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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Being submission of the lower Niger Congress to the Igbo Summit. Theme: “Navigating the Future”, Convened by the World Igbo Congress, 27th May 2017 at Enugu). PROTOCOLS It gives me great pleasure to welcome us all to the Great Coal City, Enugu. I must commend the Conveners, World Igbo Congress (WIC), for finding the Courage at this difficult juncture of the Igbo Odessey in Nigeria, to bring this Summit to Igboland, right in the middle of the 50th Anniversary of the Declaration of Biafra,after many years of holding it’s major Public Events in the United States of America, where the…
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Egbema oil field and ogwuta oil and gas reserve is in IMO STATE and yet I have never heard any one from IMO STATE shouting we need our oil, the Government should give us 200% of our oil reserves. The are too busy with education, they don’t even notice there is an oil and gas pipeline in there community. Asaba in DELTA STATE have the largest oil and gas deposit in the STATE. And yet the Igbos from that region have never been interested in joining militants or even coming to facebook to shout we need our oil. You hardly…
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Emerging reports, have revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari, has given Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, a marching order to reshuffle his cabinet. Recall, that Osinbajo on Tuesday, traveled to London, where he met with Buhari behind closed doors. Osinbajo, who has since returned to the country, in the early hours of Wednesday, left for London at about 3:25 p.m., local time, shortly after presiding over the Quarterly Presidential Business Forum, which held at the Presidential Villa. A reliable Presidency source, confirmed that Buhari is not comfortable with some of his close Aides, who have undermined the Acting President in his absence,…
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Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau State has revealed that Igbos own over Seventy Percent of certificates of occupancy he has signed since assuming office. Governor Lalong stated this while commending the Igbo community whom paid a solidarity visit at the Government House. “I had to call the Commissioner for Lands to ask him why it was so and to find out if the indigenous population had quit the state for the Igbo” In a statement mailed to journalists by the governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mark Longyen, said Lalong appreciated the Igbo community for boosting and…
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In the context of Nigerian political history, the word re-structuring, which is now very current, should be quite simple, straight forward and without complications, yet some people seem to have difficulties with it. In substance, it simply calls for our going back to the “agreed Nigeria”, that is, going back to the structure or political arrangements of Nigeria, as agreed by the founding fathers – our heroes past! That ‘agreed Nigeria’ was a federal structure, with regions as federating units. Initially there were three regions: Eastern, Western and Northern regions. Midwestern region was created later, making four regions: three in…
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The Supreme Court has dismissed an application filed by a factional leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ali-Modu Sheriff, asking the court not to hear a motion by his challenger, Ahmed Makarfi. Mr. Sheriff had asked the court to refuse hearing on the application filed by Mr. Makarfi, challenging the February 17 judgement of the Appeal Court in Port Harcourt which made Mr. Sheriff leader of the PDP. At the opening of the hearing on Monday, Mr. Sheriff’s lawyer, Akin Olujimi, said the application was an abuse of court process because Mr. Makarfi ought to have requested the leave of…
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The Court of appeal sitting in Enugu extensively sat for 7 hours 37 minutes over the appeals between The National Chairman of APGA Dr Victor Ike Oye, Inspector General of Police, INEC against Comr Mike Alioke. Wole Olanipekun, Patrick Ikwueto , Emeka Etiaba, Onyechi Ikpazu all SANs appeared for Dr Oye , O J Nnadi appeared for Inspector General of Police, Ugwuoke ESQ for INEC while Tochukwu Maduka appeared for APGA Comr Alioke was compelled by the appellate court to represent him self having mischievously failed to appear before the court with a lawyer but chose to come to the…
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“Treat the surrendering Biafrans well or risk their children rising again”- Colonel Phillip Effiong, Vice President of Biafra, 1970. These profound words from a wise and deeply courageous man have proved to be prophetic. The truth is that those that resist the idea of restructuring and that say no to the conducting of a referendum on self-determination by the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria are arch-conservatives that seek to preseve what the French call the “ancien regime”. They are people that have fed fat on Nigeria and the very idea of dismantling and reforming our constitutional structure, redefining our nation and…
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On July 6, 1967, civil war broke out in Nigeria between the country’s military and the forces of Biafra, an independent republic proclaimed by ex-Nigerian military officer Odumegwu Ojukwu on May 30 of that year. The war killed more than 1 million people, many of whom died from starvation. It ended in January 1970 with the reintegration of Biafra into Nigeria. Malnutrition, Red Cross, kwashiorkor, relief flights, genocide, the Uli airstrip used by Biafran planes to elude the Nigerian blockade, mercenaries, the Aburi accord that broke down and led to war—these are some of the memory triggers of the Nigerian…
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“I write with reference to your letter (Ref – FRAW/AO/CB/11/71 of 8th October, 1971 to inform you that your client’s entitlement as a depositor was £20 ex gratia award authorized by the Federal Government” Signed by E. N. ISONG Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria As applied by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the celebrated case of CHIEF J. J. ENWEOZOR V. CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (1976)1 ALL NLR PAGE 252 AT PAGE 256. This letter, dated the 18th day of October, 1971, signed by E. N. ISONG, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, addressed to Chief…
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As amply articulated in the ALADIMMA EPISTLE (2012), the nature of the Constitutional shackles by which the Igbo is bound, tethered and marooned in Nigeria is such that any solution that does not Constitutionally unshackle the Igbo would at best amount to a token of amelioration to buy the peace of now since the efforts to break the chains, by whatever name called including “Biafra”, will not go away until the chains are truly broken. In considering the options open to Nd’Igbo for removing the Constitutional shackles which hold the Igbo down and lock away so much potential, it is…
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“I remember I wrote an article during the (civil) war and I said at that time that Biafra cannot be defeated, People misunderstood what I was saying”. I said once an idea has taken hold, you cannot destroy that idea… “You may destroy the people that carry the idea on the battlefield, but, ultimately, it is not the end of the story.” I was even arrested and detained for almost two years by Nigeria’s then-military regime over my alleged interaction with the Biafra leadership under General Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu. What the Nigeria’s government needed now is to talk to pro-Biafra agitators,…
