₦airaland Forum

In this interview with Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, the leader of the Movement for the Survival of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, on the death of Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, Ikemba Nnewi and Eze Igbo Gburugburu of Igbo land, Uwazuruike, who practically relocated to the Enugu Casabianca House of Ojukwu since his death was announced, spoke painfully and emotionally about Ojukwu, his politics, vision, what he meant to his people and about the direction of Igbo struggle and leadership. The interview is as sizzling as it is emotional. Excerpts:

By McPhilips Nwachukwu

The death of Ojukwu means a lot of things to many people. As one of the closest persons to the late Igbo champion of struggle for emancipation, what does his death mean to you?

Honestly, Ojukwu’s death is a very devastating news to me. But,  before he died, I was on phone with Iyom Bianca, the wife. She called me few hours before he died and told me that he was in crisis situation. So, after that sad call, we talked more on phone, prayed, cried and all that. Then, when he passed on, Iyom called back to inform me and we continued talking till morning.

The whole thing was shocking, but I was able to stabilize myself because, within the hours of that night that I was told that he was in  crisis situation, I was following the whole situation and, because of that, the news of his death no longer came to me as sudden announcement because I had an early inkling about his situation.

Ojukwu was the father figure of Igbo struggle for emancipation, which, in the past few years, you have undertaken through your activities with MASSOB. What will be the direction of Igbo struggle now with Ojukwu’s death?

The struggle remains. Nothing changes.
Rather, we will intensify the struggle to make sure that we make him happy in the spirit world. You may want to know that

Ojukwu was known to me before I started the struggle. I knew Ojukwu for close to twenty years. And I knew him close to five or six years before I started MASSOB.

So, I worked with him closely one-on- one before I started MASSOB.

I knew his ideals and I knew what he stood for and that was why I started MASSOB. I mean that I was one of the closest persons to him then.

So, why should the struggle come to an end now that he is dead when the struggle started when he was alive?
If he didn’t like the struggle or like Biafra, I wouldn’t have started it in the first place!

When I started the struggle, he was with me and he was with me more than any other person. While I was in prison he would be the first person to call my wife to ask after my children to make sure that there was money or food in the house.

Each time I was imprisoned or detained, in some cases, he would come to  the  prison  to  see me.

The first time he went to prison to see somebody was to come to Owerri prison to see me. He came personally with Iyom Bianca to see me at Owerri prison where he told the prison officials that he never did that before in his life time.

So, he did so many things for me that he never did for any other person.

Therefore, I have to do things for him too, which I have never nor will do for any other person.

There is nothing that I do for Ojukwu that is too much or anything that any Igbo man does for him that is too much.
People say to me, ‘Every day, you come here and stay from morning till night,’ and I say to them, ‘Yes, I can do it for many more days because Ojukwu could have done same for me’. So, to me, it is a loss, that he died  but I know too that it is a very big loss to Ndigbo.  But, to me, the loss is indescribable because he played a role that my biological father couldn’t play in my life.


Ralph Uwazuruike, MASSOB leader
He was everything to me. He managed me like his own son, told me things. When I went wrong, he called me and cautioned me. And each time I did wrong, he did not fail to admonish me. And if I did rightly, he would call me to congratulate me. He also taught me family life. In fact, he gave me education on some of the things I didn’t know about family life. So, there wasn’t anything that he didn’t do for me.

Do you see any other person filling this gap of what he represented for you and the Igbo nation?
That is the difficult question. And people have been asking me this question and what I say to them is that it is only God because it is Him who took Ojukwu away from us and He knows that Ojukwu is irreplaceable. There is nobody that can replace Ojukwu for Ndigbo.

All of us are now are like sheep without shepherd. We are just mopping, looking, wondering and asking what next will happen? If any person tells you that he can replace Ojukwu, that person must be joking. What we can do now is only to hope on God to throw up somebody for us. Somebody that Ndigbo will like and work with.

But the most important thing that Ndigbo should do now is to see Ojukwu’s death as an opportunity to bond for unity. That’s the much we can do now. And we started it even before his death.

On November 4, we organised a birthday party, which people from all walks of life, from across party lines attended for the first time. But we never knew that he wouldn’t live to experience the next birthday.

I think we should build on that birthday because it brought Ndigbo together and we contemplated that, after that birthday,  we would call for another gathering this December so that a section of Igbo leadership would come together to deliberate on Igbo affairs.

Ojukwu’s spirit was Igbo spirit. To us Ndigbo, Ojukwu  was like Jesus Christ, which if you mention his name, it sends a message across: the message of unity, togetherness, oneness and we have to build on that.

Is Ohaneze not providing that kind of direction?

What is Ohaneze? Who is Ohaneze to Ojukwu?

All over the world, when you mention Ojukwu, every Igbo man knows that he is our father, our leader, the man that we follow.

Ohaneze is there and, after every two years, they pick one person and, after another two years, they bring in another different mentality. They are always in Abuja chasing after one thing or the other. Well, I am not to deride anybody.
But Ojukwu was a fearless person.

We are talking about leaders that can sacrifice their lives.

Those that can stand up for their people and say, ‘Okay, let me die’.  We are not talking about people  who are looking for contracts or looking for positions.

We are talking about people whose concerns are about the well-being of the masses.

Ojukwu used the resources of his father to execute a project for the welfare of his people. Because of his people, he went on exile and stayed for more than ten years. Because of his people, he encountered suffering, humiliation and insults. These are the people that we are talking about.

Don’t you think that the critical question now should be about the Igbo leadership. Who fills  the gap?

No no.

What we are saying is that he is not here now. He is dead.

But that he is not alive doesn’t mean that Ojukwu should be forgotten.

Whatever we do in Ala Igbo can not work with Ojukwu’s name!

