OYC hits group for opposing Ikpeazu’s second term


Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), yesterday, came down hard on World Igbo Youth Council (WIYC), for ruling out Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, for a second term in office.

Few days ago, WIYC had called on Abias not to re-elect Governor Okezie Ikpeazu



However, in a statement by its national publicity secretary, OYC said it was time faceless groups stopped stoking embers of crisis in Igbo land.


The group noted that it knows the people behind the media attack on Ikpeazu and described the discourse on 2019 Abia governorship election as premature, sponsored by desperate politicians to distract the governor.



“We have followed closely, the World Igbo Youth Council and so we know those behind the mask; we know their paymasters. However, we want to make it categorically clear that this is not the time for any form of politicking, more so as the Independent National Electoral Electoral has not lifted the ban on political campaigns.


“In addition, the World Igbo Youth Council has no locus standi to decide the political fate of governor Ikpeazu in 2019. Only the people of Abia state reserve that right and nobody can take if from them.



“It is, therefore, not just illegal but criminal for any group to start talking about who will occupy the Abia Government House in 2019.

“We caution that we will not allow desperate politicians, who want power through the back-door to destabilize Abia State. If they don’t stop fortwith, we shall in the next 7 days publish names of all the people behind that and other media attacks aimed at distracting Governor Ikpeazu from focusing on continuing to deliver laudable dividends of democracy to Abians.

“While the Ohanaeze Youth Council lauds Ikpeazu for his efforts at industrialising Abia state, promoting Made-in-Aba brands and unmatched infrastructure development efforts in the state, we urge political calm in the state, especially after the politically-motivated military assault on the state which threatened to snowball into a national catastrophe, if not for the crises management dexterity of the governor.

“It is important to note that we also undertook discreet investigation of the deployment of various intervention funds received by Abia government and we found out that Abia state received the following intervention funds from FG: Bailout fund-N14.2 billion; Paris Club debt refund (Tranche 1) N10.6 billion and Paris Club debt refund (Tranche 2) N5.7 billion

“Abia state government constituted a committee made up of the different labour Union leaders; namely NLC, TUC, NULGE, NUP, NUT and Joint Negotiating Council. The committee took charge of the disbursement of the funds to various areas of greater needs and exigencies.

“Overall, Abia received N16.3 billion from the Paris Club refund and deployed N11.6 billion to service workers/pensioners wage bill.


“This translates to commitment of more than 71 percent of total receipt to service workers’ salaries and pension.

“The transparency of the exercise was applauded by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, which singled out Abia and two other states for their transparency in the disbursement and utilisation of the fund. So, we believe that Ikppeazu is on course.”


“At the appropriate time, we shall make our ratings public, not just on Ikpeazu but other governors in the South-East.”

http://sunnewsonline.com/oyc-hits-group-for-opposing-ikpeazus-second-term/

OYC hits group for opposing Ikpeazu’s second term


Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), yesterday, came down hard on World Igbo Youth Council (WIYC), for ruling out Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, for a second term in office.

Few days ago, WIYC had called on Abias not to re-elect Governor Okezie Ikpeazu



However, in a statement by its national publicity secretary, OYC said it was time faceless groups stopped stoking embers of crisis in Igbo land.


The group noted that it knows the people behind the media attack on Ikpeazu and described the discourse on 2019 Abia governorship election as premature, sponsored by desperate politicians to distract the governor.



“We have followed closely, the World Igbo Youth Council and so we know those behind the mask; we know their paymasters. However, we want to make it categorically clear that this is not the time for any form of politicking, more so as the Independent National Electoral Electoral has not lifted the ban on political campaigns.


“In addition, the World Igbo Youth Council has no locus standi to decide the political fate of governor Ikpeazu in 2019. Only the people of Abia state reserve that right and nobody can take if from them.



“It is, therefore, not just illegal but criminal for any group to start talking about who will occupy the Abia Government House in 2019.

“We caution that we will not allow desperate politicians, who want power through the back-door to destabilize Abia State. If they don’t stop fortwith, we shall in the next 7 days publish names of all the people behind that and other media attacks aimed at distracting Governor Ikpeazu from focusing on continuing to deliver laudable dividends of democracy to Abians.

“While the Ohanaeze Youth Council lauds Ikpeazu for his efforts at industrialising Abia state, promoting Made-in-Aba brands and unmatched infrastructure development efforts in the state, we urge political calm in the state, especially after the politically-motivated military assault on the state which threatened to snowball into a national catastrophe, if not for the crises management dexterity of the governor.

“It is important to note that we also undertook discreet investigation of the deployment of various intervention funds received by Abia government and we found out that Abia state received the following intervention funds from FG: Bailout fund-N14.2 billion; Paris Club debt refund (Tranche 1) N10.6 billion and Paris Club debt refund (Tranche 2) N5.7 billion

“Abia state government constituted a committee made up of the different labour Union leaders; namely NLC, TUC, NULGE, NUP, NUT and Joint Negotiating Council. The committee took charge of the disbursement of the funds to various areas of greater needs and exigencies.

“Overall, Abia received N16.3 billion from the Paris Club refund and deployed N11.6 billion to service workers/pensioners wage bill.


“This translates to commitment of more than 71 percent of total receipt to service workers’ salaries and pension.

“The transparency of the exercise was applauded by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, which singled out Abia and two other states for their transparency in the disbursement and utilisation of the fund. So, we believe that Ikppeazu is on course.”


“At the appropriate time, we shall make our ratings public, not just on Ikpeazu but other governors in the South-East.”

http://sunnewsonline.com/oyc-hits-group-for-opposing-ikpeazus-second-term/

Anyone fighting Ikpeazu will be consumed – Senator Orji


On Friday, the Abia Central Senatorial zone consolidated the supremacy of the People Democratic party(PDP) in the state through a massively attended stakeholders meeting at Okpuala Ngwa in Isiala Ngwa North local government area of Abia State.

Speaking at the event, immediate past Governor of Abia State and Senator representing Abia central senatorial zone, Sen. T.A Orji, urged party faithfuls to support the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu led administration , warning that anyone who fights the Governor and the party will be consumed.

In his words: Okezie is the Governor and must be respected accordingly. If you take a critical look at his emergence, you will know that God’s hands are on him. Therefore, anyone fighting him, holy ghost fire!!!

“Anyone fighting him within and outside the party will not succeed. We must support Ikpeazu. We must support the party. The worst thing is to be in the party and fight the party. Don’t join the bubuyaya politicians, they are unstable.”

Senator Orji further berated those who left the party for other parties and said that they were the problem PDP faced in the past.

Chief Orji who is popularly known as Ochendo Global, encouraged party members to remain steadfast and work to ensure a massive victory for the party in 2019.

“Don’t be perturbed about those who left our party, they were the problem we had, by leaving to a new party they carried with them the problems. PDP remains the party in Abia. We don’t have competitors here. I pray that God will strengthen us and put confusion in the camp of our enemies,” he added

Earlier, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chikwendu kanu advised party faithfuls to quit being greedy, stating that everyone in the party should play their individual roles without interfering with others.

“Let greediness go. I cannot be playing guitar in a music orchestra and be beating the drum at the same time. I cannot be playing xylophone and piano at the same time. The pianist, the guitarist and xylophonist all arrive at the same rhythm where we can dance. PDP has no rival in Abia state, as much as I know. We must work together for the success of the party,” he said.

Other party chieftains who spoke at the event include: Chief Ginger Onwusibe, Hon. Darlinton Nwokocha, Chief Allen Nwachukwu and Chief Johnson Onuigbo

Source:FACTNEWS

Ikpeazu commiserates with Tinubu

The Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, wishes to express his sincere condolences to the former Governor of Lagos State and Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the death of his son, Jide Tinubu.

Governor Ikpeazu prays the Almighty God to be with the family at this trying time and call on Senator Tinubu and the entire Tinubu family to find solace and fortitude in God who is the giver of life.

“On behalf of my family, the Government and people of Abia State, I commiserate with you and your family on the death of Jide which is difficult to come to terms with and urge you to find solace in God who is our comforter in times of mourning".


Enyinnaya Appolos
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
03/11/2017

Ikpeazu's; Counting on the gains of good Governance in Abia.

By Ikechukwu Iroha

Of great value is the worth of Dr.Ikpeazu's commitment at delivering dividends of good governance to the people of Abia State.

The Governor's meticulous nature has brought with it an elevated level of trust in management of resources.

Abia is a safe heaven for investors with big portfolio of investments. From a business view, the Governor has made tremendous efforts to deepening business relationship with both agencies of Government and the business community.

Youths and unemployed are reaping from that pledge of trust. Government of Ikpeazu has moved a step by collaborating with Federal Government and private investors who are desirous of investing in a fertile ground that is capable of reducing pay back period with high returns on investments.

Investors can now take advantage of the MSME One-Stop-Shop as an incubation and business development center with all the relevant Federal and State MDAs under one roof, providing world class personalized services aimed at invigorating MSMEs in the State.

With the presence of business regulatory and support agencies like BOI ,CAC, SON, NAFDAC ,FIRS in the newly commissioned Investment House, it has made investment trivial and relaxed in the State. Activities in the edifice which was commissioned by the Vice President Prof.Yemi Osibanjo , has eliminated the rigours of business registration and concentration. The MSME One Stop Shop will also provide injection trainings for beneficiaries of the micro loan schemes, the idea is to build their capacities to run successful enterprises. The Governor intends to build a robust state economy driven by entrepreneurs in the middle class. This is both a job creation and empowerment approach in the face of dwindling national economic fortunes. As someone with clear vision of repositioning Abia as an economically self reliant state, the governor believes that when properly equipped with knowledge, capacity and funding MSMEs will play vital role in improving the wellbeing of the citizens of Abia state. Building on areas of comparative advantage, rather than reinvent the wheel Governor is leveraging in areas Abians already have great advantages- trade and commerce.

In Abia State, there is a new wave of business patronage, breakthrough and funding.

Abia State Government with this successful Federal government collaboration, has funded entrepreneurs through the Government enterprise empowerment programme.

Recently, 7870 small businesses accessed Bank of Industry direct funding. To show leadership, Abia State Government through the Social Investment office has negotiated an initial 30,000 slots to a tone of #30 billion to develop MSME in the State. Rural women and youths are targeted in this business growth pattern. While such amount will open up more small businesses, it will spread cash liquidity and engage more hands.

To break new grounds, an existing business must aspire to spread tentacles, grab new opportunities that usher in new set of patronage and investments.

Unarguably, different results can only be gotten by doing things differently.

Prior to this period, Aba has produced goods that can compete favourably with every known standard. Failure to properly brand made in Aba goods due to the phobia of low patronage arising from a negative campaign that tend to link Nigeria made goods with inferior raw materials was a major setback.

In Abia, The Governor Dr.Okezie Ikpeazu has succeeded in opening channels of institutional support to give businesses platforms to showcase the great potentials of Aba entrepreneurship. This is one of the key achievements of Governor Ikpeazu in supporting and promoting Aba entrepreneurs.

Simply put, Ikpeazu shifted the paradigm for a structure that can sustain the drive and open markets for more products with both national and international outlook.

Government cannot renege from its role of creating stable enabling environment for investments to thrive.

Dr.Ikpeazu took extra effort to making sure he build on the creativity, ingenuity and the knowledge of an Aba entrepreneur to excel in business of garment and leather making by exposing them to international best practices.

One of the key underlying and overarching goals of the Okezie Ikpeazu campaign, is to open up international markets for made in Aba products. Such cannot be achieved without the partnership, collaboration and support of the commercial sections of the embassies of the foreign missions in Nigeria, strategic audience, major business Stakeholders and government agencies. This could account why Abia Government collaborated with the private sector to host exhibitions in Abuja, Lagos and New York.

It is therefore pertinent to note that the State Government through patronage, promotion and support for local contents, has brought back the consciousness of what can be achieved in the country through resilience and hard work.

For the first time, Nigeria budget specifically captured Aba as part of Federal Government's plan to create more employment opportunities for youths through funding and support for entrepreneurship.

Results are visible and that counts for efforts put in by the Governor to promoting made in Aba which has been brought to limelight and automatically given Aba products national outlook.

To replicate the drive in the State, Dr.Ikpeazu is opening channels of distribution through construction of key roads for easy access to these hubs.

The State is constructing and reconstructing roads that have direct links or centers around manufacturing clusters. This will eventually see to the rise of many small and medium businesses.

Presently, the State Government has delivered 25 roads in the commercial city of Aba and is active on over 39 roads within this markets and fabrication centres.

Reconstruction of Faulks road that leads to Ariaria international market and Port Harcourt road ,which is regarded as fabrication centre in Abia State are parts of the efforts of the Government to jump start the local economy by opening roads to market millions of Leather and Garment products exported to different States and other west African countries.

Nigeria can no longer ignore what is happening in Abia State. The efforts so far Stated are major reasons the Internally Generated Revenue of the State has been reviewed upwards from what it was before the campaign for patronage of locally made goods began. The resultant effect is that, Abia has the capacity to drive Gross Domestic Products ,which can guarantee high level of liquidity in the Country's cash flow.

Abia State is benefiting greatly from the collaboration of the federal Government. Governor Ikpeazu believes that there is a great different in timing between politics and governance. His handshake with the federal government has already manifested in gains for Abians. Very soon Ariaria International Market, the hub of trade and commerce in Aba will enjoy uninterrupted power supply through an collaboration between Rural Electrification Agency following a directive from the Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo. The over 250,000 business men and women, leather product and other fabricators in Ariaria and environs will have the opportunity to extend their activity time, make more money and make use of high capacity machineries for more efficient finishing. The overarching goal is to strengthen the capacity of entrepreneurs to compete favorably with the best in the globe.

The first batch of the N-power programme in Abia State has seen 3,263 persons gainfully attached to labour through engagements in Health centers, Agricultural extension and teaching capacity of the State. As part of the benefits of the programme outside the monthly #30,000 stipend, the N-power beneficiaries were recently handed internet enabled tablets that are furnished with basic training procedures which will equip the youths with skills that will make them self reliant at the point of departure.

Second batch of the programme has 75,000 registered Abians of which over 50% will be recruited since Abia is a priority State due to the Governor's commitment to every federal Government programme that is due every State. Abia is currently serving as the region's headquarter of N- build with warehouse at Umuahia to service the entry N-build. Five centers in Abia State have been selected to provide skill training in mostly building services such as plumbing, electrical etc. By the second week of November over 3000 Abia youths selected for N Build scheme will be mobilized for training at the accredited centers. During the course of their training they will receive stipends and after the training they will be equipped with tools and funding to startup their building services enterprises. Its worthy of note that Abia today has become a priority state in the Federal/State Government Social Investment and Intervention Programmes due to the leadership Governor Ikpeazu has shown in implementing these impactful programmes.

No wonder according to Chinenye Nwaogu the State Focal Person for Social Investments "Social Investment is more of an attitude than a party or government policy.

Abia State Government through the office of the wife of the Governor and philanthropists in Abia State, is contributing more than 70% of the cost of the free feeding project, in addition to providing free Made in Aba school sandals for thousands of Abia School Children. With support of Abians in diaspora over 3000 free school sandals have been distributed to indigent pupils in public primary schools under the Friends of Ikpeazu in Diaspora (FOID) initiative.

The involvement of the federal government is a welcomed development. This programme has seen to employment of 1,167 cooks who are presently cooking for the entire 147,000 pupils in all the 859 schools covered so far.

While the federal Government is undertaking the feeding of pupils from primary 1-3, Abia Government is feeding the remaining pupils from 4-6 with one meal per day. The benefit of this important programme is far reaching. Apart from the employment provided for 1167 cooks, women in the rural areas have heave a sign of relieve. Worthy of note is that all ingredients they are using for school feeding programme is locally sourced.

Abia State has experienced increased school enrolment. There is also high patronage of farm produce, enhanced teaching and learning activities and the burden of feeding the students with a healthy and balanced meal lifted from parents. These are parts of the benefits of good leadership.

There is an improved activities in the Abia Market environment. With demand orders trooping in from major Government agencies, Youths are more engaged in skillful ventures. In 2016 those in the leather value chain had increased sales to the tune of over N1Billion. The military which hitherto were not proud to agree that they had anything to do with Aba were proud to announce an order of over 50,000 military boots from Aba shoe makers. One of the shoe producers in Aba had order of over 10,000 school sandals for children in IDP camps. The confidence of the Abaprenuers has grown, now each producer proudly placed their labels on their products with the proudly made in Aba insignia obviously indicated.

