees. Then the pope said that in another part of the world Christianity was suffering from a state of affairs that was worse than the one just mentioned. He continued:

"Although, O sons of God, you have promised more firmly than ever to keep the peace among yourselves and to preserve the rights of the church, there remains still an important work for you to do. Freshly quickened by the divine correction, you must apply the strength of your righteousness to another matter which concerns you as well as God. For your brethren who live in the east are in urgent need of your help, and you must hasten to give them the aid which has often been promised them. For, as the most of you have heard, the Turks and Arabs have attacked them and have conquered the territory of Romania [the Greek empire] as far west as the shore of the Mediterranean and the Hellespont, which is called the Arm of St. George. They have occupied more and more of the lands of those Christians, and have overcome them in seven battles. They have killed and captured many, and have destroyed the churches and devastated the empire. If you permit them to continue thus for awhile with impurity, the faithful of God will be much more widely attacked by them. On this account I, or rather the Lord, beseech you as Christ's heralds to publish this everywhere and to persuade all people of whatever rank, foot-soldiers and knights, poor and rich, to carry aid promptly to those Christians and to destroy that vile race from the lands of our friends. I say this to those who are present, it meant also for those who are absent. Moreover, Christ commands it.

"All who die by the way, whether by land or by sea, or in battle against the pagans, shall have immediate remission of sins. This I grant them through the power of God with which I am invested. O what a disgrace if such a despised and base race, which worships demons, should conquer a people which has the faith of omnipotent God and is made glorious with the name of Christ! With what reproaches will the Lord overwhelm us if you do not aid those who, with us, profess the Christian religion! Let those who have been accustomed unjustly to wage private warfare against the faithful now go against the infidels and end with victory this war which should have been begun long ago. Let those who for a long time, have been robbers, now become knights. Let those who have been fighting against their brothers and relatives now fight in a proper way against the barbarians. Let those who have been serving as mercenaries for small pay now obtain the eternal reward. Let those who have been wearing themselves out in both body and soul now work for a double honor. Behold! on this side will be the sorrowful and poor, on that, the rich; on this side, the enemies of the Lord, on that, his friends. Let those who go not put off the journey, but rent their lands and collect money for their expenses; and as soon as winter is over and spring comes, let hem eagerly set out on the way with God as their guide."

Source:

Bongars, Gesta Dei per Francos, 1, pp. 382 f., trans in Oliver J. Thatcher, and Edgar Holmes McNeal, eds., A Source Book for Medieval History, (New York: Scribners, 1905), 513-17

The Three Wise Men and the Knights Templar

The link between the Three Wise Men and the Knights Templar

 Tony McMahon

Several days after Christmas – the day which marks the birth of Christ – comes the Epiphany signifying the arrival of the three wise men at the stable.

Known in England as ‘Twelfth Night’ when players called ‘mummers’ would perform.

Up until the 19th century, Twelfth Night was as magical if not more so than Christmas Day itself.  But given that the reference to the three kings is a passing paragraph in the gospel of Matthew, how did it come to have such a powerful hold on medieval minds?

Well, like many biblical stories, it underwent a certain amount of embroidering at later hands that most Christians today are unaware of and had nothing to do with the original gospel account.

The casting of the three men as kings is largely the work of two early Christian scholars – Tertullian and Origen – whose writings were regarded as a bit suspect by the early church though they were hugely influential.

Tertullian was keen to prove that the Jews were no longer God’s chosen people and the act of obeisance by the kings to Jesus fulfilled an Old Testament prophecy thereby proving he was the Messiah.

The naming of the three kings is not recorded in any document prior to the sixth century AD and first crops up in Alexandria.  The kings were called:

Melchoir – King of Arabia – who brought gold – an old man

Balthasar – King of Ethiopia – who brought frankincense – a middle aged man

Caspar (or Jasper in England) – King of Tarsus – who brought myrrh – a young man

In medieval mystery plays, the story of the three kings got ever more convoluted. Words were put in to their mouths that had never existed in the bible.

In the English city of Chester, the mystery plays depicted different parts of the bible and trades guilds would be assigned a particular story to tell.  The drapers and hosiers did the creation of the world, the goldsmiths and masons enacted the slaughter of the innocents and it fell to the mercers and spicers to depict the three kings.

Somehow in the Middle Ages, the story of the Magi became bound up with Saint Helena – the mother of the Roman emperor Constantine who converted to Christianity at the start of the fourth century – starting a process that would take the empire from paganism to a new religion.