It is just like in Yoruba land. You can’t denigrate Awolowo today because he is not there. It is not true. Till today, the name Awolowo is the in   thing in Yoruba politics. So, it will be the same in Igbo land with Ojukwu.

So, the first thing that we can do now is to give him a befitting burial. The best in Africa and everybody will see it. We have to do it. After  that, we will have a meeting of Igbo leaders to sit down and chart a way forward for Ndigbo. God must surely throw up somebody.

Leadership is not a game of contest. In Igbo land, ana asi na anaghi echi eze eze , ana amu eze amu( the king is not crowned but given at birth ). That person who does what his people love is their leader already. And so it was with Ojukwu. He worked himself into the heart of his people. Even when he was coronated, Eze Igbo, some of his opponents challenged the title, but, because of his acceptance by his people, it didn’t take long before everybody began to hail him as Eze Igbo Gburugburu.

So, leadership is not about going to sit in Abuja or by election.
Nobody as a matter of fact elected Ojukwu to be his or their leader. But through his actions and activities, he was adopted by his people as their leader.

In a recent statement credited to you in one of the national dailies, you were quoted to be warning Federal Government and Nigeria that since Ojukwu, who stood as the stabilizing force against the use of violence by Ndigbo in their agitations, is no more,  Ndigbo will no longer hesitate to opt for violence if the need arises in the future. What does that kind of statement portend for your struggle?

What that means is that a people should not be taken for granted. If you come to Nigeria today, it is only the Igbo people that have prosecuted a war as a tribe. In the war, all the other tribes fought against Ndigbo. So, we know the burden of war and we know the triumphs of victory. So, we have consummated that burden of defeat in whatever way you look at it.

You know what it means to lose your father or your mother. If you come to Okwe, there are a whole lot of people, who were abandoned at Oji river, men, who lost their limbs and legs fighting for Biafra. I built a home to relocate them at Okwe. Each time I see them, I know how I feel.

I pay them salaries every month to stop them from begging. I know the burden of feeding their children and sending them to school. More than126 people and I know how it feels! Somebody who hasn’t experienced  that before will want you to go to war.
But, unfortunately, this government listens to only people who shout for war.
It is very unfortunate.

Look at our roads. Even, look at our youths, nobody listens to them. Every day we read about hundreds of youths from other places being sent abroad for higher education. What about Igbo youths.

Must you be a militant or carry guns and start shooting people before you are included in the scheme of things? If you come to Nigeria, it is only the South East that has only five states and the least number of local governments. And when they share revenues, the North will go home with billions of naira and scanty amount of money will be given to our governors.

So, what do they want? They want us to start rioting before they begin to give us equal number of states and local governments? Is that what they want? You can’t talk about peace without justice. Shortly after Ojukwu’s death was announced, there was rioting in Ebonyi State. I had to send some of our members to go and quell the situation because it would have degenerated to other places.

What was the cause of the riot?

[b]Ojukwu’s death! Information got to me that the youths were mobilizing and I had to quickly intervene because, before you know it, Onitsha, Aba, Okigwe, Owerri would have all been caught up in the riot. These youths were angry. They saw Ojukwu as their father. Now their father is dead and they felt like, ‘Okay, let us show our anger’.

But I had to stop them. I brought non violence all the way from India and Ojukwu sustained it because he loved it. He didn’t want Ndi Igbo to die again. Ndi Igbo died during the civil war. So, that was why I made the statement. If Nigerians think that Ndigbo are cowards, they are making a mistake and they know it.

And they know that whenever we start a thing, it takes another dimension. They know that if Ndi Igbo start violence now that involves gun that we manufacture guns ourselves. They know that the only tribe that manufactures guns are Igbos,
It will look like kidnapping. Kidnapping started in the Niger Delta, but when it came to Igbo land, look at the dimension it has taken. Immediately they allow Ndigbo to go into violence, Nigeria is finished.[/b]


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/12/how-ojukwu-visited-prison-for-the-first-time-by-ralph-uwazuruike-massob-leader/

Those in Nigeria are not left out. This girl is a super dancer. If you can twist your waist like this I wonder!
Onlytruth that girl dey twist waist for you O!!!
She is the best I have seen.


[flash=400,400]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q8HlRIPiO0[/flash]

[flash=400,400]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xL2H1OuEjc[/flash]



Igbo women in Germany are not left out. They are all happy with the result!


cha cha Igbo kwenu!!!!! YAH!!!!!!!!

The news is now on CNN and FOXnews that Onlytruth would be crowned the next EzeIgbo NL.


See how those Igbo chicks dey shake wetin Jehovah Chineke give them.

[flash=400,400]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh9cS7U9lAg[/flash]



Igbo students in Los Aangeles are happy with the new NL Eze-Elect!

For your sunday delight.

[flash=400,400]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxQYsHzGvpQ[/flash]


Every Igbo man should enjoy this osng. Sweet melody!

Agaba i wokwa ajuju?
Ke ebe isi ma nwanyi onye liberia?

Wetin I see for OPC pics na real eyesore. We dey 2011, OPC dey disgrace themselves with shabula and cutlass for breaking coconut! lol
Those things wey dey call weapon na for robbery operations to go still milk and milo for Iya Lati Shop wey dey along the street.


Tell the dreamers to see weapon.
Nobody for SW go waste money buy weapon anyway for them.


Side kick: Alh. Harem, na goat, nama and Ezi combined in one, the guy be. Anytime you see pics of this gentleman, You better puke.
It's also worthy to note that Igbos are the problem and source of your joblessness. Ikwikwi di ka gi. lol.

I will go back to the 1st page and read through. Then I will attack anyone who has said trash about anyone or group.
Sidekick, no be today Gbawe be tribalist! lol


You all are a bunch of disgrace.
Anyways, tell OPC that there is no time for juju when gbege starts.

