We can’t forget Biafra, Ikedife, Uko, IPOB tell Buhari

We can’t forget Biafra, Ikedife, Uko, IPOB tell Buhari

— 18th November 2017

President of South East Elders Forum, Dr. Dozie Ikedife, a member of the Southern Leaders of Thought, and Secretary, Eastern Consultative Assembly, Evangelist Elliot Ugochukwu Uko, and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have told President Muhammadu Buhari that Biafra remains and can never be forgotten.

President Buhari during a working visit to Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, on Tuesday, called on the Igbo to forget Biafra, and secession and work towards a united Nigeria.

But speaking with Saturday Sun, Dr. Ikedife said it was a wrong choice of word to say, “we should forget Biafra, nobody can forget Biafra”.

He said: “Somebody had told me before that we should forget Biafra, and I told the person that it was not possible to forget Biafra. It is not possible to forget that you are an Odudua son; it is not possible to forget that you are an Ijaw man; it is not possible to forget that you a Fulani; it is not possible to forget that you are Junkun, etc.

“It is a wrong choice of word to say, forget Biafra. Nobody can forget it. If you lost your father or son, mother or half of your family members during the Nigeria-Biafra war, can you forget that?

“Even the person saying it cannot forget Biafra, talk less of those that are concerned, who are called Biafrans.

“The person may say anything else, but Biafra is unforgettable.

We can never forget Biafra; nobody should ever forget Biafra.

Biafra has come to be, never mind that they removed Bight of Biafra and called it Bight of Benin, there are people who are Biafrans and there is nothing you can do about it, even if you kill them and it remains only one, that person still remains Biafra.”

In the same vein, Evangelist Uko noted that shooting and killing the youths will not stop the agitation, and pointed out that Biafra can never be forgotten.

According to him, “the people advising Buhari are misleading him.  I have been in the centre of the protests by Igbo youth for over a decade, and I know that the solution is engaging them in meaningful dialogue, but some people preferred to shoot them, so I washed my hands off. “I know that they are angry, bitter and very pained about the killing by the soldiers during the invasion of Nnmadi Kanu’s home.

“Those political leaders telling Biafra that the agitation is over are just deceiving and misleading him.

“The boys are angry and the only solution is engaging them in meaningful dialogue, and secondly, embarking on a meaningful restructuring of the country. These are the two solutions.

“I have been talking with the boys for over a decade and they have absolute confidence in me. I know how they feel. Prof Ben Nwabueze and I tried to help the government by bringing them to a meeting, but some people advised the government to halt the dialogue process and embark on shooting them. Shooting and killing them will not stop the agitation. So, Biafra can never be forgotten.”

Also, Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Comrade Emma Powerful, in a statement said telling the Igbo to forget about Biafra tantamounts to telling the sky to hold the rains.

He emphasised: “It is unfortunate that Buhari would make such statement to Ndigbo because he knows that nothing can stop us from leaving Nigeria.

“We are not bothered or worried about what he said, but Biafra independence is unstoppable, unquenchable and irreversible.

“Telling Igbo to forget Biafra is like telling the sky to stop raining. We have stayed in Nigeria for more than 50 years without any benefits, and we are leaving.”

Abia PDP behind fake Kalu presidential aspiration posters

Abia PDP behind fake Kalu presidential aspiration posters

— 16th November 2017

‎
Abia State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has stated that the fake posters of former governor of Abia State with the inscription”Vote Orji Kalu for President in 2019″  in Lagos, Abuja, Umuahia and other cities is the handiwork of political jobbers.

