OBLONG MEDIA GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE is where independent minds meet to dissect politics, society, power, and global affairs without fear or filters. This is not mainstream media.
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When it comes to Nigerian politics, I give it to the north. So far they have outsmarted east, west and south. Today they dominate the judiciary. Military, Federal civil service, customs and exercise and the police. The have achieved this by applying a very old principle of ensuring that your best compete with the worst of your opponent. It is a principle the British perfected in their empire years. Take for instance the current leadership. The north have assembled people who care only about the north and Islam and helped Igbos who have no courage to stand up for the…
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RECONCILIATION RECONSTRUCTION REHABILITATION: WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED Post hoc analyses pose fairly peculiar methodological challenges. Quite apart from running into the fallacy of imputing causal relationships to temporary sequences, they also face the risk of interpreting past events from the lenses of present realities which are quite often different. For this reason, it is probably best to interrogate decisions, relationships, outcomes and effects of past events within the context of their existence. With regards to our present concern – the Nigerian civil war in general and issues of post-war reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation in particular – there are obvious paradigmatic…
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The 16th American President, Abraham Lincoln, once said “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.” This is an all-time elder statesman speech, position, disposition, and mindset; a mark of eldership. Our Igbo grandparents would similarly say that an elder does not stay at home while a she-goat delivers on peg. This sort…
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1. The attention of the South East Governors Forum has been drawn to the widely publicised ultimatum, credited to a coalition of 16 northern youth associations or groups, demanding that Nd’Igbo resident in Northern Nigeria should vacate the region within 90 days or before the 1st day of October, 2017; and equally urging northerners resident in Igboland to return to the North within the same time spectrum. 2. Typical of our preferred modus operandi, we have carefully considered the contents of the highly provocative statement and reflected on its implications for Nd’Igbo specifically, and for the status of the Federal…
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The United Nations has called on different ethnic tribes and groups in Nigeria to be more tolerant to ensure unity and peace in the country. The UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, said this in a statement Thursday. Kallon noted with concern media reports of an ultimatum issued by northern youth groups calling for all Igbo people to leave Northern Nigeria by October 1. He noted the ultimatum followed a sit-down-strike observed in the five states in South East Nigeria on May 30, purportedly meant to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Biafra. “We have to work together to resolve…
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To every event, there is a season. A season of love and a season of hate. A season of tolerance and a season of intolerance. A season to integrate and a season for disintegration. For the Nigerian concoction, the later seasons have come. The seasons of hate, intolerance and disintegration. Like in Chinue Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart’, an anarchy has been loosed upon the concoction and the center can no longer hold. I just finished reading a press release made by a certain Niger Delta Regional body, as updated on Nnamdi Ukasanya’s wall, giving the Northern Oil block owners of…
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The Senate on Thursday passed a bill scrapping the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and replacing it with Federal Roads Authority. The bill, sponsored by Kabiru Gaya (Kano-APC), was read the third time at plenary before it was passed through a unanimous vote by the senators. The Senate, however, rejected the report on National Road Funds, stepping it down for further legislative action. The proposed Road Funds Bill has generated controversy over alleged plans to introduce additional N5 fuel levy as one of the major sources of financing the fund. Speaking in favour of the bill, Mr. Gaya explained that…
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There is tension on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, which links Kaduna and Niger states to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, as robbers and kidnappers attack motorists, especially in the evenings. It was learnt that the assailants, who wield guns and cutlasses, mount roadblocks in at least two of the seven areas along the expressway, which are Tafa, Jere, Idah, Kateri, Gidan Bussa, Akilibu, Doka and Rijanna communities. It was gathered that the robbers and kidnappers also set fire to woods, putting nails on them to stop motorists. Some of the motorists, who spoke on the matter, alleged that police presence was…
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Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that given what the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari inherited, restructuring could not have been its priority. The Minister stated this on Thursday when he featured on “Focus Nigeria” current affairs Programme of African Independent Television (AIT), anchored by Gbenga Aruleba. Mohammed explained that with the high level of corruption, economy downturn, insecurity, particularly with the activities of Boko Haram, which had taken over half of the North East, the government could not have contemplated restructuring. He said the focus of the government which also formed the basis of its…
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Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that given what the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari inherited, restructuring could not have been its priority. The Minister stated this on Thursday when he featured on “Focus Nigeria” current affairs Programme of African Independent Television (AIT), anchored by Gbenga Aruleba. Mohammed explained that with the high level of corruption, economy downturn, insecurity, particularly with the activities of Boko Haram, which had taken over half of the North East, the government could not have contemplated restructuring. He said the focus of the government which also formed the basis of its…
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Aka Ikenga, a think tank of Igbo professionals, has noted the unguarded “ Kaduna Declaration” by the so called coalition of Northern youths calling on a significant section of Nigeria to quit their places of residence in a certain part of the country. We believe that they are sponsored agents provocateur intent on sparking conflagration against an innocent group of Nigerians pursuing their rights of residency and to own property, as provided for in the 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). Reactions have come from various law abiding and patriotic Nigerians condemning the rascality and unconstitutionality of…
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RECONCILIATION RECONSTRUCTION & REHABILITATION: WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED PROFESSOR EGHOSA OSAGHAE, LESSONS LEARNED Post hoc analyses pose fairly peculiar methodological challenges. Quite apart from running into the fallacy of imputing causal relationships to temporary sequences, they also face the risk of interpreting past events from the lenses of present realities which are quite often different. For this reason, it is probably best to interrogate decisions, relationships, outcomes and effects of past events within the context of their existence. With regards to our present concern – the Nigerian civil war in general and issues of post-war reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation in…
