₦airaland Forum

There was no way Ekwueme would have won. The Yoruba, through an Hausa-malleable OBJ, was programmed by the Northern-dominated military to rule in 1999. Nobody is a baby here. Ok? And in 2003, incumbency was the factor.

As for AD, a tribal party, anyone contesting under such platform has no chance in a tribal enclave like Nigeria.

Except there is military intervention, it must get to the turn of every zone to rule. You cannot stop it.

Did the Yoruba put OBJ there in 1999?

The Yoruba did not fight for anything concerning the election in 1999. Where? When? Are we not all Nigerians then? They were simply compensated based on June 12. If the military did not give to them, there is no issue of fighting for anything. Stop this mischief, Now.

Nice contribution from the last poster, except some misinfo here and there. When Ekwueme vied for the vp, ZIK contested like Awo, as a president via the NPP. Akinloye, a Yoruba was Shagari/Ekwueme's party Chairman. Do not try to make out as if all Yorubas were for Awo, whereas Igbos refused to stand behind Zik. That sounds mischievious and misleading.

I have also advocated that Igbos should throw the idea of Nigeria's governance into the refuse bin until much later in the future. Let's get back home first.

laudate:
Yeah, Duke is a good example, and there is a lot to be gained by developing one's state or homeland.


Not wthout working for it, or strategising and planning for it, as well as building strong alliances with other ethnic groups, across different parts of the country. Why? Because politics is a game of numbers. Simple.

Stop being a moronic spoiler. There is turn-by-turn presidency. This means that when it gets to your turn , you have it on a platter of gold, just like the Yoruba and the North did, with everyone else knowing it was their turn. Even if the south south gets it first, by virtue of the VP being with them now, it will certainly get back to the south again and then the south east will SIMPLY pick it up. You cannot stop it when the time comes. Or can you?

Every state or homeland in Nigeria (whether Igbo or not) needs developing. Everywhere is practically underdeveloped. Thanks.

And one of the richest thieves (sorry, men) is: Emeka Offor

http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/dr-gary-k.-busch/mmecha-ede-abughi-okuko.html

I am a bonafide Igbo. At this point, IMHO, we should take a very back seat from the national governance and let the misrule continue. When it is our turn, I dare say that no mountain can stop us. Thanks to rotational presidency. For now, we should rather concentrate on two things. Firstly, how to bring all the Igbo in the south east and south south under one more cohesive umbrella; and secondly, addressing why Igbos take their thriving businesses to Lagos and other parts of Nigeria, leaving their teeming youths in the lurch with respect to employment, or having them migrate to go work for Igbo in Lagos, Kano, Abuja etc. If those businesses are repatriated to Igboland, people who need their services will look for them wherever they may be. After all, Nigerians go abroad to buy certain goods and services, not to talk of coming to Igboland, which is a stone's throw away. If those businesses are repatriated, the economy of the south east will be boosted beyong imagination, the population now depleted by massive human movement to other parts of Nigeria will rise again and we shall once again be a very proud people. You may or may not know this, but many business people in Lagos, Kano and Ibadan for instance, including many non-Igbos, travel to Aba, Onitsha and Nnewi, to purchase goods they re-sell in Lagos and these other cities. So what is this stupidity about Igbo unbridled migration to such places?

It is better that we get it (Nigerian leadership) later than having thieves like Orji Kalu, Ojo (sounds Yorubaic), Iwuanyanwu, Uba, etc, who currently bestrode the Igbo political landscape become the so-called Nigerian president of Igbo extraction. That Igboland has the least poverty index in Nigeria (according to data from the CBN and FOS, is not magic. It stems from sheer strenght of character and unprecedented industry of individual Igbo families, in the face of a gregarious and rampaging bull of a Nigerian state.

Don’t Threaten Nigeria’s Unity, Northern Union Warns YCE


A politically-conscious association of politicians of Northern extraction, the Northern Union (NU), has taken exception to claims by the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) of lopsided federal appointments by the administration of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, saying it is a threat to the unity of the country.

The NU refuted YCE’s claims of the existence of the said lopsided appointments claimed to be in favour of the North, and expressed sadness that the YCE "is manufacturing faults where there is none in order to create confusion and weaken the basis of Nigerian unity".

A statement by the NU signed by its executive committee chairman, Chief Patrick Adaba, said the Union’s attention was drawn to a statement by the YCE at its last meeting which accused the Yar’Adua government of favouring the North in federal appointments.

The statement said no such lopsided appointments as claimed has been made by the three-week-old government of Yar’Adua.

