CATALOGUE OF LOOTING & BRIGANDAGE IN NIGERIA. THE REAL SUBSIDIES ARE NOT FOR THE POOR, BUT THE RICH BY FEMI FALANA, SAN

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20.06.2023

A Niger Delta Militant Leader, Alhaji Asari Dokubo visits President Tinubu at Aso Rock

In 1948, Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, thought of the best way to protect his country’s security information from invasive media toxins. He summed his strategy up in one short sentence: “Take the thief and make him guard.” But a thief would remain a thief even if he is made the chief hunter. A maxim of the Yoruba drives this home: Twenty years after you’ve made the palm wine tapper king, he still won’t stop casting furtive glances at the neck of the palm tree (Bi ó lé l’ógún ọdún táa ti fi ad’ẹ́mu j’ọba, kò ní yé ọrùn ọ̀pẹ ẹ́ wò). There is an Italian Island called Sicily; it gave the world the term ‘mafia’ to describe its homegrown group of outlaws who sold protection and competed violently with the law. Increasingly failing states exhibit this tragedy of falling into the hands of mafia dons. That point appears to be where Nigeria is today. Mafia gunmen are on parade –and are in charge, almost officially.

I watched Niger Delta chief militant, Asari Dokubo, addressing the press inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday after his meeting with President Bola Tinubu. He exuded the very awe of power as he waxed lyrical boasting brazenly of his efficiency as a protection entrepreneur. The man sat with absolute confidence; directly behind him was Nigeria’s national Coat of Arms, the solemn symbol of the authority of the government and of the sovereignty of the Nigerian State. Only the president, and, maybe, the vice president are statutorily allowed that privilege in that complex. But the militant enjoyed it on Friday and nothing happened. That is what you do when you think you have the king behind you. Everyone and everything, including the law, rose to meet this big man at our seat of government.

Dokubo spoke not like a sovereign but as a sovereign. He sells security and the Nigerian Armed Forces are his competitors. At the press conference, the man maximally used the hallowed grounds of the State House to advertise his business and do a very negative review of the ‘enemy’ and their operations. He attacked the Nigerian Armed Forces using the very visible platform of their Commander-in-Chief. He said our forces and their men were felons who would rather steal than protect what they were employed to guard. Then he adroitly advertised his protection business and rammed its ‘efficiency’ down the throat of a terrorized nation. The big man from the creeks announced that he was in charge of security from our Federal Capital, Abuja to one, two, three, four, five, six states of the country. Nigeria has 36 states. Dokubo said he is in charge of six. He looked foolish Nigeria in the eyes, raised his voice and sensationally attempted destruction of his competitors, our soldiers: “There is a full-scale war going on,” he announced while declaring that “the blackmail of the Nigerian state by the Nigerian military is shameful. They said they do not have enough armament and people listened to this false narrative. They are lying. They are liars. I repeat they are liars because I am a participant. I am a participant in this war. I fight on the side of the government of the Nigerian state in Plateau, Niger, Anambra, Imo, Abia and Rivers. And in Abuja today, you are travelling to Kaduna on this road. It is not the army that makes it possible for you to travel to Abuja or travel to Kaduna, and vice versa. It is my men, employed by the government of the Nigerian state, stationed in Niger. Today, you travel to Baga, you go to Shiroro, you go to Wase. We have lost so many men and in all these engagements, we don’t even have one percent of the armament deployed by the Nigerian military; one percent, and we have had resounding success. So, this blackmail must end. They have enough resources to fight. Instead of fighting, they are busy stealing…” That was excellent mafia marketing unfurled, but I think it was reckless and unfortunate – especially given where those words were said and who said them. If Fox has disproportionately big eyeballs, should that fact be heard from the mouth of the village Hen? It is true that there are bad eggs everywhere, including among our soldiers, but the armed forces are the very last twines holding together the Nigerian contraption. The day we allow their humiliation by entrepreneurs of violence and unwashed street gangs, we will all be in trouble.

I have read the very tepid responses from the Army and the Navy. They both denied being thieves. One said their accuser should name names; another took a politically safe lane and merely listed its achievements in curtailing crude oil theft. The replies were not as they would be if the accuser were an ordinary foul-mouthed lout. But this one was a presidential guest who had just enjoyed a photo op with the Commander-in-Chief. I pity the village hunters; they did not know how to say that the village head’s mother was a witch. The sky is indeed falling and the world is ending. If you were the one who said what the militant said, I am very sure your ankles and kneecaps would be in some soldiers’ play plate now. But our Generals heard the iron man from the creeks very clearly and turned the discourse to a farcical rendition of Fela’s “You be thief, a no be thief.” Khaki has become leather finally!

We had always thought that it was only our oil pipelines that were put under the care of Nigeria’s surplus mafia guns. But Dokubo has revealed an extension of the frontiers of the privatization of our nation’s security. I read the army’s response; I read the navy’s too; I did not see any word shooting down Dokubo’s claim that he is the commander of the forces that have brought peace and security to critical parts of northern and southern Nigeria. He said, and he was emphatic, that it was not our armed forces that are keeping Nigeria safe, especially in the northern corridor: “It is not the army that makes it possible for you to travel to Abuja or travel to Kaduna, and vice versa. It is my men…” That is what he said, right in the Villa with the Coat of Arms solidly behind him as his star witness. I think that was huge, gross, and embarrassing! Is it true that Asari Dokubo is in charge of our security? All our security forces should come clean on this issue which I think is even more important than the tug of war over who does per-second stealing of barrels of Nigeria’s crude oil. A private citizen declared in our State House that he was the reason why Nigerians travel in peace from our federal capital to the capital of northern Nigeria and the government and its forces are keeping mum. If Dokubo’s claim is true, then what it says is that our case is worse than we thought. It means the government has ceded our sovereignty to bands of men with errant guns. It means the country has moved from fragility to failure.

How did that man find the knob of the presidential door? Is he the landlord’s son? I have always known that the child of the house does not knock before entering the house. Dokubo boasted that the president was “a father figure” to him and that he had enjoyed our new leader’s filial embrace and hugs for more than thirty years. I heard that too and felt that it was not funny. Where was this fellow 30 years ago and what were his acts of engagement with the Nigerian state at the turn of this century? His life is an open book; he has never hidden anything, including his ways and beliefs. His swagger suggests he is an insider in this new government. I congratulate him. No one in government is uncomfortable because the elephant is leaving the forest for the city. Ordinarily, the farm owner should have no problem slapping any intruder who abuses his ridges. A planter is looking on, looking away while his farm becomes a footpath for delinquent dogs and errant goats. Something is not right; some things are wrong somewhere. President Bola Tinubu’s minders should tell him that a king does not receive every visitor that comes knocking at the palace door. They should also tell him that not every guest he receives at the Villa should henceforth address the press in the State House. The Asari that I saw there on Friday had no regard for the institutions of the Nigerian state. He spoke as a competitor for state power and control, almost as a parallel Commander-in-Chief with his own army “stationed in Niger.” Tinubu as a Yoruba proper should have no problem recollecting what untrimmed Iroko collects from town and king when it matures.

Foxes and hawks are not just fast and cunning; they are bold. But those are not the only two things they have in common. Both are lethal predatory beings. They exist to prey on hens and their chicks. The farmer who entrusts his poultry to their care does so to his sorrow. We can learn from them and their ways. The state, its peace and security take a bow where gangs are the law. John Dickie, in his ‘Cosa Nostra: The Definitive History of the Sicilian Mafia’ (2004) describes the situation with chilly poignancy: “Mafiosi…were entrepreneurs in violence, specialists who had developed what today would be called the most sophisticated business model in the marketplace. Under the leadership of their bosses, mafia bands ‘invested’ violence in various commercial spheres in order to extort protection money and guarantee monopolies…In the violence industry, the mafia boss…acts as a capitalist, impresario and manager. He unifies the management of the crimes committed…, regulates the way labour and duties are divided out, and controls discipline amongst the workers…It is the mafia boss’s job to judge from circumstances whether the acts of violence should be suspended for a while, or multiplied and made fiercer. He has to adapt to market conditions to choose which operations to carry out, which people to exploit, which form of violence to use…”

There are other scholars. One of them is emeritus Professor Anton Blok, Dutch cultural anthropologist and author of ‘The Mafia of a Sicilian Village, 1860-1960: A Study of Violent Peasant Entrepreneurs’ (1974). He presents, in that book, a vivid description of a Sicily where the state failed to monopolise the use and control of physical violence and estate owners turned to “armed men and field guards” for protection, and insecurity and lawlessness reigned. Russian Professor of Sociology, Vadim Volkov, is yet another scholar on the violence industry created and nursed by non-state actors. He published a seminal work with the title: ‘Violent Entrepreneurs: The Use of Force in the Making of Russian Capitalism’ (2016). A reviewer said the author “entered” the shady world of what he called “violent entrepreneurship”,… explored the economic uses of violence and coercion in Russia in the 1990s where violence played “a crucial role in creating the institutions of a new market economy,” where “competition among so-called violence-managing agencies—criminal groups, private security services, private protection companies, and informal protective agencies associated with the state” reigned. Some of the groups, Volkov notes, “wore state uniforms and others did not, but all of their members spoke and acted essentially the same and were engaged in the same activities: intimidation, protection, information gathering, dispute management, contract enforcement, and taxation. Each group controlled the same resource—organized violence.”

Are our armed forces working? Yes. Are they doing enough? They can improve on their performance, especially now that they have a new Commander-in-Chief with the swag of knowledge. The last three weeks have been epochal. We have watched Tinubu putting his feet where angels fear to tread: Deregulation of petrol supply and sales; deregulation of foreign exchange supply and sales. Deregulation of education and its funding? That one is still coy; the head of its ogre peeks inside the president’s breast pocket. But the man has taken those unforgettable steps and has moved on to other things in an ‘I dey kampe’ manner. The people are not complaining, at least loudly. An Ibadan person told me five days ago that he once asked General Ibrahim Babangida where he got the guts to put Nigerians through his many experiments and experimentations. IBB, the person said, submitted that Nigerians were very resilient people. There is no situation you throw at them that they will not adapt to. Unlike the goat that fights back when it hits the wall, there is always a space for Nigerians to shift to beyond the wall. We have seen that fact come to play with the N500/per-litre petrol and the hike in the price of everything. The rugged chassis of the Nigerian has absorbed the shock and he is moving on, even if with sputtering bouts. Nigerians have taken more and they are likely to take even more but handing over their lives to street gangs and creepy creatures should not be part of the bargain.

Ruling a state should not be a Captain Flint kind of voyage. Who is Captain Flint? Explore the fictional universe of Robert Louis Stevenson to refresh who that character is. Should the Oluode (chief hunter) be found sharing his apron with his dogs? May it never happen! That is why I counsel that the president can, and should, appreciate his backers and enforcers without allowing them to turn his presidency into another Black Sails series. The times are hard but the wind is behind the sails of the new president. Whatever he does with his voyage is his to choose. If he likes, let him bring pirates on board his ship. Àgunlá, àguntètè. We will write the story when the buccaneers do their thing. But Nigerians are battle-weary; they deserve peace and good life, at least for once. That is why we will not keep quiet in the face of an insidious capture of our state by mafia dons.

In the accompanying video clip below, is a Niger Delta Militant Leader, Alhaji Asari Dokubo addressing the press at Aso Rock after visiting President Tinubu.

Disclaimer:

The opinions and views expressed in this write-up are entirely that of the Writer(s). They do not reflect the opinions and views of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or any of its employees. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of materials herein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or its employees concerning the legal status of any country, its authority, area or territory or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. Equally, the sketches, images, pictures and videos are obtained from the public domain.

THE PERIPATETIC DANCE OF PROF MAMOUD YAKUBU—From Quota Professor to Quota Presidential Election Result By Nwankwo T. Nwaezeigwe, PhD, DD

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15.06.2023

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu seen here addressing the press as he assured Nigerians of the use of BIVAS in capturing voters and at the same time, the transmission of election results on time from the polling booths to the IREV portal.

Leisa Goodman of the Church of Scientology wrote: “A person who wears the label of “professor” assumes certain responsibilities. Foremost is that his work will be thorough, fair, honest, and free from preconceptions offered as conclusions. One can hardly imagine a scholar writing about Judaism, but not speaking to any Jews. Or doing a dissertation on the Lutherans, but never attending one of their services. What would you think of someone who claimed a close knowledge of Catholicism based on his conversations with ex-communicates?”

The appointment of a Professor in any University is based on the discretional quality standard of the appointing University. In other words, there is no universal standard for the appointment of a professor. It is not necessarily based on one’s intelligence quotient but cognitive intelligence which is one’s ability to convert his intelligence quotient to functional creative intelligence defined by research output, which is further subject to the academic standard of a given university and in some instances the degree of political impunity that envelops the given university. In other words, the appointment of a professor could also be based on a quota system as in the case of Professor Mahmoud Yakubu.

One can make a first-class through his intelligence quotient, just as a little child can memorize the thirty-six States of the Federation and Abuja with their Capitals cities yet lacks creative intelligence. Professors Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Ali Mazrui and Ngugi wa Thiong’ O did not make first-class in their first degrees. Except for Ali Mazrui, none of the other iconic literary authors had master’s or doctorate degrees; yet thousands of doctorate degrees and professors have been made through the study of their works. Thus, people like Prof Mahmoud Yakubu should not proudly adorn themselves with the title of a professor, or parade degrees from Cambridge and Oxford, because they cannot be defined as Professors by the letter of their intellectual and scholarly qualities. At best, they could be defined as quota professors and that’s what Mahmoud Yakubu represents.

The concept of Quota Professor was first formulated by the renowned Nuclear Physicist and erstwhile Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof Frank Ndili, when he described the then Minister of Education under General Ibrahim Babangida, Professor Jibrin Aminu, as a Quota Professor. It is predicated on the Northern policy of Fulanization of the higher echelon of the academic profession as a way of not only correcting the perturbing educational imbalance between the North and South but creating a special elite Fulani academic vanguard to take up sensitive positions at the Federal level and by extension checkmate the dominance of Southern intellectual elite.

Prof Ishaya Audu, the then Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University and Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was the pioneer leader of this elite academic class but because he was a core Hausa man from Zaria with no single point of Fulani blood and a Christian trained by Christian Missionaries, he was not only looked at with scorn be never trusted by Fulani ruling class. He was later succeeded by Prof Jibril Aminu who was described as a thorough-breed elite Fulani herdsman. It should be noted that Prof Jibril Aminu ran away from the University of Ibadan as a Senior Lecturer to become a professor with only one article published at the University of Maiduguri.

Still, with one publication Jibril Aminu became the Vice Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri where he incongruously determined who was qualified to be appointed a professor. With one publication he was appointed Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission where he determined the course and quality of Nigeria’s university system. Again, with that one publication, he became Nigeria’s Minister of Education. With that kind of square peg in a round hole, how does one expect the Nigerian educational system to develop on a positive note?

With Prof Jibril Aminu retiring into the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria emerged Prof Mahmoud Yakubu the acclaimed first-class history degree material from Usumanu Dan Fodiyo University, Sokoto and whose father migrated from Cameroon in 1953 as one of the foreign militants recruited by Ahmadu Bello. This explains why his first name “Mahmoud” is spelt in French style This was how the Nigerian educational system, particularly the public university system got to its present state of cancerous abandonment— a quota professor declaring quota Presidential election result to Nigerians, thereby toying with the destiny of Nigerians and their nation.

Baring his title of Professor, let us look at how the cap of Professor rightly fits Prof Mahmoud Yakubu’s head within Leisa Goodman’s intellectual calculus of the characteristics of a Professor, putting into consideration his claim of expertise in guerrilla warfare, terrorism and counterterrorism, his scholarly publications as an academic and his current responsibility as Chairman of Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mahmoud Yakubu brandishes a first-class honours degree in History at Usumanu Dan Fodiyo University, Sokoto, proudly claiming to be the first of this type in Northern Nigerian to have a first-class degree in History, a feat that subsequently granted him the privilege of Bauchi State Government Scholarship with our oil money to Universities of Cambridge and Oxford. Outside this quota privilege, there is nothing intellectual and scholarly about Prof Mamod Yakubu. Of course, a first class at Usumanu Dan Fodiyo University is no more no less equivalent to a third class in any Southern Nigerian University.

In my Department of History and International Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the first student to make a first-class in History under the defunct and challenging three-term academic program was the present Prof Ayodele Olukoju of the Department of History and Strategic Studies, University of Lagos, Akoka, who incidentally was my PhD external examiner. Prof Olukoju proudly and stoutly maintained his glorious cap of the first class in History all throughout his academic career to the present. He was Head of Department, Dean of Faculty, and Vice-Chancellor, all by the dint of merit and not by the contemptible privilege of the Fulani-driven quota system, as in the case of Mahmoud Yakubu.

Therefore, Mahmoud Yakubu should not be brandishing his quota Professorship as a mark of intellectual virtue and a destructive instrument of Nigeria’s democratic values because he did not merit it by right of academic scholarship, but through the ignoble quota system. I state this without an iota mistruth because if Professor Mahmood Yakubu were to be in such Universities as the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Lagos, and the University of Benin, he would not have been nothing more than a Senior lecturer with his miserable academic publications which are even starkly at odds with his claimed areas of research expertise which he claims to be Guerrilla Warfare, Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism. The course he was even assigned to teach at the Department of History and War Studies, Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) was “War and Society in Pre-Colonial Africa”, which is nothing more than the study of Fulani jihads of the 19th century. So in essence Prof Mamoud Yakubu is no more no less an expert in Fulani Jihad studies. This is the naked truth when considered in the light of even his available miserable publications.

Ironically most of these incongruous publications even came after he had become a professor with most of them written by contracted scholars under the glorified name of joint authorship. In one of his online profiles Prof Mamoud Yakubu was said to have authored more than fifty scholarly publications. I searched for these more than fifty scholarly publications of Prof Mahmoud Yakubu in reputable online search engines such as Google Search, Google Scholars, Google Books, Wordcart Identities, Researchgate and more, but could not find any. I hope interested Nigerians should help me to search more.

On his personal page on Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) website Prof Mahmoud Yakubu parades a host of spurious and unrelated publications with his claimed areas of research expertise in Guerrilla warfare, Terrorism and Anti-terrorism and which cannot be accessed in any reputable online academic platform. Take for instance his three mainline books which are supposed to fundamentally define his academic areas of specialization; none of them allies with his claimed areas of specialization. They are all on Fulani Jihad studies.

A.M. Yakubu (1996), an Aristocracy in Political Crisis: The End of Indirect Rule and the Emergence of Party Politics in the Emirates of Northern Nigeria, Aldershot: Avebury for the University of Warwick, “The Making of Modern Africa” Series

A.M. Yakubu, Sa’adu Zungur: An Anthology of His Social and Political Writings, Ibadan: Spectrum Books Ltd.

A.M. Yakubu and M.M. Jumare, (1997), Abdurrahman Mora: The Life and Legacy of a Great Teacher, Kaduna: Baraka Press 1997

These are the books that made Prof Mahmoud Yakubu an expert in Guerilla warfare, Terrorism and Counterterrorism. Is this not intellectual dishonesty and a scam? These are his mainline journal articles:

“Coercing old Guard Emirs in Northern Nigeria: The Abdication of the Yakubu III of Bauchi 1954” African Affairs Vol. 92 No. 369 Oct. 1993, UK, pp593-604.

“The Abdication of Yakubu III: A Reply” African Affairs Vol. 94 No.376, UK, July. 1995 pp407-409

Emirs and Soldiers: The Response of the Emirate Aristocracies of Northern Nigeria to the Coup d’état of 1966” Journal of the Arewa House Kaduna, Vol1. No.1

“Exploiting Administrative Indecision: The Succession of Mohammadu Sanusi to the Emirship of Kano Emirate (Northern Nigeria) 1953” FAIS Journal of Humanities, Bayero University Kano, Vol1. No.1

Even his three review articles all on one subject— “Gulf War”, were self-published through his Departmental journal “Defense Studies” and thus lack the requisite academic reference qualities: “Airpower in the Gulf War: A Comment” Defense Studies Vol5. No.5 (July 1995), pp.119-124. “Land Power in the Gulf War: An Observation’’ Defense Studies Vol6. No.1, pp.128-132. “Sea Power in the Gulf War: An Overview” Defense Studies Vol. 7 July 1997

These are the intellectual credentials of a first-class degree material in history from Usman Dan Fodiyo University, Sokoto; postgraduate material from the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford in the United Kingdom; and a Professor of History and International Studies with expertise in Guerilla warfare, Terrorism and Counterterrorism. This is the man that has been entrusted over time with sensitive national responsibilities and Nigerians still expect the best from such a man. This was the kind of Professor Leisa Goodman was talking about when he described what a true Professor should look like.

From Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) where billions of idle naira were put at his disposal and where he transformed himself into a demi-god worshipped by those he should be prostrating to in the academic kingdom, he soon metamorphosed into a god as Chairman of Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) where he now posses the depraved audacity to toy with the destiny of the whole nation—an intellectual Lilliput controlling the best brains and further becoming a clay-footed giant leading the Nigerian nation into political Armageddon.

Think of the transfer of the developer of BVAS and INEC Director of Information and Communication Engr. Chidi Okafor to Enugu as Administrative Secretary because the young man refused to criminally join the planned manipulation of the Presidential result. Just tell me what concerns the vulture with the barber? What has an ICT expert to do with the position of an Administrative Secretary? This can only happen in a country like Nigeria where mediocrity is considered a virtue over and above meritocracy and where the qualification and quality of one’s roles and services to his nation are shamelessly considered by rights of ethnic and religious identities, especially in such a sensitive agency as Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) disgustingly headed by a quota and intellectually handicapped Professor as Mahmoud Yakubu. Indeed, the case of Engr. Chidi Okafor was a melodramatic replay of the 2020 Kenyan Presidential election when the Chairman of Kenyan Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (KIEBC) Wafula Chibukati transferred the Vice Chairman and Head of ICT Directorate Juliana Whonge Cherera to take charge of Welfare matters during the election. And Professor Mahmoud Yakubu believes he will be free like Wafula Chibukati. Kenya is not Nigeria.

The indolent Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman Rotimi Oyekanmi wants Nigerians to believe that Engr. Chidi Okafor was not the developer of the BVAS. According to this slothful son of Odduduwa and shameless Fulani slave, the invention of the BVAS was the collective idea of the entire staff of INEC. Please Nigerians how can this be? Is Rotimi Oyekanmi telling Nigerians that even their Quota Professor Chairman Mahmoud Yakubu contributed his addled brain idea to the development of the BVAS? Hear him:

“Having decided to invent the BVAS, the commission gave the assignment to the most relevant department within the commission, namely the ICT, to bring the idea into fruition. The ICT Department is populated by a sizeable number of brilliant Engineers and IT experts, who worked very hard as a team for several months to successfully actualize the commission’s idea. After completing the assignment of designing the BVAS, the ICT Department notified the commission. Therefore, it is improper to insinuate that a former director of ICT or any other staff for the matter single-handedly designed the BVAS.”

Rotimi Oyekanmi tells Nigerians that the proposal or idea of BVAS did not emanate from a single individual before his Quota Professor invited the General Assemble of INEC to discuss and subsequently adopt the idea? Shameful! Isn’t it? Rotimi Oyekanmi as addle-brained as his Quota Professor boss could not separate an inventor from those tasked with the transformation of the inventor’s idea into tangible substance. Does Daimler Benz inventing the Mercedes Benz car mean all his workers were equal inventors of the cars? Stupid man indeed if I am compelled to say this without a single apology.

But who do I blame? If the cream of respected Nigerian academicians particularly the Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities did not undermine the intellectual dignity of their exalted office by allowing themselves to be appointed Returning Officers by a Quota Professor for a morsel of bread, definitely the blame of the moral calamity inflicted on Nigeria and Nigerians by Quota Professor Mahmoud Yakubu should not have been inclusive of a class of the best brains in Nigeria.

In fact, if the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities still wishes to maintain the dignity of the academic profession and respect for the University system in Nigeria, there must be an urgent need to ban its members from any further role assigned by INEC. Quota Prof Mahmoud Yakubu has murdered the sleep of Nigerians and whether he would go free will be decided by Nigerians on one hand and God Almighty on the other in accordance with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, the Electoral Act and the Divine law of Vengeance.

By Nwankwo T. Nwaezeigwe, PhD, DD, Odogwu of Ibusa & Combatant Political Historian, Research Fellow@Exile, Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, International Coordinator, Nigerian Diaspora Council for Defense of Democracy, Email: nwaezeigwe.genocideafrica@gmail.com

In the video clip below, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu is seen here addressing the press as he assured Nigerians of the use of BIVAS in capturing voters and at the same time, the transmission of election results on time from the polling booths to the IREV portal.