Show this pics to Gani Adams, Biafra army of 1967-1970.




And MEND 2007-2009

By Sam Eyoboka, Olayinka Latona and David Oso
Story in brief
Africans are overwhelming in their rejection of the move by the west to get them to recognise the rights of gays and lesbians.

WHEN British Prime Minister, David Cameron, at the last Commonwealth meeting in Perth, Australia, repeated his threat to English-speaking African nations that, henceforth, strings would be attached to aid that his government would offer to the affected countries, he said, “We want to see countries that receive our aid adhering to proper human rights, and that includes how people treat gay and lesbian people”.

The British prime minister must be living with the illusion that Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and the rest of the English-speaking countries in Africa are still under British rule, and can, therefore, be ordered around.

But emerging developments in the West African sub-region are beginning to prove to the West and indeed Britain that the former dark continent has come of age and can call the bluff of the imperialists.


Hillary Clinton and Senator David Mark
Cameron’s remarks have rather provoked nationalist sentiments in Africa and rallied even those previously tolerant of homosexuality to call his bluff. Critics of homosexuality have one thing in common and that is that Western countries are trying to impose un-African sex practices on Africans in total disregard of biblical principles.

Sierra Leone was the tiny voice that let loose the avalanche when political and church leaders, represented by the Deputy Information Minister, Sheka Tarawallie, ruled out legalising same-sex marriages in the West African state, after a British threat to cut aid to nations not recognising gay rights. Tarawallie said: “It is not possible that we will legalise same sex marriages as they run counter to our culture”.

The president of the 500,000-strong Methodist Church in Sierra Leone, Bishop Arnold Temple, echoed the information minister’s objections to Cameron’s warning, stating: “The Church in Sierra Leone will do everything possible to protect democracy but our values will not accept the call from British Prime Minister Cameron for countries in the Commonwealth like Sierra Leone to accept the practice of lesbianism and gayism. Africa should not be seen as a continent in need to be influenced by the demonic threat as our values are totally different”.

Criticism over Cameron’s comments Cameron’s comments have also drawn criticism in Ghana with that West African nation’s president, Mr. John Evans Atta Mills, saying Ghana will not legalise homosexuality Mills added that his country will continue to operate within its constitution regardless of any threats from any country.

Such were the sentiments echoed, penultimate week, by the upper chamber of the Nigerian National Assembly, when the Senate it defied the pressure by the Western nations against legislation that limits rights of sexual minorities to pass a bill to prohibit same sex marriage in any part of the country.

Tagged Same-Sex Prohibition Bill, the law proposed up to 14 years imprisonment each for gay couples who decided to solemnize their union while witnesses to the marriage or anyone who assisted the couples to marry could be sentenced to 10 years behind bars.

The Bill also makes operation or registration of gay clubs or organizations a criminal offence. Commenting at the issue, the Senate president, David Mark, said: “If there is any country that wants to stop giving aid because we won’t pass the bill on same sex marriage; that country can go ahead. We are a sovereign nation and we have the right to decide for ourselves because no country can interfere in the way we run our country. Same sex marriage is against our own culture and tradition and against our beliefs.”

That decision by the upper chamber has attracted applause from the Christian and Muslim communities in Nigeria, which commended the Senate for the courage it demonstrated to pass the Same Sex Marriage Bill. The action, according to them, shows the level of the upper chamber’s commitment to the cultural heritage of the African nations.

Reaction to the Senate passage of the Bill Reacting to the Senate passage of the Bill, sponsored by Senator Magnus Abe, (PDP, Rivers State), the National President of CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, specially took cognizance of the statement made by Mark urging donor nations blackmailing African nations with threat to withdraw their aids unless they endorse homosexuality.

Oritsejafor described the statement as the kind of outbursts of a man who had aptly demonstrated his desire to defend the ideals his country stand for. “This is the kind of leaders Nigerians have been clamouring for; leaders who cannot be cowed by dirty carrots being dangled by imperialist nations,”the CANPresident said.

“It is therefore gratifying to note that the Senate has taken a bold step to call the bluff of donor nations who are always holding beggarly African nations to ransom; giving them impossible conditions in return for their conditional aids and thereby further impoverishing the continent.”

If other agencies of governments, Oritsejafor stated, “can follow the same line of argument, the international community would be forced to change its attitude towards Africa.”

He therefore urged the House of Representatives to toe the same line by also passing the Same Sex Marriage Bill.
According to him, God created man in His own image and told him to cleave together with his wife to procreate and replenish the earth.

“God created Adam and gave him Eve to be his help meet. If God wanted same sex marriage, He would have created Steve to partner Adam,” Oritsejafor added.

Also reacting to the development in a telephone interview, erstwhile presidential candidate of Fresh Democratic Party, Rev. Chris Okotie, described Nigeria as a hedonistic and nihilistic nation, saying our culture is steeped in totems of divine worship and to that extent we cannot accommodate elements of imperialistic idolatry.

“We applaud the Senate for towing the line of patriotic commonsense at this juncture when we need the support of Almighty God like never before. It’s with great pride that we salute the courage of our senators,” Okotie stated.

The God’s Kingdom Society, GKS, also lauded the Senate decision to ban same-sex marriage in Nigeria with a proviso that the government should focus more on reformation of homosexuals than on punishment or retribution.

In a statement signed by the Publicity Secretary, Brother Benedict Hart, the GKS asserted that the decision of the upper house was in line with the laws of God which clearly abominates homosexuality according to Deuteronomy 23:17 and Romans 1:25-27 among other places.

