Anambra Bids Fallen War Heroes, Civilian Victims Farewell, 45 years After Biafra... "Ndigbo do not have a single story" – Obiano declares

Following the clamour for a formal burial for millions of Anambra indigenes who lost their lives in the Nigerian Civil War, the World War II and pockets of sporadic violence in the country, the Government of Anambra State today performed a formal rite of passage for the fallen heroes and heroines as well as the civilian victims of the Nigerian Civil War, the World War II, the pogroms and other ethnic and religious violence in the country.

The very elaborate but solemn ceremony which took place at the Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, attracted distinguished Igbo sons and daughters from the entire South Eastern geopolitical zone including the former Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme and the maverick billionaire businessman, Prince Engineer Arthur Eze, Chief Victor Umeh, APGA National Chairman and Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, APGA gubernatorial candidate in Imo State among many others.



Delivering a highly emotional address under the title – Ozoemezina: Memory and the Quest for Igbo Renaissance, the governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano explained that the event aptly tagged Ozoemezina (Never Again!) was held in response to the strident calls from Ndigbo at home and in the Diaspora for a formal burial for their kit and kin who lost their lives in the Civil War and the endless cycles of violence that characterize the country.

In a voice that quavered with emotion, governor Obiano recalled that “thousands of these people died because they believed in the ideal of a united and strong Nigeria. They died courageously because our people do not acknowledge fear.”

Describing Ndigbo as a great people whose entrepreneurial drive has taken to known and unknown places in pursuit of wealth –creating opportunities, Governor Obiano declared that Ndigbo do not have a SINGLE STORY.

Said he, “we are the owners of a proud history; paved with pain and anguish and watered by the blood of the innocent. Hardly is there a family in this gathering without a story; a story of profound loss. But beside every story of loss sits a story of success; of glory and of abundance. Ndi Anambra, to the glory of God, we are not a people with a SINGLE STORY…we are a proud, intensely driven, hardworking, innovative, adventurous and forward-looking people with more gifts than the world can take!”

Situating the event within the ebb and flow of time, Governor Obiano observed that the ceremony was the beginning of a long symbolic “look backwards, beyond the immediate horizon of our national experience, to honour the memories of our loved ones who lost their lives to the various dark chapters of our national history.”

Waxing rather philosophical, Governor Obiano observed that “in doing this, we are guided by our belief that life itself is an unbroken stream of experiences stitched together by memory. Without memory, life assumes the attributes of a futile gaze into the void of time!”

The governor also pointed out that it was an integral part of the Igbo culture to recall the events of the past as an important guide to the future, explaining that this belief was succinctly captured in the Igbo saying that Ncheta ka (Recall is supreme).

Comparing the Igbo experience to the Jewish Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide, Governor Obiano regretted that while those two extra-ordinary events in human history had been etched on global memory through a carefully directed effort, the response of Ndigbo to their own tragic history lacked boldness and organization.

Throwing more light on the reason behind the formal burial accorded the fallen heroes and heroines, Obiano explained that Igbo “culture upholds the centrality of ‘burial’ as a crucial epilogue in the narrative of life.”

He praised Ndigbo as the “inheritors of an uncommon valour” which makes it easier for them to climb over an awful experience and rebuild the broken walls of friendship that will open fresh doors of hope. “We do this with ease because we are a people of the faith. We believe in the centrality of God in the affairs of men, we are bold enough to accept the cruel verdict of fate and bury our dead with fanfare!” he reasoned.

Concluding, Governor Obiano observed that with the ceremony, “we honour our dead in words and deeds. We offer them a final resting place; a sanctuary where their memory will forever ruffle the leaves of time. Today, as we lay down their memorial stones, we bring closure to the wanderings of our brothers and sisters whose great souls have yearned for the dignity of a formal burial over the last half century.”

The governor also called on Ndigbo to vote massively for President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan in the February 14 Presidential elections as he represented the best hope for national integration and unity for the country. He also urged them to vote for all the candidates standing election in various states of the federation on the platform of APGA.

Also delivering a Homily at the Ecumenical Service held as part of the ceremony, the Catholic Bishop of Awka, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor applauded governor Obiano for the initiative which he said had enlarged the scope of the activities marking this year’s edition of the Armed forces Remembrance Day.

According to him, the event was special because, “we are not only celebrating patriotism, the sacrifice of life and limbs mad eby some members of the armed Forces in the various conflicts – the World Wars, the Nigerian Civil War, the peace Missions to Congo, Darfur etc – but also commemorating the civilians, especially Ndigbo, who lost their lives and property during the Nigerian-Biafran War and the various riots and insurgencies in Nigeria.”

Observing that “what is remembered and how it is remembered is of utmost importance,” Bishop Ezeokafor argued that the identity of individuals and communities are tied up with the memories they keep alive through stories and celebrations.

