We wish to express deep satisfaction over the release of our sister-comrade and compatriot, Ms. Kemi Olunloyo from the Port Harcourt Maximum Prisons in Rivers State, yesterday, 9 January 2018. Although late, we are glad that the law has finally taken its course.
We also wish to thank the Rivers State government, the Christian Association of Nigeria, and every concerned authority and individual that participated in the process that led to the release of Ms. Olunloyo after being held behind bars unjustly since October 12, 2017.
In addition, we would like to thank very deeply every Nigerian who joined us to demand the immediate release of Ms. Olunloyo. Indeed, we are stronger when we speak together. We, however, hope that all concerned authorities would look into the unlawful detention of other Nigerians across the country and ensure that they are released promptly.
Finally, we would like to state that the OurMumuDonDo Movement will always be committed to the advancement of the Fundamental Human Rights of every Nigerian especially those who are unable to defend themselves in an oppressive environment like ours. We remain strongly committed to the goal of a Nigeria that works for everyone and not a few.
Family of leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has alleged intimidation and harassment by security operatives.
The family has, therefore, appealed to well-meaning people and the international community to call the security agents to order.
In a statement, the family’s spokesman, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, said operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) have, in recent times, been patrolling the Afara Ukwu country home of the Kanus and, in particular, mounting a 24-hour surveillance on their home.
In addition, Kanu said police in Abia State have begun the construction of a security post close to the family house, all in a bid to continue their intimidation and harassment of members of the family, under the guise of providing security in the area.
He said what security outfits are doing in Afara Ukwu is uncalled for, since the area is one of the most peaceful in Igbo land. He advised them to rather direct their energies and professional prowess, if they had any, to the NorthEast, where Boko Haram had decimated the population, and Benue State, where he said Fulani herdsmen have turned into a slaughter ground.
Kanu said it is getting clearer by the day that security operatives are planning to raid their home again, but said it would serve the image of the security outfits better if they return what they looted from their house during the first and second raids, including their mother’s two boxes of clothes.
“The family is still making a case for all the things they looted from our house during their first and second raids, particularly our mother’s two boxes, as anybody still keeping those boxes will have no peace until they are returned.”
ABUJA – A Catholic cleric, Rev. Fr. Kwaggas Matthew, Sunday in Abuja said that Nigerians especially the Christians will soon start raining curses on the nation’s leaders who have abandoned their primary responsibility of protecting the lives of the citizens.
The Borno State born cleric and Parish Priest of Church of the Annunciation Parish, Kubwa, Abuja, in his homily at the Feast of Epiphany noted with dismay the killings and destruction of property by the Fulani herdsmen while the government that swore to protect the lives and property of Nigerians remained silent.
He wondered how the herdsmen who allegedly are killing people got the sophisticated guns they always used in their dastardly act and charged Nigerians to start protecting themselves if the government failed to protect them. Recollecting the number of lives lost in Agatu, Guma and Logo of Benue State, Kaduna, Plateau, Adamawa, Enugu, Taraba, Borno and other parts of the country as a result of herdsmen onslaught on the people, he said, “We will soon start raining curses on the leaders who are not helping us. “How did the herdsmen killing people get the guns? Rubbish happened in Nigeria in 2017, a tribe was told to leave a certain part of the country.
It appears that the devil took over the country. “We should be speaking out to keep Nigeria one. I am not telling you to kill anybody but If government can’t protect the citizens, we should protect ourselves. President Muhammadu Buhari should save us, we are crying. Government should not deprive us of lives.”
He noted that infrastructure in the country had collapsed but added, “God will raise leaders in no distant time for Nigeria.” The Catholic Priest advised the government to consider everyone as equal, every state as equal in providing security and amenities, adding, “We don’t want to be losing lives again, God will soon raise the leaders that will change things for us. “
Essentially, “To the Rescue” of Nigeria, there should be the right to self determination enshrined in a true federation of people without shared values.
‘To The Rescue’ shows that the author is interested in salvaging Nigeria from the brink or precipice of self destruction by her internal contradictions. For the right to self determination to be enshrined in the constitution is an idealistic postulation to guarantee that disaffected units of a true federation can opt out through a referendum as in the Quebec Province of Canada or Scotland in the United Kingdom. The corollary is that such referendum can be defeated if the majority do not feel so disaffected, thus guaranteeing justice, equity and fair play for all sections of the federation.