Disclaimer:

The opinions and views expressed in this write-up are entirely that of the Writer(s). They do not reflect the opinions and views of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or any of its employees. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of materials herein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or its employees concerning the legal status of any country, its authority, area or territory or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. Equally, the sketches, images, pictures and videos are obtained from the public domain.

Breaking News!!! Nigeria officially floats Naira as I & E rate hits N755/$

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15.06.2023

The Nigerian Naira officially floats Naira as I & E rate hits N755:$

Nigeria has officially floated its naira currency after years of sticking with a hard peg that spooked investors and drained dollars from the economy. The development means buyers and sellers of foreign currency in the official FX market are now allowed to quote rates they find comfort in the FX market, as against previous practices where rates were dictated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The Investors & Exporters (I&E) window is now quoting a range of between N750 and N755/$, according to customers who cited emails received from their banks. That implies a 21 percent decline in the naira compared to the previous rate of N463/$ which the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is still quoting as the I&E rate on its website. However, the last time the CBN updated the rate was June 9.

The latest move by the CBN follows President Bola Tinubu’s suspension of CBN governor Godwin Emefiele whose unorthodox monetary policies had become a stumbling block to investors and the economy. The exchange rate could go as high as N800 by the end of today, according to some bankers, who say an initial knee-jerk reaction could cause the naira to weaken sharply before recovering some lost ground.

“Given that this new rate in the official market is the same as the parallel market, there is no incentive for people and businesses with genuine transactions to patronize the parallel market, hence FX trading activity in the parallel market will slow down significantly,” Abiola Rasaq, an economist and former head of investor relations at United Bank for Africa.

“Subsequently, the official market should attract more FX supply and rate should gradually ease in the I&E window, and such would cause rates in the parallel market to also ease,” Rasaq said. The CBN’s next move should be to prioritise the supply of dollars to support the naira float.

“The convergence of the rates is only the first step, the next step is the most crucial and that is to boost supply into the market,” a source told BusinessDay. “No foreign investor will come without a hedge and that can only come when there is assurance of supply. That’s the hard work,” the source said.

Another knowledgeable source is of the view that allowing the market to determine the FX rate is only the first of six steps to fix Nigeria’s broken FX market. The second step must be to provide a hedging mechanism that is priced in line with the market while the third step is to ensure market yields are attractive to Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI). The next steps are to ensure transparency and remove all controls around domiciliary accounts. Finally, there is also a need to clear the dollar backlog in the market in order to attract FPIs.“The focus is on supply,” the source said.

Expectations are high after the initial move to fix Nigeria’s broken FX market. Chidi Uzo, a fund manager at Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Ltd, said the move was “a bold step in the right direction.” “However this should go in tandem with the lifting of capital restrictions for investors waiting on the sidelines to repatriate their funds. We expect foreign investor participation to be swayed by the extent to which capital is allowed to flow freely,” Uzo said.

“Overall, the effective harmonisation of Nigeria’s multiple exchange rates by allowing market forces to determine the fair value of the naira should immediately reverse the multi-year widening spreads between the official exchange rate and the parallel market exchange rates,” he said.

His Excellency, PETER OBI’S 2023 DEMOCRACY DAY MESSAGE!

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15.06.2023

The Presidential flag bearer of the Labour Party, the popularly believed to have won the 2023 Presidential Election in Nigeria, Mr Peter Gregory Obi

Today is June 12, marked in our dear country as Democracy Day. It is a historic day that deserves to be celebrated. On that day in 1993, we the people of Nigeria stated our unreserved preference for true democracy. Though under military rule, we freely chose a transparent voting method. Our votes reflected our true choice as a people. Our choice on that day defied divisions of ethnicity, religion and region. It is these qualities that added up to make June 12 special in our search for true democracy.

Our collective choice of late Chief M. K.O Abiola as a worthy leader for the nation was saluted by Nigerians and governments and people across the world. Therefore, June 12 underpins our long collective journey to nationhood as a true democracy. However, the current state of our politics tells a different story. Our democracy is deeply troubled while our nation’s destiny remains uncertain and precarious. We remain a nation in search of solutions to too many basic problems. One of these is the search for a credible electoral system that would command the trust, confidence and belief of ALL Nigerians just like June 12 did.

We should, therefore, use the commemoration of June 12 as an occasion to return to the true virtues of a truly democratic nation. We achieved that feat on June 12, 1993. In the spirit of June 12, therefore, we need to emplace an electoral system that commands the people’s trust. This is in recognition of the tenets and core values of democracy, which rest on respect for the wishes of the people as expressed in their ballots.

Above all, the government must respect and protect the institutions of the democratic state by respecting the social contract with the people by meeting their needs, obeying their wishes and fulfilling the responsibilities of responsible governance as contained in the constitution. A cardinal responsibility of government in this regard is respect for the rule of law. Regrettably, we are now in an era where these foundational pillars of democracy are undermined by prevalent impunity and pervasive violence and bloodletting. The trust deficit between the leaders and Nigerians continues to expand. The deficits of trust and efficiency in our last elections demonstrate this malady quite boldly. The challenge of June 12 and a dedicated Democracy Day is to inspire us to correct the errors of our recent elections. This is the surest way to restore the confidence of our people in the future of our nation and the promise of true democracy. I however urge us all not to lose faith in the inbuilt design of our democratic system to self-correct.

Personally, I remain committed and convinced that a New Nigeria is POssible. Our aspiration for a nation of equity, justice, security and peace can hardly be a utopia. We are a nation blessed richly with human and natural resources. What we lack, are selfless leaders who are committed to the national interest, sustainable development and innovative thinking that offers every Nigerian irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social strata, the freedom of choice of abode, and protection of lives, property and ordered liberties. These aspirations are real and achievable, and I hereby reiterate my promise to Nigerians that we will not relent in our fight to bring about leadership that will accord them the priority they deserve. Let me, therefore, on behalf of the Labour Party and the Obidient Movement across the globe wish all Nigerians a happy democracy day.

– Peter Obi, The Labour Party’s Presidential flag bearer

“Let June 12 inspire us to correct the error of February” 25-Obi urges Nigerians on Democracy Day.

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has urged Nigerians to let the spirit of June 12 being celebrated as Democracy Day in our country inspire us to correct the errors of February 25, 2023, as the surest root to restoring and deepening our democracy. Obi in a Democracy Day message to Nigerians said that “ the challenge of June 12 and a dedicated Democracy Day is to inspire us to correct the errors of our recent elections. This is the surest way to restore the confidence of our people in the future of our nation and the promise of true democracy”

The Presidential candidate described June 12 as “a historic day that deserves to be celebrated” noting that “on that day in 1993, we the people of Nigeria stated our unreserved preference for true democracy. Though under military rule, we freely chose a transparent voting method. Our votes reflected our true choice as a people. Our choice on that day defied ethnicity, religion, and regional divisions. Obi noted that it’s the qualities of votes reflecting the correct choice of our people “that added up to make June 12 special in our search for true democracy. Our collective choice of late Chief M. K.O Abiola as a worthy leader for the nation was saluted by Nigerians and governments and peoples across the world.”

The former Anambra state Governor who is in court challenging the Presidential election he is perceived to have won remarked “June 12 underpins our long collective journey to nationhood as a true democracy. He regretted that “the current state of our politics tells a different story. Our democracy is deeply troubled while our nation’s destiny remains uncertain and precarious. “We remain a nation in search of solutions to too many basic problems. One of these is the search for a credible electoral system that would command the trust, confidence, and belief of ALL Nigerians just like June 12 did.”

The Presidential flag bearer urged the country to “use the commemoration of June 12 as an occasion to return to the true virtues of a truly democratic nation. We achieved that feat on June 12, 1993. “In the spirit of June 12, therefore, we need to emplace an electoral system that commands the people’s trust. This is in recognition of the tenets and core values of democracy, which rest on respect for the wishes of the people as expressed in their ballots. “Above all, the government must respect and protect the institutions of the democratic state by respecting the social contract with the people by meeting their needs, obeying their wishes, and fulfilling the responsibilities of responsible governance as contained in the constitution. A cardinal responsibility of government in this regard is respect for the rule of law.

Obi regretted that Nigerians are now in “an era where these foundational pillars of democracy are undermined by prevalent impunity and pervasive violence and bloodletting. “The trust deficit between the leaders and Nigerians continues to expand. The deficits of trust and efficiency in our last elections demonstrate this malady quite boldly. On behalf of himself, his Vice, Datti BabaAhmad, his party, the Labour Party, and the Obidient Movement worldwide, Obi congratulated Nigerians for the celebration and urged all not to lose faith in the inbuilt design of our democratic system to self-correct.

Finally, he expressed commitment and total conviction that a New Nigeria is POssible and that our aspiration for a nation of equity, justice, security, and peace can hardly be a utopia. “We are a nation blessed richly with human and natural resources. What we lack, are selfless leaders who are committed to national interest, sustainable development, and innovative thinking that offers every Nigerian irrespective of ethnicity, religion, or social strata, the freedom of choice of abode, and protection of lives, property, and ordered liberties. These aspirations are real and achievable, and I hereby reiterate my promise to Nigerians that we will not relent in our fight to bring about leadership that will accord them the priority they deserve”.

Disclaimer:

The opinions and views expressed in this write-up are entirely that of the Writer(s). They do not reflect the opinions and views of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or any of its employees. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of materials herein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or its employees concerning the legal status of any country, its authority, area or territory or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. Equally, the sketches, images, pictures and videos are obtained from the public domain.

Breaking News!!! President Bola Ahmed Tinubu removes EFCC Chairman, Abdul Rasheed Bawa, from Office with Immediate Effect!

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15.06.2023

The Suspended EFCC Chairman, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa

President Bola Tinubu has approved the indefinite suspension from office of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdul Rasheed Bawa, to allow for a proper investigation into his conduct while in office.

According to a statement by the Director of Information at the Office to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey, the action follows “weighty” allegations of abuse of office levelled against him.

“Mr Bawa has been directed to immediately handover the affairs of his office to the Director, Operations in the Commission, who will oversee the affairs of the Office of the Chairman of the Commission pending the conclusion of the investigation,” the statement said.

Disclaimer:

The opinions and views expressed in this write-up are entirely that of the Writer(s). They do not reflect the opinions and views of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or any of its employees. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of materials herein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or its employees concerning the legal status of any country, its authority, area or territory or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. Equally, the sketches, images, pictures and videos are obtained from the public domain.

TEXT OF DEMOCRACY DAY NATIONAL BROADCAST By HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR ON JUNE 12, 2023.

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12.06.2023

Chief MKO Abiola, the winner of June 12 1993 Annulled Presidential Elections in Nigeria

Fellow Nigerians,

2. It is exactly three decades today since Nigerians went to the polls to exercise their inalienable right to elect a President of their choice to lead the transition from military dictatorship to a representative government of the people.

3. The abortion, by military fiat, of the decisive victory of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the June 12, 1993, presidential election, up to that time, the fairest and freest election in the country’s political evolution, turned out, ironically, to be the seed that germinated into the prolonged struggle that gave birth to the democracy we currently enjoy since 1999.

4. In rising to strongly oppose the arbitrary annulment of the will of the majority of Nigerians as expressed in that historic election, the substantial number of our people who participated in the struggle to de-annul the election signified their fierce commitment to enthroning democracy as a form of government that best ennobles the liberty, the dignity of the individual and the integrity as well as the stability of the polity. The fierce opposition to the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election and the unrelenting pro-democracy onslaught it unleashed was the equivalent of the battle against colonial rule by our founding fathers that resulted in the gaining of Nigeria’s independence in 1960.

5. Just like the anti-colonial movement, the pro-June 12 vanguards demonstrated, once again, the enduring validity of the 19th-century historian, Arnold Toynbee’s eternal postulation, that civilization and societies experience progress as they are forced to respond to challenges posed by the environment. The unjust annulment of a widely acknowledged free and fair election was a challenge that elicited resistance by a resurgent civil society, leading ultimately to the attainment of our ‘second independence’ as exemplified by the return of democratic governance in 1999.

6. Fellow compatriots, we celebrate a day that has remained a watershed in our nation’s history, not just today, but every June 12, for the endless future that our beloved country shall exist and wax stronger and stronger, generations of Nigerians will always remind themselves that the democracy that is steadily growing to become the defining essence of our polity was not gifted to us on a silver platter.

7. We can easily recall the sacrifice and martyrdom of Chief MKO Abiola, the custodian of the sacred mandate that was so cruelly annulled. He sacrificed his life in unyielding, patriotic defence of the ideals of democracy as symbolized in his choice, by his fellow countrymen and women, as their duly-elected President. There was an easier choice for him. It was to forgo the justice of his cause and opt for the path of ease and capitulation in the face of the tyranny of power. To his eternal credit and immortal glory, Abiola said no. He demonstrated the time-tested eternal truth that there are certain ideals and principles that are far more valuable than life itself.

8. every day, on this day, down the ages we will recall several other heroes of democracy such as Kudirat Abiola, wife of Chief Abiola, who was brutally murdered while in the trenches fighting on the side of the people. We remember Pa Alfred Rewane, one of the heroes of our independence struggle and Major General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua (rtd) who were silenced by the military junta while in pursuit of democracy. They gave them yesterday for the liberty that is ours today.

9. The point is that we must never take this democracy for granted. We must forever jealously guard and protect it like a precious jewel. For, a people can never truly appreciate the freedoms and rights democracy guarantees them until they lose it.

10. We have traversed the dark, thorny path of dictatorship before and those who experienced it can readily testify to the unbridgeable gap between the dignity of freedom and the humiliation and degradation of tyranny. True, rancorous debates, interminable wrangling, ceaseless quarrels, and bitter electoral contestations may be perceived by some as unattractive features of democracy. But they also testify to its merit and value.

11. This year, we held the seventh in the cycle of elections that have become sacred rituals of our democratic practice in this dispensation since 1999.

12. That the polls were intensely contested is in itself positive evidence that democracy is well and alive in our land. It is only natural that even as those who won and experienced victory in the various elections are elated and fulfilled, those who lost are disenchanted and disappointed. But the beauty of democracy is that those who win today can lose tomorrow and those who lose today will have an opportunity to compete and win in the next round of elections.

13. Those who cannot endure and accept the pain of defeat in elections do not deserve the joy of victory when it is their turn to triumph. Above all, those who disagree with the outcome of the elections are taking full advantage of the constitutional provisions to seek redress in court and that is one of the reasons why democracy is still the best form of government invented by man.

14. For Chief MKO Abiola, the symbol of this day, in whose memory June 12 became a national holiday, democracy is eternal.

15. It is about the rule of law and a vibrant judiciary that can be trusted to deliver justice and strengthen institutions. It has become imperative to state that the unnecessary illegal orders used to truncate or abridge democracy will no longer be tolerated.

16. The recent harmonization of the retirement age for judicial officers is meant to strengthen the rule of law, which is a critical pillar of democracy. The reform has just started.

17. The democracy that will yield right dividends to the people who are the shareholders means more than just freedom of choice and the right to get people into elective offices. It means social and economic justice for our people. To the winner of June 12, democracy offers the best chance to fight and eliminate poverty. Thirty years ago, he christened his campaign manifesto, ‘Farewell to Poverty’ because he was convinced that there is nothing divine about poverty. It is a man-made problem that can be eliminated with clearly thought-out social and economic policies. It is for this reason that, in my inauguration address on May 29, I gave effect to the decision taken by my predecessor-in-office to remove the fuel subsidy albatross and free up for collective use the much-needed resources, which had hitherto been pocketed by a few rich. I admit that the decision will impose an extra burden on the masses of our people. I feel your pain. This is one decision we must bear to save our country from going under and take our resources away from the stranglehold of a few unpatriotic elements.

18. Painfully, I have asked you, my compatriots, to sacrifice a little more for the survival of our country. For your trust and belief in us, I assure you that your sacrifice shall not be in vain. The government I lead will repay you through massive investment in transportation infrastructure, education, regular power supply, healthcare and other public utilities that will improve the quality of lives.

20. The democracy MKO Abiola died for is one that promotes the welfare of the people over the personal interests of the ruling class and one where the governed can find personal fulfilment and happiness. That is the hope MKO Abiola ignited throughout our country in 1993.

21. On this year’s Democracy Day, I enjoin us all to rededicate ourselves to strengthening this form of government of free peoples that has been our guiding light these past 24 years. In particular, those of us who have been privileged to be elected into public offices at various levels in both the executive and legislative arms of government must recommit ourselves to offering selfless service to the people and delivering concrete democracy dividends in accordance with our electoral promises.

22. On my part and that of my administration, I pledge anew our commitment to diligently fulfilling every component of our electoral pact with the people – the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda.

23. We shall be faithful to the truth. Faithful to equity. And faithful to justice. We shall exercise our authority and mandate to govern with fairness, respect for the rule of law, and commitment to always uphold the dignity of all our people.

24. On this note, I wish us all a happy Democracy Day celebration and pray that the light of liberty shall never be extinguished in our land.25. Thank you all and may God continue to bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Disclaimer:

The opinions and views expressed in this write-up are entirely that of the Writer(s). They do not reflect the opinions and views of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or any of its employees. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of materials herein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or its employees concerning the legal status of any country, its authority, area or territory or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. Equally, the sketches, images, pictures and videos are obtained from the public domain.

Professor Humphrey Nwosu is the Unsung Hero of the June 12 Democracy Day in that he was the fearless and most upright Electoral Umpire that gave the win to Abiola. My Respect for Him!

BEING SPEECH MADE ON DEMOCRACY DAY NATIONAL BROADCAST By HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR ON JUNE 12, 2023.

PETER OBI: THE NEW POLITICAL TSUNAMI IN NIGERIA By Azowue O. Emmanuel (Pen of the gods)

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07.06.2023

Mr Peter Obi, the National Leader and Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party of Nigeria. A man many believe won the Presidential Election in the 2023 General Elections in Nigeria

Denying the truth doesn’t change the facts: A people who elect corrupt politicians are not victims but accomplices – George Orwell

When Peter Obi declared his interest to run for the seat of president of Nigeria under the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), so many Nigerians never took him seriously not until he began visiting different states, consulting with different political stakeholders, religious leaders, and numerous forums. And when he got wind of what was going to transpire in the PDP presidential primaries, and how some leading aspirants have stocked dollars to be used in buying the consciences of the party delegates, he quietly withdrew from the race under the party and resigned his membership as to continue his presidential quest under a political party in tandem with his political principles and philosophy.

He joined the Labour Party (LP) and contested for the presidential ticket of the party which he eventually won. But some political pundits described his move to the Labour Party as a grave political miscalculation and mistake. One of the presidential aspirants of the PDP (his former party), Dele Momodu argued that the Labour Party does not have the kind of structure through which a presidential candidate can win an election in Nigeria. Even Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, also a presidential aspirant of the PDP (before the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the presidential flag-bearer of the party), had described Peter Obi’s move out of the party a few days to the presidential primaries as a show of lack of character and integrity. But it appears that Peter Obi understands the Nigerian political chess game more than he was rated, and has continued to show resilience and tenacity every other day.

Peter Obi understands that there was no way he was going to win the presidential ticket of the PDP base on his superior developmental ideas. He understood that joining in the dollarization contest with other presidential aspirants of the party was going to go against his principle, and the highest bidder contest that was witnessed in the last PDP presidential primaries has further justified his move to leave the party and withdraw his interest of trying to actualize his presidential aspiration through the platform – PDP.

What transpired in the PDP presidential primaries is akin to the experience of the revered professor of Law in Kenya, Patrick Lumumba when he contested for the parliamentary seat of his constituency. According to him, “I held 250 town hall meetings. I articulated solutions to our problems in my constituency. My opponent did not campaign at all. He gathered money and showed up one day for the election. He distributed money. He won. Africans are not moved by ideas. Their stomach leads them”. And this is in line with the view of Prof. Wole Soyinka, who argued, “Only in Africa (Nigeria) will thieves be regrouping to loot again and the youths whose future is being stolen will be celebrating”.

Nigeria has remained backwards because of the view posited by Peterburns Munyasya, “We are stuck where we are now because we live in a materialistic world where all attention is only given to men with deep pockets while we ignore men with deep thoughts”. Since the return of civilian rule in Nigeria in 1999, the country has developed more in retrogression than in progression. Indicators of underdevelopment have remained on the increase in the country’s political system. Political leaders and elites in the country have come together to institutionalize corruption and bad leadership, and the masses have remained on the receiving end, with abject poverty, economic deprivation, infrastructural deficit, rising inflation, the alarming rate of insecurity, dwindling consumption-driven economy, among other negative indicators in the country.

But it seems that since Peter Obi mounted the podium and began speaking to the consciences of Nigerians, especially the youths and other patriotic Nigerians, who are now tired of the recycled failed politicians in the country, the tide of things have begun to change; political awareness and crave for a new and better Nigeria have begun to gain momentum every passing day. The political awareness of the need for all Nigerians who have attained voting age to register and obtain their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) has become so high, more than ever before, and the queue of the support base of Peter Obi has risen beyond the expectation of many political pundits, and this has in turn rubbed-off on the Labour Party that has now witnessed an exponential and astronomical increase in membership and support. This was made possible courtesy of Peter Obi’s new political tsunami that has seized the political space of the country for weeks now.

While trying to debunk the position of Dele Momodu about Peter Obi and the lack of formidable structure of the Labour Party, as being a major factor that will work against his possible emergence as the next president of the country, a Nigerian on social media pointed out that, “PDP was founded in 1998, 9months to the 1999 election, yet it won the presidential stool. APC was founded in 2013, two years after the 2015 election, yet it defeated the incumbent to win the presidential stool. Labour Party was founded in 2002, 10 years later and someone is telling you that the party cannot win the presidential election”.

To further support the position held above, another writer noted, “The current President of Zambia won his election under the unpopular party. Zambian youths decided not to vote for the top political party candidates in 2021”. The driving force of Peter Obi’s presidential project is mainly the youth who constitute more than 70% of the electorates, and if the present tempo and support base of Peter Obi is sustained until election day, there are bright chances that he will defeat other candidates to win the presidential stool come 2023 presidential election, and the doubting Thomases and political party structure theorists will be made to eat the humble pie.

I wish to herein replicate some of the views of the supporters of Peter Obi’s presidential project and why Nigerians who are still in doubt of his possible emergence as the next president of the country should be wary about it. According to Shehu Gazali Sadiq, “Many thought we would get frustrated and tired because Peter Obi left PDP. They thought this fire will quench. But the fire is burning even hotter daily. Peter Obi’s fire is not an ordinary fire. It’s a fire of patriotism fueled by holy anger against the evil system”.

Another supporter of the course took to his Twitter handle to write, “Today, a hotel in Benin City donated their facility for all Peter Obi’s meetings. We told you that this is a tsunami. We are still labouring for a new Nigeria (Igwe Jose, 2022). And yet another supporter of the course of Peter Obi wrote that “This is not the time to choose the best of two evils. You don’t have to choose between party flag bearers selected by delegates bribed with our stolen money. You can be your own delegate and choose Peter Obi based on merit”.

One amazing thing about Peter Obi’s presidential project is that he has never been said to have given anyone of his supporters any money to support him. Most of those supporting him and projecting his presidential quest have been doing this on their own in the spirit of patriotism, and some have even pledged to financially support his campaign, all in the bid to bring about a new political dawn in the country.

While speaking on the tremendous support he has received so far since joining the Labour Party and being declared as the presidential flag bearer of the party, Peter Obi noted that “I thank Nigerians, especially the youths who have joined me in the mission of taking back and reuniting Nigeria. This initiative is for the future of your children and it belongs to you. I am only a facilitator”.

“Since I resigned from the PDP because of issues that are at variance with my persona and principles, I have consulted widely with various parties and personalities to ensure we do not complicate the route to our desired destiny. For me, the process of achieving our goal is just as important as what comes next. Therefore, I have chosen a path that I consider to be in line with our aspirations and my mantra of taking the country from consumption to production; and that Labour Party which is synonymous with the people, workers, development, production, securing and uniting Nigerians as one family”.

Peter Obi’s impact factor has as a political tsunami swept through the political space of Nigeria, and many political heavyweights have since left the APC and PDP to join the Labour Party to actualize their political ambitions. But I won’t be surprised if some of these new political entrants from the two major political parties to the Labour Party become a clog in the progressive wheel of the party – LP, in their bid to fester their selfish political nests. If Nigerians, especially the youths fail to get it right this time around in the forthcoming general elections, then Nigeria will be doomed to another round of stunted growth and retrogressive backwardness of the system. Indeed, there was a country!

Disclaimer:

The opinions and views expressed in this write-up are entirely that of the Writer(s). They do not reflect the opinions and views of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or any of its employees. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of materials herein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or its employees concerning the legal status of any country, its authority, area or territory or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. Equally, the sketches, images, pictures and videos are obtained from the public domain.