Underscoring the importance of memory, Bishop Ezeokafor observed that “the history of the modern Igbo nation cannot be complete without the narrative of the Nigerian-Biafran war. Bseides, recent events in Nigerian history would remain incomprehensible without knowledge of that war. It is therefore my view that efforts should be made to promote greater awareness of that pivotal event in our lives as Ndigbo and as Nigerians,” he surmised.

Highlights of the event were the parade by unveiling of the cenotaph for the fallen heroes and heroines, a parade by different socio-cultural groups who paid a condolence visit to the Governor as the Chief-Mourner and a colourful display of masquerades as is typical of the burial ceremony of a wealthy Igbo personage.

Present at the highly successful ceremony are Former Vice President Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr. nkem Okeke, National Chairman of APGA, Chief Vicor Umeh, Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Princess Chinwe Nwaebili, Secretary to the State Government, Oseloka Obaze, Civil War veterans, Col. Joe Achuzia, Col. Ben Gbulie, Col. E.M Udeaja, Col. Emma Nwobosi, the Chief of Staff to the governor of Anambra State, Prof. Joe Asike and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Jnr, son of the legendary Biafran warlord, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

Chino nnaa, I am sorry. Help out brother. I am kind of busy.

Ozoemezina, Memory and the Quest for Igbo Renaissance" Full Transcript of Obiano's Address at the Symbolic Memorial Ceremony for Ndi-Igbo that Paid the Supreme Sacrifice


AN ADDRESS BY THE GOVERNOR OF ANAMBRA STATE, HIS EXCELLENCY, GOVERNOR WILLIE OBIANO ON THE OCCASION OF THE SYMBOLIC MEMORIAL CEREMONY FOR NDIGBO THAT PAID THE SUPREME SACRIFICE FOR NATIONAL UNITY, JANUARY 12, 2015

Protocol

Ndi Anambra ekenem unu!

Nke onye chilli ya zelu o!

My brothers and sisters, today is a great day in our collective memory. Today, we begin the symbolic effort of casting a long look backwards, beyond the immediate horizon of our national experience, to honour the memories of our loved ones who lost their lives to the various dark chapters of our national history. In doing this, we are guided by our belief that life itself is an unbroken stream of experiences stitched together by memory. Without memory, life assumes the attributes of a futile gaze into the void of time! Now before I go any further, let us observe a moment of silence in honour of our brothers and sisters in whose shadows we stand here today.



The Place of memory in Igbo Worldview

Umunnem, as is the case with the worldview of other great nations, Memory occupies a pre-eminent place in the Igbo worldview. Our ancestors believed that a people without memory have absolutely no future. To underscore the significance of memory, they handed us the concept of Ncheta ka – “recall is supreme.” They silently nudged us to realize that life presents us with a diversity of experiences and out of this menu are touchstones that should guide us into the future. These wise ancestors also gave us the philosophy of Onye ayana nwanneya - be your brother’s keeper; which has become the philosophy of our great party - APGA. With this, we are constantly reminded that life’s most enduring experiences are usually shared as a group and that these experiences, though traumatic sometimes; should strengthen our bonds of brotherhood.

My brothers and sisters, we are not alone on this. History presents us with a long list of ethnicities and nations that have risen through horrific experiences to strengthen their ties of brotherhood and re-affirm their humanity through symbolic events like the one we have gathered here today to perform.

Contemporary World Experiences

Ndi Anambra, anyone who is familiar with contemporary world history can liken our efforts here today to Jewish efforts to honour the memory of the Holocaust as well as the recent efforts to commemorate the Rwandan Genocide in Kigali. In the Jewish example, we see the firm resolve of the world Jewry to ensure that the tragic history of the Holocaust is permanently etched on human memory; that the world never forgets! Many major cities in Europe and America have a Holocaust Memorial; built to perpetuate the memory of about six million Jews that died in the waves of anti-Semitism that swept through the world at the time.
Instructively the people of Rwanda have quickly recovered from the genocide that marked the Hutu and Tutsi conflict of the early 90s to build an ambitious economy. They have erected the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre which opened in April 2004 to perpetuate that memory, renew their pact with their past and solemnly declare to themselves and say – Never Again! Sadly, although we share a similar experience with the Rwandese, our attitude to the memory of that sad experience has lacked boldness and organized response.

The Igbo Experience

Umu nnem, it is a thing of pride to be onye Anambra. We are indeed a remarkable people. However, throughout history, there has always been a prize to pay for greatness. Our natural disposition to seek wealth-creating opportunities in known and unknown places across the world and support the local economy with our famed energy has made us imminent targets of conflicts that we had no hand in fomenting.

Ndi Anambra, happily, our brave spirit has helped us navigate the minefields of this experience. We have become one of the most successful black people in the world. We have set high standards in literature, business, the academia, science, information technology, entertainment and nearly every field of human endeavour.

Umu-nnem, we are the owners of a proud history; paved with pain and anguish and watered by the blood of the innocent. Hardly is there a family in this gathering without a story; a story of profound loss. But beside every story of loss sits a story of success; of glory and of abundance. Ndi Anambra, to the glory of God, we are not a people with a SINGLE STORY…we are a proud, intensely driven, hardworking, innovative, adventurous and forward-looking people with more gifts than the world can take!

