Jboyossai:
ABUJA—National Christian Elders Forum, NCEF, yesterday, called on the Federal Government to
critically examine the current agitation for the
republic of Biafra and give the agitators a fair
hearing. The forum also observed with contempt
the impression that only one section of the country
with same religion faith was qualified to be the Chief Justice of the Federation. Uwazurike NCEF in a communique in Abuja by its chairman, Mr.
Solomon Asemota, SAN, after the forum meeting in
Jos, Plateau State, raised several national issues to
be looked at, adding that in as much as issue of
secession had never been raised since retuned of
democracy in 1999 till now, it should be looked into by government with keen interest. “While we frown at, and discountenances any
move towards secession by any group in the
nation, we firmly believe that the grievances of the
agitators for Biafra Republic should be examined
and the people should be given a fair hearing. “It
will be noted that since the return to democracy in 1999, there has been no such widespread agitation
until now,” it stated. Judiciary garrisoned Asemota wondered why it was only one section of
the country with Muslim background that is
qualified to be the Chief Justice of the Federation,
CJN, calling on government to look into the matter.
“The Christian Elders also observe with much
concern the impression that is created in the judiciary that only persons from a section of the
country are qualified to be the Chief Justice of the
Federation. “That the Nigerian judiciary has been garrisoned by
a section of the country and a religion is no longer
in doubt, however, the dismantling of this anomaly
is expedient. Nigeria can only survive and thrive on
a tripod of justice, equality, and fairness.” However,
he made it clear that the forum had no personal grudge against the current CJN in the country,
calling the government and Nigerians attention to
recent appointments of those who hold the
defence line of the country. “The Christian Elders wonder why in a divergent
and pluralistic society, such as Nigeria, all the critical
security institutions in the nation are headed by
people from one section of the country. The
Minister of Defense, the Director-General of
Department of State Security, DSS, the National Security Adviser, NSA, and the Minister of Interior,
are all from one section of the country and are
adherents of the same religion. “The Christian Elders decry the violation of the
Federal Character principle in sensitive federal
appointments by the current administration. This
discriminatory anomaly should be reversed without
delay,” the statement added. On the National Conference report, the forum called
on “The government to implement the report and
urge all Nigerians to raise a clarion call in this
regard. It is in the best interest of Nigeria and all
Nigerians that the report of the national conference
is implemented in full.” On the current insecurity in the country, the elders
called on Christians to evolved means of self-
defence, while urging them to remain law abiding. “The forum enjoins all Christians in the nation to
adhere to the Biblical injunction of ‘follow peace
with all men,’ while Christians are urged to remain
peace loving and shun any act of provocation, it
has become necessary to advise Christian
communities to evolve means of “self defense” to ensure self-preservation. “The impunity and lawlessness with which religious
extremists seek to exterminate Christians should
be checked, more so, since the security agents
seem helpless to apprehend these “unknown
gunmen,” they said. Uwazuruike caution IPOB Meanwhile, the Chief Ralph Uwazuruike-led Biafra
Independent Movement, BIM, yesterday, asked
Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, to continue their
demonstration in line with non-violence method for
Biafra actualization and for the release of its
detained Director of Radio Biafra, London, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, leader of Biafra Zionist Movement,
BZM, Mr. Benjamin Onwuka and all their members
from South East and South South zone, who are still
being captive in the custody of Nigeria’s security
agencies. Uwazurike added that he had no hands in the
current travail of the detained leader of IPOB and
host of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. In a statement
by their Deputy Director for Information, Mazi Chris
Mocha, BIM said: “We are not against IPOB protest.
In fact, we will support the demonstration once it is carried out in a non-violent manner.” BIM added that it had a credible evidence to show
that one Mr. Madu collected huge amount of money
from the Federal Government to cancel IPOB’s
earlier protest, adding, “it is regrettable that Chief
Uwazuruike, founder of the proscribed MASSOB and
now leader of BIM had promoted Madu from District Officer, DO, Onitsha South Local Government Area of
Anambra State to Deputy National Director for
Information and to National Director on July 15,
2003 and April 30, 2005 respectively, without
knowing that he is so money and power conscious
with little or no interest in the Biafra struggle. “All he needed is money and not the Biafran
struggle to emancipate our people from their
bondage in Nigeria. This was part of reasons he
was expelled from former MASSOB on August 30,
2014. The Uwazuruike-led BIM has, therefore,
cautioned the acting Director of radio Biafra, London, Mr. Uche Mefo to make sure that Madu
does not take any part or represent IPOB in taking
policy decision in any capacity or else he would
bring IPOB to disrepute like he did to MASSOB.” Similarly, in an interview with Vanguard in Aba,
BIM’s Assistant National Director of Information,
Sunny Okereafor, said Kanu was one of
Uwazuruike boys, stressing that the Biafra leader
had no reason to plan evil against him. “If
Uwazuruike had a hand in the travails of the director of Radio Biafra, he would not have used
every opportunity to urge the Federal Government
to release the IPOB leader unconditionally and still
stand by that call.” He dismissed reports that BIM members were
planning to attack IPOB members in Onitsha and
other parts of the South East and South South and
accused some an unnamed MASSOB leader of being
behind the false information. The spokesman
advised members of IPOB to be wary of the likes of Uchenna Madu, alleging that if he could betray
Uwazurike, he would not spare anybody. Iwuanyanwu blasts protesters, Ndigbo Meanwhile, Champion Newspapers Publisher, Chief
Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, had expressed serious
reservation on the way some people have been
going about their demand for sovereign state of
Biafra. Chief Iwuanyanwu, who addressed
journalists in Owerri, Imo State, also regretted that some people had even gone out of their way to
publish what they call accounts of the war. “Other tribes are doing better than us. It is good for
somebody to protest, but it is nonsensical for
people to go to the extreme level of taking laws
into his hands by blocking roads. Books have been
written by people who neither commanded any
command nor fought the battles for their emancipations. “To say that Igbo are marginalized is stating the
obvious and government must try and address the
anomaly. It must also be said that before the war,
things were done purely on merit but it is no longer
so today. Where the Igbo go from here is
anybody’s guess.” He said that General Yakubu Gowon started the
issue of reconstruction, rehabilitation and
reconciliation very well, adding that he was not too
happy at the way Ndigbo now rush to Abuja for all
manner of reasons. On the national census,
Iwuanyanwu said that Igbo will always be in minority, especially as in some cultures and
religious beliefs, people were expected to marry
more than one wife and have more than 80
children. Eze Ndigbo of Bauchi State warns… Meanwhile, the Eze Ndigbo of Bauchi State, Eze
Umezika had warned the Igbo community in the
state against supporting any unlawful agitation that
would undermine the unity and peace of the nation
and urged them to distance themselves from the
pro-Biafra protests in parts of the country. Umezika, yesterday, during an interactive session
with the state Commissioner of Police, Baba Tijjani at
the police headquarters, in Bauchi as part of efforts
to enhance existing police public partnership
towards effective policing in the state expressed
worry over the recent agitations by certain individuals in some sections of the country, noting
that it was uncalled for. “The new agitation for Biafra is a uncalled for, ill-
conceived and ill-motivated. It is not in the interest
of Igbo communities and an attempt to destroy
peace and unity currently enjoyed in the nation. “It is also targeted to ignite a national conflict and
cause chaos, pandemonium and confusion in the
country. The Igbo have made tremendous
progress since the civil war, hence the people of the
South East and their future is better guaranteed and
sustained within a united Nigeria.”

source=www.vanguardngr.com/2015/12/i-have-no-hand-in-nnamdi-kanus-travail-uwazuruike/