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Former External Affairs Minister, Bolaji Akinyemi, said on Thursday that the recent admission of Morocco into ECOWAS was meant to whittle down Nigeria’s influence in the sub-regional body, and by extension, the world. “Having failed to find any rational benefit to ECOWAS by expanding membership to Morocco, I can only conclude that the move is to whittle down Nigeria’s influence in ECOWAS. “And by extension, in the world, as Nigeria’s status as a regional power is facilitated by its role in ECOWAS. “Nigeria has only one option. Let the West African Heads of State and presidents drop this whole issue…
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I read an interesting Facebook broadcast by a friend of mine, Ray Morphy Ugba, the morning just before coming to the office to write this article. Ray is a journalist, politician, blogger and (from what I saw after the broadcast) also a musician. He hails from Cross River State, though he seems quite proud of the fact that his mother is an Igbo woman, which is why he calls Igbos “my mother’s people”. Ray referred to a recent controversial statement credited to the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode on a visit to Badagry, where he said Lagos was not a…
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Did you know that southern Nigerians living in kano were killed by northerners for struggling for independence. It happened in 1953. They were attacked and killed by northerners opposed to independence after Anthony Enahoro called for independence in the Parliament in Lagos. Did you know that Africa’s first genocide was perpetrated by northerners in Nigeria. This genocide preceded that of Rwanda and was the first time in Africa a government, military, police, political, traditional institutions and civilians combined undertook the massacre of another ethnic group. This infamy happened between 1966 and 1967 in northern Nigeria/ continued through the war and…
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A coalition of Igbo groups, the Eastern Consultative Assembly, on Thursday, said Igbos should be allowed to secede in peace, if Nigeria was not restructured ‘immediately’. The coalition, comprising professional bodies, youth, student and Christian organisations, town unions, traders and women groups, among others, made the demand in a communique issued after a meeting in Enugu. The meeting was prompted by the three-month ultimatum given to Igbos to leave the North. In the communique signed by the Deputy Leader, Chief Mrs Maria Okwor, and the Publicity Secretary, Rev. Fr. John Odey, the Eastern Consultative Assembly insisted that Nigeria ‘must restructure…
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The Igbo Factor and the Reasonable Limits of Retribution. The Igbo people of Nigeria have made a mark in the history of this nation. They led the first successful military coup which eliminated the Military and Political leaders of other regions while letting off Igbo leaders. Nwafor Orizu, then Senate President, in consultation with President Azikiwe, subverted the constitution and handed over power to Aguiyi-Ironsi. Subsequent developments, including attempts at humiliating other peoples, led to the counter-coup and later the civil war. The Igbos themselves must acknowledge that they have a large part of the blame for shattering the unity…
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It is the temptation of war to punish, the task of policy to construct. Power may sit in judgment, but statesmen must look to the future. —Henry Kissinger, former United States Secretary of State Nation-building is hard, but it need not be as difficult as we make it in Nigeria. Nation-building is also intentional. It doesn’t happen by accident. The real test is in the leadership and the actions that create a real spirit of nationhood, and the willingness of every stakeholder to build a united, stable and cohesive nation. Fifty years after Biafra, we are confronted with the imperative…
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The Directorate of State (DOS) of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is glad to announce that it has adopted the Referendum Template of the Lower Niger Congress (LNC). As one of the pro-Biafra organizations, IPOB wishes to state that the LNC Referendum Template is the surest way to guarantee a non-violent and transparent strategy for the nation of Biafra to get out of the British-created contraption called Nigeria. The LNC Template basically consists of a two-pronged process of countrywide de-legitimization and repudiation of the fraudulent Nigerian Constitution leading to the dismantling of the present pseudo-federation and the willful aggregation…
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Ethnic and religious bigotry are Arewa’s fatal challenges. With the forces of balkanisation screaming louder, are we learning any lessons? How do we face uncertainty if we are divided against ourselves? We have been fighting ourselves like Kilkenny Cats on account of ethnic and religious intolerance. As a result, our unity is now bound by a rope of sand! If you accused Obasanjo and Jonathan of exploiting the weaknesses of a divided North for political advantages, shouldn’t we blame ourselves instead for creating that opportunity? The politicians have done more damage to our unity than you can readily admit. The…
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Governors of the nineteen northern states on Wednesday disowned a coalition of Arewa groups, who issued an ultimatum to Igbos to vacate the northern part of Nigeria within three months or be forced to leave. The Borno State Governor and Chairman of the Northern States Governors Forum, Kashim Shettima, spoke on behalf of his colleagues in Maiduguri on Wednesday evening. The governors said they are in touch with heads of their security agencies and have taken measures that will guarantee the rights of all Nigerians to live in the 19 states in the three geo-political zones within the north. The…
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A former governor of Anambra State, Okwadike Chukwuemeka Ezeife, has said the FG to ensure that every necessary action for restructuring, including referendum, should be concluded by mid-2018. Ezeife, who stated this in Abuja at the yearly public education organised by the Save Democracy Group, said people that mean well for the country should call on the Federal Government to put in place the mechanism for restructuring Nigeria. He further said the government should ensure that every necessary action for restructuring, including referendum, should be concluded by mid-2018, adding: “People who wish Africa well and believe in one Nigeria should…
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Governor Nasir El Rufai has directed the Nigeria Police Force to immediately arrest all signatories to the so called Kaduna declaration, giving a three month ultimatum to the Igbo leave the northern part of the country. Similarly, the governor has equally directed his Attorney General and commissioner for Justice to prepare charges of incitement against leaders of the group. Addressing a press conference in Kaduna Wednesday, the governor said Kaduna state has no room for anybody that will try to incite one section of the country against the other. A coalition of Northern groups yesterday issued a three month notice…
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The South East/South South network, SESSNet, on Wednesday asked Security agencies to immediately swing to action and arrest leadership of Northern groups over statement credited them that all Igbo residents in the north should vacate the region. This was stated in statement made available to Journalists via email as a result of threats against Igbo lives and property by the Northern groups. The group said that the threat by these coalition groups in the North was evidently as a result of the Unity displayed by the Igbo in the South-east and the South-south to obey a “sit at home order”…
