Uncleodi: [/b]Gov Umahi Inspects The 300 Bed Covid 19 Isolation And Treatment Center Being Constructed By Him In Abakaliki.[b]
Realizing the need to always be proactive, the Executive governor of Ebonyi State initiated the construction of a world class Infectious disease complex within the premises of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching hospital Abakaliki.
The project which commenced a couple of weeks ago is nearing completion and will be put to use in a few days time.
The complex is comprised of: -Emergency Room -Intensitive Care Unit -Treatment ward -Doctors call rooms and some offices
nice one. Anything done positively in this period is commendable. Let me use this medium to wish everyone HAPPY FAMILY DAY. May God bless our homes.
lukui: Goodluck Jonathan Speaks From US- Why Niger Deltans Do not Want To Be Part Of Biafra Former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebere Jonathan yesterday delivered a lecture at Texas US on why remaining indivisible with Nigeria than joining forces with Biafrans in splitting the country will pay niger deltans more. I begin this write-up by saying that I mean no ill-thought towards the Biafran struggle or Igbos in general. What I’ve written here are mainly my personal reflections concerning the Niger Delta, especially with regards to non-Igbo groups and their stake in the Biafran movement which has been rebirthed for some time now. I am not a mouthpiece for the Niger Delta but I believe I’ve been in the Niger Delta long enough to know our problems and our stand. I’ve also interacted with many Niger Deltans to know their stand in the Biafran struggle. When I use the term Niger Delta, I am referring to the region covering Delta, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River states. However, I understand that the region also covers Ondo, Imo, and Abia states. I’m not concerned with the latter because they are either Igbos or Yorubas and have their own struggles. The ethnic groups within my coverage include Urhobo-Isoko, Bini, Esan, Itsekiri, Ijaw-Epie-Ogbia, Ogoni, Afemai, Efik-Annang-Eket-Oron-Ibibio, Ogoja, Ejagham, and other groups in Cross River North. Ikwerre, Ukwuani, Ika, Aniocha, Ogba, and other Igboid groups, are not included. Historically, Biafra covered all the Niger Delta states EXCEPT Delta and Ondo states. This fact must be emphasised. Pro-Biafrans are welcome to debate and address my issues in a civil manner. I understand that most pro-Biafrans resort to insults when salient issues are addressed. Please let’s set a good precedence from hereon. 1. Biafra may not be better for Niger Deltans because Niger Deltans may end up living one form of subjugation for another. The argument Igbos have made for their freedom is the desire to be free from Hausa-Yoruba domination. That argument also applies to the average Niger Deltan. Igbo, no doubt, will be the major ethnic group if Biafra is actualised. Ijaws may have a stake due to their numbers. What about the Ogonis, Urhobo-Isokos, Itsekiris, Efiks, etc? Where will they fit in at the national level? The sad reality is that another Nigeria will just be made manifest and resentments will build up. What will really be the fate of minorities? Will they fare better in Biafra or alone? In Nigeria, big groups such as Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo checkmate each other’s excesses very well. Who will checkmate that of Igbos in the new nation? 2. Where will the capital be located? If we are to follow the notion of central location, the capital of Biafra won’t be Enugu but around Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene axis. Will Igbos allow their capital to be sited in a non-Igbo location? This is a very salient issue because you don’t expect the riverine Niger Deltan in Twon-Brass, for instance, to journey all the way to Enugu to see their President. It has to be a location where ALL BIAFRANS can access easily. Enugu won’t go. 3. The issue of annexation comes to play. For so long, e-Biafrans have annexed Niger Delta as part of the proposed nation. The map below shows us what Biafrans have drawn to constitute the new nation: If we judge from this map, it means all groups in the Niger Delta have been annexed. My question is whether the leaders of these groups have been consulted before the annexation was done. I, for one, know that Urhobo-Isoko and Efik-Ibibio leaders have not approved of Biafra neither have anybody in these regions declared Biafra. So how and why were they included in the proposed map? Little things like this bring distrust and I understand that many of these non-Igbo regions have disowned the map and pledged allegiance to Nigeria. The declaration by the Delta State government is a case in point. I see this as forceful annexation. The so-called e-Biafrans have also not done much in calming the nerves of the people of the annexed regions. I’ve seen comments such as “if you don’t like it, go and stay in Sokoto”, “all land in the South is Biafraland”, etc. Is it not ironic that a group of people who want freedom want to annexe others? 4. What languages will be made the official languages of the new nation? I have seen several posts by e-Biafrans where Igbo was proposed as the official language of the new republic. What then will happen to other languages such as Urhobo, Isoko, Okpe, Efik, Ibibio, Oron, Ogoni, Eleme, Okrika, Kalabari, Bini, Esan, etc? Will they die off because of Igbo? Certainly NOT! If English is made the official language, the Igbo majority factor will kick in. If your name isn’t Chukwuemeka or Oliseh, Amarachi or Nneka, etc, you won’t get any appointment nor shall you be recognised. These are things we can’t deny. We are very ethnocentric in Africa. 