Ahead of the November 6, 2021 Anambra State Governorship Election, the candidate of the Young Progressives Party, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, has challenged Prof. Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance to a public debate.
Ubah, who represents Anambra South in the upper legislative chamber, disclosed this is in a statement by his media office on Sunday.
The statement was titled, ‘Anambra2021: Senator Ifeanyi Ubah Challenges Prof. Soludo To Provide His Manifesto Within 48hours And A Public Debate Within 7 Days Of Presentation Of His Manifesto’.
The senator referred to a recent statement made by Soludo that Anambra was too sophisticated for a school certificate holder to aspire to govern.
Reacting, Ubah said, “I have watched with keen interest, the mudslinging and needlessly disruptive comment made by Prof. Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance to the effect that WAEC Certificate holders cannot govern Anambra State.
“To the glory of God, having recently graduated with a 2.2 LL.B Hons from the Prestigious Baze University, Abuja by dint of hard work, I do not consider it necessary or feel the obsessive compulsion to flaunt my University Degree as it is not a prerequisite to contest for Governorship.
Prof. Soludo’s statement is a game of misdirection which seeks to distract us from focusing on robust policy arguments and constructive debates that will resolve the palpable crises of governance in Anambra State.
I sincerely retain the belief that the era of ‘textbook grammatical grandstanding’ and theoretical politics is over in Anambra. Our people now want a leader with practicable ideas and dynamism to move the state forward. Ideas that will proffer sustainable solutions to the socio-economic problems beclouding the state due to bad governance brought to the fore by the present government.
“In this regard, I am challenging Prof. Soludo to an open public manifesto debate with me. Let us put our manifestos out before the court of public opinion and adjudication so as to let the people decide their preferred candidate whose agenda resonates with the layman and electorate.”
“Conclusively, elections and the debates that follow should be solely focused on issues that will be beneficial to the electorate, not about throwing everything, including the kitchen sink at each other.
“Our conduct during this pre-election period reflects our ability to perform our duties dutifully if/when elected into public office. I wish to implore every one of us to do the right thing with respect to ensuring that our campaigns are bereft of calumny and conducted in a proper and sane manner. I am assured that such a move will further solidify our democracy and entrench purposeful narratives that will change the tide of our polity positively,” Ubah added.
Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, said on Friday that the state will expand the state’s Youth Entrepreneurship in Agribusiness Project (YEAP) to enable the training of 10,000 youths by the CSS Integrated Farms Limited, Gora, Nasarawa State.
The governor made this disclosure while speaking at the graduation ceremony of the first batch of 300 trainees, held at the International Skills Acquisition Centre (ISAC), Gora.
noted that his administration has embarked on the training in order to lift youths from poverty into prosperity, stating that the government is determined to empower Oyo State youths so that they can empower others.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted the governor as saying that the state was going to empower only 1,000 youths through the scheme, but that it increased the number to 3,300 at 100 per local government.
He noted, however, that following the richness of the programme and its capacity to turn the economy of Oyo State into a multi-billion Naira economy through agribusiness graduates, government will now go ahead to train 10,000 youths in agribusiness.
The first batch of trainees were trained by about 15 lecturers/professors across the fields of leadership in agribusiness, irrigation farming, Information/ Communication Technology application in agribusiness, fishery farming and management, hydroponics farming, cassava and rice value chain and poultry farming, among others.
The governor was given an award of recognition by the chairman, CSS Integrated Farms, Professor John Kennedy Opara, who commended the governor for being very passionate about his people.
He encouraged the trainees to return to Oyo State and make a difference, noting that to make the governor and the people of the state proud, they must return with the drive to achieve increased yields in different areas.
While speaking at the graduation ceremony, Governor Makinde, who expressed satisfaction with the training, commended the trainees for being good ambassadors of Oyo State, said: “I know the importance of empowering our youths. I got into business at the age of 29 and now, I am 53. Since the age of 29, I have been paying salaries.
“That is what we want to replicate in Oyo State. Gone are those days when politicians use the youths as political thugs and then abandon them to become burdens to society. We want to empower youths in the real sense of empowerment so that you all can empower others and thereby lift Oyo State from poverty to prosperity.