This can confirm what the leader of a powerful delegation of the Nigerian Defence College Brig. Gen Emeka Onumajuru said when he led a research tour to the God's own State.

The Army General volunteered kind words in our regards when he said that Abia State has a strong Policy framework for Youth development.

Gen.Onumajuru was only echoing what the Vice President and other Stakeholders in the Country have said about Governor Ikpeazu of Abia and the progress he has made so far within his first two years of superintending over the affairs of the State.

There is therefore no doubt that policies and programmes of the Ikpeazu led Government will further unlock the potentials of God's Own State and empower her people economically. A feat that has engraved Governor Ikpeazu's name on the tombstone of time.

Ikechukwu Iroha writes from Ohafia.

How we managed bailout, Paris Club refunds in Abia — Ikpeazu

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has given detailed account of how his state managed the bailout and Paris Club refunds for payment of backlog of salaries he inherited and also in improving the infrastructure of the state.

Speaking at the Nigeria Governors Forum Media Conference for Chief Press Secretaries and Commissioners for Information from the 36 states in Abuja, yesterday, Ikpeazu, who was represented by his deputy, Ude Oko Chukwu, also said the state government enshrined transparency in the governance of the state, where every Abian was updated quarterly on the affairs of the state.

Speaking on the topic, “Application of the Paris Club Refund to State,’’ the governor said: “The receipt of the intervention funds has become a source of concern to some analyst, pundits, social critics and political commentators. Some comments have been made in the print and social media, which were half truths and sometimes outright lies.

“May I use this opportunity to briefly state the facts. Interestingly, Abia State government received the following intervention funds from the Federal Government: Bailout fund of N14.2 billion, first tranche of Paris refund of N10.6 billion and second tranche of the Paris refund of N5 billion.

“In line with the transparency approach to governance of the current administration, after the receipt of the first intervention (bailout) fund, Abia State government constituted a committee made up of the different labour union leaders, namely NLC, TUC, NULGE, NUP, NUT and Joint Negotiating Council.

“The committee took charge of the disbursement of the funds to various areas of greater needs and exigencies.

“Indeed, the exercise was conducted, devoid of government intervention as 100 per cent of funds received were expended in the services of workers’ payments. This exercise was (by all known standards) transparent and applauded by ICPC, which singled out Abia and two other states for their transparency in the disbursement and utilisation of the fund.”

“50% of the first tranche of the Paris Refund to be dedicated to the payment of workers’salaries and wages. We also disbursed an additional N600m to augment the payment of workers’ salaries and wages. Thus a total of N5.9b was spent therein.

“The second tranche of the Paris refund received by Abia state was 100% spent on workers’ salaries and pensions. This has greatly curtailed the salary arrearsand responsibilities of the government.

“Overall, Abia received a total sum of N16.3B from the Paris Club refund and deployed N11.6B to service workers/pensioners wage bill. This translates to a commitment of more than 71% of total receipt to service workers’ salaries and pension.” The Governor said.

Explaining further on challenges, Governor Ikpeazu said: “The challenge has remained that while trying to clear the backlog of salaries, they keep piling as most of us can testify. This is as a result of the fact that allocations from the center and the IGR have not been enough to carry the monthly wage bill and other responsibilities. “

The governor also spoke on the efforts made by his administration to ensure that workers get salaries as at when due, by introducing the verification and biometric exercise to curb ghost workers.

“With the introduction of the verification and biometric exercises some issues such as ‘ghost worker’ salaries, padding of salaries, multiplicity of people receiving salaries from various units of the government has been addressed.

“This has assisted the State greatly, as the monthly wage bill has been reduced from an average of N2.8b to N2.1b. Thus from this alone a savings ofabout N600m monthly has been achieved. When extrapolated in 34 months this amounts to about N16b that would have ordinarily gone into some individuals’ accounts.

On the issue of pensions he said: “Hitherto there were 19 Sub-treasuries through which Pensioners were paid. These sub-treasuries determined when and how to pay the pensioners. This brought about sharp practices in the system. The government therefore decided to abolish the sub-treasuries system.

“To address this issue the State embankedon Pen sioners Verification Exercise (PVE). This has helped the State to identify non-retirees in the system. Thereafter, the e-payment system was adopted. This led to the simultaneous payment of all pensioners through their banks. Today, pensioners receive their pay at the comfort of their respective homes.

“Through the verifications, about 131 teachers who were supposed to have retired were identified. From the original date of their retirement till the date of the discovery, the government had paid them a total sum of N496m. The government is determined to convert the monies paid them as either pension or gratuity due them in future.”

-Vanguard

N2Billion Has Been Released To The Contractor handling Portharcourt Road In Aba -Ikpeazu

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has assured that the thirty-four kilometers Ndioji-Ndiokereke-Arochukwu road would be ready by this December.

Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu made this public while receiving in audience, the Prelate and General Moderator, Presbyterian church, Nigeria, Most Rev. Nzien Nsi Eke and his entourage.

He Noted that his efforts to fix some federal government roads in the State, including Ohanko road, Umuahia- Ohafia-Arochukwu road among others have always suffered set backs as a result of litigations from some people who claim to be fedral governmrnt contractors in charge of the roads, but are being owed by such agencies like NDDC.

However, Governor Ikpeazu disclosed that in spite of distractions his administration has released two billion naira mobilization funds to the contractor handling the Port Harcourt road, in Aba

The Governor, who reassured that he would continue to handle security issues in the State, informed that Abia seems to be at security risk because, the State is in the confluence of seven States, where criminal activities could spill-over from neighbouring States . He promised to continue to create options for youths who are ready to work.

He requested the church to de-emphasize prosperity sermons that are now order of the day, but ensure such virtues like love, patience Christ-centred and moral lessons are taught.

Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation, Most Rev. Nzie Nsi Eke thanked the Governor for appointing some of his members to positions of authority, appreciated the achievements of Governor Ikpeazu in the State and said he came to pray for the government and people of Abia State.

He pledged the support of the entire members of the Presbyterian church to Governor Ikpeazu and requested that Umuahia-Ohafia-Arochukwu road be fixed to enable students and residents of the area have access road.

RECEIPT OF INTERVENTION FUNDS (bailout and Paris Club Refund) IN ABIA STATE

The receipt of the intervention funds has become a source of concern to some analyst, pundits, social critics and political commentators. Some comments have been made in the print and social media which were half truths and sometimes outright lies. May I use this opportunity to briefly state the facts.
Interestingly, Abia State government received the following intervention funds from FG:
1. Bailout fund N14.2b
2. Paris refund (tranche 1) N10.6b
3. Paris refund (tranche 2) N5.7b

In line with the transparency approach to governance of the current administration, after the receipt of the first intervention (Bailout) fund, the Abia state government constituted a committee made up of the different labour Union leaders; namely NLC, TUC, NULGE, NUP, NUT and Joint Negotiating Council. The committee took charge of the disbursement of the funds to various areas of greater needs and exigencies.

Indeed, the exercise was conducted devoid of government intervention as 100% of funds received were expended in the services of workers’ payments. Thisexercise was (by all known standards) transparent and applauded by ICPC, who singled out Abia and two other States for their transparency in the disbursement and utilization of the fund.

There was also an express advice from the Federal Ministry of Finance for 50% of the first tranche of the Paris Refund to be dedicated to the payment of workers’salaries and wages. In addition to committing 50% as advised, the present administration disbursed an additional N600m to the payment of workers’ salaries and wages. Thus a total of N5.9b was spent therein.

The second tranche of the Paris refund received by Abia state was 100% spent on workers’ salaries and pensions. This has greatly curtailed the salary arrearsand responsibilities of the government.

Overall, Abia received a total sum of N16.3B from the Paris Club refund and deployed N11.6B to service workers/pensioners wage bill. This translates to a commitment of more than 71% of total receipt to service workers’ salaries and pension.

Re: How 7 States Blew Billions On White Elephant Projects
I read the above titled report published by Sahara Reporters and wish to clarify that the "Abia International Hotels" mentioned in the report is possibly Enyimba Hotel Aba that has long been sold by the Orji Uzor Kalu administration to Aba Chamber of Commerce.
Enyimba International hotel was built in 1979 by the former governor of old Imo State, Chief Sam Mbakwe, and acquired by Abia State government in 1991 when the state was created.
The Aba Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, ACCIMA, who acquired the hotel from the state government has been unable to complete it due to paucity of funds to execute the project. In 2016, ACCIMA signed an agreement handing over the hotel to Swiss International to complete and manage the facility in a joint venture arrangement.
It is wrong and nonsensical to categorize an already sold hotel as an abandoned project but more important to note that the Ikpeazu administration has continued to engage with the new owners to ensure that the hotel is completed and the terms of the purchase by ACCIMA abided by.
Under the watch of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu there are no white elephant projects in Abia State and work is ongoing at all project sites initiated by the administration.
JOK

Ikpeazu congratulates Uduaghan @63

Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has congratulated former Governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, as he marks his 63rd Birthday today.

In a release signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Enyinnaya Appolos, Governor Ikpeazu described Uduaghan as "a detribalized Nigerian and a bridge builder".

Governor Ikpeazu prayed God to grant Chief Uduaghan many more years of fruitful service to Nigeria and Delta state.

Enyinnaya Appolos
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor

FG disburses N380m loan to transform MSMEs in Abia
Mr Uzoma Nwagba, Chief Operating Officer of Government Entrepreneur Empowerment Programme (GEEP) has said that Federal Government had disbursed N380 million to develop micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Abia.
Nwagba made this known during the disbursement of GEEP Moni Market Loan to beneficiaries of the scheme at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia.
He said:”We want to disburse 30,000 loans in Abia in this year alone; as long as you are qualified you will be entitled to it.
“This programme is meant for alleviating poverty and putting money in the hands of the people at grassroots to empower them. The focus is on women and youths.”
Speaking at the occasion, Mr Tola Johnson, Technical Adviser to Vice-President on MSMEs, described the initiative as a strong partnership between the Federal Government ,the state government and different parastatals.
Johnson also said tthat the progress of the scheme would be monitored to ensure that the objective for establishing it was achieved.
In his speech, the Governor of the state, Okezie Ikpeazu, thanked the federal government for initiating a programme that would strengthen SMEs in the state and urged the beneficiaries to utilise the loan appropriately.
Ikpeazu disclosed that the state government would organise regular training programmes for the beneficiaries to ensure that the programme would be a success in Abia.
In separate interviews with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), some beneficiaries expressed delight over the opportunity they had received to grow their businesses.
Mrs Adanma Ogbonna, a beneficiary of the programme said that the money would enable her to grow her business, promising that she would make her payment on time and in full.
Mr Osinach Chigbu, another beneficiary, said that he had received a bank transaction alert which indicated that the loan had already been paid into his account.
Chigbu expressed hope that the programme would go a long way to improve the livelihood of the people of Abia

EXPECTED DISTRUST OVER PYTHON VACCINATION IN SOUTH-EAST:
BY SIR DON UBANI; KSC, JP, OKWUBUNKA OF ASA,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CENTRE FOR EQUITY AND ERADICATION OF RURAL POVERTY.
11TH OCTOBER, 2017.

In human relationship, trust plays a very important role.

Whether it is in the family, Church, commerce or any other human engagement, once there is trust; mutual trust, persons involved would give out their heart in order to guarantee a collective success.

On the contrary, where there is lack or loss of confidence, every body, especially those at the receiving end, would tend to be skeptical of whatever proposal that is brought to the table.

A mother who intends to serve his child with some delicious food for his lunch but starts by forcing quinine into the mouth of the child would end up scaring the child.

The child would develop distrust for her mother. No matter how nutritious the food is, the child would be determined to forgo it.

The Nigerian Army launched its Operation Python Dance 11 in the South-East of Nigeria in the the second week of September, 2017.

According to the Army, the operation was aimed at checking kidnapping, armed robbery, secession and other acts that irked the Nigerian State from the region.

True to characteristics of a python, the exercise in Abia; Umuahia and Aba, ended up a huge catastrophe. Allegedly, many lives were lost.

The trauma of that exercise is yet to leave the people of the region and without any consultation with stakeholders and the attendant enlightenment, the Nigerian Army launched its Operation Python Dance 11 Medical Outreach.

Today in many parts of the South-East, there was pandemonium in many schools.

Hundreds of parents in Nnewi, Mbaise, Umuahia and Aba had been alerted that the second phase of Python Dance 11 had forcefully gone into schools and were insisting on vaccinating South-East pupils with the ill motive of infecting them with monkey pox.

Who would like his or her child to be so infected?

The Nigerian Army, I would like to think, might not be this wicked as to unfold a depopulation script against the Igbo via such a heinous agenda.

But having descended so brutally against the region in the recent past and without adequate consultation with and enlightenment of the populace, the medical outreach could not have achieved any thing other than distrust.

Executive Director.

AN ADDRESS PRESENTED BY SIR DON UBANI; KSC, JP, OKWUBUNKA OF ASA, AS CHAIRMAN ON THE OCCASION OF SECOND MEMORIAL LECTURE IN HONOUR OF LATE ARCHIBOY DUKE AGBAIGBA (PIONEER PRESIDENT OF OHA UKWA/NGWA CONGRESS INC.) TODAY SUNDAY(ORIE) 17TH SEPTEMBER, 2017 AT THE GREAT ENYIMBA CITY OF ABA.

Protocol:

It is my humble desire that this Memorial Lecture commences with a prayerful wish for our dear late brother, friend and compatriot; Archiboy Duke Agbaigba, who passed away on 15th September, 2013, by every body standing up just for one minute..... May his soul continue to rest in peace. Amen!

Permit me to express immense appreciation to the President and Executive Members of Oba Ukwa/Ngwa Congress for being broadminded in their thoughts.

In a typical society where the norm is to quickly, enviously and seamlessly confine the labours of our heroes' past into the dusty repositories of time, it is heart-warming to see a crop of leaders who, out of their own volition, not only conceived but put into pragmatic perspective the commitment, struggles, pains and courage of a fallen Hero. I salute you my brothers. If no body is proud of you, Sir Don Ubani; Okwubunka of Asa, wishes to be an exception.

The theme of this lecture; Unity In The Sustenance Of Progress In Ukwa/Ngwa, by every consideration and calculation, is quite apt. The thinking process that led to its choice is not only commendable but respectable.

There is no segment of the human society in which there is no politics.

Starting from the kitchen, the nuclear family, the extended family, the village, the church, the school, professional organizations up to Various levels of government, politics abound though in different dimensions, colours, descriptions and definitions. Man is inseparable from politics.

A Cultural Organization such as Oha Ukwa/Ngwa or Asa Development Union may put in unquantifiable energy, trying to present itself as an unbiased or impartial body in the dynamics of its macro society but all in all, it must be propelled and driven by the natural sensibilities inherent in the society.

The Subject of our gathering and discussion today; Archiboy Duke Agbaigba, was a practical example of my theory of Natural Sensibilities in the society.

Any society that is devoid of equity is bereft of justice. Such a society shall not only know no peace but would have locked it's doors against progress and development.

At this juncture, I would consider it necessary to briefly introduce myself.

I am Sir Don Ubani; Okwubunka of Asa. I am a Knight of Saint Christopher of Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion. I am also a Justice of the Peace of Abia State Judiciary.

Sir Don Ubani is a teacher, writer, farmer, civil society activist and politician.

I am the son of late Chief Emmanuel W Ubani of Okeato-Isiamajiukwu village in Umuiku-Isi-Asa Autonomous Community in Ukwa-West Local Govt Area of our dear State of Abia.

My father could not have had me as a legitimate son without legally or traditionally marrying my mother.

In order to achieve this, he, accompanied by his relatives, went to the family of late Kanu Ezuo, a Native Court Clerk and interpreter of Umugo extraction in Ugwunagbo and married a rarely beautiful Mary Wugo Josephine. Late Chief(Mrs) Mary J W Ubani, nee Kanu, gave birth to Yours Sincerely.

By the above introduction, I have been able to establish, in an unambiguous term, the Ukwa/Ngwa Nexus in my person.

Though I am Asa, the first dialect I came into contact with is Ngwa. Of course, it is an incontrovertible fact that the Ngwa woman is conservative. She stubbornly goes to her place of marriage with her Ngwa dialect. I, therefore, heard and spoke Ngwa first before hearing and speaking my Asa dialect.

