IGBONIZATION OF NIGERIA

#ChangingTheNarrative. Fun facts about the Igbo and Igboland. ....... In case you don't know:

1) Finding a bungalow in #Onitsha is like looking for a fish in a desert.

2) #Onitsha has more multistorey buildings than a combination of Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, and Ondo all put together.

3) #Owerri has the most concentration of hotels, clubs, and bars per square meter in Nigeria.

4) #Onitsha is the most densely populated city in Nigeria outside Lagos.

5) #Enugu in 2014 made the list of Most resilient cities in the world and the first in Nigeria.

6) #Owerri and # Aba have the most organized city masterplan, initiated by former governor Dr. Sam Mbakwe of old imo state. Sadly Aba has been left to rot, due to bad governance.

7)#Anambra state has the best urban and rural road network of any state in Nigeria.

8): For the past 10yrs, #Anambra, #IMO, #Abia, #Enugu, are the leading states in WAEC, NECO, and JAMB, and are also the leading states with NYSC pass out.

9) #Imo, #Anambra, #Delta presently have the most Ph.D. holder and Professors in Nigeria.

10) By premium times report, #IMO, #Anambra and #Delta are the leading states for law admission for the past 5yrs, while #Imo, #Anambra, #Delta, and #Enugu are leading for medicine admission.

11)#Anambra #Imo and #Enugu have the highest cut off mark for admission into federal unity schools and colleges, yet these states produce the most graduates from those colleges. For Anambra, it is 139, Imo 138, Enugu 134.

12) In 2017, #Igbo students dominated the list of graduates in Engineering and medicine departments in covenant university.

13) In any city, town or village you enter outside #Igboland in #Nigeria, after the indigenous language speakers, the next are the #Igbo.

14) The #Igbo are the largest diaspora #Nigerians in any country in the world except in the Uk, where the #Yorubas hold sway.

15) The University of Nigeria Nsukka has the most influential alumni of any university in #Nigeria.

16) #Owerri has the highest concentration of beautiful girls of any city in #Nigeria.

17) #Onitsha main market in #Anambra state and #Ariaria market in #Aba #Abia state remain the biggest commodity markets in West Africa.

18) #Igboland has the biggest and most influential Football and Nollywood stars in #Nigeria.

19) #Onitsha houses the highest concentration of multi storey apartments per square meter in #Sub-Saharan #Africa

20) In 2018, the National Inland Waterways Authority(NIWA), reported that 60 Percent Of Cargo In #Nigeria goes to #Onitsha.

21)#Portharcourt, #Owerri, #Enugu, and #Asaba airports are the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 8th busiest airports in #Nigeria respectively.

22)#Uli airport in present-day #Anambra state was the first indigenously built airport in black Africa. Built by the #Biafrans during the civil war. Though a makeshift airport, it served its purpose during the civil war but was destroyed after the war.

23) #Imo Airport is the only indigenously built and the first state-owned airport in #Nigeria. Built from contributions and donations from Indigenes (then #Imo and #Abia). Initiated under the leadership of Sam Mbakwe, but officially commenced operation in 1991.

 #IgboAmaka! ✍🏿

Uzokwe's Searchlight: NIGERIA - THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY - OBSERVATIONS FROM MY 2016 DECEMBER VISIT TO NIGERIA

Written by Alfred Obiora Uzokwe, P.E
Email: obiuzokwe@comcast.net
Author of the books:
1. Nigeria: Contemporary Commentaries and Essays
2. Surviving in Biafra: The Story of the Nigerian Civil War


n May of 2016, after a four-year hiatus from Nigeria, my wife and I decided to visit again. The last time I visited was for something painful – to bury my beloved mother. I left Nigeria then with many painful memories that dampened the prospects of future visits by me. This time, though, after overcoming my skepticism about visiting, we were determined to make the visit an enjoyable one.

Our departure date was set for December 13, 2016 and preparations began. On the appointed day, we drove to Washington DC Dulles airport. After checking in and boarding, by the time the 7:00PM hour came around, the wide-bodied Lufthansa 747 jumbo jet was already “kissing” the evening skies headed to Frankfurt Germany. Except for a few moments of air turbulence, when my wife would grab and tightly hold onto my hands as if that would ease the turbulence, the flight was smooth. I later teased her that she was acting in consonance with the biblical admonition that a woman must leave her family, join together with her husband and they shall be one and not even aircraft turbulence would put them asunder judging from the way she held onto me. We laughed about it.