The clouds of war are gathering with blood-sucking gods that follow the perching of vultures.

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07.06.2023

The Genocide on Igbos by the Nigerian Army 1966-1970

Vultures from Europe, vultures from England, vultures from Asia, yes, vultures from America that deal with arms. With eyes constantly fixed on any trouble spot in the world. They are hopefully praying to extend their business from Tripoli to Abuja. This is because Nigeria is fast ascending to the very path that Freetown took. The path that ruined Congo and Libya. The expressway to Rwanda, that is the path Nigeria is fast speeding into. Yet, this path is not a new path for us. It’s a familiar terrain that we have taken before.

In 1966, long before even the Rwandan path was paved. We wasted over 3 million people as hundreds of innocent souls were slaughtered before even the war started. Long before the Rwandan path was paved, religious differences and ethnic intolerance as being repeated today led to a civil war that took our best, took our leaders, took innocent souls and took us backwards. The backwardness is still hunting and hurting us till day. And, it’s the wounds of the war that was not treated in a round table talk, talk, that is leading to another war. Yet, the leader of the nation insists that he’s comfortable exactly the way things are.

So, it’s either history is unfair to us or our leaders are blind to it. Indeed, the death meant to kill a dog does not allow her to smell faeces. And, as the saying goes, those who do not understand history are bound to repeat it. Even if we hadn’t experienced a civil war before, what happened in Free Town, Monrovia, and Abidjan in recent history ought to have taught us a lesson. The way Tripoli was turned from a fast-developing city into a slave town where warlords reign should serve as a lesson. But no, we learnt nothing. Just 50 years after, when those that played a major role in the last civil war are still alive, here the snowball of war goes rolling down from the snow mountain of stupid arrogance, gathering with it all the ethnic intolerance and religious divide that paved the path of Rwanda.

Where are you, Gen. Gowon? Your silence is strongly becoming cowardice. Where art thou Alhaji Abudsalem Abubakar? Your silence is strongly becoming a tactical approval of the atrocities going on in the nation. Where are you Chief Emeka Anyaoku for there is an error in your silence. Speak out Gen. IBB or else history will record it that you said nothing when your voice was needed most. Ochiagha Ndi Igbo Comr.Ebitu Ukiwe your children are being slaughtered in their farms and you said nothing. You all said nothing as the young man who watched his pregnant mother gang-raped and her stomach ripped open bites his tongue and moans in revenge. You big men in power and in office, you felt secure and less concerned because you thought the evil was far of.

When this Rwanda that is fast speeding to Nigeria will arrive, the distinguished Senator will be extinguished. The honourable house members will be dishonoured. Some of you in executive offices will be executed. All by warlords who will take over and parade the streets of Osun, Ondo, Edo, Sokoto, Abuja, Calabar, Enugu etc (All states in Nigeria). The warlords that took over the streets of Rwanda did the same. So. Let each and everyone one of you wake up while it’s day, let us collectively pursue the black sheep. Or else, when Rwanda will arrive, lizards will replace cows as a major source of protein in our cooking. Ask Samuel Doe, when Rwanda arrived at Monrovia, he hit the streets from the presidential palace in search of food after slaughtering his lions for a meal. That was how he was captured and slaughtered.

Rwanda does not respect big men and big officeholders. As there are no big men in Libya today, but warlords that are selling the children of even the rich into slavery. When Rwanda arrives there will be no strong man, no community leader, big men or small men. In Rwanda, there were not even religious leaders. Everyone will be to himself and God to all of us. For the big men aides will desert them and run to take their families into the bush for safety. Then, the high fences of the local almighties will be climbed, their strong padlocks broken, their properties stolen, their wives and daughters violated before them. For they’re always the first target of the Rwanda mobs. Ask the former almighty of Congo, Zaire politics, ask Gaddafi, when Rwanda visited their palaces were the first target of attack.

So, no one should feel less concerned about this Rwanda breeze that is blowing towards Nigeria. Do whatever you can today to stop it by speaking out. Or else, we all will live to regret our inactions. If the truth must be said, the pathway to Rwanda is being paved due to our Executive arms of government’s lackadaisical attitude with respect to the insecurity ravaging the country. Under this very regime that came for change, Nigeria our beloved country has, unfortunately, become a lawless country. A country with no rules and regulations, a country where laws are not adhered to. A country where there is no consequence for the killing of innocent citizens.

Yet, we have a government in place that refuses to take responsibility and security agents that seems not to know what their work is. Yet, every year we budget and spend billions on security agencies and the citizens are taxed for this. That’s how the path to Rwanda is being paved. On the expressway to Rwanda, citizens got killed, innocent girls are violated, mothers were raped, farmers’ throats were slit, people going about their businesses are killed at gunpoint and nothing was done about it. From Enugu, Kaduna South, Bornu, Bauchi, Zamfara, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Taraba, and Plateau down to Benue, the Rwandan experience is going on.

You might feel secure today because you move around with escorts, but when Rwanda will arrive it will only be warlords that will be escorted. There will be no senator, Federal or State House member because each zone will be manned by warlords that legislate the rule of law. When Rwanda will arrive there will be no governor, no minister, and no government officials because there were none in Rwanda, each area will have a warlord that will be lord of the law.

In Rwanda, there will be no middle class, industrialists, banks etc, so there will be no ATMs. The warlords controlling the areas you fall into might decide to print a new currency with his head as the logo. So, stop counting on what you have acquired now, for all be lost. On the path to Rwanda, men of God that speak out and speak the truth to the government of the day were arrested and detained. Just as it is happening now. On the path to Rwanda, the government of the day favoured one ethnic group against the other, and those that felt neglected took to self-defence. That was what paved the way for Rwanda. The Rwandan highway is being paved in Kaduna South, Jos, Taraba, Zamfara, Nasarawa and Benue. Communities that felt neglected by the federal government are going into self-defence.

In Rwanda, babies were born with no future. As soon as they grow up they pick up an AK-47 and start killing fellow human beings. That Rwandan path is being paved in the Boko Haram-controlled areas in Northern Nigeria. In Rwanda, bodies of dead people were littered everywhere and the government of the day felt less concerned, just as dead bodies mean nothing anymore in Nigeria. Nigeria is just as if we are in Liberia or Afghanistan. Nigeria has become a barbaric nation with no respect for human life. Like Rwanda, Nigeria has become a place where we wake up every day and hear that people are being slaughtered and we feel like it’s normal. In fact, like Rwanda, Nigeria has become a place where we hear 6 killed, and 24 injured and we are like it’s small.

Like Rwanda, schools have closed in so many villages due to the attack of warlords struggling for territories and the government of the day is helpless about it. Nigeria is seriously drifting towards Rwanda, but some people instead of speaking out and saying the truth are clapping and urging the president to go on as if nothing is happening. But, when Rwanda will arrive, there would be no oil money to share, no nation to govern and all the major oil fields will be controlled by Niger Delta warlords. So keep on clapping and praising the government while pregnant women are being slaughtered. Keep on talking about 2019 while innocent children are being murdered. Keep on pretending that all is well with Nigeria when a foreign army of occupation has taken over most villages in Nigeria and our military is doing nothing about it. Keep on feeling less concerned when our national territory has been invaded by foreign mercenaries and we keep on pretending like all is at peace.

The truth is, we cannot continue like this and expect Nigeria not to hit the Rwandan path. Nigerians are being slaughtered like cattle, and their cries are hitting the ground. Hearts are hurting, souls are ravaging for Revenge and they’re gathering storms of war. Nigeria will not survive a second civil war and the next war will be so shapeless because people will be hit from all angles. In Rwanda, everywhere and everyone was affected. When Rwanda visited Sudan, the former senate president lined up to beg for food from the relief agencies.

The earlier our leaders drop their ethnic and religious differences and come together to demand an end to the herdsmen moving from one village to another to slaughter our people. Speak out now for no matter how small your voice may sound, our collective voices will sound like a big megaphone to help stop the looming danger.

Disclaimer:

The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of materials herein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or its employees concerning the legal status of any country, its authority, area or territory or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. Equally, the sketches, images, pictures and videos are obtained from the public domain.

The Tragedy of Biafra that nobody talks about

DR. EMMANUEL IWUANYANWU AND THE NEW OHANAEZE LEADERSHIP – A NEW DAWN BECKONS FOR NDIGBO By Dcn. Malachy Chuma Ochie, PhD

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07.06.2023

Chief Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo

Since the emergence of Dr Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Iwuanyanwu, CFR, OFR, MFR (Ahaejiagamba of Igboland) as the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo a few months ago, there has been a potpourri of reactions from across Igboland. While some fault the process of his emergence, a lot more others applaud his emergence as the best thing that has happened to Ndigbo at this critical moment in Nigeria’s history. It will be recalled that on April 20, 2023, Chief Iwuanyanwu was pronounced as the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide. His emergence was consequent upon the invocation of the principle of “Doctrine of Necessity” by the National Executive Council of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, which directed the people of Imo State to find a credible replacement for Prof. George Obiozor, who died last December 2022. Chief Iwuanyanwu was subsequently nominated as a consensus candidate by the people of Imo State and presented to the Imo State Government by the Imo State Council of Elders.

Despite the conversations surrounding his emergence, Dr Iwuanyanwu is not oblivious to the task ahead of him. He inherited an Ohanaeze Ndigbo that has been bogged down by a lingering crisis between the authentic Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by the late Prof. Obiozor on the one hand, and the Igbo Archbishops and Anya Ndigbo on the other. There is also the group of Mr Chidi Ibeh and Isiguzoro who parading themselves as President and Secretary respectively of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. This group, regarded by many as a renegade group, has pulled no punches in issuing press statements that are at cross-purposes with Igbo positions on several socio-political issues in Nigeria. All these issues have been distracting to Ohanaeze Ndigbo such that while other ethnic nationalities are busy consolidating their positions and gains in the Nigerian project, Ndigbo appear to be content with the pursuit of trivia and inanities rather than substance. Any group of people caught in this kind of historical trap must of necessity exist without a future. We cannot afford to become examples of such societies which litter the pages of human history.

This is the type of organization that Iwuanyanwu inherited. One does not actually envy his position because only a man with a large heart, courage, calmness, composure, even-mindedness and stability of mind can confront such a daunting task. Without much ado, methinks that Chief Iwuanyanwu fits into this mould. What we need to do now is to put aside our narrow pursuits and rally around the new PG to drive the Igbo agenda in Nigeria.

Since his emergence, Dr Iwuanyanwu has left no one in doubt about his vision and mission to rebuild and transform Igboland through robust policies and investments within the period he has to complete the tenure of Imo State. His actions thus far indicate a man imbued with focus, zest, and gusto to galvanize Ndigbo to make a stake in the Nigerian project. For example, only a few days ago, Chief Iwuanyanwu invited the leaders of different Igbo groups at Enugu to find common ground for the problems of the Southeast region. It is a thing of joy that the leaders of the various Igbo groups pledged their support to work with the Ohanaeze PG and his team for the development of the southeast by stemming the tide of insecurity and making the region attractive to investors.

In pursuing this vision, Chief Iwuanyanwu promised that his team would create new towns to enable Igbos outside their zone to come home and invest as well as set up a Council of Business Leaders. The PG, on that occasion, appealed to those using the name of Ohanaeze for merchandise to the peril of the Igbo nation to desist from doing so. One is minded to note that there are people outside Igboland that feel threatened by a united Igbo and would go the extra mile to fund fifth columnists to foment trouble in the southeast. Those who have fallen for this trap do not mean well for Ndigbo. For me they cut the imagery of Achebe’s “efulefu”; a worthless person who sold his matchet and wore the sheath to battle.

It is indeed cheering news to know that Dr Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu has waded into the misunderstanding between Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Igbo Archbishops as well as Anya Ndigbo with a view to fostering peace, understanding and unity of purpose. It will be recalled that in the meeting, which was held on the heels of his meeting with leaders of various Igbo groups, Iwuanyanwu appealed to the Archbishops and leadership of Anya Ndigbo for calm and understanding in the knowledge that the Igbo cause in Nigeria by far outweighs our individual aspirations. To the glory of God, Iwuanyanwu’s peace moves appear to be yielding positive results as both the Igbo Archbishops and Anya Ndigbo pledged to work in concert with Ohanaeze Ndigbo in the overall interest of the Igbo nation.

Chief Iwuanyanwu’s track record is awe-inspiring and his patriotism and love both for Nigeria and the Igbo nation have not been in doubt. He believes in a restructured Nigerian federation where the Igbo would have the latitude to unleash their fecund ingenuity and creativity. This is why he has been so vocal and assertive on issues concerning the welfare of the Igbo. In his recent outings, he has pulled no punches in condemning the skewed allocation of principal officers in the National Assembly by the ruling APC, which does not favour the southeast in any way. While dismissing the allocation of the position of Deputy Speaker to the southeast as galling, manifestly unreflective, disgusting and provocative to the Igbo, Chief Iwuanyanwu has courageously advised and directed all Igbo lawmakers in the 10th National Assembly to vote according to their discretions irrespective of state, political party, religion or ethnicity.

Chief Iwuanyanwu, within a couple of months he has been in office, has demonstrated enormous capacity, altruism and uncommon courage. The way he has been going indicates that he is not a chance occurrence in the leadership of Ohanaeze. There is no evidence, both in his practical involvements with charting a course for Ndigbo in Nigeria and his utterances that he was ever compelled or imposed to lead Ndigbo at this critical period. In the past, he had helped others into the leadership of Ohanaeze until he stamped his feet as the leader of Ohanaeze. And the way he has been moving, with a complicated mastery of Nigerian political structure, its tempo and pulse are indicators of the fact that his arrival was not accidental.

That he has been able to provide a platform for Igbo leaders to jaw-jaw and agree on a peace framework within two months has a direct relationship with his scientific grasp and grappling with the odds and oddities of the Igbo people as a system. His capacity for weathering the central and side effects of people who use Ohanaeze’s name for selfish reasons derives from the same source that a man on a historical mission is on the seat of Ohanaeze leadership. Whether he succeeds or fails in the end (and of course, he should succeed) is not my immediate concern. My proximal concern relates to what we as a people will do to support him.

Chief Iwuanyanwu deserves our collective support. In his mission statement, he has promised to reintroduce inter-state sports and cultural competition, establish Ohanaeze Cultural Centre/Museum with headquarters at Enugu, the Celebration of Igbo Day, resuscitate of Nkalagu Cement Factory, revitalise the Enugu Coal Industry, initiate the comprehensive review of the school curriculum in the Southeast to meet the modern educational needs, and other various programs in agriculture and other sectors. Iwuanyanwu is accomplished in various fields of human endeavour. He boasts of a resume befitting a presidential stature that stands above the influence of governors. In him, I see a new dawn for Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

Malachy Chuma Ochie is a Research Consultant and Human Rights Activist writes from Enugu

Disclaimer:

The opinions and views expressed in this write-up are entirely that of the Writer(s). They do not reflect the opinions and views of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or any of its employees. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of materials herein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or its employees concerning the legal status of any country, its authority, area or territory or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. Equally, the sketches, images, pictures and videos are obtained from the public domain.

My nasty experience with vicious fuel subsidy cabal, By Okonjo-Iweala

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06.06.2023

Dr Mrs. Okonjo Iweala, Director general of the WTO

This isn’t the first time the idea of petrol subsidy removal would be mooted. The Jonathan administration under which the incumbent Director General of the World Trade Organization, WTO, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, served as Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy also had its fair share of mention in the saga. In fact, former President Jonathan said at that time severally that fuel subsidy was unsustainable and tried unsuccessfully to remove it. In a video that went viral last week, Okonjo-Iweala is seen narrating how she spearheaded efforts to scrap payment of questionable subsidies and how beneficiaries viciously fought back, culminating in her mother’s kidnapping and demand for her resignation.

“My second example has to do with a very specific one in my country, the clean-up of the fuel scarcity regime in 2012 during my second stay as Finance Minister”, she narrates in the video. “Nigeria has a physically challenging force of fuel regime, the country exports crude oil and imports fuel because their refineries are in a very bad shape and provides a subsidy for the refined oil as support. “At the end of 2011, a total of N1.73tr, US $11b equivalent, was submitted as claims for subsidy by 143 marketers, who were importing the product. “These numbers seemed horrendously large compared to what I had last when I was in government in 2006, which was close to $2b in subsidy.

“So, we decided to study these claims. We audited about $8.4b worth of claims and we found out $2.5b worth of fraud. That is, many of these marketers were trying to claim $2.5b fraudulently. “With the full backing of the President and the Economic Team, we decided that we were not going to entertain these claims or to pay. “The pressure from affected marketers was tremendous…not only to say we would not pay but also to say we would clean up the whole mechanism for the subsidy claims and put in place something more transparent, something clearer.

“This did not go down well with them. “When we insisted on our position of non-payment and implementation of the new verification regime, these, and well-connected interests, were angered, and came to blame me personally for this. “There were personal consequences. My 83-year-old mother, a retired professor of sociology, was kidnapped by four young men and held for five days. “She was totally terrified. She asked them why she had been kidnapped and they told her ‘Because your daughter, the Finance Minister, refused to pay oil marketers their dues’.

“The kidnappers, negotiating with my brother, demanded my resignation, publicly; that I should go on television, publicly and announce my resignation and depart from the country as a condition for my mother’s release. “Needless to say these were some of the worst days of my life. Imagine when you are in a position, you want your parents, all of whom are here with you today, and your relatives to be proud of you. You want to be a source of good for your family. “You can imagine how I felt, sitting there and thinking, just because of trying to do something right. To implement a policy that was good for the country, to lead to the taking of my mother’s life. These were some of the worst days of my life.

“With my father’s support and the firm resolve of the President, we all decided I should not give in to the blackmailers and I refused to resign. “Following a manhunt for my mother by security agencies, she was able to make a dramatic escape after five days in captivity, where she was only given water and half of a sausage roll. “So, here with the well-justified clean up and reform of a policy, but implemented in a dangerous reform environment where the losers in the reform, where the entrenched vested interests decided to fight back to derail implementation. “The decision not to resign was a very difficult and risky one but, as it turned out, it worked. “But on my down days, I ask myself, what if it hadn’t? What if they had gone ahead and murdered my mother, as she overheard them planning to do with one of the handlers on the phone? Could I have justified trading firmness on policy and standing up to blackmailers, implementing a good policy for my mother’s life? What decision would you have made?”

Disclaimer:

The opinions and views expressed in this write-up are entirely that of the Writer(s). They do not reflect the opinions and views of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or any of its employees. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of materials herein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or its employees concerning the legal status of any country, its authority, area or territory or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. Equally, the sketches, images, pictures and videos are obtained from the public domain.

BEING TEXT OF A SPEECH BY DR ALEX C. OTTI, OFR, ON HIS INAUGURATION AS GOVERNOR OF ABIA STATE, ON MAY 29, 2023.

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01.06.2023

The Labour Party's Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti

Protocol

1. A few moments ago, I was sworn in as the 5th democratically elected Governor of Abia, God’s Own State. It is, therefore, with great delight, humility, and a high sense of duty that I address you all now for the first time in that capacity.

2. On the 22nd of March this year, when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced us winners in the bruising and long-drawn-out Abia gubernational elections, our first task was to head to church to give thanks to the Almighty God and to hand over the state to Him, knowing that anything left in His hands remains secure. He is the author and finisher, the foundation of all successful endeavours of mankind. Just like the Christain community did a few days ago, I use this solemn and formal occasion to rededicate Abia State to God Almighty.

3. In line with the foregoing, I wish to start by thanking God for the great opportunity He has given the noble but oppressed people of Abia to finally breathe again. My profound gratitude goes to all Abians, and other well-meaning citizens, young or old, rich or poor, at home or abroad, who took part in this struggle without any consideration for any anticipated personal benefit. Let me subsequently thank the executives and members of Labour Party for leading the charge to victory. I must also thank our indefatigable leader, Mr. Peter Obi CON, for his unflinching support and for redefining politics in Nigeria. Through his people-centred style of governance and his judicious management of public resources, he has shown that public office is a platform for improving society. I thank all Obidients and the overwhelming number of Abia electorate, who not only came out en masse to campaign and vote for us, but also stood by us to challenge the petty and shameful shenanigans that stood against the mandate of the people even up until this inauguration event.

4. Finally, today is the day all well-meaning citizens of Abia, and all people of goodwill the world over have been waiting for. We therefore rejoice and we are truly glad in it. Until I’m no more, I will continue to remember the outpouring of emotion and pure joy that marked the announcement of our victory on the 22nd of March. It will continue to inspire me to serve the people of Abia and to strive to meet their high expectations of me as their Governor and Chief Servant.

5. I must thank INEC, especially those her officers, who stood firm to their conviction during the elections, to make our votes count. We must not take for granted the sacrifice that these INEC staff made for us to be here today in this capacity. Posterity will not forget those of them who put even their lives on the line to save our endangered democracy and keep alive the hallowed ritual of this form of government, which demands obeying the will of the people. These INEC officials were willing to pay even the supreme price, to ensure that the will of the people prevailed. Their remarkable show of courage and conviction should serve as a constant reminder that Freedom is a thorny crown, which one must wear with extreme alertness and lots of sacrifice. As we commence our statutory task of governance, it has now become our own obligation to show to the whole world why votes should count.

6. Let me also quickly thank all my staff, my campaign team, and volunteers, who worked tirelessly for this victory. Their unalloyed commitment to the cause and their can-do spirit, which sustained the campaign, even during the darkest and most discouraging of times and situations, helped to make this day a reality. They refused to be intimidated by rebuffs and denials, blatant threats, and mental and physical violence. Many of them were victims of violent physical and verbal attacks. Several of them sustained injuries and some were involved in road mishaps and lost valuable assets, all in their support of this cause. Several others even lost their lives during this lengthy period of the struggle to rescue Abia State from the clutches of incompetence, wanton corruption, and unprecedented clannishness. I pray for the sweet repose of the souls of those faithful departed, and I hereby request that we continue to keep their memories alive and ensure that their labour will not be in vain. May I, therefore, ask for your permission to pay tribute to some of them who should have been here today. My best friend and brother from another mother who wanted this day to happen eight years ago, Prince Otisi Ndukwe kalu, aka Abbott, slept on October 20, 2015. Others are Mazi Nnanna Ngwu, Mr. Eze Alomefuna, Prince Dike, Dr. Mike Nwachukwu, Prince Emeka Obasi, Chief Enyi Aji, and Chief Mike Nkwoji (Mike Merchandise). May their souls continue to rest in peace.

7. The Deputy Governor, Engr Ikechukwu Emetu, and I, together with our team, are fully ready to bequeath to our successors a far better Abia State than the one we have inherited today. To achieve this, we began by setting up task forces charged with the responsibility of drawing up a vision and a road map for the development of Abia State. Since late March, when our victory was announced, we have kept busy these dedicated teams comprising some of the most gifted and trained individuals, working day and night, to ensure that even in the face of overwhelming odds and hostility, this administration will have a smooth take-off. They are the members of the Transition Council, the Inauguration Committee, and the Handover Committee. Many of them are with us here today and I thank them for their hard work and sacrifices.

8. I must not forget the sacrifices made by members of my immediate and extended families, who stood firmly by me all these years and gave me all the support and sustenance needed to survive this gruelling electioneering campaign that lasted the better part of eight years. I must thank particularly my dear wife, Priscilla, who has remained my untiring pillar of support and who has pledged to continue to be my inner strength as we embark on this new journey and my children alike. I owe them debts that will be difficult to repay in one lifetime.

9. Despite the initial assurances from the other side that the endless season of antagonistic and predatory politics was finally over, we have been the target of the most vicious and pernicious attacks through vile propaganda and the unconscionable abuse of judicial processes. We are here today, simply because many individuals of conviction and courage were resolute in standing on the side of truth, equity, and justice. I doff my hat for them.

10. I must pause at this juncture, to extend our hand of fellowship and comradeship to all Abians, especially our brothers and sisters in other opposition political parties, who contested with us in the 18th of March 2023 elections. The truth is that we are all winners and there is no loser. The primary motive behind our aspirations to contest at one level or the other, even though we might have boarded different political vehicles, was to raise the bar of governance in Abia State and to improve the living standard of our people. These aspirations, more than anything else, were equally my driving force to aspire three times to govern Abia. I, therefore, make bold to say that those are the ideals that we shall pursue diligently and without bitterness or rancour. Everyone of goodwill is therefore enjoined to come on board as we seek a common purpose to actualise our long-held positive desires for our people. We must now, more than ever before, come together to pull Abia State out of her current sorry state and quagmire. I must also state that our state has never been this divided along ethnic lines. I, therefore, call on the political elites who have been fanning these fault lines to stop and give peace a chance. Afterall, we are one and the same people.

