Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House of Representatives on Friday said the country will soon hear from President Muhammadu Buhari on the ongoing strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
The Speaker, along with other lawmakers, in recent weeks have acted as negotiators between the Federal Government and the striking workers.
Gbajabiamila said discussions with the President were fruitful and expects Buhari to make known his decisions to the public after reviewing the lawmakers’ recommendations.
During his budget presentation speech at the National Assembly earlier on Friday, President Buhari had said a total of N470 billion has been earmarked in the 2023 budget for revitalisation and salary enhancements in the nation’s tertiary institutions, addressing some of ASUU’s main demands.
But the President noted that government alone cannot continue to provide the resources required for funding tertiary education.
“In most countries, the cost of education is jointly shared between the government and the people, especially at the tertiary level,” the President said. “It is imperative therefore that we introduce a more sustainable model of funding tertiary education.”
He added that his administration was committed to implementing agreements reached with staff unions within the available resources.
“This is why we have remained resolute that we will not sign any agreement that we would be unable to implement,” he said. “Individual institutions would be encouraged to keep faith with any agreement reached in due course to ensure stability in the educational sector.
“Government is equally committed to improving the quality of education at other levels.”
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU has said it would review the judgement of the Appeal Court that ordered the union to end its strike, to determine its next line of action.
The appeal court on Friday ordered the union to return to work as earlier ordered by the National Industrial Court with immediate effect.
In reaction to the fresh court judgement, ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, told Daily Post that the union is yet to officially receive the Appeal Court ruling.
He said the union would after receiving the judgement, go through the document with its lawyers and decide on its next line of action.
He said, “We have not received the ruling, when we get it, we will review it with our lawyer and then we can take the next step”.
The Federal Government, following its inability to reach a truce with the university lecturer, dragged ASUU to the National Industrial Court on September 11.
Miffed by the ruling, the union headed to the appellate court to appeal the ruling.
Don’t be deceived into fighting someone’s personal battles disguised as an ethnic battle.
They didn’t consider you a good enough Omo Yoruba, when they were doling juicy positions to their family and friends.
We are only good enough to help them fight their personal battles.
Being an Omoluabi doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use our heads (brains).
Before you vote in the next general election, consider these:
*Remi Tinubu (Wife):* Bola Tinubu made her a 3-term senator who represented Lagos Central at the Nigerian Senate.
*Mrs Lola Akande (Sister-in-law):* She is Tinubu’s wife’s sister. He made her the incumbent Lagos State Commissioner, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives. She is also a former member of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
*Hon. Sunkanmi (Nephew):* the member of Lagos state House of Assembly representing Ikeja. He actually succeeded Mrs. Lola Akande.
*Sade Tinubu-Ojo (Daughter):* She is the Iyaloja General of Lagos. Note, the Iya Oloja controls all monies and levies generated in all Lagos markets. Sade replaced Tinubu’s adopted mother as the Iyaloja. Technically, he made the position an hereditary/family position.
*Oyetunde Ojo (Son-in-law):* Tinubu made him a member of the House of Representatives member in Ekiti State. He was sacked for using fake academic credentials in contesting. Ojo, an ex-parking attendant in London, is the husband of the Iya loja General of Lagos.
*Seyi Tinubu (Son):* He was appointed as the emergency financial consultant to all parastatals and local governments in Lagos State. Seyi is also in charge of the Lagos advertising account. This makes him in charge of the billions of naira generated from all billboard adverts in Lagos. His convoy is said to rival that of a state Governor,
*Fola Tinubu (nephew):* He is the Managing Director of Primero Transport Services Limited, a company owned by Tinubu. The company has the sole rights to operate BRT service in Lagos.
*Akeem Muri-Okunola (His friend’s son/and his former PA):* He was recently was imposed as the Head of Lagos Civil Service against all civil service rules.
*Akinola Benson (Personal Assistant):* He is the incumbent Commissioner for Establishment.
*Jide Idris (His Cousin):* The three-term Commissioner and the incumbent Commissioner for Health is Tinubu’s Cousin.
*Bolaji Ariyo (former ADC):* The incumbent chairman of the Oshodi Local Government was also Tinubu’s ADC.
*Gbolahan Lawal (ADC):* The incumbent Commissioner for Housing (a two-term Commissioner) was ADC to Bola Tinubu.
