President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed happiness with the way the nation’s economy was handled by stakeholders while he was on a 103-day medical vacation in London. The President, he took briefings from the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the ministers of Finance and that of Budget and National Planning, said he is satisfied with the way things are looking up after two years of yeoman’s job. President Buhari, who asked the handlers of the nation’s economy to keep up the good work, reminded them that reviving the economy is one of the major planks on which the campaign of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), was based. He stressed that the main aim of government is to bring succour to Nigerians across all walks of life. Earlier, for nearly two hours, the President received briefings from Senator Udoma Udo Udoma (budget and national planning minister), Mrs Kemi Adeosun (Finance minister) and Godwin Emefiele (CBN governor). The Ministers and CBN Governor updated the President on the improving state of the economy, implementation of the 2017 Budget, preparation for the 2018 Budget, revenue strategies, combined cost reduction and debt management. Also discussed were monetary policy strategies and their economic impact, among others. [myad]
Liverpool Celebrate their victory. Photo credit | Daily Express
Liverpool, today, Sunday, at Anfield, send Arsenal to the cleaner, handing down four unreplied goals Not even the return of Alexis Sanchez in the duel, could inspire Arsene Wenger’s side as they fell to goals from Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Daniel Sturridge. Salah’s third goal, after 57 minutes, summed up Liverpool’s mastery of the opposition as Arsenal managed to concede from an attacking corner. After the ball was headed clear, Hector Bellerin misjudged the bounce and Salah sprang past him before sprinting over half the length of the field and converting clinically. Substitute Sturridge got in on the act with just his third league goal of 2017, completing the rout with a far-post header from Salah’s cross after yet another unstoppable counter-attack 20 minutes later. The opening goal had come in the 17th minute after wave of Liverpool attacks. Finally, on a rapid break, young full-back Joe Gomez delivered a superb, hanging right-wing cross and Firmino sprinted in at full speed to head past Petr Cech from six yards. The warning signs had been there for Wenger, even before Firmino’s opener. On 10 minutes, Emre Can and Firmino had combined effectively for the former to cross to the far post, where Salah looked certain to score until Cech scurried across his goal to make a brilliant block. Moments after taking the lead, Liverpool should have doubled it as Firmino freed captain Jordan Henderson, whose poor touch preceded a shot that flew well off-target. Klopp’s decision to axe regular first-choice goalkeeper Simon Mignolet from his squad had raised eyebrows, although Arsenal made an equally significant move in dropping club-record signing Alexandre Lacazette to the bench. Despite recalling Sanchez for his first Arsenal start since the FA Cup final in May, the Gunners looked close to complete disarray at times. Still, they might have taken the lead after just seven minutes when Sanchez surged through and played in Danny Welbeck, who could only hook his shot over under pressure from Gomez. But once in front, Liverpool played with increasing confidence, while Arsenal’s visibly drained. When Henderson’s 31st-minute cross was headed out of the area, Mane volleyed it, first-time, narrowly wide of the right-hand post. Liverpool’s control was complete in the 40th minute when Mane claimed a second goal that had been a long time coming. To sum up Arsenal’s wretched half, it came from one of their own attacks, which was broken up in the Liverpool area by Gomez. Liverpool broke upfield at electrifying pace, Can to Firmino to Mane, and the forward calmly cut inside Rob Holding before curling an unstoppable finish past the diving Cech. Wenger brought on Francis Coquelin for Aaron Ramsey at the interval and the visitors at least started to threaten, with Mesut Ozil shooting wide and Sanchez seeing his shot blocked on the edge of the area. The relief was short-lived, however, with Can soon heading a Salah free-kick just wide and Salah’s pacy run clean through on goal drawing another good save from Cech. The third and fourth goals were fully deserved for the hosts and only another good stop by the beleaguered Cech denied Mane a second goal in between them. Source: AFP [myad]
