The envoys said while they acknowledge concerns about responsible use of social media, Nigerians need free access to platforms where they can express themselves especially in times of trouble.
They were speaking at a meeting with Geoffrey Onyeama, minister of foreign affairs, who had invited them after they all expressed their “disappointment” over the suspension of Twitter and proposed regulation of social media platforms in Nigeria.
At the meeting held in Abuja on Monday, Onyeama restated the government’s claim that Twitter is being used by groups such as the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to aggravate Nigeria’s security challenges.
But Mary Beth-Leonard, US ambassador to Nigeria, who spoke on behalf of other envoys, urged the government to use judicial processes “within the scope of respect for human rights and the rule of law” in pursuing their goals.
“We have to be very clear that we are Nigeria’s strong partners on issues of security and we recognise the daunting task on the issues of security that confronts Nigeria,” she said.
While they are daunting, they are not insurmountable, and part of the way you surmount them is with the partnership of the people you see represented here.
“We recognise that there are issues of irresponsible use of social media, but we remain firm in our position that free access to the ability to express self is very important and perhaps more important in troubled times.”
The Northern Elders Forum has advised the Nigerian government not to resist any move for secession by the Igbos and other parts of the old Eastern region if it is supported by the people of the region and their leadership, IgbereTV has learned.
According to AriseTV, the Forum also accused leaders in the southeastern region of the country of complacency and succumbing to what it called “violence and terror” of separatist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its militant wing the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the Director of Publicity and Advocacy for the Forum stated this on Monday at a press conference in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. He noted that the West African country cannot afford to fight another war to keep the Igbos seeing that Nigeria is on her knees and already burdened with failures.
“The Forum has arrived at the difficult conclusion that if support for secession among the Igbo is as widespread as it is being made to look, and Igbo leadership appears to be in support of it, then the country should be advised not stand in its way,” the forum had said in the statement.
“It will not be the best choice for the Igbo or Nigerians to leave a country we have all toiled to build and a country we all have responsibility to fix, but it will not help a country already burdened with failures on its knees to fight another war to keep the Igbo in Nigeria.”
The northern group also called for an end to the killings of northerners, security officials as well as attacks on government institutions in the southeast and Southsouth.
“The Forum insists that attacks and killings of Northerners and Federal Government employees and destruction of National assets must stop. Those who have been involved in it must be arrested and prosecuted,” the Forum noted.
“Until the Igbo decide whether it wants to secede or remain part of Nigeria, the law applies to it, and Federal and State Governors who have a responsibility to enforce the law and protect citizens must enforce it. We support calls for Northerners who are exposed to harassment and violence to consider relocating to the North.
“Unlike the postures and complacency of the leaders of the South East, we advise that all Igbo and other ethnic groups from the South residing in the North should be accorded the usual hospitality and security.”
When we posed this question yesterday, we had a deluge of responses that overwhelmingly supports Cee Cee Soludo as the preferred APGA flag bearer. The overall verdict is that he has what it takes to win for the party in the November 6 , 2021 governor election.
We watched Soludo, June 4,.2021 addressed his a huge Aguata party faithfuls and we are convinced that he has the physical and mental capacities to “take Anambra higher, higher” from where his predecessors stopped. His Passion and grim disposition in the regard are apparent and infectious.
He has an additional motivation or pull. He has assured he will devote the remaining days of his life to help people move away from the vice and vicious grip of poverty. He had been in that valley of want, so he knows how or where it pitches.
So ladies and gentlemen, we are delighted to present to you the man who the APGA cap fits- Cee Cee Soludo based on our empirical findings and supported by your responses to our teaser or poser- who does the APGA cap fit?
Fact is that Cee Cee is Ready and Able, two important things that are needed to get things done as he has amply demonstrated in all his private and public undertakings. We will be most delighted if the APGA delegates do the needful and make us proud.