“We were going to train 1,000 youths but when I got the brief and I came to Saki and saw the youths, I said we should increase that number to 3,300. That is 100 per local government.
“We have less than two years and I did my arithmetic and saw that if we are training 600 youths every month, the programme will run for about five and a half months. But with that simple arithmetic we have done, we will increase the number to 10,000.
“Now, the training will go on till the end of next year. This is where we are going. I listened to Prof. John Kennedy Opara’s analysis that if each of you can start with day-old chicks at N230 per bird and you have 1,000 birds; that is just about N240,000, which is about the money for one motorcycle.
“If you sell those birds, you can generate up to a million each in six months. If 10,000 youths can leverage this kind of advantage, that means the state can become a N100 Billion economy in a few years, in just this sphere of endeavour.”
Governor Makinde maintained that the training is the beginning, noting that the state government would support the trainees, saying: “Look, we are here to support you. We will look for markets for things you will produce.
“Go ahead and incorporate yourselves. Since we have 300 graduates here today, I should have 300 incorporated enterprises and if you are partnering, we should have many partners. The state will support you by giving you the necessary ingredients to succeed.
I know you are the Youtube generation, send the words out there that this opportunity exists so that more youths can key into the opportunities.
“I look forward to meeting you in the fields and buying some products from you.
“I am glad that I made it here and I am equally glad that when the story of the turnaround of Oyo State is told, our names will be remembered.”
Earlier, the YEAP Coordinator and Director-General of the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA), Dr. Debo Akande, said the training is a great opportunity for youths to make a difference.
He maintained that the Makinde administration has sown a seed of greatness for the state, commending the governor for the decision to increase the number of trainees in the project.
Akande, who appreciated Governor Makinde’s initiative on COVID-19 Food Security Support in which farmers were provided with improved seedlings, said the initiative has yielded positive results as the prices of cassava has been crashed by half in Oyo State.
He added that the training is a starting point for the trainees, noting that everything required for the enterprises has been provided by the governor.
“Within the next one week, you will know the enterprise you will engage in. Your training was fully sponsored by the state government but we have a facility with Fidelity Bank that will enable you to start well, perform optimally and if you move up the ladder, there will be other support,” he said.
The OYSADA boss appreciated CSS for doing an excellent job with the first batch of trainees, urging the organisation to continue with the good job.
Also speaking, two of the trainees, Ojekunle Edward Oluwasogo and Ogundiran Omosalewa, commended Governor Makinde for the opportunity provided to the youths, promising to return to the state to make immediate impact.
Ogundiran said: “I appreciate Governor Seyi Makinde for the opportunity given to us. He has been doing amazing things in Oyo State, which we have never experienced before.
“Our Internally Generated Revenue used to be N1.2 Billion but the governor has increased it to about N3.6 Billion.
“Our politicians used to empower youths with okada, but Governor Makinde brought us here where we were exposed to world-class training in different areas of agriculture and agribusiness.
“We are assuring His Excellency that when we return to Oyo State, we are going to make an impact and will begin to contribute to the growing IGR of the state.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was excluded from the revised list of candidates for the Anambra governorship election.
On Thursday, INEC released a revised list of candidates for the Anambra governorship poll, scheduled to hold on November 6, and there is currently no candidate for the PDP.
The commission had also excluded the PDP from the first list released on July 16.
Explaining the reason for the decision, Festus Okoye, INEC national commissioner, in an interview with Channels Television on Friday, said the name of the governorship candidate uploaded to the commission’s portal is different from the name affirmed by the court.
Okoye further explained that an appeal court has ruled that the commission should not publish the name of any PDP candidate until the determination of the suit.
On July 19, an Anambra high court ordered INEC to recognise Ugochukwu Uba as the party’s candidate, against Valentine Ozigbo, the preferred candidate of the party’s national working committee.
Speaking further, the INEC commissioner said the PDP would be added to the candidates’ list after the determination of the suit at the court of appeal.
“In relation to the PDP, what happened was that the PDP as a political party uploaded the name and personal particulars of a particular candidate to our nomination portal, and that was the candidate whose name the commission published,” he said.
