Some people are born to fight for others.In their blood ,they have burning desire to serve and to better the lots of the society.Historically ,such people are few and the majority of the people look down on them as busybody.
Our society is rotten.It is all about money ,selfishness and greed.We go to church but we hardly care for our neighbours .We do not know what to expect from Government,however,Government do not know what the people want.
Through the platform of OurMumuDondo in Anambra State ,it is our intention to intermediate between the Government and the people – the commonman on the street.
The struggle has just started with EndSars campaign
The major secret of billionaires is their ability to find solutions to the challenges of humanity. All of them created solutions that brought the billions. Presently, Bill Gates is spending millions of dollars in search of renewable energy. By the time he finds one and become a major player in the electricity industry, we will say he is lucky. But we forget that he didn’t pray for financial breakthrough, he only found a solution to a global problem.
Wealthy people don’t necessarily look for money, they create solutions, and money will follow them! Larry Page and Sergey Brin went all out to help humanity find things faster on the internet, and billions of dollars followed them. Mark Zuckerberg created platforms for socialization, and over $71 billion followed him. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak went all out to reduce the size of computer. What problems are you solving for humanity?
Some people spend weeks on the mountain praying for financial breakthrough without knowing what to do to be rich. They just want to be rich anyhow. It doesn’t work that way. Real wealth comes through solving problems. Real wealth comes when we take a critical look around us, see the challenges that surrounds us, and proffer solutions to them.
One of the major reasons why millions of Africans live below the poverty line is our belief that magic wands will suddenly mint money for us. How many cups of mustard seeds did Mark Zuckerberg eat that made him an ‘instant’ billionaire? How many bottles of anointing oil did Jeff Bezos drink that turned him into an overnight owner of Amazon? I’m not belittling prayer, but most of us pray amiss.
This is how potential billionaires pray: “Dear Lord, Nigeria has electricity problem and I want to solve it. Lord, baptise me with fresh ideas on how to solve this problem, and connect me to the right partners to make it happen. Thank you Lord.” God will definitely download creative ideas into their minds.
Unfortunately, this is how majority of us pray: “Oh Lord, I command anyone who said that I will not prosper to collapse and die by fire!” Another person will say: “Lord, I need financial favour. I need divine connections. I need financial breakthrough urgently. Lord send money to me today.” When God listen to our prayers sometimes, I believe He will look down from the balcony of heaven and wonder why we failed to understand that wealth creation opportunities surrounds us.
Dear friend, it is time to change your thinking and prayer pattern. Stop looking for shortcut to the top, start looking for the problems you can solve for humanity. Money is actually a reward for solving problems for people.
THE average wife has her secret of getting her own way with her husband. Making his favourite local delicacy, fetching the remote control or perhaps giving him the occasional massage. But there is, of course, another trick women can deploy to win over recalcitrant spouses – one as old as time, but rarely admitted to in polite company. And that is sex! In the marital arsenal, there are few more powerful weapons – especially when couples are years into a relationship, when the fires of passion are fading, eroded by child care, work and familiarity. Only, using sex as a bargaining chip to get wht you want remains one of the last taboos in these sexually liberated times, a great unspoken truth, despite the fact that it’s a dynamic which lies at the heart of most marriages. But there are some women brave enough to lift the lid on this most controversial form of bartering. And they confess that they either use sex by offering it up like a particularly tantalising prize, or withholding it until their man accedes to their demands. They happily testify that such a practice can get you everything from exotic cars to designer spending sprees. What’s more, these women see little shame in their behaviour, instead saying their exploitation of their husband’s weakness is just another part of marital politics. Juliet is a 37-year-old mother of three and runs a successful bakery and would be the first to admit that using sex as a weapon has strengthened her marriage to Zeb, her husband of eleven years. “The truth is Zeb will do anything for sex,” she says. “That’s why I use this fact mercilessly to negotiate what I want for me, for the home and our future. During the course of our marriage, I have dangled the promise of an ‘early night’ to secure astonishing number of purchases – washing machine, impressive furniture for the house and for myself, I splurge on regular visit to the spa and expensive hair extensions. Not to talk of countless pairs of shoes and a Rolex wristwatch. “My husband has made tremendous strides in his business and I’ve helped in my own way, bagging one or two marketing courses abroad in the process. The first time I used my feminine wiles in the bedroom as a tactic was for a bit of joke a couple of years into our marriage. I wanted a complete make-over of the living room using a professional interior decorator. Zeb thought I was being too extravagant. In an off the cuff remark, I jokingly promised himm a night he wouldn’t forget if he agreed. I