True federation or confederation is attainable when the essential principles of federalism form the basis of a peoples’ constitution as in the 1960/63 Independence/Republican Constitutions in contradistinction with the military dictated 1979/1999 unitary masquerading as federal constitutions both of which starts with the fraudulent preamble “We the people of Nigeria…”.
That Nigeria is made up of people without shared values go without saying because there are at least three disparate value systems in the Eastern, Western and Northern parts of the country as exemplified by Ahmadu Bello who preferred ‘managing’ to Nnamdi Azikiwe’s idea of ‘forgetting’ the differences between Fulani and Igbo (p.94); Awolowo’s idea of Nigeria being a mere geographical expression and other fundamental differences are as highlighted on pages 94 to 114.
The over 600 page book comprising of 9 chapters and 6 appendices is a minefield of information with plethora of references and delivered in hardly assailable logical arguments.
SUMMARY OF CONTENTS
1. Failure of the Nigerian State chronicles dwindling performance in human development indices, contradictions between the constitution and sharia law, institutional weaknesses in law enforcement and the failure of the state to guarantee security of lives and properties of her citizens in ‘the social contract’ basis of state existence. The only difference is that insurgency, militancy and violent criminality have not snowballed into the Somalia situation although the indices of failed statehood are all too apparent.
2. As we are currently talking about modern day slave trade on blacks in Arab Libya, the author insists that slavery is also taking place in Nigeria which is placed 23rd out of 167 countries in Global Slavery Index. But the more innocuous and deleterious form of slavery is institutional, either as ‘democratic empires’ or ‘constitutional monarchies’ or ‘unitary republics’. If slavery is seen as curtailment of civil liberties, the unitary republic of Nigeria can only but be euphemism for a ‘slave camp’ administered by neo colonial agents together with their witting and unwitting acolytes. The idea of ‘internal colonialism’ has historical roots in the different dispositions of Ahmadu Bello and Nnamdi Azikiwe before and after independence on the one hand and the intellectual disputations between Prof. Chidi Osuagwu and Mallam Lamido Sanusi Lamido in as late as the year 2000 on the other. Currently, there is siege mentality among citizens of sections of the country where the Army, Police, Customs and other agencies behave more like forces of occupation, intimidation and extortion than for protection of lives and property.
3. Originating from the writings of John Lock, Thomas Jefferson and the American Declaration of Independence through world wars 1 and 2, the principle of self determination as per the various United Nations Charters and Conventions have come to mean free determination of political status and pursuit of economic, social and cultural development. Specifically, the UN International Convention on Civil and Political(sic) Rights which was ratified by Nigeria in 1993 proclaims that ‘All peoples have the right to self determination’ and binds states parties to ‘adopt such laws or other measures as may be necessary to give effect to the rights recognized in this covenant’. Though contained in the African Charter on Human and Political (Peoples’) Rights as Article 20 and ratified by Nigeria, it was excluded from chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, obviously not to contradict its section 2(1) ‘indivisibility and indissolubility’ provision but which was breached with the ceding of Bakassi to Cameroun.
4.Canada and Scotland are examples to show that the right to self determination and even secession does not necessarily lead to disintegration of the federating units. On the contrary, people will prefer to remain in a bigger entity where justice, equity and mutual respect engender peace and progress for the citizens.
5. While repudiating violent agitation for self determination by separatist movements, author compares changing attitudes to self determination movements in Australia, Northern Mali, Spain, etc and Nigeria. Ironically, while Nigeria lends moral support to the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) and Western Sahara separatists, she responds to non violent Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) with violent killings, maiming and imprisonment of activists contrary to the intendments of the conventions ratified by the state. In all, the 2016 exit of Britain from the European Union (Brexit) is the civilized way to conduct politics and economics in a democracy, not dictatorship and impunity.