Helena, in real life, was from Bithynia in modern Turkey and after her son took control of the empire, she bolstered his new found faith by miraculously discovering the true cross, the nails used in the crucifixion and the robe worn by Christ just before being put to death.

But in England, Helena’s story changed dramatically in the Middle Ages.  She became the daughter of Coel the Old or ‘King Cole’ – first king of the British.  He held court in Colchester where, the legend went, Helena was born….not in Bithynia.

Furthermore, not only did she discover the aforementioned relics, but this British born saint went all the way to India and dug up the bones of the three kings bringing them back to the royal court in Constantinople.  From there they went to Milan and eventually ended up in Cologne cathedral.

So convinced were the medieval English that Helena was a daughter of Colchester that she was venerated in the city with something of a cult developing around her.  The city townsfolk said she was the most beautiful woman who had ever lived and in a well, she found three ‘golden heads’ of the Magi and they told her to look after them.  In return they ensured that she was married to the greatest of kings.

The Templar connection is even more interesting. According to some people, the Templars are descendants of priests of the first Temple in Jerusalem built by King Solomon. There are part of the brotherhood of Melchizedek. The Three Kings – the Magi – were also descendants. I’ll be blogging more about this in future posts.

Another theory is that the legendary (but never seen) Christian king Prester John – who allegedly ruled Ethiopia in the Middle Ages (according to some commentators) was a descendant of the Magi. It was believed that he held the Holy Grail, stolen from King Solomon by the son that Solomon had with the Queen of Sheba. One very popular book on the Templars claims the knights went to Ethiopia to try and steal the Grail but were thwarted.

SOURCE

An Open Letter to My Brethren in the "South-South"

An Open Letter to My Brethren in the "South-South"

By Donald Ekpo
Akwa Ibom State

"For as long as the Old Eastern region remain in disarray and not united, self-determination of the region will remain impossible." ~ An anonymous retired Nigerian Army Chief

The word “South-South,” even though it may sound absurd, is a name we have come to accept as a people. We can’t say exactly how we came about to be identified with the name neither can we say exactly when we were given the name, but we just know it is our name. While growing up back in the days, geography taught us about “the North,” “the South,” “The East” and “The West.” For proper definition of locations, we were also told about “The Northwest, NorthEast, Southwest and SouthEast” I can’t remember anything like the “NorthNorth”, “SouthSouth”, “EastEast” or Westwest , but here I am today, writing a letter to my South-South brethren. That is what happens to a people that are not in control of their Cultural Development or the Political and Economic Future.

That is what happens to a people that are just there for their numbers, that is what happens to people that are just kept for their services, that is what happens to people that are just custodians of wealth for a supposedly superior people, and finally, that is what happens to peoples that are slaves. Any name is suitable for them, they can only get whatever is given to them even if it is originally theirs. If in doubt, please remind me of the meaning of KUNTA KINTE.

I write this letter not because it is frustrating to see how we allowed a defrauded propaganda to position our people as the pawns in the Political Chess called Nigeria, but rather, I write this letter in an effort to request that we free ourselves from these propaganda that has lingered for too long. If our grandfathers and fathers did not ask questions, is there any divine law that says we cannot ask? We know we all belonged to the old Eastern Region of Nigeria before the Northern Protectorate took back their power after the gruesome murder of General Aguiyi Ironsi.

Just for the records, let me do us a bit of history here; Major General Ironsi as Head of State was cornered and arrested somewhere in western Nigeria on July 29th of 1966, his hands and feet were tied together, then tied to a Land Rover with a little space in between, and driven on a tarred road, face down for several kilometers. The then highest ranking Northern officer, an acting (Unconfirmed) Lieutenant Colonel was chosen to be the next Head of State ahead of serving Brigadiers, Colonels and Lieutenant Colonels of the Southern Nigeria, followed by the dreadful killings of officers and soldiers of Eastern Nigeria including our so called South South soldiers and officers.

The genocide that followed is what is recorded as the Nigerian Civil War of 1967 – 1970. As if that was not enough, the Eastern region was broken apart with the sudden creation of the then South Eastern State (today’s Cross Rivers and Akwa Ibom), Rivers State (Today’s Rivers State and Bayelsa). It was during that war that propagandas were designed, created and generated to separate us from the old Eastern Region and make the average Igbo man our potential enemy in an effort to reduce their own presumed enemies. In as much as it is a bitter history, but I find it necessary to do you this preamble.