5. What and what have Igbo nation done for Niger Deltans to gain their trust? Every day I see Igbo youths making enemies where there were none. They constantly use the agency of the internet to sprout controversy, hurl insults at dissenters and make unfounded claims. There is this general air of mistrust for Igbos by some Niger Deltans, particularly by Urhobo-Isoko and Bini people. What have Igbos done to checkmate this? Has any Igbo leader or group extended the hand of friendship to the Niger Deltans. Mistrust cannot be wished away. Most Niger Deltans would rather follow Hausas as slaves than follow Igbos as kings. This is the real reality and truthfully, Igbos caused this. 6. Who will lead the new nation? Obviously, Nnamdi Kanu, their hero, has fought tooth and nails for Biafra and he is currently cooling off in jail. If Biafra comes today, who will be the interim leader and what modalities are in place for subsequent leaders to be elected? Igbos have been the only ones fighting for Biafra since time immemorial with a handful of other groups here and there. Will Igbos allow other groups to rule over them? Will they allow an Urhobo man to be President, for instance? This is not a case of mere wishing. We have to understand that Niger Delta groups MAY NEVER BE ALLOWED TO RULE BIAFRA IF IT IS ACTUALISED. 7. Still on the issue of leaders, are the new leaders going to fall from the skies or they are simply going to change addresses from Abuja to Enugu. If so, what will change in the new nation? It is not arguable that Igbo national leaders are the most corrupt persons in Nigeria. If these same people are the ones to rule the new nation then there is no hope because corruption will be so rife that the economy of the new nation will shut down like a knocked engine. If we argue that new and younger leaders will arise, we still have the issue of who fought for Biafra to contend with. Most pro-Biafrans will not allow someone who sat at the periphery of the struggle to just come and waltz power away from the “heroes” of Biafra. If this is true then we will not have a proper democracy in Biafra. 8. Will Biafra be a utopia? The impression that e-Biafrans give is that Biafra will be perfect and we all know for a fact that this is not true. Apart from the issue of corruption and sentimentalism that have been addressed, we still have the issue of development. Where will money be generated from to develop the nation? In the whole of the proposed Biafra, only Port Harcourt and Onitsha are economically viable cities. Where will the investors come from? Why should they invest in a volatile country? Only in Warri, we have Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo at loggerheads, imagine what would happen to the whole nation. Secondly, I am sure that no Niger Deltan will allow his “oil” to be used to develop Enugu like what happened with Abuja, and is still happening today. Niger Deltans are getting wiser and by the time the new nation is formed, matters that border on oil, wealth distribution and infrastructural development will be raised. 9. The current structure of the proposed nation, as shown in the map earlier embedded, favour Igbos with more states. Urhobo has one, Efik-Ibibio has two, Itsekiri has none, etc. How will this be addressed? Certainly, every ethnic nationality will want adequate representation and so the structure on that map will never work. 10. Last, but not the least, is the issue of referendum. Some Biafrans are already calling for a referendum which will involve all parts of the proposed nation. I am pretty sure how this referendum will turn out. However, for the sake of being hypothetical, let us imagine that some ethnic groups/states vote against Biafra by the majority, what will be their fate at the end of the day? Secondly, will the result of such a referendum be true and honest? I understand that electoral malpractice forms a part of our identity. How are we going to get a true reflection of people’s thoughts? Thirdly, if states and ethnic groups do decide to vote for Biafra, what mechanisms are in place to contain Igbophobia, Igbomania, Igbocentrism, Igbo hegemony, Landgrabbing, and all issues that minorities have raised? Above are the reasons why I feel that Niger Deltans will NOT subscribe to the Biafran movement. I have been very practical, philosophical and hypothetical in my approach. I do not speak for any group or persons but I present these issues for the pro-Biafrans to address. Niger Deltans can raise more issues that I have not raised. Finally, it should be noted that I expect insults directed at my person by e-warriors and keyboard mercenaries, as us ual, but I won’t pleasure such persons with answers or altercations. If you raise good points, we can discuss like intellectuals
How can one person speak for the millions of NigerDeltans worldwide? Let them speak for themselves biko.
Omojudy: I think it's time I dropped my childbearing story.
Thirteen years ago, aged 22, I married right out of university without the wisdom to realise the importance of finding my feet first. My husband was 11 years older than me. He wasn't rich but I thought we loved each other. Youth service year I conceived but lost it right out of service.
Hubby was helped to get a good job, stable government job by my family. When I lost my first pregnancy, we were staying a few months with his parents due to our financial situation, my father in law said to me after that loss while my husband travelled "did your ladies in the water say to you that the day you give birth you would die?"
With the new job right after the loss, we moved back home and continued our lives. Three more miscarriages came along with many drama ranging from deliverances to traditional midwives to in law's commanding the home.
