The Ebonyi State Governor, Chief David Nweze Umahi, has given the agitators for the realisation of the Republic of Biafra to be carved from the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Governor Umahi emphasised that the South-East governors had listened to the complaints of the IPOB agitators and had decided to discuss them with the President.
“We have listened to the complaints of the boys. There is no way anybody could say that what they are saying is completely outside the truth, but just like husband and wife, you must have a way of getting along through dialogue.
“The governors of the South-East have taken up their matter to discuss with Mr. President and I believe that we don’t need another war in this country. I want to plead with you to encourage whoever is involved that we have taken up the matter and we will do everything possible to make sure that their feelings are addressed.
“We should not support secession. We should not support demonstrations; we should not support the castigation of our leaders.”
The governor, who spoke today when the leadership of the Abakpa Main Market Traders Association, visited him at the Government House in Abakaliki, dismissed the rumour that he was planning to defect to All Progressives Congress (APC) as it appeared in a sections of the media.
“When I said publicly that Ebonyi people will support Mr. President, they said, we have moved to the APC. PDP remains our party and  will remain our party.
“ But we need help and the way to get it is not to start castigating the President and no governor should castigate the President. But opposition belongs to the political parties.  For me and you, we are still bonafide members of the PDP.”
Governor Umahi said that his government is poised to redefining Abakaliki by looking inwards on how to take advantage of its location as a transit  point  to “realize our potential.”
He asked the traders to key into the vision of his administration, adding that the first batch of traders would be relocated to the International Market in April 2016.
According to him,  the second batch will be relocated in June while the third and final batches will be in September.
He announced that the government would be constructing additional vehicular parks and warehouses beside the Centenary City, opposite the International Market as a measure to minimize the inconveniences that traders might face when they move into the International Market.
Earlier in an address, the Chairman of AMMTA, Comrade Emeka Nwome, commended the governor on his life touching achievements within six months in  office.
Meanwhile, governor Nweze Umahi has expressed sadness over the death of a former Minister of Education, Dr. Igwe Aja-Nwachukwu, in an Israeli hospital.
Umahi, who was on  a condolence visit to the family of the deceased in Abakaliki yesterday, described Aja-Nwachukwu as a “peace advocate” and “one man that has a burning desire that we should succeed.
“When I visited him  in  the hospital in Israeli  this month, he was not even concerned about his health, he was more interested in how we could replicate the standard of the hospital in our state. That is the kind of man he was. He was more interested in how we can move our state forward.”
He commended the Nigerian Embassy in Israel for the assistance it rendered to the former minister while in the  hospital and promised  that his family and his administration would always stand by the Aja-Nwachukwu family. [myad]

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has asked media practitioners in Nigeria not to sit on the fence in matters of national importance even as he described Boko Haram terrorist activities as the major challenge facing the nation.

He therefore appealed to them to galvanize support among the populace for the ongoing war against the menace.

Lai Mohammed, who met representatives of media professional bodies in Abuja today, said that it is important for the media to report the fact that the military has turned the tide against the insurgents by degrading their ability to carry out spectacular attacks and retaking captured territories.

This feat by the military, according to him has paved “the way for displaced persons to gradually return to their homes, for schools that have been destroyed to be rebuilt and for pupils who could not go to school to do so.

“The war against terrorism is not a war for the military alone but for all Nigerians. The media must reflect this in their reporting and galvanize the people to know that it is not just a battle against a few insurgents but a war for the very survival of our nation,” he stated.

The Minister stressed the importance of national unity, saying: “we have taken our unity for granted and have not made a conscious and concerted effort to constantly service and strengthen it.

“Unfortunately, what started as a crack is now widening into a gorge; The media must not remain on the fence when the issue of our national unity is involved. They must carry out their duties in such a way that will unite, rather than divide our people. Our unity is fragile, and the fragility comes into the open at a time of economic downturn as we have now. We cannot afford to be neutral on the issue of national unity,” he said.

The government spokesman assured that the government would work with the media in the interest of the country, disclosing that, “we are working on forging a partnership between the government and the media that will see military and intelligence chiefs interfacing with you to give you first hand information on the progress of the war against terrorism.

“We believe it is important to carry the media along, because if you are well informed about the war, you will be in a better position to inform Nigerians about it. In this regard, you will hear more from us in the days to come.”

The Minister assured the journalists of timely and accurate information from the government, saying: ”if you run into any roadblock while seeking information from any government establishment, kindly notify us.” [myad]