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A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, tells BAYO AKINLOYE that the only way to avoid a civil war is for Nigeria to be restructured What do you think about calls for the restructuring of Nigeria? It is absolutely necessary and it is the only way forward. Some have argued that what the country needs now isn’t the restructuring of the country but good leadership. Isn’t that correct? Those that say so have been saying that for the last 30 years and it’s been proved wrong. Nothing can change the fortune of Nigeria without restructuring. We must restructure this country…
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A delegate to the 2014 National Conference and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), tells BAYO AKINLOYE what he thinks about calls for restructuring. Why do you think many politicians are calling for a restructuring of Nigeria? Nigeria is facing a lot of challenges and the sudden call by politicians for a restructured Nigeria is not well-meaning because they are making such calls for a political end aimed at 2019 and they are already taking their positions. Politicians cannot sit down in one place and discuss solely in their interest to promote something that is fashionable.…
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Poetically, Friedrich Nietzsche saw ahead of his time. He crafted a parable to describe the winds of disbelief that would blow over modern Europe. A mad man lit a lantern at noon and went into the public market looking for God: “Where is God?” Mocked by the townspeople in an escalating series of exchanges, he finally threw the lantern to the ground. It shattered and the light went out. “God is dead,” cried the madman, “and we have killed him.” “Let the churches begin the funeral.” While everyone laughed, Nietzsche said that his generation was not ready for the news…
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As Delivered by Nwadike Ifesinachi Johnpaul (Mazi Johnpaul) on 07/07/2017 On the ING Lecture Series Platform. Let me begin by submitting my immense gratitude to the ING Lecture Series Committee for finding me worthy to be long listed in this honourable tradition of interaction with one’s kin. It gives me great pleasure to note that the lectures are by no means an engagement of a hierarchical order, hence the decision of the committee to opt for a youth to handle today’s session is highly commendable. On July 2, when, Sir Gerrard Ibe approached me with the request, I was eager…
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Following a flurry of enquiries coming to the LNC Secretariat seeking explanations on what the LNC Referendum Template which is being adopted by the Biafran Agitation Groups, entails, the Secretariat posits as follows: The LNC Template basically consists of a two-pronged process of Countrywide Delegitimization and Repudiation of the fraudulent 1999 Nigerian Constitution leading to the orderly deconstitution and dismantling of the present pseudo-Federation and the willful aggregation of independent units of Regionally-willing and compatible contiguities. These compatible contiguities, which include the prospective Federation of the various Indigenous Peoples of the Lower Niger, shall emerge via Referendum in exercise of…
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A group of Nigeria Media Practitioners based in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory that go by the name ‘The Third Eye’ say they have uncovered plans by the Nigeria Federal government to assassinate Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra. In a personal message sent to the IPOB high command by the leader of The Third Eye who preferred anonymity simply reads “on the next adjourned date of the case of treasonable felony preferred against your leader, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, the Nigeria Government through special snippers of the Department of State Services (DSS) has perfected plans…
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A lawyer and medical practitioner, John Larry Ojukoko Esq. and Dr. Ejiro Imuere, have approached a Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, seeking an order of mandamus compelling the Senate President and Speaker, House of Representatives, to set up a medical panel to examine the medical fitness of ailing President Muhammadu Buhari and remove him if he can no longer continue. Joined in the suit are the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, and Attorney General of the Federation. Specifically, the plaintiffs want the court to determine the following: “Whether or not by the combined effect of sections…
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Considering the growing acceptance of the Call for the Restructuring and Renegotiation of Nigeria and the fact that the Call is now being misinterpreted and misrepresented by persons who may obviate the true intents, it has become imperative to state in succinct terms, the imperatives of the Restructuring and Renegotiation in the Nigerian context. Full fiscal federalism – Ownership Of resources residing in component units of the Federation will rest with such component units, with payment of agreed taxes to support the Federal Government. Clarifying who and what a Nigerian means. Definition of a Nigerian. Entitlements based on Nationality and…
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You stay in your corner everyday to whine and complain about the evil and misrule in this jungle, called Nigeria. You complain about the wicked, parversive, criminal and fraudulent activities in the National Assembly. You curse and rant on the monumental corruption there and in Aso coven . Your timeline is filled with loads and records of daily abuses of political office holders occasioned by the misrule in Nigeria . You are frustrated endlessly because Nigeria is retrogressing when other peer nations are moving forward. You daily acknowledge and complain that the political office holders at all levels and arms…
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As wife petitions Dogara over incessant harrassment from security agencies. TW0 Members of the House of Representatives, Mr Diri Duoye and Ms Boma Goodhead both from Bayelsa and Rivers respectively on Thursday threatened to beat up Mr Razak Atunwa over his invitation to former President Goodluck Jonathan to explain his alleged role in the OPL 245 Malabu Oil deal. Former President Goodluck Jonathan This is just as his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan petitions Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara asking that security agencies should stop harrassing her. Rep Diri Duoye apparently disturbed as the direct representative of the former Number…
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SaharaReporters has learned from presidency sources that Senate President Bukola Saraki has formed an alliance with a cabal within the Aso Rock Villa determined on confusion and disorder rather than witness Acting President Yemi Osinbajo assume full presidential powers. The new balance of forces emerges as the cabal has found it impracticable in the past few weeks to bring back ailing President Muhammadu Buhari to the country. Buhari’s doctors continue to insist he cannot function or run Nigeria in his present state of health, but the cabal, which is using ethnicity and religious sentiments to foment deep-seated animosity against the…
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Nigeria is awash in nervous speculation over the health of President Muhammadu Buhari, who hasn’t appeared in public since he returned to the U.K. for medical treatment for an undisclosed ailment on May 7. Buhari, 74 and a Muslim, has formally designated his deputy, Yemi Osinbajo, acting president as he did when he was away on medical leave for 49 days from Jan. 20. The prospect of Osinbajo, a 60-year-old Christian, serving out the remaining two years of Buhari’s term raises the specter of sectarian tension in a country that has seen plenty of it in the past. Succession jitters…
