M. I. OKPARA CANNOT BE COMFORTABLE IN HIS GRAVE

 By Mazi Omife I. Omife,  Mbuze Mbaukwu

When Zik, the spirit man, left Onitsha province, Awka District, to Umuahia and appointed Dr. M. I. Okpara as the premier and late Dr.  Akanu Ibiam as the Govenor of Eastern Region of Nigeria, people did not have much qualms about Ibiam. After all, they said, the post of a Governor was a ceremonial one.

 In the case of Okpara, some people were skeptical about his eligibility for the position of premier which was an executive position. In the first place,  people did not know much about him like Dr. J. O. J. Okezie and others associated with  known Zikists and die hard supporters of the great Zik of Africa.

 Secondly, people said he was too fat, which they assumed had something to do with dullness, timidity and lack of leadership charisma, believing that the politics of those days called for a very agile, brave and vibrant person who had the gut to play the hot tribal Nigerian politics of the time and look at other politicians from other regions in the eye without blinking or shying away whenever the situation called for it, which qualities they thought Okpara did not possess, judging by his physical appearance.

 All this while, M. I. Okpara kept his calm and this calmness seemed to give credence to what people were thinking. Could this man carry the cross left behind by the great Zik?

 However, in a short while, the same people began to see the true M. I. Okpara in action as a man of courage, charisma, leadership acumen, patriotism and a leader with full Igbo blood running in his veins.

 Once when late Chief Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo came to the East for political campaign, the Aba boys threw stones at him and his entourage. The story was everywhere. The Western  press was furious in condemning the action. Even the Federal Government of Alhaji Tafewa Balewa condemned it vehemently.

 Before then, an event had been fixed at Ibadan where M. I. Okpara was billed to present a paper and the event was in a month’s time. The then premier of Western region, Sir Akintola, in reaction to the Aba incident, publicly warned Okpara not to set his foot in Ibadan. But M. I. Okpara would not yield to that threat.

FACTS ABOUT ANAMBRA IGALAS

 Anambra is Not 100% Igbo. There Are Igala-Speaking People in The State. See Evidence

By Chinachrisikenna, 2020-03-30 01:33:27

Anambra State is considered as the heart of Igboland because it habours Nri which is considered as the ancestral seat of Igbo land. However, what many people do not know is that Anambra is not completely Igbo. There are more than 10 communities in the state that are of the Igala bloodline. These communities lie at the periphery of the state which borders the River Niger and extends to Delta and Kogi State.

Before I mention these communities, I would like to recount three real life experiences that made me know that there are Igala people living in our state.

First was in my Secondary School Days at the defunct Osusu Boys Secondary School, Aba which is now run by Anglican Church. It was around 2006 and I was in Jss 2 G. The school was then a large one with each class from JSS 1 to SS3 having sub classes of fifty (50) students each. The classes were labelled A to whichever number the students stopped. So, I was in JSS 2 G. The JSS 2 class stopped at H. JSS 1 was the largest then extending to O.

There was this boy that joined us in our second term. His name was Paschal Ojochebe. The first time our English Teacher pronounced his surname, I knew instantly it was not Igbo. Mrs Atata was not left out too. We all were astounded when Paschal told us he was from Anambra State precisely Anambra West Local Government Area. This particular incident stuck to my memory. Paschal left in our SS1 back to Anambra.

The second incident was in my second year at the University of Uyo in 2015. I was staying in Udi Hostel and it was during Post UTME period. One of our roommates had accommodated his childhood friend who came for the exam. They all grew up in Onitsha. We had this tradition of welcoming new occupants in the room after which the new occupant will buy bread and drinks for the boys. During his introduction, this new guy introduced his name as Ekenedilichukwu Omoja. This piqued my curiosity instantly.

Others were unbothered even he mentioned he was from Anambra. I have a flair of always trying to know about people, their states, ethnic groups and the like. I am very much potty about the cultural and ethnic compositions of countries of the world and trust me, I have visited several places with my eyes than legs. I am yet to meet someone that can match my cultural and anthropological zest. Well, I later met him and he said he was from Ukwala, an Island surrounded by the River Niger in Anambra.

Igbos are not united: WE ARE IGBOS. DEAL WITH IT.

Igbos are not united!

It was the same people who sell you the stereotype that Igbos are not united that came out, to fight the unity of Igbos at Okota/Ago, other parts of Lagos and Igbo land in general.

Seeing that their narrative is failing, they are now selling another narrative. They are saying Igbos are putting all their eggs in one basket. 
How can the whole of the Igbos vote PDP?
Now we are being accused of not being divided enough to spare some votes for APC. Olee ihe emere ya adi uwa mma?