6. The ideal of providing for the right to self determination and secession in national constitutions is canvassed as the bulwark against any tendency of the majority to denigrate or derogate minority interests. Specifically, Ethiopia’s example to the effect that ‘Every Nation, nationality and people in Ethiopia has an unconditional right to self determination, including the right to secession’ was referred to. Notwithstanding this provision, the inclusive and negotiated character of the Peoples’ constitution has rendered the invocation of that right by any group redundant. This position is unlike in Nigeria where rampaging herdsmen, armed with sophisticated weapons keep vandalizing farmlands and communities, killing and destroying at will, while security agencies and governments look the other way and many a time assists the marauders.
7. Notwithstanding its celebration as a huge success and calls for its implementation, the 2014 National Conference is flawed in many respects regarding how to forge a new Nigeria. For one, the core issues like the question of unity and the form it should take were either not discussed because of foreclosure or not in depth under sessions that were time constrained. These compromised the quality of discussions already suffering from downward bias owing to the structure of and membership of the delegates even as the modalities for the resolution of contested issues made meaningful deliberations difficult. Second, the fundamental principle of federalism as a ‘voluntary union of partially self governing states or regions under a central federal government … with division of powers and responsibilities constitutionally entrenched that cannot be unilaterally altered by any single party’ was obviously lost on the conferees. Third, the federal exclusive list which grew from 45 in the 1963 to 68 in the 1999 constitutions was rather elongated whereas 29 items were in the concurrent list in 1963 document with the rest under the residual schedule. Fourth, inconsistencies in conference recommendations include local governments to be issue for the states and withholding of statutory allocation by the federal government or direct funding of local government primary health care without recourse to state governments; no powers were returned to the federating units over states INEC; liberalisation of state policing to the states while arms, ammunition and explosives are under the exclusive powers of the federal government. Fifth, if the 36 states structure weakened federalism one wonders why 54 states structure which will further strengthen the centre and weaken the federating units was recommended. Sixth, also absurd is the recommendation for the continuation with the very costly presidential system instead of the economical parliamentary system needed to release funding for real overall capacity building. The author regards this and the jettisoning of the six-zonal arrangement as the worst failures of the conference.
8. Consequent upon the failures of the 2014 conference to address the core issues as already highlighted, author insists that a sovereign national conference is an imperative for the ethnic nationalities to renegotiate Nigeria using the 1963 Constitution as the working paper. Cognisant of their stiff resistance to change by beneficiaries of the status quo who control the instruments of coercion, he prefers liberation battle of the intellect and perseverance in order to, with superior logic, win over the docile, the uninformed, the skeptic, the selfish, the conservative and even the diehard reactionaries that it is in their enlightened self interest to renegotiate Nigeria into a functional system for sustainable peace and progress.
9. After cataloguing the indignities, injustices, inequities and lack of fair play in Nigeria’s political economy, the author re echoes Mallam Lamido Sanusi Lamido’s 1999 thesis that the marginalization, exclusion and contemptuous treatment of the Igbos since 1970 cannot be endured forever by the younger generations and that ‘if this issue is not addressed immediately, no conference will solve Nigeria’s problems’. In the author’s words, ‘Nigeria is therefore permanently at risk of conflict for keeping the Igbos and wishing to subdue their inherent freedom- seeking spirit, without giving them right to equity, justice and fair play’. He insists that it is only fundamental restructuring, not cosmetic 2014 conference resolutions, along the lines of confederation as proposed in the Aburi Accord of 1967 that can douse the conflict inherent in unitarism to the rescue of Nigeria.
STILL ON THE 2014 NATIONAL CONFERENCE RESOLUTIONS.