11. As we savour this moment, we do so with mixed emotions. We are full of happiness, but we also have some anxiety. We approach this moment with relief that it has finally come, but we are fully aware that it is the beginning of a long and demanding journey. We rejoice in the birth of a new and glorious era, yet we cannot easily forget the years of waste and missed opportunities arising from self-seeking, prebendal and profligate governance. In all of this, we draw inspiration from the wise words of King Solomon of antiquity. In the book of Ecclesiastes, we are reminded that there is a time for everything. We, as Abia citizens, have had our time of tribulations and pains, of darkness and doubts. To the glory of God, this is now a time for us to wipe our tears. It is the time for rebuilding, not just the state’s physical infrastructure and fiscal buffers that are in a sorry state of decay. It is the time to rebuild our individual and collective values. It is now the time to take back our society.

12. My major responsibility will be to ensure that the citizens and residents of Abia State, who have finally been freed from their bondage, will continue to breathe freely, and go about their daily pursuit of good quality life. It will be my duty to bring them out of pitch darkness into the bright sunlight that they deserve. It will be my duty to show them that there is more to life than the poverty, hunger, ignorance, disease, insecurity, and pot holes that, all these years, have become their daily realities. It will be my duty to continue to remind them that they are the offspring of those who once created the fastest growing economy in the world. It is my duty to let them realise that they were once the world’s largest makers of some key products on which the world’s economy depended. It is my responsibility to let them know that their institutions of learning had in the past produced some of the greatest minds in the world of arts, science and technology, mathematics, banking and finance, politics, law, history and philosophy. It is my duty to let them know that we have in us all the qualities that are necessary to recreate the glorious past that they dream about.

13. I have abiding faith in our ability to conquer the challenges of decades of poor-quality governance; the decades of stunted growth and development; the decades of deprivation, injustice and loss of self-dignity, the decades of hopelessness, anguish, and pain. After all, we are the children of those who were at the forefront of the successful quest for independence for Nigeria and indeed Africa. We come from the wombs of the heroic women, who defied the guns, bullets and batons of the colonialists in 1929 to secure freedom for themselves. We are the offspring of those who more than half a century ago, accomplished technological feats and discoveries. Without doubt we have greatness in us and it is up to all of us to awaken the giants in us. My pledge to you today is that I will lead that charge to restore our society to greatness.

14. During my campaigns, I visited every part of our state and dutifully explained to the electorate my plans on how we can rebuild our state. I presented my credentials and made bold to say that I was going to help you reverse our individual and collective failures. My biggest source of reassurance was that wherever I visited throughout the 17 local governments of our dear State, I saw on the faces of our people a high sense of expectation, a burning desire for change, and the fierce determination to do whatever it rightly takes to succeed. I discovered that despite all these years of rape and brutalisation of their psyche, majority of our people remained resolute and unbroken in spirit. Bad roads, potholes, power blackouts, kidnappers, extortionists, had not snuffed out their entrepreneurial and creative spirits. They kept hope alive and continued to pursue their daily tasks in their inexorable quest to be part of a sane and decent society. They have indeed been waiting for this day, which has finally arrived.

15. I thank you for your overwhelming mandate; for your faith and trust in us and our ability and willingness to be your Chief Servant. Today, I stand before you, my good people of Abia State, to declare once again, boldly, that in line with my campaign theme, you should ‘Weep No More, Help is Here’. My task is to dry your tears and help you to rediscover who you are and lead you back to the pathway of sustainable growth, development, and prosperity.

16. We must therefore all get ready to have a clean break from our past. We pride ourselves as ‘God’s Own State’. We have our faith in God and we believe that there is a time for everything. For all citizens and residents of God’s Own State, this is a time to rebuild. We are fortunate that destiny has placed before our own generation the onerous but historic task of replacing what the flying and creeping locusts, masquerading as leaders, may have consumed these past years. Our earnest desire is to turn our electoral victory into an instrument for improved fortunes of all well-meaning people.

17. As we get ready to cross our River Jordan into the Canaan land that God has graciously placed before us, let us not be under any illusion that the worst is over. In fact, in winning the election, we have merely won a preliminary battle, albeit a very crucial one. Nevertheless, the war has just begun, and we have put our hands on the plough. There is no turning back until we achieve our collective dreams and aspirations. From the events of the last few months since after our victory, there are clear indications that there will be constant distractions from those who pray that Abia State should go back to Egypt. Some of them have been active of late, throwing all manner of spanners in our wheel to derail our train of progress and development. They would prefer to be rulers in the kingdom of hell and darkness than to serve with heavenly angels. But I have news for them. Someone should go and tell them that we have decisively broken free from our bondage. We are finally heading to our Promised Land, and we have resolved that we will no longer serve Pharaoh!

18. We are in the cusp of an emerging new world order. In the past few years, there have been momentous events that have changed the trajectory of the world and have thus given us the opportunity to reposition our society and our economy. The devastating effects of Covid-19, global economic recession, the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA), climate change and the invidious Russia-Ukraine war, have all contributed to changing the future of the world. The global supply chain is undergoing a massive paradigm shift. Abia State’s potential to be a more significant player in this emerging world order should be of interest to all of us. In the interconnected world, we can occupy a crucial niche in the disrupted global supply chain. We can quickly position ourselves as the alternative production and service hub for both the West and Asia. We have the raw materials, the fertile lands and more importantly the energetic, creative, and trainable manpower to dominate important sectors of the global economy. Textiles, leatherworks, information technology, entertainment, and agriculture are just some of these areas, where we can easily make great strides, provided we are able to quickly repair our infrastructure and boost our business environment. We must be part of this global and globalising community that is brought together by technology, climate change, and supply chain dynamics. We must tap into the various opportunities that the modern world offers us.

19. As we embark on this adventure today, we have two clear choices before us. We can, like Lot’s wife, choose to look back at our Sodom and seek to return to the allure of quick fixes, incompetence, and mediocrity. We can also, like Abraham, look forward to the Promised Land. Nevertheless, as we look forward, we must take along with us, the weak and the vulnerable in our society. It is the extent to which we cater to their needs and actualise their potential that we will be able to build a great and prosperous society. The foundation of Abia State can only be strong, when Abia citizens in all the 17 local government areas of the state, who labour every day, partake in eating of the fruit of the land.

20. Even as we pledge to do our best to serve the State, let us all bear in mind that this adventure will only meet with success, when we all resolve to come out and contribute to it. We propose to create prosperity, happiness and security for every citizen and resident of Abia State. As we stretch our hand of service and leadership, we expect the citizen to also do its part. A bird that desires to soar on eagles’ wings, must first set itself free from its cage. We therefore call on every Abia citizen or resident to participate in rebuilding the state and nursing her back to greatness and prosperity. My promise is that all who take part in baking this pie must participate in eating it. It is also my responsibility to ensure that we continue to bake bigger pies, to the glory of God and the benefit of all Abians.

21. Democracy is built on the three tiers of the executive, legislative and judicial arms of government. Establishing a harmonious relationship with the legislature and the judiciary is critical to our success as government and to the prosperity of the state. We pledge to offer the right support to the other two arms of government in our shared commitment to changing the fortunes of our people. The media, which is the watchdog of the people, will remain pivotal to our work, and I invite the traditional and new media professionals in the State to continue to work with us for the good of the common man. Similarly, we shall work with the Ezes and traditional institutions, the churches and faith-based institutions, to build harmony and understanding in the State. We already have channels for engaging these institutions and we shall strengthen them during our tenure.

22. I must be frank to inform you that we have a very difficult and challenging road ahead of us. Abia State is starting, not from zero, but from an enormously negative position. While we were busy battling with the devastating effects of insincere and corrupt leadership, the rest of the world, and even many parts of Nigeria, would appear to have left us behind. We have a treasury that has been criminally ravaged to the extent that we have an alleged N50 billion in unpaid salaries, gratuities, and pensions. Our local and foreign debt overhang is reported to be in the region of N200 billion, in addition to other debts to contractors. We have a poorly motivated workforce, extreme youth unemployment, collapsed physical infrastructure, a terribly frail primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare delivery system. These are in addition to a broken educational system, urban waste disposal crisis and a large army of citizens, especially teachers, health workers, including medical doctors and nurses, lecturers in tertiary institutions, Local Government Authority workers and most painfully, our senior citizens, who feel blatantly betrayed by successive administrations that wilfully and unconscionably abandoned them to live in wretched sub-human conditions.

23. The so-called urban centres in the State, have fallen far behind in terms of physical infrastructure, modern housing, amenities like pipe-borne water, quality road networks and some of the features one normally associates with modern cities. It will not be wrong to describe some of them as glorified villages. These places bear the semblance of urban areas in large part because of the resilience of the residents, but most importantly, because of the extensive investments made decades ago by our revered leader, Dee Sam Mbakwe. Fixing these urban centres and bringing them at par with their contemporaries around the region and beyond would take a humongous amount of time and resources. We can only save them through massive reliance on new public-private sector investments.

24. Our educational system, which used to be the cutting edge of our growth and development, is now in shambles as our findings show that the sector had for decades, not received the kind of quality attention it deserves. As a result, there is paucity of quality teaching personnel, especially in very critical subject areas, the absence of standard laboratories for practical learning and experiments and a culture of malpractice that sets our children up for a life of mediocrity, frustration, and disappointment. I promise that in the emerging dispensation, every child of Abia State must have equal opportunity to good education. Merit will be the watchword in recruitment and award of jobs. We will also be very supportive of sports and will seek to return the State to the heydays of Dick Tiger, Jerry Enyeazu, Chidi Imo, Kanu Nwankwo, Grasshoppers and Enyimba Football Club. Our aspiration is to use it to unite the citizens, keep them healthy and provide an avenue for entertainment, good health and business pursuits.

25. We shall also be grappling with a society that had largely lost its moral compass. Over the years, we have built a society where honesty, hard work and the many excellent virtues have been cast by the wayside. These were the values that in the past were known to be ours. Today, many of our young ones are assaulted by sights of dishonest men and women acquiring extravagant material riches while the honest and hard-working ones go to them, begging for crumbs. Our children have been witnessing persons of little or no moral restraints emerging leaders in their communities, given chieftaincy titles, and celebrated, most regrettably, even by religious leaders. Many of our young ones had taken to dishonest pursuits because the society they live in has not shown them a better way.

26. Today, I will enter into a new social contract with Ndi Abia. While I pledge to use every attribute that God has given me to serve you, I would also demand from you some sacrifice. When a bird is released from its cage, it must flap its wings to fly and soar away to freedom. I promise to be a great conductor, but every member of this orchestra must play his or her instrument and must do so in harmony. Our social contract with the good people of Abia State, is that ours shall not be a government of excuses and finger-pointing. We have taken time to review the situation and we already have a clear understanding of what is expected from government. Abians will no longer need the media to tell them what the government is doing in their communities; they will directly experience real development themselves as it occurs. After so many years in the doldrums, please let no one be in doubt that it will be very challenging at first. We must all brace up to hang in there and make the needed sacrifices. We must change our ways and we must endeavour to educate and enlighten all those around us to do the same.

27. One of the greatest challenges facing the State is ensuring that there is guaranteed security of lives and property. The worsening state of insecurity in the State will be addressed from its root. Consequential criminals slide into crime when there is no other available means of livelihood. We intend to address this group through the provision of various opportunities that I will be outlining shortly. However, I know that there are hard core criminals, who have been used by their godfathers to terrorise the citizens and keep them firmly on the saddle to continue to impoverish the state. My simple warning to them is that they must leave the state from today. I must warn all of them and their patrons that starting from today, it is no longer business as usual. I promise you that Abia State will not be big enough to contain you and I, at the same time. I declare that I will use the full force of the law to apprehend and punish all those who are intent on threatening law and order in the State.

28. In the same light, I would like to use this medium to appeal to everyone in the state, to remain peaceful and law abiding. We appreciate everyone’s right to hold and express an opinion, but you must also accord other citizens the right to do same. No one should stand in the way of the legitimate aspirations of others. Ours shall be a government of law and order. The right to freedom of movement as captured in our laws must be respected. Importantly, there shall be only one government in Abia State and that is the one you have given us the mandate to lead. I appreciate that there is legitimate discontent amongst many sections of the State. This is one of the key areas we intend to start addressing immediately. We shall be open to sincerely engage anyone or group with reasonable grievances so as to find a satisfactory path to sustainable peace and harmony. I am a strong advocate of dialogue and the pursuit of justice through legitimate channels. We must shun destruction and all forms of violence. We are Ndigbo and our tradition is based on dialogue and consensus democracy. Our tradition forbids the spilling of blood, destruction of public or private property and hostility towards the innocent and vulnerable. We shall be guided by these age-old traditions of our people while pursuing progress and development on all fronts.

29. Having laid the foregoing foundation, it gives me pleasure to announce that within the next few days, we shall commence the payment of May 2023 salaries and pensions to all civil servants and retirees in the State. There shall be no more distinction between the so-called “core” and “non-core” civil servants. This is a disingenuous expression that was used to hide the wicked habit of owing salaries. Whether you are a teacher in a primary or secondary institution owned by the State, a staff of the public health establishments, local government, or work in the judiciary, you shall, beginning from this May, earn your legitimate entitlements as and when due. From June 2023, all salary and pension obligations of the State would be settled by the 28th of every month. My commitment during my campaigns to pay off all outstanding salary and pension arrears remains sacrosanct. Within the next one week, I shall set up appropriate mechanisms to ensure that all legitimate employees and retirees are identified and paid their due entitlements. It is on this note that I appeal to workers, including Doctors in the state who have been on strike, to suspend same immediately and go back to work. I wish to thank the NLC for heeding the plea I made to them last week and suspending the strike from today.

30. We will rebuild our school system by making it produce better quality students that will be relevant to the needs of modern society. To address the perennial crisis of paucity and poor quality of teaching personnel in our education sector, I shall, over the next one-month, work closely with my team and relevant stakeholders to design an appropriate framework that will be used to drive the recruitment of about 5,000 new teachers for our primary and secondary schools. Priority shall be given to young graduates with requisite qualifications in education, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subject areas and to those who are also willing to serve in rural communities. It is our commitment to see that our children are given the opportunity to tap into the great systems of advantage and opportunities that come from education, no matter where they live. We shall see to it that our teachers undergo regular refresher courses to update their knowledge and teaching skills so that they will stay relevant in their chosen fields. It must also be stated that under our government, teachers shall never be shabbily treated as reportedly had been the custom in the past. The paucity of infrastructure in our educational system shall be addressed stridently. Our children, whether in the rural or urban communities, will henceforth learn under very conducive and empowering environments. We will also support meritocracy in our educational system and ensure that special incentives are given to institutions across the state that promote excellence and have a history of producing high calibre students.

31. We shall address headlong, the persisting challenges in the health sector. We shall tackle the problem of poor welfare package for our health workers by creating a system of incentives that rewards them generously for their sacrifices and commitments to saving and nurturing lives. Furthermore, we shall begin immediately to address the challenge of poor facilities in our health institutions through steady investment in the acquisition of modern medical equipment, appropriate funding, and a robust system of partnership with well-meaning development partners. We shall see to it that access to health services is improved for all classes of Abians and where necessary, we shall make important recruitments to address personnel shortages.

32. The challenge of youth unemployment in the state keeps me awake most nights because I know how industrious our youth are. I also know that when active hands and fertile minds are denied legitimate means of engagement, they resort to unsavoury activities to the detriment of all. A society that wastes the potential of its youth invariably wastes itself. It is rather unfortunate that we have not done enough to harness the energy and talent of these young ones to improve the State’s output of goods and services. That sorry situation is about to change as our government shall, within the next one month, launch a N10 billion Micro, Small and Medium scale Enterprises (MSME) financing scheme, which will comprise conditional business grants and low interest loans to support relevant enterprises. The detailed modalities for accessing these funds shall be made public soon. It is my projection that a minimum of 20,000 MSMEs shall benefit from this fund over the next two years and shall in turn generate at least 100,000 direct jobs and another 200,000 indirect employments in the State.

33. In partnership with commercial banks, local and international development agencies, venture capitalists and independent investors, we shall target MSMEs in high impact areas such as ICT, agriculture, small-scale manufacturing, fashion, leatherworks, and other areas where the state has strong comparative advantage. We shall also leverage on some of the major reforms in the power sector to provide structural support in the form of steady electricity access for these entrepreneurs. Our administration shall also make sure that the major obstacles to business success such as poor road networks, over-taxation and restricted access to local and global markets are timeously dealt with.

34. As you all know, Aba is a city that is very dear to my heart and critical to my leadership agenda. I believe that many Abians have the same attitude towards Aba. I intend to work tirelessly to restore the glory of our beloved Enyimba City. I shall, in the next one week, announce the setting up of the most suitable administrative and investment vehicles to drive the social and economic rejuvenation of Aba. My dear brothers and sisters, I can tell you one thing for sure: the glorious days of Aba will soon return. As you are already aware, I had mandated the leadership of one of the most notable construction companies in Nigeria to carry out preliminary assessment of some critical portions of Aba roads. I can assure you that we shall work with the best to fix Aba. Beyond working to retain the city’s status as a leading trade destination in Nigeria and across West Africa, we shall also do whatever is necessary to see that Aba’s manufacturing base is restored. Our government shall create the necessary partnerships that will expand energy options for manufacturers including liquefied natural gas (LNG) and renewable energy sources in addition to providing strategic support to the existing investors in the energy ecosystem in the city. We shall also position Aba as an ICT innovation hub in the region, providing support where needed and making sure the young men and women who are already doing remarkable things in that sector are offered the leverage they need to succeed and grow.

35. While Aba remains most critical to our agenda, Umuahia, the state capital, shall also receive significant and necessary attention. We have developed well-thought-out policies and programmes to drive strategic infrastructural development in the city, that will turn it into a model city with world class infrastructure and a favourite destination for businesses, family life and leisure. Apart from Aba and Umuahia, we shall also extend development to every other part of the State, ensuring that the frontiers of opportunities are expanded in ways that can offer our people, no matter where they live, a supportive environment for the actualisation of their dreams.

36. A healthy urban environment shall be a major priority for this government. To that effect, I am immediately declaring a state of emergency on refuse disposal and waste management in Aba and Umuahia. I am hereby directing the leadership of the state’s environmental management agency, ASEPA to roll out everything at its disposal and see that all refuse heaps within these two cities are promptly evacuated. In due course, we shall announce an enduring model to address the challenges of the environment and the future of ASEPA. Meanwhile, a member of my team would soon be announced to supervise this effort.

37. As I stated earlier, our government shall be 100% pro-business. We will give all necessary scope for the private sector to participate in the economic activities of the state. Government shall not be in competition with the private sector. It shall instead remain a facilitator and will only get involved in critical areas where the private sector cannot immediately be a significant player, or where it may not be profitable for the sector. It is my intention to create wealth for the citizens of the State and it is through genuine public private sector collaboration that such a dream will be realised.

38. To improve the State’s rating in the area of ‘ease of doing business’ and bring Abia at par with states that have made gains in this area, I am announcing the setting up of a cabinet level position within the Governor’s Office to drive our ‘Ease of Doing Business’ agenda. This position will be manned by a Special Adviser who has thorough understanding of best global practices on creating favourable environment for businesses to thrive. The appointee shall work closely with me to see that Abia moves from its present poor position into the Top 5 in the “Ease of Doing Business” index in Nigeria as quickly as possible.

39. I shall also appoint a Special Adviser on ICT to drive our programmes in the technology ecosystem. The appointee shall be supporting innovation, working closely with me to see that we provide critical support to technology entrepreneurs within the State, to enable them compete nationally and even globally. It shall be the priority of this office to make the state very attractive to investors and enterprises in the technology space by creating a system of incentives and structures that are superior to what you can find anywhere else in Nigeria.

40. To guarantee that our programmes and projects are successfully executed, a special Unit will also be established under my office to drive project implementation. This Unit will not only see that standards are strictly observed, it will ensure that we get commensurate value on every Kobo spent on projects and programmes across all parts of the State. This agency shall also oversee our intervention programmes in critical sectors like agriculture, social services, job creation and robust programmes of economic empowerment of youths and women across all parts of the State. It shall be the duty of this office to see that we are faithful to our promises to you as captured in our manifesto in terms of project conception and execution.

41. We shall prioritise civil service reforms for efficiency and professionalism. We shall soon be reviewing the structure of the State’s workforce to determine how we can reform it for optimal productivity. The Abia State Civil Service shall run differently under this administration. Merit shall take prominence and only those who demonstrate requisite diligence in the discharge of their duties shall remain in the service. Technology will be used to support the Civil Service in the State. We propose to use technology to enable all Abia State employees, including myself, to work from anywhere to achieve operational efficiency and enhanced productivity.

42. There shall be no room for corrupt practices and the full weight of the law shall be deployed in tackling all cases of indiscipline or any act that brings the service into disrepute. We shall be reviewing some of the most recent appointments and promotions made by the previous administration to ensure that persons recruited and promoted have the relevant qualifications and are suitably deployed. We shall in time address the challenge of ghost workers by deploying appropriate technology systems to determine those who had been genuinely employed and those who are actively stealing from the public treasury.

43. Within the next few days, I shall create the office of the Ombudsman, which will handle all public complaints. Please do not hesitate to send in all your petitions and grievances to that office for prompt and effective response. Our decisions may not always be popular which is why we shall constantly seek your inputs and ideas. We shall establish appropriate communication channels to engage with members of the public. As Governor, I will regularly interface with you through different media channels and in town hall settings. You shall always know the truth and what the government is doing at all times to make things better for you, your family and your business.

44. Transparency, accountability, and public trust shall be at the centre of everything we do. We will run a responsible and honest government and lead by example. We will not tolerate any form of corruption or stealing of public property. Gratification and kickbacks are totally forbidden in this government. Let me state that for me, awards, honours and recognitions are not welcome until I leave office. Put diffently, any awards, titles, recognitions or the like that I did not receive before now should wait until we leave office.

45. The time for the rebuilding process has begun. I have been given the task of being the driver of this train and it is leaving the station. I welcome all of you on board and I am very certain that it will be a rewarding journey for all diligent commuters. By God’s grace, we shall safely and promptly arrive at our destination.

Long live Abia State, Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I thank you all for your patience and attention and I welcome you to the New Abia.

Dr. Alex C. Otti, OFR, Executive Governor, Abia State, May 29, 2023.

Disclaimer:

The opinions and views expressed in this write-up are entirely that of the Writer(s). They do not reflect the opinions and views of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or any of its employees. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of materials herein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or its employees concerning the legal status of any country, its authority, area or territory or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. Equally, the sketches, images, pictures and videos are obtained from the public domain

THOSE WHO HOUNDED PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN FOR REMOVING OIL SUBSIDY ARE TODAY HAPHAZARDLY DOING SAME.

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01.06.2023

Professor Wole Soyinka, Emilokan’s Guardian Spirit, is Maintaining Stoic Silence Now! But in 2012 he led a protest, carrying banners and placards against President Jonathan.

“REMOVAL OF OIL SUBSIDY: PRESIDENT JONATHAN BREAKS SOCIAL CONTRACT WITH THE PEOPLE” By President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (11th January, 2012)

As Nigerians gathered with family and friends to celebrate the New Year, the federal government was baking a national cake wrapped in the scheme that would instantly make the New Year a bitter one. Barely had the public weaned itself from last year when government dropped a historic surprise on an unsuspecting nation. PPPRA issued a statement abolishing the fuel subsidy. By this sly piece of paper, the federal government breached the social contract with the people. This government, which owes its very existence to the people’s desire to be governed by someone more humble than elitist, has turned its back on the collective will. By bureaucratic fiat, government made the most fateful economic decision any administration has made since the inception of the Fourth Republic and it has done so with an arrogant wave of the hand as if issuing a minor regulation. Because of the terrible substance of the decision and the haughty style of its enactment, the people feel betrayed and angry. At this moment, we know not to where this anger will lead. In good conscience, we pray against violence. Also in good conscience, it is the duty of every citizen to peacefully demonstrate and record their opposition to this draconian measure that is swiftly crippling the economy more than it will ever cure it.

By taking this step, government has tossed the people into the depths of the midnight sea. Government demands the people swim to safety under their own power, claiming the attendant hardship will build character and add efficiency to the national economy. It is easy to make these claims when one is dry and on shore. Government would have us believe that every hardship it manufactures for the people to endure is a good thing. This is a lie. The hardships they thrust upon the poor often bear no other purpose than to keep them poor. This is such a time. I am not calling President Jonathan an evil man. I do not believe he is perverse. However, the economic ideas controlling him are so misguided that they have a perverse impact. Because he is slave to wrong-headed economics, the people will become enslaved to greater misery. This crisis will bear his name and will be his legacy. The people now pay a steep tax for voting him into office. The removal of the subsidy is the “Jonathan tax.” This situation shows that ideas count more than personalities. People may occupy office but how that person performs depends on the ideas that occupy his mind.

