₦airaland Forum

babyfaceafrica:
but this is unfair to people who have been gunning for this post in the state...people can't just defect and get positions like that......they are not encouraging loyalty

By Ismail Mudashir

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday met with the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, reportedly to perfect the lawmaker’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The former governor of Akwa Ibom State arrived the State House Villa by 3.06pm with the Presidential Aide on National Assembly (Senate), Senator Ita Enang.

The duo went straight into the Vice President’s wing at the State House Villa. The two Akwa Ibom politicians came an hour after President Muhammadu Buhari departed for Bauchi State on an official engagement.

The meeting, which lasted till around 5.20pm, came on the heels of Akpabio’s defection plot. Akpabio is said to be mulling defection over his rift with the current governor of Akwa Ibom, Udom Emmanuel.

Our correspondent reports that while Akpabio was with the vice president, the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of his party, the PDP, was also going on, with Senate President Bukola Saraki and other defectors from the APC in attendance.

A ranking senator told Daily Trust that Akpabio had since perfected his plans to dump the PDP.

“If not for the impunity of Saraki, he (Akpabio) would have announced his defection penultimate Tuesday when we proceeded on recess. He was to announce it that day but Saraki stopped him,” the senator, who did not want be named, said.

Our correspondent reports that if Akpabio decamps, he would be the second senator from the oil rich Akwa Ibom to join the APC. In January last year, Senator Nelson Effiong (PDP, Akwa-Ibom South) joined the APC.

A text message sent to Enang to confirm whether the vice president’s meeting with Akpabio was in connection with the defection was not responded to.

By Saawua Terzungwe

Atiku absent at NEC meeting

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has given room for Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State, former governor of Kano State, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Senate President Bukola Saraki to contest its presidential ticket ahead of the 2019 general elections.
The party also gave leeway to other returnees who wished to contest various offices to do so.

Tambuwal, Kwankwaso and Saraki dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the PDP a few days ago ‎ostensibly to contest the party’s presidential ticket.

Speaking at the 81st National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the PDP yesterday in Abuja, the party’s National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, said the returnees have equal rights as the existing members.

“Three more governors and some ministers are coming to our fold, they (APC government) are not aware. Security and economy have collapsed, they are ‎not aware. There are killings in different parts of the country, they are not aware. Until we reclaim power in 2019, they won’t be aware of anything,” Secondus said.

Secondus also warned against any plot to impeach Saraki.

All other presidential aspirants on the platform of the party were present at the NEC except former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Speaking at the event, Tambuwal said the PDP would resist any attempt to impeach Senate President Saraki, arguing that the law is clear in that regard.

Saraki urged all party leaders to return to their constituencies, open their arms and receive the numbers that would give the party victory in 2019.

Addressing newsmen at the end of the meeting, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the NEC approved the amendment of PDP laws to be in tandem with the Not Too Young to Run law to allow youths’ participation in electoral contest.

He said the NEC discussed the nomination processes for primaries, but said the date for primaries and sale of nomination forms was yet to be fixed.

Lagos – Some leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State on Thursday called for national body’s intervention for a speedy resolution of leadership crisis rocking the party in the state. They said in Lagos that Lagos PDP needed a united front ahead of the 2019 general elections.

According to them, only speedy intervention of the national body of our party can bring about sanity into the Lagos PDP before 2019 general elections. Speaking, Mr Anayo Emeanua, a former Legal Adviser and member of the Lagos PDP caucus, blamed the party’s problem on lack of cooperation among the leaders.

Emeanua said that the state chairman, Mr Moshood Salvador, along with other state executive members had been working hard to pacify, reconcile and bring all aggrieved party leaders and members together. According to him, it is in this quest that he embarked on local government tour.

“We have covered over 10 local government areas before this most unfortunate event that led to the death of one of our leaders happened.

”We want to inform the world that PDP in Lagos is still one family under the state chairmanship of Alhaji Moshood Salvador, and we are working to ensure that this crisis is resolved amicably and quickly.

”But, we cannot do it alone. We are calling on the party national body- the BoT, National Working Committee, PDP Governors’ Forum, PDP national leaders and members in the National Assembly to beam their search lights on Lagos PDP.’’

Emeanua said that it was time the national leaders intervene and find out why PDP had been failing as a party since 1999.