got my way – he got the sex. It was that easy! Since then, I’ve used it whenever I’ve needed to. “Our bedroom is out of bounds to our three children. They know it’s where Mum and Dad sleep together. They each have their own rooms. Zeb and I have a rule that we always go to bed together. Once we’re snuggled in, it’s then we’ll talk. We’re a very tactile couple and Zeb adores a back – rub and it helps that he’s at his most pliable then. I’l1 only pick my moment if I sense he’s sufficiently relaxed. Call it feminine intuition, but then if I whisper in his ears about going on holiday, for example, he’ll say yes. He’s never said no. “I’m not what you’ll call a sex bomb. I have a very low sex drive. Only about 30 per cent of our love-making is for pleasure. The rest of the time, I use sex for negotiating. While I do make myself get into the swing of it, there are times I lie there and, for example, think of my next shopping spree! Giving my husband what he wants means I get what I want. We’re both happy. It doesn’t mean I don’t fancy my husband, I do, and I love him to bits. But our sex drive are so different. It’s human nature to put more of an effort into lovemaking when I know there’s something for me at the end of it. “I believe my method is normal even in my social circle and I swap tactics with my girlfriends. Every wife, deep down, is keen to ensure that she gets what she wants out of her marriage. My husband is not a fool, he’s perfectly aware of what’s going on. We both have different needs. I love shopping, he loves sex. This way, both our passions can be met. Some may accuse me of behaving like a prostitute. But I disagree. I believe that what you put into a relationship, you get out. And I have no doubt our marriage would last … “ Therapist Lizzie Falcorner has serious misgivings about such sexual bartering – and believes that women who use these techniques in the bedroom are degrading themselves. “Offering sexual favour is deeply troubling,” she said. “What happens when you lose your libido while going through the menopause or long-term illness? What do you fall back on? I have huge misgivings over someone using the sex part of a relationship as a bargaining chip rather than a loving act which brings you closer together. These type of tactics aren’t part of a grown-up relationship.” Want To Get Pregnant? So What’s Stowing You? Here is a compilation of what the medics believe might work against you when trying in vain to get pregnant: Age: The younger you are, the easier it is to get pregnant. After 35, your chances get slimmer, and it increases the risk of your baby having a genetic disorder. Period: Regular periods? The best time to conceive is days between 13 to 16 than 31, see your doctor to check your hormone levels. Painful periods can be a sign of endometriosis) which affects fertility. Taking painkillers can lower your chances too. Excessive bleeding might indicate that you have fibroids which can make it hard for an egg to be implanted in the womb. Weight: If you’re obese, planning a baby is the perfect incentive to lose a few pounds. Too much body fat affects hormones and infertility. Getting regular exercise will boost your immune system and improve circulation as well. Booze and fags: Drinking over five units of alcohol a week greatly decreases your chance of getting pregnant. Cigarettes contain at least 30 chemicals that decrease fertility. Additives: Avoid artificial sweeteners in most diet drinks and sugar-free foods, and try not to use air fresheners or perfumes that contain artificial musk. They can affect your hormones. On the other hand, a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement may help boost your fertility. Him: Swap your man for a younger man! Men over 35 are less likely to get their partners pregnant in a year than they were at 25. A healthy weight and diet are important for him too. Steam rooms can decrease sperm count, as tight synthetic pants and smoking. Drinking too much can also cause impotence and sterility. Worry: Most of all, don’t get stressed about not getting pregnant! It will cripple your libido, interfere with your menstrual cycle and deprive your body of vitally needed nutrients. If you’ve done all the right things and still haven’t conceived in 18 months, visit your doctor for tests.
Biafrans being represented by Bilie Human Rights brought legal action against FGN by way of originating summons for the determination of eight issues with prayer for eight relief as follows:
Whether the Indigenous People of Biafra who are the remnants that were not consumed in the Nigerian-Biafran war of 1967 – 1970 have the right of self-determination pursuant to Articles 19 – 25 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Cap 10, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990.
Whether the Claimants who identify themselves as Biafrans by indigenous identity are committing any offence by doing so contrary to any provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 or contrary to any provisions of the Criminal Code and whether it is a crime under any national or international law to mention the name of BIAFRA or for the remnants of the Indigenous People of Biafra who were not consumed by the war to maintain their indigenous identity as Biafrans with their native emblems and symbols as they do now even though they are Nigerians by citizenship and nationality laws; and if the answer is in the negative, whether the Defendants are justified to arrest, shoot and kill the children of the Claimants for identifying themselves as Biafrans by indigenous identity contrary to the rights of indigenous peoples as guaranteed by Articles 19 – 25 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Cap 10, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990.
