Rivers State chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Felix Obuah, has joined the army of well-wishers congratulating Governor Nyesom Wike, on his landslide victory in the March 9, 2019, governorship election in the state.
Obuah, while speaking shortly after the declaration of Governor Wike as the winner, said the victory had once more put an end to any doubt about God’s infallibility, especially in the life of those who put absolute trust in Him.
The State PDP chairman said the victory was not just for Governor Wike and the PDP, but for all lovers of true democracy, as well as the good people of the state, describing it as a “litmus test for our democracy.”
While dedicating the victory to God and people of the Rivers state, Obuah further lauded the victory as unprecedented in the annals of the state, saying that it could only take God’s intervention to survive the gang-up and the evil conspiracy by those he described as “enemies of the state.”
“This victory has gone to show that our God is a miracle worker. God has clearly shown that the fervent and heartfelt prayers being offered by Rivers people on daily basis were not in vain. Truly, He has disappointed all the counsel of Ahithophel including all those who arrogate the place of God to themselves,” Obuah said.
The PDP chairman said the re-election of Governor Wike should serve as a lesson and a reminder to all political office holders not to take the people to whom absolute power belongs for granted and ensure at all times, that people-oriented programmes at the grassroots are paramount to bring about the much-desired catalyst for social and economic development.
“Knowing that ‘Mr. Projects’ is ever magnanimous in victory, I urge all Rivers people, including those candidates, who lost out in the election, to cooperate and work in harmony with Governor Wike, to hasten the development of our dear state,” Obuah said.
He also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Ubo Effanga, security agencies and all those, who ensured that peace and orderliness prevailed during the collation and announcement of the historic election results.
Kaduna – Africa’s richest man and president of the Dangote group, Aliko Dangote has challenged northern leaders to wake up from their lethargy and provide leadership that will lift the region from extreme poverty and wants. Aliko Dangote In a keynote address at the fourth edition of the Kaduna Investment Summit in Kaduna, Dangote said the investment needed to generate employment can only be provided by private investors and called on state government in the region to provide the enabling environment to attract investors to the region. He said if the 19 northern states had 10 governors in the mold of Nasir El Rufai’s, the region would be on the path to greatness According to him, with the right investment in Agriculture, the north will be an oasis of prosperity adding that there is no country with such fertile and arable land that has the level of poverty witnessed in the north . “Nigeria is bedivelled with many developmental challenges but with abundant capital,human and natural resources. Our country human developmental indicators rank poorly when compared with h global averages. Nigeria is ranked at 157 out of 189 countries in the areas of human development index. “While the over all social economic considerations in the country is a cause for concern, the regional imperative are infact very alarming. In the north western and North eastern part of Nigeria, more than 60% of the population live in extreme poverty. It is instructive to know that the 19 northern states which account for over 54% of the country’s population and 70% of its landmass collectively generated only 21% of the total sub national internally Generated Revenue in 2017. “Northern Nigeria will continue to fall behind if respective state governments do not move to close the development gap and that is why we are always saying that the biggest challenge we have and what We are always praying for is to have ten governors like Mallam Nasir El Rufai’s. “Closing this gap requires multi layer investment and government will not be able to muster the needed funds. Only private sector can raise the amount of capital require to find the kind of investment required. Government must create a conducive environment that will trigger a huge inflow mof private capital into the private sector of the economy. Private investment will create jobs and will go Long way to erase the challenge of unemployment and poverty. As more people get employed, you will notice a sharp decline in some of the social vices now prevalent in our society. Kaduna State is a shining example of this. While several states are taking steps in this direction, only a few like Kaduna are making visible progress. “As the capital of the former northern region, Kaduna continues to lead on several matrix. Kaduna currently has the highest WAEC pass rate in the north and second highest IGR generation in the northern part of the region after Kano” he noted. On the way forward for the region, Dangote called on the 19 northern states to identify areas of comparative advantage and provide information and data on the opportunities available in their states in order to attract private sector investors. “As private sector investment propels an upsurge in economic activities, the financial viability of state governments will also improve. State governments will have more money to invest in human capital development and the rampant cases of insecurity as we have it now will subside. The north must focus on harnessing it’s massive agric potentials in terms of both production and processing. No region with such agricukture potentials should be this poor. We have what it takes to turn around our fortunes and I pray all the19 governors of the northern states will wake up and follow the foot steps of Kaduna State government. Given the vast tracts of arable land and conducive condition, I think in the next ten years, Agriculture can generate more revenue and prosperity than oil that we have now if we have the right commitment” he said. He said the Dangote Group is ready to partner with any state government that creates enabling environment for investment in the state.
I ran for the Office of the President of Nigeria in the 2019 elections, campaigning across 30 states of the country in a grueling 12-month marathon of road trips and commercial flights, market visits (with lots of dancing in the public square!), road caravans and town halls, and issue-based messaging across various media platforms. Like several other “alternative” candidates, I lost the election at the ballot box. But we won an important victory: we have changed the political narrative. By challenging the status quo, presenting an alternative vision for our country and bringing hope to many citizens who had lost it, we have begun an important, necessary journey towards our national redemption. Rome was not built in a day. In running (to win, not that “I also ran”) for president I took a bold, calculated risk, sacrificing safety, personal resources and income streams, and quality family life because I was fed up with the failure of governance and economic management in our country. Rising poverty, unemployment and instability remain our agonizing reality. Personal success is increasingly meaningless in such an existential mess.
