Imeh D. Ebong, Ph. D., Director, Division of Research Development
MS 0960 RP 360 Huntington Avenue, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
02115-5000

I have been part of the "listening" audience in this forum for quite some
time. It is entirely possible that I have missed some past torrid exchanges
of the type that is taking place between Agbali and Onyeani. I am
particularly disturbed by Rev. Agbali's response in Africa Dialogue No.
839. I am not an Igbo man but I take serious exception to the obvious
expression of  tribal disrespect that is embodied in Rev. Agbali's write
up. I appeal to you as the moderator of this excellent forum to please do
all that is within your power to keep the exchange on this forum as civil
as possible. Those who have tribal scores to settle should be encouraged do
that on their personal "spaces." I do not see how these personal attacks:
the broad condemnation of the entire Igbo nation or the threat to wage a
war of words will solve a single problem in Africa.

Please encourage participants to give due consideration to the intellectual
content of their submissions before pushing them out on others. I want to
continue to be part of this forum. There should be a place in the wide
cyberspace for reasoned exchange between Africans of all backgrounds and
nationality. I thought I had found that in this forum and I want to think
that this will continue.