South East
Igbo Secession:Nwodo Backs IPOB, MASSOB
The new President-General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, has expressed his readiness to work with the Independent Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), currently agitating for Igbo secession from Nigeria.
“As President of Ohanaeze, I intend to extend my warm hand of partnership to IPOB and MASSOB, they are my children. I shall never desert them.
According to him, the on-going agitations for Biafra by IPOB and MASSOB, were caused by the ceaseless marginalisation of Ndigbo.
Nwodo, whose election is currently been challenged in court by some aggrieved members of the Igbo socio cultural body, added that “their struggle is my struggle”.
He added that “On my part, I promise that I shall stand up for you; I will fight for you; I am ready to sacrifice for you and if necessary die for you.”
The Ohaneze helmsman, who spoke during his maiden media briefing in Enugu yesterday, said this is an era of “a sustained and active fight for the restructuring of our federation, an era of a strong and all involving Ohanaeze.
Nwodo, a one-time minister of information and aviation in Nigeria, posited that both IPOB and the MASSOB, “no matter how divided they appear in public, are basically motivated by the same sense of outrage and bitterness, our young men and women can no longer tolerate a second class status in their own country.
“They can no longer forgive the President for arguing before he came into office that Niger Delta militants were meekly treated and tolerated by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, while Boko Haram was harshly treated by President Goodluck Jonathan, when his law enforcement agents literally open fire and maim and kill unarmed members of MASSOB and IPOB, this is a ticking time bomb.”
He, however, berated President Muhammadu Buhari over what he termed abysmal representation of the Igbo race in the present Federal Government.
This is also as he warned journalists to ensure that he was not mis-quoted, threatening that as a lawyer, he would not hesitate to engage any media house that misquote him in a legal battle.
His words: “I know what will be in the papers tomorrow; don’t use me for sensationalism”, he warned.
Nwodo, equally lambasted Buhari for throwing the Nigeria constitution to the mud as it relates to the Federal Character principle, saying, “under the current Federal Government, Igbo representation is abysmal and fall extremely short of the constitutional provisions for the reflection of federal character in the appointment into important government positions.
He noted that “No arm of government namely, the Executive, the Judiciary or the Legislature is headed by an Igbo, no section of the armed forces or parliamentary organisation is headed by an Igbo”.
“Neither the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal nor the Federal High Court is headed by an Igbo, we know in the history of this country when a lieutenant colonel was appointed to the position of Chief of General Staff over and above his superiors just to ensure ethnic balance.
“We know when a Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation was appointed Chief Justice of Nigeria just to ensure ethnic balance.
“We know when a former military head of State was drafted to run for President just to douse ethnic tensions.
“What is very perturbing is the declaration of Mr. President that his appointment must favour the States that voted overwhelmingly for him and those he trusts even against the provisions of our constitution relating to federal character.
“No wonder he defied the zoning structure of his party and appointed a non-Igbo man as Secretary to Government of the Federation, no wonder the ministries with lean capital votes are the ones assigned to Ndigbo.
“No wonder he nominated Ambassadors for confirmation to the National Assembly, naming three ambassadors for some states and only one ambassador for each of the Igbo States. No wonder one year and eight months into his tenure as president, he has not visited any Igbo state.
The police in Ebonyi State say they have discovered the body of a yet to be identified middle-aged woman in a hotel room in Abakaliki, the state capital. The spokesperson of the police in the state, Loveth Odah, stated this yesterday.
She said the body has deep cuts on the chest and neck and has been deposited in a mortuary. According to the spokesman, it was discovered at Crown Garden Hotel located along the ever-busy Afikpo road in the capital city.
Mrs Odah, who said that the victim was found in the pool of her own blood, said the suspect had been identified as one Uchenna Awoke.
She said the hotel manager, Emmanuel Eze, the supervisor, and other workers had been taken to the police station for questioning and accused the hotel management of negligence.
“The manager of the hotel, the supervisor and other staff of the hotel were taken to the station for questioning and I must confess to you that the whole thing is negligence on the part of the hotel management. How can a guest be murdered in a hotel room and days after, the management is not aware of the incident.”
“We will investigate the matter properly and I assure you, the perpetrator of the act must be arrested and prosecuted. All we are asking is for the members of the public to avail the police of useful information that will lead to the arrest of the suspect.”