A little history will suffice. We are an egalitarian society. Indirect rule didn't work with Igbos.  It worked well with the North and the South West but not with Igbos. Warrant Chiefs didn't help matters either. So really, Igbos are not political lots. Same reason voter aparthy is highest in Igbo land.

But when we take a political stand, we speak with one voice. That is who we are. 
We have always done. We did it with Shagari, Obasanjo, Ya'radua and Jonathan. We are doing it against Buhari.

Make no mistake, we have always put our political eggs in one basket and that is who we are. That is why we don't entertain dynasties. The likes of Saraki and Tinubu and Mohammed won't last a decade in Igbo land (ask the Ubas of Uga).
We are decisive and courageous. If that is what you call arrogance, then so be it. But we will never stand on the fence.

I write this because of the young generation of Igbos in Nigeria. Go home to your fathers in the villages and ask questions. Learn how to be Igbo without being apologetic. The first thing people notice about an Igbo man is his enterprising spirit. It is not found anywhere else. Ihe agwo muru aghaghi ito ogologo.

We can't apologize for who we are. But what we do not have is the spirit of Nigerian politics. We don't play the politics of "Master say! Alhaji say! Baba so kpe! Everyone is a master in Igbo land. Onweghi onye na akpanye ibe ya nri.

The Igwe of my community has no more stake in the affairs of my community than I do. He is more of a representative of the people to the government and the custodian of our tradition than a "ruler" in the real sense of it. That is why we have the cabinet and elders in council.
Igbo amaghi eze. 

It is not a bad thing in a sense that decisions are collectively taken, from the household, through the hamlets to the community. It does not make us lawless lots. The consultative mechanism is our strength. Igwe bu ike.

THE HAUSA-FULANI ARE NOT OUR MATES

Dan Okojie Wrote:

Southern Nigeria [Igbo, Yoruba and Niger Delta] listen to me carefully. 

Forget your PhDs, businesses, "abroad exposure", "open-eye", big big grammar, social media sagacity etc. Get your notes, go and beg the Hausa-Fulani to tutor you on how to play politics.

The average Fulani man may look dirty, uneducated, unexposed, deprived or stupid but he possesses a knowledge of the importance of political power and how to use it. The Hausa-Fulani are not by any means stupid. In fact, they are masters of Nigerian politics. 

Nigeria's transition to democracy in 1999, was heralded as a new dawn for a brighter future. In preparation to enthrone himself as a civilian President, the late General Sani Abacha created Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Nassarawa, Zamfara, Gombe and Ekiti States. Now making 36 in total. The South had absolutely no idea that by this, the balance of power would forever tilt towards the North even in a democratic setting. Only on this premise did Abacha agree to an eventual transition to democracy which General Abdusalam would see through. The 1999 constitution [the one supervised and crafted by the Caliphate], put paid to the aspirations of the South and set the stage for its perpetual subservience to the North. Our politicians didn't think much about it-we were happy Obasanjo was made President.

In today's Nigeria, Northern Nigeria dominates virtually every aspect of the nation's political dynamics. Democracy is a game of numbers and with this fact, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger etc., will continue to play significant roles in who becomes President of Nigeria, their members in the national assembly will continue to constitute the majority without which key bills would falter if not in their interests-PIB, NNPC sale, oil blocks licensing, electoral reforms, restructuring etc.

No matter your wealth, the real power lies with who calls the shots in politics. By fiat, your billions could be frozen by the President whimsically. The average Southerner is not politically conscious. He doesn't understand politics nor does he think beyond an election cycle. The Hausa-Fulani plan across generational lines. They think ahead. You often see the shoemaker, sugarcane seller, herdsman, suya man and others glued to their transistor radio. They don't bother about Davido, Tuface or Teniola. They are focused on what's going on in the polity-propaganda, religious directives, strategies, policy etc.

Their mosques are centers for religious, political and social engineering. In every election, they vote en bloc for a particular candidate regardless of performance. Once their leaders direct, they follow. Some may call this foolishness but I beg to differ. It is exactly why Buhari was so confident going into the 2019 elections having performed disastrously. Southern Nigeria's churches focus on tithes, wealth and bogus spiritual promises of a "better life".

You don't find Hausa-Fulani killing themselves during elections. But the supposedly "Educated" South is always a war zone at every election cycle.

While Southerners target Shell, Mobil, Total, Chevron, Zenith bank, traveling abroad, bagging degrees etc, the average Northerner's focus is the NDA, military, CBN, NNPC, DPR, NAPIMS, Police, DSS and other organizations that have considerable strategic influence in the affairs of the country.