"The only major appointments made so far is that of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), which by a zoning arrangement by the PDP was zoned to the North East, while the Senate presidency and the speakership of the House of Representatives were zoned to the North Central and South West respectively. The position of the Special Adviser to the President on Media Affairs which was also named recently, went to Olusegun Adeniyi, of Yoruba extraction", the statement said.

It said also that the new Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff and the Chief of Staff to the President were all appointed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo at the twilight of his administration.

"What saddens the Northern Union more is the mischief and hypocrisy embedded in the outburst of the YCE with the sole aim of maligning the three-week old administration of Yar’Adua and whipping up sentitments against the person of the president.

While alleging an ulterior motive on the YCE statement, "this mischief and hypocritical propaganda and be preoccupied in putting forward ideas and suggestions that will assist the new government".

Rather than fanning the embers of tribalism, NU said it expects the YCE to make suggestions on how to address problems of poverty, erratic power supply and insecurity that have been the bane of the country.

"Cheap political blackmail and peddling of falsehood should as a matter of conscience be relegated to the background for now in order to avoid instability and misdirection of our innocent flock", the statement said.

http://www.leadershipnigeria.com/product_info.php?products_id=8039

Agbakoba, Shuns Ministerial Offer

Onyema Omenuwa, Lagos

Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Olisa Agbakoba, has reportedly turned down President Umaru Yar’Adua’s offers to join the government.

Sources said on Monday that both were approached by emissaries from the Villa that the President would like them to come on board.

Agbakoba was offered the post of federal Attorney General and Justice Minister, but he told the President’s men that he would not step into the shoes of Bayo Ojo who "breached the constitution of NBA" which forbids its President from accepting political appointment.

Agbakoba, who, in 2003, sought election to become Nigeria’s President, also told the lobbyists that he would not allow himself to be used to do dirty jobs which are the hallmark of the government led by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since 1999.

[size=24pt]Moderator asks: What of the source of this alleged story, eh? Where did you copy it from?[/size]

Igbos are now in the opposition. They should thus not expect from the PDP

Abia, Imo and Anambra, the three most economically important states in the south east, are now in the firm grip of opposition parties. What this means is that most of Igboland is no longer the playground of the PDP. This is good but it also means that the Igbo should not expect much from the PDP-led federal government. The Yoruba used to be masters of opposition politics, such that for many years, they were excluded from the central government. This strenghtened them and ensured that they almost always give block votes during elections. The PPA (Imo and Abia) and APGA (Anambra) should come together and form a more credible opposition and give the Igbo something to be happy about.

Nigeria's Achebe lands International Booker

Tue Jun 12, 9:17 PM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Nigeria's Chinua Achebe, hailed as the father of modern African writing, was awarded the 60,000 pound Man Booker International Prize on Wednesday.


His award capped a triumphant month for Nigerian authors as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie last week landed the Orange Prize, one of the literary world's top awards for women writers.

The International Man Booker award is granted every two years to a living author for their achievements in fiction.

Elaine Showalter, who headed the judging panel, said the winner had "inaugurated the modern African novel."

Achebe, who is now 76, is best known for his 1958 debut novel "Things Fall Apart" which has sold 10 million copies worldwide and "Anthills of the Savannah" that was published 30 years later.

A diplomat in the Sixties Biafran conflict, his work is centered mainly on African politics and on how Africans are depicted in the West.

Paralyzed from the waist down in a 1990 car accident, he has lectured at universities around the world and is currently a professor at Bard College, New York State, Annandale.

He has been an inspiration to many African writers. Adichie said: "He is a remarkable man , He's what I think writers should be."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070613/en_nm/arts_africa_dc_1

I guess the Thief (sorry, Chief) Executive Officer of GLO has become an aduro (Asylum seeker) in a foreign land.

Police seize Ehindero’s passport


Meanwhile, the embattled former inspector-general of police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, has been barred from any foreign trip, and his international passport has been seized until investigations into the recent fraud linked to him is completed.

The police authorities have also refused to allow the EFCC to investigate Ehindero ostensibly for fear that he could be given a clean bill of heatlh by the commission whose chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, is said to be his close confidante.

Top police sources told our correspondent yesteday in Abuja that the fomer IGP, who has been given a United Nations job, sought to travel to an unnamed foreign nation to spend his terminal leave before taking up his UN job in September.

The source said: "He was refused permission to travel. I believe the presidency wants his successor, Mr. Mike Okiro, to conclude investigations first on the allegations against Ehindero before allowing him to travel. His passport has also been seized. Right now, we don’t know where he is, but he is believed to be in the country."