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The broadcast on Biafra by Al-Jazeera must have hit home. I know this for sure with the rush by apologists of the Military-North Complex to indulge in their favourite revisionism. The first Nigeria coup is always their takeoff point. However, we Ndi Igbo will never stop telling our story. The first coup that they keep labeling the Igbo coup because some of its leaders were Igbo, was never an Igbo coup. If the Military-North Complex that ruled and ruined Nigeria is willing to defend their assertions, let the Federal government of Nigeria muster the will to set up a Commission…
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Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and the Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, has said that Nigeria’s survival depends on the resolution of the Biafran agitation. Akpabio said this while addressing his constituents in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, where he organised a constituency briefing and empowerment programme for his constituents in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District “However, that heart needs close monitoring because if the diseased parts of this country do not get healed soon, the heart would get worse for it. “If the Biafra agitation is not fixed, if the Arewa threat of the eviction of Igbos…
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Prominent on the list is Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo, the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, six academics, one female, Mrs Oluwatoyin Ajoke Bahorun and other practising lawyers. Also approved were the Attorney-General of Kwara State, Mr Lamaldeen Adeyemi Ajibade and a former DG of the National Copyrights Commission, Professor Adebambo Adewopo. 156 lawyers applied, 72 were shortlisted and only 30 were approved by the NJC. The conferring authority, the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) took the decision at its 127th General Meeting held in Abuja. The Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary to the…
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Members of the Core Federalists held their Inaugural Meeting on Thursday, July 06, 2017 in Lagos to reflect on the emerging challenges of the Nigerian-state and on how to support the process of nation building. After due reflection and consideration of the sociopolitical developments in the country resolved as follows: 1. Note with concerns that the multiplicity of self determination agitations and political grandstanding leading to the deepening of inherent cleavages in the country; observing that the trend is inimical to the continued existence of the country as an entity. 2. Acknowledge that the interests of all the ethnocultural groups…
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Acting President Yemi Osinbajo said on Thursday that the Federal Government would soon come out with policies to address the clamour by Nigerians for the restructuring of the country. Mr. Osinbajo made the disclosure at the presentation and launch of a book titled: Nigeria: “The Restructuring Controversy” in Abuja. He was represented by his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Babafemi Ojudu. Mr. Osinbajo said all the debates on the restructuring of the country by Nigerians were being noted by the Federal Government. “We are looking at all contributions made by Nigerians across the country. “Very soon we will come out…
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Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is in a serious quagmire. But unfortunately, he is oblivious to and of it. Even if he is not, he has no tools to help himself. His fish, it seems, has no water on its back. The ongoing war in Abuja for power is emblematic of the nature and character of the Nigerian state that hopefully would lead to the Nunc Dimittis of a tragedy called a country. As events continue to unfold, those still acting like ostriches, shouting ONE NIGERIA, would have some education and have theirs eyes opened. For those theorists who see this…
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Imo State Governor and the Chairman, All Progressives Peoples (APC) Governors Forum, Rochas Okorocha in an interactive session with members of State House Press Corps, noted that the neglect of the youths was responsible for the agitation in the South -East. According to him, the youths are frustrated and are using agitation to vent their anger. He also accuses Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose of deliberately heating up the polity with his allegations that President Muhammadu Buhari was on life support. What is your reaction to recent happenings in the policy? As you are aware we are passing through a…
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Rev Fr Ejike Mbaka has voiced out again on the health of President Muhammadu Buhari. Mbaka, who was speaking during a weekly programme entitled ‘E No Dey Again’ held on Wednesday, said he heard a cry like pattering of the rain from the Aso Rock chamber. The cleric said he got a vision to rush to Aso Rock but on reaching there, nobody was ready to take him to where Buhari is in the UK. The cleric during the programme said he had a vision where he was at a meeting in Aso Rock, which had Ibrahim Babaginda in attendance.…
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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned that Nigerians must do everything possible to stop the agitation for Biafra led by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Speaking at the launch of the biography of late Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari on Tuesday, Obasanjo warned that failure to do so could lead to a repeat of the 1966 coup and the events that led to unprecedented bloodshed in the country. The former president said the top most lessons for Nigerians to learn from unfolding events in the country are that the nation has had enough of tragedies. “So far,…
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One of the best things that can happen to anyone is for his enemy to make the mistake that will advance his cause. This almost always brings about a total turn around for uncommon self-realization and meaningful exploit. So let your enemies make the mistakes even when they cause you pains, transient pains, you will end up better, bigger and stronger. In a typical problematic polygamous family, problem ends up making some half-brothers wiser. Yes, when you are accused of foolishness, the right thing to do is to put your senses into task and become wiser after re-examining yourself and…
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Ohan’eze Ndi Igbo should not confront IPOB, Kanu or the youths to avoid the unthinkable. If they have any advice or suggestion for them, they should do it off the print media. They goofed last time. One cannot read Afenifere berating OPC on the pages of newspapers or ACF on their youths in public. Igbos, despite their population and business acumen, they are politically naive. That’s why other tribes manipulate Igbos like the pool batters. Youths are more populous, and if they begin to disrespect Ohan’eze, they will lose value in Igboland. They are about to lose the little they…
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Prominent Igbo lawyer and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), on Tuesday condemned the call for the country’s restructuring, describing it as a political calculation by the elite to grab power in 2019. Rather, Agbakoba justified the demand for self-determination by the Nnamdi Kanu-led Indigenous People of Biafra, which is seeking a referendum to achieve same. Agbakoba, who rejected the declaration by acting President Yemi Osinbajo that Nigeria’s sovereignty was not negotiable, said IPOB’s quest for self-determination was lawful and found justification in Article 1 (2) of the United Nations Charter and Article 20 (1)…