Umu-nnem we are the inheritors of an uncommon valour! This brave spirit inspires us to live above the common level. We are quick to climb over the pains of an awful experience and rebuild broken walls of friendship that will open fresh doors of hope. We do this with ease because we are a people of the faith. We believe in the centrality of God in the affairs of men. We are bold enough to accept the cruel verdict of fate and bury our dead with fanfare. Our culture upholds the centrality of “burial” as a crucial epilogue in the narrative of life.

It is this belief that prompted many citizens of this state to approach me, at the inception of this administration, with a request for a formal burial of our brethren who died in the pogroms, the civil war and the World War II. Thousands of these people died because they believed in the ideal of a united and strong Nigeria. They died courageously because our people do not acknowledge fear.

Today, we honour them in words and deeds. We offer them a final resting place; a sanctuary where their memory will forever ruffle the leaves of time. Today, as we lay down their memorial stones, we bring closure to the wanderings of our brothers and sisters whose great souls have yearned for the dignity of a formal burial over the last half century.

Today, as we light our candles and whisper our silent prayers to ease their passage to eternity, we cleanse ourselves of the pain of their death and plant the trees of forgiveness in their memory. And in doing this; we open a new page of a brighter history for our people.

Umu nnem, in my inaugural address, I informed Ndigbo that the time had come for us to climb over the recriminations of the past and build new bridges of understanding across Nigeria. I argued that if our ancestors sacrificed so much to create Nigeria, we must not sacrifice any less to rebuild this country. I also re-emphasized my belief that our future as a people is better guaranteed in a united, indivisible Nigeria. Ladies and gentlemen, that is why we must all vote for Dr Goodluck Azikiwe Ebele Jonathan in the Presidential Election that will hold next month. Among the candidates running for the Presidency, Dr. Goodluck Azikiwe Jonathan offers Nigeria the best chance at national integration and unity. So, we must vote for him. We must also vote for all the candidates standing election on the platform of APGA here in Anambra and other states. We must sweep every available position in Anambra State and win the gubernatorial election in Imo, Abia, Ebonyi and Zamfara States. Ladies and gentlemen, this is APGA’s year of self-actualization and we must grab it with both hands.

Ndi Anambra, my administration is committed to lifting up the standards of our shared experience. We shall continue our bold efforts to ensure that we are not only united in times of adversity and grief but in times of victories and peace. With this ceremony, I urge you to mourn no more but rather, celebrate the bravery of these great spirits who lost their lives yesterday that we may find peace today!

Brothers and sisters, this is the essence of our being here today. This is the spirit behind Ozoemezina...never again!

May we all rise and say Ozoemezina! Ozoemezina!! Ozoemezina!!!

Never! Never!! Never again!!!

Dalunu!

Chief Willie Obiano
Governor, Anambra State

Ozoemezina, Memory and the Quest for Igbo Renaissance" Full Transcript of Obiano's Address at the Symbolic Memorial Ceremony for Ndi-Igbo that Paid the Supreme Sacrifice


AN ADDRESS BY THE GOVERNOR OF ANAMBRA STATE, HIS EXCELLENCY, GOVERNOR WILLIE OBIANO ON THE OCCASION OF THE SYMBOLIC MEMORIAL CEREMONY FOR NDIGBO THAT PAID THE SUPREME SACRIFICE FOR NATIONAL UNITY, JANUARY 12, 2015

Protocol

Ndi Anambra ekenem unu!

Nke onye chilli ya zelu o!

My brothers and sisters, today is a great day in our collective memory. Today, we begin the symbolic effort of casting a long look backwards, beyond the immediate horizon of our national experience, to honour the memories of our loved ones who lost their lives to the various dark chapters of our national history. In doing this, we are guided by our belief that life itself is an unbroken stream of experiences stitched together by memory. Without memory, life assumes the attributes of a futile gaze into the void of time! Now before I go any further, let us observe a moment of silence in honour of our brothers and sisters in whose shadows we stand here today.



The Place of memory in Igbo Worldview

Umunnem, as is the case with the worldview of other great nations, Memory occupies a pre-eminent place in the Igbo worldview. Our ancestors believed that a people without memory have absolutely no future. To underscore the significance of memory, they handed us the concept of Ncheta ka – “recall is supreme.” They silently nudged us to realize that life presents us with a diversity of experiences and out of this menu are touchstones that should guide us into the future. These wise ancestors also gave us the philosophy of Onye ayana nwanneya - be your brother’s keeper; which has become the philosophy of our great party - APGA. With this, we are constantly reminded that life’s most enduring experiences are usually shared as a group and that these experiences, though traumatic sometimes; should strengthen our bonds of brotherhood.

My brothers and sisters, we are not alone on this. History presents us with a long list of ethnicities and nations that have risen through horrific experiences to strengthen their ties of brotherhood and re-affirm their humanity through symbolic events like the one we have gathered here today to perform.