“It is impossible to reconcile homosexuality with the noble ideals of the Christian faith”, the statement said, adding that contrary to what some people believe, the laws of God against same-sex relationships were not informed by the prevailing attitudes or social climate in time of those days”. While homosexuals were welcome to the Christian faith, the radical transformation which is the hallmark of the new life in Christ required that they must stop the practice so as to be Christians indeed.

Stating that those who profess the Christian faith must express in conduct the values deemed characteristic of the God-centred life, the GKS stated that the solution to the problem of homosexuality did not lie in long prison terms but in setting up of appropriate programmes of spiritual counselling that would build knowledge, faith, strong will or determination, prayerfulness on the part of offenders and reformation and rehabilitation programmes by the authorities and civil society groups, so as to wean those involved from the practice by the grace of God.

The GKS said it was important that all right-thinking persons should support the effort of the upper chamber of the National Assembly to discourage same-sex liaisons or unions in the nation and prevent innocent youths from being lured into it.

“Unfortunately, however, many of those with homosexual orientation close their minds to the truth and are determined to go their own ways. They thereby sink deeper and deeper into the morass of their own perversions and perverted practices”, the statement said.

In a similar vein, the Lagos Catholic Archdiocesan Director of Social Communications, Monsignor Gabriel Osu, said it was a welcome development, saying that for the first time in the nation’s history, the National Assembly had demonstrated that they are the true representatives of the people.

“We only pray that the National Assembly will adopt the same zeal to deal with other national issues that touch on the lives of the people of the nation. Sincerely, I must say that we give thumbs up for the Senate and we hope that they will adopt the same stand on other national matter of interest to the masses of the nation,” he stated.

Even the Nigerian government last week added the weight of its voice to the opposition against gay rights. The government, therefore, asked the US and other countries opposed to the Senate’s passage of the bill banning same sex marriage, to respect Nigerians’ independence, democracy and sovereignty.

This came as the Senate, yesterday, insisted that the law banning same sex marriage in Nigeria remains while members of House of Representatives have vowed that the decision by President Obama to fight discrimination against gays and lesbians abroad by using foreign aid and diplomacy would not deter the House from passing the bill on same sex marriage.

Meanwhile, the US also vowed to use diplomacy and $3 million in foreign aid to help expand the rights of gays. Disclosing this during the World Human Rights Day, US Secretary of States, Mrs Hillary Clinton, argued that the definition of human rights must be amended to account for sexual diversity.

While fielding questions from State House Correspondents, after a prolonged weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, maintained that Nigeria was an independent country and reserved the right to make laws through democratic institutions to govern the country.

Maku said: “We reserve the right to make laws without apologies to anyone. Our laws will be guided by our own interests and values.”He also noted that foreign countries that were not happy with laws made in Nigeria were free to express their views “but they should also know how our democracy works.”

According to him, “let me say this, the reported comments by the US Government about the proposed law by the Senate about same sex marriage in Nigeria has not fully come to government for a position. But let me say this, we live in a democracy, we live in a free country, we live in an independent country. And in every democracy, as you know, there are institutions, there are laws and also there are cultures, there are believes and values in every nation.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/12/africa-dares-western-nations-over-homosexuals/

[quote author=alj_harem link=topic=821015.msg9736325#msg9736325 date=1323530012]When did Nigeria army ever ever target civilians ? Or it is the propaganda You people are spreading around

Well Even your oga Ojukwu (God Bless his soul) Said and I quote

"After the war, the propaganda war started for Biafra"[/quote]So the bombings on market square and church na to kill Rabbit?
I got the videos mehn! Abi you want me to put it up?
As usual you go turn deaf and dumb like say U never watch the videos?
Mumu like you.

Nigerian army were a set of Lazy people. They needed help to crush a very small army!
Instead they killed civilians!

jason123:
Likewise, how do you separate Yorubas and the SS people (same argument). The Binis also have a lot of history with Yorubas.

Igbos and Efik/Ibibio, same can be said about Yorubas and Binis (I have a bini woman married to my bro, I also have Yorubas in my family. God willing, I'll be the one to add the Igbo)

Igbos and Ijaws in Bonny and Opobo, same can be said about Yorubas and Apoi/ Arogbo Ijaw
Same kingship in the SS? Okay what about Oba of Bini? Olu of warri?

Please, it will only be foolhardy to try to seperate Yorubas from their Western neigbours. One cannot do without the other. (same argument)
We have to agree here. But in Nigeria, they can and are already separated by Geo-politics. (the west and MW/ likewise the East and SS). Chikena.

An edo girl once said that the idea of annexing the SS into any republic (especially Biafra since they are the most active) is inconceivable and a SHARP KNIFE will be used to separate the SS.

So na marriage dem use dey share SS. nothing wey we no go hear for NL! Wetin Efik people get in common with Edo people?

lol


My uncles are all in Benin-city, they married itsekiri, urhobo, so dem go dey shout Biafra Biafra! abi?
Mehn I dey sign out from this thread.

They were unable to kill the Biafran soldiers and out of frustration they targeted and killed the civilians and you all are proud. lol
Watch this video for your digest! Nigerian military have more men but had no common sense while Biafran men were few but dealt with the men from Nigeria.


[flash=400,400]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_siGk_C01Qg[/flash]

Please the US senate and the UK parliament should should approve polygamy.
They are against my fundamental human right an african living the US.
My human right is to many marry many women as I want.


This cracked me. It was written by a Nigerian on one the blogs.

If Igbo strike now, the whole scenario about Nigeria will change so fast!
So Igbos think before you make any decision!

jason123:
Which SSouthner (especially former MW) has challenged my views?? I am waiting! Yet, not only on NL, but everywhere, we do not want to be associated with Igbos (Biafra) or Yorubas (Odua). In case we have traitors in our mist who wants to annex us into biafra (like the MW invasion), the SS will be effectively and efficiently split into two parts. WE ARE NOT JOINING BIAFRA or that crap SS/SE slogan (politically, yes. anyother thing NO!). Na by force?? You dey fear stay on your own?! I don't see Yorubas bothering the former MW, why are you bothering your own neighbours?