The 2019 elections were in many locations akin to war. Soldiers, who should defend us from external aggression, were actively and aggressively involved in domestic “special duties”. The process was marred by an orgy of vote-buying, rigging, vote-suppression and violence, all superintended by the chaotic operations of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Voting at my polling unit in Nnewi North LGA, my home town, opened three hours late as a result of card reader malfunction. At some point the card readers failed again. Voting went on manually, against INEC regulations. I observed that there was no privacy for the ballot boxes, so anyone milling around behind a voter could potentially see his or her voting choices. The “business” of vote-buying proceeded merrily apace in a corner of the voting premises. From several states around the country we received credible reports that votes cast for the Young Progressives Party (YPP), my party platform for the 2019 elections, were being diverted.
Much of this was not surprising. But the elections have left me wondering if Nigeria is truly a democracy. Or do we merely have a four-yearly ritual in which political cabals renew their hold on power by using a form but not the substance of democracy? As the character Archie said in the British playwright Tom Stoppard’s play “Jumpers”, “it’s not the voting that is democracy, it’s the counting”.
We must overhaul our electoral laws and procedures, including institutional reform of INEC by reviewing the legal framework for the electoral umpire. INEC must enable and prepare for our citizens who live abroad to be able to vote overseas in 2023. Nigerians in Diaspora remitted $25 billion home in 2018, not far behind crude oil, our god of small things, and yet they can’t vote abroad. How so? If we don’t reform our voting procedures as an urgent matter, we are not serious. Our votes must be counted and must count. Democracy is rarely perfect anywhere, but in Nigeria it’s in a crisis, and it will die if something is not done quickly.
The best path forward is to utilise technology and move to e-voting. We achieved this kind of game-changing reform in our financial and payment systems at the Lamido Sanusi-led Central Bank of Nigeria between 2009 and 2014, when I headed the Financial System Stability and Operations directorates that implemented several of these reforms. Today, every Nigerian can transact banking business and make payments much faster, efficiently and transparently using several platforms like ATMs, online or telephone banking, PoS machines, and the Bank Verification Number (BVN). We achieved these milestones because we were focused, operationally independent from political interference, and had the political will to improve the economy with a modern financial and payments system that is ahead of those of many developed countries. We can adapt these technologies for the voting process, plugging many loopholes for electoral fraud in the present system that is largely manual and antiquated. Yes, there are risks with electronic voting and collation, but they can be managed with effective risk management. In any case those risks are small beer compared to what happened in the 2019 elections.
The political outcome of the polls, reflected in the continuing electoral dominance of the APC and PDP, points to the mindset of our society at this time. Timing and a severe lack of political education in our populace played key roles in 2019. Millions of Nigerians heard my message. Many claimed they loved the message and the messenger. But for sentimental reasons millions, including many of my sympathisers and initial supporters voted for the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari and the PDP’s Atiku Abubakar. PMB voters wanted him to get a second term in office. Those opposed to him voted mainly for Atiku, “atikulating” the view that the Waziri Adamawa was the only one who could take down the incumbent president. So, between the timing of our 2019 run and cynical voter calculations about the ability to win, vision, capacity and policy prescriptions for real progress took second place. Money, of course, also was an issue. I firmly refused to engage in vote-buying, which was perhaps the most insidious plague of the elections. For me though, none of these calculations diminishes the value, validity or impact of my 2019 candidacy.
If the poor succumbed to the weaponisation of their status by politicians, our educated middle class and elite are just as culpable of a warped mindset. These are the men and women who ought to lead a change in voting behaviour. But no. Cynical of the possibilities for real change, they band with the status quo politicians in order to secure economic opportunities in a rentier economy. The reluctance of the middle class to play a positive role towards a paradigm shift is a huge lost opportunity for our democracy.
As for the youth, they made much noise on the overrated social media but did not vote in their numbers in 2019. Many young people also succumbed to the ability-to-win argument, leading the charge for the old establishment candidates. Some were discouraged by the failure of the new generation alternatives to produce a consensus candidate in a coalition. That’s a lame excuse. Coalitions are not formed by force or at gunpoint. Only candidates truly willing to form a coalition (which is very different from “forming” the desire for one) can do so. Behaving as if anyone owed them a coalition or consensus candidate was therefore a cop-out from having to make an informed democratic choice. They should instead have voted for the “youth” candidate of their choice.
I certainly had hoped that a coalition of younger, vibrant candidates could come together. But many shenanigans got in the way. The most important but less obvious reason it didn’t happen was that many so-called alternatives were in fact agents and puppets of the status quo establishment politicians and therefore were not truly independent candidates. Subsequent and recent events in the elections and the run-up to them have pointed to this truth. The puppet masters, who viewed my candidacy as a potentially serious one and were somewhat nervous about it particularly because of the question of its timing, encouraged several of these youth candidates to remain in the race and so divide the youth vote. As it turned out, the youth themselves did not vote in their millions for our candidacies, let alone dealing with the matter of “divided votes”.