The world works according to natural principles and any system that substantially deviates will always be battling with tension until it aligns with the underlying principles. And so it is with ‘military federalism’ in Nigeria and the cosmetic recommendations of the 2014 conference. Classical Political Economist J.S Mills and other federalist scholars like Dicey, Bryce and Wheare (Appadorai, A. 2004. The Substance of Politics. New Delhi, OUP, pp 498-500) have distilled five conditions for the establishment and continuance of federalism as (1) The desire for Union on felt need basis, (2) The desire for local independence, (3) Geographical contiguity (4) The absence of marked inequalities among the component units and (5) Political education and legalism or balanced double allegiance to centre and periphery plus general willingness to yield to the authority of the courts. This can also be termed the presence of a ‘civic culture’ hardly found in non democratic federal systems. Juxtaposing foreclosed issues, enlargement of federal exclusive legislative list, atomistic 54 states as federating units, amorphous nature of the geography of the atomistic units, manifest inequality between the federal and the units and absence of civic culture imbued in the conference resolutions with these requirements, it becomes clear that the necessary conditions for democratic federalism were not fulfilled thereby making the resolutions merely cosmetic. In the 1998 book compilation- Federalism and Political Restructuring in Nigeria and published by Spectrum Books Ltd, Ibadan, p.5, Kunle Amuwon and Georges Herault opine that ‘when a neopatrimonial federal logic makes happy only state officials and their acolytes, even if the later cut across ethnic, religious, regional, class and gender cleavages, pockets of dissent, dissidence and contestations will naturally emerge’. They agree with the contention of Olukoshi and Agbu that “it is … necessary to recognize that the crisis of Nigerian federalism is not just about bickering ‘tribes’ but also about injustices that are rooted in cross national class and gender conflicts. In other words of Kunle and Herault, ‘while federalism has brought several nations within the Nigerian polity together, actual federal practice has hardly been able to keep them together happily’. Twenty years after, Nigeria is not getting any better. My worry as an Economist is that the unitary federalism which encourages the culture of cake sharing has refused to give way to true federalism and the superior culture of cake baking and contribution to the centre even as the world is fast moving away from fossil fuel into clean energy, artificial intelligence and the knowledge economy.
SUMMARY OF ARGUMENTS IN THE BOOK
Contained in this book are strong views delivered in strong language by an unapologetic Igbo elder desirous of waking up the consciousness of our docile political elite who prefer not to see the bigger picture in their bid for political correctness of individual relevance and collective irrelevance. It is equally a warning for those who appear to be benefiting from the present unjust and inequitable system that injustice can never last forever and as long as it lasts, so long will the oppressed continue to revolt either violently or through pacifist resistance to injustice, marginalization and exclusion. It is a clarion call for an intellectual crusade to generate sufficient momentum in the public opinion molding process to craft a genuine peoples’ constitution for the sustenance of democracy, justice, equity, enduring peace (not peace of the graveyard or that of Jonah in the belly of the fish) and sustainable progress. It is a call for fundamental, not cosmetic, restructuring from the present suffocating unitarism to the true political and fiscal federalism of our dreams with the 1963 constitution as the template.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
Man is not perfect and perfection should not be expected from anything he makes. But the drive for perfection motivates man to keep improving. The book contains quite a few errors. . Subsequent impressions should take care of these errors. . . . . These . . . . notwithstanding, the validity of the contents of the book is hardly assailable, not with the plenitude of references backing up his arguments.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
The author, Prince Chukwuemeka I. Onyesoh (Oba Agbalanze Nri) is these and more: an erudite scholar and copious publisher; an intellectual who discovers phenomena according to the rules of evidence and so an insightful citizen; a socio-political cum economic activist; a man of culture and tradition; is possessed of multi tasking, interdisciplinary and cross functional competencies; by pedigree and cosmology he is a pacifist, never believing in the use of violence to settle disputes and regarding this book and publications, his views are strong, always strongly canvassed in direct language but are never seditious. He simply has the courage of his convictions.
I am privileged for the honour of reviewing this book publicly today and do not hesitate to recommend it strongly and favourably to every literate Nigerian, organizations both local and foreign and members of the international community who are or should be interested in the political economy or geopolitics of Africa in general and Nigeria in particular.
Thank you for listening.
WRITTEN BY PRINCE CHUKWUEMEKA I. ONYESOH, AT THE PUBLIC PRESENTATION IN THE CINEMA HALL, ENUGU SPORTS CLUB ON DECEMBER 14, 2017 by EZE A. EZE; Esq, Ph D
Britain was among the nations who voted in favour
of the UN motion against the US recognising
Jerusalem as the capital of Israel
Trump threatened to cut aid to the countries
which defied him at UN
US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said ahead of the
vote that the US would take note of countries that
“disrespected” it by voting against its decision to
recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel
Donald Trump ’s controversial decision to recognise
Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was dealt a blow when
the bulk of the United Nations General Assembly member
states backed its motion to brand his unilateral move as
“ null and void ”.