The Presidency has protested over what it called a stream of allegations published by some media organizations, over the past few months, aimed at generating hatred and disgust among some persons around the President. In a statement today, Sunday, the senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu said that the media allegation that the President signs memos brought to him by government officials or a so-called cabal without reading them, immediately casts doubts on the credibility of the ubiquitous unnamed sources that the reporters of the articles quote. “It is difficult to understand what anyone wants to achieve peddling such falsehood that the President, himself a former military general and Head of State and Commander-In-Chief, is subject to undue influence and manipulation. It is both ridiculous and inconceivable. “As someone who works very closely with President Buhari, I can testify to how my years of experience as a newspaper editor are often put to the test by the sheer thoroughness with which the President edits every single document brought to his desk. Every memo, statement, speech, is subject to his intense scrutiny, right down to the placement of commas and full stops.” Garba Shehu also deplored the insinuations by the same media organisations that in one week of the President’s return, the Vice President has been sidelined, describing such allegation as “absolutely nonsensical and absurd. “Quite to the contrary, the Vice President remains the confidante and the closest adviser to the President. “He has attended all the President’s engagements all through the week with the exception of two: one, the VP was away to Taraba State and two, the Juma’at Muslim prayer because he is a Christian.” The Presidential spokesman acknowledged that because the President cannot do everything, he needs close officials whom he trusts and who will be willing to offend others in the process of ensuring his own safety and wellbeing, and the advancement of his vision for Nigeria. He said that the attacks on Malam Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to the President (COS) have been leveled with such imperiousness that they must no longer be laughed off as crazy. He stressed that the COS is like the headman of all the President’s political appointees and that he has direct responsibility for multiple levels of staff working for the President. “Part of his role includes liaising with ministries and parastatals, so that he can have a full awareness of the issues being discussed whenever these groups meet with the President. “It goes without saying that anybody who occupies such office has impeccable credentials of total loyalty to the President. Clearly, some consider this oversight role as a usurping of the President’s powers, and it is their misunderstanding of the situation that some media organisations have swallowed hook, line and sinker. “Under this administration, as the ones before it, the office of the Chief of Staff is a branch of the President’s office. There are no power centers here. The only power center is that of the President who is sensitive to grassroots level administration which the Chief of Staff must ensure. “For Abba kyari, there is no life after work. He is available to the President 24/7. “President Buhari is working day and night to steer Nigeria through these trying times. There are important issues in the hand of government such poverty reduction, turning around the economy, creating jobs, fighting corruption and terrorism, railway, agriculture, roads, power and rural and urban development that there simply is not enough time to be spent answering baseless allegations in the media. As he builds a new foundation from the mess left behind by previous irresponsible governments, the President cannot do it alone. He needs the absolute loyalty of his COS, he needs the acumen of government officials, he needs the courage and understanding of the Nigerian people, and he needs the support of institutions such as the media.” Garba Shehu said that Publishing poorly-researched allegations and trying to pass them off as investigative journalism or as news might lead to more newspaper sales or to more clicks on a website, but that they would, in the long run, slow down the growth and development of the country, which now requires the absolute focus of President Buhari and his carefully-selected team to build the Nigeria of our dreams. “Unfortunately, this is the path The Punch has chosen and there’s no one to help them but themselves. “It is appropriate at this point to dispel the false notion anyone has tried to undermine the Vice President when he acted in the absence of the President. “This, I must say with all emphasis, is utter falsehood. “As Acting President, Vice President Osinbajo enjoyed the support of the Villa Staff and the entire cabinet. Otherwise he would not have succeeded and earn the praises of the President. These are just a few among the false and illogical accusations making the COS larger than life, with the aim of pulling him down. “No Chief of Staff including this one, can create hurdles for a president and survive the next day. The roles and duties don’t warrant the kind of falsehood being spread. “When the President was away on the medical vacation, the Chief of Staff rallied the Presidency behind Professor Osinbajo because he knew that his boss, President Buhari expected nothing less. “A careful assessment of some these allegations with a rational mind will show that there is an orchestrated campaign to smear the COS and indirectly the President. “If I can speculate on the matter, I will say that the problem Malam Abba Kyari has with most people is that he, like the President he serves, will not throw money at people in order to please them. “As COS, Malam has refused to keep cash imprest and has turned down a monthly grant of N200 million customarily given to the office. This is money freely spent because they were not required to account for what they did with it. “Journalists with questions to ask concerning the President and the Villa administration are please welcome approach both the Special Adviser, Femi Adesina, Laolu Akande or myself. Where we don’t have your answers, we are ready to obtain as much as we can, the correct responses to your enquiry.” [myad]