LEADERSHIP was also told that Ehindero had approached former President Obasanjo for help," but you know Obasanjo. Being an expert in using and dumping people, he was said to have told Ehindero to pray hard, so that God may listen to save him".

The federal government may strip Ehindero of his national honours, Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR, which Obasanjo bestowed on him upon his appointment as IG.

A few days ago, the sum of about N21 million was confiscated from Ehindero’s close aides whose names were given as John Obaniyi, commissioner of police in charge of budget; and Olu Monday, a deputy superintendent of police in Obaniyi’s office.

While Obaniyi participated in yesterday’s Monday parade, Olu Monday was also seen moving freely yesterday at the force headquarters.

Ehindero is billed to answer many questions onhow police allocations under his tenure, the funds released for the payment of estacode and election duties of his men (said to be in billions) were utilised. He was still expecting a three-month extension when Yar’Adua removed him.

http://www.leadershipnigeria.com/product_info.php?products_id=7618

Police seize Ehindero’s passport


Meanwhile, the embattled former inspector-general of police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, has been barred from any foreign trip, and his international passport has been seized until investigations into the recent fraud linked to him is completed.

The police authorities have also refused to allow the EFCC to investigate Ehindero ostensibly for fear that he could be given a clean bill of heatlh by the commission whose chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, is said to be his close confidante.

Top police sources told our correspondent yesteday in Abuja that the fomer IGP, who has been given a United Nations job, sought to travel to an unnamed foreign nation to spend his terminal leave before taking up his UN job in September.

The source said: "He was refused permission to travel. I believe the presidency wants his successor, Mr. Mike Okiro, to conclude investigations first on the allegations against Ehindero before allowing him to travel. His passport has also been seized. Right now, we don’t know where he is, but he is believed to be in the country."

LEADERSHIP was also told that Ehindero had approached former President Obasanjo for help," but you know Obasanjo. Being an expert in using and dumping people, he was said to have told Ehindero to pray hard, so that God may listen to save him".

The federal government may strip Ehindero of his national honours, Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR, which Obasanjo bestowed on him upon his appointment as IG.

A few days ago, the sum of about N21 million was confiscated from Ehindero’s close aides whose names were given as John Obaniyi, commissioner of police in charge of budget; and Olu Monday, a deputy superintendent of police in Obaniyi’s office.

While Obaniyi participated in yesterday’s Monday parade, Olu Monday was also seen moving freely yesterday at the force headquarters.

Ehindero is billed to answer many questions onhow police allocations under his tenure, the funds released for the payment of estacode and election duties of his men (said to be in billions) were utilised. He was still expecting a three-month extension when Yar’Adua removed him.

http://www.leadershipnigeria.com/product_info.php?products_id=7618

Yar’Adua orders Okiro to probe Ehindero 12/6/2007


By Jude Isiguzo

President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua is not prepared to sweep under the carpet claims of graft in the police. He has ordered Acting Inspector-General of Police (IG) Mr Mike Okiro to investigate his predecessor, Mr Sunday Ehindero, immediately.

Ehindero is at the centre of a storm which blew open last Wednesday when a Commissioner of Police (CP) in-charge of budget at the Force Headquarters, Mr John Obaniyi, and two aides were caught as they attempted to move N21.1 million overnight out of the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

Obaniyi, on interrogation, claimed the money, which was stacked in bags, was Ehindero’s.

President Yar’Adua also ordered a probe of the Defence Attache to Nigeria’s High Commission in India, Navy Captain G. A. Ojedokun, who was arrested and detained briefly on May 21 at the Indira Gandhi international airport in New Delhi for carrying $2.27 million (about N295 million) in cash.

Operatives of India’s Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate, who arrested Ojedokun, were not convinced by the explanation of the Lagos-bound diplomat. They seized the cash, suspecting it was drug money.

A source told The Nation that the money may have been for the rent of an official property in India. But the source wondered why the officer would carry such cash.

President Yar’Adua, who on his inauguration on May 29, promised to raise the bar on the war against corruption, is said to be unimpressed with official handing of both the Ehindero and Ojedokun issues.

He has directed Okiro, who was Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of Police (Works) to Ehindero, to get to the bottom of both cases.

"The President is determined to get the law to descend heavily on public officers and others found involved in any form of corruption," an Aso Rock source said last night, adding that Yar’Adua summoned Okiro to Aso Rock, the seat of power in Abuja.

The source added: "When investigations are concluded in these two cases, it is the intention of the administration to make a good example of the personalities involved."

The Nation gathered that if the outcome of investigations find the men culpable, they may be handed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for "diligent prosecution".

EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mr Osita Nwajah was present last Friday, beside Okiro, at the Force Headquarters where the Acting IG addressed the media on the N21.1 million.

The EFCC official was at the briefing to get more information on the matter, it was learnt.

Stuffed in two black bags and three computer cartons, the N21.1 million was in N1,000, N500 and N200 denominations.

Ehindero, after his immediate predecessor, Mr Tafa Balogun, is the second former IG to be linked with financial malfeasance.

His telephone was not active last night when The Nation called to get his comments on the latest development.

In the case of Navy Captain Ojedokun, the suspicious Indian Tax agents described the cash as their biggest haul at any Indian airport.

No official word came from Nigeria’s Foreign Ministry to explain the embarrassing incident.

Aides of the Acting IG told The Nation last night that Okiro was at a marathon meeting which would end "very late".

BUSHFELLOW:
ok i will wait as you said no problem, but remember when it was the time of ibb, atiku and the rest you believed the papers right

You allow an empty barrel such as Majamaja to intimidate you into submission? Its a shame.

I Concur with Keyamo. Ehindero should be paraded naked and flogged till his arse turns red . What a disgrace to his family.

Ehindero Must Be Paraded —Keyamo


Published: 2007/6/11


By Simon Ateba

Controversial Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo, has called on the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, to immediately arrest Mr. Sunday Ehindero, the immediate past Inspector General of Police, in connection with the monumental financial scandal that rocked the force last week.

Keyamo expressed surprise that Ehindero, who is the main suspect in the financial scam, was still walking about the streets of Abuja a free man.

“They should have arrested Ehindero by now. There must be no cover up of the monumental scandal. There must be a thorough investigation.

''Ehindero must be paraded and taken to court in handcuffs. And if possible, those who know he has stolen something, must have their faces covered when he is paraded. Only their eyes must be seen,” he said.

Keyamo explained further that since the former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun, was sentenced for stealing money belonging to the police, Ehindero should not be spared.

''What is good for the goose is sauce for the gander. Didn't Tafa Balogun go to jail for stealing police money? Then Ehindero should face the same punishment.

“There must be no room for pity, sentiment or compromise. Ehindero must face his own predicament,” he said.

http://www.thenewsng.com/modules/zmagazine/article.php?articleid=16576

Former IG, Ehindero, Faces Questions Over Fraud!
BY Reuters
DATE : Saturday, 09 June 2007
ABUJA, June 9 (Reuters) - Nigeria's former chief of police will face questioning over his alleged role in the attempted theft of 21 million naira ($164,680) in cash from the force headquarters, the police spokesman said on Saturday. Haz Iwendi said two policemen were caught carrying the cash out of the building in the middle of Thursday night. They said they were acting on instructions from a high-ranking policeman, commissioner in charge of budget John Obaniyi.

All three men implicated are now under arrest, Iwendi said. During questioning, Obaniyi said former Inspector General Sunday Ehindero, who retired a week ago, had authorised the withdrawal.
"We need to know if there's any truth in that. He (Ehindero) will definitely have to offer a statement," said Iwendi.
"This was money that belonged to the force and it is clear that it was not being withdrawn in the proper way," he said.
Ehindero was sent into retirement by new President Umaru Yar'Adua in one of the first decisions he took after his inauguration on May 29. Ehindero's replacement, Mike Okiro, has vowed to crack down on corruption in the police.
Nigeria is considered one of the world's most corrupt countries by independent watchdog Transparency International, and many Nigerians see the police as the embodiment of that.
Poorly-paid and ill-trained, Nigerian policemen are better known for mounting illegal roadblocks to extract bribes from motorists than for fighting crime.
They are also infamous for accusing people who refuse to pay of armed robbery and locking them up in dirty, overcrowded police cells where torture is systemic, according to the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture who visited Nigeria in March.
While low-ranking policemen are derided for their efforts to obtain small bribes, corruption on a much grander scale has been uncovered among the top brass.
Another former inspector general, Tafa Balogun, was convicted in November 2005 of laundering $150 million and sentenced to six months in jail. The sight of Balogun handcuffed in court when he was charged in April 2005 was a defining image of a much-hyped war on corruption by the government.

However, anti-corruption campaigners said Balogun's jail term was so lenient it undermined the fight against graft.

This foolish guy Majamaja,

If you like posses ten LLBs. Some of us are pursuing PhD programs in contemporary science. There is nothing new in your claim, thus. That Okiro denies threatening thief Ehindero does not make him less a thief. He is one and will remain so all his life. Mad, Mad.