Whether by the interpretation of Section 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 it is a crime for the Claimants and or the people of other ethnic nationalities held together in Nigeria against their will to exercise their right to self-determination by seeking for independence under the law as guaranteed by Articles 19 – 25 Cap 10 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and the United Nations Resolution 61/295 of 2007 known as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Whether it is lawful under the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 and under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap 10 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 for the Defendants to hold the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria together by force against their will who now constitute the six geopolitical regions namely: South East, South South, South West, North Central, North East and North West, in a forced marriage akin to slavery contrary to their human and peoples’ rights of self-determination as there is no provision in the Nigerian law or international law that makes it a crime for a people to seek for freedom by the rule of law.
Whether the amalgamation of the peoples of the south and north by the British Government to form one country called Nigeria was with the consent and agreement of the indigenous peoples of the lands; and if the answer is in the negative, whether the Order-in-Council 1910 – 1913 made by the British Government to create Nigeria in 1914 was null and void ab initio for lacking legitimacy as it could not form the basis of the Nigerian Constitution thereby rendering the amalgamation invalid.
Whether by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1963 which took effect on 1st October 1963 and remained in force until the midnight of 30th September 1979 the Defendants were right to seize and confiscate the assets, properties, money, and all treasures belonging to the Claimants by promulgating the Abandoned Properties Act of 28th September 1979 while the 1963 Constitution was in force, being more than nine years after the war and after the declaration of “One Nigeria” while regarding the Claimants as Nigerian citizens but depriving them of their properties, money and assets; and if the answer is in the negative, whether the Defendants are still justified to withhold the said money, properties and assets belonging to the Claimants.
Whether the Defendants were justified to violate the International Humanitarian Law and the Laws of War known as the Geneva Convention 1949 (to which the Defendants acceded and ratified on 20th June 1961) by bombing the Biafran civilians, killing the Biafran civilians and using starvation to kill the children, women and the elderly of the civilian population of the indigenous people of Biafra in the war of 1967 – 1970 in order to win the war.
Whether the Defendants by registering Nigeria as a member of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) in 1986 and licensing an Islamic Sharia Bank in Nigeria under the 1999 Constitution contrary to Section 10 of the Constitution of Nigeria have violated the Constitution and turned Nigeria into an Islamic country; and if the answer is in the affirmative, whether the Claimants have the right to dissociate themselves from the Defendants and refuse to answer the citizens of an Islamic country in the exercise of their right to freedom of worship, freedom of association and self-determination as a people.
AND LET THE DEFENDANTS TAKE NOTICE that the Claimants who are called Biafrans by indigenous identity and Nigerians by nationality have commenced the legal processes leading to their referendum for self-determination and shall at the hearing of this summons pray the Honourable Court for:
An Order declaring that the Claimants have the right to self-determination pursuant to Articles 19 – 25, Cap 10, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990, and are therefore free to exercise their right to self-determination for independence or any other political status of their choice.
An Order declaring that the ethnic nationalities that make up Nigeria are not held as slaves under Section 2(1) of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 and therefore have the right of self-determination to decide their political status by the rule of law.
An Order declaring that the Defendants are liable to pay to the Claimants by way of compensation or reparation the present value of all the money, properties and assets of the Claimants seized by the Defendants as a result of the Nigerian-Biafran war of 1967 – 1970 since the properties were not seized in wartime but nine years after the war based on the post-war discriminatory policies and laws made by the Defendants to suppress the Claimants from generation to generation.
An Order directing the Defendants to comply with the provisions of Article 20 (3) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap 10 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and consequently give all assistance to the Claimants in the exercise of their right to self-determination for a peaceful conduct of their referendum for independence or for any other political status of their choice.
An Order granting judicial protection to the Claimants, their homes, their offices and their correspondences individually and collectively as they exercise their right to self-determination and an Injunction restraining the Defendants, their agents and privies, from interfering, arresting, molesting, intimidating, disturbing, hindering or harassing the Claimants or doing any act or omitting to do any act aimed at frustrating the Claimants’ exercise of their right to self-determination which they have commenced with a referendum.
An Order compelling the Defendants to release from its prisons and detention centres all indigenous people of Biafra who are agitating as pro-Biafra Movements for Independence of Biafra by peaceful means and to drop all charges of treason or treasonable felonies made against them and to release all their properties seized by the Defendants.