The resounding condemnation against the move by the
US president was delivered by 128 countries – almost
two-thirds of the 193 member states of the global
alliance. Only nine supported Mr Trump in his stance.
The UK, France and Germany were among the nations
who voted in favour of the motion. It is not legally
binding, but its near unanimous victory delivers an
embarrassing blow to Mr Trump.
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea),
Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica
E: Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia
F: Finland, France
G:
Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guine
a, Guyana
I: Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy
J: Japan, Jordan
K: Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan
L:
Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Lu
xembourg
M: Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco,
Mozambique
N: Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New
Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway
O: Oman
P: Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Portugal
Q: Qatar
R: Republic of Korea (South Korea), Russia
S: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia,
Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname,
Sweden, Switzerland, Syria
T: Tajikistan, Thailand, The Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, Tunisia, Turkey
U: United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic
of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan
V: Venezuela, Vietnam
Y: Yemen
Z: Zimbabwe
Member states that voted against the resolution:
G: Guatemala
H: Honduras
I: Israel
M: Marshall Islands, Micronesia
N: Nauru
P: Palau
T: Togo
U: United States
In reaction to the United States declaration of its intention to move its Israeli embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in recognition of the city as the rightful and ancestral capital city of the world Jewry and the state of Israel, United Nations General Assembly convened an emergency seating on December 21, 2017. The UN claimed that the US declaration has a potential to breach the peace. This of course is not true. At least it should not be because the United States only affirmed an obviously well-known fact of history. Truth should never have the capacity to hurt anyone or breach the peace in a world that is honest, sincere and willing to achieve real peace and meaningful progress.
During the meeting of the Assembly an overwhelming majority voted to condemn United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s historical, spiritual, cultural and political capital city. Though 128 of UN’s 193 member states voted against the move by the US, that does not suddenly turn falsehood to truth. Just like might is not right, a mistaken majority does not become right simply by its superior number. It only clearly illustrates how a majority can deliberately choose to falsify and make a mockery of a three-thousand year history. It is a demonstration of how a prejudiced majority can, based on pure sentiments choose to cast their vote on the wrong side of history and falsehood. It is in view of this that we want to believe and affirm that a few on the side of truth becomes the majority.
Nigeria was among the 128 majority countries which voted against the United States and Israel in that ridiculous shameless effort to falsify history and sell the conscience of their citizens at the altar of sentiment, insincerity and dishonesty. Igbo people with a population of 50 million though compelled against their will are still a part of the Nigerian state. In the light of this fact therefore it has become necessary to state very clearly Igbo nation’s position in this controversial issue. As Igbo people we state in a no uncertain terms that the position assumed by Nigeria in the Jerusalem matter is merely the country’s official position which the Igbo nation does not in any way support or ascribe to. We condemn in strong terms this ridiculous attempt by the government of Nigeria to besmear and scandalize us as a people. Igbo people have always taken pride in standing and voting on the side of justice and truth. Therefore in this matter we stand with the United States, Israel and others who are courageous enough to stand on the right side of history, truth and justice.
In the interest of those who may wish to know our basis in supporting Israel and the few others who are on their side. Apart from several historical, archeological and traditional facts that justify our position in this matter, we recognize that Igbo story is in many ways similar to that of the Jews. It is therefore easy for us to identify with and support the Israelis position in this and other matters. 72 years ago European Jews suffered from genocide in which 6 million of them were murdered so brutally by the German Nazi regime. 47 years ago the Igbo suffered from genocide in which 3.1 million of them were similarly murdered by Nigerians and their government. In the same way that Jews are still suffering from undue persecution and hatred from their Arab neighbors the Igbo are still being unjustly persecuted, victimized and mistreated by Nigerians and their government. These similarities are quite numerous but we will not bore the reader with further details. But the point is that because we go through the same pains, we do understand where the Israeli shoe pinches.