Ali, others must go now ––S’East PDP
By Musikilu Mojeed
Published: Sunday, 10 Jun 2007

There were indications in Abuja on Saturday that the South-East caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party had started pushing for the resignation of the Dr. Ahmadu Ali-led National Working Committee of the party.


At a meeting attended by governors, party chairmen and members of the National Assembly from the five South-Eastern states in Abuja on Friday, it was reportedly decided that the caucus should make a representation to President Umaru Yar‘Adua on the matter.

A top party official from the South-East, who informed our correspondent of the meeting on Saturday, said participants at the parley, held at the Bolingo Hotel and Towers, expressed concern that Ali had remained in office even when the party’s chairmanship position had been zoned to the South-East.

He said it was resolved that the zone should demand the resignation of the Ali-led leadership so a politician of South-East extraction could assume the number one party position in line with the prevailing zoning formula.

The source said, ”We all felt at the meeting that the South-East was being shortchanged. All other zones have rightfully assumed the offices zoned to them.

”But Ali has continued to enjoy the slot meant for the South-East. Yet a man from his zone, the North-Central, has been elected Senate President.”

The ruling party is yet to announce the date for a convention for the election of new party executives that will comply with the new zoning formula. There were, however, indications that Ali and his colleagues might remain in office till November.

But the source said the South-East would have none of that. He said the zone would demand that a politician from the South-East be allowed to act as party chairman pending the election of new party leaders.

He said it would be an injustice to the South-East for Ali to be allowed to remain in office ”at a time the party would be considering nominees for ministerial, board and ambassadorial appointments.

”We wanted the speakership of the House of Representatives. We were not given; instead the position of party chairman was allocated to us. We accepted it in good faith but now, they do not want us to assume the position. They are reluctant to ask Ali to quit. I can assure you that we won‘t accept that,” he said.

The party‘s National Vice-Chairman, South-East, Chief Fidelis Ozichukwu-Chukwu, could not be reached for comments on the development as repeated calls made to him indicated that his phones were switched off.

Ali could also not be reached, but the party‘s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. John Odey, said the South-East should be patient as the matter was being sorted out.

Odey added, ”The South-East should be patient with the party. The leader of the party and the national caucus will decide on what to do. I can assure you that no zone will be marginalized in this party. Every zone will get what it deserves.

”Our party is undergoing tremendous transformation and nobody should do anything that will set members against one another. The leadership will remain sensitive to the yearnings of members and all issues will continued to be resolved amicably.”

Ehindero Implicated

 
• Commissioner of police, DSP arrested

Just a few days after his appointment as the acting inspector-general of police and his declaration that he would fight corruption in the force, Mr. Mike Okiro is having his first test. Senior officers caught red-handed as they were smuggling money allegedly belonging to Okiro’s predecessor Sunday Ehindero out of Louis Edet House, the police headquarters in Abuja, have been arrested.

A vehicle containing the value of N27 million in both hard currency and the Nigerian currency was yesterday evening intercepted by eagle-eyed policemen at the main gate of Louis Edet House.

Already, the commissioner of police in charge of budget, Mr. John Obaniyi, and his personal assistant, DSP Olu Monday who was ferrying the money out of the office have been arrested by the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) men for questioning. Soon to join Obaniyi and Monday is the immediate IGP Ehindero who was suspected to be the true owner of the money.

The two policemen were said to have perfected plans to run away with the money and possibly abandon the force but, unknown to them, the information had leaked to

the new IG Okiro who directed his plain-clothes men to block the gate and pick up the two officers.

The money was said to be meant for the estacodes and allowances of policemen who went for peacekeeping operations in Liberia and other foreign engagements but who were not paid by Ehindero. A part of the money is believed to be fallouts from the April elections in the country.

Obaniyi, who hails from Ondo State as Ehindero, had until now been the untouchable finance controller of the force. He had enormous power to do and undo, with the strong backing of his boss.

Throughout the tenure of Ehindero, sources within the police said, the usual struggle to go on foreign operations by policemen was no longer attractive because Ehindero had always refused to pay them, except for the few who belonged to his Yoruba tribe.

There was jubilation at the force headquarters yesterday evening when the two men were arrested. First to be arrested was Olu Monday who quickly told his colleagues that the money belonged to his oga (master) Obaniyi.

He was compelled to take the policemen to his one-room apartment at the Garki Village Police Barrack, where it was discovered that his entire family had packed out and headed for an unknown address. Neighbours who confided in our correspondent said he recently bought a jeep for his wife.

He was later taken to the Force CID office at Area 10 where he and Obaniyi are currently cooling their heels.

Sources at the force headquarters told Leadership that, already, numerous petitions against Ehindero over mismanagement of funds are now before the EFCC.