Northern Nigeria is way smarter, united, politically mature and coherent than the South. Kwankwaso may disagree with Buhari but he would never get into a war of words with him like Amaechi did with Jonathan in 2015. Kwankwaso and Ganduje may be political enemies but you would never see their supporters shelling themselves with bullets like those of Amaechi and Wike. Buhari and Atiku [both Fulani men] contested the 2019 elections, not a single bullet was fired in the North but over 50 persons were killed in Rivers State alone due to the feud between Amaechi and Wike.

We need to come down from our high horse, go on our knees to beg them to lecture us for we are but babies in this game.

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.

A PEEP THROUGH THE VEIL - THE FINAL SCENE OF THE EXCLUSION OF THE IGBO NATION FROM GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA

PRESS STATEMENT BY THE IGBO RENAISSANCE FORUM (IRF)
By Nze Ugo-Akpe Onwuka (Oyi of Oyi II)

First of all, we would want to seize this opportunity to congratulate the malevolent schemers who have succeeded in scheming the Igbo nation out of the country Nigeria.

We are congratulating them because they have succeeded in doing what is virtually impossible in sane climes.

They have succeeded in strangling separation of powers and would in no time shoot the rule of law, point blank in the middle of the eyes.

It is great to know that you completed your mission albeit without much resistance from those who are at risk and should have known better.

It is expedient to note that the final nail was hammered into the casket of Igbo involvement in governance in Nigeria today as the cycle is fully completed.

As the country Nigeria stands today, there is no Igbo man in the Executive ranks, non in the Judiciary, non in the Security and non in the legislature.

Hurray! (This is the reaction of those who are about to commit self destruction)

It has become very obvious to even a blind man that the Igbo is not wanted in the affairs of governance in Nigeria, and for those who have been very watchful as these schemes played out, we are neither surprised nor perturbed.

The time for introspection is NOW!

This is the time for the Igbo nation to go back to their drawing board and get things fixed.

We are sure that some folks might be thinking that we as a people should have aligned with the wobbling and fumbling government for crumbs falling off their blood stained tables, but please keep that thought to yourself.

The Igbo nation does not condone abomination, and the way the affairs of government has been carried out since 2015 is the most correct definition of abomination.

People have been slaughtered from every part of this country without one successful arrest and prosecution by those who claim to have been put into office to protect the citizens.

Appointments have been made without recourse to common sense and good conscience.

The economy has gone into reverse mode with Nigeria being hailed as the poverty capital of the  world, if not that of the universe.

Unemployment has gone through the roof with jobless citizens still screaming support for those that have practically impaled them.

Investing in Nigeria is now akin to fetching water with a basket.

Unfortunately, in the face of all these humans are not bothered about the impending doom but are unified in the quest to muscle out a people that are not a threat to them, while embracing and entrenching those that have as their main goal the annihilation and annexation of their common patrimony.

What a shame!

As the NEXT LEVEL of impunity, unhindered massacres, unquestioned rape, arson and terror is enthroned, let me tell you for free that it is going to be a tough time, just like Buhari promised all of you who are dancing shoki for the supposed success of their mundane agenda.

As we recoil to ask deep questions of ourselves, let it be known that Nigeria has descended finally into the abyss of tyranny.

If you are still not alive to the current situation in Nigeria, please kindly scream for urgent help.

And for those other regions that would be gloating over the lot of the Igbo nation in the country Nigeria, we are deeply sorry for all of you.

We are proud to be who we are!

We do not stand with evil, and we are ready and willing to bear the consequences of such a noble stand.

When the roll call of those who have separated themselves from the plague shall be made, we shall stand tall and with broad smiles on our faces, tell the  world that, "yes, we stand by our principles."

Finally, let those who make reference to themselves as leaders in Igbo land know today that the time for them to connect with the people is now or never!

- Nze Ugo-Akpe Onwuka (Oyi of Oyi II)

International Coordinator - Igbo Renaissance Forum

Kusa, Ndigbo in Lagos and the sad new politics of ethnicity

Written by PAT UTOMI

Vanguard Nigeria. Tuesday, March 12, 2019

L-R: Deputy Director General, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu Campaign Independent Group (BOSICG), Cardinal James Omolaja Odunmbaku; Eze Ndigbo of Lagos, Eze H.N Ohazulike; APC Governorship Candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu; his Deputy Governorship Candidate, Dr. Kadir Obafemi Hamzat; Financial Secretary of Council of Ndieze Lagos, Eze Nwajei Ofurile Ikechukwu and Eze Christian Nwachu, after the conferment of Ugo Chiunyere Eze Ndigbo tittle on Mr. Sanwo-Olu and his formal endorsement by the Ndigbo in Lagos

I know Femi Kusa. He is a friend and a classmate. I knew of him from his Daily Times days. Then we met at the University of Nigeria shortly after the end of Nigerian Civil war. I have read his reflections on Ndigbo and the politics of Lagos. And have followed with considerable curiosity the Galestorm his article set off and some of the responses to his rebuke of Ndigbo.