An Order affirming the Memorandum of Ohaneze Ndigbo dated 28th June 2012 submitted to the National Assembly for the restructuring of Nigeria into six autonomous self-governing regions, namely: South East, South West, South South, North East, North West and North Central, as a manifestation of the Will of the People in the exercise of their right to self-determination and directing the Defendants to present an Executive Bill to the National Assembly for a law granting autonomy and self-governing status to the six geopolitical regions in Nigeria; OR IN THE ALTERNATIVE, in the role of the Judiciary as the last hope of the common man, an Order directing the Defendants to present an Executive Bill to the National Assembly for a law dissolving Nigeria in peace along the compatible ethnic groups instead of allowing the country to break up in bloodshed.
An Order declaring that the Defendants by registering Nigeria as a member of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) have turned Nigeria into an Islamic country contrary to Section 10 of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 and therefore the Claimants being Christians have the right to dissociate themselves from the Defendants and refuse to be called the citizens of an Islamic country.
The Claimants attached 22 exhibits and deposed to a 44-paragraph affidavit setting forth their case in the originating summons. The Defendants filed their Defence with Memorandum of Conditional Appearance, Counter Affidavit and Preliminary Objections thereby joining issues with the Biafrans. At the moment the Biafrans have filed their REPLY to Nigeria’s Counter Affidavit and Preliminary Objections. The case started in October 2012 and is progressing very well. The next adjourned date is 28th March 2013.
Here is the story, and why I think the Church is back to where it was before the Martin Luther Reformation exactly 500 years ago.
1. Before 1517, everyone belonged to the Roman Catholic Church which was the official religion, with the Pope as the head. The Pope had the final say on all issues concerning religion.
2. Pope Leo X wanted to build a fanciful Church building called St. Peters Basilica in Rome. The building was going to cost him so much. Hence, he decided to raise money from the sale of indulgences from purgatory.
3. Purgatory was invented by the Catholic Pope during the Crusades in order to get more men into the army. The pope claimed he could buy souls back from hell. His soldiers believed him and the practice continued.
4.The manipulation of the people through the sale of indulgences from purgatory(Offering God money in order to get God’s favor) infuriated Martin Luther. The same idea of indulgences and purgatory was why mandatory tithes and offerings got established in the early Church. ‘God gets excited at the sound of coins in the offering plate’.
5. On Oct. 31st, 1517, a Roman Catholic Monk named Martin Luther posted 95 Theses on the door of the Church claiming salvation was by faith alone, among others. He claimed the Pope had no power to forgive sins or collect indulgences from purgatory.
His 5 pillars were, 1) sola fide( faith alone), 2) sola scriptura (by scriptures alone), 3) solus Christus (through Christ alone), 4)sola gratia (by grace alone), 5)soli deo gloria (for God’s glory alone)
6. The posting of the theses happened at the early beginnings of the invention of the print media, just like today’s internet. Within weeks, Luther’s theses was widespread all over Germany, and all over Europe within months.
7. Before that, nobody had challenged the authority of the Church or Pope and lived. The Church had killed all scientists, historians or anyone who had a contrary view to the Pope. Often burning them publicly or beheading them.
8. Hence, the posting of the Theses was like Martin Luther posting his own death notice.
Ever heard the story of David and Goliath? The Pope was Goliath, Martin Luther was not even a David, he was a worm. The Pope could crush him easily. Somehow, the Pope was not able to. He referred to Luther as a wild boar. Luther often referred to the Pope as a ‘lustful dog’.
9. Martin Luther was summoned by the council of Church and State to recant his writings. He declared he wouldn’t as he was prepared to die for what his conscience believed.
10. Meanwhile, he remained in the Roman Catholic Church as starting another form of Christianity was not his goal. Luther’s mission was to reform the Roman Catholic Church.
11. The Pope declared Luther a non-grata, meaning whoever killed him was doing God a favor. His life was put at risk.
12. Martin Luther was then kidnapped by close friends and hidden in a castle. His physical form was disguised for fear that he would be killed. He had already become so popular in Europe through his writings.
13. While hidden away and in Isolation, he translated the entire Bible for the first time into German from Latin, giving everyone access to the Bible for the first time. From German, it was then translated into other languages. This officially put an end to the dark age, the age of gross illiteracy.
14. Before Luther’s Bible, the Bible had only existed in Greek and Latin which only Priests had access to. You could be killed if found with a copy of the Bible. This gave the Priests so much power, similar to today’s Priests and Pastors.