Thereafter, there was also another court judgement ordering and directing the PDP as a political party to submit the name of a different candidate as the candidate of the party.
The PDP didn’t submit the name of that particular individual, and we can’t publish the name, unless the PDP submits the name of that individual.
“Thereafter, the matter went to the court of appeal and the court of appeal granted accelerated hearing in relation to the matter involving the PDP and its candidate, and then also ask the INEC not to publish the name of any of the candidates pending the final determination of the matter before the court of appeal.”
POLITICIANS SHOPPING FOR FAVOURABLE COURT ORDERS’
Speaking on the multiple court judgements received by the commission on the Anambra election, Okoye said politicians are shopping for favourable court judgements.
“What is going on is what in legal parlance, we call ‘forum shopping’ — people who are looking for a place where they can get a favourable decision,” he said.
“For a party primary that took place in Anambra, for instance, some people will go to Bauchi state, some people will go to Jigawa state, some people will go to Imo state and to other places to go and look for a place where they can get a favourable decision.
“It is important for the judiciary to intervene in what is going on. If this spate of multiple and conflicting court orders is carried forward to the 2023 general election, it is going to have far-reaching consequences on our electoral process.”
A 200-level male student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State has reportedly committed suicide.
The deceased, a native of Isuikwuato Local Government area of Abia state was said to be studying Industrial Physics.
The body was reportedly found inside one of the hostel blocks dangling with rope around his neck.
An eye witness who preferred anonymity said, “The deceased locked himself inside the room for days and was sobbing for inability to pay a new regime of school fees introduced recently by management.
“When the door was broken, he was seen dangling with rope around his neck.”
Another source which described the deceased as a quiet and calm student,
said he never showed any sign of depression before the incident.
Reacting, Chief Security Officer of the Institution, Mr Ken Chukwura said the deceased’s roommates had been invited for further questioning while investigation had commenced.
He however called on the students to go about their activities without fear as the situation was under control.
Confirming the incident, Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Tochukwu Ikenga described the incident as unfortunate, adding that investigations were ongoing.
A combined team of school security, the Nigerian Police and top principal officers of the institution were on ground before the corpse was evacuated to the mortuary.
Governor, Sen. Theodore Orji and his son, Chinedu over alleged N48billion security votes.
The two leaders are also expected to account for N2billion Ecological Fund and conversion of Sure-P funds.
While the ex-Governor was intercepted at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja before boarding a flight, his son reported to the EFCC headquarters.
According to a source, the ex-Governor, who has been on the Commission’s watch list, was intercepted at the Nnamdi International Airport, Abuja at about 1000 hours on Thursday and brought to the headquarters of the EFCC at Jabi, Abuja for the continuation of his interrogation.
The source said: “He is being quizzed alongside his son, Chinedu, the current Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, who turned himself in this afternoon upon learning of the arrest of his father.
“Senator Orji and his sons, Chinedu and Ogbonna, are under investigation by the EFCC for offences bordering on misappropriation of public funds and money laundering.
“The ex- Governor is alleged to have collected N500million monthly as security vote for eight years as governor of Abia state between 2007 and 2015.
Other issues relate to the alleged mismanagement of N2billion Ecological Fund and conversion of Sure-P funds.”
The Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the arrest of the former Governor.
Famous businessman and night clubs owner, Obinna Iyiegbu, popularly know as Obi Cubana has made promise of renovating some dilapidated hostels in the University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN.
Iyiegbu was a student of UNN which a video of one of it’s hostels went viral, recently, exposing the infrastructural decay in the Nigeria’s first Indigenous university that was built in 1960.
The University authority had reacted to the viral video, accepting the situation in the picture as true state of the university but called for assistance from both the alumni of the university and other interest group.
Subsequently, Iyiegbu visited the university where he made pledges to assist his Alma matar.
After the visit, Iyiegbu in his social media handle said: “UNN…..To Restore
The Dignity Of Man! Had a great time yesterday discussing with the Vice Chancellor University Of Nigeria Nsukka, Professor Charles A. Igwe and the entire University management and some Heads of Departments of this great institution on how to give back to the University that helped in moulding me into who i am today.”