Despite pressures, I declined to step down for the presidential candidates of either the PDP or the APC and have no regrets for that decision. I was running on a vision for our country’s future and not for opportunism. There simply was no question in my mind of abandoning my followers mid-stream and cutting a deal for myself. I became the only presidential candidate targeted by a covert fake news campaign on social media by BOTH PDP and APC in the last days of the campaign. The fake news, vigorously distributed to millions of voters in both the northern and southern parts of the country by Whatsapp and other means, claimed that I had “finally” agreed to step down for either President Buhari or Atiku Abubakar. My campaign vigorously rebutted these false propaganda, but as it was already very late in the game, many voters were swayed by these tricks.
Looking back, there were four high points for me in our campaign for the presidency. First, we set the pace. We launched the campaign in February 2018 in Abuja, where I was joined on the stage by my wife and children as I concluded my announcement speech. This was a departure from the norm, as was my precedent-setting choice months later of a woman as my vice-presidential running mate, and setting out my vision in a book, “Build, Innovate and Grow (BIG)” with ideas that were subsequently plagiarised by several other candidates! Second, it was energising to have met with ordinary Nigerians like market men and women, widows and students around the country, and to have been received so very warmly in the North, South, East and West.
A third high point was the official presidential debate. This debate was viewed and heard by an estimated 60 million Nigerians, and turned out a great opportunity to have shared my vision and policy stances with so many compatriots at the same time. Finally, the endorsements and support I received from a number of individuals and groups who courageously went on the public record with their views, was deeply encouraging. I have in mind the endorsements from the Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka and his Citizens Forum group, His Royal Majesty Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife, the Christian Social Movement of Nigeria led by Solomon Asemota SAN, the Southern and Middle Belt Youth Forum, and the newspaper columnist Femi Aribisala.
I am glad I stood up in 2019 to be counted for Nigeria. “Do not despise these small beginnings”, the Good Book says, “for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand”. At least I can say to my children: “I did something to make the future of your generation a better one”. I may not be a direct beneficiary of this struggle. It doesn’t matter. To everyone who voted for my candidacy or otherwise supported me I say: Thank you. Daalu. Na gode. Ese gan.
•Prof. Moghalu, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the 2019 presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), is the Convener of To Build a Nation (TBAN), a non-partisan citizens movement for true democracy.
We have all agreed that something is wrong with the Nigerian State .
My Students and my children are asking me : What do we do ?
I simply requested from all my students to secure their PVC and wait for further instructions.From the State level ,we must look for a vissionary Leader who will change our society .At the Regional Level ,The Eastern Governors must sponsor an Executive law to recognize Regional Government and Development plan.We shall scout for likeminds in other Regions to strengthen their Regions while indirectly the center will be weakened .The present Nigeria constitution has many loopholes and we can still use it to work for our people .
Another student asked me : what of Biafra and how do we achieve it ; my response is simple ,we have achieved Biafra ! Are you surprised !
We are Biafrans by indigenous identities while still Nigerians by citizenship .We are in control of our land .All our leaders are Biafrans by indigenous identities but we have not gotten visionary Biafran to lead us at State level or different levels in Government.
We should stop waiting for manna from Heaven and go to work .Case close . ndubuisi
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is cruising home in victory in the Rivers State governorship elections, having won 13 local government areas (LGAs) out of the 15 councils results announced, so far, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The most rival political party, African Action Congress (AAC), defeated PDP in Oyigbo and Akuku-Toru councils.
The results were announced yesterday, as the commission resumed the governorship election results collation, which was suspended after the March 9 poll, following widely reported violence.
The Returning Officer, Prof. Teddy Adias, who coordinated the exercise assured INEC will be as fast as possible to see a successful completion of the election. He announced the continuation of the collation process today.
Meanwhile, the PDP agent, and former deputy speaker of House of Representatives, Austin Okpara, and his AAC counterpart, Nenye Kocha, have described the collation process as transparent.
Okpara of PDP said his party is “coasting home peacefully,” adding that security agencies and INEC had demonstrated professionalism in their jobs.
However, Kocha, who is also the AAC state secretary, said the figures arrived at, so far, were not comfortable.
He said: “We’ve been in the dark about what is happening. Though the process has been transparent, but, we are not comfortable with the figures. As a party, we are going to review the gamut of all that had happened within the period.”
Regardless, there was pro-AAC protest earlier in the day to disrupt the collation.
The protest eventually turned violent, following alleged shooting by gunmen, which left scores wounded.
This is a top prioty video for every Biafran and Igbos in particular.
Biafra Is Symbol Of Peace But If You Bring War We Shall Fight Back Prof Nwala speaking while addressing pro Biafra organizations in Enugu.
The President of Alaigbo Development Foundation (A.D.F) has once again renstated his committment towards the Socio-Economic and Political freedom of Igbo Nation and Biafra in general.