May I also state that if a situation arises where every child in my family, including me, should relocate to his or her maternal home, while I would be moving to Umugo in Ugwunagbo, my six children would be moving up North to Ntigha in Isialangwa-North.

If my father were to be alive and confronted with the same situation, he would quietly move to Umuochor-Umuakpara in Osisioma-Ngwa Local Government Area.

In a similar circumstance, my late grand father; Ubani, would relocate to Umuagbai in Osisioma.

What point have I laboured or wasted your time to make here? Just to make it abundantly clear that I do not claim Ukwa/Ngwa but that I am Ukwa/Ngwa personified, typified, exemplified and characterized.

In many of my discussions, I have always told any person(s) that had cared to listen that when it comes to question of population in Igbo land, the Ngwa rank next only to the Wawa that cuts across the whole of Enugu State.

Population plays a key role in addressing certain democratic questions.

In Abia State, the Ngwa constitute the largest and most populous Sub-ethnic group.

A demographic combination of Ngwa and Ukwa leaves no one in doubt that Ukwa/Ngwa is the group to beat in any political contest in the State.

I may ask for your indulgence to take a short trip down historical lane. The present nine local government areas that make up Ukwa/Ngwa were the composition of Old Aba Division during the British colonial administration.

The remaining eight are categorized as Old Bende Division.

In 1958, the Old Aba Division was divided into four Federal Single Member Constituencies. They were;
(1) Aba-South, consisting of Asa and Ndoki District Council Areas and was represented by O C Ememe, (2) Aba-Central, consisting of Southern and Eastern Ngwa District Council Areas and was represented by M W Ubani, (3) Aba-Urban, made up of Urban District Council and represented by Felix Okoronkwo and (4) Aba-North, comprising Northern Ngwa District which was represented by Jaja Wachuku.

The above four representatives were elected on the platform of the defunct National Council of Nigeria Citizens, NCNC.

By delving into the above political history, my intention is simply to bring to the fore that every indigene of Ukwa/Ngwa has a stake in Aba.

Many years ago when Ariaria-Umuiku road, which is my road, was motorable, it took me about seven minutes to get to Ariaria/Express road junction from my father's compound.

Painfully and most regrettably, for me to get to my community of Umuiku-Isi-Asa from this lecture venue, I have to avoid Ariaria-Umuiku road, Uratta-Obokwe road and drive up to Ngwainyiekwe, Ogwe, Ugwati and Obokwe.

Again, between Obokwe and Umuiku, it would be more reasonable and convenient to park my vehicle at Obokwe and contract the services of a commercial motor-cyclist to finally get to Umuiku. That portion of road has turned to an unnavigatable lake.

Suffice it to observe that since 1958 till date, the population of the people of Old Aba Division has, inexplicably and doubtfully , been stagnated.

Otherwise, what explanation would justify that a people the British Colonial Government of Her Imperial Majesty; Queen Elizabeth II, rightly considered populated enough to have four Federal Constituencies fifty-nine years ago are still restricted to the four?

Overtly or covertly, the impression, as obnoxious, injurious and infuriating as it was, had been created that people from Ukwa/Ngwa could only follow and be used as servants. They were, by the calculation of those who had held that thought, not cut out to rule or govern.

The impunity by which this degrading demeanour was characterized had grown in leaps and bounds as at 2002.

It had gotten to a point where it had become inevitable that the bluff of those who held that archaic belief had to be called.

It was this humiliating, unacceptable and intolerable scenario, like a similar one that had raised Dedan Kimati of the Mau-Mau Movement in Kenya, that forced Archiboy Duke Agbaigba to appear on the stage.

I must also acknowledge the fact that though many sons of Ukwa/Ngwa had fought gallantly against this terrible design of suppression even while we were in Imo State, such personalities as Chief Lambert Nmecha, Dr Gershon Amuta, Engr Alaribe, Dr Max Nduaguibe and Chief Chuku Wachuku, the man that gave the struggle a unique momentum was Enyi Abaribe, now serving his third tenure in the Senate.

As God of equity would have it today, an Ukwa/Ngwa son; Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, Ph.d is the Governor of Abia State.

This feat was achieved only after Old Bende had ruled for sixteen consecutive years.

We must appreciate God for coming to our rescue. At the same time, we must take gratifying notice of the contributions of the immediate past Governor of the State, Chief Theodor Orji who must have taken a critical look at the likely social-political consequences of swimming against the tide of equity.

It is unfortunate that Archiboy Duke Agbaigba could not live to witness the realization of the struggle he was neck-deep into.

In one of my discussions with him before his demise, he had confessed or would I say confided in me, that the bullet wound he had sustained in the course of the struggle along Arongwa Junction was still giving him sleepless nights.

Let me hope the beneficiaries of his risky escapades have not abandoned his family.

I know there were many other compatriots that had put their lives at great danger just to save Ukwa/Ngwa from that unprecedented humiliation.

Back to the theme of this memorial lecture, it goes beyond mere discussion that there is enormous strength in Unity.

The Unity I mean here is the Unity of Purpose, Action and, ofcourse, Time.

I have had cause to say it for the umpteenth time and I am repeating it here that if the people of Ukwa/Ngwa are not United amongst themselves, they would never reach their destination.

In a large Community of people where only very few individuals are exceedingly comfortable while more than ninety percent are wallowing in extreme penury and misery, that Community can not describe itself as having exited from its recession as it appears the Nigerian Government is labouring to make Nigerians believe .

To the glory of God, an Ukwa/Ngwa son is now the Governor of Abia State.

Away from our usual tilt towards sycophancy, there are fundamental questions we must not fail to ask ourselves, even if they would be rhetorical.

The question that comes first is, have our people, under our present leadership, been United
to such an extent that our numerical strength can find expression in unity when it should matter most?

Secondly, have our people in government in the last two years been able to give an unambiguous definition to governance as it relates to and affects the people of the zone from where the Governor comes?

Thirdly, has our leadership installed the much-needed confidence in and guaranteed liberation to our people as against the snare of divide and rule, in short, are we really in charge?

Fourthly, are all the component segments of the Zone, including my people of Asa, given a sense of belonging as to convince them that the struggle was, indeed, necessary and useful as to fight again?

Fifthly, are our people in government accessible to us as to enhance meaningful and useful exchange of ideas or have they built barriers as not to be reached?

Election is known to be a very expensive project. No single individual can fund it all alone. It requires collectivism. The sixth question


therefore, is do our people in government ever realize the necessity for economic empowerment of our people across board? and the seventh, last but not the least question is, with less than a year to go into electioneering, do we have a clear psycho-political blue print for 2019, I mean are we running in 2019?

Mr President, My Distinguished erudite Professors, Ladies & Gentlemen, I have no doubt in my mind that with the above seven posers, this Memorial Lecture In Honour of Archiboy Duke Agbaigba is as good as having been declared open.

Okwubunka of Asa
Umuiku-Isi-Asa Aut Community
Ukwa-West LGA
17th September, 2017.

PS: This address was delivered on my behalf by Sir Charles I Onyema, Ph. d as I was unavoidably away from the State at the time.

Okwubunka of Asa.

UCHE AGUORU IS HUNGRY AND LOOKING FOR FOOD – NDUBUISI OJIMADU

Reacting to Uche Aguoru’s attacks on Ikpeazu on a thread, Ndubuisi Ojimadu made the following comments

Chima Obiwuru .... but he was with Ochendo, was Ochendo succeeding in 2014?

Iroha Stanley Buchai am sure that you can see that these noise makers online are worse than Ochendo? They are all looking for food

…until Ikpeazu wins again. These writers will collect money from him by that time but now the governor is not giving anything. I pity any clean man running for an election in Abia
anyone who supported Ochendo and suddenly found Ikpeazu useless is looking for food

No one should blame him. He was appointed by Ochendo because of his praising ability. He sang and sang until Ikoeazu assumed power and he continued. The governor has appointed those who cannot even come near him in image making. Is it not. Proper for him to seek for opportunities elsewhere? How do you follow someone who does not care if you exist ?

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IN 2015, UCHE WROTE THIS ARTICLE BELOW

Apga`s many lies and the realism of governance in Abia state.
By Uche Aguoru
---------------------------------
There is a popular axiom by Dorothy Allison which says and I quote that "Things come apart so easily when they have been held" together with lies. Upon the declaration of Dr Alex Otti's gubernatorial ambition in Abia state it has been lies, lies and more lies to Abians and his nescient followers.

Firstly it was his origin which has not been made clear to Abians up on till now, Abians are still in deep confusion as to whether Dr. Alex Otti is from Abia south, central or north. Just recently he told Abians and indeed the world that he escaped an assassination plot in his Abuja residence and how his police detail was murdered in the process, meanwhile the police authorities came out to say they have no record of such
incident.

His recent hobby is to feed his enthusiasts who had ignorantly believed in him with lies about the proceedings of the election tribunal sitting in umuahia that he is having the upper hand even while the matter was still in the pre-hearing stages and the lawyers are still trying to gather materials that will enable them to effectively prosecute their cases.

While Alex Otti is busy supplying his followers with lies, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu the man Abians gave their mandate to govern them is busy setting up policies and programs that will impact positively on the life of every Abian, he is at the moment restructuring the Abia civil service system to effectively check the ghost worker syndrome that will enable him live up to his campaign promise of paying the Abia civil servant at the 28th of every month. he had already commenced the reconstruction/construction of roads and clearing of water ways,gutters and drainages in Aba the commercial hub of Abia state.

Dr Ikpeazu in his effort to create jobs and attract investments into Abia state has been meeting with industrialists and big time players in the Nigerian economy to come and establish industries and other businesses in Aba, he had so far been very successful in this regard as many had promised to move in to Aba to set up industries once he completes the job of reconstructing Aba which he is doing at the moment, His administration had so far started the reconstruction of Ukaegbu road, Ehere road, faulks by samek, umule , ururuka old express , kamalu roads etc within Aba and the desilting of school road gutter which has not been cleared for over a decade.

Governor Ikpeazu is not only concentrating his energy in Aba he is also attending to the cries and needs of other areas within the state, just recently Dr Ikpeazu rolled in the bulldozers to Lohum Imenyi to save them from an age long erosion menace which has been ravaging the community for ages, amongst other road construction which the governor has chosen to undertake across the state.
Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu does not react to unnecessary media attacks or blackmail from Abia APGA and its agents because he runs a strategically visionary government that is policy driven, he had gone ahead to pursue his programs and policies carefully and tactfully with the aim of giving us the Abia that we have all yearned for, all that the Ikpeazu administration requires from every citizen of Abia state is to be law abiding, not throw refuse into the gutters, pay your taxes regularly and stay away from crime and criminality. Dr. Ikpeazu has been described by analysts and political watchers as a governor with the proclivity to perform because of the vigor and purposefulness with which governor Ikpeazu is going about his constitutionally assigned duty to the people of Abia state, if Abians should give Dr. Ikpeazu the needed support in this trying period of his administration, Abians will have cause to roll out the drums in celebration of the works of this administration within the first one year in the life of the administration of Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu.
Aguoru
writes from Umuahia

A SAVE OUR SOUL MESSAGE TO MY REPRESENTATIVES:
BY SIR DON UBANI; KSC, JP, OKWUBUNKA OF ASA,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CENTRE FOR EQUITY AND ERADICATION OF RURAL POVERTY.
21ST SEPTEMBER, 2017.

The good essence of representative democracy is that, at any given time and on any subject, constituents have the right to express their thoughts through their elected Representatives in various legislative chambers.

Democracy, unlike dictatorship, is responsive to the yearnings of the governed.

For laws to be made, the pulse of the electorate must be felt and measured. In short, the sensibilities and sensitivity of those for whom laws would be made, are put into great consideration.

Professor Chidi Odinkalu, former Chairman of National Human Rights Commission, has raised alarm over the intention of the House of Representatives to enact into law a Non-Governmental Organization Regulatory Bill, otherwise termed NGO Regulatory Bill.

As the erudite Professor of Law puts it, the law, when made, would simply castrate and emasculate community initiative, philanthropy, development in churches and mosques, civil society organizations and critical appreciation of the role of government.

I had said it repeatedly that the leopard does not change its spot. A pathological dictator can never be a democrat. Such a postulation will always end up as a huge deceit.

Recall that in 1984 when General Buhari was the Military Head of the Nigerian State, he enacted the infamous decree no 4 of 1984.

The decree, which was captioned 'Protection Against False Accusation ', was the most draconian, dreaded, repressive and totalitarian all through the dark era of military dictatorship in Nigeria.

The decree was so heartlessly framed in such a way that offenders had to be tried only by a Military Tribunal.

Nigerians may not have forgotten the fate of two young Nigerian Journalists; Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor, both of the Guardian Newspaper, who were jailed on July 4, 1984 by the Buhari authoritarianism.

The current NGO Regulation Bill that has passed first reading, second reading and is at the committee stage is a subterfuge aimed at deceiving and hoodwinking Nigerians into helping in digging their own graves while they are still alive.

I, therefore, on behalf of Centre for Equity And Eradication Of Rural Poverty; a Civil Society Organization that would not escape victimization if this bill becomes a law, urge both Senator Enyi Abaribe and Hon Uzoma Abonta who represent me and some other Trustees of the Centre at the National Assembly to kindly mobilize every legislative instrument and support to make sure this aberration does not see the light of the day.

Executive Director.

DOES THE PYTHON REALLY DANCE?
BY SIR DON UBANI; KSC, JP, OKWUBUNKA OF ASA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CENTRE FOR EQUITY AND ERADICATION OF RURAL POVERTY.
13TH SEPTEMBER, 2017.

No doubt, there is not only tension in the South-East of Nigeria but visible fear in the region, especially in Abia State and to narrow it further, Aba.

This is sequel to observance of an exercise code-named Operation Python Dance 11 by the Nigerian Army.

It appeared to have started last Sunday, 10th September, 2017 when the troops involved in the operation were said to have stormed the country-home of the Leader of Indigenous People of Biafra; Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, at Afara-Ibeku in Umuahia, capital of Abia State.

There is much in a name. For those of us who are Igbo, the name someone we come into contact with bears could make or mar our relationship with such a person.

Except to the intellectually bereft, a name is capable of conveying impressions.

When the Army chose a name as code of operation, those who are reasonable should read in between lines to decode what the name implies.

The Python is a big reptile that kills it's prey via constriction rather than by injecting venom.

The Python is an obligate carnivore. It strikes and grips its prey animal with it's teeth and pull it towards it.

As this is happening, it starts coiling around the prey animal.

Constriction kills the prey animal by asphyxiation. This means the python subjects it's prey to such terrible situation that it ends up being choked up through deprivation of oxygen.

When the python feels it's prey animal has stopped struggling, it would release it and begin searching for it's head to commence swallowing.

I have done this brief explanation for our people to appreciate what has come to us.

Our people should not again behave like Chinua Achebe's Ezeudu in Arrow of God who failed to realize the strength of the invading white man.

Our brother, Nnamdi Kanu and his Indigenous People of Biafra are making a very genuine case.

Their agitation is almost every body's quest.

President Muhammadu Buhari, on his return from his 105-day medical vacation in London, said Nigeria's unity is 'settled and not negotiable'.

I strongly believe the President got it wrong. Nigeria's unity is not settled but must be negotiated.

Why should it not be negotiated when the Hausa/Fulani controlled Military imposed on Nigerians a constitution that is not their desire?

Why must Buhari insist that Nigeria's unity can not be negotiated when the military has unduly unilaterally subjected Nigerians to Unitarianism as against federalism which our founding fathers collectively agreed and settled for?

On what basis does President Buhari want the people of Southern Nigeria to have confidence in the National Assembly to address glaring constitutional inequities, injustices and imbalances when creation of states and local government areas that produced the legislators was deliberately skewed to give perpetual advantage to the North against the South?

Mr President must know that the unity of Nigeria, just like any other nation, can not be held and sustained by coercion, using the military.

Our unity can only be guaranteed through dialogue and mutual understanding.

I strongly believe in Nigeria. A united Nigeria is most advantageous to the Igbo. It gives us a very wide space to showcase and exploit our God-given enterprise maximally.

I am a Biafran; a Biafran of the mind, a Biafran by philosophy. I do not want to be a Biafran of physical or geographical expression.