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I have patiently watched what the reactions and reading of the Quit Notice to the Igbo in the North, issued yesterday by the Coalition of “Northern Youth” Organizations in their so-called Kaduna Declaration, it is clear that the carefully choreographed sabre rattling and trademark brinkmanship of the hawks of the North. From the East, apart from MASSOB that seems to have read the situation correctly, it is clear that many are taken in by the shallow game being played by the distressed Northern hawks, acting through their so-called “Northern Youths” some of whose grandchildren are in high school. The contents…
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I walked down the street in Barcelona , and suddenly discovered a terrible truth – Europe died in Auschwitz … We killed six million Jews and replaced them with 20 million Muslims. In Auschwitz we burned a culture, thought, creativity, talent. We destroyed the chosen people, truly chosen, because they produced great and wonderful people who changed the world. The contribution of this people is felt in all areas of life: science, art, international trade, and above all,as the conscience of the world. These are the people we burned. And under the pretense of tolerance, and because we wanted to…
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The Kaduna State Government condemns in the strongest terms the press statement by some self-appointed “northern youths” that threatened the safety and property of our citizens of Igbo extraction. Government assures every resident of our state that their constitutional and human rights to live peacefully and own property wherever they choose is sacrosanct. Even people who may feel unhappy about irresponsible comments or actions that have taken place in other states must know that two wrongs cannot make a right. The Kaduna State Government believes in and will uphold the right of every Nigerian to live safely and develop his/her…
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Please what do we really want? By we, I mean the people of the South South. There is no doubt that the Nigerian state has conveniently cornered our nature’s given resources and in order to keep same permanently she has subjugated us and to ensure we don’t question this anomaly, merit was discarded as a way of accessing public offices . For me, we have more to fight for than our closest neighbours, the Biafrans. But we seem to be content with just vandalizing a few unprotected pipelines, get a few stipend as amnesty and we are happy again. If…
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Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has appealed to acting President Yemi Osinbajo to call the leadership of the Miyetti Allah to order for making inciting statements about signing into law, the anti-open grazing bill in the state. Ortom made the appeal last Monday while briefing journalists on the outcome of the State Security Council meeting held at the Benue Peoples House,Makurdi. He explained that the decision to draw attention of the Acting President to Miyetti Allah’s recent negative comments about the anti-grazing law has become necessary because the leadership of the association had issued threats even claiming that the…
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Since President Muhammadu Buhari left Nigeria to continue his medical tourism (nobody should blame me for calling it medical tourism. That was exactly what the APC called it during their campaigns in the run up to the 2015 elections) in London on May 7, 2017, there is an unarguable return of sanity of some sorts to the country. It was one of America’s greatest presidents and renowned world leader, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who said, “In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way.” We can safely say that ever since the president’s…
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When the Jewish prophet, Micah (740-670 BC) declared that, “A man’s enemies are the men of his own household,” Micah 7:6, he foresaw what would be the greatest undoing of any man, which are the people around him. If you are not ruined by those around you whom you trust much, you will live long. Those far away from you, who don’t know your secrets, can hardly harm you. The enemy is there with you, they are those closest to you. It is in the same vein that the greatest man that ever lived, Jesus Christ, also declared that, “If…
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The Senate yesterday raised alarm that an unnamed cartel has taken over control of commercial banks in Nigeria, to the detriment of the economy and small businesses operating in the country. The Senate also accused the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and commercial banks of killing the Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs, with high interest rate, adding that indicators have shown that only about 3% of SMEs starting up in th country had access to credits from banks, despite employing about 88% of the nation’s work force. Consequently, the Senate mandated its Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions…
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DATE: 7TH JUNE, 2017 We wish to express our profound gratitude to God for keeping us alive today. Middle Belt Youth Council is extremely concerned about the ongoing regional tension in Nigeria today and we want to make our position clear to the world. In the light of incessant threats to one Nigeria posed by killer-herdsmen, we want to call on good people of Middle Belt to first of all, *support the Anti-grazing Bill.* Grazing by Fulani herdsmen on our land has become the major cause of conflicts in our region therefore, we’re calling for total ban on open grazing…
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Amnesty International has confirmed that the US Army gave ISIS $1 billion worth of arms and equipment in Iraq during President Obama’s final year in office, according to a report. The data was obtained by the human rights group following a freedom of information request for a 2016 government audit. “This audit provides a worrying insight into the US Army’s flawed — and potentially dangerous system for controlling millions of dollars’ worth of arms transfers to a hugely volatile region,” Patrick Wilcken, Amnesty’s researcher on international arms control, said in a statement. “It makes for especially sobering reading given the…
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Judiciary as an arm of government is constitutionally designed to be independent. This over the years has given even opposition parties the opportunity to win cases against the government in power. In a functional democracy, Judiciary is meant to be for the opposition, the government in power and the masses. Countries like United States of America have proven that the Judiciary should be independent and not an offshoot of the executive. This they have demonstrated in recent cases against Donald Trump in the United States. Unfortunately in Nigeria, a certain group of persons in the Executive arm have continued to…
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World over, the development of any nation lies considerably on the shoulders of its intelligentsia. They are regarded as the gate-keepers of the cathedral of knowledge, the very conscience of the nation and the moral compass of the people. Politicians rule but only with the noble ideas and wise counsel of the intellectuals. Sadly, in Nigeria, one “good thing” we can easily attribute to the Buhari presidency is that it has clearly exposed most of these so called intellectuals, religious leaders, human right activists, civil society groups and labour unions as nothing short of a congregation of intellectually fraudulent morally…
