₦airaland Forum

KGD10:
OSU and false narration. They use lies swear for OSU people? Look below and see the pictures of Awolowo and IBB laughing after Awolowo had gone to collect his siezed passport (his passport had been siezed by the previous government) in order to travel abroad to cure his heart problem but unfortunately, his heart gave up a week after.

OSU and stupidity, very synonymous. No amount of false narration can change the fact that Awolowo died peacefully as a baby on his bed unlike Ojukwu who was going senile while his wife abadoned him like his son stated. Yeye dey smell.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/8627830_1071300114953649940541367415725118272352526n_jpeg9ca10cb29d8d4771b6d796750b5a823c

clarocuzioo:
Hypocrisy, deceit and propaganda from the ruling class did not start today, now we are understanding better where our ruling class learnt their blame game from.

First and foremost, I was wondering where the statement "All is fair in War" emanated from. From account of events that statement was not just made but fully implemented just like the present day "97/5%" statement.

For him to say the soldiers were well fed during the war because they were stealing the food they sent is the height of his lies, it's obvious posterity and history has been judging him harshly on the atrocities he committed against humanity, and typically, he is denying and apportioning blame else where. Were they not getting intelligence report during the war?? Do they not have enough security to move those food items during the war especially as they were winning the war from all sides??
With all due respect to to your person, personality and statues in the society, this defence is lame.

Finally, I hope wherever he is today, he is happy to see what have become of the entity he wasted the blood of innocent people and starved millions of children to defend.

I guess if he had seen the future, he would have done a lot of things differently, but , unfortunately he does not have that time.

History and posterity will continue to judge him.

CandidSeeker:
Awo speaks - an excerpt from a town hall interview in Abeokuta in 1983.����

CIVIL WAR

Question: Chief Awolowo, …Your stand on the civil war, however unpopular it might have been to the Biafrans or Ibo people, helped to shorten the war. Today, you’re being castigated as the sole enemy of the Ibo people because of that stand, by among others, some of the people who as members of the Federal Military Government at that time, were party to that decision and are today, in some cases, inheritors of power in one Nigeria which that decision of yours helped to save. How do you feel being painted in this role, and what steps are you taking to endear yourself once again to that large chunk of Nigerians who feel embittered?

Awolowo: As far as I know, the Ibo masses are friendly to me, towards me. In fact, whenever I visit Iboland, either Anambra or Imo, and there’s no campaigning for elections on, the Ibo people receive me warmly and affectionately. But there are some elements in Iboland who believe that they can maintain their popularity only by denigrating me, and so they keep on telling lies against me. Ojukwu is one of them. I don’t want to mention the names of the others because they are still redeemable, but ….Ojukwu is irredeemable, so I mention his name, and my attitude to these lies is one of indifference, I must confess to you.

I’ve learnt to rely completely on the providence and vindication of Almighty God in some of these things. I’ve tried to explain myself in the past, but these liars persist. Ojukwu had only recently told the same lie against me. What’s the point in correcting lies when people are determined to persist in telling lies against you, what’s the point?. I know that someday the Ibos, the masses of the Ibo people will realize who their friends are, and who their real enemies are. And the day that happens woe betide those enemies. The Ibos will deal with them very roughly, very roughly.

That has happened in my life. I have a nickname now, if you see my letterhead you’ll find something on top, you’ll find a fish done on the letterhead. Some people put Lion on theirs, some people put Tiger, but mine is Fish. And Fish represents my zodiac sign, those of you who read the stars and so on in the newspapers; you’ll find out that there’s a zodiac sign known as Pisces, in Latin Pisces means Fish.

So I put Pisces on top, that’s my zodiac sign being born on the 6th of March,….er well, the year doesn’t matter, it’s the day that matters. And then on top of it I wrote Eebudola. All of you know the meaning of that. You know I don’t want to tell a long story but………………Awolowo school, omo Awolowo, the school…… started in Urhoboland, in the Mid-west in those days. They were ridiculing my schools, I was building schools – brick and cement, to dpc level, block to dpc level and mud thereafter. And so the big shots in the place..”ah what kind of school is this? is this Awolowo school? Useless school” and when they saw the children..”ah these Awolowo children, they can’t read and write, Awolowo children” that’s how it started, with ridicule, and it became a blessing, and now they say “Awolowo children, they are good people” no more ridicule about it, that’s how it started, so the 'Eebu' has become honor, the abuse became honor.