Contemporary World Experiences

Ndi Anambra, anyone who is familiar with contemporary world history can liken our efforts here today to Jewish efforts to honour the memory of the Holocaust as well as the recent efforts to commemorate the Rwandan Genocide in Kigali. In the Jewish example, we see the firm resolve of the world Jewry to ensure that the tragic history of the Holocaust is permanently etched on human memory; that the world never forgets! Many major cities in Europe and America have a Holocaust Memorial; built to perpetuate the memory of about six million Jews that died in the waves of anti-Semitism that swept through the world at the time.
Instructively the people of Rwanda have quickly recovered from the genocide that marked the Hutu and Tutsi conflict of the early 90s to build an ambitious economy. They have erected the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre which opened in April 2004 to perpetuate that memory, renew their pact with their past and solemnly declare to themselves and say – Never Again! Sadly, although we share a similar experience with the Rwandese, our attitude to the memory of that sad experience has lacked boldness and organized response.

The Igbo Experience

Umu nnem, it is a thing of pride to be onye Anambra. We are indeed a remarkable people. However, throughout history, there has always been a prize to pay for greatness. Our natural disposition to seek wealth-creating opportunities in known and unknown places across the world and support the local economy with our famed energy has made us imminent targets of conflicts that we had no hand in fomenting.

Ndi Anambra, happily, our brave spirit has helped us navigate the minefields of this experience. We have become one of the most successful black people in the world. We have set high standards in literature, business, the academia, science, information technology, entertainment and nearly every field of human endeavour.

Umu-nnem, we are the owners of a proud history; paved with pain and anguish and watered by the blood of the innocent. Hardly is there a family in this gathering without a story; a story of profound loss. But beside every story of loss sits a story of success; of glory and of abundance. Ndi Anambra, to the glory of God, we are not a people with a SINGLE STORY…we are a proud, intensely driven, hardworking, innovative, adventurous and forward-looking people with more gifts than the world can take!

Umu-nnem we are the inheritors of an uncommon valour! This brave spirit inspires us to live above the common level. We are quick to climb over the pains of an awful experience and rebuild broken walls of friendship that will open fresh doors of hope. We do this with ease because we are a people of the faith. We believe in the centrality of God in the affairs of men. We are bold enough to accept the cruel verdict of fate and bury our dead with fanfare. Our culture upholds the centrality of “burial” as a crucial epilogue in the narrative of life.

It is this belief that prompted many citizens of this state to approach me, at the inception of this administration, with a request for a formal burial of our brethren who died in the pogroms, the civil war and the World War II. Thousands of these people died because they believed in the ideal of a united and strong Nigeria. They died courageously because our people do not acknowledge fear.

Today, we honour them in words and deeds. We offer them a final resting place; a sanctuary where their memory will forever ruffle the leaves of time. Today, as we lay down their memorial stones, we bring closure to the wanderings of our brothers and sisters whose great souls have yearned for the dignity of a formal burial over the last half century.

Today, as we light our candles and whisper our silent prayers to ease their passage to eternity, we cleanse ourselves of the pain of their death and plant the trees of forgiveness in their memory. And in doing this; we open a new page of a brighter history for our people.

Umu nnem, in my inaugural address, I informed Ndigbo that the time had come for us to climb over the recriminations of the past and build new bridges of understanding across Nigeria. I argued that if our ancestors sacrificed so much to create Nigeria, we must not sacrifice any less to rebuild this country. I also re-emphasized my belief that our future as a people is better guaranteed in a united, indivisible Nigeria. Ladies and gentlemen, that is why we must all vote for Dr Goodluck Azikiwe Ebele Jonathan in the Presidential Election that will hold next month. Among the candidates running for the Presidency, Dr. Goodluck Azikiwe Jonathan offers Nigeria the best chance at national integration and unity. So, we must vote for him. We must also vote for all the candidates standing election on the platform of APGA here in Anambra and other states. We must sweep every available position in Anambra State and win the gubernatorial election in Imo, Abia, Ebonyi and Zamfara States. Ladies and gentlemen, this is APGA’s year of self-actualization and we must grab it with both hands.

Ndi Anambra, my administration is committed to lifting up the standards of our shared experience. We shall continue our bold efforts to ensure that we are not only united in times of adversity and grief but in times of victories and peace. With this ceremony, I urge you to mourn no more but rather, celebrate the bravery of these great spirits who lost their lives yesterday that we may find peace today!

Brothers and sisters, this is the essence of our being here today. This is the spirit behind Ozoemezina...never again!

May we all rise and say Ozoemezina! Ozoemezina!! Ozoemezina!!!

Never! Never!! Never again!!!

Dalunu!