After our layover in Germany, we boarded a Lufthansa airbus and the flight to Lagos Nigeria commenced. The flight was also smooth but just when the aircraft was roughly about 90 minutes to landing, two young men, each with a glass of red wine in his hand, appeared in front of our cabin. One was burly and of average height. He had a series of gold jewelry around his neck and a few tattoos adorned his arms. I had earlier seen him sitting in the business class cabin fully clothed but now he was wearing just a black tank top. I thought to myself that someone who could afford the business class should at least have the decency of not wearing tank tops in an airplane. He seemed to have removed his shirt on purpose to “show off” his tattoos and I wondered if he was aware that not everyone is enamored by tattoos.

The second man was very thin, in fact he looked malnourished. His pants were pulled down below his waist, fully exposing the boxer shorts he was wearing. Both men began a conversation, at first in low tones, but as the minutes passed, they became louder and louder. I must have been sitting about 10 rows away from them but I could hear some of what they were saying. Passengers trying to use the rest rooms located next to them were having hard time going past because they were partially blocking the right isle. With every minute that passed, they grew louder. They must have been there for about 35 minutes when one passenger, sitting closer to them, stood up angrily and addressed them: “Go to your seats,”, he said, “you are disturbing the rest of the passengers”. It was as if he spoke for the rest of the passengers in the cabin because many nodded their heads in agreement and started looking to see what the men would do. The burly man simply said they would lower their voices but the slim one erupted. He claimed to have been insulted by the passenger. 

Dashing toward the passenger, he boasted: “When the plane lands in Lagos, I will deal with you, you don’t know who I am”. I took one look at a guy who was telling someone that he would deal with him and he looked so malnourished and did not seem as if he could withstand a slight shove. I wondered where he was going to get the strength to “deal with “someone. It would have been laughable if not for the seriousness of what was unfolding.

Trump’s musings about Nigeria

Written by Lasisi Olagunju
~Nigerian Tribune. Monday, August 8, 2016

When I said the November 8 election would be rigged, Obama said my statement was ridiculous. He is dumb. What does he know about election rigging. Has he heard of Nigeria before? I mean, that is one country that has a robust history of election infractions and I have taken my time to study how they do it. I had to, especially when I know they are Obama’s second cousins. You know Nigerians and Kenyans look alike. Look at them again. They are capable of anything. So, I read them and use them as template in assessing what guys may be planning here.

Obama said it was ridiculous, that he didn’t understand what I meant. I said so, he is dumb. If he doesn’t understand anything, why can’t he read? At least I spoke with Washington Post’s Rucker last week. Brilliant fellow — although all journalists are the same — they don’t like Trump — just look at the CNN — I call that one Clinton News Network. They hate Trump. They are haters. Every minute, it is Clinton positive and Trump negative. If I have my way, I would import a Nigerian military law that says jail for journalists who embarrass public figures. Or I simply close down their television stations and newspapers. Anyway, they are even dying. Twitter is killing them every minute. And I am the master there. I tweet away their lies. But they don’t know. What really do they know? They are too inebriated in their anti- Trump project to notice that it is getting dark in their world.

Yes. Obama should have read my Post interview. I exposed their rigging plans. Or, maybe, he is pretending. Anyway, whatever – I explained to the Post that the voter ID situation has turned out to be a very unfair development. I said we may have people vote 10 times. Listen to what I said: It’s inconceivable that you don’t have to show identification in order to vote or that that the identification doesn’t have to be somewhat foolproof. I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised if the election is rigged. There’s a lot of dirty pool played at the election, meaning the election is rigged. they’re fighting as hard as you can fight so that that they don’t have to show voter ID. So, what’s the purpose of that? How many times is a person going to vote during the day? If you don’t have voter ID .?.?. Multiple times. How about like 10 times. Why not? If you don’t have voter ID, you can just keep voting and voting and voting.

That is what I said in the Washington Post interview and a lot of haters think I don’t know what I am saying. Look, I said I have studied all scenarios. You want to know if I sent investigators to Nigeria as I claimed I did with Hawaii in April 2011? You remember that episode? They were jittery then because I was going to burst their birther lie. And why didn’t I? That is not a story for today. Was I in Nigeria? The Nigerians are fantastic people. In that country, if you have enough money, you can hijack any of their political parties and buy or shoot your way to power. It does not matter whether you gave or have any clue or not. Money and bullets do it in that country. Yes, I took the Republican Party from the bosses. But I didn’t shoot anyone. I didn’t steal it. I mean, I just took it. They were dumb. They are still dumb. I gave them enough notice.