*Dr. Sikiru Tinubu (Cousin):* He is the MD of the Critical Care unit at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in Ikeja. The facility was built and equipped with state funds. It is now owned personally by Bola Tinubu. Dr. Sikiru Tinubu runs the outfit. It is run as a private unit and the proceeds are pocketed by the duo. The unit charges its users exorbitantly and most Lagosians can hardly afford to pay its high charges. Most of the revenue is derived from fees paid by the State Government for patients referred there by its General Hospitals.
*Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola (Cousin):* Bola Tinubu installed his cousin Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola as the governor of Osun State.
The Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, has pledged his commitment to ensuring the passage of the National Water Resources bill into law.
Mr Adamu, who made the pledge when he was featured on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)flagship interview programme in Abuja, said it was for the overall benefit of all Nigerians.
He said, ”it was saddening that antagonists of the bill went hysterical, giving it different colourations.
”An outright call for the bill to be thrown out is against water resources development.”
Mr Adamu said the ministry had debunked arguments against the bill through continuous media rounds, saying ”the next step is to await another public hearing if need be.
“Some of the people that are vehemently opposing this bill are the ones that stand to benefit and the ones that are most protected.
“For instance, in the riverine areas, it is not good if you don’t have a law that protects the interstate waters.
”This is because 80 per cent of the freshwater of this country flow from north to south into the Atlantic, if you don’t have this kind of protection for the downstream end, what will happen?
If states like Kebbi, where River Niger comes in, or Adamawa where River Benue flows in decide that they want to control the water at that point, what will happen to the downstream communities?
That is why, since independence, our constitution has made it that the water that flows across interstate or inter-regional boundaries as it were at that time, the responsibility for that should be vested in the federal government.”
Mr Adamu said that there was nothing unusual about this as this was what was obtained everywhere in the world.
The minister said that Nigeria entered into a treaty with eight other countries in the early sixties to form the Niger-Basin Authority.
According to him, such a partnership has seen the survival of the Kainji and Jebba dams.
He, therefore, urged those with contrary opinions to present them at the proposed public hearing, saying, “they are determined to rubbish the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari.”
The minister said he would not allow the actions of critics to mock efforts to reposition the water resources sector and that the bill was the major instrument to make it happen.
“You know, this bill went through so many things, including a review by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria who is one of the leading legal experts on environmental law and his opinion is that there is nothing wrong with this bill.
“So, why tie it to politics when it should be tied to development?
I think we should get out of that cocoon; for those that are opposed to the bill, please have an open mind about it and look at it.
“We will continue to pursue this bill because it is our responsibility as government,” Mr Adamu said.
He said that the ministry and many experts were involved in the formulation of this bill for the past close to 20 years.
“So, to the last day that I am minister in this ministry, I will continue to pursue this bill to its logical conclusion,” the minister vowed.
Most of us that supported Prof Chukwuma Soludo in the last Anambra Gubernatorial election are beginning to re-appraise our decision . Something has gone wrong ? This is not a Great Thinker I have followed for the past decades . This is not the Professor of economics I have always admired .
I want to believe that the security situation in the State has overwhelmed him . I want to believe that he did not see the ASWAMA new rates before it was made public. I also want to believe that the rascality in Anambra Transport Agency does not secure the endorsement of Mr Governor. Those yellow uniformed guys are becoming monsters in the manner they operate.My experience in Revenue office few days ago indicated that there is a major difference between policy formulation and policy implementation.
I have always boasted that an economist would always deplore public policies to encourage productivity . As an economist , Prof Soludo is my Mentor . He is a great Thinker! I have gone through many of his works on public policies and how to reform the Nigeria State. But ,there is a huge gap between conference hall and field of work. For instance ,there is a rule to confiscate any vehicle that parked wrongly on the highway! On the field , the ASTMA Officials are poorly paid and are poorly motivated .They did not receive the kind of training like CBN Staff that would boast their confident to take best decisions.How do you determine that a car is wrongly parked ? Has government provided public parking space ? Has Government educated the public enough? Is there an office checkmating the excesses of these poorly remunerated Government officials ? Is there a dedicated call lines where those who are wrongly fined should report their cases! I saw a man whose car was towed because the car developed fault on the road ; the man was asked to pay N50,000 for road obstruction! How is it the man fault?