“They need to intervene so that Salvador will be allowed to continue the good work he has started, and we can achieve success in 2019 elections. ”We are ready, and making arrangements to go to the national secretariat of the party to give account of what is going on in Lagos PDP, ” he said.

Also, Mr Mustapha Okandeji, another chieftain of PDP in Oshodi/Isolo Constituency I, said it was unfortunate that some leaders of the party were working against its progress. Okandeji said that some leaders of the party had been working against the state chairman instead of them teaming up with him to promote the party in Lagos.

”Alhaji Moshood Salvador is a peace-loving man, who has been adhering to the party’s laws and has never compromised the party’s interest.

”We want the party’s national body to wade in for speedy resolution so that we can concentrate and prepare to win and capture Lagos come 2019,” Okandeji said.

In his remarks, Chief Shuaib Okanlawon, Chairman, Elders Council of PDP, said that the leadership of the party in Lagos should work together in the interest of peace. Okanlawon said that the national secretariat of the party should map out strategies to resolve the lingering crises rocking the party in the state before 2019 elections.

Violence broke on Saturday, July 21 at a mobilisation meeting of the party at Eti-Osa following disagreement among its members. Mr Adeniyi Aborishade, Chairman, Apapa chapter of the party, was shot dead and many others wounded when some suspected hoodlums invaded the party’s meeting.

The Police had since arraigned the state Chairman of the party, Salvador and other chieftains before an Ebute Meta Magistrates’ Court in connection with the killing. (NAN)

By Prince Okafor

No fewer than seven companies importing substandard and life-endangering products into Nigeria from China would be blacklisted and their promoters prosecuted in both countries.

This is the fall out of the war against dumping of substandard and life-endangering products into the nation being waged by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON.

The companies, according to the Director General of SON, Mr. Osita Aboloma, against which court orders have been procured includes: Awulu Investment Nigeria Limited, Doncas Associate Nigeria Limited, Britto International Commercial Industrial Limited, GNCSP Global Services, Ike and Sons Enterprises, Kumara Global Limited, and Chudon Global Impex Limited.

In a letter to the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, made available to Vanguard, Aboloma stated that the activities of the companies have impacted negatively on the perception of the Nigerian people on the quality of goods and services from the Peoples Republic of China.

He stated: “Unless immediate steps are taken to arrest the situation, incurable reputational damage would be done to the Government and People of China.

“We are of the view that every step necessary should be taken to prevent them from jeopardising the excellent trade and cultural relationship between the Government and Peoples of China and Nigeria”. According to him

“Nigeria has had cause to apprehend and prosecute some Chinese nationals involved in the importation of substandard and life-endangering products and we have also destroyed several substandard products seized from some of the listed Chinese companies worth several millions of Naira.”

However, he maintained that the measures appear not enough to deter the non-compliant persons and has therefore sought the Chinese Government’s collaboration in ensuring that these companies are equally blacklisted in China and prevented from exporting to Nigeria.

NgeneUkwenu:
See the combative tone already set by Shekaru

NgeneUkwenu:
FAKE NEWS! Shekaru can NEVER share anything with Kwakwanso, not even now when Kwankwaso needs AMNESTY to visit Kano

By: Chris Oji On: July 23, 2018

A leading governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi ,yesterday rejected the result of weekend’s primary which gave the ticket to Senator Ademola Adeleke.

According to the result, Adeleke edged out Ogunbiyi by seven votes.

But Ogunbiyi said he would get the result reversed through the party’s internal mechanism.

He said: “The outcome of that primary has been a subject of concern to a great majority of our party members who have been disappointed, disillusioned and confused by the conduct of the exercise and the results.

“Some of the major issues, which compromised the integrity of the exercise and made the results clearly unacceptable, include the non-adherence to the clear provisions of the electoral guidelines and unfortunate manipulation of the accreditation, voting, sorting and counting of the votes cast by delegates at the primaries.

“Consequent upon these infractions, therefore, the votes attributed to me at the end of the voting exercise were much lower than what I actually scored as valid votes.

“I have, therefore, resolved to use the internal mechanism of the party to seek an immediate redress of this clear case of injustice, which is contrary to the spirit of transparency and justice being propagated by the new leadership of our party, led by the National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.