Having considered the security threats in Igbo land, he made very precise and clear assertions about the readiness of ndigbo to defend their land if the need arises.
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Emeka Adolf Chigozie Emekesri Esq is a tripartite professional trained in both secular and sacred studies,in science and Arts,Law,Theology,Estate Management,Planning and Environmental Studies.Along with his professional practice, he is the presiding Bishop of a Charismatic Pentecostal Church known as Christ The Rock Community and operates the gospel ministry in the pattern of the Apostle Paul who laboured with his own hands to feed himself as well as preach the gospel without motive of financial gains.
Bar Emeka is the Solicitor for Indigenous People of Biafra as well as the Legal Adviser,Supreme Council of Elders Of Indigenous People of Biafra.He is the Lead Council to the case between the Indigenous People of Biafra and Federal Republic of Nigeria & The Attorney –General of the Federation with Suit No FHC/OW/CS/192/2013 at Federal High Court ,Owerri,Imo State.He is the Man behind Mekadolf Chamber that hosted all Biafran Activists at Royal Palace Hotel on 30th March,2019.He used the event to launch the establishment of Customary Government of Biafra that would regulate the activities of Biafra quest for self governance whether within Nigeria or outside Nigeria.In his opening speech,Barr Emeka Emekesiri informed Biafran Activists that the world is waiting for the people of Biafra to organize themselves and come forward for recognition.Read the details
”I give honour to all the Biafran veterans who fought the war of independence from 1967 to 1970 but gave up the fight of arms and ammunition when it became necessary to do so, knowing that the next phase of the war would be a battle of wits and intelligence. General Ojukwu said in 1970 that the battlefield had changed. I quote his words precisely when he prophesied as follows:
“As a people we have endured as only giants endure. We have fought as heroes fight. We have dared as only gods dare. We are disillusioned by the world’s insensitivity to the plight of our people. Yet because our cause is just we believe we have not lost the war, only that the battlefield has changed. We are convinced that Biafra will survive. Biafra was born out of the blood of innocents slaughtered in Nigeria during the pogroms of 1966. Biafra will ever live, not as a dream but as the crystallization of the cherished hopes of a people who see in the establishment of this territory a last hope for peace and security. Biafra cannot be destroyed by mere force of arms.”
– General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu
I want to emphasise his words of prophecy: “Yet because our cause is just we believe we have not lost the war, only that the battlefield has changed. We are convinced that Biafra will survive”. Yes, indeed, the war has continued but the battlefield has changed. Biafra will surely survive but by due process. It is with great joy that we announce that most of the Biafran veterans who fought the war are still with us today in the struggle for independence by legal methodology. They shall be duly recognised in this event.
2. I give honour to the Biafran Elders and Biafran activists who understood that the battlefield has changed from the violent military methodology to legal methodology and political diplomacy. To this end, I give special honour to His Royal Majesty, His Lordship, the Honourable Justice Dr Eze Ozobu OFR, retired Chief Judge of Enugu State, who is the current Chairman of the Supreme Council of Elders of Indigenous People of Biafra. I give honour to the Late Dr Dozie Ikedife, OON, JP, D.Sc., FRCOG, the former Deputy Chairman who invited me and confided in me in the last hours of his life on earth and signed the necessary documents 72 hours before his death for the Biafran Struggle to move forward in his absence on the proper foundation. I give honour to the Late Brig Gen Joe Achuzia, Late Chief Barr Debe Odumegwu Ojukwu, and all other Biafran Elders and Biafran activists who have continued in the struggle for self-determination by legal methodology.
. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CUSTOMARY GOVERNMENT BY DEED POLL
NOW KNOW YE ALL MEN by this Deed Poll that the Customary Government known as Customary Government of Indigenous People of Biafra (hereinafter called The Customary Government of Biafra) is hereby created and constituted for the Biafrans under Customary Law, Human Rights Law, National and International Law, Private Law and Contract Law by Mekadolf Chambers, Solicitors for the remnants of the Biafrans described as Indigenous People of Biafra, to organize and manage them as they agitate for their right to self-determination and have freely and willingly submitted to the Customary Government in pursuance whereof they instituted the action in Suit No FHC/OW/CS/192/2013 against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Attorney General of the Federation as Indigenous People of Biafra in a representative capacity by Bilie Human Rights Initiative governed under their native laws and customs by the Supreme Council of Elders pursuant to Section 315 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and regulated in the manner hereinafter appearing with full powers and authority to operate under Customary Law, National and International Law, Case Law, Contract Law and Private Law enforceable by the Judiciary in all nations of the world where the Biafrans reside.
The Customary Government of Biafra may simply be described as the Customary Government whether the word “Biafra” is included or not and any such reference to the Customary Government by anybody whether orally or in writing shall be construed as referring to the Customary Government of Biafra.
The vision bearer of the legal methodology of self-determination, Emeka Emekesiri, Esq., Barrister & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Solicitor of England & Wales, is hereby appointed by consensus as the Chairman of the IPOB Biafra Project and the spokesman for the Customary Government and the Supreme Council of Elders with the power to supervise and manage the Biafrans and ensure discipline, decorum, controls, checks and balances, orderliness and decency in their quest for self-determination.