On 5th of May 2021 members of the Adoration Ministry Enugu violently vandalized the residence of the Catholic Bishop of Enugu. The secretariat complex and the Cathedral Church. Since this ugly incident took place, the Church in Enugu has continued to pray for unity and the progress of the work of evangelization in the diocese. In addition to this, the Director Chaplain of the Adoration Ministry, Fr. Camilus Ejike Mbaka, at the fraternal instruction of the Diocesan Bishop, took a period of one month to prayerfully reflect on the challenges that hinder the growth and the future of the Adoration Ministry.
Having done this, it is now proper and timely to define the diocesan directives and guidelines that shall regulate the pastoral care and administration of the Adoration Ministry from now forward. For the Roman Catholic Church is a universal institution (Lumen gemium no.13), with order and discipline enshrined in the Code of Canon law and in the particular laws of the particular Church (cf. Ap. Const. Sacrae disciplinae leges). It is a hierarchical Church (Lumen gentium, no. 18)., not any political organization. In this Church, the Pope has supreme, full, immediate and universal ordinary powers, (c. 331) and the Diocesan Bishop possesses the same authority in the particular diocese entrusted to him (Second Vat. Council, Christus Dominus, no.11). The Bishop has the obligation of fostering and safeguarding the unity of the faith and of upholding the discipline which is common to the whole Church (Lumen gentium no.23).
Hence, the provisions of c.756 & 2 make the Diocesan Bishop the moderator of the entire ministry of the word of God within the particular Church. Adoration, teaching and healing ministries, belonging to this category, whether directed by clerics or laypersons in Enugu Diocese permitted by the Diocesan Bishop, must remain Catholic in its life and teaching.
The Bishop of Enugu Diocese, as chief shepherd, has the responsibility to supervise and issue norms concerning all centres where the word of God is proclaimed (C. 775& 1). As the visible source and foundation of unity. he is to exercise vigilance so that abuses do not creep into ecclesiastical discipline especially in what pertains to the ministry of the word, the sacraments, sacramentals and worship of God (C.392&2).
Therefore, to safeguard the integrity of the Church and forestall future abuses in Adoration Ministry, and as necessary conditions for the existence of the Ministry, I hereby decree that henceforth:
1. Christ in the Blessed Sacrament must remain at the centre of worship and not personality cult.
2. Since Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life, the faithful must be taught to be truthful by word and example.
3. The use of dialogue and prayer, instead of violence, revenge or exchange of words, should be employed in the face of challenges and difficulties in the Adoration Ministry
4. The Adoration Ministry Enugu shall be administered and organized as a chaplaincy: Canonically, a chaplaincy is a special group of Christ’s faithful entrusted to a priest in a stable manner who is their chaplain in accordance with universal and particular law (c. 564), The Adoration Ministry Enugu is to be recognized as a chaplaincy in the Catholic Diocese of Enugu under the leadership of Rev. Fr. Camillus Ejike Mbaka. As a Catholic outfit of the Diocese of Enugu, it shall enjoy all the pastoral privileges of the Diocese of Enugu and is to be under the pastoral and managerial obligation of the same Diocese.
The Diocesan Bishop has the prerogative to appoint Chaplain and Assistant Chaplain to the Adoration Ministry Enugu or other such ministerial offices in the diocese to assist the chaplains oversee the pastoral activities of the Ministry. He (the chaplain) shall have all the rights and privileges given to him in universal and particular law.
5. The teaching of the Magisterium and knowledge of the Church structure should be central to the Catechesis of the Adoration Ministry. This means that the Chaplain and members of the Adoration Ministry must abide by the teaching and discipline of the Catholic Church as well as its ecclesiastical governance.
6. Administration of sacraments should be preceded by proper and documentation. The teaching of catechism must be made compulsory
7. The Diocesan Bishop shall go on Pastoral Visit from time to time to the Adoration Ministry as is the case with Parishes, in order to assess their spiritual growth.