The University had through its Public Relations Officer, Chief Okwum Omeaku said that most of the hostels in the institution are currently under renovation, while some have actually been completely renovated.
The University stated that fact of the matter was that most of the hostels were old and worn with age which brought about their dilapidation, but asked parents and students to exercise restraint with the university while it does its best to fix the accommodation challenges in the university.
Omeaku in a statement on Monday said that the attention of the management of the University was drawn to the trending online video and comments regarding the condition of students’ hostels on the campuses.
He acknowledged that some of the hostels were not up to standard because of age, noting that many of the hostels were built in the 1960s and 1970s and have suffered lag in maintenance.
He however said that the current University administration of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Charles Arizechukwu Igwe has been making concrete efforts to give the students decent accommodation.
“Renovation of the hostels has already started in phases. Toilet ends of Okpara hall were renovated during the COVID-19 lockdown. Okeke hall has also been renovated and in top form. Mbanefo hall, the largest male hostel, is currently under renovation.
“To boost the capacity of our students’ accommodation, the administration entered into a BOT (Build, Operate and Transfer) agreement with Viagem Properties Limited to build hostel blocks of over 12000 bed spaces. The project is ongoing and the first phase will be commissioned by 2022.
“The University is at the verge of finalizing an agreement for the reconstruction of Zik’s flats which is expected to add another 6000 bed spaces. We urge our students and parents to be patient with the University administration. We are very committed to addressing the age-long hostel challenge. We also call on our alumni, parents, organizations and good-spirited Nigerians to partner with us to fast track the renovation of the hostels,” Omeaku said.
I have closely followed the discussions regarding IPOB’s Sit-At-Home protest. Naturally, there are arguments in favor and against this order. The argument against this mode of protest adopted by IPOB is anchored primarily on the economic implication for the SE. According to the proponents of this position, the Monday Sit-At-Homes, if sustained will be costing the SE billions of Naira bearing in mind that the SE harbors some of the largest markets both in Nigeria and West-Africa and even beyond. Some describe IPOB’s approach as a case of cutting off one’s nose to spite the face. In their view, IPOB is doing more injury to the SE in its protest against the Federal Government. The angst against IPOB’s Sit-At-Home order was further intensified by the fact that students of the SE were unable to participate in the examination that was written last Monday in the ongoing WAEC examination. This, according to critics of IPOB, was tantamount to robbing these young Igbo youths of their educational future. Among those who had written a stinging attack against IPOB’s Sit-At-Home protest is Ogbu Kalu who, no doubt, has on several occasions written in favor of IPOB and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu. Ogbu’s article which went viral particularly as he is known to be sympathetic to IPOB’s cause was waved about by staunch opponents of Nnamdi and IPOB as a “biblical text proof” that IPOB and its leaders are up to no good for Ndigbo.
The arguments advanced by opponents of IPOB’s Sit-At-Home order, particularly the economic argument, appear quite sound and impugnable. It makes no sense for IPOB to cause Igbo traders and businessmen and women, whose interests they are supposedly fighting for, to lose billions of Naira all in the name of a protest to get its leader released. It makes no sense that IPOB will cause thousands of Igbo students to lose the chance of gaining admission to higher institutions next year because they missed writing one or more papers. Although this argument appears intelligible and sounds it is, however, facile, fatally flawed, and misleading. This is usually the case with every argument that is reductive in nature and not properly situated within its proper context.
IPOB’s Sit-At-Home order can only be objectively and fairly evaluated when placed within the larger context of the quest for self-determination. And the quest for self-determination is a quest for freedom in the light of the heightened exclusion of Ndigbo from the Nigeria polity. When properly situated, therefore, the fundamental question, which should serve as the criterion for evaluating IPOB’s Sit-At-Home order would be: What is the worth or value of freedom? Framed differently, one would ask, how much is one willing to pay for one’s freedom? The answer that one gives to the above question underscores the value such a person places on freedom.