The Policy Statements and Orders of the Customary Government of Indigenous People of Biafra, Vol. 1, 2014; and the Administrative Guidelines of the Customary Government dated 22 February 2016, and any amendments of the same in the future; and all the Directives and Resolutions made or to be made by the Supreme Council of Elders or by the National Administrator of the Customary Government or by the Chairman of the IPOB Biafra Project, are hereby incorporated into this Deed Poll.
This Deed Poll is subject to amendment by 75% majority votes of the Biafrans shown in the Biafran Database and constitutes a multilateral contractual legal instrument similar to a multilateral treaty for all Biafrans and pro-Biafra Groups in the world and shall take effect and become binding on the parties by the process of accession or ratification upon the deposit of the original copy of the instrument of 9
accession or instrument of ratification with the Office of the National Administrator of the Customary Government in the country where they reside who shall forward the same to Mekadolf Chambers for stamp duties and registration.
POLITICAL MOVEMENT CREATED FOR THE BIAFRANS
By this DEED POLL, the political movement known as MOVEMENT OF BIAFRANS IN NIGERIA (MOBIN) is hereby created as the political and civil rights movement of all Indigenous People of Biafra who believe in the legal methodology of self-determination consisting of judicial, political and diplomatic processes in pursuance whereof MOBIN is given the power to do the following things:
(1) To mobilize all Biafrans into politics both at national and international levels and impart to them sound political education and awareness of their civic rights and obligations.
(2) To act as a political watchman for the Biafrans and ensure that stooges and political jobbers are not imposed on them by their political opponents but only the candidates duly nominated and elected by the Biafrans are allowed to govern in all parts of Biafraland.
(3) To maintain a register of membership as an organization serving the political interest of all Indigenous People of Biafra and manage the organization as a separate entity different from the body known as INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF BIAFRA.
(4) To take over the political structures in all parts of Biafraland and advocate for the self-determination of Indigenous People of Biafra by due process of law commencing with a Regional Government for the Biafrans to govern themselves within Nigeria just like Scotland governs itself within Britain until they achieve outright independence from Nigeria.
(5) To operate as a political agency for all Indigenous People of Biafra or for any registered Political Party without prejudice to the right of individual members to belong to any political party of their choice.
(6) To operate fully and freely as a political and civil rights movement or transform itself into a registered political party when necessary and engage in all other lawful activities necessary for the fulfilment of its aims and objectives in the struggle for self-determination of the Biafrans.
POWERS OF THE CUSTOMARY GOVERNMENT OF BIAFRA:
The Customary Government of Biafra is hereby created in all nations of the world for the Biafrans pursuant to the rules of multilateral customary international law, domestic law, private law, and contract law and given the power to do the following things under the guidance and regulation of the Supreme Council of Elders and the Chairman of the IPOB Biafra Project: 10
(1) The body known as Supreme Council of Elders is hereby formally created and shall function as a Supreme Court for all Indigenous People of Biafra under Native Laws and Customs and shall make its own rules of court.
(2) The Customary Government shall have national administrators in all nations of the world where the Biafrans reside and shall organize, manage and control the affairs of all the remnants of the Biafrans known as Indigenous People of Biafra being the claimants in Suit No FHC/OW/CS/192/2013 currently pending in the Federal High Court of Nigeria.
(3) The Customary Government shall convene and organize IPOB Town Hall Meetings every month for all Indigenous People of Biafra wherever they reside in all parts of the world.
(4) Pursuant to the power conferred by Clause D25(3) above, the Customary Government shall appoint customary ambassadors in all foreign countries and present them for recognition to the governments of the countries where they reside and shall establish diplomatic relationships with the governments of those countries. Consequently, the Administrator of the Customary Government in Nigeria shall be presented to the Nigerian Government for recognition as the national administrator for the Biafrans living in Nigeria.
(5) The customary ambassadors shall act as the National Administrators of the Customary Government in the foreign countries where they operate but the headquarters of the Customary Government shall remain in Biafraland.
(6) The Customary Government is hereby given the power to make its administrative laws by way of policies and directives for the governance of the remnants of Biafra heretofore called Indigenous People of Biafra.
(7) The native arbitration court known as Customary Arbitration Tribunal (CAT) is hereby created in all nations of the world by the Customary Government for the Biafrans as an internal dispute resolution mechanism without prejudice to their right to seek redress in civil courts subject to the arbitration clause contained herein and shall be managed by lawyers and experts in customary law and arbitration under the supervisory oversight and guidance of the Traditional Rulers and Elders of Biafraland who are members of the Supreme Council of Elders.
(8) The Customary Arbitration Tribunal shall have jurisdiction by consent of the parties who submit to its authority and its decision shall be binding on the parties and enforceable as an arbitration award by the High Court in the territory or region where the CAT is located in consequence whereof the decision of the CAT shall constitute res judicata in all courts of law but with right of appeal to the High Court within the jurisdiction whether in Nigeria or outside Nigeria.