8. No non-Catholic should play a liturgical role in the Ministry.
9. Effort must be made to nourish the spiritual and moral life of attendees and not just their mundane desires.
10. There shall be no partisan politics either by way of active engagement or by prophetic naming of candidates for positions of power. For in accordance with c. 287 & 2, priests are forbidden from taking part in any form of partisan politics. Likewise, “no one is permitted to harm illegitimately the good reputation which a person possesses nor to injure the right of any person to protect his or her own privacy” (c. 220).
BREAKING: Mbaka Loses full control of Adoration Ministry as Catholic church places new restriction on Priest
This is not the best time for the Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministries Enugu Nigeria (AMEN), Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka as the Catholic Church has placed more restriction on his activities and also removed the full control of the ministry from him.
The Catholic church said they have also banned the fiery Catholic priest from commenting on partisan politics in the country.
In a letter to Mbaka quoted by TheCable, Callistus Onaga, Catholic bishop of Enugu Diocese disclosed the conversion the adoration ministry to chaplaincy.
Unlike in the past where Mbaka solely oversees the activities of the ministry as its spiritual director, making it chaplaincy brings it under the control of the Enugu diocese and gives the Bishop the power to appoint a chaplain to oversee its operations.
Although the bishop said Mbaka still leads the chaplaincy, he added that he (Bishop) can appoint any ministerial officer “to assist the chaplains to oversee the pastoral activities of the ministry.”
The letter, which is dated June 3, contains the diocesan directives and guidelines for the conduct of the adoration ministry.
The directives were announced just as Mbaka is set to resume activities of the ministry which was suspended following his one-month private retreat.
The priest went on the retreat after the controversies that trailed his recent clash with the presidency.
President of a civil society organization, International Solidarity for Peace and Human Rights Initiative, IS4-PHRI, Comrade Osmond Ugwu, has demanded the arrest and prosecution of former Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters, Abdurrahman Kuwa Sumaila for “hate speech and provocative statement capable of causing insurrection and destabilization of the country.”
Ugwu who called on the attention of the president, the national assembly, the national security adviser, the director general of Directorate of State Service, DSS, and the international community to prevail on law enforcement agencies to ensure that Sumaila is arrested and prosecuted, added that his statement has “far-reaching implications and dangerous consequences against the Igbos in Nigeria.”
Sumaila, in a statement he issued to newsmen in Kano, yesterday, claimed that no right-thinking Nigerian will support the candidature of any South-East politician vying for the presidency in 2023.
He noted that the extant situation in the Southeast was an indication that the region cannot be entrusted with the country’s leadership.According to him: “With these atrocities committed by the South-East people on record, how can Nigerians entrust them to govern us? I am sure not a single right-thinking Nigerian will endanger his life to support the candidature of any South-East politician contesting for presidency come 2023 general elections.”
Reacting on Thursday, however, the civil society president said the “highly damning statements credited to Sumaila depicts hate speech, inciting statements and malice against the Igbo nation and nationality of the Nigerian state which if not objectively addressed by bringing him to justice is capable of triggering off and heightening justification for demand for secession of the Igbos from the Nigerian federation.”
He added: “In his costly statement, Alhaji Abdurrahman described the whole Igbos as terrorists that cannot be entrusted with the office of President of Nigeria, relying on his prejudicial claims on the killing of former aide to President Jonathan, Mr Ahmed Gulak in Imo state and what he described as activities of unknown gunmen in the Southeast.
“Based on his biased perception and conclusion about the Igbos he posited that Igbos are not capable of occupying the office of President of Nigeria.
“If the opinion of Abdurrahm should be taken serious by the appropriate agencies of the government and the presidency by refusing or failing to bring him to justice, it then means that the president of Nigeria, Senate president and Chief Justice of the federation should resign for coming from the zones where terrorism of Boko Harram, Herdsmen and Banditry have taken over the affairs of life of the people with all the killings on daily basis being treated as a way of national Life.