In order to disabuse the minds of those who believe that the Jewish state of Israel is as recent as 1948, we will rely on history to argue against that point. Recorded history and other artifacts prove that the Jewish people have continuously inhabited that portion of the Earth for more than three thousand years, up to the present time. Truly, starting from about 70 AD the majority of Israelites were scattered from the land of Judea (Palestine) including Jerusalem by the Romans who colonized the region but there had never been a time in history till 1948, when the Israelis reestablished their sovereignty over this their ancestral homeland, that there was a zero remnants of the people of Israel from Jerusalem and other surrounding areas. There has always been a considerable remnant of the Jewish people in the land of Palestine throughout history. The Jews are therefore as Palestinian (Roman terminology for the land) as any other group of people who are resident in that part of the world. So, it is indeed dishonest as it has become the practice in the recent time to attach the term Palestinians to one particular group of people specifically. It is indisputable to assert that the practice is concocted and calculated to deceive and mislead a world that is increasingly becoming very gullible and sentimental. In our opinion we believe that correcting the deliberate misuse of terms in this matter will go a long way in solving some of the disputed issues.
That the Jews at certain times were minorities in Jerusalem due to the exigencies of war and other catastrophes does not justify the acts of those who sentimentally deny the Jewish eternal right to Jerusalem as a bona fide part of their ancestral homeland in Judea and Samaria. Most of all is the fact that the Jews as a people have always left relics, structures and monuments that indelibly imprint their physical connection and attachment to this contested piece of real estate. These incontestable historical artifacts go very far to justify and prove Jewish rightful claim and ownership of Jerusalem and all the other parts being claimed or disputed by the other people. We believe that lies, foolishness, ridiculous dishonesty and utterly mischievousness as blatantly displayed by a majority of the member states of the United Nations are acts that do not promote world peace and meaningful advancement. In a world that will be progressive and peaceful, one honest and sincere vote that is based on truth and justice will always worth much more than those of the sentimentally mischievous majority.
The Jewish people have had an unbroken connection and possession of Jerusalem that dates back into antiquity. And for a majority to choose to dishonestly deny this truth shows a world that is not willing to tell the truth but is probably bent on self-destruction. Lies, dishonesty and injustices destroy civilizations and all other superstructures and achievement. With this recent display of blatant disregard for truth and justice by a significant part of the world we the Igbo along with several others are concerned about the future of humanity and humanity’s collective wealth – the current human civilization.
Having suffered so much injustices and dishonest mistreatments in the hands of Nigerian government and its people we, Igbo people are serious about the negative repercussions of these kinds of acts by a majority of the world peoples against the people of United States and Israel and will not be a part of that injustice. We acknowledge the fact that history, truth and justice is on the side of the state of Israel and its people as being the bona fide owners of the City of David (Jerusalem) and all the other lands being contested by the Arabs. As a people the Igbo uphold the sacredness of truth (ezi okwu) and justice (ofor.) Though still forced against our will to be a part of the Nigerian state, we the Igbo totally reject any part in the collusion to do wrong by a majority which Nigeria willingly joined to unjustly contest the right of the Jewish people to any part of their ancestral heritage in Jerusalem or elsewhere. We stand with Israel and the United States.
The OurMumuDonDO Movement wishes to express strong disapproval over the prolonged incarceration of Ms. Kemi Olunloyo at the Port Harcourt Maximum Prisons, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. We believe that her protracted incarceration belies the fundamental principles upon which our legal system and even the correctional facility where she is being held was established.
It is extremely disheartening that one of the finest investigative female journalists in Nigeria has been unlawfully kept in detention since October 12, 2017, allegedly over a controversial issue involving her and a renowned Nigerian pastor. Even more disheartening is the manner in which the Nigerian people, the Christian community, and indeed the legal system in Nigeria has seemingly become disinterested in ensuring that justice is tempered in this case involving Kemi Olunloyo.
Regardless of whatsoever personal opinion anyone may hold against Ms. Olunloyo, the fact remains that no Nigerian deserves to be treated less as a human as she is currently being treated. Ms. Olunloyo, like every other Nigerian, has the right to freedom of expression and fair hearing. If at all she is guilty as charged, she deserves to be legally and publicly tried instead of being kept for a long period of time in an unkempt and stenchful prison facility.
We, therefore, call on every Nigerian with a conscience to speak for Ms. Olunloyo because she needs our voices at this time. We ask every Nigerian who believes in the principles of Human Rights and Freedom of Speech to demand justice for Ms. Olunloyo not only because she is a journalist but because she is a Nigerian who should be protected by the law, like the rest of us.