(9) All Indigenous People of Biafra who submit to the authority of the Customary Government are under an obligation to submit to the Customary 11
Arbitration Tribunal before taking their cases to the civil courts in Nigeria or in any other country where they reside. Any failure to submit to arbitration by CAT shall render the remedy obtained from the civil courts unenforceable. Consequently, this arbitration clause shall constitute a bar and defence to legal actions between Biafrans in civil courts in Nigeria and in foreign countries.
(10) For the purposes of managing the affairs of the Biafrans in all parts of the world, the national executive council (NEC) created under Clause B1 of the Administrative Guidelines of the Customary Government dated 22 February 2016 is hereby dissolved as the NEC has remained non-functional and redundant from its inception.
(11) The body known as the IPOB GOVERNING COUNCIL (IGC) is hereby created as the governing authority for all Indigenous People of Biafra. The persons who shall constitute the IPOB GOVERNING COUNCIL in the whole world are as follows:
(a) All Members of the Supreme Council of Elders as reconstituted.
(b) The Chairman of the IPOB Biafra Project
(c) All National Administrators of the Customary Government
(d) All Customary Government Ambassadors in all nations
(e) The Chairmen of the CAT in all nations
(f) Two Representatives of all pro-Biafra Groups and socio-cultural Groups recognized by the Customary Government.
(12) For the avoidance of doubt, the two human rights organizations called Bilie Human Rights Initiative registered in Nigeria as No 45276 and Bilie Human Rights Initiative Trading as Bilie for Biafra registered as a charity in the United Kingdom as No 1172869 are not pro-Biafra groups but human rights organizations which are not permitted by law to engage in politics and governance.
(13) The Customary Government is hereby given the power of fundraising and shall, either by direct labour or agents, contractors or consultants, demand and collect from all Indigenous People of Biafra who accept and submit to the multilateral contract created by this Deed Poll the customary dues or levies called “utu-isi” or “egwe” in Igbo Language in consequence whereof the obligation created herein shall be contractual and not statutory.
(14) The value of the customary dues or levies (utu-isi or egwe) shall be decided by the Supreme Council of Elders in consultation with legal practitioners who are experts in Customary Law or by the General Assembly of the Biafrans who believe in the legal methodology as convened by the chairman and vision bearer and shall be levied in accordance with the peoples’ ability to pay taking into consideration the differences in the income-earning abilities of the Biafrans who live at home and those who live abroad. 12
(15) A trust fund known as Indigenous Peoples Trust Fund (IPTF) is hereby created for the purpose of holding and administering the customary dues or levies generated for the Biafra Project. The trustees of the IPTF must be men and women of proven integrity drawn from regulated professions in Nigeria or outside Nigeria with practising certificates capable of being withdrawn or cancelled by their professional bodies for criminal and dishonest indictments. The number of the trustees shall be determined by the chairman of the IPOB Biafra Project.
(16) The agents or consultants appointed to carry out the fundraising activities or works shall be paid an agreed percentage of the funds they generate but not exceeding 30% deductible at source before paying the balance to the IPTF. Where it is not possible to find some external agents or consultants to do the fundraising works, the chairman or any officer of the Customary Government or Movement of Biafrans in Nigeria or Bilie Human Rights Initiative who has the expertise and competence can do the work as a consultant and be paid in accordance with this Clause in consequence whereof the doctrine of conflict of interest is hereby expressly excluded.
(17) The Customary Government shall employ and remunerate its staff and officers. All the officers of the Customary Government including the Council of Elders shall be paid salaries or wages or allowances (as the case may be) just like all workers in all nations are paid by their Governments.
RECOGNITION OF ALL BIAFRAN GROUPS
By this DEED POLL every Biafran group, socio-cultural group or socio-political group agitating for the independence of Biafra shall be recognized by the Customary Government and issued with a Certificate of Recognition signed by the Chairman or an authorised officer delegated by the Chairman to sign on his behalf, provided the Group satisfies the following conditions:
(i) The Group is properly organized as a body of persons agitating for the independence of Biafra whether corporate or non-corporate and has a membership register with identifiable members; and
(ii) The members of the Group believe and accept the vision of self-determination by legal methodology consisting of the judicial, political and diplomatic processes under the Customary Government headed by the Supreme Council of Elders; and
(iii) The members of the Group pay their customary dues and levies (utu-isi or egwe ) to the Customary Government as and when due; and
(iv) The members of the Group believe in the due process of law for self-determination and shall remain obedient and loyal to the Customary Government and the Supreme Council of Elders; and
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(v) The members of the Group submit to the authority of the Supreme
Council of Elders and the Customary Government for disciplinary measures and sanctions against them for any misbehaviour.
For the purpose of Clause 26 above, any Biafran Group recognized by the Customary Government and issued with a Certificate of Recognition shall present two members of the Group to the Supreme Council of Elders for appointment into the service of the Customary Government and the two people so appointed shall represent their Group in the IPOB Governing Council.
Upon the recognition of the Biafran Group, the Solicitors for the Customary Government shall send the name of the Group to all the relevant Government Authorities and Security Agencies for their protection under the law and shall defend and protect their rights and interests at all levels provided they remain obedient and loyal to the Supreme Council of Elders and the Customary Government in pursuance whereof the Customary Government shall bear all the Solicitors’ legal expenses.