“While this process is on, I wish to use this opportunity to thank leaders and members of our party who stood by me before, during and after the Primary elections.”

Ogunbiyi expressed appreciation to co-aspirants who stepped down for him and the delegates from the 332 wards who voted for him.

He assured them that “the mandate, which was freely given to me by majority of the delegates, will be reclaimed by the special grace of God”.

AreaFada2:
Interesting that Benin City ranks 7 in Nigeria in market size. Aside others in Nigeria, It is one of only few other non- national capital cities in top 35 alongside Douala, Kumasi, Marrakesh, etc.

But bigots prefer to talk of witchcraft. And na dem be winch gan gan that their hamlets have remained inconsequential in human history & current world.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the State ,Abimbola Oyeyemi in a statement said the incident followed an intelligence report received by the Command that a robbery gang from Onitsha has arrived GRA in Ijebu-Ode with a mission to terrorize the good people of the State. Oyeyemi said “on receiving the information, the Commissioner of Police Cp Ahmed Iliyasu directed the officer in charge FSARS Sp Uba Adam to go after the hoodlums and bring them to justice.

”In compliance with the Cp’s order, the operatives of FSARS swung into action and accosted them at GRA area of Ijebu-Ode, on sighting the Policemen, the robbers engaged them in gun battle which lasted for about 30minutes. “At the end of the encounter, two of the robbers were shot dead while the other two escaped with bullet wound.

“Recovered from them are; One Ak47 riffle with Breach No- 804403, two pump action guns with defaced breach numbers, fifty seven rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, thirty two rounds of live cartridges, some assorted charms and unregistered Toyota previa bus they used for their operation.

“Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police Cp Ahmed Iliyasu who expressed satisfaction on the gallantry performance of his men has ordered a serious manhunt for the escaped members of the gang.

“He equally appealed to hospitals as well as traditional healers to notify Police if anybody with gunshot injury is seen in their area”,he said.

Guestlander:
"They Started by claiming to be the most education and intelligent.."

"Again they claimed to have the most economical viable States "


And you wonder why they think they are more educated.
These are just a few of the gunshots you directed at many hapless nairalanders.

Emenike has given his advised Mikel Obi on how to prevent his father from being kidnapped again.

Emmanuel Emenike has advised Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi to relocate his father away from Enugu to prevent another kidnap scenario and also provide more security detail.

Mikel Obi’s father was recently kidnapped by hoodlums who asked for a certain ransom of N10 Million ($28,000 US) to guarantee his release just before the Super Eagles took on Argentina in their crucial last group D game of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Pa Michael Obi was rescued by the Enugu State chapter of the Nigerian Police Force on Monday, July 2.

Emenike who played alongside Mikel when they won the 2013 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) as well as the 2014 FIFA World Cup has given his opinion about the kidnap incident.

In a post on his official Instagram account shown by LIB, Emenike wrote alongside a picture of Mikel, “Guy, buy your parents house in Abuja or Lagos and bring them or get security to stay with them in Enugu because people eyes no good. ”

ON JULY 4, 2018

Awka – World Igbo Environmental Foundation (WIEF) says there are over 2,800 active erosion sites threatening to sack most communities in the South-East of Nigeria from their ancestral lands.

Dr Odili Ojukwu, Chairman of the foundation made this assertion in an interview with newsmen in Awka on Wednesday. Ojukwu, an Engineer advocated for community participation in the management and protection of the environment from erosion.

He blamed the prevalence of gully erosion on faulty road construction and drainage systems, adding that people must ensure that development activities in their areas do not result to erosion. According to him, there are over 1,000 active erosion sites in Anambra, 300 in Imo, 500 in Abia, 500 in Enugu and 500 in Ebonyi states.

“We tried to establish the causes of erosion and gully issues within the South-East and South-South Region; these are the areas most exposed to erosion. “As we speak, in Anambra alone, there are over 1000 active erosion sites, in Imo there are about 300, Abia 500, Enugu 500 and Ebonyi 500.

“So, if you aggregate it, you will discover that the entire region is at risk of losing its ancestral land. “WIEF is saying that every community has the right to protect their environment; nobody should come into your land to destroy it unless you allow them. “Communities need to take ownership of their environment; that is what will enable them see potential erosions and check it to prevent them from becoming gullies.