Chief Willie Obiano
Governor, Anambra State

Igbo suffered after the war and Yoruba took over and enriched themselves both in education and the corporate field. The indigenization policy happened,right after the war and Awolowo made sure yoruba bought everything. Ever since then the yoruba has continue to leap from that fortune and the Igbo suffered and we are still suffering. Yoruba has a solid educational foundation they inherited from Awolowo that put them ahead of others and also they own lagos and 70% of the investments. They have access to the sea and a large expanse of land for agriculture. The Yoruba tribe is very blessed with their rich culture which they are ever proud to showcase and defend,while the Igbo are ashamed of their culture and will rather dress like a yoruba than Igb. We Igbo made some bad choices and paid dearly for it and we are still paying for it. We should stop competing with yoruba because they are clearly ahead of us,rather we should be working to rebuild our land and heal our people. We need to love ourselves more and our stars will shine.

Please stop hate and tribalism!

I love Kenya because they are great people and yes Nigerians are very poor yet arrogant,criminal minded and proud....it stinks to high heavens. Everybody feel the same way about Nigeria yet they think they are giant of Africa.

MARKone:


The potency of these things have gradually died off or withered down, thanks to Christianity. I know a festival in Atani, Anambra state, the masquerade that heralds the festival comes out once in a year, and by 12 am in the Night, no body except those that accompanies it have ever seen it, and all lights must be off when it passes, it passes with a quezing sound. To answer your question, I have been shown a man it crippled, because he allegedly went in front of it instead of being behind. The myths and legends surrounding some of these things are great. But like I said, a lot of people who are into it has embraced Christianity.

I think you are talking about Ayaka...It used to be common in Idenmili and this fear surrounding it.

aresa:



It depend on your interpretation, but definitely not on any sane, rational, sensible metrics and realities on the ground in all corners of Nigeria..

This is just ibo website primarily catering to ibo people and not the rest of Nigeria so of what relevance is their award to the rest of Nigeria?

http://usafricaonline.com/category/commentaries-and-insights/


^^^^^^ Primarily ibo related...

I hope you apply this same logic whenever you do your various ratings....ha
We dey here.

aresa:
This is a ibo website based in Houston created by some Chido Nweangwu and nearly all their ramblings on that website are ibo related with zero refrence to the rest of Nigeria so of what relevance is this to the rest of Nigerians or even the meaning of the best in Nigerian when in fact this is primarily a ibo website that carries only ibo stories primarily Anambra stories..?

smh....

So,who is performing more than Obiano?
You are so blind because you think you can see!

futmxconnectn:

He doesn't takes beer, he drinks only champagne. Lol

Whats your point ?

Ngwakwe:


You don't understand Abia Politics.

Is anybody campaigning against T. A. Orji and his son Chinedu move to Senate and House of Assembly respectively? Why Dr Okezie then?

T. A. Orji neglected Aba because he has no connection to the city and secondly for the embarrassment he received from Aba during Ojukwu's burial. He had no plans for Aba but Umuahia.

Aside from infrastructure and Town planning, T. A. Orji got it right in Universal Basic Education, Health and Security.

Maybe I dont understand Abia politics but some things are just common sense. T. A. Orji was mocked because of his neglect for Aba,period.Now, I dont know if you are trying to say that you are satisfied with his overall performances or that the open rejection of Orji and his family by well meaning Abians is new to you . But I knwo that people have openly criticised his failure to reform and relaunch Abia as an economic powerhouse and the resentment are there for everyone to see. Any governor who ruled Abia and failed to fix Aba is a grand failure because the city is the golden goose that lay the golden egg. So,failure to fix Aba is a total failure to fix Abia....and on this ground we can say that T.A Orji has failed Abia and at such must be rejected and this includes anybody he tries to force on the long suffering Ndi Abia.

BuddahMonk:
Overhyped Champagne lover

We need to chat and its important.

eaglechild:
Impressive and based on genuine strides made to better his state.

Not that fake poll about Amaechi

APC propaganda,you meant ?

Ngwakwe:
I thought they said he will be Obi's wrapper.

This is still the only campaign against Dr Okezie Ikpeazu. Instead of on dwelling on facts and understanding of challenges facing the State, people tend to hide their hate behind rhetoric for political expediencies.

It was easy for Obi to convince Anambrarians to vote for Obiano because of his(Obi) impressive performance that shook all corners of the state. It made it easy for the voting populace to believe/trust his judgement and that extended to Obiano's victory. Now,for an underperforming governor like T.A Orji to pull the same stunt will be near impossible. You are definitely comparing different scenarios. Otti is the most qualified to replicate what Obiano is doing in Anambra in Abia. Daalu.

IGBOSON1:
I reckon he deserves it considering what he's done in his state within so short a time! The feat is even more impressive when one considers he didn't spend a full year as Governor in 2014!

Though, what i find to be his greatest achievement thus far isn't even the physical infrastructure presently being built in the state, but rather i would say it's the new mindset he's brought to bear on the residents and diaspora of the state: a new bullish can-do philosophy; a reawakening of the legendary indomitable Igbo spirit! This, even more than the physical stuff we see on ground will prove to be the catalyst that will spur the state to raise like a Pheonix from the ashes of decades of neglect!