Where the Customary Government fails to provide the funds for legal expenses to defend the members of any recognised Biafran Group, there shall be no liability on the Solicitors and the Law Chambers for the failure to defend and protect them.
The Certificate of Recognition granted by the Customary Government to a Biafran Group shall be revoked and the names of their members struck off in the following circumstances:
(i) If the Biafran Group fails to organize and discipline its members and ensure orderliness, decency and decorum; or
(ii) If the members of the Biafran Group fail to pay their customary dues and levies; or
(iii) If the Biafran Group engages in any activity that contradicts the vision of self-determination by due process and legal methodology; or
(iv) If in the opinion of the Chairman or in the opinion of the IPOB Governing Council it becomes necessary to revoke the Certificate of Recognition in the national interest of the Biafrans.
(v) Any group which is struck off upon the revocation of its Certificate of Recognition may be readmitted and restored after two years if it satisfies the conditions prescribed by the IPOB Governing Council.
RECOGNITION OF INDIVIDUAL BIAFRAN ACTIVISTS:
By this DEED POLL every individual Biafran who believes in and identifies with the Biafra Struggle for independence (whether he belongs to a pro-Biafra Group or not) shall be recognized by the Customary Government and issued with a Certificate of Indigenous National Identity signed by the Chairman or an 14
authorised officer delegated by the Chairman to sign on his behalf, provided the person satisfies the following conditions:
(i) The person belongs to and attends the Town Hall Meeting of the Customary Government and his name is contained in the Biafran Database.
(ii) The person believes and accept the vision of self-determination by legal methodology consisting of the judicial, political and diplomatic processes under the Customary Government headed by the Supreme Council of Elders; and
(iii) The person pays his customary dues and levies (utu-isi or egwe ) to the Customary Government as and when due; and
(iv) The person believes in the due process of law for self-determination and shall remain obedient and loyal to the Customary Government and the Supreme Council of Elders; and
(v) The person submits to the authority of the Supreme Council of Elders and the Customary Government for disciplinary measures and sanctions against him for any misbehaviour.
ACCESSION AND RATIFICATION:
This Deed Poll shall be open for accession and ratification as a multilateral contractual legal instrument 21 days after its execution by Mekadolf Chambers with the seal issued by the Nigerian Bar Association and witnessed by the leaders and representatives of the people for whom it is made.
Any Biafran Group which wants to accede to or ratify the Deed Poll shall do so by the legal instrument of accession or legal instrument of ratification in its corporate name if a corporate body or in a representative capacity if a non-corporate body provided that in either case the signature of the authorised person of the corporate body or principal officer of the non-corporate body is duly witnessed by a person in professional standing such as a solicitor, commissioner for oaths, justice of peace, accountant, doctor, minister of religion or a civil servant not below grade level 10.
For the purpose of accession or ratification of this Deed Poll, every legal instrument of accession or instrument of ratification shall be made by Deed under the hand and seal of the authorised signatory or signatories duly witnessed as stated in Clause 33 above and attested for due execution by a Commissioner for Oath or Notary Public. 15
Upon the deposit of the instrument of accession or instrument of ratification with the Solicitors for the Customary Government by a Biafran Group, all members of the Group shall become automatically recognized by the Supreme Council of Elders and the Customary Government of Biafra and shall become bound by this Deed Poll and all the Policy Statements and Orders and Administrative Guidelines of the Supreme Council of Elders and the Customary Government.
G OFFICIAL RECOGNITION OF THE CUSTOMARY GOVERNMENT
The Solicitors for the Customary Government shall prepare the necessary legal instruments and present to the Nigerian Government and other sovereign nations with seats in the United Nations for the recognition of the Customary Government of Biafra as the official organ that controls and manages the affairs of the remnants of Biafra.
For the purposes of the duty in Clause 36 above, the Solicitors shall forward the names of the accredited members of the Supreme Council of Elders and the Officers of the Customary Government to the Nigerian Government and to the Governments of other sovereign nations for recognition as the leaders of the Biafrans in the interim.
PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS:
This Deed Poll of Customary Governance creating the Customary Government of the remnants of Biafra otherwise called the Customary Government and recognizing all Biafran Groups by a legal instrument is the intellectual property of the author and vision bearer, Barrister Emeka Emekesiri, in whom the patent right is vested and to whom the royalties for the patent right are due and payable.
For the purpose of protection of the patent right, the Customary Arbitration Tribunal (CAT) shall not have jurisdiction to arbitrate or adjudicate on the infringements of the patent right by virtue of the exclusive provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in consequence whereof all actions, questions or issues pertaining to the infringement of the patent right shall be commenced and determined in the Federal High Court. 16 (Sgd) (Sgd) (Sgd) (Sgd) (Sgd)
EXECUTION
This DEED POLL is executed by us on behalf of and in our capacity as Solicitors for the natural persons described as Indigenous People of Biafra who sued in a representative capacity by Bilie Human Rights Initiative in Suit No FHC/OW/CS/192/2013 currently pending in the Federal High Court of Nigeria and duly endorsed and witnessed by their leaders as shown hereunder:
This is sure not the best of time for the acclaimed leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu as one of his coordinators in United States of America (USA), Candy Stallworth has indicted him before Honorable Judge J. Scott Duncan of the Circuit Court of the First Judicial Circuit for Santa Rosa County, Florida-USA. Miss Stallworth told the court that Mr. Nnamdi Kanu fed him with fake information which she used against Dr. Clifford Iroanya.