Like his predecessor Mr. Tafa Balogun, Ehindero is likely to be picked up for questioning since he has been linked to the fraud.

The force headquarters, according to CP Haz Iwendi, its spokesperson, will be briefing the press on the matter and other issues today at 10 am.

Until his exit, Ehindero had transferred his loyal son, Obaniyi, to head the police desk at the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Lagos; Okiro reverted the transfer and deployed him to a police college.

Ehindero’s claim to integrity was questioned by his men when he, against the advice of police management, bought the official residence of the IG, at a cost of about N8 million, during the sale of government houses.
,
It seems to me Ehindero, did not recommend Onovo because of attempts to cover up his thievery. But alas, his cover is blown so soon.

Much ado about Okiro


Thursday, June 07, 2007 People and Politics
Ochereome Nnanna

ON Wednesday, May 30th 2007, former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, was ordered to hand over his post to the “next most senior” Deputy Inspector General. From records, it became clear that Mr. Ogbonnaya Onovo, the DIG in charge of Administration, was that person. But, by Friday that same week when Ehindero formally said goodbye to the Force, the formal instruction was that he should hand over to Mr. Mike Mbama Okiro, the DIG in charge of Operations.

This move ruffled quite a few feathers within the system. Some thought that the new regime of President Umar Yar’Adua, in making the decision, “bypassed an Igbo man” and gave the coveted position to someone from Rivers State. While some speculated that it was part of the administration’s continued effort to woo the South South and encourage the cessation of violence in the Niger Delta, others felt that the new leaders were continuing former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s perceived marginalisation of the South- East. Some even concluded that Obasanjo must have been behind the move.

LET me remark here that this mess was avoidable. Rather than ask Ehindero to hand over to the next senior officer, he should have been told to hand over to Okiro. Even though some people might still have grumbled that the bypass of Onovo was politically fishy, they would have recognised the President’s prerogative of making such appointments. Past Heads of State had tended to appoint their tribesmen to key security positions, including the post of IGP. In fact, it was the vogue to ensure that the service chiefs and key administration officials were from the tribe or region of the Head of State, perhaps, because it gave them a sense of security.

Many top officers in the forces were often retired to give way to the anointed ones. Even Obasanjo made sure that all three Police IG’s who served during the eight years of his regime were Yoruba, and retirements had to be conducted in 1999 to create room for this. When EFCC Chairman, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, was being touted as Ehindero’s successor, the stage seemed set for another round of retirements of top cops. It is, therefore, pleasantly surprising that (at least so far) the new regime is toeing former President Shehu Shagari’s line in giving the post to a competent policeman and not insisting that he must come from his geopolitical area. If this trend is continued in all areas of security and administration appoint-ments, people will no longer feel that their parts of the country are being kept out of the scheme of things.

It is important for us also to dispel the impression that Okiro getting it instead of Onovo amounts to the Igbo being bypassed. Even though some have speculated, in the past, that Okiro is Ijaw, the truth is that he is of Igbo stock.

He comes from Egbema, which was in the Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta Local Govern-ment Area of the old East Central State (ECS). When new states were created in 1976 by the government of General Murtala Mohammed, Egbema was part of the newly created Imo State. It was during the boundary adjustment exercise that followed that Egbema, an oil-producing area, was shifted into Rivers State, an action that some Igbo leaders, such as the late Chief Sam Mbakwe, felt was aimed at depleting Imo of its oil producing status.

Besides, Igbo-speaking people in Rivers and Delta are as Igbo as any other Igbo, just as Yoruba in Kogi and Kwara are Yoruba and Ijaw in Rivers and Delta are Ijaw. The boundaries that separate people are just artificial. Let people learn from the lessons of recent history. Former Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili, used to pride himself as a “Rivers man”, as if Rivers State is a tribe. But, as soon as he embraced the presidential race and looked like a real prospect, some Ijaw leaders, such as Chief Edwin Clark, started telling the world that Odili is an Igbo man, and that the agitation for a South- South president of Nigeria was not meant for an Igbo man masquerading as South Southerner! So, Okiro remains the first Igbo man ever to be appointed as the Inspector General of Police, for whatever it is worth.

On a more serious note, it does not really matter where the Police IG comes from. That he comes from a tribe does not prevent him from doing the bidding of his appointers neither does it propel him to carry out an obvious ethnic agenda. In fact, the best person to be used against a tribe or religion is a member of that tribe or religion. All three IGP’s under Obasanjo were Yoruba, and, yet, till date, the real killers of Chief Bola Ige are yet to be exposed.