Though someday, Nigeria will have to remove the subsidy, the time to do it is not now. This subsidy removal is ill-timed and violates the condition precedent necessary before such a decision is made. First, government needs to clean up and throw away the salad of corruption in the NNPC. Then, proceed to lay the foundation for a mass transit system in the railways and road network with long term bonds and fully develop the energy sector towards revitalizing Nigeria’s economy and easing the burden any subsidy removal may have on the people. But we know this is about more than the fuel subsidy. It is about government’s ideas on the role of money in better the lives of people, about the relationship between government and the people and about the primary objective of government’s interaction in the economy. It is about whom, among the Nigeria’s various social classes, does government most value. This is why public reaction has been heated. It is not so much that people have to spend more money. It is because people feel short-changed and sold out.

Government seeks to convince us that the Jonathan tax is an unavoidable decision mandated by immutable economic principles. If you accept their premise, you must agree with their conclusion. However, their argument falters at its inception. There are few immutable economic principles. Economics is not an exact science with unbreakable rules like physics.

Economics is no less subjective than politics. It was born an offshoot of politics and there it remains. What this government claims to be economic decisions are essentially political ones. As there is progressive politics, there is progressive economics. As there is elitist politics, there is elitist economics. It all depends on what and who in society government would rather favor. The Jonathan tax represents a new standard in elitism.

This whole issue boils down to whether government believes the general public is worth a certain level of expenditure. It is like the situation where a man dates more than one woman. To each, he promises love thus nothing can be deduced from his words. However, we know he will spend and dote more on one and she will be the one he loves above the others. When banks were in distress, government produced billions of naira out of thin air and in record time. It was explained the swift expenditure was needed to stop the banking system from imploding. There was no worry that government would be bankrupted. If the banks were to fall twenty times in the future, government would jump twenty times to their rescue. It does so because this government lives a conservative economics placing it in close alliance, if not collusion, with corporate power. However, because the distance between government and the people is far and genuine level of affection is low, government sees no utility in continuing to spend the current level of money on the people. In their mind, the people are not worth the money. Government sees more value in “saving” money than in saving the hard-pressed masses.

Yet, what does government actually save by this measure? The concept of a government that has the unfettered ability to print its own currency needing to save that currency for fear of insolvency is an anachronism. That his economic advisors would cling to this notion is like a person insisting on taking to the expressway in a horse-drawn carriage. For a government that prints its own currency, attempting to save in that very currency in order to defend against bankruptcy in that currency is a relic of the gold standard abandoned forty years ago. If government thrashed the fuel subsidy based on considerations that it will run out of naira then it based its decision on a factor that have not been relevant since the time of the Biafran war.

In 1971, the world left the gold standard replacing it with “state” or “fiat money.” Under the gold standard, a nation had to save gold to support its currency or risk insolvency. After 1971, bondage to gold was broken. Since then, the worth of a nation’s currency is not tied to gold which means that the ability of a nation to print currency is not determined by its holdings of gold. The worth of the currency is based on the strength of the economy and the amount of money the nation prints is determined by that strength as well as the nation’s future economic objectives. A nation can no longer fall insolvent concerning debts or payments issued in the national currency. As long as the fuel subsidy is paid in naira, then Nigeria cannot go bankrupt paying it any more than the ocean can run out of salt water. In a fiat money system, the problem with the fuel subsidy is not impending insolvency as the government asserts. The serious constraint is inflation. Here we must ask whether the payment is so inflationary as to distort the economy. We have been making the payment for years and inflation has not wrecked the economy. This historic evidence refutes the imminent disaster claimed by government.

In advancing the argument that subsidy would lead to imminent bankruptcy, government reveals its lack of trustworthiness on important matters of fact. Is this the same government that several weeks ago claimed Nigeria was among the world’s best performing economies with a GDP growth rate of 7 percent annually? It seems government has a vast canvas on which it can paint a number of different scenarios of Nigeria depending on the whim of the moment. While government may alter its portrait of the nation, the people are forced to live one reality at a time. Is Nigeria a fast growing economy? If the nation’s GDP is growing so strongly, the subsidy or a similar expenditure on the people cannot be the lethal burden government now maligns it to be. Nigerians have a collective stake in the ownership of our oil resource held in trust by the government of the day. What we need then is the effective management of this scarce resource that will beget long term prosperity to the suffering people of Nigeria and not the present racket in which those in power abuse access and control of NNPC and oil revenue to warehouse money to fund their election campaigns.

This brings us to another inconsistency. On one hand, government states the expenditure is unsustainable yet on the other it claims the amount now earmarked for the subsidy will be used to fund other people-oriented programs. However, the two assertions cannot exist at the same time . If the subsidy is bankrupting us, then reallocating funds to different programs will be no less harmful. A bankrupting expenditure retains this quality whether used for the subsidy or another purpose. Earmarking the funds to something else will not change the fiscal impact. If government is sincere about using the funds for other programs, then it must be insincere about the threatened insolvency. The concern about government saving naira is purely superfluous. Officials cry that Nigeria will become like Greece. Those who say this disqualify themselves from high office by their own words. Greece sits in a terrible situation because it forfeited its own currency. Thus, it cannot print itself out of insolvency and it must save or earn euro to pay its bills. Because Nigeria issues its own currency, it does not face the same constraint. Again, Nigeria’s problem with the subsidy is not insolvency. Therefore, to go from subsidy to nothing is not wise economics for it “saves” government nothing. What it does is produce real havoc and misery for the majority of the people while the governing elite worship their mistaken fiscal rectitude. Ironically, by acting like the old gold standard fiscal constraints are real, this government will incur the very thing it seeks to avoid. It will subject Nigeria to a crushing economic contraction. The difference between us and the Greeks will be that their situation is the inevitable result of being a weak member in a monetary union dominated by a strong economy, while our downturn will be a discretionary one artificially induced by the backwardness of our policymakers.

By its action, our government placed itself on the list of conservative governments imposing unwise austerity programs on tired and weak economies. The results have been alarming. Greece, Ireland, Spain, Italy, and the UK have imposed stiff austerity. Each nation that has done so now has an intimate relationship with recession. Must we travel the same path? Why does our government think an independently-minded Nigerian success is inferior to the mimicry of European failure? I don’t understand why we take this road. Our government has allied itself with the goals of the European conservatives and not with the needs of the Nigerian populace. No one plucks a chicken to feed his children feathers. Nor does a man set his house on fire just so people can bring him water. However, this is spirit behind government policy. There has been no nation on the face of the planet that has developed or achieved long-term prosperity by devotion to conservative, ultra-free market economic ideas that dominate this government. America, the United Kingdom, and now China all based their initial thrust toward national economic development on significant government interplay in the economy and on sustained government fiscal deficits. If no nation has grown using these conservative ideas when growth was constrained by the gold standard, why would we shackle ourselves to these ideas when we operate under a monetary system that provides the federal government greater policy latitude to achieve economic development objectives.

Again, we must rid ourselves of the old notion that government saving and budgetary surpluses are inherently good and that deficits are always bad. For government to save naira, that means it brings in more than it pays out. Where does this influx come from? It comes from you and me, the private sector. If the federal government saves more, it means the private sector will have less. Government surplus means private sector contraction. This shows that the administration has its priorities confused. It acts as if the people are there to help government run itself. The more beneficial relationship is that government should be giving people the help needed to better live their lives. The government’s position is akin to a wealthy parent demanding his young children bring home more food for him to consume than the parent gives them to eat. We would deride any parent for such meanness. Yet, this government believes this conduct is wise and prudent.

Another argument government has presented is that removal of the subsidy will stabilize the exchange rate. This makes no sense. True, since marketers convert much of the naira from selling petrol gained into dollars, there is downward pressure on the exchange rate and foreign reserves. However, this pressure is not a byproduct of the subsidy. It is a byproduct of importation. With the subsidy lifted, the marketers will earn the same or more from the sale of petrol. For there to be less pressure on the exchange rate would mean the marketers would seek to exchange significantly less of the same amount of naira into dollars simply because the subsidy was removed. There is no logical basis to assume the new Jonathan tax will have the behavioral impact of causing importers to want to hold more naira. The downward pressure on our currency and reserves will not change simply because the imported items are no longer subsidized. In fact, the higher rate of inflation caused by the removal may make importers keener to change naira into dollars. Thus, the real challenge in this regard is for government to pave the way to increased domestic production.

There is another “philosophical mystery” in the government’s position. They state the subsidy must be removed to end the unjust enrichment of the importing cabal. There is a major problem with this assertion. If this is truly a subsidy, there should be no unjust enrichment. A subsidy is created to allow the general public to pay a lesser price while sellers earn the prevailing market price. Subsidy removal should not increase or decrease the amount earned per litre by the suppliers. If the amount earned by the suppliers will diminish materially, what government had been operating was in part a pro-importer price support mechanism on top of the consumer-friendly subsidy. If this is the case, government could have abolished the unneeded price support while retaining the consumer subsidy. More to the point, government has failed to show how the system it plans to use will be protected from the undue influence and unfair dealings of those who benefited from the discarded subsidy regime. Because it is capital intensive by its very nature, this sector of the economy is susceptible to control by a few powerful companies. Most of the players will remain the same except that a few cronies of the administration will be allowed entrance into the lucrative game. Sending the economy into the gutter is a steep cost to pay just so a few friends can reap a new windfall.

Government claims the subsidy removal will create jobs. This is misleading. The stronger truth is that it will destroy more jobs than it creates. For every job it creates in the capital intensive petroleum sector, it will terminate several jobs in the rest of the labor intensive economy. Subsidy removal will increase costs across the board. However, salaries will not increase. This means demand for goods will lessen as will sales volumes and overall economic activity. The removal will have a recessionary impact on the economy as a whole. While some will benefit from the removal, most will experience setback.

What is doubtless is that the Jonathan tax will increase the price of petrol, transportation and most consumer items. With fuel prices increasing twofold or more, transportation costs will roughly double. Prices of food staples will increase between 25-50 percent. Yet this is more than about cost figures. Most people’s incomes are low and stagnant. They have no way to augment revenue and little room to lower expenses for they know no luxuries; they are already tapped out. The only alternative they have is to fend as best they can, knowing they must somehow again subtract something from their already bare existence. There will be less food, less medicine, and less school across the land. More children will cry in hunger and more parents will cry at their children’s despair. This is what government has done. Poor and middle class consumers will spend the same amount to buy much less. The volume of economic activity will drop like a stone tossed from a high building. This means real levels of demand will sink. The middle class to which our small businessmen belong will find their profit margins squeezed because they will face higher costs and reduced sales volumes. These small firms employ vast numbers of Nigerians. They will be hard pressed to maintain current employment levels given the higher costs and lower revenues they will face. Because the middle class businessman will be pinched, those who depend on the businessmen for employment will be heavily pressed. States that earn significant revenue from internally generated funds will find their positions damaged. Internally generated revenue will decline because of the pressure on general economic activity. The Jonathan tax will push Nigeria toward an inflation-recession combination punch worse than the one that has Europe reeling. This tax has doomed Nigeria to extra hardship for years to come while the promised benefits of deregulation will never be substantially realized. People will starve and families crumble while federal officials praise themselves for “saving money.” The purported savings amount to nothing more than an accounting entry on the government ledger board. They bear no indication of the real state of the economy or of the great harm done the people by this miserly step.

As stated before, the threat of bankruptcy is nothing more than a ghost of something long dead. The real consideration is not whether this sum should be spent but whether it is better spent on the subsidy or on other programs. Nigerians do not need to be wedded to the subsidy. It is not the subsidy that gives life to the social compact; the amount of the expenditure is the better litmus. When attempting to douse popular sentiment, government pretended that the social contract would remain intact because government would spend the money saved from the subsidy on other programs. This would be nice if supported by action. If government were sincere in this regard, it would have used an entirely different strategy. It would have looked on the removal as evolutionary, long-term process instead of as a sudden event accomplished by executive decree. If government had proceeded along these lines, it would have first perfected the plans for the new programs and projects that would receive the funds previously allocated the subsidy. These plans would have been in place and ready to implement. Only then would the subsidy be removed. To say that they will develop programs once the subsidy is removed suggests government‘s heart is not in these alternatives. Government only raised this possibility as a public relations afterthought to douse public opposition.

For instance, the government’s top spokesperson said it was obvious the Administration had guillotined the subsidy since it was not included in the 2012 budget. If we take this as the measure, there is no evidence in that budget of government transferring the bulk of “subsidy savings” to other programs. Using the reasoning employed by government itself, the budget reveals no sympathetic plan to buffer the effects of the Jonathan tax.

Even if government wanted to engage in naira-for-naira alternative social spending, it would take well over a year for the programs to have even minimal effect. Such expenditures would require new legislation. Given the pace of the National Assembly, such legislation would take months even if fast tracked. Then appropriations would have to be made before the process of procurement began. If the federal government were to buy sufficient buses to subsidize urban transport across the nation, orders would have to be placed for the purchase and importation of these buses. Again, months would elapse. If we are aiming at major road construction, the processes of project planning and contract bidding will require well over a year after a project is approved and funds appropriated. Last, government has just established a large committee to oversee this alternative expenditure. We have no need for another such body. If competent, government would not require this help. Moreover, we have seen this tactic before. Time and money will be devoted to running the committee. More attention will go to the committee’s emoluments than to its fundamental work. The actual parameters of the committee’s scope of work are nebulous and ill-defined. Will it have the authority to act or only advise? This looks like another blind alley where government hopes to misdirect our attention. This committee is not meant to accomplish anything except to numb public opposition. Government hopes people will posit confidence in the body because of the eminent people named to it. By the time the public discovers the committee is a zombie creation, too much time would have elapsed and it will be too late to reignite public protests. The people then will resign themselves to their fate. This trick has worked in the past; it will not work today because the people are much too aware and too agitated.

In the end, the federal government has done the nation an awful disservice at the worst time. This is an unneeded and avoidable emergency. Pursuing the grail of elitist economics, the federal government brings economic disaster to our doorstep. Attempting to protect government bank accounts from false bankruptcy, they push the people into real bankruptcy. Government is relying on the fact that the people are long-suffering and patient. They think the people will quickly forget this latest assault and return to the grueling challenge of daily survival. Government thinks people will be so fixated on survival that they will forget government has made survival more difficult. Rarely has a government been this cynical. Not even the reclusive Yar’adua or the dictator, Obasanjo placed this hardship on the people. Of course, Nigerians know that Obasanjo failed spectacularly to lay the necessary infrastructural foundation which could have made the recent removal of subsidy an easier decision for President Jonathan and a lesser burden for Nigerians to bear.

Nigeria in Jonathan is confronted with a government “on top of the people” rather than a “government for the people”. It is as if Jonathan has turned from president to pharaoh and has decreed that the people make bricks without straw. What manner of leader has he become? I don’t know. However, there is only one just way out of this distress. Government must modify the sudden and complete removal of the subsidy. Either we restore the subsidy or use the funds for other social purposes. If we are to use the funds for other programs, those programs shall be placed on parallel track with the subsidy. As more of these programs are ready to go on line, then the subsidy can be lifted in phases. In this way, the public is assured government will not lower its total expenditure on their behalf, thus maintaining the spirit central to the social contract. Fuel price increases will be moderated so as not to cause extreme economic distress. And the people will see and feel the benefit of the alternative programs at the same time of the cost increases, thus further blunting the adverse impact of those increases. Until this change occurs, the people must remain vigilant or else we will sink under the weight of what the federal government has done.

Signed: Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (January 8, 2012).

Remembrance and Reverberations of Biafra – The Way Forward for Nigeria By Godwin Chidiebube Chidiadi

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31.05.2023

Late General Odumegwu Ojukwu of the People's Army of Biafra

“This is not an occasion to stir up emotions, but it is impossible to forget that men, women, and children of our kith and kin were taken out of their beds and slaughtered. They were massacred in places of worship, in the streets, in market places and in vehicles trying to carry them to safety…” The above excerpt is taken from a speech by Lt. Col. Chukwuemeka Dim Odumegwu-Ojukwu after he had declared the secession of Eastern Nigeria, which later became known as the Independent Sovereign state of the name and title of THE REPUBLIC OF BIAFRA on May 30, 1967.

Today, we joined our fathers and mothers; brothers and sisters, of Igbo extraction all over the world to commemorate May 30th, not just as a a date that marked the birth of a nation borne out of resilience and resolve, but also a day we remember our brave heroes who died brutally in the pogroms in the north, and those who fought gallantly to defend their land. We also remember the creative ingenuity of our heroes in science and technology before the war broke out; we also acknowledge the efforts of foreign aid workers and reporters who came all the way to assist the war-torn and devastated nation of Biafra.

Now, one wonders why these heroes of Biafra had so much zeal in resisting the superior force of the Nigerian Army and their foreign allies, it was not just the charisma and leadership of Ojukwu, a look at the Biafran Anthem tells it all:

Land of the Rising Sun we love and cherish! Beloved Homeland of our Brave Heroes! We must defend our lives or we shall perish! We shall protect our hearts from all our foes! But if the price is death for all we hold dear! Then let us die without a shred of fear!

Much is to be said about the rhythmical richness of diction used in the anthem, but more significantly is the spirited resolve by these Biafrans to “fight tooth and nail” to protect their domain. Little wonder, the Biafran “warriors” who volunteered were given only a matchete and they matched into the forest bare-footed, without any body-armour to face a Nigerian Army that had an arsenal of both “nukes” and “ammos”. These brave Biafrans rather chose to “perish” in order to “protect” their community. This indeed is the ultimate “price” to pay for freedom and good governance in the present day Nigeria where our collective fight against corruption, insecurity, electoral maleficence, judicial connivance and terrorism is still far-fetched. We must all rise up and “fight for all we hold dear”.

It’s now many years since the Biafran war-lord (CDOO) said, we are no longer fighting a war of guns and bombs, but a war of ideas. Ideas! Yes, that is what kept Biafran(s) for 3 years! Indeed, those were turbulent years but the collective ideals and travails on which Biafra stood for is still being remembered, and would remain in the annals of Nigerian history. Only yesterday, we witnessed the inauguration of yet another elected government, aftermath elections which were fraught by widespread voter disenfranchisement, violence, flagrant disregard for electoral laws in uploading of results, among others, and despite international condemnation of these actions, a new President has been sworn-in to continue many years of uninterrupted civilian rule in Nigeria. It’s worthy of note here to add that, the Nigeria Civil war/Biafran war which lasted for about 31 months was as a result of the coups and counter-coups in Nigeria which culminated to the rape of democratic processes, brutal killings and pogroms of 1966 in the North that inspired the Secession of Eastern-Nigeria.

As we continue our Long Walk down Democracy lane, we must take cognizance of where we have been in order to appraise our present situation. As Chinua Achebe succinctly puts it: “if one does not know where the rain started beating one, one will not know when/where one started drying oneself”. We must understand the intricacies of our socio-historical milieu in order to forge ahead with plans for Nation Building and true federalism to address our collective aspirations.Also, the merits and demerits of the Biafran nation should be considered, this will help to proffer a suitable response to the calls for disintegration or restructuring of the federal system we now operate. More so, the basic reasons and situations that have lead to the calls for disintegration should be addressed promptly by the government. This way, we will uphold the honour and glory of our nationhood.

Long Live South-Eastern Nigeria! Long Live the Federal Republic Of Nigeria! God bless Nigeria!

Disclaimer:

The opinions and views expressed in this write-up are entirely that of the Writer(s). They do not reflect the opinions and views of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or any of its employees. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of materials herein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or its employees concerning the legal status of any country, its authority, area or territory or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. Equally, the sketches, images, pictures and videos are obtained from the public domain

In the below short video clip is a vivid reminder of the Nigerian government program on Biafrans. NB: Viewers discretion is highly solicited.

UNAPOLOGETIC – WHAT NDIGBO WANT! “What do the Igbos want?”, – Buhari asked during his media chat By Professor Obi Nwakanma

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27.05.2023

Professor Obi Nwakanma (Poet, Journalist, Biographer and Literary Critic), University of Central Florida, USA

A must-read: In Biafra, in under three years, they were making their own rockets and calculating their distances; distilling their own oil and making aviation fuel, creating in their Chemical and Biological laboratories, new cures for diseases like Cholera, shaping their own spare parts, and turning the entire East into a vast workshop, as Ojukwu put it. At the end of the war, the Ukpabi Asika regime brought together these Biafran scientists and set up PRODA. The initiative led, in the first five years between 1970-1975 under the late Prof. Gordian Ezekwe and Mang Ndukwe, to designs of industrial machinery models and prototypes for the East Central State Industrial Masterplan, which remain undeveloped even today. The Murtala/Obasanjo regime took over PRODA in 1975 by decree, starved it of funds, and basically destroyed its aims.

Secondly, Federal government policies centralized all potential for innovation and entrepreneurship. Before 1983, states had their Ministries of Trade and Industry. These were charged with local business registration, trade, investment promotion, and so on. But today in Nigeria, if you wish to do any business, you’d have to go to Abuja (it used to be Lagos) to register under the Corporate Affairs Commission. It used to be that local business registration was state and municipal functions. The concentration of the leverage for trade utterly limited Igbo entrepreneurs, particularly in the era of import licensing, once your quota was exhausted, you could not do business. This affected the old Igbo money in Aba and Onitsha, who were the arrowheads of innovation and traditional partners in the advance of the Igbo industrial economy. It is remarkable that as of 1985, a least by a book published by the Oxford Economist Tom Forrest in 1980, The Advance of African Capital, the Igbo had the highest investment in machine tools industries in all of Africa, and the highest depth of investment in rural, cottage industries. In his prediction in 1980, if that rate of investment continued, according to Forrest in 1980, the Igbo part of Africa would accomplish an industrial revolution by 1987. Now, by 1983/85, Federal government policies helped to dismantle the growth of indigenous Igbo Industry through its targeted national economic policies. As I have said, there is a corollary between industrial development and innovation.

Thirdly, the severe, strategic staunching of huge capital in-flow into the East starved Igbo businesses and institutions of the capacity to utilize or even expand their capacities. There were no strategic Federal Capital projects in the East. There were no huge infrastructural investments in the East. The last major Federal government investment in Igbo land was the Niger Bridge which was commissioned in 1966. Any region starved of government funds experiences catatonic and attrition. Private capital is often not enough to create the kind of synergy necessary for innovation. Rather than invest in the East, from 1970 to date, the Federal government has strategically closed down every capacity for technological advancement in the East and stripped that region of its capacity.

By 1966, the Eastern Nigerian Gas masterplan had been completed under Okpara. But in its review of a Nigeria gas masterplan, the Federal government strategically circumvented the East. Oil and Gas are under Federal oversight. The Trans-Amadi to Aba Industrial Gas network/linkage had been completed in 1966, to pipe gas from Port-Harcourt to Aba. The Federal government let that go into abeyance and uprooted the already reticulated pipes. The East was denied access to energy with the destruction of the Power stations during the war.

The Mbakwe government sought to remedy this by embarking on two highly critical areas of investment necessary for industrial life: the 5 Zonal water projects, which were 75 completed by 1983, and set for commissioning in 1984, which was to supply clean water for domestic and industrial use to all parts of the old Imo state, and the Amaraku and Izombe Power stations, under the Imo Rural Electrification Project. These were the first ever massive independent power projects ever carried out by any state government in Nigeria which would have made a significant part of Igbo land energy independent today. The supply of daily electricity was possible in Imo as of 1984. The Amaraku station had come on stream, and the Izombe Gas station was underway when Buhari and his men struck.

The first order of business under the Buhari govt in January 1984, was to declare all that investment by Mbakwe “white elephant projects.” They were abandoned and left to decay.

Ground had already been acquired and cleared on the Umuahia-Okigwe road to commence work by the South Korean Auto firm, Hyundai, under a partnership with Imo for the Hyundai Assembly plant in Umuahia, to cater to a West African market. The first order of business under the Buhari government in January 1984, was to declare all that investment by Mbakwe “white elephant projects.” They were abandoned and left to decay. The equipment at the Amaraku power station was later sold in parts by Joe Aneke during Abacha’s government. Some of the industries like the Paint and Resins company and the Aluminium Extrusion plant in Inyishi were privatized, and sold. Projects like the massive Ezinachi Clay & Brickworks at Okigwe are at various stages of decay, as a memorial to all that effort.