15. As more people read the Bible for themselves, revolts broke out all over Europe as people saw how the Church had taken advantage of them over many years. The Pope lost so much power and the Roman Catholic Church became irrelevant. Luther called out the Popes, Bishops, and princes without mincing words, often challenging them to public debates.
16. Because everyone now had the Bible, different sections began to break out of the Catholic Church every man claiming his own revelation. There were the Lutherans, Calvinists, Puritans, Unitarians, Anglicans, and many more. The differences between them were so slight and insignificant, and denominationalism was born. This revolt led to the killing of so many of the revolters by the Catholic Church.
17. Each of these denominations grew so much in power, became capitalists and began to practice in new forms and with new languages, exactly what the Catholic Church was doing that led to the break out of the reformation in the first place.
18. Denominationalism then became Capitalism. Churches became more about big and beautiful buildings, how much profit you can get from the people, selling cajoles to people in exchange for money in order to fund the lavish lifestyles.
19. 500 years after, we are back to where it all began. We are practicing that old form of Catholicism. The church now is about money and buildings, tithes and offerings.
20. Who shall write for us another 95 theses?
500 years of the Reformation. We are still bleeding…
Anambra State Chapter of Ourmumudondo joined coalition of civil society organisation campaign on #EndSars#ReformPoliceNG.The group statement reads:
Nigerians have spent the last one week highlighting the travails many Nigerians suffer in the hands of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS). The stories that have been recounted on social media include stories of torture, a lack of respect for the rule of law, extortion, extrajudicial murder and the disappearance of hundreds of people.
These actions are indicative that the Unit has outlived its usefulness and now constitutes a clear and present threat to the safety, wellbeing and welfare of most Nigerians.
To this end, we make these simple demands:
1. We demand for an outright scrapping of the entire SARS unit across the country. Its members have become engrossed in crime, murder, brutality, extortion and disrespect for the rule of law in a manner that makes any attempt at reform a waste of time.
2. We demand for the constitution of a panel by the Police Services Commission to reform the Nigerian Police in its entirety. The agenda must include provisions for better training of police officers; provision of better equipment and firearms; better welfare including housing, insurance, prompt payment of salaries and pensions etc; establishment of a code of conduct and strict compliance thereto as well as strong disciplinary measures for any officer who violates the code of conduct.
3. We also demand for a public hearing at the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to enable Nigerians table their grievances before our elected representatives as well as the submission of memoranda on reforms of the Nigerian Police including recommendations on the amendment of laws to ensure a more efficient police force.
4. We demand thorough investigations into complaints filed against SARS officers. We demand that such officers be identified and immediately brought to justice. In some cases, we will provide video and pictoral evidence against officers who have been seen to be involved in such acts of brutality and extortion.
We give the authorities 21 days within which to meet these demands failing which we will be compelled to resort to other measures to in ensuring action is taken.
Ourmumudondo group in awka was led by Comrade ndubuisi Anaenugwu
The Federal Government has identified 5,000 more Nigerians trapped in Libyan detention camps.
The Charge d’Affaires of Nigeria in Libya, Illiya Fachano, told the News Agency of Nigeria “there is a camp with 5,000 Nigerians and we need the diplomatic police to escort us, to extract them.
“There are various camps in the regions of South, West and East of Libya.
“The United Nations-backed Libyan Government is in the western region which is where Tripoli is.
“Camps in the other regions are known but inaccessible camps due to the challenges of going into these camps as a communication chain is required before we can reach them,” he said.
He also added that the Nigerian government has been in talks with the recognised government in Tripoli, on how to reach some of the camps to extract its nationals.
Fachano also called for the provision of a bigger aircraft to evacuate Nigerians who have agreed to come back home.
“We need the Nigerian government to better fund its embassy in Libya and send the aircraft. We have made our request for that.”
He called on the UN to help out by sponsoring repatriation flights, provide food and health materials for the migrants.
He said the federal government has, so far, repatriated 3,250 from Libya, in recent times.
This is even as 300 other Nigerians are to be repatriated from Libya every week.
Fachano said the government would continue to make efforts to save Nigerians that are trapped in Libya.
“We, the embassy of Nigeria in Tripoli, Libya, have been doing our best to register Nigerians. We have visited the detention camps, and also, collaborated with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to repatriate migrants weekly…”
Dr. Dozie Ikedife is an elder statesman and former President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. In this interview with TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE, he speaks on the recent governorship election in Anambra State, clamour for restructuring, marginalisation of Igbo and the 2019 presidency, among other issues
What is your take on the recent governorship election in Anambra State?