Looking at the new rates released by ASWAMA office few days ago ,I can only conclude that Government is insensitive to the suffering of the households and Business units . It should be noted that most Businesses are merely operating at break -even points or perhaps merely floating , waiting for the grace of God to navigate to comfort zone.
See the rates below:
1. Urban – Awka South, Onitsha North, Onitsha South, Aguata, Nnewi North, Idemili North and Ogbaru.
✓Duplex – N12,000
✓Detached Bungalows – N6,000
✓2/3 Bedroom Flat – N3,600
✓1 BedRoom Apartment – N2,400
✓1 Room – N1,200
✓Restaurant/ Beer Parlour –
*Large – N60,000*
*Small – N24,000*
✓Hotel With 200 Rooms And Above: N480k
✓Hotel With 100-199 Rooms: N300,000
✓Hotel With 50-99 Rooms: N240,000
✓Hotel With 40-49 Rooms: N180,000
✓Hotel With 30-39 Rooms: N160,000
✓Hotel With 20-29 Rooms: N144,000
✓Hotel With 10-19 Rooms: N120,000
✓Hotel With 1-9 Rooms: N60,000
✓Central Bank- N600,000
✓Comercial Bank – N240,000
✓Micro Fin Bank/Bureau De Change/ Insurance and Others – N60,000
✓Video Rental Shops- N3,600
✓Game Houses (bet 9ja) – N4800
✓Parks, Entertainment, Sports
*Big – N24,000
*Small – N12,000
✓Fast food – N180,000
✓Night Club – N60,000
✓Others – N24,000
Instead of increasing the ASWAMA rate ,I will recommend that Government should consider reducing the old rate by 20% ; that is the way of an economist! An economist considers several variables ,direct and indirect implications of any policy decision before arriving at a conclusion but an accountant considers figures only. ASWAMA should be more interested with optimal service delivery ,even if it means borrowing money ,during the first 3 three months ,to make a statement and register their presence that Solution is here. From historical perspective, tax payers will always resist high tariffs and resistance means high cost to Government as well as corrupt practices.
Good Governance Ministry rejects this mindless increase in ASWAMA rates especially during this period of economic doldrums. Government should show empathy,cut cost of running government,improve government services and create enabling environment to win public confidence . I trust that people will willingly support their Government . After all ,it is the people that hired Mr Governor .
Ndubuisi Anaenugwu is an Ambassador of Good Governance Ministry (GGM), working for public interest.
Biafra existed 500 yrs before Nigeria was created — Emekesiri, original founder of IPOB
Barrister Emeka Emekesiri is the presumed founder of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB. He is the spokesman and counsel of the Supreme Council of Elders of IPOB, which formed the customary government of IPOB. He speaks on the original philosophy of IPOB and Nnamdi Kanu’s incursion. He also explains why Igbo presidency is not a solution to Biafra agitation and the Biafra case against Nigeria still pending in the court of appeal.
What is the customary government of IPOB all about?
You know that as it is now, Biafra does not exist as a sovereign nation but the human beings called Biafrans are still in existence and when the Republic of Biafra ceased to exist, what ceased was the republic and the status made by the government of Biafra, the laws made by the republic of Biafra ceased to exist.
The Human beings remained as well as the customs and tradition of the people. These native laws, customs and traditions of the people remained and were adopted by the Nigeria government under section 315 of the constitution as the existing laws.
That is why the customary law and the Sharia law are recognized by the Nigeria constitution as existing laws in force before Nigeria was created. So on the fall of the Biafran republic, all the laws made by the Biafran parliament ceased to exist but the customary laws of the people remained intact, valid and adopted by the Nigerian constitution as existing laws. That is why today in Nigeria customary laws are given their proper position as part of Nigerian law and that’s why we have customary courts and customary courts of Appeal just like Sharia law.
Is it not spurious to claim there were people called Biafra earlier than Ojukwu’s declaration in 1967?
Biafra had existed about 500 years before Nigeria was created. It wasn’t actually a new country that was declared by the 1967 proclamation of Biafra but it was like a restoration of the old Biafra. There was no Nigeria abinitio. We had three regions from where Nigeria was carved out in the 16th century.