Finally one day almost 5 years later, hubby travels and his father calls my aunty to tell her that "they don't want to marry their daughter again". I was at work when aunty broke the news to me. I travelled that night to the inlaws with my aunty and grand mother to beg, we were not given audience. They didn't even open their gate despite we could see my husband's car in the compound.
At 9pm my companions begged me to go home with them, I refused and chose to spend the night in a shed close by. The was no electricity in the neighbourhood, everywhere was dark. At midnight Power was restored, and from the shed I was hiding, I saw my father in law walking round the compound spraying incense, (he attended celestial church) I call out to him "daddy, daddy" obviously he hears me but does like I am a ghost.
At that point, I knew I was wasting my time, I started trekking. I trekked to the motor park which was very far, vigilantes stopped me numerous time and my tearful face made them not question me too much......a lot of drama in between, I traveled back and resume dwork while praying and fasting for his return. Mehn I lost weight without even trying. I met many scam pastors which are another story.........
One day, I suddenly realized I may have the password to hubby's Facebook, I tried it and it worked. What I saw pained me but it gave me strength knowing the break up wasn't because of anything he was accusing me of (like saying a pastor revealed to him that I was sent into his life by Kingdom of darkness to destroy him. To this I asked if Kingdom of darkness gave jobs, he said he has repaid me ie Kingdom of darkness back in connecting me to the job I had then which didn't last. Oh he wanted me to be paying my salary to him by the way).
So I got some courage to begin living again at this point and apply for a divorce. To this he also said "that good wives wait for their husbands no matter how long they go, but me I ran to apply because I want to remarry."
We got to court and he was accompanied by his father and them claiming that hubby didn't abscond but I did. Guess they were afraid I wanted to request compensation. Walking out of court, his father waves at me and I wonder why. He was barely divorced then remarried and yes has kids now. Things went sour with my place of work and I relocated to a bigger city and that was my fresh start.
Met my husband two years after the divorce, I hid nothing from him especially my challenges with infertility. We got married same year. And got pregnant and miscarried. Second pregnancy for now hubby, I was put on cerclage, yet the pregnancy still ended and I almost ended with it as my body was going into shock due to its inability to dispel the dead foetus since a cerclage held the products in.
I had an history of pregnancy losses at 14 weeks. After 8 miscarriages and no living child, I visited more hospitals, met insensitive money alone conscious doctors, finally a correct diagnosis was made.
I had no demons worrying me, my womb was just too small to carry to term, it wasn't expanding with the pregnancies. An hysteroscopy was the procedure used to diagnose this.
Getting a diagnosis at last was some sort of relief, but what can we do doctor I asked? Doctor said "have you considered adoption?" I was shattered.
I went home and discussed it with my husband. We agreed to adopt and we applied two years ago. We only just got feed back few weeks ago from them self.
Then one day I was on social media and I saw someone advertise needing a surrogate and like a light bulb the idea stuck, I wrote to the woman and we started chatting. One day her Status said she needed someone to donate blood for a relative of hers and I say where to an online stranger I had never met. That was the first day I met my good friend Mrs R. I also put up an advert for a surrogate as I couldn't afford to the price agencies were charging. After two bad experiences, I finally got one good person that we could afford. And God just sent money mysteriously.
Then when God wants to turn your story around, you know it's just your time. I paid for one cycle at the hospital we used, already looking for money in case the first cycle did not work, guess what?
IT WORKED! MY TWIN DAUGHTERS ARE 3 MONTHS OLD NOW.
This is not your everyday testimony, I no get time to dey give testimony like some people wey go go church dey say "after waiting for 20 years, God blessed us with triplets, tell the journey when telling your testimony sisters, don't let the holy sister at the back waiting for a similar miracle be thinking God doesn't answer her prayers. Be real, stop pretending.
Edited: Please someone take me to front page for the first time in my life na. ����
Your story, your life, your own side. Thank God for everything.
rottencorpse: Lord Lugard was the man who amalgamated the Northern and Southern Protectorates in the year 1914. He was married to Lady Flora Shaw. Here are some photos of him and the amalgamation process: 1. Lord Frederick Lugard
2. Lord Frederick Lugard
3. A meeting of colonial administrators with tribal messengers in the early 20th Century, Lagos, Nigeria
4. Amalgamation meeting Lagos 1914
More pictures below
They should have known that the ways of the Africans and the Europeans are different.
Founder, Daar communications High Chief Raymond Dokpesi discharged from hospital alongside two of his grandchildren after testing negative for Coronavirus.
High Chief Raymond Dokpesi though grateful to God for his recovery from Covid-19 but questions why malaria patients are taken as Covid-19 patients, to him it's food for thought for another day
Politics › Re: Ebonyi Seeks Approval For $80m Islamic Bank Loan by UncleAboki: 12:39pm On May 15, 2020