Condemning the act, Abia State Chairman of the APC, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa stressed that the ones planning and executing the ill and ignoble project
are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State, who are envious of the massive support the APC is galvanising at the grassroots.
He expressed confidence in the President Muhammadu Buhari government, adding that Ndigbo will benefit immensely if the entire five states in the South East are governed by the APC.
While lambasting the PDP led Abia State government for the poor state of infrastructure in the State , Nwankpa urged the masses not to sell their votes come 2019.
Speaking on Thursday with journalists after the grand finale of the APC governorship campaign in Awka, the APC party chair urged Ndi Anambra to vote for the APC candidate, Hon. Tony Nwoye in the November 18 governorship election.
‎He said, “since the triumphant entry of our leader, Dr. Orji Kalu into the fold of the APC, the PDP and their cohorts have been jittery and unsettled.
“The APC is waxing strong on a daily basis in Abia State.
“We know the antics of the PDP and one of such is the fake presidential campaign posters of Dr.Orji Kalu being circulated in different parts of the country.
“There is no development in Abia State and as such, the only alternative for Abians is to vote for APC in 2019 in order to rescue the state from a failed government”.
While charging politicians to desist from undemocratic acts of blackmail, violence and thuggery, Nwankpa urged them to play politics by the rules.

Breaking: Buhari conferred with chieftaincy title in igboland.

-15 nov. 2017

President Muhammadu Buhari was on Monday conferred with the Chieftaincy title of Ochi Oha Ndigbo (leader of all) of Igboland by the South East Traditional Rulers and Enyi Oma 1 (number one good friend) of Ebonyi State by the Ebonyi State Traditional Council.

The President was also given 2,000 bags of 25kg of Ebonyi rice, 2,000 tubers of yam and a white horse that signifies strength by the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi at the State Executive Council chamber, Abakaliki.

He met with the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, former governors of the state, the deputy governor, founding fathers of the state, speaker of the House of Assembly, Chairman and Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Ebonyi State chapter, Secretary to the State Government, SSG, and the State Traditional Council at the Council chamber, government house.

President Buhari will be proceeding to the PA Ngele Oruta Township Stadium, Abakaliki where he will be interacting with the people of different walks of life.

Details soon.

President Buhari conferred with the title of Ochioha NdiIgbo 1 by South East traditional council of rulers led by Eze Eberechi Dick during his visit to Ebonyi State on 14th Nov 2017

Russia 2018: Rohr hails NFF

Russia 2018: Rohr hails NFF 

— 13th November 2017

Dailysun report 

Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr is full of encomiums for the Nigeria Football Federation for the “professional and committed manner” it handled the Super Eagles’ 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Not only were the three –time African champions unbeaten in what was styled ‘Group of Death’, the Eagles picked the ultimate prize in that group with a game to spare, becoming Africa’s first candidate for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia in the process.

The man that led the team to achieving this feat believes the professional approach to the team’s preparations by the NFF for all the six qualifiers played a pivotal role in the team’s success.

“For sure, we must commend the NFF for the role they played right from that game in Ndola against Zambia to last Friday’s game in Constantine, Algeria.

“Apart from putting together excellent arrangements for our games at home, they ensured we travelled in comfort to all our away games and the fact that our away travels were always direct on chartered flights made sure we had very good recovery period between games. This also helped to manage the few days we usually have because of the congested and very small number of the FIFA international days,” Rohr said.

 Nigeria won four games and drew two to finish top of the eminent pile with 14 points, six ahead of second –placed Zambia.

In both drawn games away from home, they were pegged back by late penalties to the hosts in dying minutes, underlying the Super Eagles’ praiseworthy performance through out the campaign.

This, the Franco –German tactician believes, was down to paying attention to little details.

“From the time the draw was made for the group series of the qualifiers, we know that in a difficult group like the one we were in, the difference between success and failure could be down to little things that most people would take for granted, but I am happy that the NFF were very professional, passionate and committed to the cause. Their great planning and arrangements made the players to focus on the football only, so we got the best out of them.

“Now we cannot rest on our oars because there is a bigger challenge ahead of us. We have to prepare better and focus even more as we get set for the World Cup next year,” Rohr concluded.

Meanwhile Russia –based Bryan Idowu on Saturday night joined up with the rest of the squad after they arrived in Krasnodar, Russia. He told thenff.com: “It’s a big privilege for him to be part of this great squad. I will definitely give my best in order to remain a part of this team.

“It’s a big honor for me to be called into the Super Eagles. I will give this opportunity my very best shot so I can stay here for a long time. I believe this team will put smiles on the faces of Nigerians at the World Cup next year,” he added.