We had the Zamfara region in the north, the Biafra region in the east and the Benin kingdom in the west. From these three regions in the ancient map of Africa, up to 1885 when there was the scramble for Africa in Berlin, where they shared the map for Africa, that Map continued to be in existence until 1885. It is from these three regions that the country, Nigeria, was created.
When the country was created, they left some part of Zamfara region into the present-day Niger and Chad; they left some of the present day Biafra people in Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and left some parts of Benin people in Dahomey which is now called Benin Republic and some other parts. So they took a few and put us in a new country called Nigeria.
They distorted the map of Africa and created a new country called Nigeria, merging the incompatible tribes together. So when the Eastern Nigeria wanted a republic of their own, it was Chief Frank Opigo from the present day Bayelsa state that suggested they should use the ancient name of their ancestors, Biafra, and that’s how it was adopted.
It wasn’t even Ojukwu that suggested the name but Opigo. Remember that before then there were the Bite of Biafra and Bite of Benin which they changed in the Nigeria map in 1975. After the Biafra war, the bites of Biafra and Benin continued to feature in Nigeria map. Bite is like a bay beach, the river mouth, the ocean mouth of Biafra.
So there was a nation called Biafra that had that ocean mouth. In 1975 the Nigerian government made a law called the bite of Bonny act to replace the bite of Biafra. So our history shows there was Biafra before the Ojukwu declaration of Biafra.
If such is the case, why is the present day Biafra limited to the Ibo tribe alone?
That is because when the war was fought, the enemy sowed a seed of discord among Biafrans that some Biafrans decided to deny their identity, especially the Biafrans of the South-south and other areas that decided so. It was a mechanism for self-preservation.
In other words, when the enemy catches on you, you will say I am not a Biafran to save your life. Such is usual in a war situation; people out of fear decide to deny their identity. It’s there in the Bible, when Peter denied Jesus Christ to stay alive but he repented. So I am now expecting those who denied Biafra to stay alive to now come back and accept we are Biafrans.
We lost our sovereignty but our identity is not lost which is what I have argued in court face to face with Nigeria lawyers. What we lost was our ability to govern ourselves but we are still the remnants of the Biafra that were not consumed.
How come everything about IPOB is now centred on Nnamdi Kanu?
I don’t know how to describe Nnamdi Kanu but without apologies I have come to say that Nnamdi Kanu is the worst evil I have met on earth. Tell him I said this. I pray God to give me the ability to forgive that boy. He destroyed everything we built. He came from MASSOB and joined us in IPOB; I didn’t know who he was. It was just unfortunate.
I created that name Indigenous People of Biafra and I wrote it in my Book, Biafra or Nigeria Presidency, What Do Igbos Want? and gave reason I called it IPOB. While I was writing the Book from 2007 to 2011, the United Nations passed a law called UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People in 2007.
So I instituted a case at the Owerri Federal High Court in 2012 and served notice on Nigeria government that we are Indigenous people of Biafra since we were not all consumed by the war.
What were your prayers in the suit?
The prayer was for self-determination because we took the law. Fortunately, the Nigeria government enacted the right of people to self-determination. The Nigeria law cap10 of the federation 1990, Articles 19-25 enacted the rights of indigenous People to self-determination.
So I picked it by originating summons, let the Attorney General of the Federation come to court to interpret this law, whether by such provision indigenous people have right to self-determination and if so, we ask for it. There were many prayers including the prayer Ohanaeze Ndigbo brought before the National Assembly dated June 28, 2012, where Ohanaeze Ndigbo brought a memorandum to the National Assembly to create six autonomous self-governing regions in Nigeria.
Was that Ohanaeze proposal not akin to restructuring?
Yes it is. We are still using the language for devolution of powers to the regions government which the politicians now call restructuring. But we are talking about regionalization, that is devolving powers to the regions to govern themselves as it is in Britain where you have the Scotland, Ireland, Whales. Four countries in one; each one governs itself yet they are all British.
So the same thing can happen in Nigeria too; we can still have our Biafra, Arewa, Oduduwa and whatever name you want to call yourself within one Nigeria. Self-determination means you have the right to determine your political status.
What is wrong with the present structure of Nigeria?
The present Nigeria structure is obnoxious, deadly, terrible and hinders growth. It is neither unitary nor federal. If it were federal, everything cannot be concentrated at the centre. It’s like a fraudulent entity packaged to enrich some people.