Nice one,right there.

Obago!

chino11:
Is well. Madam is doing just fine..taking her afternoon nap!

Beauty sleep...lol

chino11:
It is really annoying when people come over here to make unguided statements.

Its expected,everybody can't behave the same....How wify?

chino11:
Do you actually know whom you are talking about? We should not insult people because this is an anonymous forum. I know him too well and I know his capacity. If you must know he is one of the few well established nairalanders with outreach in US, Europe and Nigeria. Please desist from insulting people you know nothing about them just because we are all meeting here to chat!

Nnaa,you really care about what that guy has to say?
Save yourself the headache and do something better with your time....Go to that your beautiful wife and have an after church make-out....lol

Myluv1:


Nwannaa, I decided to sit on this Odua issue for quite a while just because I knew how the terrain was for the Igbos in the aviation industry, especially those working under the ministry. The yoruba influence was (and still is) so intense that we had to rally round our own no matter what. Needless to say the fight was lost. Having said that, I will be the last person to support evil, hence my mute mode on the madam's case.
She upgraded Enugu airport as well as several other airports around the country. Infact, some of the other upgraded airports are even better than that in Enugu. I won't say much.
Regardless, she is still a worthy candidate to rep Anambra north. She's made name for herself and will pull a lot of weight in this election. However, I believe the votes will count in favor of Obiano's candidate. Obaze or Oduah will represent well, so I am not bothered about that zone.

Very much like my stance ,exactly. I like the lady and her courage but I will never stand for evil. Some people make it sound like she did something extraordinary but its not so. I felt like Stella singlehandedly ruined a reputation that she has built for herself and end up not completing the overhaul she started but its all good. However,I dont see her defeating Obaze.

FreeGlobe:

this ediot, the battle of Anambra north is won and lost. Even Obiano cannot stand Stella oduah. Anambra north is too small for Stella, she has what it takes to win governorship, she has the FG support, money and popularity. Who is obaze? that he is an associate of the criminal Peter obi is enough grounds for him to lose. The real battle for the Senate is Anambra central.
That Obiano managed to win governorship with all the rigging and Federal backing does not mean it'll always happen. you forget how Ngige thrashed obi in the Senate.
keep living in the delusion that there is no face off between obi and Obiano if it makes you happy!

Before I used to take you very serious but no anymore.

chino11:
Odenigbo nwanne m kedu ife i welu ikwu maka ife a..

Thats quite great.
We have the Innoson/Anambra automobile school and now aeronautics. Soon Anambra will become the technology hub of Nigeria.

And Berem,while you are at it do well to understand that you are a woman.
Anambra is the seat of Nze na Ozo in Igbo land and nwanyi anaro efe onye Nze aka n'iru,or is it because its a faceless forum. Nwanyi,fie isaa na anya.

berem:
insult or no insult,I don't want my name mentioned on this thread.

Well,you will have to put that into constitution because I cant guarantee you of that.
Ka onye na eme ka ekwe si akpuia....sorry oooo

berem:
I have warned you anambra people to stop mentioning my name on this thread but you wouldn't listen. Odenigbo Aroli, respect yourself! Kpa cha anya gi!

But I didn't insult you. I referred to you because na you carry that champagne and Obiano wife matter for head....lol