Apart from the supposed resignation of the heads of the three arms of government of Nigeria for having come from the zones where terrorism started in Nigeria and has assumed prominence of daily business, people from those zones should be permanently barred from leadership of the country in perpetuity, given the harm terrorism which originated from those zones caused and continues to cause humanity and has become a thriving business in the areas.
“In order to avoid the dangerous consequences statement of Alhaji Abdurrahm to Nigeria unity and progress, I hereby call on the Nigeria Senate and House of Representatives to pass a resolution condemning the statement and direct the Inspector General of Police to urgently arrest him and prosecute him appropriately, while the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, should also direct same.If the relevant authorities and agencies of Nigeria government failed to act as it is appropriate, the Igbo people and nationality may view such silence or inaction in this regard as mark of conspiracy against and be compelled to see themselves as being hated by people of the north and as such can seek for their own sovereign state and will be justified for that by God and humanity.”
Social Media Giant, Twitter has yet again deleted another tweet from President Muhammadu Buhari’s account on Thursday evening.
Twitter made headlines on Wednesday after it deleted a controversial tweet made by President Muhammadu Buhari threatening ‘Genocidal’ violence against the Igbos.
The development struck a nerve with the Nigerian Government and they wasted no time in condemning the platform.
Nigeria’s Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed branded the move as ‘suspicious’ accusing Twitter of having ‘double standards’. However, on Thursday the platform also deleted a video of President Buhari making controversial statements about the 1967 civil war.
In the past one month or so, Chinedu Nwoye has devoted sleepless nights ensuring that the date of the APGA primaries stares us in the face. Chinedu, energetic, passionate, likeable and leader of leaders by that singular action has been asking us to make hay while the sun shines.
Now, let us pull the log off Chinedu’ s feet by changing the direction of public conversation in regard to this all important leadership recruitment for APGA which many eggheads say is ”consequential.”
With few days to go, we pointedly put forth a poser and teaser- who does the APGA Cap fit? Hey, what is going on in your mind? We figure you want to tell us.
You can. This is democracy. But rest assured that we have sampled an universe which is very representative of Anambra voting population through a random stratified sampling method. Their verdict- hold it, we will reveal in the days ahead with all the supporting evidences. You can take that verdict to the bank because it is empirical with zero error margin.
For now be on the watch out as we revert with the verdict. And be of good cheer.
The Biafra Revolutionary Forces (BRF) has claimed responsibility for the attacks on government facilities in the South East and other parts of Nigeria.
The group also claimed responsibility for the killing of some security personnel, describing the Supreme Leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as an impostor.
A member of the group, who spoke exclusively with Elombah News said that so called ” Unknown Gunmen” operating across the country, especially the south east vowed to “finish everything built on Nigerian soil with our stolen resources unless the government signed the document on the table waiting for them to sign”.
Nnamdi Kanu has been praising the attacks on the Nigeria security personnel and institutions through his social media handle. Among the attacks carried out over the past months was the burning of INEC offices, the destruction of police stations, and the killing of the Police, Army and Immigration officers.
But, narrating what is going in the region, the BRF operative explained that the reason why the group is yet to deflate Nnamdi Kanu’s ego is because they don’t what it to look as if igbos are fighting themselves.
‘Our men on the ground will continue to do what we are doing because the Igbos nowadays do not reason like the Igbos in the olden days’, he said.
“They are driven with emotional sentiment; they embrace the lies and deception from Nnamdi Kanu instead seeing the reality on the ground”.
“Our people love lies and deception. If you tell them the truth they will ignore you and go their way because they are liars. But the international community and government of the both here and there know that we are the real deal.”
He added that “the government of Nigeria and Lai Mohammed warned news media organizations in Nigeria never to mention our name BRF in their publication. And ask them to use “UNKNOWN GUNMEN”, but the same government will turn around to call us for negotiations and dialogue’.