And so when I look back to all my life, treasonable felony, jail, all the abuses that were heaped on me, to Coker Inquiry, all sorts, and I see what has happened to the people who led, who led all these denigration campaign, where are they today? Those that are alive are what I call 'Homo Mortuus' - dead living, 'oku eniyan', that’s what they are, those that their lives have gone.

So when I look back, I come to the conclusion that all these abuses which have been heaped on me all my life for doing nothing, for doing good, they have become honor, and so 'Eebudola' is one of my nicknames. So I’ve cultivated an attitude of indifference, I’ve done no evil to the Ibos.

During the war I saw to it that the revenue which was due to Iboland - South Eastern states they call it, at that time..East Central State, I kept it, I saved the money for them. And when they ….were librated I handed over the money to them - millions of pounds. If I’d decided to do so, I could have kept the money away from them and then when they took over I saw to it that subvention was given to them at the rate of 990,000 pounds every month. I didn’t go to the Executive Council to ask for support, or for approval because I knew if I went to the Executive Council at that time, the subvention would not be approved because there were more enemies in the Executive Council for the Ibos than friends. And since I wasn’t going to take a percentage from what I was going to give them, and I knew I was doing what was right, I wanted the state to survive, I kept on giving the subvention – 990,000 pounds almost a million, every month, and I did that for other states of course - South Eastern State, North Central State, Kwara and so on.

But I did that for the Ibos, and when the war was over, I saw to it that the ACB got three and a half million pounds (£3,500,000.00) to start with. This was distributed immediately and I gave another sum of money. The attitude of the experts, officials at the time of the ACB was that ACB should be closed down, and I held the view: you couldn’t close the ACB down because that is the bank that gives finance to Ibo traders, and if you close it down they’ll find it difficult to survive. So it was given. I did the same thing for the Cooperative Bank of Eastern Nigeria, to rehabilitate all these places, and I saw to it as Federal Commissioner for Finance that no obstacle was placed in the way of the Ministry of Economic Planning in planning for rehabilitation of the war affected areas.

TWENTY POUNDS POLICY

That’s what I did, and the case of the money they said was not given back to them, you know during the war all the pounds were looted, they printed Biafran currency notes, which they circulated, at the close of the war some people wanted their Biafran notes to be exchanged for them. Of course I couldn’t do that, if I did that the whole country would be bankrupt. We didn’t know about Biafran notes and we didn’t know on what basis they have printed them, so we refused the Biafran note, but I laid down the principle that all those who had savings in the banks on the eve of the declaration of the Biafran war or Biafra, will get their money back if they could satisfy us that they had the savings there, or the money there. Unfortunately, all the banks’ books had been burnt, and many of the people who had savings there didn’t have their savings books or their last statement of account, so a panel had to be set up.

I didn’t take part in setting up the panel, it was done by the Central Bank and the pertinent officials of the Federal Ministry of Finance, to look into the matter, and they went carefully into the matter, they took some months to do so, and then made some recommendation which I approved. Go to the archives, all I did was approved, I didn’t write anything more than that, I don’t even remember the name of any of them who took part. So I did everything in this world to assist our Ibo brothers and sisters during and after the war.

And anyone who goes back to look at my broadcast in August 1967, which dealt with post-war reconstruction would see what I said there.

STARVATION POLICY

Then, but above all, the ending of the war itself that I’m accused of, accused of starving the Ibos, I did nothing of the sort. You know, shortly after the liberation of these places, Calabar, Enugu and Port Harcort, I decided to pay a visit. There are certain things which I knew which you don’t know, which I don’t want to say here now, when I write my reminisces in the future I will do so. Some of the soldiers were not truthful with us, they didn’t tell us correct stories and so on.

I wanted to be there and see things for myself, bear in mind that Gowon himself did not go there at that time, it was after the war was over that he dorn himself up in various military dresses - Air force dress, Army dress and so on, and went to the war torn areas. But I went and some people tried to frighten me out of my goal by saying that Adekunle was my enemy and he was going to see to it that I never returned from the place. But I went.

But when I went what did I see? I saw the kwashiorkor victims. If you see a kwashiorkor victim you’ll never like war to be waged. Terrible sight, in Enugu, in Port Harcourt, not many in Calabar, but mainly in Enugu and Port Harcourt. Then I enquired what happened to the food we were sending to the civilians. We were sending food through the Red cross, and CARITAS to them, but what happened was that the vehicles carrying the food were always ambushed by the soldiers. That’s what I discovered, and the food would then be taken to the soldiers to feed them, and so they were able to continue to fight. And I said that was a very dangerous policy, we didn’t intend the food for soldiers. But who will go behind the line to stop the soldiers from ambushing the vehicles that were carrying the food? And as long as soldiers were fed, the war will continue, and who’ll continue to suffer? and those who didn’t go to the place to see things as I did, you remember that all the big guns, all the soldiers in the Biafran army looked all well fed after the war, its only the mass of the people that suffered kwashiorkor.