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This clash between Britain’s allies in the so-called war on terror matters. If Corbyn is prime minister on Friday, there will be a break with the appeasement of jihadi-funding autocrats Great. Just what we need. Our self-styled key ally in the so-called war on terror – Saudi Arabia – just closed the airspace, land and sea borders with our other ally, Qatar, accusing it of supporting Isis. What’s that about? Well, like almost everything in the region, it is about the strategic duplicity of the West, exacerbated by the childlike idiocy of the US president. Does it matter for Brits…
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It is time for an honest conversation about Wahhabism, specifically the part this Saudi-sponsored ideology plays in radicalizing young Muslims both across the Arab and Muslim world and in the West, where in the UK people are dealing with the aftermath of yet another terrorist attack in which innocent civilians were butchered and injured, this time in London. The US, British and French governments can no longer credibly claim to be serious about fighting terrorism or religious extremism while cosying up to what is a medieval kleptocracy in Riyadh. Just days prior to the attack in London it was reported…
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How is it going, my brother? ” “We just dey look. Two years and we thank God.” “How was your May 29?” “There was no celebration. We just siddon dey look.” “But the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo addressed the nation.” “I know. I know. But there was no programme in place for celebrating two years of the Buhari government. In the past, we used to have a week-long programme, with military parades, prayers here and there and then a national broadcast to remind the people of how democratic rule has been so fruitful and kind.” “There was a national broadcast”…
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A former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has warned that the Nigerian economy will collapse soon if the federal government does not take immediate steps to arrest the rot in the system. He also accused the government of not doing enough to alleviate the sufferings of the people even as he decried the high level of hunger and poverty that Nigerians are passing through. Mr. Obi gave the warning in an address at the Federal University, Ndufu Alike Ikwo (FUNAI) during the grand-finale and presentation of awards to winners of a creative writing competition. The event was organised by…
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Former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr Doyin Okupe, has faulted the silence of the Presidency over the success of the sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB. Okupe noted that the Presidency should be worried that IPOB leader, Nnamdi kanu came from nowhere, declared the sit-at-home order and it was complied with across the South East. In a statement he signed, the former Presidential aide wondered why the Presidency pretended as if nothing happened during the recent sit-at-home protest by IPOB. The statement reads, “A young man, from virtually nowhere, issues a…
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A new grand plan by an Aso Rock cabal led by the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, to weaken the constitutional authority of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has taken off at the presidential palace in Abuja, with a meeting held in London last week. The new scheme comes after an earlier attempt to hijack Mr. Osinbajo’s constitutional authority failed, authoritative sources told SaharaReporters. The sources revealed that the cabal had the surreptitious meeting a few days ago in London at which a handful of disgruntled presidential aides were in attendance, but without the knowledge of the ailing President Muhammadu Buhari,…
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The South East / South South network on Tuesday demanded the immediate re-consideration of the South East Development Commission Bill (SEDC) for the sake equity in Nigeria. The group in statement made available to our correspondent also commended the residents in the South-East and South-South States for observing “sit at home order” marking the 50 years anniversary of Biafra war in which over 3 million people were killed and $50 billion dollars worth property and investment were destroyed by Nigeria government. The group noted that up till now the destroyed infrastructure in Igboland has not been rehabilitated by the Nigeria…
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Reports has it that Nigeria was intentionally absent from the 51st ECOWAS Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Liberia’s capital Monrovia. The two day summit, which started on Saturday, was attended by Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. He will be the first non-African leader to ever address an ECOWAS Summit and also the first Israeli leader to visit West Africa since the 1960s. An attempt by national news portal, Daily Trust, to get details of Nigeria’s decision not to attend the summit which was fruitless. When contacted, the spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affair, Clement Aduku, he confirmed…
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Prominent Northern youth organisations, on Tuesday, rose from a joint meeting called ‘Kaduna Declaration’ to issue a serious threat to the Igbo residing in the region urging them to begin making arrangements to relocate out of the North. The groups gave the Igbo up till October 1, this year to leave the region. Their declaration was premised on the shut-down of major towns in the south eastern part of the country on May 30, by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and their sponsors. These Northern youths organisations, which had their arrowheads in attendance, include Arewa Citizens Action…
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We the undersigned Owerri West supreme losers for and on behalf of ourselves and our generations unborn and ancestors do solemnly swear before Gov. Rochas Okorocha and other deities that: We are the movers and shakers of Owerri West with authority to speak for our ancestors as well as our generations unborn on this issue of Uche Onyeagocha. We have collectively disowned this our prodigal son Uche for fighting against his Royal Perfectness Gov. Okorocha aka the Familiocrat-in-Chief. We disown him for exposing Rochas of robbing our LGA of over N7.4billion since the past 6 years only, whereas we had…
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A GOOD brother of mine just gave me a copy of Graham Allison’s Destined For War-Can America and China Escape Thucydide’s Trap and it is a very illuminating read. Alison in the great work looked at the challenge a rising China poses to the United States and the possibility of a war between the two being a natural sequence. In an interview with NPR’s Robert Siegel on May 29, Allison described Thucydide’s as “when a rising power threatens to displace a ruling power, one sees inherent structural stress that makes conflict likely. I look at the last 500 years, find…
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I would like to tell a Story of four people who became very Close Friends by Circumstances. I used to call them the “MOVING TRAIN” till It became Imperative that They had to seperate because in Politics, There are no Permanent friend or Permanent Enemies..ONLY PERMANENT INTEREST I wouldn’t want to bore you with stories How they met and How they helped each other to great heights but let’s put the story aside and face reality They are 1. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi 2. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike 3. Magnus Abe 4. Dakuku Adol Peterside Let’s keep politics aside and Face Reality..These…
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I always tell my friends that when you live your life without anyone hurting, disappointing, disgracing or offending you then it means you never did anything worthy. Before you continue reading this piece, I want to tell you that there are so many people who are buried daily, and their crime is that someone they offended couldn’t forgive them. There are innocent orphans and street children out there whose crime is that someone didn’t forgive their parents. The reality is that even as you read this piece, there may be someone you have blocked on whatsapp or facebook, or u…