To me, the results did not seem to reflect the popular view of the people, but it teaches a lesson that if you hold a view and you don’t translate to vote, then that view is as good as dead. It looked good to be true that Governor Willie Obiano, in spite of the campaign mounted against him, won in every local government in the state. That is the result and we have to accept it.
Why do you think the result did not reflect the popular view of the people?
Because when you talk to people on the streets, many of them will tell you that the governor did not perform, but yet they returned him. You can ask the people how popular was Obiano before the election. Before the election, some people kept saying, he did not perform, but yet he had what you can call landslide victory, winning all the 21 local governments in the state. How do you explain that except to say that it is strange? I am not a political scientist; I am a medical doctor.
Some people are of the view that the outcome shows clearly that Ndigbo still have a lot of respect for late Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu and that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has great acceptability in the state. Do you agree with that school of thought?
If you talk to 20 people, you will always get different opinions. For example, Tony Nwoye, the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) was described as a youth, but I don’t think the youth actually came out to support what they are talking of.
They didn’t convert the support to votes. May be they hearkened to the call to boycott the election. And somebody who is supposed to enjoy the support of the youth lost. There was heavy support from the civil servants and it is understandable.
They said ‘Obiano is paying us our salaries therefore let us support him so that he continues in office for another term.’ And there was something unspeakable; there was financial influence. It appears that as at now, not only in Anambra, but the entire Nigeria, that whoever spends much carries the day. It is not peculiar to Anambra State, it is all over Nigeria. People demanded for money openly and they voted for the highest bidder.
What is the implication of that to elections in Nigeria?
Nigerian politics is gradually turning to money for hand and back for ground; cash and carry. I hope we will graduate to voting according to ideological understanding and analysis of party manifesto. But you know this is going to come a long way when you look at the way politicians jump from one party to another.
They are not jumping because of ideological differences or ideological changes. They are jumping to where they think they have the chance of winning and some are prepared to sell their mothers to win. It is a great pity. We hope that along the line, we shall evolve better into voting according to ideological differences and the way we see the candidates, manifestoes and promises that are likely to be kept as some promises in politics are often not kept.
Are you invariably saying that Nigerian politicians don’t keep promises?
Are they keeping all their promises? Have they kept the promises to the peoples’ satisfaction? Of course they have not. I want us to be frank in this interview; no question of painting things; painting what is yellow, green. I am not part of that. I say things as they are. At my age, if I don’t say it as I see it, then it is high time I should join my ancestors.
In the contest of keeping to promises, President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC made a lot of promises to Nigerians during the 2015 general elections. Do you think he and his party have delivered their campaign promises more than two years in office?
We have to take into cognisance his physical fitness. I can’t assess him yet. I am still watching, so that when my verdict comes, you can quote it as authoritative. I am still giving him the benefit of doubt because of ill-health. Let us see how he will finish the second half of his first term.
Are you saying that you can’t assess the Buhari administration after two years in office, considering his promise to fight corruption, address insecurity and fix the economy?
As far as I am concern, I have given him credence, credit and commendation for his determination to fight corruption head on. Because if he doesn’t kill corruption; corruption will kill all of us. I think he is doing his best in fighting corruption. Now, some people are saying he is doing a selective anti-corruption war, but if you know that I have enriched myself in a corrupt way, blow your whistle. If it is proved right, you get your reward. You cannot just be saying people are corrupt without concrete evidence. We have to be very careful about false accusation.
In that regard, I think the President is doing his best. He has empowered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and even the Police and Department of State Services (DSS). If you have any evidence, bring it formerly forward; don’t whisper in your kitchen or bathroom and when you come to the sitting room, you close your mouth.
If you know that anybody has enriched himself in a corrupt way and you are sure of it; the government has encouraged people to blow the whistle, promising that you would be protected and you will be rewarded if you are a honest whistle blower. But, if you are fictitious and a character assassinating whistle blower, then you will go for it. I think that is a very bold attempt.
What about the economy?
In terms of the economy, I want to tell you frankly that many of the economic problems we had are beyond Buhari. One, the price of oil at the international market is not controlled by Buhari. Even the need and use of fuel is beyond the control of his government. All these happened the time he was coming in as president.
And in a mathematical equation, where there are so many unknowns, it is very difficult to balance the equation. We are talking about corruption, drop in export of oil and fall in the price of oil, which led to the weakness of the naira and lack of confidence in the economy by external investors. Many of these factors were beyond government control or Buhari’s control. We have to factor them in when we assess his performance on the economy.