Chief Dubem Obaze carried out a lot of reforms as Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters under ex-governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi. Now a senatorial aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, for Anambra North, contesting with former Aviation Minster, Senator Stella Oduah and Senator Maggery Okadigbo, he speaks with TONY OKAFOR on his mission and issues that will determine the 2015 elections in the state
How ready and confident are you in the senatorial race amidst these intrigues and horse-trading especially in your party?
Well, I do not have any reason not to be confident. I believe my governor, Chief Willie Obiano who had pledged at all the fora that there would be free and fair primaries. And I don’t have any reason to doubt him. I think the guidelines have come out. And it calls for direct primaries. That is to say, one would know the people who are going to vote in all the 326 wards in Anambra State, not in the northern senatorial zone alone.
And if that is done I am very confident that in free and fair primaries, I am going to emerge the candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
What are those reasons that are propelling you to contest for this senatorial race?
Like I said, the whole idea of going to the Senate is to represent my people. And as far as I am concerned, when you know the people you are representing, you know the area, you know their needs, you know their problems.
That is the only time you can represent them. You can’t represent the Anambra North Senatorial zone from Abuja. So, the number one reason why I want to go to that place is to provide that representation to our people, the people of our zone and my party because we are the ruling party in Anambra, because we keep presenting the wrong people as candidates, we have never had a senator. How come we have been winning the gubernatorial election, winning Federal House of Representatives elections, winning State House of Assembly elections and we do not win the Senate. It is because we field wrong people.
So, I am going to the Senate to represent my people. I am going there because our governors have never been supported before. Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju was never supported; Dr Chris Ngige was not supported by any Senator. Chief Peter Obi was not supported and Chief Willie Obiano is currently not being supported by any of our senators. I don’t see why my governor will come to Abuja and visit a Minister and I won’t make out time to follow up.
That is the work of a senator especially if it has to do with my state, my zone in particular. Of course as a senator, you are expected to participate in law making, to make sure we have good and enabling laws to make sure that we strengthen our nation, to strengthen democracy, to strengthen Nigeria as one unit-one indivisible unit. So, for me when it comes down to our zone in particular, where we produce oil but Anambra is not a member of NDDC, I will work for Anambra State to become a member of Niger Delta Development Commission, which is our right. It is a simple thing, the fact that we are producing oil means that we are qualify to be a member.
That way, we can begin to get our benefits like all the other nine states of the NDDC. So, those are the three or four major things why I want go and represent our people.
Given your closeness to the former governor, Peter Obi, one had thought you would have followed him to the Peoples Democratic Party, but you stayed back in APGA. What is it that you saw in APGA that made you to stay back?
I am an APGA man.
I have never been in any other political party. I have been a member of APGA since 2002.And this is the only party I know. This is a party that has developed Anambra State. This is a party that developed Ogbaru, I am from Ogbaru and you are in my community. The road, you went through used to take four hours to get to my house here from Uga junction. And today it is a 20-minute drive. So, there is no reason why I should dump my party. Moreover Peter Obi never consulted me. He never asked me to go with him.
He didn’t,,,, I think he was decent in the way he handled things. But I am an APGA man, inside and out. I am not going anywhere.
Looking at the whole thing, it is like you are into a big battle, contesting in your party’s primaries, with Alphonsus Igbeke, considered a cat with nine lives, and an oil magnet, who has a lot of money to throw around, Stela Oduah as well as the incumbent, Maggery Okadigbo in the election proper.Where do you get courage to face these people?
I have a motto that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I don’t see them as a problem. It is the people that matter. The people will speak. The people of APGA will decide on whom the candidate will be the members of APGA and the people of Anambra North Senatorial district will decide.
It is not about money. If it is about money, Ifeanyi Ubah would have been our governor not Willie Obiano. If it is money, we would have Aliko Dangote as our President. He has never even bothered to run. If it is money, Bill Gates and Warren Buffets and all those American people would be American President. We don’t talk about money, it is about people and even how to know how to deploy the money and resources.
I understand this business, not how much you give; it is how effective your naira is. You can spend a million and I spend ten thousand naira and get a better result. That is what is happening. So it is the people. I don’t think there is an issue in that.
As Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Matters, you introduced fourth tier of government through town unions, would you say that will be an added advantage in this race?
Well, I sincerely hope it would be.
What we did when I was serving as Commissioner for Local Government, all I tried to do was to build institution, build things that will last, to build things that will outlast me. And things that will not easily changed by anybody. For example when I was made Special Adviser for Local Governments before I became Commissioner, we had what we called zero allocation.
I asked the Permanent Secretary, what is zero allocation, why are they owing local government salary, he said, they do not have enough money. So when the money allocated to that local government is less than their expenditure, that is their salaries, wages and all that. Maybe they are getting, for example N54million and they are spending N60 million. So they have a shortfall of N6million.
That is because the local governments, mainly the urban local governments are over populated, a lot of staff, a lot of overhead, this and that. So, that was among the first things I changed because we unified the local government system, such that they can post more staff to Onitsha North not because Onitsha North needed them but because people want to stay in Onitsha North. And instead of two drivers, they needed five and all that. The fact of the matter is that they don’t have enough money to pay. If you have a unified local government system, where you can pull people from Dunukofia to Onitsha North, why don’t you transfer their money from Dunukofia to Onitsha North because you can’t transfer liability without transferring assets.
So, what we did was to change that and turn salary into first line charge. So, when we get cumulative amount of money, we remove the staff salary for everybody before we start allocating the remaining one and from then till today, that is what has been happening, it is still the standard format. So, you have never heard the staff complaining. Do you understand what I am saying? So, we have not missed one month salary in over nine years unlike other administration in the past. We used that same formula to pay up our pensioners. I think by the time we were leaving, we have paid about N67 billion.
So the institutionalisation of getting people’s money to people’s hands and getting government closer to the people by recognising the town union and our traditional institutions was another aspect of what we did there and it has worked there. How do you see the recent appointment of Obaino as Chairman of BOT of APGA? Some of your party members say the appointment is against your party’s constitution which stipulates that an elected person on the platform of the party shall not hold any leadership position in the party? Well, he is a very experienced person.
He was an executive director in a bank for nine years. And you just don’t become an ED just like that. He is already a leader. He understands leadership and I am sure he has done a lot in leadership studies. Yes, he is in a new terrain politically but, the governor as the highest ranking elected officer, I think automatically, the leadership falls upon him. And as a member of National Executive Committee of our party, he also doubles as the chairman of Board of Trustees (BOT). By the way I am a member of the board and without a chairman, we can really not function.
So, I am sure that it is an arrangement for us to move on. He has the capacity and APGA is an institution.
How do you see the emergence of new entrants scrambling to pick the party’s tickets for 2015 polls?
Won’t it jeopardise the chances of the party if they are given tickets? I agree with you totally. I think it was somebody who said ‘it is height of madness doing the same activity the same way and expecting a different result,’ We had done things like that in the past where we bring in people that are not used to our ways it didn’t work, These people are not part of the party, they didn’t have any allegiance to the party. APGA is like a movement. It is little bit like a religion. You have to be in APGA for a while to get acclimatised to the APGA spirit. So, when you bring in people that don’t have the APGA spirit, they think less about the party. Most of our members are not even cards carrying members. They are mothers, they are farmers, they are the old people; they are war veterans; they are all sorts of people.
They don’t necessarily carry an APGA cards but on that voting day, they will ask ‘where is the cock, the symbol of APGA’. Where is Ojukwu? Where is Peter Obi?-when he was in the party; where is Victor Umeh. I am sure they will now ask where Akpokue, Obiano is. So, the influx of people has not been good for us. As a member of BOT of this party, I understand one of our assignments is to guide the policy of party.