Source: Elomba[fwdmsp preset_id=”skin_minimal_dark” playlist_id=”Main Radio Playlist”]
Ndigbo, I understand that in a period of heightened emotion, it is difficult to look at issues logically and DISPASSIONATELY but let me say this, just for the record,
Insulting Buhari following that atrocious threat he just tweeted against us will not solve this problem. It will only give us emotional orgasm at best. Nothing more.
When the violent attacks by Unknown Gun Men in the southeast started, I recall writing in condemnation and calling on all of us to join hands to condemn any attempt to turn Ala-Igbo to Somalia under whatever guise. I added that only a foolish son will fight a war in his own home because head or tail, na you lose. I remember I was attacked on that post by those who think being Igbo is all about wearing ishiagu and being drunk on empty emotion while being low on reason.
Today, we have all seen that Ndigbo and Ala-Igbo are the ultimate loser from this whole violence. Most of our towns are now deserted. Businesses closed. Our people are scared and living in fear. Today, I heard that the house and cars of a prominent man in Ohofia was burnt. That is a private citizen ooo
Let me say this again, anyone attacking security operatives and govt infrastructures in the southeast is actually looking for trouble from the govt and seeing as the govt is headed by a dark-hearted man with a generational hatred for Ndigbo, he will not fail to use that opportunity to try and do what he and his gang couldn’t do in 1967.
Buhari is a known hater of Ndigbo, why give him the excuse to kill our people?
Before now, the problem was Buhari/Fulani versus the rest of Nigeria and we were already building a strong pan Nigerian alliance to isolate them until some of us went and monopolized and essentialized and converted a Nigerian problem to an Igbo problem. And the attacks on govt facilities and security operatives/formation began with the attendant celebration of the attackers – the same attackers whose identities we all claim we don’t know.
The solution is to halt the ongoing madness in Alaigbo.
THOSE ATTACKING GOVT INSTITUTIONS AND SECURITY OPERATIVES IN ALA-IGBO, WHOEVER YOU ARE, PLEASE STOP. THOSE OF YOU CELEBRATING IT BOTH ON AND OFF-LINE SHOULD ALSO STOP.
That is, assuming we have any love for Ala-Igbo.
As long as the attacks continue, Buhari will have reasons to flood the entire East with soldiers and police and in the eye of the international community, he would be justified because he could claim he was maintaining NATIONAL SECURITY. Even if his troops commit gross human right violations, nothing much will come out of it. The world is such an amoral place and the international communities are guided by interest, nothing more.
We cannot afford an armed conflict with the Nigerian state. NOT NOW! So even if the state is trying to draw us into one, we should do all we can to resist it. This is not cowardice. This is wisdom. We cannot be shouting Ozo-emena while doing things that will provide an excuse for ozo to mee.
I have heard the argument that it’s better to scatter everything and everywhere so we can all start afresh to build a better society. I understand this logic but I respectfully disagree with it because quite frankly, Ndigbo are not ready for this. When a formidable opponent is baiting you for a fight, wisdom demands that you buy time to enable you prepare before taking the bait, else, you will just end up committing suicide. According to Chinualumogu Achebe, it is good to be brave but sometimes, it is better to be a coward
Dear Unknown Gun Men and their enablers both on and off social media, please, for the sake of our people who can no longer do their businesses, make una pity us by marching break bikonu. Na beg I dey beg. Ala-Igbo is bleeding. Please, for the sake of God, make una stop.
Ndigbo, We Should Not Use Our Head To Break The Nigerian Coconut AGAIN. This country is already collapsing under the weight of her internal contradictions. Don’t let Ala-Igbo collapse alongside. If we cannot stop an evil rain from falling, we should at least stop ourselves from being beaten by the rain.
PS: It took me a while to appreciate the fact that these tweets emanated from the President. It explains everything. We should be very careful not to jeopardize our own business, security and lives.
We must be careful not to turn SE to another NE!!!
