Connect with us

News

Only Restructuring’ll Save Nigeria From Annihilation, Stakeholders Insist

Published

on

Former Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife; Prof. David Aworawo of UNILAG; Mr. Soji Awogbade, of the Voice of Reason, a pro-Yoruba organisation; and Afenifere spokesman, Yinka Odumakin; have told Nigerian that restructuring of the country is the only way forward.
Ezeife said Nigeria is not an accident of British colonialism but a creation of God using British colonialism.
He said Nigeria has not attained the position of global leadership because of its current structure.
Odumakin disagreed on the notion that Nigeria is a creation of God.
He said Nigeria was created by the British.
He said the colonialists did not have the concept of nationhood when they amalgamated the protectorates of northern and southern Nigeria in 1914.
These were the positions they adopted, yesterday, at a conference on restructuring organised by the Institute of African and Diaspora Studies (IADS), the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
According to Ezeife, Nigeria has failed to attain the role of a global superpower because of her unitary structure.
He said: “God designed for Nigeria, unmatched greatness, to enable her to achieve His purpose for creating her. That purpose is Nigeria’s manifest destiny.
“To restructure Nigeria, and make her able to achieve her manifest destiny is the task every Nigerian should pray for and help to bring about. This task must be performed, and urgently too.
“Surely, Nigeria was not an accident of British imperialism. No, God created Nigeria using British imperialism’s mere tools. And God created Nigeria to be a rallying point and big brother for Africa and, indeed, for all the blacks on earth.”
He also blamed the National Assembly for contributing to the current problems the country is passing through, adding that the National Assembly must also be restructured for Nigeria to work.
“Recently, the National Assembly dealt with the issue of devolution of power, which is a key element in the restructuring of Nigeria. Devolution of power deals with sharing of power between the centre or Federal Government and the federating units.
“It is what makes a federation a federation. As it were, by their rejection of devolution of powers, the National Assembly is saying no to the appellation Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The National Assembly is part of the problem and needs to be restructured to work in the overall interest of the country. It is clearly unrealistic to leave the issue of restructuring Nigeria to the National Assembly as it is composed,” he added.
Odumakin, who is the publicity secretary of pan Yoruba group, Afenifere, said the British never envisioned Nigeria to be a nation.
“There is nothing like Nigerian nation. The British did not have nationhood in mind; they merely amalgamated the southern and northern protectorate. The Southern protectorate was making £500,000 surplus and the Northern protectorate was making £500,000 deficit. Lord Lugard needed the money from the south to run Nigeria. That has continued to date.”
He noted that the report of the 2014 National Conference would have addressed all the problems confronting Nigeria today if it was implemented.
“The 2014 National Conference had a unanimous agreement on all subjects before it except derivation. The only way Nigeria can achieve peace is to restructure along federal lines where every region will control its resources. The command and control structure we have now will not allow us to developed.”
He added that every part of the country has enough resources to develop, and urged leaders in the North opposed to restructuring to put their resources into productive use.
“In Economics, the first of the factors of production is land. Niger State has more land than the whole southeast states put together, they should put their land to productive use.
“You also talk of labour, what happened to the population? They should be put to work. The problem we have today is that people are hanging about, playing Baba Ijebu, they don’t want to do anything, but they want quick money,” he added.

Continue Reading

News

Etche Agog As Opurum Crowns New King

Published

on

It was a scene to behold, and one that would be remembered for a long time by the people of Etche, particularly those from Umuola Community as one of the most celebrated  young and vibrant Kings, Eze (Dr) Chike Promise was recently coronated as the Chimereugo 1 of Etcheland by His Eminence Ochie Emmanuel Opurum, the Onyishi/Ochie of Etche Kingdom.
Speaking during the coronation ceremony, the Royal Majesty urged the newly crowned King who was made to be a member of the Majesty Cabinet in Etche Kingdom, to see his position as a call to serve his people  and always be upright in the discharge of his duties.
On his part, the newly crowned King, Eze Chike Promise, who hails from Umuola Community told journalists that he did not lobby for the position, rather that the chiefs and the people did due to his love and dedication for the wellbeing of his people at all times and that he would not deviate from that.
In his speech, the Onyerishi Agwuru (IV) of Okehi Clan, Eze Ibezim Eke said he was very pleased  with the way the community  people ensured that the young King had finally been coronated, insisting that he is optimistic the King would govern his people according to the customs and traditions of Etche- land. On his  part, the Community Development Committee Chairman  of Obibi  Community, Prince Udo Njoku said he was pleased with the coronation of the new King, and promised to work cordially with the new Eze.
The whole community members were in jubilant mood until dawn over the development, as they danced, wined and dined.