Between the months of April and June 2017, Ms. Candy Stallworth personally and intentionally made several accusations against Dr. Iroanya which included belonging to terrorist groups within and outside Nigeria. These accusations were made on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter and was also published by an online media platform: https://www.naij.com/1106751-ipob-member-boko-haram-terrorist.html.
Not pleased with that, Ms. Candy went further to send twitter messages to President Donald Trump’s Twitter handle informing the President that Dr. Iroanya is a deadly terrorist who has planned to assassinate President Donald Trump. She also accused Dr. Iroanya of plotting with terrorist groups in India to attack the Jewish nation of Israel.
This nefarious action of Ms. Stallworth triggered a lot of other chain reactions. First, because Dr. Iroanya was among the signatories to the documents used for official registration of Biafrans in Israel, the Israeli secret service immediately invited the Biafran Representative in Israel and grilled him for several days because of Dr. Iroanya’s alleged involvement with terrorist groups.
Second, Dr. Iroanya was inundated with calls from all over the world from concerned friends and family members after reading the widely-circulated online publications. In addition, Dr. Iroanya was covertly monitored and put on high-level watch-list by all intelligence agencies and especially by the US-based intelligence agencies. Above all, Dr. Iroanya being an oil and gas engineer in a highly-regulated Industry, his activities and movements were closely monitored because of these spurious allegations by Ms. Stallworth.
In a swift reaction, on July 11th, 2017, Dr. Iroanya instituted a lawsuit against Ms. Stallworth through his Attorney, Hunter R. Higdon, Esq. of James L. Chase & Associates, PLC (Attorneys and Counselors at Law) based in Pensacola-Florida.
After failing to prove the allegations against Dr. Iloanya and to evade going to jail, on the 27th of September 2018 and in the presence of the Court Reporter, Deborah G. Kharuf, Ms. Stallworth voluntarily and under oath of the Court entered into a plea bargain in lieu of going into full court trial. In her plea bargain, Ms. Candy Stallworth affirmed the following;
1) That all the allegations she made against Dr. Iroanya were false.
2. That she made those allegations based on false information she received from the following persons;
i) NNAMDI KANU (same person as Nwannekaenyi Kenny Okwu-Kanu)
ii) UCHE MEFOR
iii) CAROL MUNDAY
iv) OBIDI OBIENU
v) JOSEPHINE EREWA
vi) CHINASA NWORU
Stallworth’s plea bargain was generated and signed by her and Dr. Iroanya and the Honorable Judge J. Scott Duncan signed the Final Stipulated Judgment which includes Ms. Candy Stallworth’s payment of one Dollar as damages to Dr. Iroanya (see attached supporting documents).
Speaking about the outcome of the case, Dr. iroanya said “the lessons-learned here are that individuals should be more circumspect and measured in their utterances and writings. Also, those who receive information from their organizational leaders and associates must verify and critically analyze that information before making use of them because it could cause an embarrassing backlash as is the case of Ms. Candy Stallworth.
“Lastly, those who go to social media to freely pour venoms and acidic words and making threats on others must desist because the consequences may be too damning on them.
“For Ms. Candy Stallworth, she has learnt her lessons and will never make such mistakes again in her life and if she does, then she will live with the consequences. For the six indicted accomplices named in the judgment and their cohorts who are still defaming Dr. Iroanya and other innocent people, they are hereby urged to stop now or they will regret their actions sooner than later.
“Let these indicted accomplices and their cohorts take a little bit of their time to go through Section-373 to Section-375 of CAP. C38 L.F.N. 2004 (The extant Criminal Code Act/Law in Nigeria) for which culpability is independent of location, time, and media/platform upon which the defamatory actions were made.
“They must understand that Dr. Iroanya will not hesitate to invoke and deploy this Law to send them to jail, should they continue with their defamatory activities” Dr. Iroanya concluded.
This is to invite you to a day of Tributes in honour of our Deputy Chairman , Dr. (Chief) Dozie Ikedife this Friday being 5th of April, 2019 at Anaedo Hall, Nnewi, by 12 noon.
Customary Govt of Biafra looks forward to seeing you to pay last respect to great Ikenga Biafra .
Directorate of Information
Customary Government of Biafra- 080 35002394
The freedom we seek is finally here.
This is what I called signed sealed and delivered.
Biafrans have finally agreed to retire all politicains that have either working against or sitting on the fence on the issue of Self determination of People of Biafra in Nigeria.
The highpoint of the meeting is the approval of a political platform that will drive the political revolution and the presentation of the Legal Document setablishing Biafra Customary Government which invariably will form the political structure that will give birth to a Biafran Government.