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A former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Chief Emeka Anyaoku has joined the call for the restructuring of the country along a more flexible fiscal federal state, warning that the country’s federal structure as currently composed would not help Nigeria to attain nationhood. He contended that Nigeria was failing hence the need for a system which would replace the present federal structure, that retains more power and resources at the centre, asserting that the country must be restructured for Nigeria to develop and stay united. Anyaoku made this assertion in Abuja on Sunday during the launch of a book,…
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Fresh facts have now emerged over how Chief Martin Agbaso became the acting chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA). Contrary to insinuations in certain quarters, Chief Agbaso’s emergence as the new acting boss of APGA followed proper due process. recall that Agbaso is a foundation member and a stakeholder of the APGA. He is also a long standing major financier of the party since inception, having played active roles in the development of the party. APGA leadership was conferred on Agbaso on May 22, 2017 when Justice A R Ozoemena of Enugu High Court granted an order of…
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1) In the last few hours we have received numerous calls from our party members , concerned citizens and well wishers on our association or otherwise with the Advance Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA) which was unveiled today at Abuja. 2. For the avoidance of doubt, we reiterate once again that we are not in any way associated with the new party in any form or guise. The APDA is neither an offshoot of the PDP nor its alter ego as some are speculating. 3. This statement is made purely to set the records straight and to avoid unnecessary innuendos ,speculations…
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It is wonderment that Igboland is at this moment being encircled and primed up for taking by the same viciously malevolent forces which plotted the Campaigns of 1966, 1967-1970 and the sinister 1966-1999 Documentations we now hold as “Constitution”, and all we seem eager to do is to erect wobbly narratives of uncooked fables. I would have preferred to spend the very minutes being invested on typing this post on other very pressing issues of now, but it is galling to see the desperate attempt being made to erect and sustain a narrative here that is at a jarring variance…
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I once posited that if someone in Lagos must attend a meeting in Trafalgar Square in London on a fixed date, maybe 3 weeks away, it is an option to trek to London, to ride on a donkey or on horseback, to ride on a bicycle or a motorcycle, to drive in a motor vehicle, to sail by canoe, speedboat or ship. The person can also fly into Heathrow and get off to Trafalgar Square. If I am the one who has to attend that meeting, I will fly. That is the kind of options juggling going on in the…
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Very little remains to be said about Nigeria, but there is a lot to be done. We are caught in a country, where an ethnic group is determined to use religion and state power to dominate others. They stall dialogue, but very focused on achieving what they want no matter how unfair to others because they hold them in contempt. They are relaxed about killing others and trampling on their rights. Nigeria is a country where a Fulani jihadist is president held his first security meeting with only northerners who are Muslims. After the meeting, 200 army officers mainly from…
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BEING A KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY RT. HON. EMEKA IHEDIOHA CON, KSC, FORMER DEPUTY SPEAKER, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AT THE 2017 DIOCESAN SYNOD OF THE DIOCESE OF THE ORLU , CHURCH OF NIGERIA ANGLICAN COMMUNION , AT ST. SILAS ANGLICAN CHURCH IHIOMA, ORLU, IMO STATE, MONDAY , JUNE 5, 2017 PROTOCOLS INTRODUCTION I thank Your Lordship, The Most Rev. Benneth Christopher, Ikechukwu Akwiwu Okoro, Ph.D, your dear wife (mama Orlu),and the Synod Organizing Committee of this Diocese, for finding me worthy to deliver the keynote address of this synod. May God continue to bless your endeavours. I have been tasked…
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Members of the House of Representatives from the South-East geopolitical zone have called for a provision for referendum in the Nigerian constitution to open up avenues for discussions on self-determination by Nigerians. They also insisted that Nigeria was due for restructuring and that it would be done, no matter how long it would take. The 1999 Constitution makes no provision for a referendum, leaving the National Assembly as the only legal representative gathering for deliberations on the governance of Nigeria. But South-East lawmakers, who spoke with Sunday PUNCH, said a provision for referendum was long due because it was part…
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Below is an extract from the proceedings of the Northern Region House of Assembly between February and March 1964, less than four years after Nigeria’s independence from the British. I have nothing to add. Read and judge for yourself: •Mallam Muhammadu Mustapha Mande Gyan: On the allocation of plots to Ibos or allocation of stalls, I would like to advise the Minister that these people know how to make money, and we do not know the way and manner of getting about this business. We do not want Ibos to be allocated with plots. I do not want them to…
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HISTORY OF IGBO MASSACRE (City/Town and Year) 1. Jos 1945 2. Kano genocide 1953 3. 1966 pogroms- over 60,000 civilians were killed 4. May 29th 1967- over 200,000 civilians were killed. 5. 1967-70 – over 3,100,0000 killed during the bloody civil war (Including the Asaba Genocide). 6. Kano 1980 7. Maiduguri 1982 8. Jimeta 1984 9. Gombe 1985 10.Zaria 1987 11.Kaduna & Kafanchan 1991 12.Bauchi & Katsina 1991 13. Kano 1991 14. Zangon-Kataf 1992 15. Funtua 1993 16. Kano 1994 17. Kaduna 2000 18. Kaduna 2001 19. Maiduguri 2001 20. Jos Maiden Crisis-Setember 2001 21. Kaduna 2002 22.Jos-November 2008 23.…
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The National Judicial Council, NJC, has recalled Justice Adeniyi Ademola, who once delivered a shocking against President Muhammadu Buhari’s fake WAEC certificate saga, and was later suspended on trumped-up charges on issues bordering on corruption. In a statement on Saturday, the Council said Ademola who is a Federal High Court Judge, was recalled alongside five others. Recall, that Ademola and seven other Judges were suspended in November 2016, months after he ruled that Buhari must come to the court to defend his WAEC result case. His resisdence was later raide by the Department of State Security Services, DSS, on what…
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National Coordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, Otunba Gani Adams has declared that Yorubas are solidly behind the Igbo people in the struggle for their own country called Biafra. Gani, while fielding questions from the Sun, said he would be that last person to go against the agitation of pro-Biafra groups, adding that it is their right. The OPC national Coordinator noted that the Igbos are now more sophisticated than in 1967-1970, calling on Nigeria to let them go. According to him, “I would be the last person that would ask the Igbo people to stop the agitation for…