What was your original plan for the establishment of IPOB?
When we created IPOB, it was meant to be name for all remnants of Biafra. It’s not an organization such as the one Nnamdi Kanu went and registered as a limited liability company in UK.
When he was ostracized from IPOB because of his useless behaviour, he went and used our name, IPOB, and registered it as a limited liability company. You know, because he is not a lawyer, he didn’t know what I was doing. In the first case I filed, not as a legal entity because you cannot sue a legal entity as it is an amorphous body.
With Billie Human Rights Initiative, the Elders of IPOB signed a legal instrument authorizing Bilie Human Rights Initiative to sue on behalf of Indigenous people of Biafra.
How come you and the Elders allowed Nnamdi Kalu to upstage you and take over IPOB?
Well, we still blame ourselves. When he joined from MASSOB, he told us a lot of stories and accused Ralph Uwazurike of a lot of things. He said Uwazurike started the Radio Biafra for him in 2009 and stopped financing him. They were about five of them including Uche Mefor who fell out with Uwazurike and they joined us after we had lodged the suit.
After meetings we continued support of their radio broadcast and that was the mistake. I trusted them but I didn’t know. Sometimes they would invite and interview me with their laptop in a room. It’s an internet radio and they would be broadcasting. I didn’t know much of their stuff because they were experts in that. Do you know Dr Dozie Ikedife (late) in 2013 made a broadcast on that radio from Nigeria and his voice was heard all over the world and he addressed all Biafrans. So we saw him as a good help that could help in media and the Elders accepted him.
Initially, he was doing well. Even though I created the name Indigenous People of Biafra, I didn’t make myself a leader but gathered the elders who became leaders of IPOB because under our customary law it is the elders that have the right to gather their children. I took the legal aspect and that’s why I am the solicitor for IPOB.
The leader is Justice Eze Ozobu (late); his deputy is Dr Ikedife while the secretary is Col. Joe Achuzia and other elders that were in charge of this movement. Nnamdi was doing very well in the media then, everything was beautiful. The federal government respected us, the case was on.
Suddenly, Nnamdi Kanu took the microphone and announced that the Elders have become saboteurs! Traitors! They have taken bribe! And he started insulting everybody, even the countries we had written letters to such as the British government, America, French, German governments, all the countries we had started discussing with; but Nnamdi used his microphone and destroyed everything. He called them unprintable names.
The elders warned him but he refused to listen and on May 12, 2014 the elders ostracized Nnamdi Kanu, excommunicated him and published it the newspapers.
How come he still uses the name IPOB?
The name IPOB is copyrighted and he has no right to use the name IPOB without my permission. I created and copyrighted it. Under copyright he has no right to use that name Indigenous people of Biafra because it’s copyrighted.
But if I go to court to fight over the name, how will people see it? They will say oh see two Biafrans fighting over the name IPOB! What thing I know is that anybody who doesn’t know the vision of where he is going will come to a standstill because he will not know where else to go.
Would you accept that Nnamdi Kanu has actually brought momentum to IPOB?
No, he has actually destroyed it. There is what is called negative influence, in fact he destroyed Biafran movement. What is momentum? Momentum where you have caused more damage? It’s now more difficult for us to get independence with all the propaganda and lies. Nnamdi is the worst evil I’ve ever met on earth.
What’s the way out to checkmate him?
I have handed him over to God to deal with him.
But do you think legal methods can actualize Biafra?
Legal method is not only about court. Legal methodology includes judicial which involves court and we are in court; political, which is what we have done now because we have gone into politics; and diplomacy, which we are discussing with all the governments that matter.
We are discussing with British government, Germany, France. Australia government was the first to invite us to discuss the Biafra issue. You can use judicial power to get independence and enforce right to self-determination.
In 2002 Bakassi was carved out from Nigeria by judicial power of the International court of justice. Some people say that Nigeria is indissoluble but you can see how part of it was removed.
Do you think that the international community can wake up one day and declare the republic of Biafra?
No. The international community cannot one day wake up to declare you a republic. That cannot happen but we have purchased judicial immunity for Biafrans. What it means is that when two parties are in court, nobody disturbs anybody. No party harasses, molests or detains any party until the case is over.