“Shekau has left his enclave in Sambisa and moved deep into Mandara Mountain. I know the area where he is hiding and willing to provide a guide to the military.” This promise was made by Abdulkadir Abubakar, former, Boko Haram commander in a chat with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) from his cell, after he was arrested by the military in Gujba local government area of Yobe state in June. He emphasised that the Albarnawi and Mamman Nur factions of the insurgent group are ready to cooperate with the federal government to defeat Abubakar Shekau. “We are willing to hold talks with the government to achieve peace. Shekau is not willing to surrender due to his high handedness. Unfortunately, the government and military authorities accorded priority on dealing with Shekau, who is blood thirsty. “Albarnawi has indicated interest to dialogue with the government to end insurgency and provide a lasting solution to the crisis. “Albarnawi discusses this with members of his circle. And I can assure the government that he would cooperate to achieve peace. The two factions are willing to cooperate with Nigerian government to defeat Shekau.” He said that he is working with the military in providing information on the whereabouts of Shekau. He confirmed said that the intensified military offensive has weakened Shekau’s position and that of the other groups. The former chief intelligence officer of Boko Haram explained that during the early days of the insurgency, they fought to “establish a caliphate where human beings are valued, cherished and respected. “After annexing vast territories, Shekau began to demonstrate his cruelty and atrocities against humanity. “In view of the high level atrocities committed by the group, some of the top commanders including myself, Albarnawi and Mamman Nur challenged Shekau, demanding an immediate end to the ugly saga. “Thereafter, Albarnawi and Mamman Nur parted ways, and formed their groups. Shekau is responsible for suicide bombings and attack on soft targets in the north-east. “The Albarnawi and Mamman Nur groups never attacked schools, religious places of worship, markets, women and children. Our fight was strictly with security forces. Even the kidnapped oil workers would not be killed by the group. “Shekau is fond of using the girls and other abducted women as sex toys, and suicide bombers. He kills on the pretence of punishing for lies, theft, and rebellion. Shekau kills without justification. “Shekau arrogated to himself the powers to accuse, prosecute, convict and punish in total contradiction to Islamic teaching. Children and women also starved to death in Sambisa due to Shekau’s cruelty.” He said that both Mamman Nur and AlBarnawi opposed the abduction of women, children, and the Chibok school girls.[myad]
Saturday night heavy downpour in Makurdi had submerged Benue Radiot Station, university community, Wurulum market and six other communities in Benue state. The State Commissioners for Land, Survey and Solid Minerals, Mr Bernard Unenge, and Water Resources and Environment, Mr Joseph Utsev who went round to assess the situation today, Sunday, said that the Transmission House of Radio Benue, Wurukum Market, and Low Level were submerged as a result of the downpour. Other communities affected were Welfare Quarters, Benue State University community, New Kanshio village, Rice Mill Wadata as well as Idye and Achusa villages. The commissioners said that the ministries needed adequate funds to mitigate the situation, and that the disaster was caused by blocked drainages in some areas. They called on the Federal Government to include Benue state among the states to benefit from the N1.6 billion ecological intervention funds for states affected by flood disasters. The commissioners said that the state has not received any ecological assistance from the Federal Government since 2013. “Benue Government is looking for ways in which River Benue can be dredged. This is because by dredging the river, majority of the water can be accommodated to prevent future overflow. “The ongoing research so far, showed that the preliminary study will cost about N8 billion while the main project will gulp about N300 billion. “This is where we need Federal Government financial intervention to execute the project, since the funds are much.” They said that the dredging would also encourage economic activities to be serviced by the state’s Cargo Airport. The commissioners said that the government would immediately relocate the traders at the Wurukum Market to the International Market, adding that government is ready to provide additional land for the traders in case the International Market was not sufficient. The Executive Secretary of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr Boniface Ortese told NAN during the inspection of the affected areas that proactive measures have been put in place to address the situation. He said that all relevant authorities in the country were communicated, adding that the agency would soon open the IDPs camp at North Bank. Several households, property and electrical polls were destroyed in the state capital. No fewer than 4,000 houses were submerged in the 2012 flooding which also destroyed property worth millions of naira. NAN[myad]