My reaction has been influenced by a number of experiences from my own life's journey. Two related to the times I shared with Femi at Nsukka, the other came from a few years later in Graduate School, in the United States. I shall start from the latter.

When I was at Indiana University, a certain Professor of comparative politics and former Vice President of the University J Gus Liebenow remarked that it was a shame that some very bright African students were completing Ph.ds in Economics, Education and even Political Science and other disciplines with little understanding of the American system of government. He thought this particularly unfortunate because such people ought to be the kinds to turn to for light on how the American system worked, on return to their home countries. Who better to elucidate on the American way, in his home country than a US education Ph.d.

Liebenow, a Liberia expert, pushed for fellowship that could take some of the top Phd prospects from Africa, as interns, to the corridors of American government. He got his way.

I turned out to be the first to be selected for this programme and went off to the US Capital, Washington DC as an intern in the Indiana Washington Office for rotation through the offices of members of the Indiana Delegation to the US Congress.

While the opportunity allowed me the bragging rights of engaging the American way in observing and asking questions directly of a Senator who would later become Vice President of the United States (Dan Quayle) and a Congressman who would dominate foreign policy oversight from the House of Representative for many years, (Lee Hamilton), I suspect the opportunity advanced Liebenow's goal because I have done many hours of talking, in the 38 years since that exposure, on how the American system works.

Some people at UNN were apparently not as smart as J Gus Liebenow. If they were, one of the Yorubas that ventured to Nsukka just after the Civil War, should probably not be one to raise issues of questionable charity towards a people he had ample opportunity to better understand.

In those days at UNN some of my closest friends were Yorubas: My classmate from Loyola College Ibadan, Gbenga Sadipe, Folu Ayeni, First Class Graduate and Class Valedictorian in 1974, who would, with his wife Bose, found Tantalizers, years later; Ade Ogidan who would work at the Guardian for many years with Femi Kusa, and Ademola Ayegoro, among others. Most times we gathered in Baba's room, a room next door to that of Clement Ebri, later Governor of Cross River State. It was part of a season in which things ethnic seemed peculiar to me.

I was sometimes "one of those Yoruba boys", other times a Midwest boy and at others an identity challenged rascal. But I had fun, happy with myself and with everyone around.

Igbo and the wisdom of the west

By Hyginus Azubike
~vanguard Nigeria. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2018.

WHEN the presidential flag-bearer of the People's Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku
nominated Mr. Peter Obi as his running mate, joy was universal. In the political history of Nigeria, no such nomination was greeted with the type of elation with which Nigerians received it. From North to South and East to West, the citizenry proclaimed Atiku's choice as the best Nigeria has witnessed preparatory to general elections.

Most Nigerians were excited by Obi's nomination due to his performance as Governor of Anambra State. They believe, rightly, that teaming up with Atiku, they will replicate the Anambra wonder.

As Nigeria's Vice-President when Obi was Governor of Anambra State, Atiku must have closely observed the younger man; and was satisfied with Obi's several positive contributions at meetings and saw in him what the rest of Nigerians did. Atiku himself said of Obi: "In 2016, my running mate, former Governor Peter Obi, gave an Independence Day speech at 'The Platform' event organised by Covenant Christian Centre in Lagos.

It was an unforgettable Independence Day event which, according to Google analytics, was the most searched item in Nigeria on that day. Why was that speech so attractive to Nigerians? It is because Mr. Obi gave a detailed breakdown of the reality of governance in Nigeria today, which is one of a wasteful squandering of the riches that should have gone into the development of our youth".


However, it was both shocking and perplexing that the opposition Obi got was from the South East, the very people who are supposed to be at home with the wonders that he did in Anambra State. In what looked like diplomacy's way of saying 'No' to a person, a group of persons said that they were against the process by which Atiku nominated Obi. They went as far as issuing statements and initiating moves intent on truncating the choice. What was instructive was that while they were on this, the Westerners appealed and even send a delegation to Atiku that they were fully ready for the post should the Easterners lose it due to their folly. This singular act should stick as food-for-thought for the people of the East.

SIT-AT-HOME: Do Igbo really want to leave Nigeria?

Written by Clifford Ndujihe, Deputy Political Editor

~vanguard Nigeria. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

• Igbo will be comfortable in a restructured Nigeria - Agbakoba
  
  
• 98% of Igbo will say no to Nigeria in a referendum -Elliot Ukoh

Today's largely successful compliance, for the third time, with the sit-at-home order of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in most cities of the South-East geo-political zone; parts of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State; and Asaba, Delta State, has many implications for the polity.