There are certain things that experts play with. They talk about recession and disappearance of recession. To me, all these are high classroom talk just to be spoken to the marines and not to the ordinary man walking on the street. Until the price of gari come down for people to get eight cups instead of six for a unit of currency; until people buy kerosene, petrol and diesel at affordable prices; until a man is able to pay school fees of his children and the children, he sold his underwear to train in university or secondary school is able to get employment, talking about recession or no recession to me is just a folk.
We want to know what we can buy with N10, N100 or N1,000; whether it is buying more or less gari and yam. How easy it will be for people to afford and pay for good medical care and also send their children to school. These are the things that will show whether Nigeria is out of recession or not.
What about security, which is also one of President Buhari campaign promises?
In the area of security, President Buhari has done well. I will also praise Governor Obiano for improving security in Anambra State. He has made it possible for people to now travel again at night and you can go to the place you don’t know and ask somebody to show you the way to your destination and they will show you the right way instead of showing you the way to a den of robbers or kidnappers. He has done that and he has to be given credit for that. He is building on what Peter Obi started.
But, there are certain things that still need to be done to address the problem of security. Boko Haram still needs to be controlled because they are still active. The militants in the Niger Delta are still there. It is paradoxical that Boko Haram and perhaps the Niger Delta Avengers have not been declared terrorists and yet the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who doesn’t really carry arms, were declared terrorists groups. After they declared a terrorist group, I went to the dictionary to seek for the definition of terrorist in case the meaning has changed. That it is not the way to control excesses.
Legislations are coming in to make kidnappers pay the supreme price; that is in the right direction as far as I am concerned. But, it takes time before you squeeze some wings in a place where there is trouble. There are certain things I think government is doing wrongly.
What are those things?
They went to Niger Delta and said they have destroyed 20 illegal refineries. That is a negative and wrong policy. The country’s refineries are not producing enough and we are importing fuel. That people are able to do illegal refineries shows that refining petrol, diesel and kerosene is Class Four Chemistry. All those doing it should be gathered together to form cooperatives and allowed to produce and ensure that what they produced meet standard rather than destroying what they are doing and flashing it in the newspapers. Government should organise them and encourage them.
Distilling petrol is not a rocket science; so people doing it should be encouraged. During the Biafran war, we never lacked diesel, petrol and kerosene; they were produced here because we were under total blockage. But, we didn’t lack the products because we were able to scoop crude oil from somewhere, distilled and used it. It is something that should be organised, encouraged and make sure that standards are met.
Another thing is the way government is treating the people, who are talking about self-determination; turning deaf ear to people who are calling for restructuring. Government is for people and not people for the government.When people say something that is generally acceptable, government should listen to them. Restructuring will save this country.
So, you support the demand for restructuring of Nigeria?
Many people are demanding it and there is a need to do it. Some people have said Igbo should forget Biafra; how can you tell the people to forget Biafra? Can I tell Yoruba to forget Oduduwa? Can I tell some people to forget Arewa? Can I ask you to forget something that took away your father, mother, brothers, sisters or friends? It is another idiotic statement to ask people to forget Biafra.
No person who experienced Biafra will ever forget Biafra; even in his grave. People should stop telling Biafrans to forget Biafra. It is an insult on the sensibility of the people who called themselves Biafrans. It is an insult and provocation. What do we do with Biafra should be the question? How should we handle the Biafran situation; the agitation for self-determination in Biafra land? That should be the approach; not to say that they should forget Biafra.
One man came to Nigeria; he said he is from United Nations; a Muslim from Ghana, to come and tell Igbo that they should forget Biafra; that they are better off in Nigeria. Of course we are better off in a bigger country.
Economically, you have a wider area to travel and do business, but you must be alive first. If you are dead, whether your country is as big as China or USSR means nothing to you. If you are alive and your country is as small as Fiji, that is alright. When you are given the back hand almost all the time, showing that that you are not welcome and accepted, how do you want such a person to develop true patriotism?
Are you saying that Ndigbo are not well treated in Nigeria?
Are they being treated well? The answer is no.
In what ways are they not being treated well?
I can tell you that since 1945, the Igbo have been singled out for elimination, massacre and genocide from time to time. If I search, I can find the document that has the lists of all the attacks on Igbo and it will shock you when I read them. It started in 1945 in Jos, 1953 in Kano and another one in 1966, where over 60,000 civilians were killed; then the war, 1967 to 1970, where Nigerians used starvation as instrument of war. At the end of the war, there were no prisoners anywhere.