You won't hear of a single lawyer, a single doctor, a single architect, who suffered from kwashiorkor? None of their children either, so they waylaid the foods, they ambushed the vehicles and took the foods to their friends and to their collaborators and to their children and the masses were suffering. So I decided to stop sending the food there. In the process, the civilians would suffer, but the soldiers will suffer most.

CHANGE OF CURRENCY

And it is on record that Ojukwu admitted that two things defeated him in this war, that’s as at the day he left Biafra. He said one, the change of currency, he said that was the first thing that defeated him, and we did that to prevent Ojukwu taking the money which his soldiers had stolen from our Central Bank for sale abroad to buy arms. We discovered he looted our Central Bank in Benin, he looted the one in Port Harcourt, looted the one in Calabar and he was taking the currency notes abroad to sell to earn foreign exchange to buy arms.

So I decided to change the currency, and for your benefit, it can now be told the whole world, only Gowon knew the day before, the day before the change took place. I decided, only three of us knew before then- Isong now Governor of Cross River, Attah and myself. It was a closely guarded secret, if any Commissioner at the time says that he knew about it, he’s only boosting his own ego. Because once you tell someone, he’ll tell another person. So we refused to tell them and we changed the currency notes. So Ojukwu said the change in currency defeated him, and starvation of his soldiers also defeated him.

These were the two things that defeated Ojukwu. And, he reminds me, when you saw Ojukwu’s picture after the war, did he look like someone who wasn't well fed? But he had been taking the food which we sent to civilians, and so we stopped the food.

ABANDONED PROPERTY

And then finally, I saw to it that the houses owned by the Ibos in Lagos and on this side, were kept for them. I had an estate agent friend who told me that one of them collected half a million pounds rent which has been kept for him. All his rent were collected, but since we didn’t seize their houses, he came back and collected half a million pounds.

So that is the position. I’m a friend of the Ibos and the mass of the Ibos are my friends, but there are certain elements who want to continue to deceive the Ibos by telling lies against me, and one day, they’ll discover and then that day will be terrible for those who have been telling the lies.

Omoba Bisi Odukoya

AbaLion:
These are the truths we have been saying to you for a very long time but a Chinua Achebe (who is rotting in the hotest part of hell ), other purveyors of lies and congenial bloodline of falsehoods were able to deceive your hollow minds and shallow sentiments much to a greater degree of victim mentality and a lower sense of ridiculousness.
I expect that you would give a retort to the OP rather than a strike through but you have confirmed yourselves as a proof of empty reasoning and a generation of Emo kids nurtured with a very low understanding of Nigerian history.

Achebe no go die well and every one that riles up your emotions instead of enriching you with facts of history.

* I am still waiting for counter facts




-Lion

CandidSeeker:
Awo speaks - an excerpt from a town hall interview in Abeokuta in 1983.����

CIVIL WAR

Question: Chief Awolowo, …Your stand on the civil war, however unpopular it might have been to the Biafrans or Ibo people, helped to shorten the war. Today, you’re being castigated as the sole enemy of the Ibo people because of that stand, by among others, some of the people who as members of the Federal Military Government at that time, were party to that decision and are today, in some cases, inheritors of power in one Nigeria which that decision of yours helped to save. How do you feel being painted in this role, and what steps are you taking to endear yourself once again to that large chunk of Nigerians who feel embittered?

Awolowo: As far as I know, the Ibo masses are friendly to me, towards me. In fact, whenever I visit Iboland, either Anambra or Imo, and there’s no campaigning for elections on, the Ibo people receive me warmly and affectionately. But there are some elements in Iboland who believe that they can maintain their popularity only by denigrating me, and so they keep on telling lies against me. Ojukwu is one of them. I don’t want to mention the names of the others because they are still redeemable, but ….Ojukwu is irredeemable, so I mention his name, and my attitude to these lies is one of indifference, I must confess to you.