You are one liar! Shay make I pull up threads or your own thread.
Infact na Beaf go slap the nonsense out of your mind!

jason123:
You don't need a person with a discern mind to see through what is going on. A day will come when OPC will turn on the local Igbos in Lagos(wait and see them make noise). The only thing that is annoying me is that the innocent ones including the Igbos in my family and cool peeps like Afam and Yarodin etc, will be affected.

Onlytruth, Nchara and Ezeuche have done a great disservice to the Ndigbo. Middle Belters are seeing the hate some Igbos have for them. The SW is seeing it. The SS can smell it from a distance but because of OIL, they can't show their true feelings towards us. Lets keep watching!

Honestly, you talk like a real Hediot. How well do you think in real life?
Go to a Facebook Igbo group, you will find lots of people from Southern Kaduna and Jos in the group supporting Igbos and they are not ashamed to say it. lol.
The reality of Nigeria is now on Facebook and not NL.

Also your stupid talk about OPC attacking Igbos is like one of your wet and fantasy dreams that never come true.
Everybody knows his/her boundary. I will slap some sense into you if I see you in real life.


Tell me how Igbos have taken the Oil in the south south? We know who are the thieves of the SS oil.
And for the last time WTF is the south south? Are there no Igbos from the south south?
Have you seen Igbos in warri claiming to be be from Warri except those that were born and bred  there? That still doesnt make them a warri citizen when yawa go burst except for Nneka Egbuna of course because na she dey rep warri for intl stage.
The Igbos have oil, gas and are currently finishing a refinery in Anambra. So tell me you how the f0rk Igbos want to claim the oil in the SS, you ediot!


Finally your brain needs major restructuring!
Bob Marley have a message for you, Emancipate yourself from mental slavery!
You too dey fear like baby. I am sure say na your Igbo babe go dey give you liver.

jason123:
Which delta and edo?? Odua republic? You don craze!
I only said that as the[b] LAST[/b] opinion, after all others have been exhausted.

Aare Musiwa, you see what I told you.
See how He is happy like Ori eja.
You have jason's full support on NL and in real life.

Just received a mssage from Aare Musiwa.
Aare Musiwa say and I quote, I dey Kampe.

[quote author=musiwa,,. link=topic=821056.msg9732379#msg9732379 date=1323465339]what dream does jason have.[/quote]Jason wants you to move Delta and Edo states to Odua republic.
I am sure He's in jubilant mood now.
wow, on a platter of gold.
I hail O, Aare musiwa!

Aare Musiwa. na because of you I post this link.
Anyway I trust you na.
Long live the Aare of Canada!

OTTAWA (AFP) – Canada is investigating 6,500 people from more than 100 countries for fraudulently attempting to gain citizenship or permanent residency, the immigration minister announced Friday.

“Canadian citizenship is not for sale,” Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said in a statement. “Canadians are generous people, but have no tolerance or patience for people who don’t play by the rules and who lie or cheat to become a Canadian citizen.”

He said the government has moved to strip 2,100 people of their citizenship.

And nearly 4,400 with permanent residency “who are known to be implicated in residence fraud” have been flagged for additional scrutiny should they attempt to enter Canada or obtain citizenship.

Prior to this year, only 67 citizenships had been revoked since the enactment of the Citizenship Act in 1947.

Permanent residents must acquire three years of residence out of four years to apply for Canadian citizenship. To retain their status as permanent residents, they must be physically present in Canada for two years out of five.

Most of the cases are reportedly linked to three immigration consultants.

In March, authorities charged Halifax consultant Hassan Al-Awaid with fraudulently helping foreigners obtain permanent residency or citizenship. Some 1,100 applicants mostly from the Middle East and their dependents were implicated in the fraud, including 76 who obtained citizenship.

Another consultant, Nizar Zakka, was arrested in Montreal in 2009 for allegedly providing false evidence of Canadian residency for hundreds of Lebanese nationals, used to claim child care and tax credits.

The daily Ottawa Citizen, citing an unnamed government source, said a third consultant in Mississauga is now also under investigation for providing proof of residence in Canada for clients living abroad most, if not all, of the time.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/12/canada-moves-to-strip-thousands-of-citizenship/

Abuja – More than 400 persons held in Boko Haram’s “Den’’ were rescued alive on the day their leader, late Mohammed Yusuf, was arrested, a prosecution witness has said.

The witness, Mr Kabiru Dandibi, made the disclosure during his testimony at the Federal High Court in Abuja Abuja on Thursday,

Dandibi, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, Borno State Command, said that those held by the sect were mainly women and children

According to him, the casualties from the July 30, 2009 clash between the military and members of the sect were heavy.

He said that a number of dead bodies were evacuated and deposited at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital Mortuary.

On whether the late sect leader was handed over to the police alive, Dandibi stated that CSP J. B Abang, ACP Akeera, and CSP Mohammed Ahmadu, brought Yusuf alive in a handcuff to the police command.

“I saw when the first, second and the third accused brought late Mohammed Yusuf in a convoy of police patrol vehicles; they spent few minutes in the command and left with him toward the Mobile Police Barracks,’’ he said.

Mr Richard Ojobo, the prosecution counsel, could not complete the exercise of taking Dandibi through a smooth routine of examination in chief following an objection raised by the defence counsel.

Mr Patrick Abang and his co-defence counsel had objected to an extract of mortuary record, which Ojobo sought to be admitted as exhibit.