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First Lady Aisha Buhari sent some cheery news home yesterday from London about her husband, President Muhammadu Buhari: he will return soon. She gave the update on the President’s health in a message to the 23rd Annual Ramadan Lecture of Ansar-ud-deen Society of Nigeria (ADS) held in Abuja. The First Lady, who left for London about five days ago, was represented at the lecture by her Senior Special Assistant on Administration, Dr. Hajo Sani. “My husband is recovering very fast. And very soon, he will return to the country to resume his official duties,” she said. “I thank Nigerians for…
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I’ve said it before and it bears repeating now, the biggest problem facing Southern Nigeria is not Buhari and his fellow islamist Nightwalkers but the presence of a very large horde of commonsensically bankrupt internet Wildlings masquerading as Southern youths. This generation of Southerners is peopled by one of the most foolish set of young men and women. Not that the elders are any better. Not at all.But you see this crop of southern youths, they have the gene of conscientious idiocy deeply embedded in their body system. These ones….they are far removed from common-sense. Even their education is but…
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I have been pondering as I go through discussions on various platforms, forums, and with friends that live in the USA, and I am quite surprised at what I am hearing, which drives me to ask a very worrying, but important question indeed. The question is, did the over four million legitimate U.S. citizens in the USA, of Igbo extraction (Eastern Nigeria, or as a few would call Biafrans) that voted in the Tuesday U.S. Election, vote for Donald Trump? Because if what I’m hearing is true, and looking at the votes in those States that were pretty close, perhaps…
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I am happy that l shared the facts of revenue sharing a week or so ago. I am regretful that l did not share it earlier than this. I am ready to take on anyone, be they politicians or individuals on the facts. The freedom of information bill compels the FG to give Nigerians the monthly expenditure of oil and gas revenue. How much does Federal Government owe the NDDC.? How much does the Federal Government owe the Ministry of Niger Delta? How much does the Federal Government owing the Amnesty program? How much does the Federal Government owe the…
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North Central recieves 20% CONTRIBUTES. 0.00% North East recieves. 16% CONTRIBUTES. 0.00% North West recieves. 21% CONTRIBUTES. 0.00% Every month the 19 Northern states recieves a minimum of 57% of 100% revenue to which they CONTRIBUTE 0.00%. South West Recieves. 16% CONTRIBUTES. 3.97% South East. Recieves. 11.00% CONTRIBUTES. 25.07% South South Recieves. 15.00% CONTRIBUTES. 70.64% NIGERIA has 774 Local Government Areas Northern Nigeria has 19 States, the 19 States has 419 Local Government Areas Southern Nigeria has been 17 states the 17 states has 357 Local Government Areas Working with the data from the office of the Accountant General as…
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Former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (ABU), and the spokesperson for the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Prof. Ango Abdullahi, has stated that Biafra agitation is part of Nigerian politics, says that any group creating problems for Nigeria should be dealt with. How should the Federal Government respond to the renewed Biafra agitation? Well, we should be mindful of the fact that the renewed agitation cannot be detached from the politics of Nigeria. It is not new and not different from normal politicking that has been taking place in Nigeria since independence. Why lump the agitation with politics? Biafra…
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Originally posted on Camogeek: Black was cool in the 80s. You had black clad SWAT teams and the boom of low-budget ninja films. SWAT teams adopted camo uniforms and military equipment in the post-9/11 world so there has been quite a backlash againt the “militarization” of police forces. Therefore, gray was chosen as a neutral unassuming color that fits into concrete’s urban landscapes. London Metropolitan Police introduced in 2015 the Counter Terrorist Specialist Firearms Officer as a new speciality within the Specialist Firearms Command to deal with the terrorist threat in the current European context of urban armed attacks. There…
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This week marked the 50th anniversary of the declaration of the Sovereign State of Biafra and one or more questions still linger. I will not delve into the more contentious questions, but for the sake of improving the relationship between the Igbo and their Yoruba neighbors, let me touch on one or two areas where, if the truth is brought to the fore, the relationship between omo Oduduwa and Ndi’Igbo could be improved. Firstly, why do Ndi’Igbo still believe the false stereotype that the omo Oduduwa (Yoruba) are cowards? This is simply not true and the facts do not support…
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We have lived with this myth for far too long. We have tolerated and accepted this political deception for as long as anyone can remember. But the myth has to be exposed for what it really is. The lie must be consigned to the dust bin. The mask has been removed. For too long people speak of Hausa-Fulani. The truth of course is that the so called Hausa Fulani as a person or human being does not exist. You cannot be Ijaw-Igbo, or Hausa-Gwari. You are either an Ijaw or an Igbo! As closely related the Isokos and Uhrobos are…
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https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/04/london-attacks-what-we-know-so-far-london-bridge-borough-market-vauxhall?CMP=fb_gu
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The Indigenous People of Biafra on Saturday condemned the sacking of Commissioners and Local Government chairmen in the 27 council areas of Imo State by the state Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, alleging that the action was because of the success of the sit-at-home order in the state. In a press statement made available to our reporter in Awka, Anambra State by the IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the group said Okorocha had instructed his commissioners and council chiefs not to allow the order to take place in the state. It said Okorocha’s objective was to please the powers…
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https://www.naij.com/1108038-yorubas-interested-restructuring-nigeria-gani-adams.html
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Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has, again, explained his support for Biafran agitators. Soyinka said the Igbo people have been so wronged that they have no choice than to consider opting out of Nigeria. Prof. Soyinka spoke on Al Jazeera, yesterday where he shed light on his support for Biafra agitators. “I am very much pro- Biafra because I recognise that the Igbo have been wronged desperately. “They have been brutalised in a way that justifies their feeling that they were not part of the nation. “Let me also say this, Biafrans are not entirely innocent in this affair. They…
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https://answersafrica.com/49-million-nigerian-peugeot-plant.html
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The Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Abubakar Sa’ad, is beginning to put himself regularly in the eye of ridicule. His recent pronouncements on national matters are beginning to get neutrals worried if this man is not on a deliberate misadventure of creating confusion, tension and chaos where ordinarily there ought to be none. With the latest absurd resolution reached by the Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI, led by the Sultan to “condemn in strongest terms” the decision of the NYSC to continue with its orientation camps for fresh graduates despite the Ramadan fast and also asking the Nigerian army to immediately…