I’ve learnt to rely completely on the providence and vindication of Almighty God in some of these things. I’ve tried to explain myself in the past, but these liars persist. Ojukwu had only recently told the same lie against me. What’s the point in correcting lies when people are determined to persist in telling lies against you, what’s the point?. I know that someday the Ibos, the masses of the Ibo people will realize who their friends are, and who their real enemies are. And the day that happens woe betide those enemies. The Ibos will deal with them very roughly, very roughly.

That has happened in my life. I have a nickname now, if you see my letterhead you’ll find something on top, you’ll find a fish done on the letterhead. Some people put Lion on theirs, some people put Tiger, but mine is Fish. And Fish represents my zodiac sign, those of you who read the stars and so on in the newspapers; you’ll find out that there’s a zodiac sign known as Pisces, in Latin Pisces means Fish.

So I put Pisces on top, that’s my zodiac sign being born on the 6th of March,….er well, the year doesn’t matter, it’s the day that matters. And then on top of it I wrote Eebudola. All of you know the meaning of that. You know I don’t want to tell a long story but………………Awolowo school, omo Awolowo, the school…… started in Urhoboland, in the Mid-west in those days. They were ridiculing my schools, I was building schools – brick and cement, to dpc level, block to dpc level and mud thereafter. And so the big shots in the place..”ah what kind of school is this? is this Awolowo school? Useless school” and when they saw the children..”ah these Awolowo children, they can’t read and write, Awolowo children” that’s how it started, with ridicule, and it became a blessing, and now they say “Awolowo children, they are good people” no more ridicule about it, that’s how it started, so the 'Eebu' has become honor, the abuse became honor.

And so when I look back to all my life, treasonable felony, jail, all the abuses that were heaped on me, to Coker Inquiry, all sorts, and I see what has happened to the people who led, who led all these denigration campaign, where are they today? Those that are alive are what I call 'Homo Mortuus' - dead living, 'oku eniyan', that’s what they are, those that their lives have gone.

So when I look back, I come to the conclusion that all these abuses which have been heaped on me all my life for doing nothing, for doing good, they have become honor, and so 'Eebudola' is one of my nicknames. So I’ve cultivated an attitude of indifference, I’ve done no evil to the Ibos.

During the war I saw to it that the revenue which was due to Iboland - South Eastern states they call it, at that time..East Central State, I kept it, I saved the money for them. And when they ….were librated I handed over the money to them - millions of pounds. If I’d decided to do so, I could have kept the money away from them and then when they took over I saw to it that subvention was given to them at the rate of 990,000 pounds every month. I didn’t go to the Executive Council to ask for support, or for approval because I knew if I went to the Executive Council at that time, the subvention would not be approved because there were more enemies in the Executive Council for the Ibos than friends. And since I wasn’t going to take a percentage from what I was going to give them, and I knew I was doing what was right, I wanted the state to survive, I kept on giving the subvention – 990,000 pounds almost a million, every month, and I did that for other states of course - South Eastern State, North Central State, Kwara and so on.

But I did that for the Ibos, and when the war was over, I saw to it that the ACB got three and a half million pounds (£3,500,000.00) to start with. This was distributed immediately and I gave another sum of money. The attitude of the experts, officials at the time of the ACB was that ACB should be closed down, and I held the view: you couldn’t close the ACB down because that is the bank that gives finance to Ibo traders, and if you close it down they’ll find it difficult to survive. So it was given. I did the same thing for the Cooperative Bank of Eastern Nigeria, to rehabilitate all these places, and I saw to it as Federal Commissioner for Finance that no obstacle was placed in the way of the Ministry of Economic Planning in planning for rehabilitation of the war affected areas.

TWENTY POUNDS POLICY

That’s what I did, and the case of the money they said was not given back to them, you know during the war all the pounds were looted, they printed Biafran currency notes, which they circulated, at the close of the war some people wanted their Biafran notes to be exchanged for them. Of course I couldn’t do that, if I did that the whole country would be bankrupt. We didn’t know about Biafran notes and we didn’t know on what basis they have printed them, so we refused the Biafran note, but I laid down the principle that all those who had savings in the banks on the eve of the declaration of the Biafran war or Biafra, will get their money back if they could satisfy us that they had the savings there, or the money there. Unfortunately, all the banks’ books had been burnt, and many of the people who had savings there didn’t have their savings books or their last statement of account, so a panel had to be set up.

I didn’t take part in setting up the panel, it was done by the Central Bank and the pertinent officials of the Federal Ministry of Finance, to look into the matter, and they went carefully into the matter, they took some months to do so, and then made some recommendation which I approved. Go to the archives, all I did was approved, I didn’t write anything more than that, I don’t even remember the name of any of them who took part. So I did everything in this world to assist our Ibo brothers and sisters during and after the war.