Fourthly, you may not remember but Odumegwu Ojukwu founded and opened the first Nigerian University of Technology – the University of Technology Port-Harcourt in 1967, under the leadership of Prof. Kenneth Dike. He had also compelled Shell to establish the First Petroleum Technology Training Institute in Port-Harcourt in 1966. All these were dismantled. The PTI was taken from Port-Harcourt to Warri, while the University of Tech, P/H was reduced to a campus of UNN, until 1975, when it became Uniport. You will recall that for years, up till 1981, the only institutions of higher learning in Central Eastern Nigeria were the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, IMT Enugu and Alvan Ikoku College of Ed, in Owerri. There is no innovation without centres of strategic research.

Mbakwe and Jim Nwobodo changed all that in 1981, when they pushed through their various states’ Assembly, the bills establishing the old Anambra State Univ. of Tech (ASUTHECH), under the presidency of Kenneth Dike, and the IMOSU with its five campuses under the presidency of Prof MJC Echeruo. The master plan for these universities as epicentres of research and innovation in the East was effectively grounded with the second coming of the military in 1984, and the diminution of their mission through underfunding, etc. As I have said, I have given you the very short version. After a brief glimpse of light between 1979-83, Igbo land witnessed the highest form of attrition from 1983- to date, and the destruction of the efforts of its public leadership to restore it to its feet has been strategic.

Some have been intimidated, and the Igbo themselves have grown very cynical from that experience of deep alienation from Nigeria. I think you should be a little less cynical of Igbo attempts to re-situate themselves in the Nigerian federation: starved of funds, starved of investments, subjected to regulatory strictures from a powerful central government which sees the East in adversarial terms, and often threatened, the Igbo themselves grew cynical of it all. You may recall, the first move by the governors of the former Eastern Region to meet under the aegis of the old Eastern Region’s Governor’s Conference in 1999, was basically checkmated by Obasanjo who threatened them after they called for confederation in response to the Sharia issue in the North.

Their attempts to establish liaison offices in Enugu and create a regional partnership were considered very threatening by the federal government under Obasanjo, and not too long after, they abandoned that move, and that was it. If people cannot be allowed to organize for the good of their constituents, then it only means one thing: it is not in the interest of certain vested interests in Nigeria for a return of common ground in the Eastern part of Nigeria because establishing that kind of common ground threatens the balance of power. It is even immaterial if such a common ground leads to Nigeria’s ultimate benefit. There are people who just find the idea of a common, progressive partnership of the old Eastern Region threatening to their own long-term interests. This is precisely what is going on – its undercurrent. This of course cannot be permitted to go on forever. A generation arises which often says, “No! in Thunder.”

Igbo population is quite huge, and people who truly know understand that the Igbo constitute the single largest ethnic nation in Nigeria. Much has been made about how this so-called “small” Igbo land space could accommodate the vast Igbo population. But People also forget that Igbo land accommodated Igbo who fled from everywhere else in 1967. So, the question of whether Igbo land is large enough to contain the Igbo is a non-issue. In any case, Biafra is not only the land of the Igbo. It goes far beyond Igbo land. But even for the sake of building scenarios, we stick to Igbo land alone – the great Igbo cities of Enugu, Port-Harcourt, Owerri, Aba, Onitsha, Asaba, Abakaliki, Umuahia, Awka and Onitsha are yet to reach even 30% of their capacities.

New arteries can be built, and facilities expanded; there are innovative ways of moving populations through new transportation platforms -underneath, above, on the surface, and by waterways. The East of Nigeria has one of the most complex and connected, and largely disused systems of natural river waterways in the world. New, ecologically habitable towns can be expanded to form new cities from the Grade A Townships – Agbor, Obiaruku, Aboh, Oguta, Mgbidi, Orlu, Ihiala, Amawbia/Ekwuluobia, Elele/Ahoada, Owerrinta, Bonny, Asa, Arochukwu, Afikpo, Okigwe, and so on. The Igbo will be fine. The Japanese and the Dutch, for example, have proved that there are innovative ways of using constricted space. As for the economy: it is supply and demand. New economic policies will integrate the Igbo economy to the central West African and West African Markets. The Igbo will create a new vast export network, unhindered by idiotic economic and foreign policies. The re-activation of the PH port systems will for e.g. open the closed economic corridor once and for all to global trade. As anybody knows, it might take a fast train no more than 45 minutes to move goods from the Warri or Sapele ports to Aba and even in less time to Onitsha. As Diette Spiff once observed while playing golf at Oguta, all it would take to connect Warri and Oguta is just a long bridge, and the vast economic movement will commence between Warri and its traditional trading areas of Onitsha and the rest of the East.

The quantum of economic activity will see the growth of that corridor between Aba-Oguta- Obiaruku down to Warri as the crow flies. The impact of trade between the Calabar ports and Aba will explode. In fact, the old trading stations along the Qua-Iboe River (the Cross River) at Arochukwu, Afikpo, down to Oron and Mamfe in the Cameroons will explode and create new prosperity and new opportunities. I am giving the short version. So, the Igbo will be alright. They would simply be just able to define their own development strategies, deploy their highly trained manpower currently wasting unutilized, and the basis of its vast middle class will create new consumers, and generate an internal energy that will thrive on Igbo innovation, industry, and know-how, which Nigeria currently suppresses. This is exactly one very possible scenario.

So, Tanko Yakassi is wrong. Maybe if the Igbo leave Kano, the Emir will no longer need to buy his bulb from an Igbo trader in Kano. He will have to buy it either from a Hausa, a Fulani, a Lebanese, or some such person. But those will have to come to Igbo land to buy it first before selling to the Emir. There was a time when all of West Africa came to Onitsha or Aba to buy and trade because it was safe, and those cities were the largest market emporia in the continent. People came from as far away as the Congo to buy stuff in Aba and sell in the Congo. It could happen again, only this time on a vaster, more controlled scale. The network of Igbo global trade will not stop if they left Nigeria. In fact, they will have more access to an indigenous credit system that would expand that trade, currently unobtainable and unavailable today to them, because Nigeria makes it impossible for Igbo business to grow through all kinds of restrictions strategically imposed on it, including port restrictions.

However, although I do think that the Igbo would do quite well alone, they could do a lot better with Nigeria, if the conditions are right. This agitation is for the conditions to be made right; for Nigeria and its political and economic policies to stop being a wedge in Igbo aspirations. And Igbo aspiration is quite simple: to match the rest of the developed world inch by inch, and not to be held down by the Nigerian millstone of corruption, inefficiency, and inferiority. The Igbo think that control of their public policies on education, research and innovation, economic and monetary policies, and recruitment, control and deployment of its own workforce both in public and private sectors will give them the leverage they need to build a coherent and civilized society.

They point to the example of Biafra, where under three years, they were making their own rockets and calculating their distances; distilling their own oil and making aviation fuel, creating in their Chemical and Biological laboratories, new cures for diseases like Cholera, shaping their own spare parts, and turning the entire East into a vast workshop, as Ojukwu put it, while Nigeria was busy doing owambe, importing even toothpick, and creating new wartime millionaires from corrupt contracting systems by a powerful oligopoly. It is a fallacy driven by ignorance that Igbo will not thrive and that Igbo land will not accommodate the Igbo population if they leave. That is not true. There is no scientific basis for it.

The dynamics of human movement will take great care of all that. It’s a lame excuse. What people who wish for Nigeria to stay together should do is not make such puerile statements, because it is meaningless. What we should all do is find the strategic means of containing Igbo discontent by LISTENING to the Igbo, and seeking peaceful and productive ways of fully freeing their energy to instigate growth both of themselves and of Nigeria within Nigeria for everyone’s benefit. Threatening them will not work. It has never worked, and it is important to understand a bit of Igbo cultural psychology: the more you threaten him, the more the Igbo person digs in very stubbornly. Igbo, with a long tradition of diplomacy, thrive on consensus, not on threat of the use of force, or the like.

Frankly, those who continue to think that the Igbo have no options are yet to understand the complexity of this movement as we speak. They still look at the surface of events while the train is revving and about to leave the station. We need to work very carefully on this issue. I myself, I prefer Nigeria. I like the colour of many peoples and cultures. That in itself is the very condition for growth and regeneration. A single Igbo nation may be more prosperous but will be less interesting, and that is the more valid argument.

Professor Obi Nwakanma, (Poet, Journalist, Biographer and Literary Critic), penned this article in answer to the question, “What do the Igbos want?”

Disclaimer:

The opinions and views expressed in this write-up are entirely that of the Writer(s). They do not reflect the opinions and views of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or any of its employees. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of materials herein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or its employees concerning the legal status of any country, its authority, area or territory or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. Equally, the sketches, images, pictures and videos are obtained from the public domain

THE INAUGURATION OF MAY 29TH, PUTTING IT IN PROPER CONTEXT By Chris O. Maduka Esq.

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27.05.2023

President Joe Biden sends a Nine-member delegation to Tinubu's Inauguaration

Few opinions I have read captured my opinion on this prevailing issue of the international community especially the US position on this issue of stolen mandate and the coming inauguration. Two opinions from two former American officials capture the American idiosyncrasy and attitude in matters like this. One was the remarks of the former Secretary of states James Baker when he was reminded that one of the leaders they were dealing with was an evil and repressive dictator. The then Secretary of State retorted and said: Yea! He’s a son of the bitch, but he’s our son of the bitch. The second is the so-called political attaché to the US embassy in Nigeria in the early 90s – I’ve forgotten his name. Reacting to the issue of annulment of the June 12th elections and the emergence of Gen. Abacha, in his official residence as he was being sent forth at the end of his tour of duty, he said: I do not know what else they will do to the Nigerian people before they will rise up.

So many misread what the United States has said or done regarding the issue of the illegal declaration of Tinubu as the president-elect and the ongoing preparation for his inauguration on May 29th 2023. What so many seem not to understand is that, as long as there are no official sanctions against Nigeria or the leadership as we speak, the American official and basic diplomatic formalities towards Nigeria will continue to flourish regardless of what may be the true realities as witnessed in this past presidential elections that INEC declared Tinubu the winner. The truth is that the US and other nations’ intelligence communities perhaps have a deeper knowledge of what transpired in the last elections in Nigeria. They knew it was a sham. More like a charade and state capture. They will express their disgust privately but must follow the official position of their policy until when such compelling reasons will cause them to alter such pre-existing standing policy – we have not seen such compelling reasons from those their mandate was stolen through what’s essentially a civilian coup.

They clearly understand that what happened in Nigeria is simply unprecedented. Like a good Judge who will never, regardless of how he feels about the circumstances of your case will never suddenly become your solicitor or advocate in that case before him or her. The Judge will remain focused as a judge, but can only pray and wish that whoever you hire as a lawyer can raise such issues and the legal precedents and authority he could stand on to unleash opinion and judgement that will now truly convey how he or she as the judge had actually felt about the matter before his or honourable court. This has not happened in this case. In this situation before us, it is on what the Nigerian people started here, the level of opposition and rejection of this open heist and state capture by the Lebanese global criminals like Gilbert Chagoury, the man standing behind Tinubu and his cohorts attempt to hijack Nigeria and deliver to them while Nigerians are either dwelling in ambivalence or are simply scheming around to be invited to the dinner table, even if only to pick the crumbs from under the table. This is what’s playing out as it is today.

It is the level of our rejection of this which will reach a considerable critical mass before the global official position will shift. As a good Judge, it is only then that we shall hear their true opinion and judgement on all that has transpired. So it is Nigerians that will make the case for the situation Nigerians find themselves in today. But it seems that even the educated have such unreasonable expectations of others. It is like expecting from others what you are not willing to give to yourself and that ain’t going to happen. Nigerians must carry their own cross for liberation and freedom, and there’s no better time as PMB the last member of the axis of evil that has held Nigeria in a chokehold is facing the inevitable sunset on his career and life. As a matter of fact, the US authorities in what appears as straddling their position, they’ve been doing a lot of balancing act in this situation. While some official reports condemned the process and the outcome of the elections, even as far as proposing a Visa ban on the arrowheads of election malpractices that produced the same leader they congratulated- more like a contradiction but in reality a deliberate strategy of reserving the right to play either way it goes. After all the US authorities are reputable to make deals with devils to remain relevant and protect their strategic interest as the case may be.

The Biden Administration through Antony Blankin engaged the INEC declared winner Tinubu in a phone conversation and they also proceeded to put together what in my opinion as well, was one of the lowest level of American officials for the inauguration of President of the most populous black nation on earth as well as African economic giant and a net supplier of global energy. The calibre of the team sent by the Biden administration is the clearest indication of their shallow opinion of the incoming administration – if you know you know.

In fact, if all things are equal, this will be considered a slap in the face of this Country. But trust the desperate APC team. They have like the proverbial ant that went around boasting that the gift of yams it received from the grandparents is as huge as its legs. But then as it turned out the ant’s legs are nothing to write home about.

And for the US delegation to Nigeria for the May 29th Inauguration? It speaks bundle for those who understand. It is way less than impressive as many are hyping it up to be. Compare this to the level of officials that grace this kind of inauguration for just ordinary Ghana or in the past, before this controversial one. In fact, under normal circumstances, this is an insult to such a strategic and important Country in the global circle. But that goes to show how short we’ve sold ourselves and how low we are rated.

By Chris O. Maduka Esq.

Disclaimer:

The opinions and views expressed in this write-up are entirely that of the Writer(s). They do not reflect the opinions and views of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or any of its employees. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of materials herein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or its employees concerning the legal status of any country, its authority, area or territory or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. Equally, the sketches, images, pictures and videos are obtained from the public domain

Images of the nine-member delegation sent by President Biden for Tinubu’s Inauguration

PETER OBI – THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER! ELECTION TRIBUNAL – WE NEED A DANIEL THAN A THOUSAND SENIOR ADVOCATES OF NIGERIA By Barrister Ajibola Ekor Ubi

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27.05.2023

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Mr Peter Obi, LP Presidential Candidate in the Fraudulent 2023 Elections

I could hear someone saying, ‘No Barrister, don’t be pessimistic.’ Hear me out. It’s only one who has lost touch with this country in the last thirty years or even more than that will go to sleep over our petition in the court. Yeah, by law, we have a prima facie case and by the facts of the case, we can also say, ipsa loquitur. But the truth is that the case is beyond the interpretation of the law and the validation of facts. The case is against a SYSTEM, an unconscionable diabolical system. We are up against the system that makes the law, interprets the law, and enforces the law.

In this regard, we witnessed how a man who didn’t contest the election, was returned elected, and another man who came third in an election was declared the winner! I am talking about law and a system. As to the facts of the case, it’s the same system that supplies the facts. Of course, what did INEC do when we requested the facts? They refused and began to misconfigure the BVAS so as to distort the facts.

My people you know what? This is the system we are contending with:

1. We are contending with Oil moguls. These are people who own oil blocks and sponsor most of the politicians. They understand that their rape of the economy of Nigeria will end if Peter Obi wins. They are ready to spend dollars to ensure he doesn’t get it. They are our unlisted respondents.

2. We are contending against a cartel of oil bunkers and thieves. Have you forgotten it was Peter Obi that exposed the government as being behind the oil theft? He told the world how the conspiracy and collusion of international partners, security personnel, government officials, and oil companies are responsible for the theft. And you think he would be allowed to come and stop the theft? Think about it.

3. We are up against systemic corruption. Are you aware that both the public and civil services are incurably corrupt? Are you aware that civil servants own estates within and outside the country? And you think that they will allow Obi to come and overhaul, and revamp the public and civil services and block their avenues of corruption? They are unmentioned parties to the case.

4. We are contending against a class of people who have enriched themselves with the people’s wealth. These people are not secured outside the corridors of power. They will only enjoy their ill-gotten wealth to remain in power and use state apparatus to protect themselves. Obi will hunt them if they are removed, so they’re involved in the battle. This is the system I am talking about.

5. We are contending against vested International interests. There are countries that will lose their ‘Milk’ from this Cow called Nigeria if Peter Obi takes over power. So, they will cue behind the status quo maintenance side. Do you think a country like Britain will permit the radical change Peter Obi is passionate to bring to success? What has been their posture since the election results were announced? It’s a message to us. They wouldn’t want to lose their interest.

6. We are up against a compromised judiciary which has found politicians as bedfellows. Their justices are in a dollar acquisition race with politicians so how can they shoot themselves in the legs? So, it’s not about a good case, it’s about a system.

7. We are wrestling against an ideology of dominance and oppression. There are people in the system who conceive that power and rulership are a BIRTHRIGHT. And they are only willing to share it with people who will not disrupt their ideology. We are in conflict with a system that favours a CERTAIN REGION against others and believes others must perpetually be subjected to their whims and caprices. We are not fighting APC, Tinubu, and INEC per se at the tribunal, we are fighting a four-legged satanically inspired and empowered system.

Consequently, hiring a thousand sound SANs cannot turn the pendulum of an anti-clockwise justice system in the people’s favour. It’s only Daniel that can do that. We need a PRAYING DANIEL, who will contend with the Principalities behind this Hellish System and bring God’s hands down on the matter. God says, “I sought for a man among them who will stand in the gap…” JUST ONE MAN LIKE DANIEL. The Nigeria matter is not just a physical one. It’s more SPIRITUAL THAN PHYSICAL. We desperately need a Daniel in prosecuting this case than all the legal luminaries of our time.

By Barr. Ajibola Ekor Ubi, Legal Adviser, Labour Party, Kuje. Tel: +2348066226032, Email: ajibolaubi@gmail.com

Disclaimer:

The opinions and views expressed in this write-up are entirely that of the Writer(s). They do not reflect the opinions and views of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or any of its employees. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of materials herein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or its employees concerning the legal status of any country, its authority, area or territory or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. Equally, the sketches, images, pictures and videos are obtained from the public domain

Open Letter to President Joe Biden. White House Endorsement of Tinubu, A Parlous Idea By Robert Nwadiaru

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27.05.2023

Dear Mr. President,

Last week, global social media was awash with a message that American Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, made a secret telephone call to Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Party, APC, Nigeria. It was claimed in the post that Secretary Blinken pledged that the US government would work closely with the government of Tinubu. To confirm the phone call speculation between Antony Blinken and Ahmed Tinubu, President Joe Biden this week named a nine-member delegation team to Abuja for the inauguration of Tinubu’s government. This endorsement of Ahmed Tinubu’s illegitimate government by the White House has shocked the world. For now, the United States of America is the global leader. There is no second. Whoever it endorses as a leader of a country automatically gains legitimacy and is accepted by the entire world.

Nigeria had a presidential election on February 25, 2023. The result of the election was controversial and inconclusive. The presidential candidate of APC was a controversial candidate. He described the tenure after President Muhammadu Buhari as his turn, claiming that he made Buhari president of Nigeria and now, it was his turn to be president. This unpatriotic and undemocratic statement agitated even his close aides. By this unwholesome statement, he declared the type of campaign he would run and the result he was definitely expecting.

He is a man who lacks interest in anything that money cannot buy. He does not believe in transparency and accountability. First, he was able to bribe his hitherto harshest critics. And they started singing his praises. Again, he bought the low and mighty in the country even academics. They in turn became his sycophants. He bribed and bought the trade unions. They joined the multitudes of his praise singers. He planted his surrogates in the national electoral body. When this was complete, he faced the chairman of the organization and caged his conscience. He bribed him, silenced him, and dictated to him what to do. And it happened.

The result of the election was announced at 4 a.m. Nigerian time. This has never happened in the Nigerian political history. Since he secretly controlled the national electoral commission, the agency manipulated everything about the election. There was late arrival of the election officers in areas where opposition parties were stronger than his party, APC. The results were not uploaded into the central command system contrary to the federal electoral law. His thugs and armed robbers were all over the place. They intimidated voters and snatched ballot boxes. Some voters were physically brutalized. National security forces did not help matters. They were bought over by him and they carried out his undemocratic instructions.

It is unfair for any world leader to endorse Tinubu and his APC victory. Unless the person does not like Nigeria. This is the party that has ruined Nigeria for the past 8 years. It is the party that ranked the country the third most terrorized country in the world. In the last international media report, April 2023, 63,111 had been murdered in Nigeria for the past eight years. This number excludes those killed from the middle of April to the middle of May 2023. The figure is still counting. There are some areas where the terrorists kill people and sack communities on a weekly basis. This happens because the federal government of APC is complicit in the obnoxious act.

The man, Ahmed Tinubu, is so fraudulent that when he was criticized for running a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in a country that has diverse cultures and religions, he rented some scoundrels and bought liturgical vestments for bishops and priests and made them dress like those clerics. When accused of this dishonesty, he refused to apologize because he did it to justify his one-religion presidential ticket in a pluralistic country. Mr President, association with this man could stain a Democrat who had worked hard to achieve the title. The international media was full of negative captions when he was surreptitiously declared the winner of the election.

He has nothing to contribute to the upliftment of Nigeria since he lacks the skills. He has spent so much money to get domestic and international support. If he gets into office, he is going to recover the huge amount of money that he had spent. The country will pay the painful price. He is not going to fight crime and corruption since everybody knows that his accession to power was fraudulent and he had in the past worked with notorious criminals. He has already activated some of their cells. Right now, their leaders are going around threatening to deal with anybody who disagrees with them. Nigeria deserves better and should not be treated as a country of brigands.

Moreover, his Vice, Kashim Shettima, was one of the earliest sponsors of Boko Haram. He is still unrepentant. He is going to be worse than President Buhari if the leadership of the country mistakenly falls into his hands. Mr President, Tinubu’s government will escalate insecurity in Nigeria instead of de-escalating it. The result will be mass migration and the United States of America will be the first port of call. Nigeria has not less than 250 million people. Please as the leader of the free world, rise and see that the right thing is done. The petitions against the election are still in the tribunal. Even if he is sworn in on Monday, May 29, 2023, the anomaly could still be corrected.

With warmest regards.

By Robert Nwadiaru. May 26, 2023.

Disclaimer:

The opinions and views expressed in this write-up are entirely that of the Writer(s). They do not reflect the opinions and views of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or any of its employees. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of materials herein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or its employees concerning the legal status of any country, its authority, area or territory or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. Equally, the sketches, images, pictures and videos are obtained from the public domain

A Thought Provoking as well as Mind Blowing Article By Femi Adesina (current spokesperson to President Buhari)

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26.05.2023

Femi Adesina (current spokesperson to President Buhari)

Let’s call back our memory to the below article written on March 2nd, 2012 by Femi Adesina the current Spokesperson to President Buhari soon after the demise of Dim Ikemba Odumegwu Ojukwu.

MY QUESTION IS, CAN HE (FEMI) STILL BOLDLY WRITE THE SAME ARTICLE NOW OR ADVISE HIS PRINCIPAL ON WHAT HE WROTE?

You see, most of these people know what the truth is but will rather look the other way when they start eating. In the end, it will remain a merry-go-round of following my words and not my footsteps. We are just postponing Doom’s Day. If we do not do the needful now, doomsday will remain inevitable.” Please read on:

THE ABURI ACCORD THAT WOULD HAVE SAVED NIGERIA FROM ALL HER PROBLEMS…( but aborted by the Fulani Oligarchy with the acquiescence and or connivance of Yakubu Gowon) By FEMI ADESINA (current spokesperson to President Buhari). In December 2009, I was at Aburi, while holidaying in Ghana. We Nigerians call it A-b-u-r-i, but Ghanaians pronounce it as E-b-r-i. For those who have read widely about the civil war that we fought between 1967 and 1970, Aburi is a significant place. This was what I wrote about Aburi, after returning from that journey:

“Aburi. Beautiful, serene Aburi, set daintily atop a hill. It is home to a botanical garden that is 119 years old. But for Nigeria, Aburi goes beyond just nature and its preservation.

It is the town where General Yakubu Gowon and Odumegwu Ojukwu met, to try and avert the Nigerian Civil War that lasted between 1967 and 1970. They came out with Aburi Accord, which later broke down. And a shooting war started. You could see the Presidential Lodge on a hill, where the Nigerian leaders had parleyed at the behest of Ghanaian leaders. It all ended in futility.” As one of the key parties to the Aburi Accord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu returns to mother earth today, it is also apposite to return to Aburi, and look at the letter and the spirit of the accord once again, an agreement that was violated by the Federal side, and which made a bloody internecine war inevitable. For the most part of 1966, the northern part of Nigeria, particularly, had been turned into killing fields. Non-natives, especially Igbos, were killed in thousands. Many fled, and many others were displaced.

There was complete anarchy in the land. The average Igbo looked up to Lt. Col Odumegwu Ojukwu, military governor of the Eastern Region, to provide leadership and direction. He did not fail. He picked the gauntlet and championed the cause of his people. By January 1967, the drums of war were loud and clear, reverberating across the length and breadth of Nigeria. But there was a last-ditch effort to prevent what was imminent. A peace meeting was hosted at Aburi, in Ghana, by the then Ghanaian head of state, Gen J. A. Ankrah. At the meeting were Gowon, Ojukwu, all the military governors of the regions, and some top civil servants, both from the Federal side and the Eastern region. The meeting was held on January 4 and 5, 1967, and came out with what is popularly known today as the Aburi Accord.