The story of the Israelites would help to throw some light to this discussion. After the people of Israel escaped the iron-fisted rule of Pharoah, they sojourned in the harsh desert for years. At a point, they began to murmur and complain bitterly against Moses. They lamented: If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt! There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death! We remember the fish we ate freely in Egypt, along with the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic (Ex. 16:4; Num. 11:5). For these Israelites, their freedom was only worth the bread, meat, cucumber, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic they ate in Egypt. In other words, they would not have minded remaining slaves in Egypt as long as they have enough food to eat. Their stomach meant more to them than their freedom. This appears to me to be the mindset of those who would rather have shops and businesses open on Mondays even if it meant being treated as third-class citizens in a country they call their own.
There are, however, persons who place a higher premium on their dignity and freedom and are willing to obtain it even at the cost of their lives. For these persons, no amount of sacrifice is too high to pay so far as they obtain and secure their dignity and freedom. This is the mindset of all freedom fighters all through history. They are willing to spend their lives in jail or even suffer death. But what is the sense in spending the rest of one’s life locked up in prison in the quest for freedom, one may ask? And does it make any sense for one to die in quest for a freedom he/she will not live to exercise and savor? Seen from a narrow utilitarian lens, none of these make any sense. In fact, it appears outrightly foolish. But this is what distinguishes the mindset of one whose stomach is of greater premium from one whose places greater premium on his/her freedom. The former is a narcissistic individual whose visual field does not extend beyond himself and his/her immediate materialistic gains. The latter, on the other hand, looks beyond himself/herself and his /her own personal interests. At the core of his/her thoughts and concerns are those coming after him/her. He/she is willing to lay down his/her life in order to secure the future of the coming generations. He/she is willing to plant a tree of which fruits he/she knows fully that he/she will not eat. To those with tunnel vision, the actions of such individuals or groups of individuals who are willing to accept some personal losses and pains might appear foolish. That is precisely how IPOB’s Sit-At-Home order appears to some, especially those who pride themselves as intellectuals or Igbo elites. For them, it is silly or foolish for IPOB to inflict economic pains on the Igbos in the name of a Sit-At-Home protest. However, those with this mindset do not understand that you cannot obtain a good without self-sacrifice which oftentimes might even involve the laying down of one’s life. Freedom, justice, and equity are not obtained on a platter of gold. Freedom is never free; you must pay a price for it.
I would like to respond to those who liken IPOB’s action to one who cuts his/her nose to spite the face by referring to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The black community of Montgomery decided to boycott the city bus following the arrest of Rosa Parks who had refused to give up her seat to a white man. It was in the context of this mass protest that Martin Luther will emerge as an influential civil rights leader. (You can read the full story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott on https://www.nps.gov/articles/montgomery-bus-boycott.htm). If one were to evaluate the action of the black community of Montgomery, their action would appear stupid and self-defeating. While it is true that carpools were organized to convey some to their places of work, it was the case that most had to trek to and from their places of work. Wasn’t that silly of them? Were they not cutting their own noses to spite their faces it would seem? It wasn’t the whites who had to suffer the inconvenience of having to trek to and from their places of work. It was they, the black community. Granted that the city lost a lot of revenue from the boycott, yet there is no denying that the black community had to bear the inconvenience of having to trek to and from their respective places of work when they could have continued to ride to work even if it meant standing to do so. The impact of that boycott went beyond the imagination of those who conceived the boycott. It did not only lead to a court judgment that ruled on the unconstitutionality of segregation in public buses but even more significantly created the circumstance for the emergence of the greatest black civil rights leader, Dr. Martin King, whose activities did win for blacks even greater rights than they ever imagined.
Now, the Montgomery Bus Boycott may not be a perfect analogy for the IPOB’s Sit-At-Home Order, but there is a parallel, namely, you have to inconvenience yourself and make sacrifices if you wish to obtain something greater or bigger. What is losing a day’s income in exchange for securing one’s dignity and right to be treated justly? But like the Israelites of old, dignity and freedom can go to blazes as long as their stomachs and bank accounts are burgeoning. The wisdom of IPOB’s action is actually encapsulated in the ancient Igbo proverb which says that ana ebugoduzo zota ana tupu azoba ute, meaning that one must first secure a space before struggling for the mat that will be spread on that space. Of what use will your mat be if you have nowhere to lay it? But you can at least still lie on the bare floor even if you end up not securing the mat. If Ndigbo does not secure their dignity, equality, and due rights in this political space, of what use is your business? A single policy can wipe out all your economic activities. Ask Ibeto, what happened to his cement business. And so, while the critics of IPOB’s decision are not seeing beyond the tip of their noses, IPOB and their supporters are looking much farther. While the critics of IPOB are struggling over the mat, IPOB is asking Ndigbo to first secure a space. Which of these two approaches is wiser?