Back to my Washington Post interview. I chose my words in that interview from the Nigerian political lexicon. Rigging; Multiple voting; Voter ID – they actually call that one PVC — Permanent Voter Card. Even Nigerians, crooked as Hillary, now give what they call PVC to voters and they pretend showing it at their elections. And, has that helped them? They still vote and vote and vote. And there is no standard – children vote there and no one complains — including the unfair media- since they do pre-election agreement with everyone on who should be made winner. Ridiculous. That is what I won’t take here. Imagine what I saw at the beginning of this business – in Louisiana and Colorado. The more votes I won in those states, the fewer the delegates. Crooks! I stopped them. As I told the Post, I am now accustomed to the world of politics and I will continue to run them off the stage. They ain’t seen nothing yet.

Ndigbo: Love notes from Arewa

Igbo Kwenu! I write to you today as an admirer of your wonderful race because, quite frankly, you guys are truly special. And when you say you are descendants of the Hebrew who are known as Jews today, I didn't have any doubts. There are certain historical similarities, both good and bad. 

I see that even one of your states, Abia, is mentioned in the bible. And like the biblical Israelites, you are found everywhere. And wherever you are, you don't ever forget "Mother Israel". Funny enough my romance with you great people started in faraway Wukari in present day Taraba state. My love for ofe unugbo, nsala, ofe owerri, abatcha, ugo soup, and all the other cuisine didn't start from the East where I hardly visited (I think I have only been to Enugu, Onitsha and Owerri). But growing up in lowly Wukari in the 70s and 80s, I developed a love for the music of Morocco Maduka, Sir Warrior and Oliver de coque. Not forgetting the legend Osadebe and Kabaka. 

It was in Wukari too that I noticed your industriousness: you were our bakers, restaurateurs, chemists, transporters, traders, fancy shops owners, photographers, mechanics, barbers and just about everything else. You were my teachers and doctors as a child in both St Mary Primary School and Marmara Government Secondary School- all in Wukari. As a catholic, you were my catechists and priests. And I grew up with you people as neighbours: the late Baba Ikwaegwu, father of Chinasa and Okechukwu, my classmate and friend Charles (who has now relocated to the East). Charles had to relocate after his clothing shop was razed down in one of the episodes of the constant ethno-religious clashes of that town. A broken hearted man, Charles left the town he had come to know as home and where he has grown up as a brother to people like Mandy and Ternenge Justin. Charles speaks unimpeachable Hausa, Jukun and Tiv. I pray that Charles would someday return to Wukari.

Family of geniuses

Written by By Peter Ogbonna Eze

• Tale of 6 kids of same parents with exceptional intelligence

• After 3 siblings enrolled in varsity at 14, younger one ready at 12

A family of eight with six genius children has been discovered in Abuja.

The family hails from Ohafia Local Government area of Abia State. The family boasts of a record of successful admission of their children in universities at the maximum age of 14. Their true life story actually sounds like a fairy tale.

Parents of the kids and the last two, including Victor who completed his secondary education at 11 visited our office in Abuja to tell their extraordinary story.

Victor, aged 11 already holdsa primary school certificate, Junior and Senior WAEC certificates, Junior and Senior Word of Faith Bible Institute certificatesand another certificate from NABTEB.

Theparents of the children, Mr. Stanley Udensi and Mrs. Chinwe Udensi in their accounts told Abuja Metro that to them, the trend followed by their kids is divine favour and beyond their explanation. Or how else could they explain that their six children have continued to take same academic and intellectual path until Victor set a new record altogether.

To Mr. Udensi, his other attribution of such intelligence shown by his children is his wife's gene, whomheclaims was very intelligentin her school days. He also stated that his wifewas denied First Class grade in her university days.

But to Mrs. Udensi, a nurse, the reverse is the case. She said that despite the fact that her husband did not go far in his education, she is sure that apart from God, her children must have inherited the intelligence traits from her husband. She described her husband as a very brilliant and wise man whom even professors, and several other experts come to seek his advice. She said that because of the depth and quality of her husband's reasoning and thinking, she does not argue her husband's input and suggestion in her professional career.

Wife of world's richest man fetches water in Malawi

Written by Bayo Akinloye - Nigeria.  

Wife of the richest man in the world, Melinda Gates, was pictured on Saturday carrying on her head a bucket of water fetched from a village in Malawi.

Net worth of the United States' billionaire Bill Gates, according toForbes magazine's annual list of the world's billionaires, stands at $76 billion.

The billionaire's spouse, who described herself as "philanthropist, businesswoman, mother, passionate advocate for women and girls," posted a photo of herself with a 20-litre bucket of water on her head alongside two other Malawian women, walking on a dirt road.