I write this letter to remind us that our region, known as the South-South today was a creation of the North for the sake of creating the disunity we face today. And moreso, it was not just for the disunity for them to win the war, but to also take away our resources, our manpower and our economic future. In 2014 when President Jonathan, a son of the so called South-South decided to re-contest the 2015 elections, Sheik Junaid Mohammed in an engagement on behalf the Northern Protectorate, reminded us that the so called South-South was a creation of the North for effective management of the Northern interest in Eastern Nigeria. How bad could this be? Can we imagine that? So while we are busy reminding ourselves that we are a different people or that the Igbos are wicked and are trying to kill us, the North is joyously taking over and owning 85% of our oil wells while the West takes over the left overs.

And what do we get? Noise! Even the supposedly football legend, Sunday Okechukwu Oliseh is busy telling us he is not Igbo as if it is a curse to be Igbo. One wonders if the name Okechukwu is of Hausa or Yoruba origin. When you speak Igbo as a language and yet claim you are not Igbo, is that not the saddest thing that can happen to any people of identical culture? Even Major Kaduna Nzeogwu that led the first coup that was said to be an Igbo coup is from Okpanam village in today’s Delta State. Could he have come out to say today like Sunday Oliseh said that he was not Igbo? If the Abakaliki or Nsukka indigene that has a more distant dialect of Igbo is Igbo, how come the Anioma or Okrika indigene that is easily understood is not Igbo? How did a people of the same culture get so separated these far?

I write these letter to speak to those of us regarded as "minority tribes." How can we be minority when in essences we are known to be about 35 million of the said 180 million of the said Nigerian population? How can we be a minority in our own lands if we were not treated as such, or if we did not accept to be such? If those from the alliance that separated us from the West are said to be about 50 million in population, and our brethren in the East are said to be about 40 million, how can we accept we are a minority? Our compatriots from the alleged minorities of the North are said to be another 30 million, who then is the minority? Having run through these figures, we know who the real minorities are.

Be it as it appears, the truth is that our region was broken into two so as to weaken our original strength given that at a combined population strength of 35 million and 40 million people, our economic and entrepreneurial strength put together would be something the alliance will be worried about. So why should we ever think that it is logical to claim we are two different people when in essence, we have always been one and the same people for over 400 years before the arrival of the white man. If what the white man did to us was not bad enough, is it not ridiculous that we allowed a certain minority immigrants to assume control of our economic and political future?

I write these letter to ask my brethren in the South-South these pertinent question; Let us assume the very worst situation in this fracas between us and our Igbo brothers, why are we worried about the Igbos taking over our “natural resources” (assuming they don’t have theirs), ARE WE PRESENTLY IN CONTROL OF OUR “NATURAL RESOURCES”? Does it make more sense that our natural resources is being controlled by some strange people from over 700 miles away? People that kill us at will at a single provocation of their religion? People that even kill us in our land? People that challenge us to the ownership of these our resources? People that show absolute disregard of who we are? People that think it is a privilege for us to be in any position of authority? And finally, people that do not in any way have the kind of entrepreneurial skills that we have?

Why would we allow our imaginary quarrel or fights with our brothers translate to the decision of one of the women in King Solomon’s Judgment that insisted that since she couldn’t have the child, the other woman should not. So are we in essence saying it is better for none of us brethren to own our resources simply because we don’t trust our brothers, yet we do nothing about the stranger that has ripped us apart? Are we logically correct in these senseless quarrel?

Even while we are senselessly worried about how the Igbos will colonize our people because that is what we were told, and that is what some of these alliance are still trying to tell us; can we sincerely tell ourselves that the Igbos are that evil? Evil enough to leave their Natural resources in Abia, Imo, Anambra and Enugu states to come and take ownership of our resources? How will they do that? How possible will it be for a people that barely kill by the sword compared to our present oppressors? Do we honestly see that as a possibility? How and why did we allow these propaganda to go these far? Is these not what the alliance has used to rule us through the divide and rule scheme? Sheik Jumiad Mohammed said it clearly that our separation was a creation of the North for the effective management of our resources while we keep fighting an imaginary enemy.

I write this letter to remind us that we and our Igbo brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers have cultural identities, we uphold the sanctity of life, we do not kill a man like a chicken, we worship the same God, and we have identical looks and reasoning capabilities. Education is a respected virtue to both of us, entrepreneurism is a common love between us. We both respect constituted authorities. Even-though we both have the cultural odds that cannot, and should not be used to castigate an entire people. So how come the Igbo man suddenly became evil shortly before the war if the castigation was not a propaganda tool of the war?