The Youruba are asking for, no, insisting on return to fiscal federalism. Their Mega Rally at Ibadan on 7th of this month was a collective and unambiguous expression to that effect.

It was a gathering of who is who in Youruba land. Even the radical youthful Youruba Liberation Command that had agitated for Oduduwa Republic was there. But at the end, all unanimously settled for fiscal federalism.

The people of Niger Delta are also asking for fiscal federalism. Resource Control is merely a synonym for fiscal federalism.

A united restructured Nigeria will be the best thing that could happen not only to Nigeria but Africa and, indeed, the Black race.

The North should stop being afraid of restructuring due to not having oil or access to a sea-port. If Nigeria is restructured, as it is bound to be, the North, with its vast land and solid mineral resources, would stand tall in internal revenue generation.

I want to appreciate Mazi Nnamdi Kanu for the quantum of consciousness and awareness he has raised, not only among the Igbo but amongst Nigerians in general.

However, I urge him to change tactics. We do not need to be confrontational, though he has never preached it.

We should rely strongly on advocacy and democratic methodologies.

We should also partner with regions that feel the pains we feel.

The Python is here and is no friend to any prey. It does not dance for our comfort. Let us be wise as to avoid asphyxiation.

Okwubunka of Asa.

MAY PROTESTS FROM ANAMBRA PDP GOVERNORSHIP PRIMARY ELECTION BE UNFOUNDED!
BY SIR DON UBANI; KSC, JP, OKWUBUNKA OF ASA ,
CONVENER OF PDP
29TH AUGUST, 2017.

A common English idiom says; once bitten, twice shy.

In my Asa fable, the Master Tortoise had assembled his three sons and had asked them, one by one, how many times would something happen to them before they could learn their lesson.

His first son responded by saying it was only once. The second son said it would be twice. In his own response, the third and last one told his father he would rather learn from the mistakes of others.

We all know the Tortoise is a Rubicon of wisdom. He applauded the wisdom of his third son.

He then admonished his other two children to be meticulous and smart enough to learn from other people's mistakes.

In 1998, I was one of the twenty-one political leaders that convened the Peoples' Democratic Party in Abia State. I was also it's first State Organizing Secretary in Abia.

Students of African Literature may not have forgotten Ngugi Wa'Thiongo's novel, Weep Not, Child.

In that novel, Kenya, a country in East Africa, was under colonialism.

The White colonial Masters had dispossed the native Kenyans of their ancestral land and were farming on them.

The irritating irony was that many of the indigenous people of Kenya eventually became labourers for the white farmers on their own ancestral land.

A Kenyan named Ngotho, the father of Njorogo, worked for a white farmer called Mr Howllands.

Ngotho was so committed to his duties on the soil of the farm that many Kenyans and even Mr Howllands himself wondered why Ngotho displayed such uncommon dedication.

To Ngotho, his commitment to tilling the soil and tendering the plants on his Master's farm were unconnected with any Master/servant relationship.

As long as he was concerned, working on the farm afforded him the much-needed spiritual re-union with his ancestors. His dedication was, therefore, an obligatory expression of respect for the spirit of his dispossed ancestors.

By way of analogy, my commitment to PDP remains traceable to the fact of distinct history, a Convener of the Great Party.

In Nigeria, the definition of a good politician is one who sees something going wrong but will take side with it or, at best, keep quiet.

Those of us, very few, who naturally would express our thoughts on any given issue are regarded as bad politicians. Yet, talk or write, we must!

Yesterday; Monday 28th August, 2017, PDP conducted it's governorship primary election in Anambra State.

Six aspirants had bought forms for the contest. Senator Stella Odua, Hon Linda Ikpeazu, Dr Ifeanyi Uba, Mr Osoleka Henry Obaze, Dr Alex Obiogbulu and Mr John Emeka were the aspirants.

Any time people talk of transparency in election, it should not be forgotten that transparency is not measured only on the day of the election.

Emphasis should even be placed more on the processes that lead to the primary election proper.

By this I mean such considerations as(1) cost of obtaining interest and nomination forms, (2) openness in screening of aspirants,(3) emergence of delegates to the Congress or Convention that will elect the Party's flagbearer and (4) timely release of the list of delegates so that aspirants would have enough time to approach them.

Once any of the above considerations is botched or mishandled, the whole process becomes faulty and whatever result that comes out of it, will be inimical to the collective interest of the Party. This is the simplest explanation of impunity.

On 12th of August this year when PDP had it's non-elective National Convention at Eagle's Square in Abuja, almost every speaker that mounted the Podium admittedly regretted that it was only one eight-letter word that ruined PDP in 2015 and that was IMPUNITY.

At that Square, both the sermon that was preached and impression created were that Never Again Will PDP Condone Impunity.

The taste of the pudding is in the eating. In the same vein, example is better than precept.

A litmus test for PDP after our August 12 Convention was yesterday's primary election in Anambra State.

If what has been reported by the Press is any thing to go by, Senator Stella Odua; currently in the Senate and former Minister of Aviation, Hon Linda Ikpeazu; a serving Member of the House of Representatives and Mr John Emeka had allegedly withdrawn from the primary exercise on grounds of irregularities.

The trio of Obaze, Obiogbulu and Uba that ended up contesting the election had 672, 190 and 94 votes, respectively.

By this result, Obaze was declared victorious. He is, therefore, the governorship candidate of our Party for the November 18th governorship election in Anambra State.

Curiously, Dr Ifeanyi Uba has threatened to go to court to challenge the process of the exercise.

A kingdom divided against itself can not stand.

If the alleged grievances and protests are not frankly addressed, PDP is bound not only to lose the election but lose abysmally.

This is more so when the Party in power in that state is known to have done very well in every ramification of governance in that state.

Looking at it from a very dispassionate perspective, I strongly would feel bad if actually there was any iota of impunity in the Anambra scenario.

As one of the very few Conveners of PDP that is still strongly committed to the Party, I must caution that we must be firm in our resolve to wipe out impunity that had desecrated and demystified our Masquerade.

In any State where the will of members of the Party is toyed with, that machination will tantamount to Waterloo for the Party.

In conclusion, I want to remind our Party leaders that there is no problem without a solution.

The solution to PDP's current problem is simply to allow internal democracy take its full course. The era of sycophancy, playing to the gallery and Impunity is completely over in Nigerian politics.

Okwubunka of Asa.

PRETENTIOUS CLAIM OF 100% LOYALTY BY NIGERIAN POLITICIANS.
BY SIR DON UBANI; KSC, JP, OKWUBUNKA OF ASA
26TH AUGUST, 2017.

The worst foundation a man can lay for himself is deceit.

Unfortunately, man, in this instance used as uni-sex, takes pride in self-deceit.

The Black man, especially the Nigerian, appears to be neck-deep in self-deceit.

Of all the fields of human endeavour in Nigeria, there is no area where deceit is pronounced as much as in politics.

Politics, which should be an avenue for selfless service to one's fatherland, has, to the contrary, become a money-spinning venture in Nigeria.

With unemployment every where in the country, our youths dabble into politics straight from schools, colleges and universities.

Being mindful that majority of Nigerian politicians only use and dump their followers, even those who stick out their necks just to protect the interest of their principals, political followers arm themselves with some 'weapons' of survival in the system.

Principal among their protective guards are pretence and sycophancy. They drill themselves in pretentious foolishness.

Our leaders, basking in the euphoria of spurious smartness, would always insist that loyalty by their followers must be 100%.

Knowing that the game is that of survival, about 75% of followers would not only assure that their loyalty is 100% but will go the extra length of advocating it.

Let me, at this juncture, recollect one discussion I was part of some time about 2000.

I had gone to the residence of a very influential political Amazon that lived at Nweke Street at Aba.

Many Abia politicians of note had gathered in her famous Canopy. The woman, for reasons only known to her, began asking each the percentage of loyalty he or she had for her 'political dynasty'.

As if I had anticipated such a question coming, I had taken a seat that made me unavoidably the last to be asked that question.

Initially, I had the temptation of excusing myself may be on the pretence of going to ease myself. However, on a second thought, I said it was good I used the opportunity to make my stand known.

While every other person in the Canopy on that particular occasion had pledged 100% loyalty, with even some claiming theirs was more than 100%, I humbly and playfully told 'Mama' that if my loyalty could get upto 75%, I would consider myself as having scored an Alfa were it in an examination.

I like being realistic. I detest playing to the gallery. What I know I will not do or what I know is impracticable, I will not give a contrary impression.

'Mama' was visibly not happy with me that day. But I was at peace with my conscience. I had said it the way I knew it.

Many years later, those who claimed to have 100% loyalty are no more with 'Mama' and her son. So, where lies the 100% loyalty?

I have always urged leaders to jettison the inhuman and completely unrealistic expectation of 100% from their followers.

Let me also sound it loud and clear that loyalty is basically determined by and correspondent to a given reward system.

If a leader is pragmatically sensitive to the plight of his followers, it would be given that loyalty would be in the range of distinction.

But in a situation where the leader, members of his family and close relations feed fat while his followers are wallowing in kwasiokor-threatening poverty, there would be no basis for a follower, no matter how desirously committed, would give more than 10%.

Experience, be it useful or useless, is better shared. This is one of the reasons why I often come to my facebook wall to allow the very few that might be willing to listen hear .

There is no place where loyalty is 100%. Many present Nigerian political leaders had decamped from the structure of their erstwhile god fathers and are even at daggars-drawn with them.

Even in the military, the mere fact that soldiers plan and execute coups vitiate the expectation of 100% loyalty.

Let us be realistic as it is deceitful expecting 100% loyalty from our followers.

Okwubunka of Asa

IS OURS AN OBTUSE DEMOCRACY?
BY SIR DON UBANI; KSC, JP
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CENTRE FOR EQUITY AND ERADICATION OF RURAL POVERTY.
9TH AUGUST, 2017.

Could someone help unravel this riddle that seems to worry me!

I do not know how many times I have had cause to thank the Greeks for bequeathing to humanity the principle of democracy.

It is democracy and it's attendant rule of law that differentiate the conduct of man from what obtains in the jungle where survival is only guaranteed for the strongest and fittest.

No matter the insincerity of the British Colonial Masters, they handed over Nigeria to Nigerians on an acceptable note of constitutional democracy.

By the principle of constitutional democracy, citizens have the right to hold and express opinions that do not constitute a threat to peace and laws of our land. They also have freedom of lawful association and assembly.

Our President, General Muhammadu Buhari, whom we elected to address our problems, has been away on medical grounds for well over ninety-two(92) days.

No body says that Gen Buhari is supper-human. He is like any other human-being. He could be sick like any of us. Taking cognizance of the fact that age has almost run against people within his chronological bracket, it leaves no one in doubt that God should not be blamed if Buhari gets sick.

If there is any person that intends ridiculing the President for being sick, such an individual deserves pity. I say this because such intent can only stem out of stupidity.

President Buhari, to be fair to him, has paid his dues to his fatherland. As a soldier, he had fought to 'keep Nigeria one'. He has always created impressions of fighting wars against corruption and other social vices.

He had also paid himself maximally by truncating Nigeria's democracy and imposing himself on the citizens as a Military Head of State.

The above notwithstanding, Nigerians had also elected him as their President. Unlike what he did in 2003, 2007 and 2011 when he had lost in presidential elections and had taken his victorious opponents to tribunals and courts, incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan whom he defeated in 2015 graciously and most unprecedentedly patriotically congratulated him even before the presidential result could be announced.

Despite clear evidence of under-aged children voting in a place like Kano where it was alleged that in order to cover up the unimaginable magnitude of electoral fraud that was committed there, a cabal that wanted Buhari at all cost as President had to exterminate the family of Jigawa-born Mikaila Abdulahi who had served as the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kano State during the Presidential and National Assembly elections. Mr Abdulahi, his wife and two daughters were said to have died in a fire incident that had gutted their house only few days after the 28 March 2015 presidential election. The circumstances were quite bizarre. Yet President Jonathan did not even contemplate taking his case to court. What else will Nigerians give to Buhari?

Leadership must be driven by conscience, among other virtues. Whether we like it or not, morality comes first before Constitutionality. Technicalities in law can give way to injustice. That one emerged victorious in a court may not necessarily mean that one was, indeed, right.

Morally-speaking, President Buhari, knowing he is almost incapacitated by illness should be humane and patriotic enough to resign his position as President.

Even though the Acting President; Prof Yemi Osibanjo, seems to be filling the gap, the truth is that Nigerians need an incumbent President that is fit and proper to attend to their problems. This is even more compelling now that our country is facing many herculean challenges.

Sickness of President Buhari is being taken advantage of by the British Government. Parking slot alone where a presidential plane has been parked at Heathrow Airport at the rate of $4000 per day, if the plane is still there, amounts to $372000 for ninety-three days. If we multiply this amount by N365, it would amount to N135,780. We have not talked about the medical bills, estacode , exigencies and other miscellaneous expenditure.

Who does not know that Nigeria is bleeding? For how long will this go on and for how long should Nigerians keep quiet?

It was, therefore, heart-warming to see Charles Oputa's Our Mumu Don Do Organization stage a peaceful protest last Monday at Abuja, asking President Buhari to either return and face his duties or resign.

But true to our version of democracy, the Nigerian Police came dangerously hard on this Group. They fired many canisters of teargas at them, as harmlessly peaceful as they were seated. The Police claimed Charly Boy's Group was infiltrated by hoodlums and miscreants. How many of them did they arrest?

Charly Boy; the Area Fada, was allegedly so subjected to inhalation of teargas that he collapsed in the arena. What type of democracy is ours?

Yesterday, Tuesday 8-8-2017, in far away London where our President is most expensively domiciled, barely twenty-four hours after Charly Boy and his fellow protesters had been suffocated by teargas fired by our 'very friendly Police', a Nigerian by name Jonathan Goodluck Oberia and his female friend protested in front of Abuja House, demanding to know the health status of our President.

Nigerian officials in the House, thinking they were in Nigeria, quickly invited the British Police to come and arrest the duo. When they arrived and observed what the couple were doing, they simply laughed and told the Nigerian officials that what Oberia and his friend were doing did not in any way contravene the laws of the British Government. They left without halting the democratic exercise of Oberia and his acquaintance.

The question remains why must our own democracy be different from what it should be?

Executive Director.

GIVING A DEFINITION TO THE AGITATION FOR RESTRUCTURING OF THE NIGERIAN FEDERATION:
BY SIR DON UBANI; KSC, JP
OKWUBUNKA OF ASA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CENTRE FOR EQUITY AND ERADICATION OF RURAL POVERTY.
24TH JULY, 2017.

Today's Nigeria is being confronted with a multiplicity of burdensome questions begging for answer. Some of the issues arise from sharp and very dangerous differences in religion; most especially the inter-religious suspicion between Islam and Christianity. Numerousity of ethnic composition which diversity should have been a major source of strength has, indeed, been a clog on national unity.

National growth in education has tremendously been impaired by what many consider as retrogressive application of the policy of federal character. States are clustered together to move at an unusually federally-dictated pace in order to enable others who, for no acceptable reason, have remained on the slow lane of educational development.

Redistribution of national income accruing considerably from a few zones in the country has continued to be a principal source of discontent. Stakeholders from such zones continuously express worries of marginalization.

Appointment into strategic Federal government positions are said to favour only the Hausa/Fulani, with serious attachment to Islam.

Insecurity has also added a dimension to the National question. The Boko Haram insurgency in the North, particularly the North-East, has been a source of painful devastation and destruction of precious lives and property for some years now.

As if that was not enough source of agony, Fulani herdsmen, who have stubbornly and arrogantly refused to embrace global best practices in herding cattle through ranching, have acquired sophisticated weapons of mass destruction and have rendered many Christian farmers homeless, with thousands dead while more are permanently maimed.

A good number of Nigerians feel that the centre is so powerful that power should be devolved to the States.

Incidentally the voices calling for a redefinition of the Nigerian Federal Structure are mainly from the South.

The Middle-Belt, which was part of the defunct Northern Region of Nigeria, has joined in the expression of discomfort under the present dispensation.

By this development, the North-Central, South-East, South-South and South-West have boldly indicated to the world that all is not well with the Nigerian State.

As beneficiaries of the country's awkward Federal structure, which was imposed on the people by the Hausa/Fulani dominated military, the core Islamist North is seriously opposing any attempt to have a critical review of the country's present structure.