It shows the ground and support that the IPOB and other pro-Biafra groups are gaining in the South-East. It has also raised the question of whether or not the Igbo really want to leave Nigeria. Arguably, the Igbo are the most dispersed and travelled people in Nigeria. They are found in virtually all villages in the country and reputed to have huge investments in terms of buildings and businesses outside Igbo land. Put in another way, they have invested more in other parts of the country than any other ethnic group. Hence they stand to lose more if anything untoward happened to Nigeria as an entity.

However, in spite of these massive investments that could be endangered, a host of Igbo are deep in the struggle for the actualization of the Republic of Biafra. The first battle for Biafra ended 48 years ago after claiming an estimated three million lives in a 30-month civil war. Since 1999, various struggles for Biafra have claimed thousands of lives.

Yesterday's sit-at-home by IPOB was to protest the killings of unarmed IPOB and Igbo youths during peaceful protests by soldiers; the maltreatment, arrest, detention, and humiliation of 127 Igbo women, who protested in Owerri, recently; and Operation Python Dance III in the South-East among others.


Igbo will be comfortable in a restructured Nigeria- Agbakoba

Asked his take on the success of the sit-at-home order in many parts of Igbo land, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA and human rights lawyer, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, said the development has worrying implications for the country.

His words: "I think the reality is that the nation has gone out of control. The rudiments of governmental authority have been seriously eroded. In the latest ranking of the failed states index, Nigeria is listed as a distressed state. This means Nigeria has ceased to be in control of its territorial environment as a result of insecurity, breakdown of law and order, ethnic insurrections and a host of other actions.

"What this shows is that Nigeria is in a very parlous state. It is questionable how far the Federal Government is exercising its territorial authority over the sovereign regions of Nigeria. IPOB is a rebel government whether we like it or not. The extent the rebel government can generate enthusiasm among the people is another question that will be answered by the success of the sit-at-home order. There are many rebel governments in Nigeria. Boko Haram is a rebel government. Niger-Delta militants are rebel governments, etc. There is a crack in the sovereign control of the Nigerian government.

"It is very worrying that within Nigerian territorial environment, an ethnic group can generate enthusiasm and recognition from the people. It has great implications because if they can do it successfully now, they can do it at the 2019 general elections and that is not good for the peace and good governance of Nigeria."

Full Video: What Southern, Middle Belt Leaders told Saraki

~Oak Tv

The President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, John Nwodo, has suggested that too much powers in the hands of the executive is the reason for the disregard of the legislative arm of government by some public officials...

Watch the entire video:

 

No leader prepared for power like Awolowo and Azikiwe, says Ray Ekpu

Written by Toluwani Eniola
~Punch Nigeria.Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Chief Obafemi Awolowo

Veteran journalist, Ray Ekpu, says out of Nigeria's top leaders, only the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo
and Nnamdi Azikiwe were fully prepared to lead the country.

Ekpu said all presidents that ruled the country from 1999 till date did not show demonstrable evidence of being fully prepared for leadership, stressing that lack of preparation and "organised cabalism" were the bane of good governance in the country.

He spoke in Lagos on Monday during a public discourse organised by Africa Future.

Nnamdi Azikiwe

Africa Future's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Tosin Ajayi, also spoke on the topic, "The master drive: The only thing that connects you with all with everything" where he addressed the reasons why underdevelopment had been persisting in Nigeria and on the Africa continent.

Ekpu, whose speech was titled, "State of the nation," said the country was wallowing in poverty and underdevelopment because leaders were picked, not on merit, but by certain godfathers desperate for power."

He also bemoaned the falling standard of education in the country and lamented that Nigerian universities were "producing idiots" unlike in the past when they were the pride of Africa.

Ekpu said, "I attribute Nigeria's leadership failure to two main factors - lack of adequate preparation for high office. In the Nigerian case, the pathetic lack of preparation for high office has been most evident. Except for Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, there has hardly been any demonstrable evidence that our past leaders did burn the midnight oil unceasingly.

Letters to Buhari: Kudos, knocks trail Obasanjo's advise to Buhari

Topics:

- Kudos, knocks trail Obasanjo's advise to Buhari
- IBB’s full text on 2019: Towards national rebirth
- Nigeria’s Messiah from Adamawa?
_______________________________________________

Kudos, knocks trail Obasanjo's advise to Buhari
~Vanguard Nigeria. Wednesday, January 24, 2018.

…Obasanjo to Buhari: Go home, forget 2019

…Calls for a third force to bail out Nigeria,

…Buhari, Tinubu, Akande, APC NWC meet

…Amaechi, Adebanjo, Junaid Mohammed, Okorie, Ozekhome, ACF, others speak; Presidency keeps mum

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, during his visit to
President Muhammadu Buhari, at the State House, Abuja,
on Thursday, April 7, 2016. 