The Man Dubem is a Business and Management Consultant by profession who garnered considerable private and public sector experience working with the Ramada Group, USA (a hospitality chain) as well as the Ford Foundation where, as Research Fellow, he worked on a major program, researching how to bridge the cumulative economic gaps between developed and developing nations. Prior to his appointment as Special Adviser to the Anambra State Governor, he held several offices in the private sector.

In his professional life, Mr. Obaze brings to bear his vast experience in project management & planning, business financing, health sector reform & healthcare financing. Management skills, honed by working in various management positions, allow him to be an effective, efficient and well-rounded executive. As Special Adviser (Special Duties, Political Matters & Local Government) to His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi (former Governor, Anambra State,) his primary responsibility was to manage all motor parks, markets, unions & associations in the State. His exemplary performance resulted in his appointment as the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, a position he held until May 31, 2012.

To further support this position, the former governor wrote (excerpts) in a commendation letter for Dubem’s chieftaincy conferment by the entire Anambra North Senatorial Zone Traditional Rulers Council – “As your friend and brother for over thirty years, I have come to cherish your commitment to causes you believe in… Your contribution to the actualization of my vision to re-position the Local Government Administration to be more responsive to the needs of our people, through the execution of projects and provision of infrastructure, was in no doubt.”

Chief Dubem Obaze now engages in supporting a relevant political cause connecting to his Ogbaru kindred, and seeking ways of improving the welfare of Anambra people, both locally and at diaspora levels.

BuddahMonk:


Obiano is overhyped, its quiet too early to idolize the Champagne lover and his wife with atitude problem.

Let's give Obiano 2years to know how far the dude can go but for now am still not rating him with any stars.

Obiano isnt overhyped,ma broda. His popularity is in line with what he has been able to achieve in such a short time. Its only reasonable that we remain positive about the man and not act like we expect him to fail....guy,aghotaromzikwa gi oooo

And whats up with the champagne thing...Is that suppose to be an attack? I believe you can do better than this,Budda. You wan begin sound like Berem.
Remember,Obiano was Shell worldwide internal auditor for about 9yrs,so the man had an affluent and classy lifestyle. Nwokem,champagne guo yi ijee golu champagne n´uo...lol

BuddahMonk:
Many can look but can't see.

Since Stella left sector no plane is clashlanding again, no plane is overshuting its runaway, no plane is summersualting midair anymore, all the aviation crisis has gone, they disappear with the sack of Stella.

Am sorry for you

For me to believe she was being sabotaged you will have to do better than that.

Myluv1:


Pardon me, what did she do again? Enugu airport? I think you guys are over-hyping it, tbh.

Nnaa,I am glad you are here because you have a unique way of stripping the truth naked.
How can somebody just wake up one morning and decide to feed us bunch of lies just because of an airport in Enugu.

chino11:
Nwanne you may not be far from the truth but we want the best. If Dubem is the best candidate let him go to the senate if not let Adaeze lead the way..

Most people who are here screaming Odua dont know the weight the Dubem Obaze pulls in the north because he is a very quiet gentleman just like Obi and Oseloka....these guys are my role model with a hint of Obiano...I admire these guys because of their integrity and calmness.

BuddahMonk:
How are you, it doesn't matter where the llocation of the airport is but in her capacity as a Fed minister and someone with the interest of Ndigbo at heart she lobbied for it, worked for it and it cost her her job achieving that.
If the location is a factor why didn't Sulliva protested when pilgrims were not using Enugwu Airport but Pita Obi in Awka protested and they started using it.

www.nigeria70.com/nigerian_news_paper/obi_protests_non_use_of_enugu_airport_for_pilgrimag/634429

Go tru the link and see that thhose that reason worked for AAIA to be great are Omanbalas

Guy,this is new year biko; How did Enugu Int'I airport cost Stella her job ? Stella lost her job because of her frivolity,biko. Say things the way they are.