In conclusion, we urge the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Rivers State government, and every concerned authority to swiftly intervene in this matter and ensure that Kemi Olunloyo gets the justice that she deserves. We believe that justice delayed is justice denied, and Ms. Olunloyo, like every other Nigerian, deserves better than she is currently being served.
Signed:
Adebayo Raphael
National Publicity Secretary OurMumuDonDo Movement.
The founder Champions Royal Assembly, Joshua Iginla has said that someone crazier than the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu will emerge soon.
He said “There will be crazier Nnamdi Kanu that will rise up, the problem of Biafra is not over.”
According to Daily Post, Iginla said that God showed him that Biafra will be actualised, but not by Kanu.
The founder Champions Royal Assembly also said that he saw an Igbo man becoming President of Nigeria.
According to Iginla “God said to me that PDP and APC will keep having rotational circles until 2029 when a generation of the kind of leaders that we are looking for spring forth. None of these parties will produce our David, they will only be producing our Sauls.
“Between 2029 and 2038, a young vibrant politician from the least region will rise up with a strong presidential vigor between the age of 37 to 50 and he will turn the economy around, he will cause a change that would move this country to the dream land.
“The Igbos will smile again because within this season I see the Igbos producing a president for this country. It will be like sort of revolution but it will come to pass.
“God is showing me that the person that will bring about the realization of Biafra is not Nnamdi Kanu, he is a John the Baptist.”
In furtherance of the resolve to give our people global voice,BVI Channel 1 has added Red Carpet Services to the company’s numerous value- added services.Nobody does it better than BVI Channel 1 crew.
Red Carpet involves guest interview on red carpet during an event.Visit BVI Channel 1 youtube for more video on Red Carpet event.
As all of you may be aware, our dear country Nigeria is currently faced with myriads of challenges that have constantly threatened if not betrayed the very creeds upon which our nation was established. Between 1960 and now, Nigeria has passed through different stages of social, economic, and political change. One thing that has however remained consistent through the vicissitudes of our national history is the harsh consequences of the fatal decisions we the Nigerian people, as well as our greedy leaders, have made up to this moment.
Ever since the beginning of the Fourth Republic in 1999, we the Nigerian people have been trapped in a catastrophic cycle of deeply entrenched elite conspiracy that has so far made our national development very difficult to achieve. On one hand, I believe that the men and women of unequaled consciousness amongst us will agree that the sixteen years of trusting the People’s Democratic party to bring succor to the suffering people of Nigeria brought us nothing but acute suffering and unthinkable looting of our commonwealth. And on the other hand, the All Progressives Congress which was elected on a widespread opinion that succor had finally found the suffering people of our nation – has equally proven to be inefficient, confused, abusive, delusional, haughty, and disrespectful. If there is at all anything to learn from our nation’s contemporary history on political developments, it is simply the fact that our current political representatives are not the solution that our nation badly requires at this time. It is known to every fact-loving person that recent developments have been absolutely unfavorable to the common people of our nation, including me. Unemployment has now hit the second highest of all time at 18.8%. In the same vein, the total unemployment and underemployment rate has gone up from 37.2% to 40%. Youth Unemployment has risen to 33.1% and 20.2% for those aged below 25 and 35 respectively. Many of our women have no jobs to support their family and instead of accelerating, the economy has continued to decelerate. As if these are not enough, the Fulani Herdsmen crisis has continued to grow unabatedly just as the Boko Haram insurgents have unceasingly, almost on a daily basis carried out brutal attacks on those the current administration has described as “soft-targets”. The number of beggars on the streets is increasing by the day whilst the rate of suicide is uncontrollably on the surge. Sadly, corruption has also become a legal tender. No doubt, Nigeria has now become synonymous with the apothegm ‘one-day-one-problem’. Sadly, at the receiving end of these heart-wrenching developments are the common people of our nation and the youths in whose hands lie the present and future of our nation.
These developments cannot be wished away as mere coincidence. They point to the stark absence of visionary and competent leadership in our nation. It is therefore important that those who constitute the larger chunk of Nigeria’s population – the youths, stepped up to the plate to bring Nigeria out of this exacerbating state of underdevelopment.