“Climate change is also a factor but that is after all the anthropogenic issues have been taken care of, that is; all human effect on vegetations must be limited,” he said. Ojukwu, an Environmental Consultant, underscored need for a holistic approach to addressing the erosion menace. He said government at various levels had not done enough to check erosion as the institutions and policies that guarantee sustainable environment were non-functional or lacking.

“Historically, governments have not been able to do much to ensure environmental sustainability; this is also made worse by the I-don’t-care attitude of the people.

“Our institutions do not work, that is why there no technocrats who act on issues of environment on constant basis “Gullies do not begin overnight, there are processes leading to them and they can be stopped with minimal effort at the community level,” Ojukwu said.(NAN)

Biola Azeez - Ilorin

THREE senatorial chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state have urged the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, to take them out of the ruling party to another party.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Wednesday, the three APC senatorial chairmen, Alhaji Jimoh Balogun (Kwara South), Alhaji Jimoh Adesina (Kwara Central) and Alhaji Isiaka Oniwa (Kwara North), said that their political leader should lead the people to where aspirations and yearnings of Kwarans would be met, adding that the ruling APC had failed not only entire people of Kwara state but beyond.

The spokesperson of the chairmen, Alhaji Jimoh Balogun, said that the APC, which they laboured tirelessly for in 2015 had failed to meet their yearnings.

Alhaji Balogun, who said the appeal to the Senate president was a warning signal to APC hierarchy to make amend and right some perceived wrongs in the party, added that their expectations had not been met since the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari commenced.

ALSO READ: Senate kangaroo committee suspended me, says Ndume
He added that they were determined to quit APC if the wrongs are not corrected, “even if Senate President Bukola Saraki insists on staying in APC.”

“Now that another election is on the way, Kwara has
considered it fit to implore Saraki to take us to a formidable party that would address the plights of the people if the ruling APC refuses to redeem its campaign promises.

“The perpetual persecution, humiliation and wanton destruction of the personality of the Senate President have been on the increase daily. This has almost made him lose focus on his good intentions for the country.

“Dr Saraki had contributed immensely to the empowerment and well-being of the people of the state, yet he was recently accused of sponsoring
a gang of robbers that robbed banks in Offa, Offa local government area of the state. This is a calculated attempt to drag his name in the mud.

“The recent calculated attempt to disrupt the peace at the National Assembly is another eloquent testimony to destroy the person of the Senate President. This unwholesome treatment is unwarranted and uncalled for.

“The Senate president delivered the entire Kwara state to the APC. The three senators from the state at the National Assembly are APC members, the state government is controlled by APC, all members of the House of Representatives are APC, and the 16 local government chairmen, 24 members of the House of Assembly are APC, including the 193 councillors, apart from his contributions to other states of the federation won by the APC”, he said.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday revealed that the Senate has started the process of amending the Constitution to allow for the creation of state and community Police.

Saraki made the revelation via his verified Twitter handle, while details were provided on the Medium page of the Senate President.

He said, “Today, my colleagues and I in the eighth Senate resolved to begin the process of amending the Constitution to allow for the creation of State and Community Police. This is following our debate on solutions to the killings across the country.”

The Senate also mandated that the Police Reform Bill be passed within the next two weeks.

This was following a debate on the killings across the nation and in Plateau State, following a Point of Order raised by Senator Jonah Jang.

“We have talked about the fact that whether these killings were initial acts of aggression or reprisal attacks, it is clear that either way, it is totally unacceptable and we must condemn it in all totality.

“Secondly, these are acts of criminality and we should not encourage any other colouration to it, be it religious or otherwise. This is criminality. And as such, we have a role to ensure that we must address this criminality to see how we can fight it.

“We have spoken on many platforms and made suggestions to the Executive on the fact that there is a need for an urgent review of the security architecture of the nation.

“We as the Senate must come up with our own actions. We do not need to flog the issue. We have told the Executive what to do. We have told them privately and we have told them publicly. However, on our own part, we must decide on what we need to do.

A couple of drug dealers were sentenced to death then executed immediately in front of school children to serve as a deterrent to the children.

The criminals were sentenced to death by shooting and immediately marched to a firing squad as part of a government crackdown. School children were made to watch the execution.