LAGOS - Alleging gross incompetence in the face of challenges of state, former President Olusegun
Obasanjo, yesterday, charged President Muhammadu Buhari to sidestep calls for a second term and join him and other former leaders in the rank of statesmen.

President Obasanjo in a scorching 3,564 word statement, lamented that his hope that Buhari would help birth change when he supported him in 2015 had been grossly derailed in the face of what he said was the President's failure to rise above his deficiencies.

While affirming that he was not unaware of Buhari's shortcomings in the areas of the economy and foreign affairs, areas he said he expected him to have sought help, President Obasanjo, however, blasted him for promoting clannishness in governance which had led to increased divisions in the polity and a culture of buck passing.

Obasanjo said his disappointments with Buhari, however, did not mean that the political opposition in the shape of his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was any better.

While noting the appropriation of the opposition party by some forces he said would not offer any change, the former Nigerian leader called on patriots to join him in a third force which he said should birth the change that would take Nigeria to its place of glory.

The Obasanjo Statement

President Obasanjo in his special press statement, entitled THE WAY OUT: A CLARION CALL FOR COALITION FOR NIGERIA MOVEMENT, said: "Since we are still in the month of January, it is appropriate to wish all Nigerians Happy 2018. I am constrained to issue this special statement at this time considering the situation of the country.


"Some of you may be asking, 'What has brought about this special occasion of Obasanjo issuing a special statement?' You will be right to ask such a question. But there is a Yoruba saying that 'when lice abound in your clothes, your fingernails will never be dried of blood'.

"When I was in the village, to make sure that lice die, you put them between two fingernails and press hard to ensure they die and they always leave blood stains on the fingernails. To ensure you do not have blood on your fingernails, you have to ensure that lice are not harboured anywhere within your vicinity.

"The lice of poor performance in government – poverty, insecurity, poor economic management, nepotism, gross dereliction of duty, condonation of misdeed – if not outright encouragement of it, lack of progress and hope for the future, lack of national cohesion and poor management of internal political dynamics and widening inequality – are very much with us today. With such lice of general and specific poor performance and crying poverty with us, our fingers will not be dry of 'blood'.

Restructuring Nigeria: We must restructure Nigeria now, Southern, Middle Belt leaders insist.

Topics:

• Hausa/Fulani's rejection of federalism is a demand for dismemberment
• Northern leaders list terms for restructuring, want Marshall Plan
• We must restructure Nigeria now, Southern, Middle Belt leaders insist
• THE DANGER OF RESTRUCTURING WITHOUT A REFERENDUM-APPROVED CONSTITUTION
• What restructuring means in practical terms by ABC Nwosu
• It's time to restructure Nigeria, says Babangida
• Beyond restructuring or secession: My fear for Nigeria
• 'Why north is uncomfortable with restructuring'
• How Nigeria was de-structured
• TRUE FEDERALISM THROUGH RESTRUCTURING IS THE ONLY OPTION FOR NIGERIA NOW
• Road to recovery: A case for restructuring Nigeria
• Restructuring and its benefits for all
• Restructuring: Let's go our ways in peace -Rufai Hanga
• IT IS TIME TO RESTRUCTURE NIGERIA
• RESTRUCTURING AND THE YORUBA AGENDA
• Restructuring: Who lopsided Nigeria in the first place?
• The clamour to restructure Nigeria
• Why Nigeria must be restructured
• Who's afraid of restructuring?
• The restructuring rhetoric
• Nigeria: Formed by negotiation, will forge by negotiation
• Osinbajo commits political apostasy

________________________________

Hausa/Fulani's rejection of federalism is a demand for dismemberment
Written by Rotimi Fasan
~vanguard Nigeria. Wednesday, December 20, 2017.

IT'Simportant to enter a caveat from the beginning in the light of the title of this week's piece. Nigeria's greatness lies in its remaining one country that is made up of diverse ethnicities. That is one lesson to be learned from the present arrangement of the world. In spite of the tension of division and tribalism that has been created in Donald Trump's America, the fact remains that America's greatness lies in its diversity. It's the reason for the existence of many of the regional economic and political groupings around the world. It's the logic behind the decision of those European countries that have elected to remain part of the European Union despite differences. It's the reason they are unhappy with Britain and would quickly want to close the chapter on its breaking rank and choosing to exit the EU. Nigeria's situation cannot be different from the rest of the world. We can't be thinking of breaking up while others are finding ways to resolve their differences in a bid to remain or come together. It's not too likely that any of the component parts that make up Nigeria will do better alone than they would collectively as one country.