A top commander of Boko Haram insurgents, Auwal Ismaeela, has confessed that he led his men to abduct female students of Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno state on April 14, 2014. He also confessed that he personally abducted his wife, Maryam from his country home, Madagali. The Commander who spoke with PRNigeria at a military facility for the repentant and surrendered Boko Haram members in the North-East said: “my self and Abu Hafsat a Boko Haram commander led other squads to abduct the Chibok girls. “We led the operations to invade Gwoza, Bama, Limankara mobile barrack, Bita, Bosso, Madagali, Chibok, Pulka, Firgi, and Mubi. “In Madagali which was my home town, myself, Adam Vitiri, Abu Adam and Habu Kudama, some high ranking Boko Haram Commander led an operation in 2014 where we killed some students and youths at the Central Secondary School in Sabon Garin Madagali. “In one of the operations, I abducted my wife named Maryam who had two kids for me in Sambisa Forest. “It is unfortunate that I was brainwashed and misled not only on some abductions but in the killings of my own people that were innocent. I wholeheartedly regret my actions. “During a battle in Konduga where myself and other Boko Haram commanders led the operations, I lost my right leg and was almost got burnt. Even at that, I did not stop fighting for the course. Sheikh Shekau ordered that I should be given a tricycle which I continued to use for various operations before I eventually surrendered.” The surrendered Boko Haram commander gave several reasons for his decision to voluntarily surrender to the Nigerian troops after realising the misleading sermons, barbaric indoctrination of the sect leaders and atrocities being committed in some of the Boko Haram camps. “I willingly surrendered to the military because I was tired of the senseless killing and fight. I realised that our people have resort to stealing and all sort of atrocity contrary to the teaching and practice of Islam. “Women were being raped, sometimes publicly. Children died from malnutrition and disease as the living condition became harsher. As there was no food in the camp, people died every day because of hunger. “I will continue to cooperate with the security agencies in providing useful information on our mode of operations and to disclose top-secret hideouts of our commanders.” Meanwhile, more than One hundred (100) Boko Haram members and some commanders, had in the recent past, surrendered to the military, knowing full well that their actions had become inimical to the overall interest and well-being of the nation and the surrounding countries of Cameroun, Niger, and Chad. [myad]
The Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Saliu Adetunji, has made t clear to Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi that he will not attend the coronation of of High Chiefs slated for tomorrow, Sunday, at Mapo Hall.
Ajimobi had, yesterday, Friday, presented letters of conferment of Obaship titles to 30 out of the 32 obas recommended by the retired Justice Akintunde Boade- led Judicial Panel of Enquiry on the review of 1957 Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration.
The panel had, on Aug. 18, submitted its report recommending 11 Olubadan High Chiefs and 21 Baales to wear beaded crown in Ibadan. Olubadan had kicked against the review, saying he was not in support of it.
In a statement issued today, Saturday by the Director, Media and Public Affairs to Olubadan, Mr Adeola Oloko, the monarch said his name being bandied around in some quarters as the father of the day at the occasion does not enjoy his blessing.
“I have said it for the umpteenth time that I am opposed to the chieftaincy review and its recommendations as the process for such exercise has not been followed.
“Therefore, as being advertised in some media houses, l cannot see how, I could possibly play a fatherly role in an exercise that I have not endorsed
“Besides, as the father of Ibadan indigenes irrespective of political and ideological persuasion, I cannot attend an occasion where local government executives of one political party have been sending text messages to the party members in Ibadan land to mobilise for the event as if it is a political rally,” Adetunji said.
The monarch said he considered any conferment of crowns on anybody as an exercise in futility until otherwise reversed.
Adetunji said that it was going to be contemptuous for anybody to attend that programme as there are two suits that are yet to be determined before the court.