The agenda of the meeting consisted of three crucial issues:

(i) Reorganization of the Armed Forces

(ii) Constitutional agreement

(iii) Issues of displaced persons within Nigeria.

The two-day meeting reached a consensus that was acceptable to both sides. Among others, it was resolved that the legislative and executive authority of the Federal Military Government was to remain in the Supreme Military Council (SMC), to which any decision affecting the whole country shall be referred for determination provided it is possible for a meeting to be held. The matter requiring determination must be referred to military governors for their comment and concurrence. What does this mean in simple language? The SMC would run the affairs of the country, but not without consulting the regions as represented by the military governors. This was something akin to federalism, even under a military government.

Other terms of the agreement include that appointments to senior ranks in the police, diplomatic and consular services as well as appointments to superscale posts in the federal civil service and the equivalent posts in the statutory corporations must be approved by the SMC. What does this mean again in simple language? Equity, fairness, true federalism.

Other matters like the holding of an ad hoc constitutional conference, the fate of soldiers involved in the January 15, 1966 coup, rehabilitation of displaced persons, etc, were also amicably resolved, and the conferees returned happily to Nigeria. Only for the Federal side to deliver a blow to the solar plexus: the Aburi Accord, Gowon said, was unworkable, and he reneged on all the agreements.

Using the Eastern Nigerian Broadcasting Service, Ojukwu played the tape recording of the proceedings at Aburi repeatedly, to educate the populace on who was playing Judas. Later, he made a broadcast in which he said: “We in the East are anxious to see that our differences are resolved by peaceful means and that Nigeria is preserved as a unit, but it is doubtful, and the world must judge whether Lt. Col Gowon’s attitudes and other exhibitions of his insincerity are something which can lead to a return of normalcy and confidence in the country. “I must warn all Easterners once again to remain vigilant. The East will never be intimidated, nor will she acquiesce to any form of dictation. It is not our intention to play the aggressor. Nonetheless, it is not our intention to be slaughtered in our beds. We are ready to defend our homeland.”

In a piece I did last December, shortly after Ojukwu passed away, I said he was virtually pushed into war by the infidelity of the Federal side to the Aburi Accord. I still stand by that position. Ojukwu was called a ‘warlord’ for many decades, but he was not a warmonger. He only did what he needed to do for his people–and for the country.

As his earthly remains are interred today, it is tragic that Nigeria is still submerged in the morass that Ojukwu already identified about 45 years ago. Today, bombs go off like firecrackers in the country. There is agitation for the review of the revenue allocation formula. There are strident calls for the convocation of a sovereign national conference. Even some component parts threaten to pull out of the federation if anything happens to their ‘son’ who is now in power. Didn’t Ojukwu warn of these landmines ahead? Were all these issues not already settled at Aburi?

Foremost journalist and media administrator, Akogun Tola Adeniyi, in a recent media interview, explained the Aburi Accord this way: “Let every region be semi-autonomous and develop at its own level.” Yes, that was the spirit and letter of Aburi, but it sadly became a road not taken. And is that not why we are still suffering today, living in a rickety and decrepit country that can burst at the seams any moment? I tell you, Ojukwu was a prophet, and like most prophets, he had no honour in his own country. Pity. But whether we like it or not, there’s no way we won’t return to Aburi. Willy-nilly. I only hope it will be sooner than later before Nigeria goes to grief. On Aburi I stand. Federal Government was perfidious and duplicitous on Aburi. It is still the same way today. That is why as Nigerians, we are most times disillusioned, dismayed, dispirited, dejected and depressed. When will change come to this land? Our hearts are getting weary.

Last December, I wrote that Ojukwu should be buried like a hero. I’m glad at the rites of passage so far, culminating in the interment today. Yes, bury him like a true hero. An icon, an avatar, deserves no less. This generation will surely not see another like Ojukwu. He fought not only for his own people but for a true federation founded on justice, fair play, equity and rectitude. Unfortunately, he did not see the Nigeria of his dreams. Will we? Adieu the Ikemba, the Eze Igbo Gburugburu. May your soul rest in peace. Ka nkpur’obi gi zue ike n’adukwa.

By Femi Adesina, Friday, March 02, 2012

Disclaimer:

The opinions and views expressed in this write-up are entirely that of the Writer(s). They do not reflect the opinions and views of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or any of its employees. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of materials herein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or its employees concerning the legal status of any country, its authority, area or territory or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. Equally, the sketches, images, pictures and videos are obtained from the public domain

A History of Nigeria: The 1967 Aburi Accord!

NADECO: DON’T INAUGURATE TINUBU/SHETIMA UNTIL ELECTION DISPUTES ARE RESOLVED BY MICHAEL OLUGBODE

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25.05.2023

Some members of the NADECO USA Association headed by the Executive Director Mr. Lloyd Ukwu in a Meeting

As the inauguration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima draw closer, more opposition has continued to mount to it with the recent one coming from the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) United States of America (USA). The association insisted that no swearing-in should be held for the declared victors until all legal battles are settled from the presidential election tribunal, through Supreme Court, and up to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Union (AU) and United Nations legal institutions.

Both Tinubu and Shettima of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission as president-elect and vice president-elect after the February 25 election. However, that declaration is being challenged by both Abubakar Atiku (Peoples Democratic Party) and Peter Obi (Labour Party). Atiku and Obi are not alone in the call for the election result to be upturned as several other Nigerians have as for the inauguration scheduled for May 29, which preparation is in top gear to be cancelled.

Adding to the voice is the NADECO USA which came out with a communique titled: “The Washington Declaration” that was issued at an international conference with the theme: “Nigeria at the Crossroads: 2023 Elections, Issues and Solutions on Nigeria.”

The communiqué, which copy was made available to THISDAY yesterday claimed that the International Conference on Nigeria benefitted from poignant and incisive speeches by many NADECO founding members, and other well-meaning and respected Nigerians from around the world, with several other US friends and allies of the organisation with long-standing ties to Nigeria and a passion for the growth of democracy in Nigeria in attendance.

The communique read: “Following extensive consultations with varied stakeholders including delegates from the UK, Canada, Nigeria, and the US at the recent NADECO USA Extraordinary Summit in Washington DC, NADECO makes the following recommendations on behalf of itself and its supporters among the Nigerian people, that: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) brazenly violated the Electoral Act of 2022, violated its own guidelines, and lied to the Nigerian people when it promised on national television that it must transmit the election results from the polling units to the servers in real-time but failed to do so.”

The association, therefore, called on “the Federal Government of Nigeria to immediately remove the present Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu. “NADECO further calls on the arrest and prosecution of the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu and all the INEC officials found to have participated in the fraudulent elections.” The association while stating that: “The Nigerian people seem to have lost faith in the Supreme Court of Nigeria for many obvious reasons,” asked that the apex court and the Election Tribunals must expeditiously and transparently consider election challenges, and in the case of the Presidency, if no final determination is reached on the results of the February 2023 election before the scheduled May 29, 2023 inauguration, then the Constitution must be followed, which provides for the Senate President to be installed as the acting President for three months to chart a legal transition of power in Nigeria.

The association said: “To achieve these objectives our legal panel recommended further that: Parties in the petition request and the court grant a writ of mandamus order requiring INEC to review all parties’ objections and reevaluate the election results within seven days as authorized by law which INEC failed to do, and “That the tribunal’s proceedings be broadcast live given the global interest, import, and importance of the elections. They warned: “That the Nigerian Supreme Court, the Nigerian Government, and all of its security agencies including DSS, refrain from hastily swearing in or facilitating the swearing-in of any of the 2023 Presidential Candidates until their exhaustion of all available remedies, including any appeals to a Sub-Regional, Regional, and\ or applicable international entities. These include the ECOWAS, AU and UN entities.

“Alternatively, given the widespread discontent and rejection of the electoral process by Nigerians at home and abroad, the Nigeria Supreme Court is urged to rely on the “political question doctrine” to restrain itself from the polarizing nature of its decision regarding the 2023 Presidential Elections, and order INEC to conduct a fresh election which complies with the requirement of the Nigerian Constitution, the 2022 Electoral Act as amended, and INEC’s own guidelines.” The association added that as part of its order, the Supreme Court may include provisions for the proper assistance to INEC, including from competent foreign agencies and the Nigerian Bar Association, so as to guarantee free and fair elections.

The association lamented that Nigerians have gotten increasingly confused by the Biden administration’s policies toward the people of Nigeria, insisting that the Biden administration continues to send conflicting and confusing signals to the Nigerian people such as the removal of Nigeria from the list of countries carrying out religious persecution, noting that the “facts are too glaring for anyone not to see the high-level state-sponsored religious persecution and oppression taking place in Nigeria yet the Biden administration has decided to keep a blind eye.”

The United States Government is advised to: “Withhold any recognition of an incoming Nigerian government until the Supreme Court has thoroughly and transparently examined the 2023 election process and ruled definitively on the results of the 2023 elections in the same manner as the U.S. Government did with the 2022 elections in Kenya; “Utilize all credible evidence to impose Magnitsky Act sanctions at the earliest possible time frame to punish all those found to have impeded or subverted the 2023 election process exercising all available sanctions on such individuals; “Utilise Gen. Abacha loot currently in asset forfeiture proceedings in US District Court to compensate victims of election violence in Nigeria, and

“Disclose and release all available records pertaining to the APC presidential candidate which are now an issue in the election petitions, to the courts for adjudication.”

Using the embedded link below, watch as Nigerian Labour Party Spokesperson and Civil Rights Activists Barrister Dele Farotimi Speaks at the NADECO USA Conference 2023 in a bare it all session nicknamed the “The Washington Declaration”: https://youtu.be/i9ay94jX-bQ.

Also embedded in pictures are some members of the NADECO USA Association headed by the Executive Director Mr. Lloyd Ukwu.

Disclaimer:

The opinions and views expressed in this write-up are entirely that of the Writer(s). They do not reflect the opinions and views of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or any of its employees. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of materials herein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or its employees concerning the legal status of any country, its authority, area or territory or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. Equally, the sketches, images, pictures and videos are obtained from the public domain

A member of the NADECO USA Association addressing the audience.

Nigerian Labour Party Spokesperson and Civil Rights Activist Barrister Dele Farotimi Speaks at the NADECO USA Conference 2023 in a bare it all session nicknamed the “The Washington Declaration”.

FCT-ABUJA Is The 37th State [By Supreme Court] – By Baba-Panya Musa

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25.05.2023

The Federal Capital territory of Nigeria - FCT - Abuja, Nigeria's Eternal Symbol of Unity

‘What is the status of FCT-Abuja?’ has been a lingering and somewhat bedevilling question over the years. Perhaps even going back to 1976 when Federal Capital Territory-Abuja (FCT-Abuja) was established by Decree No.6 of 4th February, now Cap. 503 LFN, 2004. Why even the question in the first place, one may want to ask. The answer is simple. It is found and caused by two ordinary words of; “…as if….”. The word ‘if’ has always been a big word. Its’ use orally or written always conjectures ‘uncertainty’ or worse, the complete ‘unknown’. ‘If’ is shadowy. It speaks only to ‘near reality’ and never real. It puts things in the grey zone. Never white or black. It is bad enough to use it alone, how much more when you add another word to it. A word like, ‘..as…’. And so there you have it. ‘…as if…’

“As if…” is even worse. It leaves things to the only possibility of being so or not so. I can go on and on but I believe the message and clarity of the begging question is well understood. Now what is it all about and how did it all come about? Well, that is not for conjecture as would be seen anon. By virtue of Section 1 of Decree No.6 1976 (now Cap.503), the over 9,000= sq. km of the area and constituent that is FCT-Abuja was carved out of the former States of Niger, Plateau (now Nasarawa) and Kwara (now Kogi). Effective 4th February 1976 FCT-Abuja ceased to belong or be part of the said former States and assumed a new status and become the seat of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The return to democratic governance on October 1st 1979 ushered in a new constitution. Section 2(a) of the said Constitution (now 1999 Constitution -CFRN) states Nigeria to be a Federation consisting of States and a Federal Capital Territory. Subsection 4 further defines FCT to also be Abuja to which the provisions of Chapter VIII Part 1 apply. The said Cap consists of Sections 297 to 304. With respect to the res under reference, I will concentrate on Section 299. Section 297(1) defines the boundaries of FCT-Abuja. Subsection (2) states the ownership of all lands in FCT-Abuja shall vest in the Government of the Federation. Section 298 on its part states FCT-Abuja to be the Capital of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the seat of the Government of the Federation. Section 299 is the source of the res under discourse and thus becomes necessary to reproduce verbatim its provisions as follows:-

Section 299 Application of Constitution. The provisions of this Constitution shall apply to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja as if it were one of the States of the Federation; and accordingly- all the legislative powers, the executive powers and the judicial powers vested in the House of Assembly, the Governor of a State shall, respectively, vest in the National Assembly, the President of the Federation and in the courts which by virtue of the foregoing provisions are courts established for the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; all the powers referred to in paragraph (a) of this section shall be exercised in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution; and the provisions of this Constitution pertaining to the matters aforesaid shall be read with such modifications and adaptations as may be reasonably necessary to bring them into conformity with the provisions of this section.

It has earlier been noted that the phrase; ‘…as if…’ creates a definition or meaning grey zone. It leaves matters only for conjecture or possibility as against reality and truth. However as shadowy as it is, it remains no longer a mystery or grey or conjecture. The phrase or words has been x-rayed, and a definitive interpretation given. Not once but on three occasions. The more recent searchlight was by the Apex Court itself. It all began with the first exposition of Section 299 and it is said the nebulous phrase of ‘…as if…’ was undertaken in a seemingly ordinary civil case filed at the FCT-Abuja High Court in May 2001. The case; OKOYADE vs. FCDA pertained to a simple case of contractual debt which however turned out to be a life-wire issue. As it were, the case was instituted in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Locus Classicus of NEPA vs. ENDEGERO (2002) LPELR-1957(SC) which expounded the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court. This is to say the ‘exclusive jurisdiction’ provided by Section 251 -1999 CFRN in respect of cases where the Federal Government or any of its agencies is a party. Now because FCDA was sued in the FCT-High Court, the question thus became ‘whether the FCT-High Court was forum competent to entertain the suit in which FCDA as contended by the said party was ‘an agency’ of the Federal Government. The Honorable Trial Judge suo moto felt that the said Supreme Court decision (NEPA vs. ENDEGERO) had occasioned a; ‘substantial issue of law’ warranting a ‘case stated’ to the Court of Appeal for interpretation as per Section 295(1-2) CFRN.

Expectedly, at the Court of Appeal (Abuja Division) a ‘Full Court’ (5 Justices) was empanelled, coram; Hon Justices; (Raphael O. Rowland JCA, Olufunlola O. Adekeye JCA (as then was), Amina A. Augie JCA (as then was), Stanley S. Aloaga JCA (as then was) and Tijjani Abdullahi JCA). There were two main ratios pertaining to the ‘status of FCT-Abuja in law’. For the benefit of doubt, the ratios are as follows: Whether the Federal Capital Territory is a “State” by virtue of the provisions of Section 299 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, the court declared thus;

It seems to me that the first question in this matter that one should ask is whether the Federal Capital Territory is a “State” by virtue of the provisions of Section 299 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999. Section 299 provides thus – “The provisions of this Constitution shall apply to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja as if it were one of the States of the Federation and accordingly- (a) all the legislative powers, the executive powers and the judicial powers vested in the House of Assembly, the Governor of a State and in the Courts of a State shall, respectively, vest in the National Assembly, the President of the Federation and in the Courts which by virtue of the foregoing provisions are Courts established for the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; (b) all the powers referred to in Paragraph (a) of this Section shall be exercised in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution, and ??? (c) the provisions of this Constitution pertaining to the matter aforesaid shall be read with such modification and adoptions as may be reasonably necessary to bring them into conformity with the provisions of this Section.” The above provision of the Constitution to my mind is very clear and unambiguous. It is trite that where a provision of a statute is clear and unambiguous, only its natural meaning is to be given to its interpretation. See A-G., Abia State v. A-G., Federation (2002) 17 WRN 1; (2002) 6 NWLR (Pt. 763) 264 at 485 – 486, Texaco Panama Inc. v. Shell P.D.C.N. Ltd. (2002) 14 WRN 121; (2002) 5 NWLR (Pt. 759) 209 at 227 – 228, Tasha v. U.B.N. Plc. (2003) 36 WRN 64; (2002) 3 NWLR (Pt. 753) page 99 at 106, O.A.U. Ile-Ife v. R. A. Oliyide and Sons Ltd. (2001) 7 NWLR (Pt. 712) page 456 at 473, Akpan v. Umali (2002) 23 WRN 52; (2002) 7 NWLR (Pt. 767) page 701 at 729.

It is therefore doubtless clear that by virtue of Section 299 of the Constitution of the Federation, the Federal Capital Territory is in law a State. In other’s words, the Federal Capital Territory should be treated as one of the States in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It follows therefore that bodies like the Federal Capital Development Authority are to be regarded as an agency of “a State” independent of the Federal Government. It would appear that the only relationship existing between the Federal Government and the Federal Capital Territory is that its executive and legislative powers and duties are exercised for it by the President through the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and the National Assembly respectively. From the provision of Section 299(a), where the President through the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Acts, does so as a Governor of a State, so also where the National Assembly legislates for Abuja it does so as a State House of Assembly. See Fawehinmi v. Babangida (2003) 12 WRN 1; (2003) 3 NWLR (Pt. 808) page 604 where the Supreme Court endorsed the status of Federal Capital Territory as a “State” of the Federation. On page 677 the Supreme Court per Onu, JSC held as follows – “Returning to the case in hand, the power to make a law under the 1999 Constitution for the establishment of a Tribunal of Inquiry is now a residual power, which only the States can exercise. The National Assembly can only pass such a law in regard to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Thus, while the Commission of Inquiry Act Cap, 447 is an existing law, it has no general application to Nigeria. It is only applicable to the Federal Capital Territory a law deemed enacted by each House of Assembly for the respective States.” I hold the strong view that the intendment and general purpose of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria particularly its Section 299 is that the Federal Capital Territory should be a separate administrative unit distinct from the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is the position in reality. For example, the Abuja Environmental Protection Board is an agency created for the development, enhancement and beautification of the Abuja environment while the Federal Government has a similar agency called the Federal Environmental Protection Board. Section 5(e) of the Abuja Environmental Protection Agency Decree No. 10 of 1997 provides as one of the objectives of the board to “co-operate with the – Federal Environmental Protection Agency and such other States, Environmental Protection Agencies to achieve effective prevention or abatement of transboundary movement of wastes.” It seems to me that the above provision further confirms the status of Abuja as a separate administrative unit distinct from the Government of the Federation. I consider Section 301 of the 1999 Constitution to be very germane to the subject matter. Section 301 reads- “Without prejudice to the generality of the provisions of Section 299 of this Constitution in its application to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, this Constitution shall be construed as if – (a) references to the Governor, Deputy Governor and the Executive Council of a State (howsoever called) were references to the President, Vice President and the Executive Council of the Federation (howsoever called) respectively; (b) references to the Chief Judge and Judges of the High Court of a State were references to the Chief Judge and Judges of the High Court, which is established for the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja by the provisions of this Constitution???” From the above provisions of Section 301 of the 1999 Constitution, it is my view that all institutions created for the Federal Capital Territory only carry the appellation “federal” while in the real sense, they are State agencies because they are institutions meant for the Federal Capital Territory as a State. I must say it loud and clear again that from the provisions of Section 299 of the Constitution, one should not be left in doubt: (i) That the provision of the Constitution shall apply to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja as if it were one of the States of the Federation. (ii) All legislative powers, executive powers and judicial powers vested in the House of Assembly, the Governor of a State and in the Courts of a State shall respectively vest in the National Assembly, the President of the Federation and the Courts established under the Federal Capital Territory. From the foregoing provision of Section 299(a) of the Constitution, if the legislative powers to make laws for the Federal Capital Territory lies in the National Assembly, the executive powers lie in the President, then the judicial power to interpret and adjudicate on matters relating to federal matters also lies in the Federal Capital Territory High Court. Therefore, I hold the strong view that the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has jurisdiction to entertain suit of two dimensions: ??? (a) Suits in which agencies of the Federal Government are not parties – Section 257(1) and Section 259(1) of the Constitution. (b) Suits in which agents of the Federal Government are parties and agencies of the Federal Capital Territory. –Per RAPHAEL OLUFEMI ROWLAND, JCA (Pp. 7-13, para. A-A)-underline added. As to the interpretation of Section 299 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) with respect to the status of the Federal Capital Territory as a separate administrative unit distinct from the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria the court held as follows;

Section 299 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 provides thus:- “299 (1) the provisions of this Constitution shall apply to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja as if it were one of the States of the Federation and accordingly: (a) all the legislative powers, the executive powers vested in the House of Assembly, the President of the Federation and in the Courts which by virtue of the foregoing provisions are Courts established for the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. (b) all the powers referred to in Paragraph (a) of this Section shall be exercised in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution, and (c) the provisions of this Constitution pertaining to the matters aforesaid shall be read with such modifications and adaptations as may be reasonably necessary to bring them into conformity with the provisions of this Section. The provisions of Section 299(1) a–c, stated above are clear and unambiguous and one does need any aid to interpret same. In the case of Texaco Panama Inc. v. Shell P.D.C.N. Ltd. (2002) 14 WRN 121; (2002) 5 NWLR (Pt. 759) page 209 at pages 226 – 227, the Apex Court, when faced with the problem of interpreting the word “any” in a statute held thus:- “It is now settled that the cardinal principle of interpretation of statutes is that where the ordinary plain meaning of the words used in a statute is very clear and unambiguous, the effect must be given to those words without resorting to any intrinsic or external aid. The duty of the Court under those circumstances is to interpret the words strictly giving them their intended meaning and effect.” See the following cases:- (i) A-G., Abia State v. A-G., Federation (2002) 17 WRN 1; (2002) 6 NWLR (Pt. 763) page 264 at 485 – 486. (ii) O.A.U Ile-Ife v. R. A. Oliyide and Sons Ltd. (2001) 7 NWLR (Pt. 712) page 456. (iii) Akpan v. Umah (2002) 23 WRN 52; (2002) 7 NWLR (Pt. 767) at 707. I am of the considered view that the natural meaning to be given to Section 299 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 is that the Federal Capital Territory should be a separate administrative unit distinct from the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I further add that every institution created for the Federal Capital Territory only carries the appellation Federal while in the real sense, they are State Agencies because they are institutions meant for the Federal Capital Territory. – Per TIJANI ABDULLAHI, JCA (Pp. 48-50, paras. D-E) –underline added

Although the reasoning and implications of OKOYEDE vs. FCDA’s case are very explicit, it would appear that instead of shading light to the provisions of Section 299 CFRN as per FCT-Abuja legal status, more specks of dust were raised. And the doubt and controversy still persisted and did linger on. In February, the year 2015, the indigenes of FCT-Abuja decided to put to test the validity and legal implications of the groundbreaking case of Okoyode (supra). A certain Musa Baba-Panya a Lawyer (and then General Counsel of OIDA-Original Inhabitants Development Association of Abuja) and Danladi Jeji as President of OIDA filed a suit against the Federal High Court (Abuja Division) vide an Originating Summons against the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Attorney-General of the Federation seeking the interpretation of the combined provisions of Sections; 147(1-3) 14(3), 42 and 299 CFRN. They raised the following ‘questions’; Whether by the combined provisions of Section 147 (1), (3), 14(3) and 299 of the 1999 Constitution the indigenes of FCT-Abuja are entitled to Ministerial appointment into the Federal Executive Council.

Whether the continued refusal, failure and default by previous and current Presidents to so appoint an indigene of FCT-Abuja as minister of the Federation is tantamount to a flagrant violation of the 1999 Constitution. Whether the continuous refusal, failure and default by previous and current presidents to so appoint an indigene of FCT-Abuja as Minister of the Federation is tantamount to acts of discrimination and same is a breach of the fundamental right of indigenes of FCT-Abuja.Amongst the reliefs claimed were the following; A declaration that the indigenes of FCT-Abuja are entitled to ministerial appointment into the Federal Executive Council. A declaration that the continuous refusal failure or default by previous and current Presidents to appoint an indigene of FCT-Abuja as a Minister of the Federation is a flagrant violation of the constitutional rights of indigenes of FCT-Abuja. A declaration that the continuous refusal failure or default by previous and current Presidents to appoint an indigene of FCT-Abuja as a Minister of the Federation is a flagrant violation of the fundamental rights against discrimination of the FCT-Abuja indigenes. An order compelling the President (1st defendant) to the immediate appointment an indigene of FCT-Abuja as a Minister of the Federation. The case was MUSA BABA-PANYA & ANOR vs. PRESIDENT-FRN & ANOR – SUIT NO. FHC/ABJ/CS/14/2015. The Federal High Holden at Abuja coram; Hon Justice Mohammed Ahmed adjudicated the matter; he reaffirmed Okoyode’s case on the legal status of FCT-Abuja to be; ‘in law a State.’ He however determined the suit to be incompetent and thus struck it out. Dissatisfied with the judgment of the court, the 1st Plaintiff only filed an Appeal at the Court of Appeal Abuja Division. The case thus became; BABA PANYA vs. PRESIDENT –FRN & 2ORS –CA/A/412/2016.