Advocates of restructuring express strong belief in the report of the 2014 National Conference and demand that it should be implemented.

On the other hand, the core North claims that the North was not commensurately represented at the conference. They go further to question the legality of the conference. Not long ago, it was reported that their youths threatened that any northern elder that supports restructuring, does so at his own peril.

In the midst of all these dissenting opinions, there are others whose concern appears to border on what type of restructuring are people clamouring for. According to this school of thought, the quest for restructuring should be clearly defined.

The Centre For Equity And Eradication Of Rural Poverty strongly believes that the Nigerian military pepertrated a sharp departure from the foundation laid by Nigeria's founding fathers for good and acceptable governance. Imposition of unitary system of government as against the acceptable federalist Structure amounts to avoidable anarchy in a multy-ethnic assemblage. The best that can be achieved from this type of unitary system is suppressed agitation. But once agitation starts, no matter how reactionary elements endeavour to suppress it, the end result result will always be catastrophic.

The Hausa/Fulani, for now, have a firm grip of the Nigerian security apparatus. They could kill, maim and suppress but it can only be for a while. If they could be humble enough to turn through some pages of history, they would realize that no condition is permanent. Besides, nature has always had a soft spot for the oppressed and the enslaved.

The Centre for Equity And Eradication Of Rural Poverty proposes the following as definition of restructuring in Nigeria;
(1) the present thirty-six state structure is unrealistic. Many of the states, without allocation from the federal government, can not be sustained for more than half a year. Therefore, the Centre suggests that the federation be restructured into six geo-political zones vis; (a) North-Central, (b) North-East, (c) North-West, (d) South-East, (e) South-South and (f) South-West.

(2) Each region should explore, harness and exploit natural resources within its boundaries, retain sixty percent of its total revenue while forty is remitted to the centre for the maintenance of defence, internal affairs, foreign policy, Immigration, ports and aviation.

(3) Each region should be at liberty to create the number of states it deems fit to have.

(4) Local Government Councils are no federating units and, so, it's creation and administration should be the prerogative of the States.

(5) Regions or geo-political governments should have the power to establish it's own police for prompt and effective policing. The Federal Government will also have it's own police.

(6) Each region should have a regional Assembly that should make its Constitution.

(7) No road shall be termed a federal road. Any road within the geographical boundaries of a region should be maintained by the government of that region.

( Education should be the entire responsibility of the regional government, starting from nursery up to the university. Each region should be allowed to progress according to its ability.

(9) Federal character should strictly apply only in such areas as mentioned in (2) above.

(10) Out of the forty percent each region pays as royalty to the federal government, fifteen percent of its cumulative should be be redistributed to the regions on basis of equality of regions, to make sure states that are not as naturally endowed as some others do not collapse and

(11) the Federal Government should have a constitution that provides for a unicameral legislature propelled by a parliamentary system of government as it is in Britain.

It must be suggested here that if Nigeria actually wants to grow into the status of a great nation, it must stop deceiving itself over it's population census.

It should embark on an honest population census to determine exactly what her population is. As at present, Nigeria's population borders on falsehood. There is no miracle that can make any country plan and execute effectively when her claim on population is absolutely deceitful. You can imagine how spurious it sounds to hear that Kano has more population than Lagos!

The Centre frankly believes that if Nigeria is, indeed, restructured, it would guarantee unity, stability and overall development of the polity.

Insisting that Nigeria must continue to be governed on its present basis of falsely imposed Constitution, which claims to have been made by the peoples of Nigeria when it is only the handwork of the military, is merely prolonging the day of judgment. A stitch in time, should save nine.

Executive Director.

Damian Igbokwe and his unending stupidity

We woke up to read online newspaper *Educator* Banner headline...Impeach Buhari now - Majority leader Abia house

I have said severally here that some people actually get more foolish as they grow older. This class of people seem to have an embarrassing genealogical, or may be pathological madness ingrained in their blood stream. Damian Igbokwe is just a classical example of an acutely stupid person.

For those who do not know, Damian Igbokwe was supposed to have done Weekend degree programme in Abia State University, Uturu. Within the period, he wrote tests, assignments and exams through proxy. Go to his wall and you would actually confirm that he didn't go to school. He is an expert in using proxies. This strategy has affected his entire life. It was this same Demian ( he doesn't know how to spell his name) whose activities online helped to demonize Uche Ogah and inadvertently hurt his chances. When a comprehensive illiterate is advocating for you, you must definitely run into murky waters.

I understand he may have started doing proxy work for now Orji Uzor Kalu, and Proxy online Newspaper 'Educator News' to spew gibberish, massage his stupidity and obviously display how brazenly ignorant he is. His favorite pastime now is attacking Engr. Chinedum Orji (Ikuku), the Majority Leader Abia House of Assembly.

Demian had written on *Educator News Online* that Ikuku moved the Abia House to prevail on the National Assembly to impeach ailing (using his language) President Buhari. That is how a stupid person talks. Now come with me

1. Abia House of Assembly is on recess. It is therefore not possible that a motion can be moved by proxy.

2. Never on the floor of the house has the majority leader or any member at all raised the issue of President Buhari's ill health .

3. The Abia House is not as stupid as Demian and can definitely not overreach itself or become meddlesome interlopers in a matter that has constitutional requirements. How would foolish Demian know

4. What's even the need to gloss over a matter that can neither be persuasive nor binding when there are litany of challenges that concern Abians directly.


Demian, this is what you need to know
Sometime in March 10th, Sun newspapers apparently being influenced by their publisher OUK called Ikuku a "terrorist". By April 24th, Ikuku instituted an action insisting that the publication has damaged his reputation before right thinking members of the public. The OUK team has since tried all they could to frustrate the prosecution until July 17, 2017 that the trial commenced fully.

Thus, it is easy to know why this new stupidity is coming from given that there previous efforts came to nothing.

If Demian is truly a man and has reduced the value of his stupidity, I challenge him to publish the tale of calling for Buhari's impeachment on the stable of any national paper including their ailing Sunnewspaper. If he cannot do this, we can only encourage him to continue exposing his ignorance on social media. He's may be, despite the law on stalking, free to remain uncouth, uncoordinated and useless in his comments.

For who those who feel excited that he's working for him, pleased me time to talk with Uche Ogah, listen to his story and also confirm that this illiterate Demian is a disaster waiting to happen.

Franklin Nwankwo
Enugu, Nigeria

The attention of the member representing Umuahia Central State Constituency, Abia State House of Assembly, Engr. Chinedum Orji has been drawn to a false, fabricated and unverified online news publication.
It first appeared first on the Facebook wall of one Mr. Demian Ifeanyi Igbokwe under the caption of " Impeach President Buhari Now".
While I do not want to waste my time on explanations to such publication knowing that the said poster is an agent of Orji Uzor Kalu, the former Governor of Abia State and the publisher of the Sun Newspaper popularly known for fake news publication.
To ensure the authenticity of the alleged story,I challenge them to publish this story on Sun Newspaper, for proper court actions.
It is also not surprising to know that the said Mr. Damian Igbokwe is standing in for his Pay master, Orji Uzor Kalu who yesterday, 17th July, 2017 had a disgraceful outing at the Ohafia High Court following the 5B Naira libel law suit that I instituted against him and his Sun Newspaper for writing and publishing a story against my person where they alleged that I'm a terrorist.
Let me state categorically, that as a democrat, I am a strong supporter of President Buhari as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
I am also not failing in my earnest prayers that Mr.President gets well soonest.
At this time, let me use this medium to alert unsuspecting Nigerians, as 2019 approaches, Orji Uzor Kalu, as it is inherent in him will use his sun newspaper, online platforms and his hirelings to fabricate malicious stories against my person and others whom he considers threats to his political ambitions.
Obiefula Ukaegbu
Media Aide to
Engr Chinedum Orji, member
Abia State House of Assembly.

ONE RECIPE OUT OF MANY FOR CHECK AGAINST MARGINALIZATION OF THE IGBO IN NIGERIA.
BY SIR DON UBANI; KSC, JP
OKWUBUNKA OF ASA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CENTRE FOR EQUITY AND ERADICATION OF RURAL POVERTY.
1ST JULY, 2017.

The time in which we are in Nigeria has, to put it mildly, not been the best for a people that have co-habited for one hundred and three years.

Naturally, it should be taken for granted that for a people to have lived as fellow citizens of a given country for more than a century, such people, no matter how heterogeneous, must have effectively, even if painfully, passed through the crucibles of national understanding, cohesion, fusion and integration.

By that calculation, Nigeria should have, by now, been at the final stage of national consolidation. As the largest group of peoples in Sub-Saharan Africa, with unquantifiable resources, both material and human, the country should have long been ranked within the same class of developed economies as China, India Malaysia, Singapore, Turkey and others in Asia and Europe.

Regrettably, Nigeria has remained the weeping child of the African continent. In juxtaposition with resources available to us, our poverty index is one that justifies no excuse, not even explanation.

God, in no way, has any blame to apologize for. There is hardly any good thing that can guarantee the growth of a polity that He did not bequeath us.

The writer has fundamental roles he or she plays in the society. He functions as custodian of the society's conscience and secondly as the mirror through which the society could capture true reflections of its engagements, activities and contributions.

An altruistic writer could be likened to a true prophet who does not prophesy on personal or parochial promptings but rather on the inspiration of divine direction.

The writer is, therefore, altruistic, outspoken, universal and courageously responsive to the spur of the moment. The writer has the natural inclination to pencil it down the way he sees and perceives it.

The feeling of calculated marginalization has been a chorus among the Igbo since after the Nigeria/Biafra war fifty years ago. The Igbo sensitivity and subsequent response to marginalization have culminated in the quest for self-determination by the youths of South-east, though in a non-violent manner.

Despite the non-violence inherent in the agitation for a Republic of Biafra, which on May 27th this year climaxed in an overwhelming and unprecedented sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra under the leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, in the five States of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo, a coalition of Northern Youths Organization had handed down a quit notice to the Igbo living in the North to vacate there on or before 1st October, this year of our Lord, 2017.

Even though Governors in the North came heavily against the hateful order and the Acting President; Prof Yemi Osibanjo, had engaged in extensive consultations, the atmosphere remains replete with suspicion, distrust, precariousness and palpable fear. This is so because the core traditional northern establishment,as represented by the voices of Prof Ango Abdulahi and Dr Junaid Mohammed, had almost spontaneously fiercely spoken in defence of the Northern Coalition of Youths. The country is in a quagmire.

At best, the situation currently in Nigeria is at sixes and sevens.

For those that have been following my thoughts and postulation, they would have known by now that I am Igbo in every sense of nationhood. Where ever the Igbo are, there I am. My thoughts will always be in the overall interest of the Igbo and, no doubt, humanity.

I would, therefore, pray that my audience appreciates my my posers and positions on a very sound critical basis. When crucial decisions and positions are to be taken by a people, emotions or sentiments should be done away with. For the Igbo in Nigeria, a time like this does not require playing to the gallery.

The Igbo must tell themselves the truth. It is only when we are able to tell ourselves the truth, that we would be able to know where we were beaten by the rain.

My first question is, Is Marginalization Only Externally Perpetrated?

I agree that the Nigerian government, through the instrumentality of Hausa/Fulani dominated military dictatorship that spanned over twenty-nine years, delt ruthlessly with the Igbo in many areas of national concern, including creation of states and local government areas.

The fundamental question that one, again, will not fail to ask is, how transparent and effective did or have governors of South-east put into use the resources that had accumulated over the years, say 1999-date, in the overall interest of their people.

Did these governors not over ambitiously become richer than their states over night? How many of them can point at solid roads covering up-to two hundred kilometres within their states for the eight years each governed?

How many of them allowed local government councils in their states to function even minimally to guarantee development in the grassroots?

Was there any time the governors of the South-east ever thought of and pursued regional integration that could help the Igbo?

Centre For Equity And Eradication Of Rural Poverty is strongly of the opinion that one major step the Igbo should take as a recipe against marginalization is insistence that our governors should not only be just and transparent but be seen to be so.

Otherwise, if the trend that started in 1999, except only in one or highest two states, continues, the agitation for self-determination would amount to searching for a shell filled with emptiness.

Executive Director.

ONE RECIPE OUT OF MANY FOR CHECK AGAINST MARGINALIZATION OF THE IGBO IN NIGERIA.
BY SIR DON UBANI; KSC, JP
OKWUBUNKA OF ASA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CENTRE FOR EQUITY AND ERADICATION OF RURAL POVERTY.
1ST JULY, 2017.

The time in which we are in Nigeria has, to put it mildly, not been the best for a people that have co-habited for one hundred and three years.

Naturally, it should be taken for granted that for a people to have lived as fellow citizens of a given country for more than a century, such people, no matter how heterogeneous, must have effectively, even if painfully, passed through the crucibles of national understanding, cohesion, fusion and integration.

By that calculation, Nigeria should have, by now, been at the final stage of national consolidation. As the largest group of peoples in Sub-Saharan Africa, with unquantifiable resources, both material and human, the country should have long been ranked within the same class of developed economies as China, India Malaysia, Singapore, Turkey and others in Asia and Europe.

Regrettably, Nigeria has remained the weeping child of the African continent. In juxtaposition with resources available to us, our poverty index is one that justifies no excuse, not even explanation.

God, in no way, has any blame to apologize for. There is hardly any good thing that can guarantee the growth of a polity that He did not bequeath us.

The writer has fundamental roles he or she plays in the society. He functions as custodian of the society's conscience and secondly as the mirror through which the society could capture true reflections of its engagements, activities and contributions.

An altruistic writer could be likened to a true prophet who does not prophesy on personal or parochial promptings but rather on the inspiration of divine direction.

The writer is, therefore, altruistic, outspoken, universal and courageously responsive to the spur of the moment. The writer has the natural inclination to pencil it down the way he sees and perceives it.

The feeling of calculated marginalization has been a chorus among the Igbo since after the Nigeria/Biafra war fifty years ago. The Igbo sensitivity and subsequent response to marginalization have culminated in the quest for self-determination by the youths of South-east, though in a non-violent manner.

Despite the non-violence inherent in the agitation for a Republic of Biafra, which on May 27th this year climaxed in an overwhelming and unprecedented sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra under the leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, in the five States of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo, a coalition of Northern Youths Organization had handed down a quit notice to the Igbo living in the North to vacate there on or before 1st October, this year of our Lord, 2017.

Even though Governors in the North came heavily against the hateful order and the Acting President; Prof Yemi Osibanjo, had engaged in extensive consultations, the atmosphere remains replete with suspicion, distrust, precariousness and palpable fear. This is so because the core traditional northern establishment,as represented by the voices of Prof Ango Abdulahi and Dr Junaid Mohammed, had almost spontaneously fiercely spoken in defence of the Northern Coalition of Youths. The country is in a quagmire.

At best, the situation currently in Nigeria is at sixes and sevens.

For those that have been following my thoughts and postulation, they would have known by now that I am Igbo in every sense of nationhood. Where ever the Igbo are, there I am. My thoughts will always be in the overall interest of the Igbo and, no doubt, humanity.

I would, therefore, pray that my audience appreciates my my posers and positions on a very sound critical basis. When crucial decisions and positions are to be taken by a people, emotions or sentiments should be done away with. For the Igbo in Nigeria, a time like this does not require playing to the gallery.

The Igbo must tell themselves the truth. It is only when we are able to tell ourselves the truth, that we would be able to know where we were beaten by the rain.

My first question is, Is Marginalization Only Externally Perpetrated?

I agree that the Nigerian government, through the instrumentality of Hausa/Fulani dominated military dictatorship that spanned over twenty-nine years, delt ruthlessly with the Igbo in many areas of national concern, including creation of states and local government areas.

The fundamental question that one, again, will not fail to ask is, how transparent and effective did or have governors of South-east put into use the resources that had accumulated over the years, say 1999-date, in the overall interest of their people.

Did these governors not over ambitiously become richer than their states over night? How many of them can point at solid roads covering up-to two hundred kilometres within their states for the eight years each governed?

How many of them allowed local government councils in their states to function even minimally to guarantee development in the grassroots?

Was there any time the governors of the South-east ever thought of and pursued regional integration that could help the Igbo?

Centre For Equity And Eradication Of Rural Poverty is strongly of the opinion that one major step the Igbo should take as a recipe against marginalization is insistence that our governors should not only be just and transparent but be seen to be so.