“Where is the humanity of the organisers of the programme when Ibadan land is still mourning the passage of the Otun Balogun, High Chief Femi Olaifa, who was one of them until Aug.24,” he said.
This article is a follow-up to my previous one, first published in June 2016. The various points canvassed at that time remain substantially relevant till date. In fact, the tempo has increased in dimension,
The agitation for a Biafra Republic has assumed a frightening proportion. Marginalization has given rise to this agitation with inflammatory utterances, hate-speeches from both sides of the divide, unnecessary heating up the polity, with activities bordering on felony.
NnamdiKanu and his Separatist group known as Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) now have their own Biafra Army. These young men are certainly progressing in error and they need to retrace their steps before it is too late.
Professor Chinua Achebe, (of blessed memory) a renowned literary giant, a highly respected son of Igboland, has a message for his Igbo kindred. I quote him thus:
“…the consequences of the men with ideas leaving the stage to those described as –money-miss-road-ragamuffins men and women with no records of service or achievement, men and women who else where should be in jail, taking up the centre stage and do
ing what they know best, creating a maelstrom, ratcheting up the volume of vitriol and creating a discordant orchestration of artistic chaos in the land…”
Is there any tribe in Nigeria today that is not complaining of marginalization? The Yorubas, a major tribe, have their own fair taste of marginalization. Ditto the Hausa/Fulanis, the Ijaws, the Urohbos, the Ebiras, the Okuns, the Ogoris, theIgalas, all of Kogi State. The Ikwerres, the Ishan people. The Idomas, the Tivs, the Jukuns of Taraba. The litany of tribes complaining of marginalization is endless.
The agitation for the actualization of a Biafra Republic should not be construed to mean same as restructuring of the Nigerian State. That narrative should be clearly understood. These are two ends of a long pole and I support one end of it – restructuring.
But the balkanization (I am not referring to restructuring here) of Nigeria is not the answer to this agitation. Do you know why? Let us profit from Professor Wole Soyinka’s recent incisive exposition on this matter
“….The poor Hausa man is riding Okada. The poor Ibo man is riding Okada. The poor Yoruba man is riding Okada
The poor Hausa man sleeps under the bridge as Alamajiri. The poor Yoruba man sleeps under the bridge as Alaye. The poor Ibo man sleeps under the bridge as agbero.
It is pertinent to note that the poor from all ethnic groups in Nigeria have everything in common and so is the rich.Do not allow the agitation of an Ibo man who lives in UK or USA for Biafra cause the killing of the Ibo man in Adamawa. The rich hate us that much.Do not allow the Alhaji whose children are living abroad to persuade you to go and start killing on the street of Kaduna.
The problem in the country is not the agitation of any ethnic group but the unity of the elite and the disunity of the masses.
How many times have you taken your agitation to question your local government Chairmen?
Why have you not asked your Governors through agitation how they spent bailout fund?
Why have you not agitated against that government official whose mansions you go to beg for help?…”
When the Yoruba people felt marginalized in the scheme of things, they did not resort to ‘hate speeches’ or engage in unnecessary heating up the polity for balkanization of the country. Rather, they settled for strategic planning method and it worked. In Kogi State, for instance, the West and the Central Senatorial Zones had been marginalized since the inception of the State. The Eastern flank of the State had ruled that long. The Central Senatorial Zone went into a subtle partnership, conscientious planning and fervently turned to God. At least, today, we can get to see the answer. A young-man from the Central is now in charge in Lugard house. This was achieved without any sign of disrespect to the other two senatorial districts in the State and no unscrupulous utterances. Let me to say this, My reference to the Eastern flank of Kogi State in this narrative should not be construed as a note of vilification. Certainly not.That is not the purpose. The purpose is indeed to draw empirical lesson for us to lear and apply in our respective struggle for a just and egalitarian society.