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It is not surprising that soon after a most successful and first South-East South-South Conference organized by the South-East South-South Network (SESSNet) held in Owerri, Imo State, the most vicious attack at efforts being made to bridge gaps (perceived and real) between the peoples of the South-East and South-South regions was instigated and has gone viral on social media. A flurry of instigated hate-speeches, vicious abuses and disrespectful rants against the peoples of the twin regions rent the airwaves in an effort to avoid any efforts at unity between peoples with shared histories, aspirations and of common purpose. The same…
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The House of Representatives was again thrown into a rowdy session on Thursday, forcing a hasty adjournment of proceedings. The cause of the rowdiness was the rejection of a bill seeking to establish a South-East Development Commission. The bill failed at the session, which was presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, after it had been debated. A similar bill to establish the North-East Development Commission had since been passed by the National Assembly, awaiting the assent of President Muhammadu Buhari. However, South-East lawmakers immediately protested the decision on the grounds that the House could have, at least, allowed…
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Today, Gov. Okorocha of Imo State hired some people from Owerri West LGA to pay him an arranged solidarity visit wherein they purportedly denounced me for all the criticisms I have been making of him in projecting his son-in-law Uche Nwosu for Governor 2019 as a costume to perpetuate himself in office. The hirelings purportedly denounced me for exposing his plot to impose his son-in-law as the governor of Imo State come 2019. The hirelings led by an Orlu daughter married in Owerri West concluded their project by sharing the Governor’s two million naira thank you donation. This is the…
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In a short contribution titled “Biafra Without Our Consent?” which appears to have gone viral on social media, the celebtated and respected thespian Miss Kate Henshaw wrote as follows: “I think the current generation of ‘Biafrans’ are the most funny people I hve ever seen. How dare you sit in your home or offices and draw your Biafra map and include places like Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, etc as part of your empire? Did you consult them? Did you seek their opinions? You are forcing people to join a country whose commander in chief you have already anointed- Nnamdi…
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Chinelo Anohu-Amazu ought to have been treated with some respect; she gave a good account of herself; she was edged out of PenCom due to petty politics. A few weeks ago, the federal government announced the removal of the Director General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mrs Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, who was immediately replaced by Alhaji Aliyu Abdulrahman Dikko. In reconstituting the board, Mr Funso Doherty was also announced as the new chairman to replace former PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Ahmed Adamu Muazu. Since PenCom is a statutory agency where appointments require Senate confirmation, there was a lacuna that did…
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When in 2013 it became apparent that President Jonathan was going to contest the 2015 Election for a second term, the Caliphate loudmouthed megaphone, Junaid Mohammed, while responding in obvious exasperation to the clamour by persons from the Niger Delta Region that Jonathan must be allowed to take the two terms turn of the “South-South” Zone like other Zones had taken, blurted out the following: “…Afterall, the so-called South South was a creation of the North to manage its interests in Eastern Nigeria”. Again, when during his December 30, 2015 Media Chat, President Buhari was confronted with the charge of…
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Ex Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has said that ‘no restructuring no Nigeria.’ Fani-Kayode made this known on his twitter handle as he reacts to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, statement that ‘no amount of advocacy or agitation would lead to restructuring.’ Xby Counterflix He said hell will freeze over before we accept… Fani-Kayode further said that ‘the notion that we must continue to be part of a contraption that will not be restructured. No restructuring, no Nigeria!’ Malami who had advised those campaigning for restructuring of the present federal structure to stop dissipating their energy…
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Contrary to the widely held belief that Vice President Osinbajo, a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, a senior advocate of Nigeria, and a Professor of law is above board, a forensic analysis of his activities since he assumed office reveals that the VP has consistently abused his office, negating the principles of Federal Character and has systematically favored members of the Redeemed Church and his Yoruba tribe. A first pointer to what was to become a pattern of this incestuous scheme was the nomination and subsequent appointment of Pastor Okey Enelamah, who was his Deputy and later…
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And like all the other great races that came before us, it is in the face of our collective adversities, our present-day challenges and our ever-present struggles that we as a people shall rise up again and dominate our entire environment. And when that time comes, no-one and no group of people will be in a position to say “no” to the rise of the mighty Oduduwa nation. It is at that time that we shall expand our borders and re-establish the ancient boundaries. It is at that time that we will drive the alien invaders out of Kwara and…
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Being a verbatim transcript of a speech delivered by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode to the Alajobi Group, the organisation that wrote The Yoruba Constitution on the occasion of the commemoration of ”June 12” at Premier Hotel in Ibadan on June 12, 2001. ”I must commend the vision, strength of character, and the clarity of purpose of the Alajobi Group together with that of the expanded committee on the Yoruba Constituent Assembly for coming up with this noble and innovative initiative and for drawing up this truly progressive and pristine constitution for the Yoruba people. I salute their courage, their sense of…
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(This article was from Ken Henshaw not Kate Henshaw) The thrust of the article on the preponderant feeling of Igbo invasion and walloping of the Niger Delta in the current Igbo-Biafra onslaught is real and palpable. This is one of the LNC’s main disagreement and disappointment with both the “Biafra-or-Death” Agitation and the rest of the Biafra Agitation Groups. It is the existence of this negative sentiment that informed the framing of the LNC Self-Determination and Independence Campaign for the Territory, not as “Biafra” Restoration/Actualization pursuit. Going by the contents of Henshaw’s Caveat and viewing same against the popular sentiment…
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There are three observations I made between the day before and yesterday concerning the Biafra sit-at-home and Biafra in general. First, the Biafran renaissance is real and there is an alternative unconstituted authority in the South-East. The constituted authority is no longer in charge nor have control over popular opinion. With the success of the sit-at-home directive in the entire South-East, state governors and lawmakers who do not identify with Biafra will have their political future ruined. The young Biafran leaders have taken over and there is unity of purpose among them. The success of the directive is a threat…