Pan Hui, a teacher from the local Yunlong Middle School, told China News that such events could help "educate" and "frighten" the students, and they could also make the students fearful of committing crimes.

"Our school has been carrying out anti-drug educational campaigns constantly to keep the students away from drugs," said teacher Pan.


Around 300 residents of Haikou, in southern China’s Hainan Province, were also in attendance at the execution, which was filmed and posted online. The move was part of the government’s campaign known as International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which falls on 26th June each year.

The first criminal, 39-year-old Cai Liqun, was found guilty of selling methamphetamine and magu. The latter is a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine, and is a relatively new type of drug in China. The other criminal, 36-year-old Huang Zhengye, was found guilty of transporting and selling methamphetamine. He was caught in possession of 4,749.8 grams (10.47 pounds) of methamphetamine and 71,100 yuan (£8,143) in relation to drug dealing.

A total of eight people were sentenced to death that day.

Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Saturday declared that time will determine his position in the affairs of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Saraki noted that although he does not want to dwell on the issue of whether he is still wanted in APC or not, he said “time will tell what happens.”

The Senate President made the declaration at a farewell dinner for delegates of the International Press Institute (IPI) World Congress which he hosted in Abuja.

The Senate President was responding to a comment by the Chairman, Daily TrustNewspapers, Kabiru Yusuf, who praised him for going to Saudi Arabia to perform the Lesser Hajj, went to Russia where he addressed the Russian parliament and returned home to attend the APC convention “a party to which he belongs but which increasingly does not belong to him.”

Saraki appeared to have been taken aback by the remark that he “belongs to APC but increasingly the party does not belong to him.”

He said, “Kabiru made a comment and said that he welcomes me as a member of the party and further said he is not sure if the party welcomes me as much as I welcome them.

“I am not going to comment on that because I will be here all night commenting on that. I won’t like to be the front page story but time will tell on that.

“Already, based on this comment, I know most newspapers headline would be time will tell. So I won’t be surprised if I check This Day newspapers and I see: The Senate President says time will tell.”

On the IPI World Congress in Africa, Saraki expressed hope that in the near future Africa will receive nod to host it again.

He also expressed pleasure that the world’s best journalists, editors and media executives converged in Nigeria to explore the theme – ‘Why Good Journalism Matters: Quality Media For Strong Societies’.

Saraki noted that he had no doubt, from the engaging sessions and enriching discussions over the last couple of days, many strategies should have been formulated that will take the practice of journalism to new heights around the world.

He welcomed IPI officials to Nigeria and called for more regular visits, and indeed annual congresses, in Africa.

“This, I believe, will make for better understanding of Nigerians and Africans in the eyes of the international media. When international journalists themselves come in our midst and get the right position about Africa, the image of our continent will start to improve in the eyes of the world out there,” Saraki said.

The visiting journalists, he said, will agree with him that “negative stereotypes of the so-called ‘dark continent’ have been bandied about for too long.

“This has had an unfortunate effect on the development of Africa, as well as the sense of pride and dignity of young Africans down the ages.”

The Senate President said that they know that “these negative notions of Africa are largely misconceptions.”

According to him, “in those cases where there may have been some truth in them, what we also know is that culture is not static. Some things that may have been true of Nigeria in the 1930s are no longer the case in the Nigeria of today. We can say much the same about America in many respects, or indeed of any place else.

“Culture is dynamic and refreshes itself; it evolves. It would therefore be appropriate for the larger world’s view of Africa to move apace, in line with the changing times. The media is key to achieving this.”

He added that “how we begin to redress the balance goes to the heart of responsible journalism itself.

“It starts with quality, accurate and objective reporting – the hallmarks of good journalism. Objectivity and impartiality, those time-honoured principles of responsible journalism, cannot be over-emphasised,” he said.

Saraki noted that “as Nigeria heads into the 2019 election year, we plead with the press – national and international – to maintain objectivity at all times in their reporting.”

“I say this because there can be no democracy without credible elections. If we get the election right, then we have a better chance of making a stronger society.

“We are living in times that call on the press to strive, more than ever, to defend freedoms. Events all over the world attest to the urgency of this.

“The media must be a defender of values; it must stand for rights, for openness – for the remaking of a world where the powerful will not oppress the weak.”