WHAT we know about Okiro, from his exploits as the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, is that he is a tough crime fighter who does his job without creating undue political mess. He put area boys and the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) in check in 1999 to 2001 without creating the impression that he was on an ethnic witch hunt. Okiro is also very media friendly, having come from the background of a student activist in his university days.

It is now left for him to show Nigerians the stuff he is made of. The way Okiro makes his bed as Police IG is the way he will lie down on it!

Much ado about Okiro


Thursday, June 07, 2007 People and Politics
Ochereome Nnanna

ON Wednesday, May 30th 2007, former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, was ordered to hand over his post to the “next most senior” Deputy Inspector General. From records, it became clear that Mr. Ogbonnaya Onovo, the DIG in charge of Administration, was that person. But, by Friday that same week when Ehindero formally said goodbye to the Force, the formal instruction was that he should hand over to Mr. Mike Mbama Okiro, the DIG in charge of Operations.

This move ruffled quite a few feathers within the system. Some thought that the new regime of President Umar Yar’Adua, in making the decision, “bypassed an Igbo man” and gave the coveted position to someone from Rivers State. While some speculated that it was part of the administration’s continued effort to woo the South South and encourage the cessation of violence in the Niger Delta, others felt that the new leaders were continuing former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s perceived marginalisation of the South- East. Some even concluded that Obasanjo must have been behind the move.

LET me remark here that this mess was avoidable. Rather than ask Ehindero to hand over to the next senior officer, he should have been told to hand over to Okiro. Even though some people might still have grumbled that the bypass of Onovo was politically fishy, they would have recognised the President’s prerogative of making such appointments. Past Heads of State had tended to appoint their tribesmen to key security positions, including the post of IGP. In fact, it was the vogue to ensure that the service chiefs and key administration officials were from the tribe or region of the Head of State, perhaps, because it gave them a sense of security.

Many top officers in the forces were often retired to give way to the anointed ones. Even Obasanjo made sure that all three Police IG’s who served during the eight years of his regime were Yoruba, and retirements had to be conducted in 1999 to create room for this. When EFCC Chairman, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, was being touted as Ehindero’s successor, the stage seemed set for another round of retirements of top cops. It is, therefore, pleasantly surprising that (at least so far) the new regime is toeing former President Shehu Shagari’s line in giving the post to a competent policeman and not insisting that he must come from his geopolitical area. If this trend is continued in all areas of security and administration appoint-ments, people will no longer feel that their parts of the country are being kept out of the scheme of things.

It is important for us also to dispel the impression that Okiro getting it instead of Onovo amounts to the Igbo being bypassed. Even though some have speculated, in the past, that Okiro is Ijaw, the truth is that he is of Igbo stock.

He comes from Egbema, which was in the Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta Local Govern-ment Area of the old East Central State (ECS). When new states were created in 1976 by the government of General Murtala Mohammed, Egbema was part of the newly created Imo State. It was during the boundary adjustment exercise that followed that Egbema, an oil-producing area, was shifted into Rivers State, an action that some Igbo leaders, such as the late Chief Sam Mbakwe, felt was aimed at depleting Imo of its oil producing status.

Besides, Igbo-speaking people in Rivers and Delta are as Igbo as any other Igbo, just as Yoruba in Kogi and Kwara are Yoruba and Ijaw in Rivers and Delta are Ijaw. The boundaries that separate people are just artificial. Let people learn from the lessons of recent history. Former Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili, used to pride himself as a “Rivers man”, as if Rivers State is a tribe. But, as soon as he embraced the presidential race and looked like a real prospect, some Ijaw leaders, such as Chief Edwin Clark, started telling the world that Odili is an Igbo man, and that the agitation for a South- South president of Nigeria was not meant for an Igbo man masquerading as South Southerner! So, Okiro remains the first Igbo man ever to be appointed as the Inspector General of Police, for whatever it is worth.

On a more serious note, it does not really matter where the Police IG comes from. That he comes from a tribe does not prevent him from doing the bidding of his appointers neither does it propel him to carry out an obvious ethnic agenda. In fact, the best person to be used against a tribe or religion is a member of that tribe or religion. All three IGP’s under Obasanjo were Yoruba, and, yet, till date, the real killers of Chief Bola Ige are yet to be exposed.

WHAT we know about Okiro, from his exploits as the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, is that he is a tough crime fighter who does his job without creating undue political mess. He put area boys and the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) in check in 1999 to 2001 without creating the impression that he was on an ethnic witch hunt. Okiro is also very media friendly, having come from the background of a student activist in his university days.