And anyone who goes back to look at my broadcast in August 1967, which dealt with post-war reconstruction would see what I said there.

STARVATION POLICY

Then, but above all, the ending of the war itself that I’m accused of, accused of starving the Ibos, I did nothing of the sort. You know, shortly after the liberation of these places, Calabar, Enugu and Port Harcort, I decided to pay a visit. There are certain things which I knew which you don’t know, which I don’t want to say here now, when I write my reminisces in the future I will do so. Some of the soldiers were not truthful with us, they didn’t tell us correct stories and so on.

I wanted to be there and see things for myself, bear in mind that Gowon himself did not go there at that time, it was after the war was over that he dorn himself up in various military dresses - Air force dress, Army dress and so on, and went to the war torn areas. But I went and some people tried to frighten me out of my goal by saying that Adekunle was my enemy and he was going to see to it that I never returned from the place. But I went.

But when I went what did I see? I saw the kwashiorkor victims. If you see a kwashiorkor victim you’ll never like war to be waged. Terrible sight, in Enugu, in Port Harcourt, not many in Calabar, but mainly in Enugu and Port Harcourt. Then I enquired what happened to the food we were sending to the civilians. We were sending food through the Red cross, and CARITAS to them, but what happened was that the vehicles carrying the food were always ambushed by the soldiers. That’s what I discovered, and the food would then be taken to the soldiers to feed them, and so they were able to continue to fight. And I said that was a very dangerous policy, we didn’t intend the food for soldiers. But who will go behind the line to stop the soldiers from ambushing the vehicles that were carrying the food? And as long as soldiers were fed, the war will continue, and who’ll continue to suffer? and those who didn’t go to the place to see things as I did, you remember that all the big guns, all the soldiers in the Biafran army looked all well fed after the war, its only the mass of the people that suffered kwashiorkor.

You won't hear of a single lawyer, a single doctor, a single architect, who suffered from kwashiorkor? None of their children either, so they waylaid the foods, they ambushed the vehicles and took the foods to their friends and to their collaborators and to their children and the masses were suffering. So I decided to stop sending the food there. In the process, the civilians would suffer, but the soldiers will suffer most.

CHANGE OF CURRENCY

And it is on record that Ojukwu admitted that two things defeated him in this war, that’s as at the day he left Biafra. He said one, the change of currency, he said that was the first thing that defeated him, and we did that to prevent Ojukwu taking the money which his soldiers had stolen from our Central Bank for sale abroad to buy arms. We discovered he looted our Central Bank in Benin, he looted the one in Port Harcourt, looted the one in Calabar and he was taking the currency notes abroad to sell to earn foreign exchange to buy arms.

So I decided to change the currency, and for your benefit, it can now be told the whole world, only Gowon knew the day before, the day before the change took place. I decided, only three of us knew before then- Isong now Governor of Cross River, Attah and myself. It was a closely guarded secret, if any Commissioner at the time says that he knew about it, he’s only boosting his own ego. Because once you tell someone, he’ll tell another person. So we refused to tell them and we changed the currency notes. So Ojukwu said the change in currency defeated him, and starvation of his soldiers also defeated him.

These were the two things that defeated Ojukwu. And, he reminds me, when you saw Ojukwu’s picture after the war, did he look like someone who wasn't well fed? But he had been taking the food which we sent to civilians, and so we stopped the food.

ABANDONED PROPERTY

And then finally, I saw to it that the houses owned by the Ibos in Lagos and on this side, were kept for them. I had an estate agent friend who told me that one of them collected half a million pounds rent which has been kept for him. All his rent were collected, but since we didn’t seize their houses, he came back and collected half a million pounds.

So that is the position. I’m a friend of the Ibos and the mass of the Ibos are my friends, but there are certain elements who want to continue to deceive the Ibos by telling lies against me, and one day, they’ll discover and then that day will be terrible for those who have been telling the lies.

Omoba Bisi Odukoya

pazienza:
=nineone




This is nonsense. I don't need to be from Ika to know about Ika history, history is a science. You are only exposing your ignorance here.




I know the opinion of Osita on Igbo identity of Ika. He only echoes what we all know. Ika is an Igbo realm, that experienced migrations from surrounding Edo and even as far away as Yoruba people, and in return, had its people migrate into Edo territories. If the migration of Igbo speaking Ika into Edo didn't turn those Edo groups into distinct groups,, why then should migration of Edoid people into Ika area, turn Ika into non Igbo group?
This is Osita's position and it's exactly in consonance with Iduwe manuscript.