Now, some may ask what results the Sit-At-Home protest would achieve other than hurting the economic fortunes of Ndigbo. Well, such a question betrays a manner of thinking that may be rich in quantitative considerations but is grossly deficient in qualitative considerations. But to briefly respond to it, the success of the IPOB Sit-At-Home order has finally revealed the irrelevance of the different State governments and non-political Igbo leadership groups like Ohaneze. These have consistently betrayed the Igbo cause either by their deafening silence or even active connivance with those who are bent on reducing the Igbos to third-class citizens if not slaves. It is interesting that the threats by the different State Governments of the SE did not deter people from heeding the call of IPOB to stay at home. You can deduce what it means. Believe it or not, the Federal Government will be very careful in dealing with a group that commands the respect and obedience of millions of people. And consequently, they will be very careful in ensuring the safety of their leaders. Like every civil protest, the full benefits of the Stay-At-Home protest lie in the future and not in the present.
But come to think of it, what other legitimate avenue of protest is open to IPOB? When they match on the streets peacefully, they are mowed down by the hot bullets of the Nigerian soldiers. The same armchair critics will accuse them of foolishness and imprudence for having to peacefully protest in the face of the threat of murderous bloodthirsty soldiers and security operatives. And when they ask Biafrans not to march on the streets but stay back in protest, in the comfort of their homes, they are pilloried and accused of devising the economic ruin of Ndigbo. In fact, the argument of the likely destruction of the economic fortunes of the SE by the Sit-At-Home order is a spurious argument meant to mislead the undiscerning mind. It is a known fact that on great festivities like Christmas and Easter, most markets are shut down for days or even for a whole week or more, and yet that does not destroy the economic fortunes of the SE. Those who fabricate and propagate this piece of falsehood fail to tell us why the economic fortunes of the SE have not collapsed because markets are shut during those periods and every Sunday or why the economy of Nigeria hasn’t collapsed because of the number of public holidays that are declared by the Federal Government. And what says that the volume of business activities in SE cannot be intensified from Tuesdays to Saturdays while observing Mondays as a protest day? Imagine how much more effective this protest will be if Igbo businessmen and women in every part of Nigeria join in the Sit-At-Home protest!
The truth is that there are so many Igbos who have either not fully understood the degree to which they have been humiliated and reduced to third-class citizens or if they did, they have simply resigned to this condition and hence are willing to remain third-class citizens as long as they have their “cucumber, leeks, onions, melons, pomegranates, bread, and meat.” They are willing to continue to serve Pharoah. Sadly, a lot of Igbo elites and intellectuals fall into this category. They typify Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. And many of them suffer from what I can Joe Igbokwe Syndrome (JIS). They fear that IPOB’s protest will snatch away their “honey pot” from their tables, hence they do not lose any opportunity to attack every of IPOB’s actions. While they are adept at criticizing every action of IPOB, they are however sterile and impotent when it comes to offering better alternatives.