Otherwise, if the trend that started in 1999, except only in one or highest two states, continues, the agitation for self-determination would amount to searching for a shell filled with emptiness.

Executive Director.

JOINT ADMISSION AND MATRICULATION BOARD AND NIGERIA'S MOCK FEDERALISM:
BY SIR DON UBANI; KSC, JP
OKWUBUNKA OF ASA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CENTRE FOR EQUITY AND ERADICATION OF RURAL POVERTY
26TH JUNE, 2017.

It has become stale news that the Joint Admissions And Matriculation Board, JAMB, conducted it's Computer Based Test of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination between May 13 and 20 2017.

According to reports, this year's examination set an unprecedented record in the thirty-nine years of existence of JAMB by registering about one million and seven hundred thousand candidates.

The dream of every average Nigerian Secondary School leaver is to acquire higher education. It should, therefore, not be a surprise that in only one year, up to such figure could register for the UTME.

Just by way of retrospection, let me state that the Joint Admissions And Matriculation Board was established in 1978 by the General Olusegun Obasanjo Military administration. The establishment came through the instrumentality of Act No 2 of 1978.

By 1989, the Act was was amended to become Decree No 33 of that year. Sequel to the said amendment, the Board was given a wider responsibility of conducting entrance examination into both public and private Monotecnics, Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and Universities.

JAMB, we are told, has three criteria for determining eligibility for admission. They include; Merit, Catchment Area and Educationally-Backward Area.

May be, believing that it would confer on it a feeling of accomplishment, JAMB introduced what it calls Computer Based Test, CBT about 2013.

CBT, as many would agree, should, under normal circumstances, be accepted as a welcome innovation. This is because it engages a candidate strictly in a sense of individuality and accountable performance. The only communication that is systematically expected to take place while the examination is on is that between the candidate and the computer. It is expected to minimize indiscipline in examination.

Like I had earlier observed, this development can only operate idealistically successfully where the system had equally systematically been made technically and conduceively operational.

In an earlier write-up sometime in May this year, following nation-wide complaints of frustration by JAMB candidates, I had said that a situation where many candidates had not had any thing to do with the computer in their life and suddenly they find themselves sitting before one for an engagement that will make or mar their future was not the best for a generation we ridiculously refer to as our 'future hope'.

Few individuals had criticized my position then. A summary of their opinion was that the world has already been globalized and, so, our children should have no excuse not to fit into the modern trend.

In as much as I am conscious and even appreciative of globalization, I also strongly hold the opinion that our children should not be forced as sacrificial lambs due to the recklessness of our corrupt and inefficient leadership.

Our children in the rural areas who spend twelve years in both primary and secondary schools without coming into contact with the computer become dysfunctional, for no fault of theirs, once asked to answer JAMB questions, making use of the computer.

For 2017/18 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination alone, JAMB is reported to have cancelled results of not less than seventy-two centres across seventeen States in the country.

In Abia State, 13 centres were cancelled, 6 in Akwa -Ibom, Anambra 9, Bauchi 2, Bayelsa 2, Benue 3, Cross River 1, Delta 6, Edo 1, Enugu 3, FCT 2, Gombe 2, Imo 6, Kaduna 1, Kogi 1, Lagos 2, Niger 1, Ogun 1 and Rivers 10.

The report gave two purported reasons for the cancellations. Gross Technical Malfunction of Computers and Gross Malpractice by Candidates were said to be the reasons for which the fate of about 59,698 Nigerian youths has been forced to hang in the balance.

As long as Centre For Equity And Eradication Of Rural Poverty is concerned, these reasons are frivolous and porous. Let us begin with 'Gross Technical Malfunction'. Is it the responsibility of candidates to determine the functionality of Computers in a Computer Centre deliberately chosen by JAMB without their knowledge? If a passenger pays and boards a bus in a Transport Company's Station and on the road the bus breaks, should the Management of the Company shift the blame to the innocent passenger?

On the second reason of 'Gross Malpractice', what is the essence of supervision in an examination? In contemporary Nigerian society where leadership arises or grows from corruption, it would be utopian to think that in an Examination Centre where there are more than fifty candidates between ten and twenty or even more would not manifest traits that our leaders have employed to keep Nigeria where it is today.

Even at that, there must have been candidates who are not only brilliant but also had read voraciously in order to pass very well in the examination. This is where supervision counts. Such hard-working students should not have been lumped into a blanket basket of inconsiderate cancellation because of the activities of others.

In life, it is expected that every body should bear his or her cross. The worst frustration an individual does not pray to suffer is victimization as a result of the sin of another person.

For those of us who strongly advocate a rethink on the use of Computer Based Test by JAMB, our reasons are many. The first is that our children in rural schools are hardly taught computer operation. To complicate their handicap, their parents are victims of corrupt leadership in Nigeria and, so, rank among the most wretched of the earth and are, therefore, incapable of sponsoring their children for training in computer.

Insufficient number of Computers in the so-called Centres negates the whole essence of Computer Based Test. In a situation where JAMB allocates about a hundred candidates to a centre that has less than eighty computers, including some that may be malfunctional, what do we think would be the fate of those who could not be assigned to a computer, taking into consideration that the exercise is strictly regulated by time?

For a Computer Based Test to be efficient and reliable, there must be stability in our power sector. As at today, Nigeria's electricity is among the most epileptic in the world. How can such a power-driven programme be successful?

Some critics may attempt to dismiss my argument by reminding us that National Electricity in Nigeria does not stand as our first option, as our generators have remained our main source of electricity for more than thirty-four years(1983-date).

If, as a country, we take solace in availability of our China-made generators, what should justify this solace in a situation where a generator that was being used in a Computer Based Test in Aba where twelve centres were cancelled, had broken down no sooner than the examination had begun and a second one that was brought in as a substitute also could not carry the load of the Centre?

Amongst the complaints that trailed the examination was infrastructural deficiency in most of the Centres. The Centres were said not to have enough seats. The Management of the Centres took advantage of the situation to exploit the candidates. Some of the candidates were tasked to cough out between five hundred and one thousand Naira just for a seat alone. The question here is, how many of them had such amount in them?

The above forms of frustration end up destabilizing the psyche of the candidates and eventually affect their performances.

Let us view this challenge from the point of constitutionality of federalism. To begin with, education, be it at the primary, secondary or tertiary level, is in the concurrent list. It is not the exclusive reserve of the Federal government.

The attraction in a federalism is in its healthy competition. Federating units, whether regions or states, though preferably regions, develop in accordance with their resources and abilities.

One investment that has the capability of propelling developments and advancements in any human society is education. As it is said, a people can only be as developed as they are educated.

Unfortunately in Nigeria, our national leadership, since 1970, has been so mentally lazy that their only vision on wealth creation has been on cheap money from oil and gas from the Niger Delta region.

The State of California in the United States of America is among the six richest states in the world. Yet, it has neither oil nor gas. What California proudly has is a strong long chain of human capacity. Her human resource bank is made up of erudite intellectuals and inventive professionals in different fields of endeavour. Many inventions are patented in California, with their attendant revenue by way of taxes, rights and royalties.

Unlike what happens in other climes, Nigeria's cumbersome federalism continues to constitute an unwarranted clog on the wheels of development, especially in education in Nigeria.

Why must the federal government determine criteria for admission of students into universities that are either owned by federating units or private individuals or missionaries?

The University is described as an Ivory Tower. It is a citadel of learning. The University symbolizes and depicts excellence. It is not a place for half-baked people.

A well-grounded and funded University, through research, inventions and publications, can place the economy of its operational environment on a pedestal of incomparable envy to others.

Regrettably and very costly too, the Federal Government of Nigeria, being a hang-over of previous Hausa/Fulani conservatively dominated military dictatorship that forced a false constitution on us,continues to tie down the aspirations of every federating unit to the cluelessness and consequent backwardness of states in many parts of Northern Nigeria.

Saying it the way it should be, the Federal government has no business setting up the Joint Admissions And Matriculation Board.

The absolute need for restructuring of the Nigerian federation requires no emphasis. Otherwise, we will continue to grope in the dark.

For a long time running, Christians in Nigeria have been expressing fears of both overt and covert attempts by the core Moslem North to Islamize Nigeria. This fear became more palpable under Buhari's Presidency.

His Minister of Education, Prof Adamu Adamu, is a core Northern Moslem irredentist. Of all the Parastatals in Federal Ministry of Education, he made sure all are headed by Moslems.

To make sure his Islamist agenda was achieved, he had to fire the Registrar of JAMB whom he met on assumption of duty, Prof Dibu Ojerinde, a Christian of the Baptist Church who is a Professor of Test and Measurement.

In the place of Ojerinde, Adamu appointed not just a Moslem but a Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Prof Ishaq Oloyede.

It is this Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Ishaq Oloyede, that had the heartlessness of cancelling results of candidates, a high percentage of which is in the Christian-predominant South of Nigeria.

Centre For Equity And Eradication Of Rural Poverty sees this inhuman treatment as a travesty of justice, unjustifiable act of wickedness and, therefore, unacceptable.

The frustration that could result out of this act of inconsideration and recklessness could be enough to produce many Chukwudi Onwuamadike, aka Evans, from these our dejected youths.

Centre For Equity And Eradication Of Rural Poverty urges the parents and guardians of these youths, especially those who know they committed no offence, to pull their resources together and fiercely challenge this atrocity in our courts of competent jurisdiction.

Evil thrives only where men and women of conscience keep quiet or feel non-challant. If this Executive recklessness is not timely and effectively challenged appropriately, there would be no guarantee it will not become a recurring decimal in Nigeria's education sector.

This is the irrevocable position of Centre For Equity And Eradication Of Rural Poverty.

Executive Director.

JOINT ADMISSION AND MATRICULATION BOARD AND NIGERIA'S MOCK FEDERALISM:
BY SIR DON UBANI; KSC, JP
OKWUBUNKA OF ASA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CENTRE FOR EQUITY AND ERADICATION OF RURAL POVERTY
26TH JUNE, 2017.

It has become stale news that the Joint Admissions And Matriculation Board, JAMB, conducted it's Computer Based Test of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination between May 13 and 20 2017.

According to reports, this year's examination set an unprecedented record in the thirty-nine years of existence of JAMB by registering about one million and seven hundred thousand candidates.

The dream of every average Nigerian Secondary School leaver is to acquire higher education. It should, therefore, not be a surprise that in only one year, up to such figure could register for the UTME.

Just by way of retrospection, let me state that the Joint Admissions And Matriculation Board was established in 1978 by the General Olusegun Obasanjo Military administration. The establishment came through the instrumentality of Act No 2 of 1978.

By 1989, the Act was was amended to become Decree No 33 of that year. Sequel to the said amendment, the Board was given a wider responsibility of conducting entrance examination into both public and private Monotecnics, Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and Universities.

JAMB, we are told, has three criteria for determining eligibility for admission. They include; Merit, Catchment Area and Educationally-Backward Area.

May be, believing that it would confer on it a feeling of accomplishment, JAMB introduced what it calls Computer Based Test, CBT about 2013.

CBT, as many would agree, should, under normal circumstances, be accepted as a welcome innovation. This is because it engages a candidate strictly in a sense of individuality and accountable performance. The only communication that is systematically expected to take place while the examination is on is that between the candidate and the computer. It is expected to minimize indiscipline in examination.

Like I had earlier observed, this development can only operate idealistically successfully where the system had equally systematically been made technically and conduceively operational.

In an earlier write-up sometime in May this year, following nation-wide complaints of frustration by JAMB candidates, I had said that a situation where many candidates had not had any thing to do with the computer in their life and suddenly they find themselves sitting before one for an engagement that will make or mar their future was not the best for a generation we ridiculously refer to as our 'future hope'.

Few individuals had criticized my position then. A summary of their opinion was that the world has already been globalized and, so, our children should have no excuse not to fit into the modern trend.

In as much as I am conscious and even appreciative of globalization, I also strongly hold the opinion that our children should not be forced as sacrificial lambs due to the recklessness of our corrupt and inefficient leadership.

Our children in the rural areas who spend twelve years in both primary and secondary schools without coming into contact with the computer become dysfunctional, for no fault of theirs, once asked to answer JAMB questions, making use of the computer.

For 2017/18 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination alone, JAMB is reported to have cancelled results of not less than seventy-two centres across seventeen States in the country.

In Abia State, 13 centres were cancelled, 6 in Akwa -Ibom, Anambra 9, Bauchi 2, Bayelsa 2, Benue 3, Cross River 1, Delta 6, Edo 1, Enugu 3, FCT 2, Gombe 2, Imo 6, Kaduna 1, Kogi 1, Lagos 2, Niger 1, Ogun 1 and Rivers 10.

The report gave two purported reasons for the cancellations. Gross Technical Malfunction of Computers and Gross Malpractice by Candidates were said to be the reasons for which the fate of about 59,698 Nigerian youths has been forced to hang in the balance.

As long as Centre For Equity And Eradication Of Rural Poverty is concerned, these reasons are frivolous and porous. Let us begin with 'Gross Technical Malfunction'. Is it the responsibility of candidates to determine the functionality of Computers in a Computer Centre deliberately chosen by JAMB without their knowledge? If a passenger pays and boards a bus in a Transport Company's Station and on the road the bus breaks, should the Management of the Company shift the blame to the innocent passenger?

On the second reason of 'Gross Malpractice', what is the essence of supervision in an examination? In contemporary Nigerian society where leadership arises or grows from corruption, it would be utopian to think that in an Examination Centre where there are more than fifty candidates between ten and twenty or even more would not manifest traits that our leaders have employed to keep Nigeria where it is today.

Even at that, there must have been candidates who are not only brilliant but also had read voraciously in order to pass very well in the examination. This is where supervision counts. Such hard-working students should not have been lumped into a blanket basket of inconsiderate cancellation because of the activities of others.

In life, it is expected that every body should bear his or her cross. The worst frustration an individual does not pray to suffer is victimization as a result of the sin of another person.

For those of us who strongly advocate a rethink on the use of Computer Based Test by JAMB, our reasons are many. The first is that our children in rural schools are hardly taught computer operation. To complicate their handicap, their parents are victims of corrupt leadership in Nigeria and, so, rank among the most wretched of the earth and are, therefore, incapable of sponsoring their children for training in computer.

Insufficient number of Computers in the so-called Centres negates the whole essence of Computer Based Test. In a situation where JAMB allocates about a hundred candidates to a centre that has less than eighty computers, including some that may be malfunctional, what do we think would be the fate of those who could not be assigned to a computer, taking into consideration that the exercise is strictly regulated by time?

For a Computer Based Test to be efficient and reliable, there must be stability in our power sector. As at today, Nigeria's electricity is among the most epileptic in the world. How can such a power-driven programme be successful?

Some critics may attempt to dismiss my argument by reminding us that National Electricity in Nigeria does not stand as our first option, as our generators have remained our main source of electricity for more than thirty-four years(1983-date).

If, as a country, we take solace in availability of our China-made generators, what should justify this solace in a situation where a generator that was being used in a Computer Based Test in Aba where twelve centres were cancelled, had broken down no sooner than the examination had begun and a second one that was brought in as a substitute also could not carry the load of the Centre?

Amongst the complaints that trailed the examination was infrastructural deficiency in most of the Centres. The Centres were said not to have enough seats. The Management of the Centres took advantage of the situation to exploit the candidates. Some of the candidates were tasked to cough out between five hundred and one thousand Naira just for a seat alone. The question here is, how many of them had such amount in them?

The above forms of frustration end up destabilizing the psyche of the candidates and eventually affect their performances.

Let us view this challenge from the point of constitutionality of federalism. To begin with, education, be it at the primary, secondary or tertiary level, is in the concurrent list. It is not the exclusive reserve of the Federal government.

The attraction in a federalism is in its healthy competition. Federating units, whether regions or states, though preferably regions, develop in accordance with their resources and abilities.

One investment that has the capability of propelling developments and advancements in any human society is education. As it is said, a people can only be as developed as they are educated.

Unfortunately in Nigeria, our national leadership, since 1970, has been so mentally lazy that their only vision on wealth creation has been on cheap money from oil and gas from the Niger Delta region.

The State of California in the United States of America is among the six richest states in the world. Yet, it has neither oil nor gas. What California proudly has is a strong long chain of human capacity. Her human resource bank is made up of erudite intellectuals and inventive professionals in different fields of endeavour. Many inventions are patented in California, with their attendant revenue by way of taxes, rights and royalties.