How did we accept that our Igbo brothers were evil while we were saints? How are we saints? Is there any evil that is the monopoly of the Igbos that we are totally clean of? That we don’t have a single man/woman that does same if positioned in the same situation? How did we allow a distant people determine how we leave our lives? If we think we are different and as such we are treated better than the Igbos; have we noticed that the fate of the Onitsha Port is the same fate that befell the Ports in Calabar and Port Harcourt? We from the East are all forced to go to Lagos to pay taxes to those ports. How have we been treated differently by these alliances if we were different from the Igbos? Are we not facing the same fate as our Eastern brethren? How do you think we will fare if we were the only ones to receive these treatment given a circumstance where the Igbos are no more in this contraption called Nigeria?

I write this letter to our brethren to remind us that without a unified stand of the entire region, the self-determination process will be a farce. We need each other in all difficulties. We are the Eastern Region; we are the region of the Lower Niger; we are a common people; we are not different from each other. Starting from the Hills of Ogoja to the rocky soils of Ebonyi, down to the temperate region of Anambra down to the enclaves of Ishekiri and Isoko, we all look alike.

The Akwa Ibom man and the Abia State man are the same people simply divided by boundaries. The Calabar man and the Arochukwu man have identical ancestral masquerades. The Ikwerre man is just an Igbo man that was separated by the North to act as a different people. A British woman, camped somewhere in Kaduna decided to add the “R” consonant to the “U” vowel to totally break the identities of the Igbos in today’s Rivers State. The Ijaws, Kalabaris, Oron, Efik are practically the same people positioned in different locations possibly during the settlement centuries ago. We are all interrelated in the region and as such must not be divided.

We have been used for decades, disregarded at every opportunity, our rights are perceived as privileges if not favors. We do not have control over our future as instructed by the late Ahmadu Bello when he instructed his people not to allow us have control of our future, and should be seen as a conquered territory. Are we a conquered people by some strange people that believe they are born to rule, conquer and kill? These are a people who do not hold as sacrosanct what we revere as one. How can we continue in this Union that was designed to enslave us? How can we allow the lies told by these strangers to pitch us against ourselves?

AN ADDENDUM TO MY IGBO BROTHERS

I write to you to remind you that you can only fight a lie that was imbedded into the hearts of my brethren by putting yourself in his shoes to know how best to respond. We cannot fight evil with evil. Like we know, they say two wrongs don’t make a right. It is your responsibility to subtly ask those accusing you some logical questions that may prick their hearts to realities. We are all in this mess called Nigeria together.

Our Son, Goodluck Jonathan, was treated the same way General Ironsi was treated, they were both rejected. They were both despised. Both of them wanted a united Nigeria that existed beyond tribes and religion, but what did we see? President Goodluck Jonathan was lucky to escape with his life, but the General was not that lucky; He was tied to a Land Rover and driven on the rocky tarred roads between Abeokuta and Ibadan till he died and was shredded to pieces. Based on the Alhaji and Kunle’s phone conversation I believe we all listened to, we know that it could as well have happened to President Jonathan if he was not wise enough to let go of their birthright. But can we continue like this?

Look at what they are doing to Nnamdi Kanu? These are the same people that organized 70 lawyers to represent the Boko Haram suspects that have raped, maimed and Killed Nigerians, yet the one they choose to lead us says Nnamdi is too dangerous to be released because he has dual citizenship. Is these the kind of place we will continue to belong to when we are likely going to be having malicious morons of this magnitude leading us?

I write to you my brothers to remind you that the Gambaris know for certainty that having broken a greater part of you into other states in the "South-South," it may be difficult to successfully secede knowing what we know today. So it is inappropriate for you to remind my own brothers that with or without us, that you will succeed.

We cannot allow the propaganda of these gambaris to keep us apart. We must reject it by all means and efforts. We stand a greater chance to succeed as one region. As the older one of the two broken parts of our region, it is your responsibility to expose the deception that was used to mislead my people. It is you that will tell my people you do not have any intentions to colonize them. We have to collectively put these alliance to shame by consciously keeping our relationship cordial in the region. My dear brethren, I write to request that you take it as a duty to remind us that we are all one people because in truth, WE ARE ONE!

THE LOWER NIGER CONGRESS will not succeed if we do not position ourselves for success. We cannot go to a referendum with a divided house. We have to all agreed that we cannot continue in this contraption called a United Nigeria that was not just built on lies and propaganda, but was designed to fail while it enslaves our people. We have been battered, raped, disregarded, maimed and killed at will for the past 50 years. I am talking about the entire Eastern region. While we are being raped and killed, we are busy seeing each other as our enemy, while the real enemies smiles at our folly. We cannot continue like this. We should all take the opportunity presented to us by the UNITED NATION CHARTER ARTICLES ON SELF-DETERMINATION FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.