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DATE: WEDNESDAY 5TH JULY, 2017 VENUE: SOKAPU SECRETARIAT No 2B Jega Close, Gwari Avenue, Behind St. Gerard Hospital Barnawa Kaduna. PRESS CONFERENCE It is no longer news that the peace, security, prosperity and unity of our beloved country, Nigeria is now badly threatened. Therefore we the people of the Middle-Belt of Nigeria comprising : Kwara State, Kogi State, Benue State, Plateau State, Nasarawa State, Taraba State, Niger State, The Federal Capital Territory, as well as the southern parts of Adamawa State, Kaduna State, Kebbi State, Bauchi State, Gombe State, Yobe State and Borno State wish to lend our united voice…
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Those from outside Igboland that say that they do not want Biafra have missed the point. It is for the people of the east to make that call and to make that decision and not for you. What you believe is good for the Igbo or what you prefer for them is neither here nor there. Ultimately it is only THEIR choice and THEIR decision, which can only be made and established in a free and fair UN-sponsored and conducted referendum, that matters. And in that referendum every single Igbo person, whether they be a traditional ruler, a chief, a…
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“We know very well that the toad does not run in the daytime for nothing; if it is not after something, then something must be after it. Although Nigeria is not new to agitations of all kinds, the nation has of recent been caught in a cacophony of agitations by different groups and sections of the country. In particular, these agitations have been most pronounced in the South-east, where the activities of various pro-Biafra groups have been most pronounced. There have also been loud and well-meaning voices in the South-east and all over the country strongly canvassing a restructuring of…
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The Senator representing Kaduna Central, Comrade Shehu Sani, has thrown his weight behind those calling for the restructuring of the country. He said that the present situation called for every Nigerian to take the opportunity offered to restructure and redesign Nigeria. “We should come out with a new master plan that will address the social, economic and political crises that gave birth to some of these agitations. “We should also use the opportunity to reach out, to strengthen our unity and form a coalition against separatists, who come from the southeast and ultra-nationalist and anarchist who come from northern part…
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The National Association of the Nigerian Traditional Medicine Practitioners has said its members can cure President Muhammadu Buhari of any ailment he is battling with if consulted. The Patron of the NANTMP, Dr. Adesunmiboye Fawawo, said this in an interview with our correspondent in Osogbo on Tuesday on the sidelines of the inauguration of the new executives of the association. He said many Nigerians died cheaply because the practice of medicinal and therapeutic use of plants was being looked down upon in the country while orthodox medicine was being promoted. Fawawo said, “President Muhammadu Buhari is our national leader and…
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In this season of quit notices to ethnic groups, hate speech, election boycott threats and other high-wire acts of political brinksmanship, we need to keep our eye on the ball. That means reminding Acting President Yemi Osinbanjo of the political responsibility of the Federal Government of Nigeria to keep Nigeria united by going beyond rhetoric and confronting and addressing, concretely, the National Question. While he is to be commended for his efforts at pacifying the protagonists, we must tell truth to power and let our Acting President know that the time for platitudes and pious exhortations is over. It is…
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If you are a newcomer to Nigerian politics, you should be forgiven for thinking Igbo are sworn enemies of northerners (and I mean the “core north” by that, and hereinafter). Since the 2015 presidential electioneering, there has been no love lost between the two big power blocs and erstwhile political allies. Agitations for Biafra, which were dormant under President Goodluck “Azikiwe” Jonathan, have been magnificently revived, and in an unprecedented development, an Arewa youth coalition has issued an October 1 deadline to Igbo to quit the north. Although there are efforts to douse the tension, the rhetoric has only softened.…
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The most discussed subject in Nigeria today is what is called “restructuring” and indeed so popular is this subject that it has attracted the attention of roadside commentators, the bright, the not-so-bright, the mischievous and the outrightly unintelligent all united by the singular claim that Nigeria belongs to all of us and we all have a right to determine its future. The last person who brought up this subject with me is a mechanic in Abeokuta! He had heard about Biafra, the Arewa youths, the President’s absence, Professor Osinbajo, Nnamdi Kanu, what Igbo leaders, Northern leaders and Yoruba leaders have…
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There appears a split in the National Working Committee NWC of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC over the party’s stance on the vexed issue of restructuring as its South-south zonal National Vice Chairman, Hilliard Eta, said the APC promised to restructure the country and it must not wait till the country disintegrates before fulfilling the pledge. National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun had last week denied claims that the APC promised restructuring, saying the party only pledged to institute true fiscal federalism and that fulfilling the pledge was not its immediate priority, but growing the economy. However,…
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The President of the Original Inhabitants Development Association of Abuja, Pastor Danladi Jeji, who said this in a statement on Monday in Abuja, however, declared support for Nigeria and the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. “We urge more peace and unity at the moment but should the Nigerian federation be dissolved, we shall have no choice but to seek an independent status from the northern or southern groups agitating for separate countries at the moment. “Like Kosovo, we shall seek the United Nations’ administrative, civil and military support to declare an autonomous status of self-government,” the statement signed by OIDA…
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One core difference between the Igbo person and the Hausa Fulani is that the former thinks BUSINESS, in terms of profit and loss statement, in everything. While the latter thinks POLITICS and RULERSHIP in everything. (This is a discussion for another day.) Getting our intelligentsia to dialogue with the North or Nigeria is quite ideal. But the questions are: 1. WHERE WERE THESE INTELLIGENTSIAS BEFORE NOW? 2. WHY WEREN’T THESE INTELLIGENTSIAS SENSITIVE ENOUGH TO START THIS MOVE BEFORE THE DAYS OF UWAZURUIKE and KANU? 3. HOW MANY OF THESE INTELLIGENTSIAS HAVE MADE CONCERTED EFFORT TO CALL OUR SELF-STYLED POLITICAL OFFICE…
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Thousands of Imo youths shut down Owerri in solidarity with the government of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha. According to reports, the people disclosed that they are very happy with Governor Okorocha and his rescue mission government in Imo state. See photos below