The Senate President I noted that “in the era of Fake News, especially with the fragmentation of the social contract as we are witnessing all over the world today, it is clear to me that the media cannot afford to be complacent.”

The media, he insisted, “cannot allow itself to be complicit” saying “when false claims are made, which could heat up the polity – or set different groups off against one another – it behoves the media to expose these by countering with verifiable facts.”

He recognised that the media is facing its own challenges, due in part to the internet and the rise of social media.

“So also, are the modes of relaying the news to an audience whose preference for receiving mass communication is also changing with each passing day.

“The media must adapt for this rapidly changing environment, in order that the journalist may fulfill his or her role, in the Lincolnian tradition, as a defender of democracy.”

Saraki who said that more than ever, the media must be proactive in defending the people’s right to know added that “in spite of the obstacles, the press must press on, because it is its responsibility to help society know itself better.”

He said that the media is a galvanising artery that holds the world together, a collective mirror to global conscience.

“We salute you, and thank you for your steadfastness and courage, despite the privations suffered in the journalist’s pursuit of the people’s right to know,” he said.

He assured of the continued support of the Senate, and indeed the entire 8th National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to ensuring a free and vibrant press capable of playing its part in strengthening democratic norms.

“We stand committed to upholding press freedom, and to come to the aid of journalists whenever the need arises.

“Our doors are open and will remain open to ideas, strategies and policies for improving the practice of journalism in Nigeria and the condition of the journalists themselves – in line with global standards,” he said.

ON JUNE 15, 2018

By Vincent Ujumadu & Chimaobi Nwaiwu

FIRST Republic Minister of Aviation, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, has accused Igbo leaders of betraying the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB and other Biafra agitators.

Speaking with Vanguard in his Amichi home, in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra state, Chief Amaechi said that Igbo leaders instead of directing the IPOB on the way and manner to carry out their agitation for Biafra, betrayed them, thereby making them look as law breakers when they are not.

“Any aggrieved person, group or organisation has the right to engage in agitations for better condition. There is no law that says that when you are maltreated, you should not complain against or to the person maltreating you. But in the case of IPOB, the Igbo leaders who should have directed them on the best way to follow betrayed them.”

According to Chief Amaechi, “Igbo leaders must not support the IPOB, but at the same time, they should not have betrayed them. If you are my leader and I am doing something you do not support, you should not sell me out or betray me the way Igbo leaders betrayed IPOB and other pro-Biafra groups.

“Personally, I believe in one great country which we fought for its creation and independence, with other notable and patriotic Nigerians who do not have the divisive minds like the present leaders of the country have in today’s Nigeria.

“I am very sad that the country I and other nationalists fought very hard for its creation and independence has been betrayed and my side of the people treated as slaves in their country. It is very annoying and saddening.

“Young men have the right to agitate but their leaders have betrayed them. If their leaders do not support them, they should not sell them out or betray them like they have done to IPOB which has been roundly betrayed by Igbo leaders who should guide them.

“IPOB is not a terrorist organisation and they are neither armed nor involved in any kind of violence. MASSOB has been there over the years doing their thing without violence, yet Nigerian government has been after them, but in the North, people are being killed, houses burnt and communities sacked by herdsmen, yet they have not been declared a terrorist group. It is IPOB they declared as a terrorist group.

“When a people as part of a union say they are not happy with the union like the Biafra agitators are doing and embark on protest against the union, the people should be allowed to decide their faith whether to belong or not, it was done in Great Britain.”


No election in Biafra unless…—IPOB

In a related development, the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, vowed yesterday that there would be no election in the South East and some parts of the South –South geopolitical zones in 2019 unless there was a referendum on the status of Biafra before then.

IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful in an interview described the organization’s boycott of the Anambra governorship election in November last year as a test run, adding that it had understood how the government reacted to such a situation and would perfect on it in future.

He said: “We shall continue to boycott elections in Biafraland regardless of the consequences until we get a date for our referendum, which will ultimately ascertain what we Biafrans want.

“The boycott of Anambra governorship election in November 2017 was a test run. We now have a better understanding of how they react to election boycott threats, what tools they deploy including falsification of voter figures, and how they deploy them through INEC to fool the masses.”