Unlike what happens in other climes, Nigeria's cumbersome federalism continues to constitute an unwarranted clog on the wheels of development, especially in education in Nigeria.

Why must the federal government determine criteria for admission of students into universities that are either owned by federating units or private individuals or missionaries?

The University is described as an Ivory Tower. It is a citadel of learning. The University symbolizes and depicts excellence. It is not a place for half-baked people.

A well-grounded and funded University, through research, inventions and publications, can place the economy of its operational environment on a pedestal of incomparable envy to others.

Regrettably and very costly too, the Federal Government of Nigeria, being a hang-over of previous Hausa/Fulani conservatively dominated military dictatorship that forced a false constitution on us,continues to tie down the aspirations of every federating unit to the cluelessness and consequent backwardness of states in many parts of Northern Nigeria.

Saying it the way it should be, the Federal government has no business setting up the Joint Admissions And Matriculation Board.

The absolute need for restructuring of the Nigerian federation requires no emphasis. Otherwise, we will continue to grope in the dark.

For a long time running, Christians in Nigeria have been expressing fears of both overt and covert attempts by the core Moslem North to Islamize Nigeria. This fear became more palpable under Buhari's Presidency.

His Minister of Education, Prof Adamu Adamu, is a core Northern Moslem irredentist. Of all the Parastatals in Federal Ministry of Education, he made sure all are headed by Moslems.

To make sure his Islamist agenda was achieved, he had to fire the Registrar of JAMB whom he met on assumption of duty, Prof Dibu Ojerinde, a Christian of the Baptist Church who is a Professor of Test and Measurement.

In the place of Ojerinde, Adamu appointed not just a Moslem but a Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Prof Ishaq Oloyede.

It is this Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Ishaq Oloyede, that had the heartlessness of cancelling results of candidates, a high percentage of which is in the Christian-predominant South of Nigeria.

Centre For Equity And Eradication Of Rural Poverty sees this inhuman treatment as a travesty of justice, unjustifiable act of wickedness and, therefore, unacceptable.

The frustration that could result out of this act of inconsideration and recklessness could be enough to produce many Chukwudi Onwuamadike, aka Evans, from these our dejected youths.

Centre For Equity And Eradication Of Rural Poverty urges the parents and guardians of these youths, especially those who know they committed no offence, to pull their resources together and fiercely challenge this atrocity in our courts of competent jurisdiction.

Evil thrives only where men and women of conscience keep quiet or feel non-challant. If this Executive recklessness is not timely and effectively challenged appropriately, there would be no guarantee it will not become a recurring decimal in Nigeria's education sector.

This is the irrevocable position of Centre For Equity And Eradication Of Rural Poverty.

Executive Director.

A CRITICAL LOOK AT THE QUIT ORDER TO THE IGBO BY COALITION OF NORTHERN YOUTHS, CNY.
BY SIR DON UBANI; KSC, JP
OKWUBUNKA OF ASA
10TH JUNE, 2017

Last Tuesday, 6th June, 2017 gave birth to a development that no Nigerian, especially of Igbo extraction, would be in a hurry to forget.

In Kaduna, headquarters of defunct Northern Region of Nigeria, a Coalition of northern youths had gathered in famous Arewa House. The gathering was to announce what the youths captioned as Kaduna Declaration.

In a Press release read by the National President of Northern Emancipation Network, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, the Coalition issued a three-month quit notice to the Igbo in the North of Nigeria.

According to the release, the Igbo leaving in the region only have between 6th June and 30th of September to relocate from the region.

From the 1st of October of this year, any Igbo, as the threat warns, that fails to comply with the order would have himself or herself to blame.

The Coalition said her position was sequel to the demand of the Igbo to have their self-determination in Nigeria where their lot has been marginalization and neglect.

As long as I know the people of the North, this threat has total support of the Northern establishment, including their elites.

Since the issuance of this threat, some people, especially from the Igbo, have been labouring to water down realities inherent in the threat.

Some, out of inexperience or even mischief, have tried to dismiss the threat as an empty one coming from a faceless youth group.

Governors of Northern States have supposedly condemned the threat by their youths. To be specific, the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, did not only speak against it but also asked the Police to arrest the youths that issued the threat.

Here, in the South-East, it was reported that the Governors had met and decided to hire and flood the North with luxury buses for mass evacuation of the Igbo from the North.

That decision, we later learnt, was cancelled due to the stand of Governors of the North which was at variance with that of their youths.

By implication or simple interpretation, the Igbo in the North have been given an assurance that their stay in that region does not amount to any risk to them.

This is, however, a blanket deceit. In the first instance, the venue of the meeting was Arewa House. For any meeting to be allowed to hold in that House, the Powers that be must know the Conveners and, of course, the purpose.

For Youth Organizations under the umbrella of the Arewa to come together, as they did last Tuesday, and openly make a declaration of the most sensitive nature, their elders must be in the know.

Undoubtedly, two strong voices of the northern irredentism, Prof Ngo Abdulahi and Dr Junaid Mohammed, have both separately spoken and each spoke in support of the Northern Youths.

Prof Abdulahi, in order to buttress his support for the declaration, questioned the authority of the Northern Governors to counter the position of the Coalition of Northern Youths on the quit notice issued to the Igbo.

The least informed in Nigeria knows that the Kaduna declaration is treasonable. The signatories to the declaration and the conveners should have been arrested and detained in less than forty-eight hours after the declaration as it was done to Nnamdi Kanu of Biafra agitation.

More than one hundred hours after that treasonable declaration, no arrest has been made. The Spokesman of Force Headquarters of the Nigerian Police, Mr Jimoh Moshood, was reported to have said that the Police were still searching for the Northern Youths who issued the ultimatum. What a deceit!

If I were unfortunate to be living in the North at this moment or had any close relation of mine living over there, with this threat which is most likely to come to fulfilment, no preaching would make me not to relocate from there or insist that my close relation returns with speed.

Life has no duplicate. Once it stops, hardly does any miracle revive it. Experiments are better conducted with animals, birds or plants.

The Igbo have unwittingly severally stood behind for costly experiments in the past. Ordinary experience should have taught them, by now, that once the North threatens, especially the Moslem North, nothing will make them go back.

A stitch in time saves nine. I will shade no tears for any Igbo that is butchered, as it will surely happen, in the North from 1st of October.

Okwubunka of Asa.

A CRITICAL LOOK AT THE QUIT ORDER TO THE IGBO BY COALITION OF NORTHERN YOUTHS, CNY.
BY SIR DON UBANI; KSC, JP
OKWUBUNKA OF ASA
10TH JUNE, 2017

Last Tuesday, 6th June, 2017 gave birth to a development that no Nigerian, especially of Igbo extraction, would be in a hurry to forget.

In Kaduna, headquarters of defunct Northern Region of Nigeria, a Coalition of northern youths had gathered in famous Arewa House. The gathering was to announce what the youths captioned as Kaduna Declaration.

In a Press release read by the National President of Northern Emancipation Network, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, the Coalition issued a three-month quit notice to the Igbo in the North of Nigeria.

According to the release, the Igbo leaving in the region only have between 6th June and 30th of September to relocate from the region.

From the 1st of October of this year, any Igbo, as the threat warns, that fails to comply with the order would have himself or herself to blame.

The Coalition said her position was sequel to the demand of the Igbo to have their self-determination in Nigeria where their lot has been marginalization and neglect.

As long as I know the people of the North, this threat has total support of the Northern establishment, including their elites.

Since the issuance of this threat, some people, especially from the Igbo, have been labouring to water down realities inherent in the threat.

Some, out of inexperience or even mischief, have tried to dismiss the threat as an empty one coming from a faceless youth group.

Governors of Northern States have supposedly condemned the threat by their youths. To be specific, the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, did not only speak against it but also asked the Police to arrest the youths that issued the threat.

Here, in the South-East, it was reported that the Governors had met and decided to hire and flood the North with luxury buses for mass evacuation of the Igbo from the North.

That decision, we later learnt, was cancelled due to the stand of Governors of the North which was at variance with that of their youths.

By implication or simple interpretation, the Igbo in the North have been given an assurance that their stay in that region does not amount to any risk to them.

This is, however, a blanket deceit. In the first instance, the venue of the meeting was Arewa House. For any meeting to be allowed to hold in that House, the Powers that be must know the Conveners and, of course, the purpose.

For Youth Organizations under the umbrella of the Arewa to come together, as they did last Tuesday, and openly make a declaration of the most sensitive nature, their elders must be in the know.

Undoubtedly, two strong voices of the northern irredentism, Prof Ngo Abdulahi and Dr Junaid Mohammed, have both separately spoken and each spoke in support of the Northern Youths.

Prof Abdulahi, in order to buttress his support for the declaration, questioned the authority of the Northern Governors to counter the position of the Coalition of Northern Youths on the quit notice issued to the Igbo.

The least informed in Nigeria knows that the Kaduna declaration is treasonable. The signatories to the declaration and the conveners should have been arrested and detained in less than forty-eight hours after the declaration as it was done to Nnamdi Kanu of Biafra agitation.

More than one hundred hours after that treasonable declaration, no arrest has been made. The Spokesman of Force Headquarters of the Nigerian Police, Mr Jimoh Moshood, was reported to have said that the Police were still searching for the Northern Youths who issued the ultimatum. What a deceit!

If I were unfortunate to be living in the North at this moment or had any close relation of mine living over there, with this threat which is most likely to come to fulfilment, no preaching would make me not to relocate from there or insist that my close relation returns with speed.

Life has no duplicate. Once it stops, hardly does any miracle revive it. Experiments are better conducted with animals, birds or plants.

The Igbo have unwittingly severally stood behind for costly experiments in the past. Ordinary experience should have taught them, by now, that once the North threatens, especially the Moslem North, nothing will make them go back.

A stitch in time saves nine. I will shade no tears for any Igbo that is butchered, as it will surely happen, in the North from 1st of October.

Okwubunka of Asa.

Uzor Azubuike: A PACESETTER
By UGOCHUKWU EZENWA.


Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It's about impact, influence and inspiration. Impact involves getting results, influence is about spreading the passion you have for your work, and you have to inspire team-mates and customers. Robin S. Sharma.

Hon Uzo Azubuike did tremendously well within his time as the member representing Aba north and Aba south Federal constituency. In life, when people see your good works, it is not every person that will appreciate what you are doing and that is exactly what is happening today in Abia State. There are people who have seen that Hon Uzo Azibuike has done so well and rather than support and acclaim what he is doing, they resort to promoting falsehood and bare-faced lies in order to deceive the general public. For me, the main goal of those who engage in these mischievous acts is just to seek attention and relevance.
These criticisms are mere distractions and the whole world has come to see that Hon Uzo Azibuike is outstanding in all facets. Such criticisms, we know those behind them and, of course, these are people we consider as failed politicians.
SINCE INCEPTION OF ABA NORTH/ABA SOUTH FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, WE HAVE SEEN REPRESENTATION AFTER REPRESENTATION. I MAKE BOLD TO SAY UNEQUIVOCALLY AND WITHOUT TREPIDATION THAT WE HAVE NOT SEEN SUCH A ROBUST, PURPOSEFUL, FAITHFUL AND UNPRECEDENTED REPRESENTATION SUCH AS COURTESY HON. BARR. UZO AZUBUIKE.” OSSY PRESTIGE WILL CLOCKED TWO YEARS IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AS THE MEMBER REPRESENTING ABA FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY IN THE NIGERIA’S HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. TWO YEARS IS A BASIS FOR EVALUATION OF HIS PERFORMANCE SINCE HE HAS TWO MORE YEARS TO SERVE OUT HIS TENURE. BUT IN THE RECKONING OF HIS CONSTITUENTS, OSSY PRESTIGE HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING IN TWO YEARS TO EARN HIM ANY CREDIT.
HAS REPRESENTATION IS ALL ABOUT DECEIT AND LIES.
Below are some of the achievements of Rt. Hon. Barr. Uzo Azubuike, during his days at the National Assembly:
RT. HON. UZOR ALSO GAVE OVER 120 ABIAN'S AND NON ABIAN'S FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT.

HE ATTRACTED 45 MILLION NAIRA, TO ABIA POLYTECHNICS ABA, THROUGH THE TETFUND, FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A MINI MODERN AUDITORIUM, NOW STANDING AT THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE MAIN GATE.

HE ALSO ATTRACTED 10 MILLION NAIRA WARRANT TO ABIA POLY, WHICH THEY USED IN PURCHASING TWO BRAND NEW TOYOTA HILUX VEHICLES.

HE SPONSORED SO MANY BILLS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE CONVERSION OF ABIA STATE POLYTECHNICS AS A FEDERAL INSTITUTION.

HE GAVE ABA FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY A VOICE AT THE GREEN CHAMBERS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. HIS LEGISLATIVE PROWESS, WARN HIM AN AWARD, AS THE 2014- MOST OUTSTANDING HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE MEMBER ON LAW MAKING.

IN HIS OVERSIGHT FUNCTION, HIS CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN ON PUBLIC PETITIONS, GAVE LIFE TO THE PUBLIC COMPLAINTS COMMISSION (OMBUDSMAN) ETC

RT. HON. UZO IS A LEGISLATOR PER EXCELLENCE. HIS REPRESENTATION WAS QUALITATIVE AND RESOUNDING. HIS ACHIEVEMENTS ARE LEGION.

Hon Uzo is a lawyer by training, his appointment and performance in office within 2 years has confirmed what I always believed about political positions and leadership; an office is as big as the occupant. While many commissioners of agriculture have come and gone in the state, I doubt that many Abians will remember any of them with substantial achievements that can be termed revolutionary.

Since the resumption of hon Uzo Azubuike as commissioner of Agriculture Abia State is being moulded into a State to reckon with in the near future in Agro-Business. This will be made feasible by the ingenuity and foresight of the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration to delve into commercial agriculture as a fallback, since the petro-dollars are not flowing in again.

Just a week ago, he was in Abakaliki (Ebonyi state) to teach our sister state government how to grow mushrooms in commercial quantities, on the specific request of Governor Dave Umahi, following his visit to Abia on peer review and cooperation mission.

The training of 340 Abia Youths in Mushroom Farming and Oilpalm production respectively will commence soon.
On his Achievements Azubuike recently disclosed this while addressing executive members of Poultry Association of Nigeria, Abia state chapter who paid him a courtesy call at his office in Umuahia, explaining that the clusters will be equipped with necessary facilities and would be given out to members to manage it.

Honorable Azubuike is also supporting other commercial Agricultural businesses like poultry and fish farming.
Construction of the 1st phase of the 100 pens Poultry clusters in the 3 senatorial zones has commenced at Umunneochi Nsulu. The Poultry Pens of 2000 birds each will be given to desiring Youths on completion with starter packs of Day Old Chicks, Feed, Medications and veterinary services, Electricity and water. The Poultry processing plant is already completed at the location.

Through his achievements , Dr Azubuike said that the federal government in partnership with the state has established and equipped an ultra-modern processing plant in the state to ensure the full value chain. The commissioner said that the government had articulated the gains in the agriculture sector and has well structured plans, programs and policies and wealth creations for the benefits of all Abians.
They commended the commissioner for making agriculture a top priority in the state.

As part of the efforts of the commissioner to make the State an Agric-base economy embarked on oil palm revolutionary agriculture program to develop two million nursery at Ayaba Umueze in Osisioma Ngwa L. G. A., out of the ten million oil palm the State had planned to plant between now and to the year 2019 . The flag off of the planting of the Tenera species of the two million oil palm nuts by the representative of the governor, the honourable commissioner for Agriculture, Barrister Uzor Azubike was epochal and commendable.

Not withstanding Hon Uzo Azubuike has come to contribute his quota to the reviving of the Agric sector economy in Abia State through planting of the sprouted improved palm nuts.
In an interview with the commissioner for Agriculture, Barrister Uzor Azubike said that the Tenera specie was a crossbreed of the pacifera and dura which is best for both oil production and extraction of the nuts and assured that the palms when planted after 11 months of nursery will start fruiting within a space of 2-3 years if properly managed.
The commissioner also stated that palms will be planted in all the government acquired palm estates in Abia State adding that the new species will be used to replace the old groves in the State.