Meanwhile, let me quickly state that the woes that the Nigerian people are faced with today are not antithetical to the woes of our ancestors under the colonial masters. We have since fifty-seven years ago moved away from the downright evil, oppression, rape, mental and physical enslavement, confusion, hatred, and pain inflicted on us by the colonial masters to the infliction of all these disorders on us by our own brothers and sisters. Obviously, our leaders have failed to learn from the white men the good things they do for themselves but have adopted only the vicious things the white men did and to a large extent, are still doing to us. The looting and mental and physical enslavement that has now become a tradition with our leaders is an ancient trend that they learned from the colonial masters. I am sure in their mind, they would often ask themselves: if the colonial masters could have done it, why can’t we?’ – a very faulty and backward way of thinking. What this teaches us, however, is that our colonial masters have now changed from the white folks to our black brothers and sisters.
Since the second quarter of 2017, a very slim number of genuinely patriotic Nigerians have been at the trenches actively calling for a rude reawakening of our consciousness as a people. And it would be a colossal lapse in judgement if we fail to identify with these change agents who are driven only by the love of fatherland and a strong desire to bring an end to the consistent rape of our collective dignity. From the ‘resume or resign’ campaign to the demonstrations of protest on the brutality of SARS operatives in Nigeria, activists of the OurMumuDonDo Movement have proven to every right-thinking Nigerian that we have a chance to redeem our nation. Important to note is the unbending resolve of these activists who have chosen to speak at a time when silence is considered golden. Even more important to note, and quite astonishing, I must say, is the compelling reasons for which these activists have chosen to speak – the common malaise besetting all of us as a people; the detrimental impact of failures in leadership positions on the Nigerian people; our shared suffering and predicaments; the incessant looting of our commonwealth; and the stomach-churning apathy with which most members of the third estate in our society have reacted to these anomalies.
Despite this seemingly unending streak of bleak and gloom in our society, I strongly believe that there is hope and we have a rarefied option to redeem our nation once and for all. I believe that now, more than 2017 or any other time for that matter, we can unlearn the evil things that we have learned from the white-men. I believe that we can eliminate from our environment the wickedness that is completely antithetical to our creation as black people and as Nigerians. What we must do is create a new society where our specialness as black people would inspire greatness in our society. We must create a new Nigeria where only the best of us get the chance to lead. For no matter how long we postpone the revolution that our country currently demands, it shall come to pass one day, certainly not too long from now.
Brethren, the time to make Nigeria great must not pass us by. Every Nigerian youth, regardless of your ethnic, religious, and political slant, must take part in the struggle to reclaim our nation from those who have turned it into a trading post for political jobbers and cold-blooded politicians. We must also decide whether we want to continue to live with the consequences of a society with an erroneous democracy where a few unapproved, unknown and veiled individuals call the shots to the detriment of the majority on behalf of whom these shots are supposedly called. We must indeed decide whether a Nigeria where everything is done to favor the rich whilst the poor suffer excruciatingly is where we want to leave to posterity. And I know that just like me, you do not wish for this disorder to continue in Nigeria. And so, therefore, I ask that we no longer dawdle over the enthronement of a new social order that will benefit all of us. I ask that we make the year 2018 the beginning of the struggle for the liberation of all enslaved and suffering Nigerian peoples. I ask that we exigently mobilize ourselves to harness our intellectual, artistic, and cultural resources, to defeat political elitism, corruption and incompetence, and redirect governance towards empowerment, dignity, and freedom for the Nigerian people, under the aegis of the OurMumuDonDo Movement. For it is often said that evil thrives only where good men fail to act.
Conclusively, I must say that in a country where people have become enslaved as a result of a self-created culture of silence and apathy, nothing but the pursuance of truth and honesty and the preservation of our collective dignity, come what may, is the only honorable thing to do.
You Are All Welcome to 2018: Our Year of Emphatic Revolutionary Strides.
You may join the OurMumuDonDo Movement by visiting www.ourmumudondo.org or call 07081272818, 08033076993.
You can follow us on Twitter: @OurMumuDonDo, @Adebayoraph.