Corrupt soldiers, security personnel selling arms to criminals, DSS tells Reps

Corrupt soldiers, security personnel selling arms to criminals, DSS tells Reps

— 13th November 2017

• Names Nasarawa, Benue, Taraba, Plateau as sales points

The Department of State Security (DSS) has blamed the worsening insecurity in the country on corrupt members of the armed forces and other security agencies, who allegedly sell arms to  criminals.

Speaking at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives joint committee on Customs and Excise and National Intelligence, investigating the “frightening influx of small arms and light weapons into the country,” Director of Operations at the DSS, Godwin Eteng, claimed some agencies had, over the years, recruited former cultists and armed robbers, who get involved in illegal activities, including arms sales to criminals.

“We have conducted more than 27 operations and arrested more than 30 persons involved in the supply of arms and ammunition and some of them are serving security men,” he disclosed.

He said there was a case in one of the armouries belonging to one of the armed forces, where many pistols got missing with quantities of ammunition and all the pistols were new.

“In the armoury, no place was broken into, but the weapons were missing. And we’re interested in knowing what happened.”

The director listed four states in the North-Central zone as the major sources of illegal arms.

“When we did our studies, we discovered that three-quarter of the arms used to cause the crisis in Southern-Kaduna, in Zamfara and Plateau states are coming from the following states: Nasarawa, Benue, Taraba and Plateau states.

“We found out that if you can carry out serious operations to affect the supplies, which is coming from these areas, it will seriously limit part of what is happening there,” the DSS director said.

On interventions to counter criminal gangs and prevent violent attacks, Ekeng disclosed that seven tactical teams were conducting the operation to apprehend culprits associated with the arms sales, an operation, which, according to him, is ongoing.

On how to solve the problem of illegal arms, he  suggested legislations on prohibited firearms, more extensive vetting of those recruited into the security agencies, release of funds for logistics for border patrol personnel, electronic manning and deployment of cameras at borders and review of crisis management at local government levels.

Damgaiadiga  Abubakar, Deputy Comptroller,  who represented the Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ali, disclosed that there were 1,100 illegal entry points into the country, with only 97 approved border posts.

He said the Customs was short of  equipment needed to stem the flow of weapons into the country, revealing that 2,671 pump action rifles had been seized from January to date, just as Customs personnel found culpable in the import of 661 pump action rifles had been dismissed from service and handed over to the DSS for prosecution.

According to him, lack of operational vehicles, fast moving boats, cutting-edge technology and advanced scanning machines at airports, seaports and border points were limiting the effectiveness of the Customs.

We’ll boycott, not disrupt election -IPOB

We’ll boycott, not disrupt election  -IPOB

— 13th November 2017

Dailysun source 

The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has refuted reports that it plans on disrupting the forthcoming election in the state.

In a statement signed by the group’s publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, it slammed the leadership of Ohanaze Ndigbo and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing them of being behind the reports that IPOB planned to disrupt the elctions.

“We wish to state for the purpose of clarity that we are boycotting the elections and we want to state that the  unfounded allegations about IPOB intending to disrupt the polls as peddled by Ohaneze Ndigbo and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)  are not only baseless but completely false. What the good people of Anambra State should watch out for is the well known rigging antics of INEC.

“We insist on total boycott of all elections because voting in Anambra or any other elections in Nigeria is an exercise in futility since Aso Rock has already decided who they want sworn in as Anambra governor despite the words of free and fair elections emanating from APC praise singers in the South East. Risking one’s life to go and vote on Saturday, with trigger happy  soldiers looking for a Biafran to kill, is a risky adventure not worth undertaken by any sane person.

“We hereby warn all commercial vehicle operators to please stay away from Anambra State starting from the evening of the 17th of November because any vehicle seen will be regarded as hostile and working to subvert the will of the people. We are fully aware that some security agents have been brought into the state to facilitate the rigging of the election and any one seen on the road will be considered a threat to their plans. Therefore, we advise every body to stay in doors and to desist from driving through the state from 5pm on Friday the 17th of November to 6pm on Saturday the 18th,”the statement read.