It is now left for him to show Nigerians the stuff he is made of. The way Okiro makes his bed as Police IG is the way he will lie down on it!

Much ado about Okiro


Thursday, June 07, 2007 People and Politics
Ochereome Nnanna

ON Wednesday, May 30th 2007, former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, was ordered to hand over his post to the “next most senior” Deputy Inspector General. From records, it became clear that Mr. Ogbonnaya Onovo, the DIG in charge of Administration, was that person. But, by Friday that same week when Ehindero formally said goodbye to the Force, the formal instruction was that he should hand over to Mr. Mike Mbama Okiro, the DIG in charge of Operations.

This move ruffled quite a few feathers within the system. Some thought that the new regime of President Umar Yar’Adua, in making the decision, “bypassed an Igbo man” and gave the coveted position to someone from Rivers State. While some speculated that it was part of the administration’s continued effort to woo the South South and encourage the cessation of violence in the Niger Delta, others felt that the new leaders were continuing former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s perceived marginalisation of the South- East. Some even concluded that Obasanjo must have been behind the move.

LET me remark here that this mess was avoidable. Rather than ask Ehindero to hand over to the next senior officer, he should have been told to hand over to Okiro. Even though some people might still have grumbled that the bypass of Onovo was politically fishy, they would have recognised the President’s prerogative of making such appointments. Past Heads of State had tended to appoint their tribesmen to key security positions, including the post of IGP. In fact, it was the vogue to ensure that the service chiefs and key administration officials were from the tribe or region of the Head of State, perhaps, because it gave them a sense of security.

Many top officers in the forces were often retired to give way to the anointed ones. Even Obasanjo made sure that all three Police IG’s who served during the eight years of his regime were Yoruba, and retirements had to be conducted in 1999 to create room for this. When EFCC Chairman, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, was being touted as Ehindero’s successor, the stage seemed set for another round of retirements of top cops. It is, therefore, pleasantly surprising that (at least so far) the new regime is toeing former President Shehu Shagari’s line in giving the post to a competent policeman and not insisting that he must come from his geopolitical area. If this trend is continued in all areas of security and administration appoint-ments, people will no longer feel that their parts of the country are being kept out of the scheme of things.

It is important for us also to dispel the impression that Okiro getting it instead of Onovo amounts to the Igbo being bypassed. Even though some have speculated, in the past, that Okiro is Ijaw, the truth is that he is of Igbo stock.

He comes from Egbema, which was in the Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta Local Govern-ment Area of the old East Central State (ECS). When new states were created in 1976 by the government of General Murtala Mohammed, Egbema was part of the newly created Imo State. It was during the boundary adjustment exercise that followed that Egbema, an oil-producing area, was shifted into Rivers State, an action that some Igbo leaders, such as the late Chief Sam Mbakwe, felt was aimed at depleting Imo of its oil producing status.

Besides, Igbo-speaking people in Rivers and Delta are as Igbo as any other Igbo, just as Yoruba in Kogi and Kwara are Yoruba and Ijaw in Rivers and Delta are Ijaw. The boundaries that separate people are just artificial. Let people learn from the lessons of recent history. Former Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili, used to pride himself as a “Rivers man”, as if Rivers State is a tribe. But, as soon as he embraced the presidential race and looked like a real prospect, some Ijaw leaders, such as Chief Edwin Clark, started telling the world that Odili is an Igbo man, and that the agitation for a South- South president of Nigeria was not meant for an Igbo man masquerading as South Southerner! So, Okiro remains the first Igbo man ever to be appointed as the Inspector General of Police, for whatever it is worth.

On a more serious note, it does not really matter where the Police IG comes from. That he comes from a tribe does not prevent him from doing the bidding of his appointers neither does it propel him to carry out an obvious ethnic agenda. In fact, the best person to be used against a tribe or religion is a member of that tribe or religion. All three IGP’s under Obasanjo were Yoruba, and, yet, till date, the real killers of Chief Bola Ige are yet to be exposed.

WHAT we know about Okiro, from his exploits as the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, is that he is a tough crime fighter who does his job without creating undue political mess. He put area boys and the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) in check in 1999 to 2001 without creating the impression that he was on an ethnic witch hunt. Okiro is also very media friendly, having come from the background of a student activist in his university days.

It is now left for him to show Nigerians the stuff he is made of. The way Okiro makes his bed as Police IG is the way he will lie down on it!

That is not true. I know someone with an HND (Nig) MSc (Europe), on scholarship; and PhD (Europe-ongoing) also on scholarship. He did not even follow a PGD programme before the MSc. It all depends on your HND grade and cognate work experience.