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The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, on Monday raised the alarm over the deployment of military personnel in over 28 states in the country Dogara said the development was an indication that Nigeria was already in a state of emergency in peacetime. The Speaker expressed shock over the growing trend of soldiers taking over civil and security duties constitutionally reserved for the Nigeria Police. According to him, in peacetime, soldiers are merely to complement the police and other civil authorities. He expressed surprise that they were visible in almost all parts of the country doing the…
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Let me make this abundantly clear right from the outset. I love and respect Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the supreme leader of the Biafran movement, the founder and convener of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) and the man that I have appropiately dubbed as the Lion of the East. I do not however agree with him on EVERYTHING and neither do I share his views about President Goodluck Jonathan. I do not believe that Jonathan was weak or that he was incompetent. As a matter of fact I believe that the contrary is the case. I believe that he exhibited…
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I understand the frustration. I wish things can work that way. But everything that happens in the world has a precedent and there is something called international law. That’s where the elites and intelligentsia are important for the struggle. John Garange was elite of the South Sudan he was instrumental to the peace talks that led to the independence of South Sudan. After he died in a plane crash, Silva Kiir, his lieutenant, who was also another elite, took over and led the country to Independence. Our people should be very careful so that they do not shoot themselves in…
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07-02-17 Anambra State Association World-Wide(ASA World), is the umbrella Association of Ndi Anambra Worldwide. ASA-World is currently made up of original 27 partners in services members of AnambraState Diaspora Association indigenes from across the globe. We were formed in1990 and have since then existed as an “Ombudsman”; meaning a ‘WATCH DOG ‘for Ndi-Anambra from across the globe, for the oppressed, marginalized and underprivileged. As the “Ombudsmen”, our goals are to impartially monitors, investigate, question the actions, and conduct oversights activities on those holding “Public Trusts” and expose the impacts of their actions on the citizenry. From our worldwide Secretariats, we…
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Rochas Okorocha represents a sour and sore chapter in democratic and leadership credentials. The trending press release by Rochas Okorocha where he attacked Governor Fayose for challenging the presidency to provide evidence of the whereabout of President Buhari is ludicrous, an insensitive piece of falsehood and cheap political propaganda. Since Rochas Okorocha has become a paper tiger; has Rochas Okorocha made any strong statement against the armed Fulani herdsmen who have continued to kill Nigerians? The answer is NO! On the 24th of December 2016, when Pastor Enoch Adeboye and the general overseer of RCCG visited Oba Rufus Adejugbe Aladesanmi…
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The Indigenous people of Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, have warned that should the country eventually break up, they will seek an independent status. They said they would ask the United Nations to govern the 8,000sq kilometres territory through a transitional arrangement until it can become an autonomous city-state with socio-political and economic sovereignty. They however, declared their support for a united Nigeria based on proper devolution of governmental powers rather than dismemberment of the nation as canvassed by separatist groups. Their resolution was contained in a statement by the President of the Original Inhabitants Development Association of Abuja, OIDA,…
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It has become necessary for me to issue this public statement by way of Legal Notice and clear the air regarding the “order” issued by Mr Nnamdi Kanu that elections will not hold in the whole Biafraland starting with Anambra State. I make this Statement on behalf of the Supreme Council of Elders. Nnamdi Kanu is not the Founder and Leader of the body known as INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF BIAFRA which the Nigerian Government has recognised by Judicial Notice in Suit No. FHC/OW/CS/192/2013 in the Federal High Court Owerri. The body known as Indigenous People of Biafra consists of the…
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This completely avoidable feud between IPOB and Ohaneze was what I foresaw when I said that IPOB’S call for the boycott of the Anambra governorship election was a tactical error! You do not put your invincibility to the test so soon after achieving it. The absolute compliance with its Biafra Day sit-at-home order conferred on IPOB an awe inspiring aura which needed to be guarded jealously; it was the aura of a champion, and champions choose their battles with discretion and circumspection! I predicted that the proposed boycott would pit IPOB against a motley of vested and powerful political interests.…
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Thanks for your request to give you a copy of the Federal Ministry of education 9 year basic education curriculum on “Religion and National Values” book. The book was a product of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council ( NERDC), a parastatal, under the Ministry of Education. The issues with the curriculum. 1. On pages 17 and 46 of the “Religion and National Values” curriculum for Primary one to three (Primary 1-3) are statements that are not only inciting but derogatory to a particular religious belief and faith ( Christianity). Specifically. a) On page 17 under Theme Islamic studies…
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http://leadership.ng/2017/07/03/breaking-news-alhaji-maitama-sule-dead/
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The wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, left for London on Sunday to visit her husband who is on medical vacation. According to a statement by her media aide, Mrs. Buhari “will convey to the President the best wishes of Nigerians and their fervent prayers for his quick recovery.” “She is expected to stop over at Addis Ababa, to make a symbolic appearance at the meeting of the Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) on Monday 3rd July, 2017. “She will join other members to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the organisation, and use the opportunity to reiterate…
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Traditional rulers and Civil Society Organiations in the Niger Delta region have demanded for the immediate restructuring of Nigeria. The people of the reg Source: Restructure or split Nigeria now – Niger Delta tells Federal Government – Daily Post Nigeria
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The Coalition of Arewa youths that issued a quit notice to the Igbo residing in the north will reconsider their stand following the position of Southeast leaders, Alhaji Shettima Yerima said yesterday. Yerima, president of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), one of the youth groups that issued the October 1 deadline, told our reporter yesterday that they were pleased that the Igbo leaders strongly condemned the pro-Biafra agitators. He said: “We are happy that the Igbo leaders have taken a step to curtail some people who have been trying to hold the country down through their actions. Yerima said ultimatum…