This is the reason we must be clear-eyed about the way we relate with one another and be determined to correct the injustices of the past rather than insisting on keeping them. Yet, it would appear that some self-deceived Nigerians cannot separate their self-interest from the interest of the whole. They fail to see the wisdom in relating to others on the basis of fairness and equity. This is where we have found ourselves as a country with the debate over the skewed nature of our federalism and how to correct it. The Yoruba have a saying that there are boundaries even in farmlands jointly owned by a father and his children. No matter how close we are, we still need some personal space for self-actualization, some room within which to operate and be able to function as individuals. It does not mean we are no longer one or have become enemies by such recognition.

Ojukwu's 1967 speech that called for secession of Biafra

Source: From the archives: Declaration of Biafra.

~Vanguard Nigeria. Tuesday, May 30, 2017.

Late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu

Exactly a day like today, 30 May 1967, Lieutenant-Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the then Military Governor of Eastern Nigeria declared the sovereign state of Biafra in a speech that got Ndigbo fighting for self independence from Nigeria.

For three years, the defunct Country, Biafra, fought Nigeria in a civil war that claimed millions of lives.

Today, the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB led by Nnamdi Kanu, Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Biafra Independent Movement, BIM, and other pro-Biafra groups have declared a commemoration to mark Biafra Day.

However, below is the speech delivered by Ojukwu in 1967, urshering in the civil war.

By Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu:

Fellow countrymen and women, you, the people of Eastern Nigeria:

Conscious of the supreme authority of Almighty God over all mankind, of your duty to yourselves and posterity;

Aware that you can no longer be protected in your lives and in your property by any Government based outside Eastern Nigeria;

Believing that you are born free and have certain inalienable rights which can best be preserved by yourselves;

Unwilling to be unfree partners in any association of a political or economical nature;

Rejecting the authority of any person or persons other than the Military Government of Eastern Nigeria to make any imposition of whatever kind or nature upon you;

Determined to dissolve all political and other ties between you and the former Federal Republic of Nigeria;

Prepared to enter into such association, treaty or alliance with any sovereign state within the former Federal Republic of Nigeria and elsewhere on such terms and conditions as best to subserve your common good;

Affirming your trust and confidence in me;

Having mandated me to proclaim on your behalf, and in your name, that Eastern Nigeria be a sovereign independent Republic,

Now, therefore, I, Lieutenant-Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Military Governor of Eastern Nigeria, by virtue of the authority, and pursuant to the principles, recited above, do hereby solemnly proclaim that the territory and region known as and called Eastern Nigeria together with her continental shelf and territorial waters shall henceforth be an independent sovereign state of the name and title of "The Republic of Biafra". And I do declare that-

1. all political ties between us and the Federal Republic of Nigeria are hereby totally dissolved;
2. all subsisting contractual obligations entered into by the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or by any person, authority or organization or government acting on its behalf, with any person, authority or organization operating, or relating to any matter or thing, within the Republic of Biafra, shall henceforth be deemed to be entered into with the Military Governor of the Republic of Biafra for and on behalf of the Government and people of the republic of Biafra, and the covenants thereof shall, subject to this Declaration, be performed by the parties according to their tenor;

iii. all subsisting international treaties and obligations made on behalf of eastern Nigeria by the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, shall be honored and respected;

1. Eastern Nigeria's due share of all subsisting international debits and obligations entered into by the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on behalf of the Federation of Nigeria shall be honored and respected;
2. steps will be taken to open discussions of the question of Eastern Nigeria's due share of the assets of the Federation of Nigeria and personal properties of the citizens of Biafra throughout the Federation of Nigeria;
3. the rights, privileges, pensions, etc. of all personnel of the Public Services, the Armed Forces and the Police now serving in any capacity within the Republic of Biafra, are hereby guaranteed;

vii. we shall keep the door open for association with, and would welcome, any sovereign unit or units in the former Federation of Nigeria or in any other parts of Africa desirous of association with us for the purposes of running a common services organization and for the establishment of economic ties;
viii. we shall protect the lives and property of all foreigners residing in Biafra; we shall extend the hand of friendship to those nations who respect our sovereignty, and shall repel any interference in our internal affairs;

1. we shall faithfully adhere to the charter of the Organization of African Unity and of the United Nations Organization;
2. It is our intention to remain a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations in our right as a sovereign, independent nation.

Long live the Republic of Biafra! And may God protect all who live in her!

My own kind of Biafra - Charly Boy

Written by Onyedika Agbedo

~The-SUN Nigeria. Sunday, March 5, 2017.

Charly Boy

Former president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, was among those who led the recent protests by Nigerians against the biting economic hardship in the country. In this interview, the singer/songwriter, television presenter and producer opened up on why he fully participated in the protests.