The Lower Niger Congress, has so far made presentations to the US Congress on the plight of our people, made a presentation to the United Nations, and have been able to secure a period by which the referendum will take place here in our region. But will we succeed during the electoral process if we are not united? Is it not time we put our swords into plowshare and see how we can take control of our political, economic future and Cultural development?

The Lower Niger Congress having met with traditional and titled leaders in all the corners of the Lower Niger Region believes the project will not be a success if we do not see ourselves as a united body. We cannot afford to go into a referendum that may be sabotaged by the propagandas of the alliance of the North. It is our duty to educate ourselves, educate our relatives, and educate our brethren. It is the best duty we can do for the generations unborn of our region.

This contraption called Nigeria was never designed to succeed, not with the present fraud of Constitution, not with the present mentality that only a section of the country were meant to rule, and finally, not with the present odds that accompany those that make it to the leadership position.

Finally, brethren, I appeal to you all to join hands in actualizing our dream to build a new nation based on principles, agreed morals, agreed terms and...

SOURCE

THE IGBO PEOPLE

Facts about Nigerian People:   
THE IGBO by Chike Ofili 

Question: Is Southeast and Igboland the same thing?*

 *Answer* : Not at all. Southeast is only about 3/5th of Igboland. Igboland covers the whole of Southeast, parts of Rivers, Delta, Edo, Cross river, Benue, Kogi and Akwa Ibom states.

 *Question: Why were we taught in school that Igbo people are easterners?*

 *Answer* : It is both an unfortunate parroting by teachers and careless adoption by Igbo educated class. Igbo people come from Southern Nigeria and not Eastern Nigeria. It may be correct to say that the Igbo are found predominantly in eastern Nigeria. However, by saying that the Igbo are easterners, the implication is that the Igbo in western Nigeria, numbering about 2.5 million (Agbor, Ogwashi Ukwu, Ibuzo, Okpanam, Asaba, Orimili, Ndokwa, Anioma, etc) are not Igbos. The best known Igbo anthropologist Professor Mike Onwuejeogwu is from the western part of Nigeria, Chukwuma Nzeogwu, Dennis Osadebe, Okonkwo Adibe (the famous musician), Sony Odogwu, etc. are all from the western part of Nigeria. They are no less Igbo than those who live in the eastern part of Nigeria. The correct answer to your question is “the Igbo come from Southern Nigeria.”

 *Question: Why do some Igbo refer to themselves as “core Igbo?”*

 *Answer:* That is clearly arrant nonsense. Nobody is core and others peripheral. All Igbo are the same. It is both arrogant, thoughtless and insensitive for anybody to regard others as marginal.

 *Question: Is Igboland landlocked?*

 *Answer:* Not at all. Igboland stretches from Port Harcourt to Agbor. The Atlantic ocean washes the shores of Igboland at the islands Opobo and Bonny, Africa’s second largest river – River Niger, traverses Igboland with one part of Igboland in the east and another part in the west of Nigeria. Oguta Lake has the potential of accommodating large ships and could be made a navigable port. If Igboland is landlocked, then all Nigeria is landlocked.

 *Question: Is there oil in Igboland?*

 *Answer:* Yes, indeed. There is a lot of Oil & Gas in Imo, Abia and currently in Anambra states, and Igbo areas in Rivers and Delta States. Besides, Igboland has many other natural resources, including Coal, Iron ore, Limestone, Lead, Zinc, Brine, Glass etc.

 *Question: Are the Igbo a nation or a tribe?*

 *Answer:* The Igbo are a nation, and a very large one. There are many dialects or tribes in Igbo nation, just like you have many tribes within Israel.

 *Question: Why do some Ikwerre people and other non southeastern Igbo say they are not Igbo?*

 *Answer:* First, it is not up to them to say what they are and what they are not. When God created them, He did not ask them who they wanted to be. He just created them Igbo. The only way you’ll know who belongs to what ethnic group in Nigeria is the name and what language the name comes from. Anybody whose name is Amadi or Onyeri, or Eke, or Odili, Wanodi (Nwanodi) does not need to tell you who he is. He is Igbo, notwithstanding their politics.

 *Question: But they claim that their language is Ikwerre, not Igbo.*

 *Answer:* That is politics. Ikwerre is a dialect of Igbo language. Just like an Ngwa man speaks Ngwa Igbo, Arochukwu speaks Arochukwu Igbo, Ika speaks Ika Igbo, Ibani speaks Ibani Igbo etc.