The Court of Appeal coram Honorable Justices; Tinuade Akomolafe-Wilson JCA, Emmanuel Akomaye Agim JCA and Mohammed Mustapha JCA delivered what has turned out to be a Landmark judgment on 15th January 2018. The case has since been reported as BABA-PANYA vs. PRESIDENT, FRN (2018) 15 NWLR (pt. 1643)395; (2018) LPELR-44573(CA). The NWLR extracted 30 ratios amongst which are the following notable pronouncements as per Tinuade Akomolafe-Wilson JCA; who wrote the lead judgment. Hear the learned jurist anon; On Scope and application of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999-

By virtue of section 299 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 the provisions of the Constitution shall apply to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja as if it were one of the States of the Federation.

On whether the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja is a State – By virtue of section 299 of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja is a State. In other words, the Federal Capital Territory should be treated as one of the states in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Section 299 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 has a clear and unambiguous provision to the effect that the Federal Capital Territory, is in law a State. Where provisions of the statute are clear and unambiguous, only its natural meaning will suffice. The wordings of section 299 Constitution are quite simple, clear and direct, and also mandatory. It simply means that the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 shall apply to the Federal Capital Territory as if it were one of the States of the Federation.

On Purport of section 14(3)of Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999- The purport of section 14(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, is to ensure equality or fairness in the representation of each State in the conduct of the affairs of the Government of the Federation so that no one State or ethnic group will be deprived of participation in running the affairs of the Federal Government. On Need for reflection of federal character in the appointment of ministers-The wording of sections 147(1) and (3)of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 are crystal clear and simple. They specifically express the need for the reflection of federal character in the appointment of Ministers so that each State has at least one Minister who shall be an indigene of the State.

On Justiciability of provisions under Chapter II of the 1999 Constitution-By virtue of section 6(6)(c) of the 1999 Constitution, generally, the provisions under Chapter II of the 1999 Constitution are not justiciable. On Justiciability of section 14(3) of the Constitution and the relationship between specific provision and general provision – In view of the importance of the reflection of federal character in the appointment of Ministers by the President, section 14(3) was incorporated into the provisions of Chapter II of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 for mandatory compliance. The inclusion of section 14(3) for its compliance by the President in section 147(3) makes section 14(3)in relation to Ministerial appointment justiciable. A specific provision prevails over and above a general provision in an enactment.

On Purport of section 147 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999-

Section 147 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 brings to the fore the intent of promoting social equilibrium in Nigerian society, by ensuring the balance in the composition of the governance of the Federation hence the issue of Federal Character is engraved in the Constitution. In the instant case, the failure of the President to comply with the provisions of section 147(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 was tantamount to a derogation of the Constitution. On Who is an indigene of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja-By virtue of section 1(3)(a) and (b) of Part II of the Federal Character Commission (Establishment, etc.) Act, Cap. F7, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, an indigene of the Federal Capital Territory is a Nigerian citizen other than by naturalization, who cannot lay claim to any State of the Federation or is a person born in the Federal Capital Territory and whose descendants lived in the area presently constituting the Federal Capital Territory before 26 February 1976 and has continued to reside in the Federal Capital Territory after that date.

Notable Pronouncement: …a judge…. is hired to interpret the laws of the country which include the Constitution and Statutes. Therefore once there is an infraction of the law, the court has a constitutional duty to say so. In carrying out this duty, the proper approach when faced with clear words of a constitutional provision is to follow them in simple, grammatical and ordinary meaning. The clear simple ordinary grammatical interpretation of section 147(1) and (3) of the Constitution is that the President must, mandatorily, appoint at least one Minister from each State of the Federation, who shall be an indigene of that State. As I have stated earlier, it is no more in doubt that the Federal Capital Territory is regarded as a State. Nigeria is a plural and dynamic society; therefore the tenets of the provisions of the Constitution must be complied with to the letter so as to fulfil its purpose; to promote unity. Ipso facto, where the provisions of the Constitution enshrine certain rights, the provisions must be applied strictly. The provisions of section 147(3) and its proviso are meant to create a happy egalitarian citizenry in the country as envisaged by the preamble to the Constitution. The provisions are aimed at ensuring equal and fair participation of all States in the recognition of the diversity of the people of the country and the need for national unity, to promote a sense of belonging among all the people in the Federation.

LANDMARK PRONOUNCEMENT: On Duty on the President of Nigeria to appoint at least one Minister from the indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to represent them in the Federal Executive Cabinet of the Federation-By the combined effect of the provisions of Sections 299, 147(1)and (3) and 14(3) of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 it is obligatory or mandatory for the President of Nigeria to appoint at least one Minister from the indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja as a Minister to represent them in the Federal Executive Cabinet of the Federation. Failure to appoint any Minister from amongst the indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja is a flagrant violation of the Constitutional right guaranteed by section 147(3) and its proviso, Section 299 and section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution. In the instant case, the failure of 1st and 2nd respondents to appoint a Minister from amongst an indigene of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, was a violation of their constitutional rights guaranteed by section 147(3) and the proviso there and section 299 of the 1999 Constitution.

At the end of the suit, the Court of Appeal declared the appeal to be meritorious and thereafter issued the following Orders:-A declaration that the indigenes of FCT-Abuja are entitled to ministerial appointment into the Federal Executive Council, A declaration that the continuous refusal, failure or default by the previous and current Presidents to appoint an indigene of FCT-Abuja as a Minister of the Federation is a flagrant violation of the constitutional right of indigenes of FCT-Abuja, An Order compelling the 1st respondent to the immediate appointment of an indigene of FCT-Abuja as a Minister of the Federation forthwith.

The 1st and 2nd respondents shall pay costs of N100,000= to the appellant.

The judgment was served on the President vide Attorney-General of the Federation on 23rd March 2018. It is now over 3years and still, the judgment has not been implemented. On 30th January 2019 following a formal Petition about the non-compliance with the judgement by MC Ezekiel on behalf of the Coalition of FCT-Abuja Indigenous Associations, the Senate passed the following resolution to wit:-The indigenes of FCT-Abuja be granted approval by Mr President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to appoint a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to represent FCT-Abuja in the Federal Executive Council. The said Senate resolution has equally not been heeded by the President. One wonders what it would take for President Mohammad Buhari to implement or comply with the said judgment. The President is doubly sworn (oaths of allegiance and office) to; ‘…preserve protect and defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria…’. The President is equally sworn to; ‘…do right to all manner of people according to the law without fear or favour, affection or ill-will…’ President Mohammad Buhari lives failing the Indigenes of FCT-Abuja. The violation of the Constitution and indeed the Oaths of Allegiance and Office are acts of ‘…gross misconduct…’ as provided in Section 143(11) and the same constitutes grounds for impeachment.

Evidently, a constitutional judgement of the Court Appeal is not worthy of respect or heavy enough to command compliance. This is exactly the body language of the respondents (President and AGF). What an unfortunate situation. The current dispensation of selective justice, i.e., choosing which court judgments or orders to comply with has become the hallmark of PMB’s administration. A prevailing regime where ‘exparte orders’ are complied with or executed with unmatched speed and alacrity whenever it favours or suits Mr President and his political associates. It is a regime where ‘political rights’ far outweigh constitutional rights. It is the reign of utter political whim and expediency. Constitutional rights that really matter remain being derogated from with reckless impunity. What manner of legacy, it may be asked. On 13th March 2020 the apex Supreme Court delivered a judgment with a notable pronouncement on the legal status of FCT-Abuja and thereby putting to pay for ‘…all time…’ the hitherto lingering doubt or controversy. Because of the importance of the pronouncement, it becomes necessary to reproduce verbatim the relevant holdings pertaining to the subject of discourse. The case only recently reported (March last) is BAKARE vs. OGUNDIPE (2021) 5NWLR (pt. 1768) SC. 1. The recently retired eminent jurist OLABODE VIVOUR-RHODES JSC delivering the lead judgment had this to say ‘on status of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja’ as Ratio 1:-

By virtue of section 297(a),(b),(c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999(as amended), the provisions of the Constitution shall apply to the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, as if it were one of the States of the Federation; and accordingly, all the Legislative powers, the Executive powers and the Judicial powers vested in the House of Assembly, the Governor of a State and in the courts of a State shall respectively, vest in the National Assembly, the President of the Federation and in the courts which by virtue of the provisions are courts established for the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; all the powers referred to in paragraph (a) of the section shall be exercised I accordance with the provisions of the Constitution; and the provisions of the Constitution pertaining to the matters aforesaid shall be read with such modifications and adaptations as may be reasonably necessary to bring them into conformity with the provisions of the section.

By virtue of the provisions of section 299 of the Constitution, it is so clear that Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, has the status of a State. It is as if it is one of the States of the Federation. (pp. 36-37, paras. E-A). So there it is. No doubt, no grey, no conjecture no probability or otherwise and certainly no more argument… In law, FCT-Abuja is a State period. The court of infallibility, not because of perfection, but because of finality. The all-mighty Supreme Court has spoken. If not acceptable then appeal lies only to God. It is no longer about the Court of Appeal. It is now all about the Supreme Court. Are the President and Attorney-General going to appeal to God? According to Peter Tosh (Reggae Musician); ‘Everyone is crying out for peace yes, none is crying out for justice. But there will be no peace ‘till men get equal rights. All I need is equal rights and justice. What is due to Caesar you better give it to Caesar, what belongs to I and I, you better give to I. Equal rights and justice.

It was Thomas Jefferson (writer and founder of America’s Constitutional democracy) who said thus; The most sacred of the duties of a government is to do equal and impartial justice to all citizens. Like it or not, take it or leave it, FCT-Abuja is the 37th State of the Federation. It’s that simple. This being so, there remains no more doubt reason or ground to not appoint an indigene of FCT-Abuja into the Federal Executive Council as a Minister of the Federation. For 22 years and counting Abuja indigenes have been deprived of a voice in the affairs and governance of the country. 22 long years, not 8mins 43sec, the Federal Government (and indeed all Presidents) has had its knees on their necks. They can’t breathe. The Lives of Abuja Natives Matters!!

Baba-Panya Musa, Rights Activist/Constitutional Lawyer

Disclaimer:

The opinions and views expressed in this write-up are entirely that of the Writer(s). They do not reflect the opinions and views of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or any of its employees. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of materials herein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or its employees concerning the legal status of any country, its authority, area or territory or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. Equally, the sketches, images, pictures and videos are obtained from the public domain

Below is how Former Attorney General and Minister of Justice Michael Aondoakaa see the Status of Abuja as the FCT in determining Presidential Election matters according to Section 134 of the Nigerian Constitution.

Also below, see how legal Luminary Chief Olisa Agbakoba sees the status of FCT, Abuja in determining Presidential Election matters according to Section 134 of the Nigerian Constitution.

Honourable Justice James Ogebe, JSC, Rtd. (Retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria) flaws “strange” Sen. Lawan and Imo gubernatorial judgments – says serving justices unhappy too, warns court is becoming infamous

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23.05.2023

The Supreme Court’s controversial judgment on Imo State governorship and its recent decision on Senate President Lawan’s senate nomination bid has drawn the ire of one of the most senior retired Justices of the apex court – the Hon. Justice James Ogebe. Ogebe stated this at the US-based ATSJC’s Courts and Society Webinar Series alongside other distinguished speakers on the topic “The Courts’ Role in Nigeria’s Electoral Process” recently.

The panel comprised of:

Keynote speaker: Honourable Justice James Ogebe, JSC, Rtd. (Retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria)

Discussants: Honorable Justice Adam Onum, Rtd. (Retired Chief Judge/Former Election Tribunal Chairman); Mallam Yusuf Ali, SAN (Nigerian Lawyer/Election Expert); Nella Andem-Ewa Rabana, SAN (Nigerian Lawyer/Former Attorney General/Former Gubernatorial Candidate); Mr Kunle Lawal (Executive Director of Electoral College Nigeria /Politician/Patriot). Moderated by Dr Ari Niki-Tobi Founder/CEO of ATSJC.

During the question and answer interaction session, the distinguished jurist Justice James Ogebe asked about how he determined the historic impeachment case of OYO state Gov Ladoja stated, “My advice to justices is that they should be interpreting the Constitution and the law as it is, without looking at anybody’s eyes or face to do justice and pure justice.

In the case of Ladoja, some members of the state Assembly in Oyo state had disagreement and so some of them left the house of assembly and went to a hotel room. They didn’t have the numbers to impeach and said they had impeached the governor. The speaker was not part of them, and the deputy speaker was not part of them. They then suddenly chose somebody else as Governor.

They argued at the high court that impeachment cannot be interfered with by the court. We looked at the constitution very carefully and said well, “Those rascals who were in the hotel who impeached the governor cannot constitute the state assembly. So we were able to wriggle out of it and restored the governor and that’s precisely what happened in Oyo State in Ladoja’s case.

It was followed in Anambra State where they hurriedly went and removed the governor (Obi), shortly just before we gave our own judgment, they quickly went and removed him. They were following what was happing in Oyo. And the case came before us in the court of appeal Enugu and we restored him.

So the administration then was trying to make light the issue of the removal of governors. And we said “No! If the governor of a state can be removed at the whim of any president, then there will be no stability in the system at all.” So I advise all Judges and Lawyers should be very careful to make sure that the constitution is not breached by the politicians who are all out to find loopholes with which to breach the constitution.

Elaborating further, Justice James Ogebe said, “That is why I, in my paper, try to suggest that pre-election matters of that nature should not go beyond the High Court, if at all. For it to go up to the Supreme Court and that kind of thing… The High Court rejected the position of Lawan, the Court of Appeal also threw out his appeal, and it got to the Supreme Court, and then we had that strange ruling.

Quite frankly I’ve been a justice of the Supreme Court. I disagree entirely with that ruling, and I’ve had occasion to discuss it with some of the justices of the Supreme Court who don’t agree with that either. That is why I say such matters should be dealt with carefully. These people should not have been given any opportunity.

The Supreme Court is a final court. And they should be careful not to give any ruling without careful observation. In fact, they should be careful that even if it means applying their prerogative as the Highest Court to overrule some of the technicalities, like say, “oh, the originator of the suit did not file the originating summons, or this and that,” these are technicalities.

There was a case in Nigeria where a High Court judge was sentenced to imprisonment and fine for an offence, and eventually he appealed the matter. It went to the Supreme Court, and the Attorney General of the state was objecting on technical grounds, that the grounds were defective and all that. The Chief Justice said, “Look, whether the man came on his head or shoulders or not, the matter is before us and we’re going to decide it right now.”

And they said, “Look, the High Court judge who is alleged not to have a gun license, and all that as the Attorney General, can’t you go and get the license for the judge? That’s the kind of thing you bring here?” There and then they discharged and acquitted the judge. So the Supreme Court has the right, even when there’s a defective process, they look at the substance of the case and say, “Look, we’re going to do justice in this case.” That would have solved the problem.

As judges, they should be careful in election matters, not to do anything that will make the court infamous. But the majority of judges are very careful. They are good. They’re not corrupt as alleged. I remember that I was accused of being bribed by billions of Naira in the Yar’Adua case. And I was compelled to go to court to sue for libel.

I was awarded 25 million against a newspaper because I didn’t take a kobo from anybody. The same with my learned brother Niki Tobi of blessed memory. He’s a Christian- he didn’t take bribes but they went and publicized in Sahara and all sorts of things that we took bribes. No, we didn’t do anything like that. But that is the risk that we have as judges, but we should do our job with a clear conscience and with the fear of God for the benefit of the society.”

Dr Ari Tobi the moderator and event convener asked the retired jurist further, “You and the late Niki Tobi were accused of taking bribes, how did it make you feel sir?”

Justice James Ogebe responded: “Well I feel that was a professional hazard, there are so many people who don’t do anything about justice or anything, but they just open their mouth wide so when they said that it was based on ignorance and that’s important that the public be educated on how judges operate.

For instance the Yar’adua case, it was a notorious fact that certain things went wrong. Yar’adua himself as president did agree that there was some flaw in the process that brought him in but to prove it in court is a different matter. People did not produce enough evidence for us to overturn that election. We didn’t take bribes, nothing but based it purely on the law.

Dr Tobi: That’s what m’Lord Justice Onum was saying about evidence and proof before the court and the issue of public confidence, and I think the same thing that Mr Lawal, you say you’re not a lawyer but you have hung around lawyers enough I think you are one.

We should give you an honorary degree in law because Mr Lawal has said the judiciary needs better communication but unfortunately, he does not know and I think I would supply him with information because I know he likes to read judicial ethics.

Audio 5

Justice James Ogebe: Yes. So, you know that for the president, at the Court of Appeal level, there must be five justices of the Court of Appeal, and not a single one of them can overrule the other. Everybody has his own opinion. They can disagree, but the majority judgment will prevail. Like my own, when I did the Yar’Adua, five of us all agreed and there was no dissenting opinion at all. But when it went to the Supreme Court, there was some dissenting opinion.

I think it was four to three, but the majority prevailed. So, there’s no single judge that has the power to overrule. Even if you are a chief justice, you can be sidelined if your colleagues don’t agree with you. Judges have independent minds and there’s no way that you can force a judge to agree with you.

Dr Tobi: Thank you, sir. Very interesting. Justice James Ogebe: You have the legislature, you have the executive, these are all politicians and then you have the judiciary.

So if politicians have disagreements with one another, there is no way they can resolve disputes within themselves because both sides are interested, that is why they created the judiciary, which is supposed to be impartial, to be fearless, and do the right thing.

So as I said earlier it is an onerous responsibility for the judges to decide on these election matters, but somebody has got to do it. So that is why I enjoined that judges who are involved in election matters must be courageous, must be fearless, must be God-fearing, and do what is right. To avoid bribery or partisanship and do what is right. I can’t see that ever changing because people are fighting each other over who to be president and then you leave it back to the politicians?

What do you do? There must be somebody to decide the case, and… that onerous duty is upon the judiciary, in this constitution. I cannot foresee any situation whereby you leave it to be a free for all fight. The judiciary is supposed to be an umpire in deciding such matters.

Dr Tobi: Thank you, my Lord. Watch the press release and the evident video using the below link: https://youtu.be/HOk3NSB-_tI

Disclaimer:

The opinions and views expressed in this write-up are entirely that of the Writer(s). They do not reflect the opinions and views of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or any of its employees. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of materials herein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or its employees concerning the legal status of any country, its authority, area or territory or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. Equally, the sketches, images, pictures and videos are obtained from the public domain

A presidential victory that will not stand By Tochukwu Ezukanma.

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20.05.2023

The man INEC declared as the President-Elect of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu

After the presidential election, for days, I was distressed, totally flustered. I was distraught because, in a clear contest between light and darkness, Nigerians chose the light, but the forces of greed, insensitivity and criminality subverted the will of the people; they are scheming to impose darkness on Nigeria.

A man that steals his neighbour’s goat is a thief; he is beaten up and disgraced. If he survives the jungle justice meted on him, he is forever reviled as a criminal. A man that breaks into a home and robs its inhabitants of their possessions at gunpoint is an armed robber; he is in the ranks of the most dreaded and despised criminals in Nigeria. If apprehended, prosecuted and convicted, in those good old days, he will be punished by execution, public execution.

What then is a man or group of men that robbed an entire country, millions of people, of its mandate? They are criminals on a scale that defies the English lexicon. Lamentably, one of such hardnosed criminals is poised to be the next president of Nigeria, not by the choice of the people, but by a scandalous collusion of the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) and All Progressive Congress (APC) in an electoral fraud unprecedented in Nigerian history. As the trajectory of a country is dictated by its rulers/leaders, what can be expected from criminals as rulers, but continued chaos, falsehood, corruption, theft, contempt for human life and scorn for the Nigerian masses?

The evil oligarchy that retains its unyielding stranglehold on the country benefits from the confusion that pervades the country. Consequently, it threw up an unprincipled and unscrupulous political operator, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as its presidential candidate. Ordinarily, Tinubu’s criminal antecedence, notoriety for embezzlement of public funds, and falsification of every aspect of his life should have disqualified him from being a presidential candidate. Secondly, his senility, dementia, incontinence and incoherence make him mentally and physically unfit to be president. In addition, his Moslem/Moslem presidential ticket is supercilious: contemptuously indifferent to our national diversity and religious sensibilities.

Not surprisingly, in the February 25, 2023, presidential election, the Nigerian electorate rejected him and elected Peter Obi the president of Nigeria. Nigerians desire a Nigeria led by President Peter Obi because he is devoid of the vices and primitive tendencies of most of the Nigerian political elite. Secondly, his mandate was not to derive from the avaricious conspiracy of corrupt politicians and their wealthy business cronies, but from the will of the people. Thus, he will be beholden to the people, not an evil oligarchy or cabal.

Lamentably, the INEC, goaded by its APC paymasters did the unconscionable: it declared the defeated presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, the winner of the presidential election, and the president-elect. The Tinubu “victory” will not be allowed to stand. A Tinubu presidency will be the most toxic for the country. It has been written that “This world is a dangerous place to live in, not because of those that do evil, but because of those that watch the evil happen and do nothing about it”. Therefore, Nigerians can neither stomach, nor sit back and watch the Tinubu/INEC electoral criminality; every Nigerian has a moral, civic, and even, spiritual obligation to stand up against that electoral brigand that declared Tinubu the president-elect.

Every movement in history, be it magnificent or despicable, altruistic or murderous is personified in one or a few individuals. Tinubu personifies a corrupt, moribund old order that has made life unbearably hard for the generality of Nigerians and reduced Nigeria to a somnolent, blundering, bumbling behemoth; an international laughing stock: the poorest oil-rich country in the world; one of the most corrupt, anarchistic and unlivable countries of the world; a vast scene of confusion teetering at the brinks of an economic collapse; an almost failed state; etc.

In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., “When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men burn and bomb, good men must build and bind.” Similarly, as agents of darkness, in their natural propensity, labour to expand the frontiers of darkness, agents of light must determinedly work to roll back the sphere of darkness. Peter Obi is already on the right track. He has already taken the first necessary step in rolling back the sphere of darkness; he has gone to court to claim his stolen mandate.

Nigerians are hitching their star with Peter Obi because they know that, as president, he will unravel the grip of the evil cabal on the country; ameliorate the economic plight of the Nigerian masses; bring about a more equitable distribution of the national wealth; end the inordinate wealth of an elite few at the economic strangulation of the masses; uphold the constitutional role of the government to secure life and property; curb corruption; and burnish Nigeria’s repulsively shabby international image.

Tochukwu Ezukanma writes from Lagos, Nigeria, Email: maciln18@yahoo.com, Tel: +234 803 529 2908

Disclaimer:

The opinions and views expressed in this write-up are entirely that of the Writer(s). They do not reflect the opinions and views of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or any of its employees. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of materials herein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the Publisher (Nze Ikay’s Blog) or its employees concerning the legal status of any country, its authority, area or territory or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. Equally, the sketches, images, pictures and videos are obtained from the public domain

#Nigeria’s Deserves Better, Monday, 03/04/2023

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20.05.2023

…… and it came to pass in those days as Peter the son of Obi journeyed from Kaduna unto Kano, a great multitude followed him as he spake unto them saying; behold, I will do a new thing in Northern Nigeria if thou and thy children shall vote for me, we will prosper thy land and thy seed shall eat the fruits thereof, for what profiteth the North that thou hast great land and thy offspring suffereth hunger and starvation.

As he spake these things, the Kadunites and the Kanites marvelled and they spake one to another, what manner of man is this that bringeth hope unto us?

The people spread the good news of Peter and his brother Datti and the whole city rejoiced at the marvellous things he spake unto them. Many were baptized unto OBIDIENCE and the number of those baptized was six hundred and forty thousand men, with women and children not counted.

The Oxford Dictionary of English interprets Terrorism as the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.

With this in mind, I can authoritatively say, Nigeria as a country has been kidnapped on her way to full Democracy by Terrorists. And our only mistake is that we’ve made politics too attractive for the criminally minded Nigerians.

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#Nigeria’s Deserves Better

Psalm 23 – A Psalm of David!

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19.05.2023