Continue Reading

News

Protests Mar Oil Resumption  Congress In Ogoni

Published

on

Protesters disrupted a planned congress of the Ogoni people to facilitate the resumption of oil production in Ogoni by a group said to be working with the Office of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
The protesters, who stormed the venue of the meeting in Bori, the traditional headquarters of the Ogoni people, on Saturday, carried  placards with various inscriptions, decrying the process being followed by  the stakeholders driving the oil resumption efforts.
They claimed that the organisers of the discussion had sidelined some notable groups, especially the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP).
The massive protests shut down the event as protestors defied security personnel who attempted to pacify them to halt the protests.
Some of the placards read: “Ledum Mitee and Ribadu, Leave Ogoni Alone”, “On Ogoni Development Authority We Stand”, “Exonerate Ken Saro-Wiwa”.
Following a delegation of Ogoni people who recently visited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to negotiate a possible resumption of oil production in Ogoni, the President had mandated the National Security Adviser (NSA) to ensure that all Ogoni stakeholders are included in the dialogue process.
However, the decision was greeted with mixed feelings as various interest groups have expressed their displeasure in the way the oil resumption plan has been executed.
Meanwhile, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has expressed displeasure over exclusion from the process, accusing the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu of sidelining MOSOP after an alleged earlier commitment to ensure that the group’s position was considered in the dialogue process.
MOSOP in a statement by, Fegalo Nsuke, said that the struggle of the Ogoni people had been championed by MOSOP, noting that the Ogoni people are very conscious of the sensitive situation and will rely on the position of MOSOP on the way to go.
He expressed worries that MOSOP, being left out, could create distrust in the hearts of the Ogoni people, noting also that the process was being rushed in a way that could generate tension, anxiety and crises in Ogoni.
Also, a coalition of civil society groups known as the Ken Saro-Wiwa Exoneration Campaign on Friday, called for honesty and transparency in the process.
The group said the approach being adopted was not acceptable to the Ogoni people and called for the exoneration of nine Ogoni activists killed along with Ken Saro-Wiwa by the Nigerian Government on November 10, 1995. The coalition also called for a panel of investigation to unravel the immediate and remote causes of the death of four Ogoni leaders killed earlier on May 21, 1994.
Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others had been executed on the orders of General Sani Abacha after a widely condemned trial in Port Harcourt/ The convicts were denied the right to appeal their sentences.
Ogoni in the United States and Canada had earlier condemned the planned resumption of oil production in Ogoni and called for the exoneration of the innocent men including Ken Saro-Wiwa who were executed on November 10, 1994.
The protest represents a major setback for President Tinubu’s determination to resolve the Ogoni issues and resume the production of oil in Ogoni.

Continue Reading

News

27 Lawmakers: NCSU Alerts On Wike’s Plot To Pervert Justice

Published

on

The Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU) has raised an alarm over the clandestine moves by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, to allegedly influence the outcome of the case pending at the Supreme Court, involving the 27 lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who defected from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Rivers State Chairman of NCSU, Comrade Chukwuka Richman Osumah, who gave the indication in an interview in Port Harcourt, said it has become imperative for the union to raise the alarm in order to avert a situation where judgment is given to the highest bidder.
He noted that information at the disposal of the union has indicated that Wike is allegedly making frantic efforts to pervert the course of justice and influence the case to ensure that its outcome favours the lawmakers.
He alleged that the Minister has already perfected his plans to financially induce the Justices handling the matter, by offering them tempting and mouth-watering sums of money, in order for them to give ruling in favour of the lawmakers, whose fate, he said precariously hangs in the balance, going by the fact that the apex court had earlier given a ruling on a similar matter.
Osumah, therefore, posited that the NCSU would resist any attempt by anybody, no matter how highly placed, to scuttle and pervert the course of  justice, and advised the jurists handling the Rivers State matter to be above board.
While reiterating that the union has absolute confidence in the ability and capacity of the Justices to do justice on the matter, the labour leader further admonished them to resist any temptation to compromise the case, by dispassionately looking at the evidences before them and pronounce judgment without fear or favour.
The union chairman also urged the Justices to appreciate the fact that the entire world is watching them, as they go about the onerous task of adjudicating on the matter, by ensuring that justice is served at the end of the day, contending that the case involving the 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike, is a litmus test for the country’s judiciary.
Osumah emphasised that the NCSU would vehemently resist any move and attempt to scuttle and pervert the course of  justice, saying, the union, however, believes in the ability of the Justices to do justice in the case.

Continue Reading

Trending