The document, a mortuary record said to be from the teaching hospital, contained the names of some persons who were killed during the clash on July 30, 2009.

Abang said that the document did not fulfil all the elements necessary for it to be admitted as evidence in the matter.

He said that the document was neither addressed to the prosecutor nor the accused persons, adding that the authenticity of the document cast doubt as it was not done on the letter-head of the hospital.

According to him, the stamp of the hospital on it was not a sufficient prove for it to be accepted as a certified document.

Ojobo, however, urged the court to discountenance the arguments advanced by the defence counsel, adding that the document emanated from the teaching hospital.

He submitted that such documents were not meant to be addressed to any individual, saying that the names of people on the document would assist the court in the matter.

Col. Benjamin Ahanotu, another prosecution witness, while giving last evidence, said that he could not discern the circumstances that led to the death of Yusuf.

He further stated that he was not privy to any meeting where the accused persons threatened to kill the late sect leader.

Ahanotu stated that “all I know in the matter and can say is that I handed over Yusuf alive to the police on July 30, 2009.

Justice Donatus Okorowo, therefore, adjourned the case to Feb 13 and Feb 14, 2012 to rule on the objection raised on the inadmissibility or otherwise of the mortuary record and for further hearing. (NAN)

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/12/400-women-children-rescued-from-boko-haram-den-witness/

A RAILROAD linking Uyo with Port Harcourt is one of the plans of the Akwa Ibom State Government to unlock the maritime potentials of Akwa Ibom State for the accelerated the economic development of the country.

Akwa Ibom Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio who stated this in a keynote address to participants of the quarterly meeting of Nigerian Ports Consultative Council Maritime Summit recalled that the maritime potentials of the state were locked and access to them denied.

Akpabio, who was presenting a paper on the topic “Unlocking the Maritime Potentials of Akwa Ibom State for Accelerated Economic Development in Nigeria,” said it was important to link all states, economic zones and mining areas with railways for easy movement of goods and people, and added that it was important to update the railway system in the country and go for faster and more modern trains.

While enumerating the maritime potentials of the State to include Ibaka seaport with one of the longest coastlines in the world and one of the deepest water depths in the country and rich shrimps, lobsters and other crustaceans, the governor said: “The Ibaka Seaport would not require perennial dredging because it has a depth of 13-15 metres. It also has the added advantage of proximity and centrality to deep offshore operations and the West Africa Region Joint Development Zone including Sao Tome, Equatorial Guinea, Angola and Gabon. Added to this is the security and peaceful nature of the community and the availability of ample undeveloped land.”

He said the government planned to build an Industrial City to be known as Ibom Industrial City, on the area the seaport is located, adding: “the Ibom Industrial City would be an industrial mix of oil and gas-based support services, dockyard and watercraft repair facilities, fertilizer plant, oil refinery, gas-to-liquid projects, petrochemical industries, power plant and the Ibaka Seaport and it promises to be a self-sustaining industrial city with schools, hospitals, shopping malls, hotels, among others.”

He said that when fully operational, the industrial city would employ 100,000 people and increase the export base of the nation.

Strengthen the country’s position in the oil and gas map of the world, open the state as one the gateways to the world in the Gulf of Guinea.

Akpabio who hinted that the state government has issued a Certificate of Occupancy for more than 5580 Sq. metres of land to Nigerian Ports Authority, commended President Goodluck Jonathan for the Federal Government’s acceptance to develop the seaport.

The Minister of Transport, Mr. Idris Umar, who was represented by the Managing Director of Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), thanked the Akwa Ibom Government for taking the responsibility of projecting the potentials of the state outside the petroleum resources, saying that the infrastructural facilities of the state would assist in the take-off of the Ibaka Deep Seaport.

Earlier, the Chairman of Nigerian Ports Consultative Council, Otunba Kunle Folarin lauded the Akwa Ibom State Governor for taking the initiative in hosting the meeting and pledged to assist in unlocking the maritime potentials of the state.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/12/akwa-ibom-to-link-rivers-with-railroad/

By Oscarline Onwuemenyi
ABUJA — Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has announced plans by government to shrink the number of government agencies and commissions in its bid to bring down recurrent expenditure, beginning from next year.


Okonjo-Iweala
Okonjo-Iweala, who delivered a keynote address at the 3rd Economic Policy and Fiscal Strategy Seminar, organised by the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa, CSEA, in Abuja, expressed shock that the previous government had let the level of recurrent spending to spiral against capital budgeting.

She said: “When I left the administration last time (2006), we left a recurrent expenditure level of about 66 per cent, which was even considered to be too high back then. However, upon my second coming this year, I was surprised to find that recurrent expenditure in the budget has risen to more than 74 per cent. This is unacceptable.”

According to her, the increase in the recurrent expenditure was made worse by the unreasonable increase in the number of Federal Government agencies and parastatals, even as she noted that the first step to cut down the recurrent budget was to drastically trim the number of government agencies and departments.

She said: “This government is resolved to reduce the level of recurrent spending to a reasonable degree, starting from the next budget. And we will do that by collapsing government agencies because we have so many of them, so many parastatals, commissions, committees, agencies, each one eating up a chunk of the budget, some duplicating each other.

“We are also doing biometrics which is yielding some interesting results where we’ve done it. This is the only country where ghost workers retire and become ghost pensioners and that’s what we are seeing. So, we are weeding that out and creating quite a bit of money in the process.

“When we reduce the recurrent expenditure, we want to increase capital because the phenomenon where our capital budget is so low, 24 per cent of the whole budget, it means we are not investing in the critical infrastructure that we need.

“We want to take the capital budget back on the trajectory it used to be back to 33 per cent by the end of this administration.”