 *Question: Some people say that Igbo language is not complete, is it true?*

 *Answer:* No language is complete. All languages borrow from each other. Igbo language is very rich. It has inexhaustible and rich linguistic features like idioms, proverbs, aphorisms, sayings, anecdotes, riddles, folklores, etc. Igbo language is one of the major languages of the world, being spoken by millions of people.

 *Question: How many are the Igbo?*

 *Answer:* The Igbo are very numerous. There is educated guess that if Nigeria’s census is properly enumerated, the Igbo could easily be the largest ethnic group in the country. They may number up to 40 million. Everything right now, is speculation. Nobody knows the true stratification or ethnic populations in Nigeria. The Igbo are the only ethnic group found in large numbers everywhere in Nigeria, and foreign countries more than any other ethnic group in Africa.

 *Question: Do the Igbo have a culture of their own?*

 *Answer:* Yes, indeed. Igbo culture is perhaps, one of the richest and all-encompassing cultures in this world. Igbo culture always observes the temporal and the spiritual aspects of cosmology. The study of Igbo culture reveals that it is extremely deep and original.

 *Question: Why do the Igbo wear Yoruba Agbada and Hausa babban riga but the Yoruba and the Hausa do not ever wear Igbo national dress?*

 *Answer* : Unfortunately this is the case. The Igbo have very attractive and resplendent national dresses. And they come in assortments that are extremely dignifying. The Igbo take up foreign cultures more readily than other Nigerians, and they seem not to care that nobody reciprocates their carefree attitude to life. Most ethnics promote their cultures and show off what makes them unique. Actually, it is still the same so-called educated Igbo class who behave in such disgraceful and the devil-may-care attitude.

 *Question: Why do the Igbo call themselves Biafrans?*

 *Answer:* Great question. Some people have the idea that Biafra originates from the Bight of Biafra. But that is wrong. Biafra was the National name of Igboland given to Igbo by the Portuguese, just as Nigeria was named by the English of Britain. There was the Kingdom of Biafra that ruled most of the ancient subtropical Africa about 50,000 years ago.  Unfortunately, nobody talks about it, for whatever reason (maybe because Portugal lost the colony right of Biafra to Britain who buried it, in other to promote Nigeria amalgamation), "I do not know". But, it is in the ancient maps of the world. If you wish search it in Google.

 *Question: Were the Igbo also taken into slavery during the slave trade?*

 *Answer:* Yes. The Igbo slaves themselves gave account of their travails in slavery. Olauda Ekwuano an Igbo ex-slave who bought his freedom in Britain was the first slave to write about his experience in slavery. His book has become a classic. You ought to find it and read it. Also, other Igbos who were brought to America revolted and some walked back on water and were said to have returned to Africa. Several books have been written about them. One of such books is “Ibo Landing.” It is available in bookstores like Barnes & Noble. In Haiti, the Igbo settled there and refused to be colonized by anybody. There are many places where the Igbo left their mark or their signature.

 *Question: How did the Igbo know days and years?*

 *Answer:* The Igbo invented an accurate, if not the most accurate calendar called “Iguafo Igbo (Igbo Calendar).” In Igbo calendar, there are four market days – Eke, Afor, Nkwo, Orie that make one week. Four days make one week, seven weeks make one month, and thirteen months make one year. There are 28 days for each month, with the last month having 29 days. Each month starts the same day as the previous. Igbo calendar forms the perfect astronomical alignment with the cosmos, and regulates the seasons, agriculture, navigation, astrology, geography, mathematics, travel, etc.

 *Question: Did the Igbo have their own alphabet?*

 *Answer:* Yes, indeed. It is called “Nsibidi.”

 *Question: How about mathematics; did the Igbo know mathematics?*

 *Answer:* Yes, indeed. There are such inventions as “Okwe” and “Mkpisi” which the Igbo used to resolve figures.

 *Question: Did the Igbo know anything about banking?*

 *Answer:* Yes. Igbo banking was more in the nature of Savings and Loans. The authentic Igbo savings and loans invention called “Isusu’ in which contributions are pooled each week and one person, who has the need, collects, is still in practice. Igbo slaves took this invention to the Caribbean Islands where they still practise it and call it “Sue Sue.”

 *Question: Some people say that Igboland is too small for the Igbo, that they have no alternative than to live as Nigerians: is this true?*

 *Answer:* False. Igboland is a large country. Do every Igbo need to stay and work in Igboland? No. Everywhere in the world, some will stay home while others venture abroad in search of opportunities. Igboland is large enough for the Igbo. And it is a very rich and hospitable part of the world. It has rich soil for agriculture, abundant rainfall, good sunshine, and table land in many parts. Its land space and population are more than that of over half of the present countries in the world.