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The evolution of Nigeria as a country has been one of the most intriguing surprises of the last fifty years. Many scholars have examined the reason for the apparent inability of Nigeria to fulfill her potential and assume leadership roles in Africa and the world. There are different schools of thought on the origin and solutions to the Nigeria problem. However, two appear to dominate from the desire to proffer solutions that would address the diverse challenges which retard its progress. One group believes that Nigerian’s problems stem from its structure, and that only structural solution that offers further degree…
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“O Igbo arise! O Igbo arise! O Igbo arise! Let the chains of subjugation be broken, let the yoke of slavery be shattered and let the shackles of servitude fall. For the voices of your ancestors and your dead are calling. The voices of your slaughtered children wail, scream and screech through the night and they shed whimpering and pitiful tears through the day. They call for justice and vengeance that their souls may be appeased and that they may find peace and eternal rest. For they were slaughtered in their millions by the barbarians and infidels and they were…
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Acting President Yemi Osinbajo will no longer sign the 2017 budget by 9am on Thursday. A source had told TheCable that the budget was due to be signed on Thursday and that the presiding officers of the national assembly had been invited to witness the exercise. But the presidency made a last-minute cancellation of the exercise. TheCable learnt earlier on Wednesday that a team from the presidency had met with the leadership of the legislature where it was disclosed that the budget would be signed the next day. A source at the meeting said signning of the budget was the…
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Being a Book Review on the Occasion of the Public Presentation of “The Vanity of ‘Change’ and the Audacity of Truth (A Collection of Uncompromising Essays)” authored by Mr Jude C. Ndukwe, on Wednesday, May 24, 2017, at Merit House, Aguiyi Ironsi St, Maitama, Abuja. I feel deeply honoured and privileged to stand before this special gathering on the presentation of ‘The Vanity Of Change and the Audacity of Truth’ a book authored by one of the rising champions of democracy in Nigeria today. My speech will be a departure from the typical book reviews in these parts. I will…
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In Imo State, all markets in Owerri, filling stations, fast food outlets, schools and commercial banks remained under lock and key in compliance with the sit-at-home directive. Food vendors, sachet water hawkers, shoe shiners and even barrow pushers were equally off the streets. As a way of consolidating the order, IPOB loyalists mounted the Biafran flag and other insignia at strategic locations across the state and warned well-established transport companies and school proprietors to respect the order. Armed security personnel were either seen patrolling or permanently stationed at strategic locations within and outside Owerri municipality. Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas…
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Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has advised those campaigning for restructuring of the present federal structure to stop dissipating their energy as no amount of advocacy or agitation would lead to restructuring. The AGF, who admitted that reforms and modifications of institutional arrangements, systems and processes were normal in federations world over, said they were not done in single swoop as advocated in Nigeria. Speaking at the Think-Tank Conference on “Federalism and challenges of dynamic equilibrium in Nigeria: Towards a National Strategy,” organised by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), in Abuja, yesterday, Malami…
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Rochas Okorocha, governor of Imo state, has sacked the state executive council and 27 local government transition committees, with immediate effect. A statement by Pascal Obi, principal secretary to the governor, directed all former members of the executive to hand over to permanent secretaries or the most senior director in their ministries. Obi quoted the governor as appreciating the invaluable contributions of the affected appointees to the success recorded by his “rescue mission” administration. According to him, the secretary to the government, the chief of staff, chairmen and members of statutory commissions such as ISEC, Civil Service Commission, local government…
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There is no doubt that one of the most interesting human endeavours is true, sincere and committed friendship . An enduring friendship availiable for each in every circumstance. Such frienship is scarce to find , but it has happened in a very strange circle- political circle , where it is acceptable that permanent frienship is impossible but permanent interest . Tambuwaal – Ihedioha has nullified the relevance of this age long axiom. Rather than a divisive factor Tambuwaal – Ihedioha friendship has proved sceptics or cynics wrong about politics which evidently has shown that one of the greatest bridges that…
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Just as christians celebrate all souls and all saints day. Tomorrow, regardless of what you believe in or who you pay obeisance to, we must as a people remember our fallen heroes and heroines, our parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts, brothers and sisters, relatives and kinsmen who died during the biafran war while fighting for your freedom. May their souls Rest In Peace! We can’t forget the massacre of Igbos in Asaba, the effort of every Biafran who willingly joined the Biafra army and those conscripted into standing tall for Biafra. We can’t forget all the children that suffered Kwashioko…
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The Month of May in 1967 witnessed two significant events that permanently redefined and truncated the manifest destiny the giant promise on the African Continent the World called “Nigeria”. The background to those two events was that following a botched Military Coup in January of 1966, led by middle rank officers which nevertheless led to the death of Leading Political figures in the North including the Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa and the Premier of the Northern Region Ahmadu Bello and that Western Region, Ladoke Akintola, amongst others. A blood-soaked revenge Coup was executed by Northern Military Officers in July 1966…
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 In the following address given eleven years before Nigerian independence, Nnamdi Azikiwe calls for self-determination for the Ibo as they along with other ethnic groups march toward an inevitably free Nigeria. This address was delivered at the Ibo State Assembly held at Aba, Nigeria, on Saturday, June 25, 1949. Harbingers of a new day for the Ibo nation, having selected me to preside over the deliberations of this assembly of the Ibo nation, I am conscious of the fact that you have not done so because of any extraordinary attributes in me. I realize that I am not the…
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“There are two basic questions that must be answered by all Nigerians. One, do we want to remain as one country? Two, if the answer is yes, under what conditions?” – Chief Bola Ige Introduction To paraphrase the historian, mathematician, journalist, Marxist, and progressive thinker, Edwin Madunagu, every political history has its significant dates, landmarks or turning points. In Nigeria’s political history, for instance, landmarks would include October 1, 1960, (the day Nigeria gained independence from Britain), January 15, 1966, (when the first of what would become a tradition of military coups occurred), July 6, 1967, (the official start of…
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