The Minister pointed out that the nation’s overall debt to GDP ratio is quite reasonable. “We are about 20 percent which is very good but of that 16.4 is domestic debt and we want to watch that because its building up at an alarming rate and at high interest rate and people in the country don’t seem to worry.

“If it is external debt, everybody keeps screaming without looking at whether this is concessional or not but when its domestic there is a big complacency that you can just float bonds and all will be well. Well my message is no, all will not be well because when you rack up domestic debt you actually have to service it. It’s not like having external and you tell them I can’t pay in your own economy if you don’t pay, institutions, pensions fund all that they will suffer, the individuals and it will create a crisis of confidence in the government so we can’t afford that.

“So we want to keep the stock of domestic debt at a reasonable level around 16 to 17 percent of GDP going forward. It means we will still borrow but we are going to borrow at a declining rate.”

Okonjo-Iweala criticized the previous administration for its excessive borrowing and spending, which had little impact on the economy.

She further charged that the wasteful spending of the savings in the Excess Crude Account amassed during President Obasanjo’s regime, had exposed the economy to increased volatility.

She noted that the Yar’Adua administration borrowed $852 billion last year and were on track to borrow 1.1 trillion to finance the deficit which is so unacceptable. “So we have to rein in expenditure look for new sources of revenue and at the same time cut back on borrowing so we will be borrowing about 794 billion which is below the idea is it will go down, go down till we are on a sustainable path.

“We have over 6000 projects , we start projects then leave them and start new ones because we just want to start new ones. This is a very transactional economy and we cannot develop like that. The whole idea is not to just get up and be awarding contracts and collecting fifteen percent and then not finishing the projects. We must therefore focus on completing uncompleted projects that. But that doesn’t mean we will not do any new project; we will be doing some high profile visible projects.

Okonjo-Iweala said an analysis of the nation’s economic growth between 1971 to 2010, showed matching percentage in total expenditure to change in oil revenue, shows extreme volatility with spending increasing and decreasing respectively with the rate of increase and crash in oil price.

“There was however a remarkable difference between 2003 to 2007 showing marked stability when with the help of external agencies created a mechanism to delink the price of oil at which we budget from the prevailing price from which build the excess crude account and managed volatility in the country.

“We had no mechanism for managing volatility in this country. Look at GDP growth also showing signs of volatility. I don’t think there is any country that can grow and develop with this levels of volatility. You just need to find a way to manage it. It’s because we’ve allowed ourselves to be expressively vulnerable to external events and development. Nigerians have to pay attention.

“The Yar’Adua administration however stepped away from this mechanism and we were sharing resources from the ECA in significant amount. This mechanism has more or less stayed intact. We are practicing it now and hopefully we will see less sharing with the SWF in place and you will see more funds as we go along.”


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/12/we-must-cut-recurrent-budget-okonjo-iweala-insists/

Who wil be on the other side?

Aare Musiwa, Jason is happy.
You have made his dream come true!

IKEJA – Three persons were feared dead, yesterday, as factions of National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, battled for control of a motor park at Mafoluku/Airport Road area of Lagos State, leaving several others with severe injuries.

The clash, which grounded vehicular activities on the ever-busy Airport Road, leading to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, lasted for hours, as hoodlums from Mafoluku-Oshodi, stormed 7 and 8 Bus-Stop, on Airport Road, in a bid to take over the park and unleash terror.

Vanguard gathered that efforts by the invading hoodlums to take over the park sparked off violence, as they met stiff resistance which degenerated to a free-for-all.

Eyewitnesses told Vanguard that the warring factions fought themselves with dangerous weapons , while several vehicle windscreens were shattered.

A roadside mechanic, Jide Babalola, who spoke with Vanguard on the incident, said hoodlums from Mafoluku-Oshodi area, who were allegedly led by members of Odua Peoples Congress, OPC, stormed the area about 9 a.m. yesterday, in a bid to take over the park.

He said: “They came this morning with dangerous weapons to take over the park at 7 and 8 Bus-Stop, but the union there refused to relinquish it and fought back.

“We learnt that the people from Mafoluku-Oshodi, who attacked this park today have been asking for a share of proceeds from this park and they couldn’t get it.

“I think that may have necessitated the forceful takeover of the park,” he added.

One Charles, a motorcycle operator, said: “I saw several people with injuries while the fight was on and about three of them lying motionless in blood. But, it was the police that ended the fight.”

Lagos State Police Command Spokesman, Mr. Samuel Jinadu, said normalcy had been restored to the area.

He said: ” Policemen from Akinpelu, Mosafejo and Makinde were drafted swiftly to the area and they have restored normalcy; the roads are free and people are going about their business peaceful.”

Jinadu , who could not confirm the number of casualties, said the case was under investigation

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/12/3-feared-dead-over-control-of-lagos-park/

Awka – The State Security Service (SSS) in Anambra has arrested three suspected armed robbers and seized a cache of arms and ammunition from them.

Some of the arms and ammunition recovered are two general multi-purpose guns, 653 live rounds of ammunition with 416 other live rounds in chains and three pairs of hand gloves.

Displaying the items on Thursday in Awka, the State Director of SSS, Mr Alex Okeiyi, said that the weapons came from a neighbouring state at the early hours of Nov. 20.

Okeiyi, however, said that they were intercepted by a joint team of security forces.

He said, “At about 1500 hours of the same day in Awka metropolis, the hoodlums, who ordered in the weapons mobilised and came in a red bus to take delivery of the consignment.

“In an exchange of gunfire that ensued, three members of the gang were arrested, some members sustained varying degrees of injuries and the rear glass of their bus shattered with bullets, and some escaped.”

The director said the three arrested suspects were assisting the service in its investigation, while preliminary investigations revealed that the gang intended to rob the banks on Ziks Avenue, Awka.