 *Question: Where did the Igbo come from?*

 *Answer:* That question is still being asked. There are very intriguing theories or histories now being studied. You may have heard of the Jewish angle & the Egypt angle which are connected, and the Origin of man angle. This twenty-first century, hopefully, will resolve the mystery.

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THE IGBO, YORUBA, AND OTHER NIGERIANS ARE FIGHTING THE WRONG BATTLES

OPINION: THE IGBO, YORUBA, AND OTHER NIGERIANS ARE FIGHTING THE WRONG BATTLES

By

 THEWILL_

 -

November 12, 2018

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With 2019 elections battle lines now drawn, 2023 is becoming the new frontier for a battle between the Nigerian ethnic groups. Which region will produce the next contestants, East or West? And the Fulani North is using the offer of the presidency as a bait to lull both groups to sleep. And both east and west are buying.

It is stupid.

The war for the heart of Nigeria has been fought, won and lost. The winner was/is the Fulani and they are smart enough to not engage in a re-fighting of the war they already won. Instead they create false battle fronts in which any winner is still the looser. The current false battle front is the presidency of Nigeria in 2023. The Igbo and Yoruba are at the fore front and will kill to get it.

But after either gets it, then what next? The battle they and all the other ethnic groups are fighting for is who would be the “front” for a Fulani Administration.

In the war for the heart of Nigeria which was won by the Fulani many years ago and consolidated by the two trump cards they have since played: manipulating the census figures and creation of states.

1. Manipulating of the census figures. In the 70’s the largest city in West Africa was Ibadan and Kano did not make it in the Top 10 West African Cities. Today Ibadan’s population is a small fraction of Kano. What happened? We know why Abuja and Lagos and PH are growing. They have the federal government, industries and oil. What fueled/fueling Kano’s population growth? To be ten times bigger than Ibadan and bigger than the entire SE states? The manipulating of the population numbers has enabled the Fulani to play their second trump card.

2. Creation of states. NW has 7 states while every other zone has 6 except for SE that has mere 5 states. Each state has three members in the senate so the distribution of the senate seats is as follows:
* NW: 21
* NE: 18
* NC 18
* SW: 18
* SE: 15
*SS: 18. For a total of 108 senate seats.

Kano state has a total of 44 local governments and Lagos state which has comparable population has just 20 local governments. How come?

The implication of all these data is that the allocation of resources whether based on population or number of local governments or states or geography, gives an undue preference to the Fulani.

It perpetuates the theory that whoever is in Aso Rock is just a front for the Fulani oligarchy. Jonathan, Obasanjo or come 2023 an Aduba. Such a front cannot make any significant changes and if he/she tries the person can be removed via a senate impeachment. The Fulani has the votes. The lop-sided allocation formula is fixed and the inflow of resources to the north will continue as usual.

The Igbo (and all other ethnic groups) must reject the offer of a meaningless 2023 presidency for it is just a bait. The Igbo must also reject the offer for a second Niger bridge. These are little pieces of meat in exchange for the entire fish.

The real war will be the revisiting of the census numbers and counting just living people and the recreating of states and LGA. Addressing of these two weighty issues will create a more balanced Nigeria. The South cannot do this by fighting for crumbs from the master’s table but for a seat at the table. If the south wants to win, it needs two important things: solidarity and a big stick. Solidarity is self-defined. The big stick will be allowing such organizations as IPOB, MASSOB, various Oduduwa and Ijaw militant groups to exist. They will serve as a reminder that if peaceful ways are not available that there are other alternatives.

Martin Luther King Jr. was successful in the fight against racism because of the existence of militant Malcom X. It made it easier for Americans to choose the peaceful means of Dr. King. IPOB et al will make the north listen to Ike Ekweremadu although Mr. Ekweremadu does not know this. It is time the south harkened to the words of Theodore Roosevelt “speak softly but carry a big stick.”

*** Benjamin Obiajulu Aduba writes from Boston, Massachusetts.

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DR JONATHAN AT 61

On Tuesday, November 20, 2018, the Face of Democracy in Africa, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, will be 61 years old. On that same day, he will be presenting his brilliant book, My Transition Hours, to the public.

Finally, through that book, the world will get to see the man behind close doors and will, I hope, found out that no Nigerian leader has shown the level of self sacrifice, self control and restraint that former President Jonathan showed during and after his five year tenure as President.