The Commisioner is targeting seven million five hundred Tenera palm seedlings within the life time of the Okezie administration that made Agriculture one of the 5 development pillars. The Ministry have already done 2million at Ayaba Umueze. The Tenera palm seedlings are sold to Abia state farmers at N250 and others at N350 each.

The Honorable Minister of Health, all the way from Osun state, has bought and collected 5000 seedlings.
Aside all those efforts, the Ministry of Agriculture under the leadership of Uzo Azubuike has helped to obtain grants and loans for farmers in the state. While this is not exactly new, under the direct guidance and supervision of Governor Ikpeazu, he has moved to ensure that only genuine farmers receive the facilities. The money is not for political farmers but rather ready farmers with real farms engaged in Agriculture as a profession.

this it the first time since after the Michael Okpara era who developed lots of farm estates in the eastern region this laudable programme would be embarked on by any government in the eastern part of Nigeria.
this is the time for Abians to secure their future from imminent famine.
I really believe that programme will generate employment for the teeming youths, especially the host communities and maintain that the days of Abia palm is gradually setting in through the efforts of hon Uzo Azibuike

Under the watch of Honorable Azubuike, farmers are getting fertilizers directly from the ministry in addition to free agric extension services.

Place hon Uzo in Any Ministry he will do wonders.

MY REMINISCENCES ON BIAFRA AT FIFTY:
BY SIR DON UBANI; KSC, JP
OKWUBUNKA OF ASA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CENTRE FOR EQUITY AND ERADICATION OF RURAL POVERTY
30TH MAY, 2017.
My literary Icon and Motivator; Chinua Achebe, had written that 'he that forgets where the rain started to beat him, will also not remember where his body was dried'.
On the 30th day of May, 1967 the Military Governor of the defunct Eastern Region of Nigeria;Lt Col Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, had, in consultation with 'Elders Consultative Assembly' of the Region, declared the Region a Federal Republic of Biafra.
By that declaration, the government and people of the former Eastern Region had formally expressed their intent, voluntary or circumstantial,to secede from the Nigerian Federation.
That declaration would eventually culminate in a thirty-month fratricidal war in which the region lost more than two million of her people to death through aerial bombardments, assault rifles, starvation and out-break and spread of diseases in the near total absence of medical facilities.
The carnage witnessed or experienced during the 30-month war remains the most debilitating in the history of wars in Mother Africa.
Today is 30th May, 2017 and marks exactly fifty years of the declaration of short-lived Federal Republic of Biafra.
As I write this piece, I am at Aba, the hitherto heartthrob of the Biafran struggle.
My debonair wife, Lady Anthonia Ubani, had wanted to make a call on her hand phone but realized that her recharge card had been exhausted.
She, therefore, asked her relation, Ndidi who came to our family when she had only completed Elementary One but is now on the verge of completing her Her National Diploma, to walk across a road near us and buy her recharge card.
To and fro that engagement should not have taken Ndidi more than fifteen minutes. Curiously, Ndidi spent more than thirty minutes before coming back.
On return, she did not have any recharge card to hand over to my wife. She rather told my wife, to my hearing, that the shops close to our residence were locked. According to her, she had to walk a further distance only to discover that every shop was under lock and key.
The reason was obvious and it automatically dawned on me, 'Today Is Biafra Day'. Both economic and social life in the length and breath of Igbo land will be grounded to a halt today in remembrance of the millions that lost their lives in the course of defending themselves against genocide.
History is a vital, if not one of the most vital aspects of man's existence. It tells us of our past. It is only history that can tell us who we are and where we are coming from.
Any government or society that is sincere will always encourage the study of history in her schools. Even the family tells her members who they are and their journey so far through the effectiveness of oral history.
When a society has something to hide, it tries to suppress the natural urge in her members to know their history.
For a dynamic society, knowledge of history enables her members to appreciate, even in a critical manner, the attainments of their predecessors, their strengths and weaknesses. It offers them the opportunity to know why and how previous relationships went sour and what should have been done to maintain cordiality in human relationship.
It is quite inexplicable and most untoward that the Nigerian government had barred the study of history in Nigerian Secondary Schools! The question will continue to be asked, what does the government think it can succeed in hiding from the citizens?
Fifty years of experience in an aspect of nation-buildingshould be considered quite enough to have provided enduring guide into nationhood. The questions must, therefore, be asked, what lessons has Nigeria learnt from the Nigeria/Biafra war? Can the banning of the study of history in Nigeria force amnesia on her people and their past? These questions could be rhetorical.
Knowing that history can not be suppressed, it would be necessary we remind ourselves some of the factors that gave rise to the war:
Political disagreement between Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his erstwhile ally, Chief Samuel Akintola had given rise to serious breakdown of law and order in defunct Western Region of Nigeria.
Life in the region had become meaningless as people were mercilessly killed and butchered.
The Hausa/Fulani oligarchy had fuelled the dangerous destabilization of the West by aligning with Samuel Akintola as Premier of Western Region. The conspiracy led to the imprisonment of Chief Obafemi Awolowo in Calabar.
While the West was on fire, the Nigerian Federal Government led by Prime-Minister Sir Abubarkar Tafawa Balewa was going on as if nothing was happening in the country. Yet, hundreds of citizens were losing their precious lives every day.
It was in reaction to that spate of recklessness and impunity that a crop of young military officers, led by Major Patrick Chukwuma Nzeogwu, decided to wipe out the political leadership of the era and restore normalcy.
They struck in the wee hours of January 15 1966. In Kaduna, the powerful Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello(Sarduana of Sokoto) was killed while Sir Balewa and Finance Minister, Chief Festus Okotiebo, lost their lives in Lagos. At Ibadan, Chief Akintola was killed.
Incidentally and unacceptably, in the Eastern Region where powerful Dr Michael I Okpara held swear as Premier, no killing took place. The Soldiers who had gone to kill Okpara met him in the company of visiting Arch Bishop Marcos of Cyprus. They, therefore, naively became reluctant to hit at their target.
At independence on 1st October, 1960, Nigeria had three regions; East, North and West.
The country, however, became four regions by 1963 Republican Constitution which created the Mid-Western Region.
The Premier of Mid-Western Region was Chief Dennis Osadebe. Osadebe was an Igbo(Ika Ibo). He was not killed by the coupists.
Meanwhile, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, President of Nigeria who was known to have always boasted to be above human destruction, was out of the country on medical grounds and, so, he could not have been killed.
The January 1966 coup, despite its bloody nature failed as it could not achieve its main objective which was to take over power from the then civilian government, release Chief Awolowo from prison and install him as the Head of the Nigerian Government.
Rather, Major-General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi Ironsi, the most senior officer in the Nigerian Army and an Igbo, took over the reins of government.
He appointed Military Governors for the four regions, including Lagos.
Col Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, who was a Batalion Commander in Kano and who never supported the coup and had even threatened to deploy his officers and soldiers against the mutineers if they ever attempted coming to Kano, was appointed Military Governor of Eastern Region by Gen Ironsi.
When Northern politicians, civil servants and soldiers took a count of the killings, they found out that the casualties were mainly northerners. They concluded it was an Igbo-led coup against the Northern establishment.
This realization gave rise to a counter coup on July 29th, 1966 during which Major-Gen Ironsi, who was at Ibadan on a tour of the Western Region and was being hosted by the Military Governor of the region, Col Francis Adekunle Fajuyi, was arrested, brutally beaten and allegedly tied to an Army Land Rover which drove for a long distance while his body dragged along the road before he died.
Mention must be made of the uncommon patriotism, espirit de corps and hospitality of Col Fajuyi who preferred losing his life to living in complacency while his guest was taken away without any resistance. May his soul continue to find peace in God's vicinity.
With the killing of Aguiyi Ironsi, Lt Col Yakubu Gowon, a modest Christian of northern minority extraction, took over government as Military Head of State.
Having done this, Northern soldiers broke loose and started killing officers and Soldiers of Eastern Nigeria extraction in Lagos and every part of the North.
As if that was not enough revenge, both soldiers and civilians of Northern establishment embarked on pogrom. The killing of the Easterners in both Lagos and more especially in Northern Nigeria was horrendous.
It was because of the unprecedented genocide directed against the Easterners that opinion leaders in the region urged Ojukwu to declare for the Republic of Biafra since their safety was no longer guaranteed in Nigeria.
The people of the North had threatened to secede from Nigeria after July 22 1953 when Chief Anthony Eromosele Enahoro had, on the floor of the Nigerian Parliament in Lagos, moved a motion that Nigeria should be self-governed in 1956. Enahoro was of the Action Group.
The well articulated motion for self-government, which was supported by Members of Action Group, National Council of Nigerian Citizens and Northern Elements Progressive Union, was unjustifiably opposed by majority of Northerners on the platform of Northern Peoples' Congress.
The anger that opposition spontaneously generated amongst the Lagos intelligentsia led to the booing of Northerners within the premises of the Parliament.
The North threatened to pull out of the emerging Nigerian Federation due to the public disgrace it attracted to itself. It was because of that reason that Sir Ahmadu Bello who, by the Parliamentary system of government then, should have been the Prime-Minister since his Party, Northern Peoples' Congress had the highest number of seats in Parliament, refused to come to Lagos. He rather asked one of his trusted subordinates, Sir Abubarkar Tafawa Balewa, to be the Prime-Minister while he consolidated in the North.
After killing Gen Ironsi and embarking on pogrom against the people of Eastern Region, the North again threatened to secede from Nigeria.
Two reasons, however, discouraged them from going ahead with their threat. The first was the counsel of the British Government which made them to realize that, in the nearest future, Nigeria's economy would be driven by Oil and gas which was thickly deposited in the Eastern part of the country.
The second factor was the delegation of leaders of the minorities of Eastern Region who, led by the then immediate past Chief Judge of Eastern Region; Nabo Graham Douglas, had petitioned to Gen Yakubu Gowon of their palpable discomfort in being part of the Biafran Republic.
For those two reasons, the Government of Nigeria, under General Yakubu Gowon, decided to fight what it termed a war to keep Nigeria one.
A war Nigeria had boasted would end in less than thirty days ended up lasting almost three years. This was mainly due to the determination of Biafrans to defend themselves against what they knew would amount to ethnic cleansing by the rampaging government of Nigeria.
Another major reason why the war lasted beyond the imagination of the Nigerian government was the rare ingenuity of the Biafrans. Despite being barricaded in all geographical fronts, making it impossible for them to receive external aids in terms of food and military equipment, their engineers, scientists and technicians were very inventive. They seamlessly manufactured their own arms and ammunition.
Even at that, the sufferings were unbearable. Hunger and malnutrition were responsible for more than fifty percent of those who died during the war.
Let me use this opportunity to, for the umpteenth time, appreciate my late parents, Chief Emmanuel Wigwe Ubani and Chief(Mrs) Mary Wugo Josephine Ubani, for working very assiduously in the most hazardous war climate to make sure none of their children was malnourished as to suffer from kwasiokor.
Chief Obafemi Awolowo was released by Col Ojukwu from the Calabar Prison. Arrangements were made and had him flown back to the West.
Ironically, the Man whose crisis with Akintola led to the Wild West and eventual intervention by the Military, on return to the West, joined the Government of Gen Gowon to prosecute the war against the Igbo.
Awolowo became Minister of Finance and Vice Chairman of Gowon's Supreme Military Council. He advised the Nigerian Government to use maximum economic blockade to ruthlessly deal with Biafrans.
At the end of the thirty-month war, Awolowo, as Minister of Finance, influenced the obnoxious policy of twenty pounds in return for whatever amount the Igbo had in his bank account before the outbreak of the war. Even if one had one million pounds, one was only entitled to twenty pounds.
As soon as that policy was implemented, Awolowo advised the Government of Gowon to introduce and implement Indigenization Policy. By this policy, Nigerians were encouraged to buy shares from major companies in the country. The Igbo could not participate in that national economic policy thrust.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government had given tacit support to Diete Spiff's military administration of Rivers State to declare all property owned by the Igbo as Abandoned Property.
The Igbo came back to Nigeria completely devastated and pauperised.
Even though General Yakubu Gowon had declared a picture of No Victor, No Vanquished at the end of the war, with his three Rs of Reconciliation,Rehabilitation and Reconstruction,the Igbo have continued to be at the receiving end in Nigeria. They remain the most hated in Nigeria. Yet, they are unarguably the most adventurous and enterprising.
For those of us who experienced the Nigeria/Biafra war in its crudest and most turbulent expressions, the truth is that none of us will wish to encounter that horror a second time. Any body that wishes any of my children, relations, friends or even any body that thinks I am his enemy to have a similar experience, in my mind, must be a sadist of the worst category.
Contemporary Nigeria is being systematically and steadily threatened by three cancerous factors; (1) Islamic fundamentalism,(2)Born-to-rulementality of the Hausa/Fulani and(3) Government Sponsored/Ignored Terrorist Fulani Herdsmen.
The above three threats have eroded the corporate stability of Nigeria to a very precariously dangerous degree.
The menace is no longer restricted to the Igbo. All the ethnic nationalities that joined forces with the Hausa/Fulani hoping to annihilate the Igbo are equally not finding it easy with the Hausa/Fulani today.
The solution will not be found in arms or confrontation. The solution can only be found in mutual understanding, sincere appreciation of our realities and determined resolve to tell ourselves the truth.
Our Federalism is in sharp contrast to the principles that drive a federation. Federalism encourages the federating units to develop at their own competitive pace. Unfortunately, Nigeria's brand of federalism only motivates indolence and stagnation.
As a matter of fact, if the stability and growth of Nigeria must make meaning in both national and global context, it would mean that Nigeria must be restructured. Whoever that thinks otherwise is only forcing the country to relax on explosive cake of gun powder.

Sir Don Ubani is a former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Abia State.

Invest In Abia, Get Land Title Documents In 24hrs — IKPEAZU*

ABA—ABIA State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has said that it takes only 24 hours for an interested investor to get a certificate of occupancy to any land in the state.
Ikpeazu, who stated this in Aba while receiving the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, said Abia remains the most investor friendly state, boasting of an industrial area strategically located with guaranteed power and access to neighbouring states.

The governor, who outlined some of the projects embarked upon by his administration, disclosed that the state has acquired a 9,000 hectare industrial layout with a certificate of occupancy which is available for investors interested in Aba.

He said, “We have acquired a 9,000 hectare land with C of O, if you want an industry today; I have a place, within 24 hours, I will give you the C of O of that place. There is a gas pipeline around there to generate energy. The place is 30 minutes to Port Harcourt, 45 minutes to Ikot Ekpene and less than an hour to Owerri. It is a strategically located industrial area; we are prepared to do everything to ensure we have about 10 Chinese companies that are coming as anchors, including the 1.5m Dollars shoe factory.”

He further commended the performance of members of the House of Representatives from the State for attracting projects to their constituencies and explained that former members of the House of Representatives, Eziuche Ubani and Uzo Azubuike, who are now serving Commissioners for Works and Agriculture, respectively, have performed excellently.

Earlier, the Speaker had informed Gov. Ikpeazu that he was in Aba to commission some projects attracted to the city by the House of Representatives member representing Aba North/Aba South federal constituency, Mr. Ossy Prestige.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/05/invest-abia-get-land-title-documents-24hrs-ikpeazu/

Democracy Day: Ikpeazu extends invitation to Kalu, Otti, Nwosu, Ogah, others The Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has directed the Secretary to State Government, Dr Eme Okoro, to invite all Abians devoid of their political affiliation, to the 2017 democracy day celebration atUmuahia on May 29th 2017.Those invited include former Governors; Dr Orji Uzor Kalu and Senator Theodore Orji. Current and former members of the National Assembly and State House of Assembly from the state, Political leaders of all political parties in the state.Also invited are all former Governorship aspirants inthe state including; Dr Alex Otti, Dr Uche Ogah, Barr F N Nwosu and Chief Reagan Ufomba.Other prominent Abians invited include former Deputy Governors, elder statesmen, serving and former ministers, former and serving commissioners,traditional rulers, members of the clergy and all former political aspirants of Abia origin, as well as stakeholders and captains of industry, and all women and youth groups.It will be recalled that following his recent victory at the Supreme Court, Governor Ikpeazu called on all Abians to join hands with him to deliver He also informed the people of the state that his doors are open to all Abians to bring ideas to the table that will ensure faster paced development for the state and called for unity among the people regardless of political tendency.

Enyinnaya Appolos Chief Press Secretary to the Governor26/05/2017