In another picture posted on her Instagram page, she was seen doing the dishes in a Malawian village.

Describing her experience, Gates said on her Facebook page, "During my stay in Malawi, I joined the women collecting drinking water. I carried 20 litres and it was tough. Meanwhile, Chrissy (middle) is carrying about 40 litres. Many women do this every day."

She has been described as one of the world's famous social activist "who is trying to serve the people in ignorance."

In June, wife of the US billionaire met with Malawian President Peter Mutharika at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe. The agenda was to discuss the promotion of safe motherhood and maternal health in the country.

Enugu: From Ebeano to Gburugburu

Next Friday, as a new government is inaugurated at the centre, in Abuja, with President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, taking the oath of office as well as oath of allegiance and new governors also being sworn in, Enugu State will, most likely, be the cynosure of all eyes. There is sure going to be excitement, feeling of fulfillment and pride. This will be so not just because a new governor is assuming office. No. It's because a man in whom many an indigene of the state is well pleased is taking over the reins of government.

Right from the time the race for the Lion Building, as the Enugu Government House is called, started, one candidate stood tall among others. He easily emerged as a consensus candidate, even when other states were still planning how to resolve succession controversies. He was unanimously adopted by people from his zone. He was accepted by other zones in the state. He was embraced by the outgoing government in the state. And he was endorsed by the majority of the ordinary people and the elite. With this, it was a matter of time that he would clinch the governorship ticket of the ruling party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). I am talking about Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, governor-elect of Enugu State.

Amazing! Men who married wives' sisters

Written by HENRY UMAHI

Chief Fidelis Okoye (not real name), an indigene of Umuobasi - Umuanigwe, Enugwu - Mmaku in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State has created history of sort when he married two sisters - Esther and Susan (surname withheld).

The two wives are of the same parents. While the first wife is the first child in the family of seven (six females and a male), the second is the fifth child. Okoye's family is said to be a happy one even as the two women have between 17 and 19 children for their husband.A source close to the family said: "For them, it is like the more the merrier. I believe that the bickering that defines polygamous homes are almost non-existent in the family. The women love themselves as sisters and it has rubbed off on their children. In fact, theirs is a unique or special family, so to say."Uche Unaogu is a teacher from Imo State. His wife of 10 years, Mercy did not give him a child. That not withstanding, the couple is happy together. But the pain of childlessness was too much for them to bear and to overcome this, Mercy arranged for her husband to marry her younger sister, Uloma. Today both Mercy and Uloma are wives to Uche and they have four children.

The marrying of two sisters, which used to happen in the past has become acceptable in the society today. Many men are known to have married their wives' sisters. The reasons for such relationships vary from culture to culture even as some cultures view it as a taboo.

For instance, in Mmaku, where Chief Okoye comes from, a leader in the community said it is not the tradition of Mmaku people. "It is true that the man married two sisters. After he got married to the first lady, the sister in-law went to the house of the brother in-law. I don't know whether she went to baby-sit or stay with them but the fact was that she became pregnant. He said that he would marry the sister in-law but the family members were divided over the issue. But the man in question is wealthy, so some of them supported the idea while some opposed it. There was some sort of misunderstanding and quarrel. At the end of the day, the two sisters started having children for the man. But it is not the tradition of Mmaku people."

Igbo Trader founded Kwankwaso Town in Kano State

Sent by Daniel Elombah

Phone: +44-7435469430

Danjuma Azemobo Musa wrote:

DID YOU KNOW THAT THE TOWN KWANKWASO IN KANO STATE WHERE THE CURRENT STATE GOVERNOR DR. RABIU MUSA KWANKWASO COMES FROM WAS FOUNDED BY AN IGBO TRADER CALLED MR. OKONKWO ABOUT 90 YEARS AGO?

Here is the gist:

An Igbo trader called Mr. Okonkwo found a convenient farm gate site along the railway track leading to Kano where he could buy, thresh and mill groundnut. He set up his thresher and mill and erected a signboard reading "OKONKWO & SONS ENTERPRISES". Soon he started getting patronage from neighbouring villagers and farmers who found it convenient for trade because of proximity to the railway. With time, the spot became lively with business activities and people started erecting huts and market stalls. 

By this time, OKONKWO AND SONS was being pronounced "Kwakwason" by the locals. Thus a famer or people from neighbouring settlements would say "I am going over to kwankwason to thresh my grondnuts"

So it was that the town of KWANKWASO established. There is nobody born over 90years ago who would claim he was born in Kwankwaso.