In fact, Otunba Dele Momodu, Publisher of Ovation Magazine, appropriately captured, in his recent exposition on this matter, and brought to the fore the historical value of this conversation. Please read:
“Let’s highlight some permutations. Had the Igbos worked well with the South West and the North Central, it might have been easier for an Igbo Presidency to materialise. Just imagine if they could lock down the entire South where majority are Christians and the Southern Muslims even marry Christians, the next job would be to align with the so-called minorities scattered across the Northern belts. I’m certain many of our youths are unaware that Chief ObafemiAwolowo once performed such experiment when he chose an Igbo man, Phillip Umeadi, as his running mate. He would probably have succeeded if he had secured massive votes from the South East and South South. All he would have needed was to poach from mostly North East and North Central. Alas, the audacious experiment failed woefully. Since then no Southern candidate of note has ever dared to pick a running mate from the South.
“There is an enduring lesson to learn from the people of South West Nigeria. In 1981, Chief MoshoodAbiola was frustrated out of a political party in which he invested so much time, energy and resources, the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). He went back home quietly to lick his wounds. He had enough cash to try and destabilise the polity at the time but he opted to up his philanthropic work. He reached out to every nook and cranny of Nigeria helping the needy, contributing to schools, churches, mosques, creating jobs, investing in agriculture, sports and so on. From being one of the most hated Nigerians, he became one of the most loved. It was only a matter of time before his chickens came home to roost. By the time he launched his Presidential bid in 1993, even his most vociferous critics knew he was unstoppable. Chief Abiola won the election, but lost the mandate freely given to him by every part of Nigeria. The Nigerian Mafia, connived and conspired to rob him of his hard-fought victory. Every effort to regain his mandate was rebuffed and frustrated. The strategy was simple and effective. Reduce Abiola’s victory to a Yoruba affair, repeat all kinds of lies till they become believable, and a pan-Nigerian mandate was burnt into ashes. Abiola was abandoned and left in the lurch. Still the Yoruba people did not seek revenge or retaliation. They fought and without firing a shot extracted a form of justice as payback. The destroyers of June 12 could not believe the resilience of the people. In frustration and desperation, they sought and found a perfect ally to dump the stolen mandate on since they didn’t want Abiola by all means. General OlusegunObasanjo served this purpose and it was a coronation of sorts when he reincarnated as civilian President.
Let us remind ourselves that a nation without history will go into extinction. This brings me to what the “common sense” Senator Ben Murray Bruce, said on the night of Sunday, April 24, 2016 at the “Man of the Year Award Night” organized by Silverbird TV in Lagos, Senator Ben Bruce told his audience and I quote”
“As I walked into this venue, this evening, two young ladies approached me and asked what is happening here? I said, it is an award night to honour some Nigerians, who had done well in their respective fields and indeed impacted on the lives of Nigerians. Among them is Major GeneralTundeIdiagbon of blessed memory. The ladies, one, may be about 27years and the other about 22years, retorted, surprisingly, you mean Maj-Gen TundeIdigagbon will be coming? That is what we get when a nation has no history, when we fail to teach history in our schools”. (end of the quote – apologies to the distinguished Senator, if I did not capture his statement verbatim, but the message is quite clear). For purposes of education, MajorGeneralBabatundeAbdullbakiIdigagbon died on March 24, 1999”.
In a short video interview granted to a foreign female correspondence, Chief Chukwuemeka OdumegwuOjukwu (of blessed and unforgotten memory) said that it will be a mistake for anyone to provoke another war.
Correspondent – But Chief Ojukwu you led the first one?
Chief Ojukwu: – Yes, I know. A lot of people will say but you were leading the first one. I will say to everyone, I led proudly the first one. (But) I do not think a second one is necessary. We should have learnt from the first one, otherwise the dead will have beento no avail. (end of the interview).
That was the man who began the Biafra struggle in the mid-60s as a young military officer serving in the Nigerian Army. A struggle which culminated into a full blown civil war with its attendant dared consequences, with over 3million Nigerians dead and properties of unimaginable proportion destroyed from both Federal and Biafran sides. The war, which in the eyes of the International community was clearly needless and available, if revolutionary ideas had not been promoted over and above the love and growth of our compatriots and the nation per se. The interview above was granted in the late80s, perhaps with the advance in age Chief EmekaOjukwu saw that struggle in a different light. In his considered opinion the struggle “was indeed no longer necessary”.