How are majority of the happenings in that book Edo? Are you for real. Where is the Edo happenings in the book?
What 90% of Agbor culture is Edo? Are you okay at All? What is greater in a culture than Language? Agbor speaks Igboid language, her Kings are called Ezes and Not Ogie/Ojie/Ovie.
Everything in Iduwe manuscript screams Igbo with few Yoruba(remember that Early Agbor people lived in Yorubaland) and minute Edo ( mainly from Oza indigenous people and intermarriage with Binis)



"Agbor appears to be the cradle of the Ika dialects and the cradle of Igbo heroes"- Iduwe




It was compiled before he died. He doesn't need to be educated to tell his story, that's the job of editors.
We trust the intergrity of Manfredi a Harvard University scholar. What would Manfredi gain from distorting Iduwe manuscript?
Undocumented history is usually going to be a bit mythical. Either way, Iduwe stories are logical and rational. Ika was the wife of Ogele might not necessarily mean literally, it could be mythical, that's how oral history usually are, it's left on the interpreter to make use of his senses.
Book is worth reading many times than irrational distortions that claim that a people who migrated from Bini and were never conquered by Ndiigbo, neither do they share boundary with Igbos, magically threw away their Edoid language and became Igbo speaking, when Udekeme and Epie people that are in Far away Rivers state surrounded by Ijaw speakers still retained their Edoid language, while an Ika that is next door to Ego mystically transformed to an Igboid language.




Like the Bible? True because it's an oral ancient account being rendered in modern times after passing through thousands of oral sources. Filled with contradictions? Not at all. Book was consistent in telling Agbor history through the eyes of independent Agbor man, and not a Bini inferiority complex plaqued One. Deal with it.

How are majority of the happenings in that book Edo? Are you for real. Where is the Edo happenings in the book?

Banmeallday:
All these who are Igbo threads....lol


Igbo bu Igbo


Develop your region/home nation, and those who have distanced themselves because of shame or the shame your leaders have shown, will come back to shout how Igbotic they are and have always been....

Preshy561:
First, it is Onitsha not onitcha you illiterate.
And again, which city/state doesn't have bad side or dirty looking area in this Nigeria.
And lastly, you left Anambra how many years ago and still claim it has same look till now.
You are really daft.

ashiwaju2010:
Ejike Anyaduba

In the next three years Governor Willie Obiano will lay down the burden of office as the governor of Anambra State. He will be making history as the second APGA Governor after ex-Governor Peter Obi to successfully lead the foremost State for a two term of eight years. Previous governors, especially of the opposition party, the PDP, were not as lucky as the State refused to yield compliance, forcing them out at different stages of office. To the one she rebuffed after a term. To the other she yanked off before the end of a term. And yet to another she roundly snubbed after two weeks of seizing her to advantage. All these were possibly to underscore Anambra politics as fractious.

Obiano’s five years in office have been marked by great achievements notwithsatnding a few hiccups here and there. There was the national economic recession. There were also spiteful attacks unleashed at will by the opposition. Fortunately, neither setback was of sufficient power to bring about a reduction in the performance of the government. It
glided through and still delivers on target. It is hoped that history will be kind in judging it.

Regardless, it is curious how some of the achievements of the government are taken for granted - things that are applauded elsewhere. It will take not just the knowledge of these achievements, but their honest admission. That Awka capital existed in outline was never in doubt. That security of lives and properties was in a whirl was also not contestable. Just as it is indisputable fact that education, health, environment, infrastructure, transport, and human capital development flourished more with the restoration of security.

Human capital development is one area where the Obiano government has recorded unsurpassed achievements. Relatively, it is the area that is underreported and or neglected. Few, if any, governments can succeed without adequate investment in human capital. Sadly, it is one sector of the economy that is easily taken for granted, but which has consistently brought down many a government. Mbadinuju’s government might not be the worst in the history of governments in the state, but its shabby handling of the workers’ salaries quickened its demise. It bears repeating here how Governor Willie Obiano made it expressly clear that his government would cultivate the human sector. He is yet to default since making that promise on the day he was sworn in. Some have genuinely wondered what gave him an unprecedented win in the 21 local governments of the State during the 2017 governorship election and the recent House of Assembly election. Others have mischievously alluded to all manner of influences. However, it can be said that civil servants in the State - who form the bulk of the voting public - are the strength of the administration.