However, because of a long succession of brutal military dictators beginning from 1966 and continuing even into the advent of the Fourth Republic, many Nigerians have been conditioned to see brutality as strength and restraint as weakness.

But after three years of a brutal and brutally ineffective President, many citizens are only coming to know now what I knew in 2010-that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is a leader of men who sees the people as the big picture rather than himself.

He tried to show Nigerians the true meaning of leadership. Unfortunately, the psyche of our people has for long been conditioned to respecting leaders who rule, who boss and who throw their weight around. It was a culture shock to have a leader who rather than throw his considerable weight around, three his intellect around, which is why no leader in Nigeria’s history has built as many schools as Dr. Jonathan did.

And the thing is that he did not have to. Primary education is the constitutional preserve of the states. Yet President Jonathan built 165 almajiri schools because he could not sit by and watch as 11 million Nigerian children, mostly in the North, were out of the school system.

Not stopping there, he built fourteen new universities comprising of twelve new federal universities and two specialised universities. Before Jonathan, 12 Nigerian states had no federal universities. After Jonathan, no Nigerian state was without at least one university.

I had the privilege of asking him why he did what he did and he told me in California, while playing with my children, as follows ‘Reno, no investment yields as much profit as education’. Indeed, Jonathan is a philosopher king!

From him, I learnt that the best way to be a leader is not to boss people around, but to help solve their problems. Think of it this way. There are many ships in the sea and the sea is dark. If you want all the ships to come to you, then be a lighthouse and they will come to you of their own accord.

I remember when I joined him on a trip to London and at the airport, the Nigerian High Commission to the U.K. had provided a Mercedes sedan to pick him up from the airport. I was to join him at his hotel, so I escorted him to the car with another of his associates. He got in and then looked at me and asked what I was waiting for. I told him I would get a taxi and he goes, ‘don’t be silly’, then does the most amazing thing. He shifted to the middle of the back seat and beckoned on my friend and I to join him on what is known as the owners’ corner in Nigeria. I know of no other leader with the humility to do that.

A quintessential leader is Dr. Jonathan. A man who treated everyone with respect even though he was the President of the largest Black nation on earth who led her to become Africa’s economy. One thing you can be sure of is that if President Jonathan is looking down at you, he is doing so only because he is admiring your shoes.

I learnt true humility from him, but it was in the area of communication that President Jonathan schooled me the best. From him I discovered that learning the art of communication will make you a leader. Dr. Jonathan never speak just to express yourself. He considers that a waste of time. Rather, he always speaks to persuade others. When others are talking, he listens to them as if they are the most important persons on earth. Honestly, it is an almost ecstatic event to have a one on one communication with Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

As he turns 61 today, I want to remind Nigerians of a statement he made four years ago.

On the 7th of March 2014, then President Jonathan said “I am loyal to Nigeria’s economy. I don’t have accounts or property abroad. All my children school in Nigeria”.

Till date, nobody has been able to contradict that statement because it is true. But even more impressive is the fact that not one of those who have made it their career to blame Jonathan for everything that is wrong with their lives, can say the same thing.

Dr. Jonathan was able to achieve this because he was a patriot who really believes in Nigeria. Look at his initiatives to turn around the lives of Nigerian youths. You have the Youth Enterprise With Innovation in Nigeria (YouWin), the Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS), the Presidential Special Scholarship Scheme for Innovations and Development scholarships (PRESSID) to First Class graduates of Nigerian universities to mention a few.

With these schemes, it is no wonder that Nigeria under Jonathan became the third fastest growing economy in the world according to CNNMoney and the International Monetary Fund.

Nowadays, those who rode to power on the back of the freedoms that Dr. Jonathan ensured in Nigeria now threaten to lock up their critics citing ‘hate speech’. Have these individuals ever sat down to consider that under Jonathan’s leadership, not one single person was sent to prison because of anything he or she wrote or said about the President or the government he headed. Nigeria had no political prisoners under Jonathan’s administration and the nation certainly did not have any prisoners of conscience because Jonathan himself ensured that he acted according to his conscience in all he did.

On social media, I read many Nigerian youths saying things like, how did we go from ‘my ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian’ to being called lazy Nigerian youths? That is one question I cannot answer. But one thing I know, the Nigerian youth under President Jonathan were some of the most talented and productive.

That is why Nigeria was rated by Gallup as the happiest nation in the world under Jonathan. Think about that for a minute and then join me in wishing Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan a very well deserved happy birthday as well as a long and fulfilled life to continue serving humanity through the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation.

(From The Cable)