We do know revolutionary ideas have always aggravated situations. “A young man thinks about the size of the man in a fight, whereas an elder thinks of the size of the fight”, our elders told us long ago. “It is the beginning of a fight you know, but you never know the end of it”. Painfully, this kind of adage has no meaning to our children of today. It simply does not fly.
Shall we ask our elders, our grandfathers in Igbo-land their experiences during the civil war? Or in recent times, do we ask our brothers and sisters from Ife/Modakeke inOsun State, their sad experience during their communal clashes? It is indeed a very sad and painful experience.
Thank God, today, common-sense has prevailed in Ife/Modakeke. There is harmony. Mutual respect has returned. There now exists in Ile Oduduwa peace. Please, let us perish the thought of anther civil war in this country. Dim Ojukwu told us many years ago, “Biafra is dead”.
Need we mention the senseless Rwandan genocide, which began like play and grew exponentially out of control. Truly, it was not anticipated that it will escalate to the proportion it got on April 7, 1994 when it began between the Tutsi and Hutus. Consequently, countless innocent souls were lost and uncountable properties destroyed. Till date, it is still a bad reference in the history of Rwanda and the world. The genocide would have been avoided if dialogue had been encouraged and brought to the front-burner.
Bernard Balogun wrote from Wuse District, in Abuja, and can be reached via
Bianca Ojukwu, who is widow of former Biafran warlord, the late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, has warned pro-Biafra groups led by Nnamdi Kanu not to use Anambra state as testing ground for his separatist movement, by calling for the boycott of the forthcoming state governorship election.
Speaking during the inauguration of the Akpokuodike Fan Club, in Awka, Mrs. Ojukwu said: “let them begin it in their home states. Why Anambra? They better desist or have themselves to be blamed.”
Mrs. Ojukwu, who is the immediate Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, said that APGA and its leadership remained a replica and model of her late husband’s dream of a region where excellence prevailed.
She underscored the need for the dream of the party to be upheld for posterity, saying that governor Obiano should be returned for a second term to sustain the dividends of good governance in the state.[myad]
‘‘Igbo have never mandated anybody to go and talk about secession. I am an Igbo man and a leader. I was the Chairman of Planning and Strategy of Ohaneze Ndigbo, so when you talk of any decision on the Igbo, it must have my consent.”
Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who made these points when he spoke to news men today, Saturday, in Abuja, expressed worry over agitations by some groups calling for the nation’s balkanization.
He declared emphatically: “we all stand for one Nigeria and in future if anybody makes a statement, nobody should generalize and say it is Igbo. People should stop generalizing individual’s comment as if it were the general Igbo who made the comment.
The PDP chieftain said that there are good and terrible people amongst the Igbo as it is in other tribes.
“I am happy that the President (Muhammadu Buhari) has said that anyone who made threatening comments would be disciplined and he has said he would put security measures to protect them.
“l am happy that Nigerian leaders as well as the governors are coming up to say that Igbo are safe in their places (in the North).
‘‘Many Igbo in the north have been coming to me asking me of what to do; I want to assure them that nobody is going to hurt them.”
Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu however, said that the call for restructuring is appropriate to address the numerous challenges confronting the country, saying that restructuring doesn’t mean division of the nation, adding ‘‘let us forget about the talk of secession by some young people.
“I just want everyone to accept this restructuring and by the way, this restructuring issue is not a complicated one.
“We have had two constitutional conferences during Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr Goodluck Jonathan civilian governments. We don’t even need to have a sovereign national conference.
“If the National Assembly members can be honest with themselves, they should form a committee of the whole which include both chambers and call it a restructuring committee.
“Call for submission by people then include it with the submissions from the conference by Obasanjo and Jonathan, then they will know that we want to restructure to give more autonomy, money and development to the region and avoid people running to Abuja for everything.
“We need a system where people can stay in their states, create industries and get jobs.”[myad]
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“Shekau has left his enclave in Sambisa and moved deep into Mandara Mountain. I know the area where he is hiding and willing to provide a guide to the military.”
Saturday