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Senator Kanti Bello is a former Senate Majority Whip, who represented Katsina North Senatorial District on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before joining the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), one of the legacies parties that formed the All Progressives Congress (APC). He speaks with Senior Deputy Editor, TAIWO AMODU, on the party’s 2019 presidential ticket, his fears about Buhari and the chances of his party. How will you assess the Buhari administration in the last two years? I will be frank with you. This is the first interview I am giving in the last two years.…
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I have taken time to read through the full text of the speech by Ohaneze President , Chief Nnia Nwodo on the floor of the Anambra house of assembly and found out that it was not as pungent or anti IPOB or Nnamdi Kanu as some people painted it. The Nigeria media can spin things out of proportion. Chief Nnia Nwodo , I must concede has brought some new level of focus to the activities of the Pan Igbo sociocultural group , Ohaneze Ndi Igbo. He is very cerebral and intelligent. He is one of the few past political office…
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When we make calls for for the restructuring of Nigerian’s political space, we do so because we strongly believe that it will enable the expansion and growth of the socio-cultural and economic space. This will in turn help the country to offer maximally, its huge potential for the benefits of its people, to explore without hindrance and exploit productively within the ambit of the rules and regulations of a free market economy. We make such calls, and will continue to insist on restructuring because we are convinced that most of the agitations and crises thawing at the very base of…
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Fellow Nigerians, let me say categorically that I’ve never seen a country where the citizens like to argue over every miniscule issue like Nigeria. We are a country of absolutism. Every now and then we just enjoy coming up with highfalutin theories out of the blues and everyone begins to recycle and regurgitate the mantra. Once upon a time, TRUE FEDERALISM was the swansong. Half, if not most, of those shouting the phrase had little or no idea of what it meant. It seems we just love to hear the cacophony of our own voices and prefer to join whatever…
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Until we have achieved that state of being, the desired geopolitical region remains at risk. So we must pursue both tasks together. And the State of Being is as follows: We have to do as the Catalonians do in Spain. When they realized that the Castelianos (Madrid) will never voluntarily or easily give them Independencia, the Catalonians (Barcelona) decided to turn inwards and develop their region Technologically, Economically and Infrastructurally – and now they are the economic powerhouse of Spain. The same thing is with Bayern in Germany. When Germany was declaring itself as a nation, Bayern (Bavaria) had the…
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At the end of the meeting of the above enumerated categories of Igbo leadership, the following resolutions were adopted: 1. That Ndigbo are in support of a united Nigeria where peace, love, fairness, justice, equity and equality of opportunity are paramount regardless of creed, ethnicity, gender or political affiliation. 2. That we condemn all hate speeches and conducts emanating from any segment of Nigeria. 3. That Igbo leaders lend their full support to the restructuring of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the basis of fairness and equity. We therefore call on the Federal Government and all Nigerian leaders to…
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The Nigerian government took everything from us (Igbos) to develop other regions, told us it is for all of us to enjoy, for we are “One Nigeria”. When we moved to those regions to access the infrastructures built by the fraudulent Nigerian government with our own resources, they tagged us immigrants, mocked and told us how we left our land undeveloped as if they are the ones that developed their own lands. I don’t know what is wrong with other Nigerians. They call us ingrates because we ask for equity, justice and fair-play. They call us immigrants in our own…
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“But I found Anambra State to be an Oasis. Industry after Industry regaled us with testimony of what Mr Peter Obi did for them when he was governor of Anambra State.” Read the full article” When most Nigerians think about the South East, they think of a people who are mostly traders. Most Nigerian narratives describe the Igbo as traders or at best as business men. They may be right. But that is really not the whole story. The Igbo are more than traders. Those who are old enough and who are familiar with Nigerian history before the Nigeria- Biafra…
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Policing Nigeria seems to be getting harder for the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) due to the misguided agendas of the politicians who seem bent on destroying whatever is left of the operational effectiveness of the police. The NPF has been under attack since the mid-70s when the military administration, removed the Special Branch out of the Force and made it a separate independent organisation. The Special Branch later became the NSO during Shagari administration and then changed its name to the SSS of today. Although its powers and operations are defined by laws, the practical operation of thepolice is affected…
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Every region in Nigeria today is calling for restructuring except the North, there are reasons why the North is against, restructuring of this country. I will list them below. 1 REDUCTION OF POWER AT THE CENTER When Nigeria is restructured, States will no longer look up to federal for survival, but federal to states. The resources spent to maintain the current senate, house of reps at the federal level will be channeled to infrastructure in States. The center will not be as powerful as it is today, because they have little interference over states. The federal and state operate…
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To the people of the south-west, south-south, south-east and the Middle belt I say the following. We must be steadfast and strong. We must look to our God and draw our courage and inspiration from Him. We must take off the gloves and get down to some hard work. We must forge closer ties and remain united. We must stand shoulder to shoulder and resist these hegemonist and born-to-rule devils with every fibre of our being. The Holy Bible says that the blessing of the Lord resides where there is unity. It tells us that the power of God flows…
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29th of June 2017 Your Excellency, RE: LETTER BY A COALITION OF NORTHERN YOUTH GROUPS TO ALLOW IGBOS ACTUALIZE THEIR DREAM OF A SOVEREIGN NATION OF BIAFRA We the Igbo Intelligentsia Forum, a forum with worldwide membership of Igbo professionals, write in response to an open letter, dated 19th June, 2017, addressed to you by a coalition of northern youth groups requesting you to set the machinery in motion to allow Igbos actualize their dream of the sovereign nation of Biafra. Before we make our comments we wish to commend your competent demonstration of effective leadership in dousing the needless…
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A few days ago a friend, patriot a committed Nigerian, Emmanuel Majebi reminded me of the tragedy of looking the other way keeping quiet by men who should know better in times of crisis. He reminded me of the calamity that will befall a society or nation when real men choose to be neutral in times of great moral crisis. He reminded me *that evil triumph in every society when good thinking men do nothing. Hear Emmanuel: “The story is usually told of how years after the devastation of Germany in WW2… There was a meeting of German eggheads… And…