It may be fair to argue that no time in the history of the State were salaries consistently paid on or before the 25th of every month. This has been the rule since five years not minding whether the day falls on weekend or public holiday. All through the dark days of the economic recession when otherwise healthy States owed salaries, Anambra did not. Pensions and gratuities of retired workers came due. As a show of its commitment to citizens’ welfare the government started by clearing all arears of pensions and gratuities. Today pensioners receive their money almost at the same time as civil servants. Equally consistent with the position of the government on welfare was the training of civil servants and their promotions. No civil servant, deserving of promotion, has been denied the privilege.

It is well to add that apart from prompt salaries, emoluments, pensions and gratuities, Governor Obiano appointed more people in government as a way of alleviating hardships in homes. It is to his humanity that civil servants engaged at the inception of his government were retained even when good judgement dictated otherwise. It is arguable if any other government would assent to such arrangement or had consented to it before. We had cases of new governments relieving employees not engaged by them just few months into office. In explaining his reluctance in following that path, Governor Obiano asked rhetorically if they are not from Anambra. Those who know him before his governorship were not surprised at the stand he took.

But the greatest aspect of the development which the government embarked upon and has pursued with unflagging commitment was the issue of the less privileged in the society. Again, to his charity he surrendered his salary for the first four years in office (it has since been extended to cover the remaining years) for the upkeep of this group of people. This was followed up with the building of a convalscent home- a sanatorium - at Nteje where the sick and others on the wrong side of life are being attended. The home, structured to accommodate inmates with varied forms of disabilities like the mentally sick, beggars, waifs and tramps, is run by qualified caregivers and medics.

One or two positive developments have since followed on from that point. One, there is de-escalation of the unsightly presence of beggars and tamps on the streets of Anambra. Two, there is greater security of lives and properties. On the face of it, the effect on security may not be easily appreciated. But an example or two would suffice. Years back, two “beggars” in Lagos were arrested for different criminal offences. The one and more notorious, was Clifford Orji, now late, arrested for cannibalism at Toyota bust-stop along Oshodi-Apapa expressway. The other a cripple, who solicited alms on Bush Street between Anthony village and Maryland, was arrested as an amourer for a notorious criminal gang. Before their arrest they were generally seen as mere beggars. There is very little doubt that ridding the streets of Anambra of these tenants-at-will augurs for progress and impacts on security.
It is not often that government interferes positively in the affairs of tramps and beggars. Most of the interference was to seize and dump off public space as was the case in Lagos sometime ago.

To date, Obiano’s government is the number one disability-inclusive government in Nigeria. Chukwuka Betrand Ezewuzie, the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Disability Matters did write: “Nobody loves and cares more for the Disability Community than His Excellency, Governor Obiano (Ogugua ndi Olusi)”. Appointments were made in the civil service as well as in political office. One such appointment was the elevation of a visually impaired director to the position of a permanent secretary. A sign language communicator was also appointed for effective service delivery. The Governor’s effort is boldly complemented by the First Lady of the State, Chief Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano. Her Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFÉ) has consistently lifted a number of despairing souls through provision of artificial limbs, training in special skills, equipping of the skilled, and building of houses for the homeless among others. Prisoners, those who have served out their terms and were released, had a taste of the Governor’s humanity as they were provided with seed money to start life afresh. Transportation was subsidized with the provision of government buses for civil servants commuting to work from outside of the State capital.

The Obiano administration has, within the years, juggled development in both the tangible and intangible sectors of the economy. It is believed that by the time his government is through Anambra will compete and possibly surpass the best in development in Nigeria

Ejike Anyaduba

Abatete

nasoeb:
What do I expect from igbo land grabbers like you

Shuku0kukobambi:
You're almost dead. Just continue

Shuku0kukobambi:
You're a dunce and have gone completely mad. Nobody in your enclave is worth any attention but you and your fathers obsess over Tinubu as if he's the reason for your existence. Even me a Yoruba man doesn't think about him or pay him any attention the way you hopeless slaves of the albino hunchback do. You're not Yoruba so why should I expect you to know anything about the Oniru family?

Your leaders think you're no more than a cockroach who needs to be sprinkled with kerosene. Oya go and collect your 4 ltrs let's rest

SuperIgbo1:
If Igbos join your revolution and, unfortunately, it doesn't achieve the expected results - y'all will call it an "Igbo revolution" just like the January 15 coup.

Whatever revolution y'all plan to execute, leave Igbos out of it.