The Senate yesterday passed the South East Development Commission (Establishment) Bill 2018.
The proposed commission aims at enhancing the infrastructural development of the South East zone, which is grappling with huge ecological challenges.
It also seeks to act as a catalyst for the development of the commercial potential of the zone.
The proposed legislation requires the concurrence of the House of Representatives to become a bill of the National Assembly, and the President’s assent to become a law.
Senators Stella Oduah (PDP-Anambra) and Samuel Anyanwu (PDP-Imo) jointly sponsored the bill read in the Senate on June 22, 2016.
Its passage in the Red Chamber followed the presentation of the report of the Committee on Establishment and Public Service by its former Chairman, Senator Emmanuel Paulker (PDP-Bayelsa), on the floor of the Senate.
The bill, after Paulker’s presentation, was considered clause by clause by the committee of the whole, and amendments made by the lawmakers were read for the third time and eventually passed.
In his remarks, presiding Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, commended his colleagues for a job well done.
In his words, “Every morning we pray that God should give us the grace to do only those things that will promote the peace and unity of this country.
“I believe that we have shown today that we are committed to the unity of this country, and it is this unity that will give us faith in this country.
“This faith will in turn help us to pursue peace and progress,” he said.
Briefing newsmen after plenary, members the South East caucus of the Senate, led by Sen. Enhinnaya Abaribe (PDP-Abia), thanked their colleagues and members of the committee for their efforts.
Abaribe, who spoke on behalf of the caucus, urged the President to sign the bill into law “as soon as we tidy it up and bring to him, in the interest of the unity and progress of Nigeria”.
“This will put to rest the long-drawn agitation in the South East, and the difficulties in the rehabilitation and reconciliation efforts that started at the end of the civil war.
“All things we see always will end up at the negotiating table, which is what we have done,” he said.
The lawmaker said he hoped the House of Representatives would give concurrence to the bill as it went in the Senate.
When established, the South East Development Commission would be the third zonal interventionist body in the country.
Bishop David Oyedepo, the Founder and Presideng Bishop, Living Faith Church Worldwide, on Saturday predicted that nothing would disturb the peace of Nigeria and its story would change for the better in the year 2019.
Oyedepo made the declaration at the just concluded annual prophetic gathering of the Winners’ family, christened the “Dominion”, in a satellite telecast of the church.
In the telecast monitored in Abuja, the cleric also declared that 2019 would be a year of “I have Dominion”.
“Nothing will tamper with the peace of Nigeria; the story will change for the better in the name of Jesus.
“Nigeria shall not see bloodshed, the Prince of Peace will continue to dominate in Nigeria, in Africa and Nigeria is declared blessed.
“Anywhere you step, accident is forbidden; death will not come near you and our nation.
“Anything that is of grace in my life, I freely release upon you today.
“God has opened the year 2019 to us, celebrate Him because its our year of “I have Dominion,” he said.
The Bishop added that the year 2019 would be a year of humbling testimonies for Nigeria and pace-setting testimonies.
He further declared that 2019 would be a colourful year for the nation.
According to the cleric, as long as Jesus has the final say on the issues of Nigeria, it will experience greatness.
Oyedepo said that there would be no more cause of alarm in any area of the nation and its citizens.
He advised Christians in Nigeria to delight themselves in the spirit of servant-hood, adding that the spirit of Christ is the spirit of servant-hood.
“The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of servant-hood. As you keep rising on the ladder of leadership, you must retain our spirit of servant-hood, constantly working to add value to others and be kingdom minded,” he said.
According to him, dedication is at the root of dominion, saying: “Sow yourself as a seed by being totally dedicated to God and His Kingdom’’.
He told his congregation that sacrificial giving guarantees the meeting of all their needs.
“When you engage in taking care of the well-being of others, God is also committed to your well-being,” he explained. The cleric admonished Christians would engage in meeting the needs of the needy, every barrier on their path of destiny would be crushed.
“Nobody tampers with your life, your career, your family and goes away with it because you are promoted to God’s kingdom.
“God will stand for your defence in the day of trouble. Every sacrificial giver has a defence around him in the day of trouble always have that in mind,” he said.
He reminded his congregation that the Church is not a building; the Church is a people and the Redeemed of the Lord.