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Joe Igbokwe is an official bullhorn for Mr. Ahmed Bola Tinubu, whom he calls “my leader” and the Lagos APC, which apparently makes him partisan to any discussion concerning the Igbo in Nigeria today. Basically, he has taken his stance, and it is frequently a stance in opposition to a general Igbo position. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with this, because the Igbo, by their republican ethos, accept that all men must exercise their conscience, have their opinions, and be allowed to dissent with the general views. The Igbo have a saying, “let even the mad man have his say…
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The Northern Elders Forum, NEF, has called on former Military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, to keep shut, because he lacks the morals to talk about restructuring. The group blamed Babangida and the Military, for allegedly throwing the nation into its current state, which has led to the subsequent rise of agitation for restructuring. Speaking to Leadership Newspaper in an exclusive telephone interview, the Spokesman of NEF, Ango Abudllahi, argued that Babangida and the Military in general, are responsible for factors that gave rise to current agitation for restructuring. The attack came on the heels of Babangida’s Sallah message, in…
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The Ahiajoku intellectual festival remains one of the greatest inspiring Igbo achievement post civil war. However, like most things Igbo that start off well and develop hiccups along the line, Ahiajoku seem to have joined the long line. The reasons for the above are not farfetched. Starting from a pan Igbo affair in real terms, it has been downgraded to almost an Imo affair due to the unnecessary disunity and power play amongst Igbo governors. However, it does not take nuclear science to reinvent this epic festival of culture and intellectualism and use it once more in repositioning the Igbo…
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The Igbo leaders should come out purposeful to stop Nnamdi Kanu in his illusionary and unrealistic agitation for a socalled state of Biafra. Dim Ojukwu himself said the Biafra chapter closed when Biafran soldiers surrendered to Nigerian troops on 15 January 1970. If Ikemba Nnewi makes a prophesy about Biafra, Who else can say otherwise? Why: Because by his current actions regarding Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu is effectively foreclosing any chance of any Igbo man becoming the President of Nigeria. Nnamdi Kanu is making a whole lot of people become really angry with the Igbos and looking at the Igbos as…
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(Being a rejoinder by the Lower Niger Congress to the Statement of the “Progressive Governors Forum”, PGF, on Federalism and Restructuring). We begin with a caveat that the LNC considers ALL the Political Parties in Nigeria guilty in equal measure, of the criminality of holding the fraudulent 1999 Constitution which enslave and impoverish the People, as the basis of Nigeria and its Democracy, and so the calling out of the APC Governors for insulting the collective intelligence of the whole Country in their new postulations on Restructuring and Federalism must be situated appropriately above the partisan fray. The long epistle…
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Nigerians are all talking about restructuring. Now, that is funny. There are two types of Nigerians: those in government and those awaiting their turn in government. Forget all the talk about the size and potential of Nigeria’s economy. Forget all the talk about business, entrepreneurship, innovation, and the rise of a vibrant new demographic of creators defying the odds to crystallise into a 21st-century transnational elite. That is all puff and powder, for there is really only one business in Nigeria and it is called government. Everybody is just really waiting for and on government. Every other sector and…
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I understand the frustration. I wish things can work that way. But everything that happens in the world has a precedent and there is something called international law. That’s where the elites and intelligentsia are important for the struggle. John Garange was elite of the South Sudan he was instrumental to the peace talks that led to the independence of South Sudan. After he died in a plane crash, Silva Kiir, his lieutenant, who was also another elite, took over and led the country to Independence. Our people should be very careful so that they do not shoot themselves in…
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As the debate on national question continues, a coalition of Igbo professionals in Nigeria and the Diaspora under the aegis of Igbo Ekunie Initiative, has called on the Federal Government to organise a referendum to determine the continuity of the country as a united entity. In a letter addressed to the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, which was also a reaction to the previous letter written by the Arewa youth to the acting president, the Igbo group urged the presidency to, as a matter of urgency, pass a motion that will allow all sections of the nation campaign for, and…
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On June 27th 2017 in Daura, Katsina State one Tanko Abdullahi and one Mohammed Shehu, after a meeting of the Arewa Youth Council, issued the following statement. They said, “We are very much aware that all the attacks against President Muhammadu Buhari were planted in the media by the Yoruba and spread by southerners generally just to discredit the north in order to pave way for their son, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to become President. But their plans will fail insha Allah. We shall resist every of such plans and ensure by all means possible, that the north completes its…
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The President of Ọhaneze ndị Igbo, Dr John Nnia Nwodo, earlier today met with the Honourable Members of Anambra State House of Assembly. Below are his exact words… 1. Mr. Speaker Sir, Honourable Members of Anambra State House of Assembly. 2. I am delighted to be here in this honourable house to share thoughts with you on a number of issues confronting our people in this state and Igbo land as a whole. 3. Anambra State is outstanding amongst the various states in Igboland. 4. I have in facts held in many quarters that Anambra claims more than 50% of…
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Environmental and Human rights activist, Annkio Briggs , has said that it is too late for Nigeria to be restructured, maintaining that what the country needs is total breakup so every emerged country will develop at its own pace. Mrs. Briggs said that the north has more numbers in the National Assembly and hence, can always influence to their interest any bill or action they feel is against their interest, saying such could happen with the restructuring call. Briggs said: “Going by the figures, the North is getting over 60 percent of the total local government allocations and even when…
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Before August 9, 1965, the Singaporeans were seen as an irritation in Malaysia. Then Singapore was one of the 14 states of Malaysia. Singaporeans were viewed as arrogant, stubborn, and domineering. While the United Malays National Organisation wanted affirmative action or “quota system” for the Malays, the People’s Action Party of the Singaporeans insisted that the best thing for the country was a merit-based policy on all issues, so as to bring out the best in the nation and create a spirit of excellence. This constant disagreements and tensions resulted in racial riots. It got to a point, the Malays…