Shuku0kukobambi:
You're worse than deranged, you're utterly demented. Do you juveniles actually think life in Lagos started with Tinubu? When did Tinubu happen on the scene sef? How much money does Tinubu have where the Oniru family is? How much does Tinubu have where the Okoya family is? How much does Tinubu have where Bukola's in-laws, the Ojora's are?

Abeg, just stick to your kerosene democracy in Abia state and stop dabbling into what you know nothing about

9jaArea:
Because the whites were created by God while blacks are the creation of the devil.

femi4:
enable images on your phone settings

chiipink:
Nna i love u,
pls add tribe to ur post.

Shuku0kukobambi:
Did you use your brain when you claimed Tinubu owns 50% of Lagos? Or when you and your uncles claim your tribesmen own 70% of the same Lagos?

mightyhaze:
he dey forbid am. Na taboo for him slum dwelling. Anybody caught using his brains,na excommunication straight！

ericsmith:
Can you please mention one of your friends or family that bought land in lagos & it was tinubu that sold it. ...my family own lands in lagos maybe they are luck,its not tinubu own

olagbola45:
You just pained GTFOMW

Mrakeli:
It didn't surprise careful observers of Imo politics when earlier today, the erroneously declared governor-elect of Imo State was sighted at the residence of Chief Arthur Eze, where he was said to have gone to pledge his total allegiance to the Ukpo born billionaire. Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha is alleged to have got a bulk of his campaign funding and other technical supports from not just Arthur Eze, but other Anambra moneybags who are said to have fallen out with Governor Okorocha, over his refusal to share Imo's commonwealth with them.

Some Anambra billionaires led by Chief Arthur Eze are said to have coveted Imo, and would not miss any opportunity to annex Imo as part of their empire. Arthur Eze, a powerful godfather in Anambra politics had failed to install a stooge as governor in his own Anambra State, as his candidates in two previous governorship elections in the State were rejected, because Anambra voters were concerned about another Chris Ubah/ Chris Ngige saga playing out in their State again. Having failed to have his way in installing a stooge governor in his native Anambra State, Chief Arthur Eze was said to have looked in the direction of Imo as an option to achieve his godfather dreams. It is the general belief in some quarters that Chief Arthur Eze actually bankrolled some of Ihedioha's campaign expenses, while another Anambra billionaire, Sir Emeka Offor took another big chunk of expenses off his neck.

Chief Emeka Ihedioha was said to have gone to the Anambra billionaire's residence alongside the defeated Senatorial candidate of the PDP for Imo West Senatorial District, Hon. Jones Onyereri. Part of their discussions was said to have centered on how to upturn the victory of His Excellency Owelle Rochas Okorocha as Senator-elect for Imo West Senatorial District and hand over the mandate to Jones Onyereri.

Some observers have expressed over the timing of this visit, warning that it would be dangerous to hand over the commonwealth of Imo State to some Anambra billionaires to the detriment of Imo's development and prosperity. According to Comrade Cletus Uwaoma, a human rights activist and social commentator; "Imo cannot afford to return to the hands of capitalist godfathers from Anambra State. I think the governor-elect was ill advised on this visit and he has alerted Imo people to where his loyalty lies, and we will be watching him closely from now on."

Mrs. Nkeiru Olumba from Ohaji-Egbema argued that it couldn't have been a mere coincidence that the Resident Electoral Commissioner who supervised the controversial election that produced Ihedioha as governor-elect is from Anambra and the first person Chief Ihedioha visited is an Anambra billionaire.

"There has been this insinuation that the Imo State REC is connected to Chief Arthur Eze, hence, his clear compromise during the election. With this visit to Arthur Eze by the governor-elect, there could be some credence in the allegation. But let's watch him, first."

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/03/how-imo-was-mortgaged-to-anambra.html

omoiyalayi:
I came across this pic on twitter

Can nigeria problem be as strenuous as arranging this groundnut

I think whoever arrange this can do better that our past and present leaders

What do you guy what do you think

See picture.......

effnepa:
The president is incompetent and you need to get educated.

olagbola45:
And you the P.A to asiwaju dat do help him steal

Rubbish assumption

Shuku0kukobambi:
How can he own half the land in a state that you and your tribesmen claim you own 70% of?

You mean Tinubu owns 50% and you guys own 70%?

deomelo:
Osogbo governor delivered more projects than the whole of SE/SS combined many times over.

Abeg show is anything meaningful your incompetent village governors commissioned.


Is it even possible to commission anything in the SE with the lowest and poorest state budgets in Nigeria.

Na only to beat small cockroach chest una sabi