He said that “First Bank was to be the first target because it was to take delivery of a large volume of cash on Nov. 21.”

Okeiyi also said that two suspects connected to the kidnap of a student at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Mr Charles Aniemeka-Akaa, a final year law student had been arrested.

He said that the suspects were arrested in Gwagwalada, FCT, by the command’s operatives with the assistance of FCT command.

“During the search operation at the residence of one of the suspects, the a sum of 318,000 fake US Dollars in 100 denominations and charms were recovered.

“An ATM card belonging to one Innocent Idibia, now at large, which was used to withdraw the initial ransom of N1 million paid by the victim’s father among other incriminating items were also recovered,” Okeiyi said.

The director commended the state government, the Director-General of SSS, the Commander of 302 Artillery Regiment, Ontisha and the State Commissioner of Police for their support.

He said that all the suspects would be prosecuted after investigations.

Gov. Peter Obi of Anambra, who was present at the briefing, commended the efforts of the security agencies, and said that the state had not witnessed any bank robbery in the past two years.

Obi said that his administration was committed to ensuring security of lives and property, adding that the recently launched security trust fund was aimed at reducing crime to the barest.

He pledged his government’s continued support for the security agencies in the state, noting that his government had made the reduction of crime a priority. (NAN)

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/12/sss-seizes-cache-of-ammunition-in-awka/

Kaduna Blast Was A Bomb, Says Red Cross!

The Nigerian Red Cross has said that the blast that killed at least eight persons including a pregnant woman and her two children and injuring several others in Kaduna was a bomb.

In an internal Red Cross report in Lagos, viewed by The Associated Press, say the explosion occurred after two men riding on a motorbike stopped  in front of a shop.

Yesterday, the police authorities said the explosion which occurred at No.32 Ogbomosho Street, off Katsina Road, Ori-Akpata, had resulted from a gas cylinder.

The Kaduna State Police Commissioner, Ballah Magaji Nasarawa, told newsmen at the scene when asked about the two men who allegedly arrived on a motorcycle and hurled the explosives, said, “that is not true.”


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/12/kaduna-blast-was-a-bomb-says-red-cross/

Abuja – Nigeria has protested the siege to its chancery building in Johannesburg by 13 armed officers of the South African Police Service, on Thursday.

The officers lay siege to the chancery building for two-and-a-half hours on Nov. 29 to protest a perceived delay in the issuance of visas to 66 South Africans planning to attend a church programme in Makurdi between Dec. 3 and Dec. 4.

Nigeria’s Consul-General in South Africa, Mr. Bashar Erubu, consequently wrote letters to the Head of the South African Diplomatic Police and the Provincial Police Commissioner, Lt.-Gen. Mzwandile, to protest the action.

He stated in the letters that “this blatant and unacceptable action by the officers is a gross violation of the 1963 Vienna Convention on consular relation pertaining to inviolability of the mission’s premises, officers and archives in a host country.’’

Erubu also demanded unreserved apology from the South African Police over the incident.

Nigeria and South Africa are signatories to the Vienna Convention.

Trouble began to brew when Nigerian consular officers insisted on sighting genuine documents to authenticate the visa applications.

The applications were supported by the Twelve Apostles’ Church in Christ, with administrative offices in Makurdi and London.

It issued a covering letter signed by Dr. Olumuyiwa Akanbi, Apostle in Charge of Nigerian Congregation, who also is a senior lecturer at the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, where he teaches at the Forestry Department.

Documents obtained showed that the Twelve Apostles Church in Christ was operating under the umbrella of a limited liability company, Bona Divine Nigeria Ltd., a status categorised under business enterprise by the Corporate Affairs Commission.

Nigeria’s consular office, which had earlier issued the visas in anticipation that requested documents and clarifications would be made by the applicants cancelled the visas and returned the passports to their owners.

Reacting to the development, Dr. Akanbi blamed the South African branch of the Twelve Apostles Church in Christ for the siege.

He said on Thursday in Makurdi that the church “ought to have reported the issues they had against the consulate to Interpol instead of going to the conventional police’’.

Akanbi said “as much as I am against creating barriers for the spread of the gospel, I think it was an error on the part of the church to go to the police.’’

He, however, took a swipe at the Nigerian consular office in South Africa for cancelling the visas after duly stamping the passports.

“Based on the information I received from our church in South Africa, the passports were all stamped and signed.

“The consulate even went ahead to ask the church to book for flights and that is why more than N3 million was spent on bookings alone.

“How could they cancel the visas on flimsy grounds that pastors should prove their membership of the church since one of their documents showed a certificate of a limited liability company.’’

Akanbi further explained that the 66 ministers of the gospel were people of integrity “who had their passports signed by the same consulate for more than five times.’’

“These people are people of integrity who should be treated for who they are. They are pastors and not ordinary people and in any case, when you have your passport stamped five times by a particular embassy, you deserve the respect of that country.

“Our Nigerian pastors also travel to South Africa but are never treated in this manner,’’ he stressed.

He denied that visa applications had inadequate information, arguing that “everything the consulate wanted was contained in the information sent to them over the applications.’’

He admitted that the certificate of incorporation tendered by the church as part of the required documentation bore the name of Boma Divine Nigeria Ltd., which was the name of his personal company.

He said the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) issued a covering note which showed that the church was properly inaugurated in Nigeria.

“We are worried over the sudden attitude of the Nigerian consulate in refusing to issue visas to same people who are always coming to the country for the purpose of thanksgiving.

“Last year, those who came were 34 and it was the same documentation that was provided, yet, they were all cleared so why the change,’’ Akanbi queried. (NAN)

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/12/nigeria-protests-siege-to-its-chancery-by-south-african-police/