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IPOB press release ; We the members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu condemn unequivocally the distasteful statement credited to the acting President of Nigeria Professor Yemi Osibanjo, to the effect that Biafra agitators who through the instrumentality of IPOB are exercising their God given and inalienable right to self determination, is in violation of the provisions of the General Abdulsalami Abubakar 1999 Constitution of Nigeria. For such a statement to escape the lips of a learned fellow like Prof. Osinbajo confirms the widely held view that African leaders lack the mental…
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The Ohanaeze Youth Council, Worldwide, OYC, has petitioned the United Nations, UN, asking that ndi Igbo in the North be granted special protection following the quit notice issued to them by a coalition of northern youths. The council which is the youth wing of Ohaneze ndi Igbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization also, demanded that the United Nations begins preparation to conduct a referendum in Igbo land to finally determine the fate of their people. This is following the letter written by the Arewa Youths to the Acting President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, in which they bashed Ndigbo over…
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National Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Walid Jibrin has said, on Wednesday, that Biafra would be realized only by referendum and not quit notice. Jibrin stated this while speaking with newsmen in Nasarawa, Nasarawa State. He said that he would not support any group to bring division in the country, adding that peace and unity were the necessary requirements for the development of any nation. According to him, if truly the Igbos want their country, it is only referendum that will grant that independence. Overall Leader of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu Jibrin said…
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We can continue to reap profits from the Blacks without the effort of physical slavery Look at the current methods of containment that they use on themselves: IGNORANCE, GREED, and SELFISHNESS. Their IGNORANCE is the primary weapon of containment. A great man once said, “The best way to hide something from Black people is to put it in a book.” We now live in the Information Age. They have gained the opportunity to read any book on any subject through the efforts of their fight for freedom, yet they refuse to read. There are numerous books readily available at Borders,…
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Today, makes it 53 days since our President; Muhammadu Buhari left Nigeria to attend to his health challenges abroad. No official information as to his whereabouts and his state of health have been provided. Like every other Nigerian, I do not wish the president dead, I have therefore maintained dignified silence since we were told that the President embarked on his second medical trip abroad this year. However, the recorded audio message which was released by the Presidency as the President’s Ramadan message to Nigerians necessitated my setting the records straight today. No doubt, the audio message was only a…
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(Being a rejoinder by the Lower Niger Congress to the Statement of the “Progressive Governors Forum”, PGF, on Federalism and Restructuring). We begin with a caveat that the LNC considers ALL the Political Parties in Nigeria guilty in equal measure, of the criminality of holding the fraudulent 1999 Constitution which enslave and impoverish the People, as the basis of Nigeria and its Democracy, and so the calling out of the APC Governors for insulting the collective intelligence of the whole Country in their new postulations on Restructuring and Federalism must be situated appropriately above the partisan fray. The long epistle…
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Election which is a procedure that allows members of an organization or community to choose representatives who will hold positions of authority within it for a specific period of time is an integral part of constitutional democracy. Elections are not only a mechanism to peacefully resolve the transfer of political power but they are also the basis for democratic legitimacy. For election to be credible, it has to be inclusive, transparent, accountable and competitive. Election process is made up of multiple components and public confidence in each step of the components is critical to the integrity of such election. A…
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Alhaji Balarabe Musa noted that Igbos have not had their fair share in Nigeria. The former governor said things could have been better if Gowon and Murtla’s structures were followed. He said majority of Igbo want a better Nigeria. Alhaji Balarabe Musa who is a former governor of Kaduna state has said that the reason some Igbos are calling for an independent Biafra state is because they have not benefitted much from Nigeria. Musa noted that since the Biafra war ended, Igbos have not had their fair share in the country’s establishment. The former governor said things could have turned…
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At a time when many years of painstaking efforts to reestablish the damaged brotherly love and cohesion between the Igbo and the rest of the Niger Delta is beginning to yield very positive outcomes, it is heartrending to read in the media, (Daily Sun of Monday June 26, 2017 precisely), statements credited to our brother and compatriot, Nnamdi Kanu of dismissing Former President Goodluck Jonathan as a “weak and incompetent President who did nothing for the South East, even though even though the Region claimed him as one of their own”, with an insulting suggestion that the Former President’s…
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As usual, Nigerians are doing what they do best: making themselves the laughing stock of the rest of the world, behaving like spoilt brats of a rich but irresponsible father, or like players in a game with no rules and no referee, a game in a field of moral free fall. Perhaps by way of a metaphor, that is really a summary of our condition. Those who have held the nation to ransom, non-state actors constituting themselves into a calumnious conspiratorial tag team of sorcerers’ apprentices believe that what they cannot have, no one can have. They are prepared to…
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This coming from Col Achuzie himself calls for a rethink, deep reflections and a change of tactics to our present approach to the issue of self determination for our people. Col Achuzia recently published that ‘Biafra does not mean secession ‘. According to him ‘WE’ are proud Biafrans living in Nigeria. The Biafran agitation is an expression coming from perceived general frustrations of ‘some’ Igbos as a result of deliberate marginalizations deprivations. However, the approach is wrong. Why? Igbos have more to lose in Biafra than being part of Nigeria. The economic losses from the 30 months civil war have…
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Nigerian government and lies. They have lied again. The way Nigerian government behaves is like a thief who wants to steal a fowl. He approaches the fowl gradually, watching with sides of his eyes if anyone is looking. If eventually someone shouts, “Who is doing that?”, he will stand pretending as if he is just making the fowl give way. If he already has the fowl in his hand, he will tell you that the fowl just flew up and perched on his hand, that he is not trying to steal it. This is exactly what this Nigerian federal government…
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