Since when we went to court no Nigerian police has molested us. If they did, it was in error such as when they went to our office at Owerri and arrested two of our officers. We told the Attorney General that it was contempt of court and he said sorry that they thought it was Nnamdi Kanu’s faction. They apologized.
The federal government has proscribed IPOB
That’s Nnamdi Kanu’s IPOB.
How many factions of IPOB do you have?
Nnamdi Kanu’s brand of IPOB is the one proscribed. I know it’s difficult for people to appreciate the difference but the difference is clear. I told you Nnamdi was ostracized in 2014 and his organization was proscribed in 2017, three years after the elders had excommunicated him.
The Indigenous People of Biafra of the Elders of Biafra is not proscribed and the media should make it clear that IPOB is an amorphous body. All of us are indigenes of Biafra and you cannot proscribe us.
The one proscribed is the limited liability company, that one registered by Nnamdi Kanu in overseas which could sue or be sued and the federal government sued and proscribed it but we are indigenous people of Biafra land. We are the remnants of the land, you cannot proscribe us. We are not terrorists but Nnamdi’s Kanu’s group were proscribed and declared terrorists.
Don’t you think that a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction could assuage this Biafa agitation?
It’s just like saying that because Gordon Brown from Scotland was prime minister of Britain Scotland should no longer seek independence. Scotland is still agitating for their independence even though their man was prime minister.
If Scotland in a developed Britain cannot get independence, what makes you think an African state can active such actualization?
Scotland has conducted about three referenda and failed. In the last one they failed I heard they are planning another referendum. One is that they’ve got to a stage where they can conduct referendum but we have not got to that stage. They got that through their regional government but we have not been able to score up to 51 percent majority.
Biafra is yet to get a regional government; if we get a regional government what happened to Scotland may or may not happen to us. Do you know why Scotland has not been able to score 51 percent? Scotland has everything; they are not being persecuted or marginalised as we are being persecuted in Nigeria.
I don’t think that any Scottish is being discriminated against by the British government. So I don’t think that the people of Scotland have any reason to pull out except the natural pride of identity, that I am who I am. In Nigeria they hate us, we are slaves in Nigeria and we want to go.
Going by your explanation about the original philosophy of IPOB, is it possible Nnamdi Kanu could be an agent sent to destabilize IPOB?
I had thought about it before when the then Justice Shiuaibu asked us to come and argue our case so he could give a ruling. While we were preparing I received a motion from Nigerian lawyers and discovered that Nnamdi Kanu’s people had written a petition against me that I should be arrested.
They said I deceived Nigeria and registered a secessionist movement, disguised as a human right organization called Billie Human Rights Initiative. They alleged that Bilie actually means Biafra Liberation in Exile and that I should be persecuted for perjury. So instead of arguing our case the matter changed to a criminal case of perjury.
By the time we finished the argument, Justice Shiuabu was transferred and we lost that window. Nnamdi Kanu’s case was thrown away and the Biafra case started de novo because a new judge came. So that made me think Nnamdi Kanu could be working for the Nigerian government.
It has crossed my mind and it may be true because before he came to Nigeria, he announced that he was coming, which means that he wanted to be arrested. You can say he planned for his own arrest knowing that having used the media to gather support all over the world, his arrest will create protest.
What is the latest on the Biafra council of elders matter at the federal high court?
We’ve gone to appeal. We know it’s not going to be easy. At the federal high court, the judge dismissed our case; he didn’t even go into the details of the case. He didn’t even strike out but he dismissed the case. He had no reason to dismiss the case and that was why we went on appeal but the issues before the court have not been litigated.
There eleven issues we wanted him to look into: the self-determination is there, the radio license the federal government granted to Fulani herdsmen without granting same to other people; the N100 billion the federal government promised to give the Fulani herdsmen is there, without granting same to others which is discriminatory under section 42 of the constitution.
You can’t single out herdsmen of a section and give them money without given it to others trading in poultry, goats and piggery. Devolution of powers to the region is also contained in the suit; an order compelling the federal government and the Attorney general to present an executive bill to the National Assembly for a law devolving power to regions.
They didn’t even look at our case and dismissed it. We have gone to the appeal now and if the appeal court doesn’t do well, we will continue to the Supreme Court and from there to International court.
What is your advise to Biafrians?