Finally, let me address the question of enforcing the Sit-At-Home order. Some have argued that no one should be compelled to observe the Sit-At-Home order. Again, that sounds reasonable. But let me ask this, when the Federal or State Government declares a curfew or for some reason restricts movement, does it enforce such restrictions or leaves it to each one to decide whether to observe it or not? Now, you may want to superciliously argue that IPOB lacks the authority of a “constitutionally constituted” government like the State or Federal Government. Well, that is where the reasoning of the anti-IPOBs is grossly limited. As far as the SE is concerned, the various State Governments have lost relevance and hence the moral authority over the people. They may be in office, but they no longer command the respect and obedience of most Igbos. This explains why the threats of sack or loss of one’s shop did not deter both government workers and businessmen from obeying IPOB’s order. Like it or not, IPOB is providing alternative governance in the face of a grossly deficient and ineffective political leadership in SE. Our State Governors are like emasculated eunuchs who despite their stature (apparatus of office) are pitifully impotent. Just as the Federal and State government can enforce a curfew and other restrictions of movement for the overall benefit of the people, so too, can IPOB, by virtue of the confidence reposed on it by millions of Igbos, both those at home and in diaspora, analogously enforce the Sit-At-Home order for the interest of the Igbo nation. Like it or not, IPOB has become a parallel government that commands greater respect and allegiance than the so-called democratically elected government or the supreme court-imposed government. Some have further argued speciously that many stay home for fear of being harassed by IPOB members. Well, the “fear” that kept Igbos indoors when IPOB declares a Sit-At-Home protest, is no worse than the fear of arrest, harassment, or even being shot by security operatives that keeps Nigerians indoors when the State or Federal Government declares a curfew or restriction of movement. It is, therefore, supercilious to argue that people stayed at home for fear of being harassed.
Is every action of IPOB and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, perfect or even good? Certainly not! Since their actions are not immune from faults, we cannot but evaluate and critique such actions. However, there is a big difference between a critique that aims at building and consolidating and rabid criticisms that simply attack and never proffer better or superior alternatives. I had expected that now that Kanu is in prison, and removed from the scene, even if temporarily, that those “eggheads” who are adept at armchair criticisms would have stepped in and provided a much better leadership than Nnamdi Kanu. But they have remained in their comfort zone and continue to spew out meaningless criticisms. While I may not support every move or action of IPOB and its leaders, I am firmly convinced that they have filled the leadership vacuum that neither our political leaders nor the Igbo intellectual and religious class has been able to offer to Ndigbo. While it is the right of everyone to make a critique of any idea or action, any critique or criticism that does not offer better or more effective alternatives is mere verbiage and irritating noise. If one cannot help to build, then he/she should sit quietly at a corner and watch those who are doing so. The ANC was anything but a perfect liberation movement, yet it successfully championed the end of the apartheid system in South Africa. IPOB is not any less imperfect, but it is, for the moment, the most effective arrowhead that is championing the Igbo cause hence, its wide acceptance among Igbos, both home and abroad. Do not just point out what is wrong in their approach. Offer something better by stepping into the battlefield.
INEC today, 19th August published Soludo’s name and his Deputy Dr. Ibezim as the authentic APGA candidates for the November 6, 2021 election. This effectively throws out the impostor, Chukwuma Umeoji. APGA/Soludo marching unstoppably to Agu Awka (see attached list by INEC).
INEC, however, still excluded the people’s Democratic Party (PDP) from the list of cleared candidates for the poll.
XThe leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Salvation Force, Mujahid Asari-Dokubo has said it was time for youths in Nigeria including him to take over leadership positions in the country and to start identifying those who are capable to hold political offices in the next general elections. He also asserted that the older generation had failed in the country and the next phase was for younger generation. The former Niger Delta militant leader, born in 1964, said power must be taken by youths, adding the older politicians had nothing to offer.
Dokubo made the statement while supporting former military Head of State, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida’s remark on the age bracket of Nigeria’s next president.
Reacting, Dokubo said the older generation of leaders had failed, hence the youths should rise up.
The former militants’ leader spoke, in a video on his Facebook page where he blamed Nigeria’s challenges on bad leadership caused by the older politicians.
He said, “The younger generation must step forward now and take power. Power is not given, power is taken.
“Now that the older generation has realised that they failed, Ibrahim Babangida has come out to say that it is time for these people to retire. And that is the truth. They have nothing to offer.
“We have to look beyond their shoulders for much younger people to take over leadership positions, and correct the wrongs and the stagnation that the black race has been put into.
“For Ibrahim Babangida, I say thank you for the first time, for saying what will change and totally revolutionise the face of politics in this part of the world.
“So, for us, young people, we should come together, and identify those of us who are capable of leading this change. This is the time.