He also spoke on the general state of affairs in the country declaring that he does not support calls for the breakup of the country. Charly Boy, who harped on the need for Nigerians to begin to demand for their rights, warned that, "our sufferings will remain with us and be aggravated until we do the right things to secure our stolen future."

You were actively involved in the recent protests against the government over the level of hardship in the country. Why?

Why won't I participate? Are we not all suffering? Are we not all angry? Are we happy with how Nigeria is being run? That's why I participated. I can never be silent in situations like these; it is not in my character to be silent when the occasion calls for active engagement with the authorities. So, we expressed our frustrations. For once we wanted to get young people and ordinary Nigerians to be awake to their responsibility. Our problem is not President Muhammadu Buhari, former president Olusegun Obasanjo, Bola Tinubu or whoever. We have a fundamental problem and until we start to address it nothing will change.

I say this because if government is supposed to be for the people, the people should hold government accountable. And it's not through their docility; it's not through their inaction. Somebody cannot come and collect your father's land and you are not doing anything save lamentations and you expect to retrieve it. How does that happen? You have to engage. So, the right thing to do was to come out.

When you say that the problem of the country is fundamental, what do you really mean?

Our mumuness (foolishness). We are docile and inactive. We have been corrupted by fear. We have been corrupted also by the deceit of our elders and our leaders. It has messed us up as a country. If you check with the people who were born in the last 20 years or even more, none of them saw the goodness of Nigeria. It's people like me that was born 60 years ago that saw the real Nigeria. Even at that time, the country still had problems. We were canvassing for independence but we didn't have any plan about how we are going to live together when we get the freedom. There was no such plan; all that Nigerians knew was that they had gained independence.

But look at us today. Corruption has been part of us since independence. That was why Major Nzeogwu and co struck in 1966. Corruption didn't start during the Jonathan administration; it didn't start during the Obasanjo administration neither did it start during the Babangida administration. It has been there with us but the citizens are docile; we are inactive. Majority of us are also ignorant on account of religion. People have taken their problems to God. They don't want to work towards the solutions because they believe in miracles. So, I'm trying to educate the youth that there is no quick fix to life. You have to work for everything; you have to create your own miracles. So, the protest was all about getting Nigerians to wake up for once to what they are supposed to do because we are all guilty. Buhari or no Buhari, what about the rest of us?

But do you think protests would really change the status quo?

You cannot do one protest and expect everything to change. But if this becomes a culture, if it becomes a habit, people in leadership will be very cautious. So, it's not a one off thing; it's a continuum. The only way our conditions will change is when we start making frantic demands on our rights to good education, good health care, good roads, good future and what have you. If Nigerians get used to actively making such demands, it will get to a point the government will certainly listen to us.

OHANEZE: Ohaneze must reposition

Written by Obi Nwakanma
~Vanguard Nigeria. Sunday, March 5, 2017.

In January, Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, elected Mr. John Nnia Nwodo as its new President (never mind the tautology "President-General"). Not a few Igbo breathed a sigh of relief on account of the fact that Nwodo was the right sort of peg in the right sort of hole.

Let me recast a little background to the beginnings of Ohaneze as a group. But before then my source: as a young reporter in the 1990s, I visited Dr. Akanu Ibiam in Unwana, Afikpo - tracing my path from Enugu, where I'd first been directed to meet him.

He was a lean and Athletic man even then already in his 80s, and looked nothing like what I'd imagined, a "king," with all the paraphernalia of masqueradry I associated with such buffoonery in Igbo land. Dr. Ibiam wore a simple print shirt that day, and had on, not a crown, but a beret that made him look more like a French bohemian than an Igbo monarch.

And I did ask how an elder of the church of Scotland, a Presbyterian in fact, and former missionary doctor ended up as a king. It was Dr. Ibiam who first reminded me in fact that the word "Eze" did not necessarily mean "king" in the Igbo language.

"I am not a monarch in the imperial sense of the word. I am a justice of the peace, and keeper or trustee of the powers of my people in Unwana." It all began in 1970, when the old guard of Igbo political leadership, mostly former ministers of the government of the East met, first at the home of J.M. Echeruo in Enugu, in a meeting with the British Minister Lord Carrington, which set the tone for discussions on the strategic reconstruction of the East from the devastations of war.


But there was also in the background, the plans for a full political re-integration, which required that the old political guard, not long out of power return to the grassroots, regroup, and prevent the planned insertion of political subverts into the Igbo communities aimed at weakening Igbo political interests from the center.

These former political leaders of the East agreed to bid their time at their local community levels, and stand as bulwark against the political threats against the Igbo at the end of the war, in preparation for Gowon's political transition billed to commence in 1974.