I advise Biafrans to be patient and follow the due progress and stop wasting their lives. All these children that were killed and massacred, what can we now say about them? We condemn the mass killing by Nigeria but those that have died are dead already. Sometimes they accuse me that Nigeria government has bribed me and that is why they don’t arrest me but it’s not true.
Nigeria government cannot arrest me because I’ve not committed any offence. Everything is a process; we will get a regional government first. Patience pays at the end. Let the children return to the elders. Nnamdi Kanu when he returned from prison went to Dozie Ikedife and apologized. He was advised but he went again and did the opposite of what he was advised not to do. That means he didn’t respect the elders.
Good Governance Ministry ( GGM ) ,an ideological political movement has commenced Townhall meeting to educate people in various communities on how to vote rightly. Comrade Chinedu Asuzu speaking from the venue of the Townhall meeting last weekend at Umuatulu Ifiteani Village, Enugwu-ukwu told the gathering that political power will be returned to the people in next year general election. He told the excited voters that politics is too serious to be left for career politicians who have destroyed the sanctity of human lives and that they should all vote for Peter Obi of Labour Party to build an equitable and productive system . Chinedu assured the people that INEC has developed a system that would frustrate election riggers ,hence the desperation to buy votes on election day.
Pastor Chibuzor Chukwuemeka took his turn to explain the difference between public interest and personal interest. Pastor Chibuzor who is the Director General of GGM concluded that only political criminals share money to buy votes. Many items like Apron,tshirts ,stickers were shared to the people to promote the activities of GGM/Obidient Movement. The people accepted the message and vowed to vote out all the corrupt and wicked politicians. However,they all endorsed Peter Obi of Labour Party for the office of Nigeria President come next year.
GGM is one of the support groups partnering with Obidient Movement . The Townhall meeting was sponsored by Mr. Lennox Ndigwe Anunwah, Los Angeles California, USA, Peter Obi Schoolmate in CKC , Onitsha.
Report reaching BVI Channel 1 online has it that the Presidential Candidate of Labour Party – Mr Peter Obi was in Dallas Texas United States yesterday where he met with the Mayor of Dallas and his team.According to the report ,Mr Peter Obi had the privilege of being conferred with the honorary citizenship of Dallas. He also met with a select group of Texas Judges.
Civil servants in the State erupted in joy after Sanwo-Olu made the announcement.
By Emma Ogbuehi
As the 2023 election campaigns heat up, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has announced that civil servants in the State would soon enjoy salary increments.
Sanwo-Olu made this known on Tuesday while addressing the workers at the state secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.
He said: “I have looked around and I know that as a country, there is pressure. I know that, as a country, there is a high level of inflation.
“At our cabinet meeting, I instructed the Head of Service office and the Ministry of Staff, Training, and Pensions to start work on how we are going to increase the entire salary of our public servants.’’
Inflation has been trending at about 21 per cent year-on-year, which means that the purchasing power of Nigerians has been grossly eroded. This has put a number of households in dire straits.
When the promise materializes, Lagos civil servants will at least have a respite from the biting inflation.
Sanwo-Olu, a first term governor, is running for a second term.
He is also actively involved in the campaign of his political mentor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Meanwhile, civil servants in the State erupted in joy after Sanwo-Olu made the announcement. They danced while praising the the governor for his magnanimity.
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, on Tuesday raised alarm over the reported arrest and Intimidation of his supporters.
The alarm isn’t unconnected to the reported arrest of the Lagos State coordinator for the rally organised by his supporters on Saturday by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The coordinator, Joseph Onuorah, was arrested when he arrived in Lagos on his way from France.
Peter Obi said the intimidation of the opposition negates elements of free and fair election and reminded the security agents on the need to remind their operatives on the need to remain civil in their conducts.
Elections are not deemed free and fair when a certain group employs the tool of intimidation to ensure that the opposition is silenced, both at the campaigns and at the polls.
Peaceful assembly and unfettered electioneering campaigns are constitutionally guaranteed. Both and other ordered liberties cannot be breached wilfully by security agents.
Recent reports of OBIdients being silently arrested by some security agents is extremely disturbing and condemnable,” Peter Obi wrote on his verified Twitter handle.
“We must ensure that everyone is given a level playing field in the forthcoming elections, and that no eligible Nigerian, irrespective of ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation is disenfranchised, more so through violence and intimidation.