Convener of South East Elders Forum and former President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Dr Dozie Ikedife has justified Igbo’s ceaseless cry of marginalization as nothing in concrete terms has been done to address the issues. He insisted that any group in Nigeria has the right to self-determination through legal and diplomatic channels. He faulted the recent claim by a delegation from the United Nations that came to canvass for one Nigeria.
He put a big question mark on the authenticity of the delegation, saying that their mission should be disregarded. He also talked about former vice-president Atiku Abubakar defecting from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He said it is too early to judge the former Vice President of Nigeria by his action “because you are not sure if he has finished jumping. Are you sure he will not jump back to APC?” Dr Ikedife addressed other issues of national importance.
It appears that President Muhammadu Buhari administration has begun to beam its developmental searchlight on the Igbo nation, building roads and other infrastructure. Can that appease the Igbo and stop them from crying about marginalization?
You said he has started. Well, when we see that we will then believe. Even if it is in the budget, we have not yet seen the execution. That notwithstanding, if there is something like that in practical terms, then nobody will cry of marginalization. So long as there is evidence of neglect people will continue to cry of marginalization. It is a legitimate cry.
If a section of a country is not given the needed attention as given to other components, it cannot but cry of marginalization. Marginalization means you think that something is due to you but you don’t get it. Or you are systematically excluded from having what you are supposed to get as if you are nobody. Patronages and amenities are not equally distributed. That cry has given impetus for self-determination. And that cry for self-determination will not die unless what leads to it is addressed. If you have an ulcer, it is painful and you will continue to cry until the ulcer is healed. That is the simple analogy.
Are the Igbo the only people marginalized in Nigeria?
As I said earlier, the Igbo started crying of marginalization and others started crying, too. The truth is that some are more marginalized than others. And if you break down the societal groups, in every group there must be people who must be seen to have been marginalized, a group or groups that are not getting all that are due to them. So, every other group has the right to cry of marginalization. Igbo marginalization is quite conspicuous in so many areas of national life.
The Supreme Council of Elders of Indigenous People of Biafra (SCEIPOB) where you serve as deputy chairman is in court with the Federal Government through Billie Human Right Initiative over Biafra self-determination. How far has this gone?
Well, the matter is still in Federal High Court, Owerri Imo State. And it is left for the court to determine our right to self-determination. From the United Nations pronouncement which is adopted by the African Union (AU) and by extension Nigeria, it is declared that any ethnic group who so wishes has the right to self-determination. That right cannot be terminated arbitrarily.
The issue there is, how do you go about it without infringing on the law. Billie Human Right Initiative took the Federal Government of Nigeria to court seeking to know whether the people in Biafra land have the right or not to seek self-determination. The SCEIPOB is pursuing it legally, politically, diplomatically and through discussions within the framework of the law of the land. And you can see that other parts of the world are doing it.
You will recall the size of the Soviet Union, from there, about eleven countries have come out. Yugoslavia broke away, Czechoslovakia broke away and some others. Britain has left the European Union after being a strong member. Scotland sought to be on her own from the United Kingdom, and so on. It is the universally accepted right of any group to seek to be on its own. There was a case like that in Spain and many other countries.
We have outgrown the era of enslavement and colonization, the era of Berlin Conference when Africa was shared and dominated by the European countries. Not anymore.
People should be allowed self-determination. It is a fundamental right. Time is changing. We should realize that the time of domination and enslavement whether you like it or not is gone. Don’t forget that democracy is all about if you are allowed to rule me. If I don’t want you to rule me, it can’t be by force. I will voluntarily allow you to rule me, not that you conquered me. That should be the position. That time of gunboat diplomacy is gone for good. Let people realize it, that you have no right to be ruling me if I don’t want it.
A UN delegation visited Ohaneze Ndigbo recently canvassing for one Nigeria. How do you look at that?
That claim of a visit from the office of the Secretary General of the UN is not substantiated. Somebody claimed that he came from the UN, Muslim from Ghana who perhaps works at the UN Secretariat. He came and said that bla bla bla for us to be one Nigeria. I say to him who the hell is he to tell us where we will belong to? We, who are wearing the shoes know where they pinch us. He has no right to make that statement. What he said was almost bordering on irresponsibility. And I do not expect a responsible organization like the UN to make such a weighty statement without hearing from both sides. I even doubt the authenticity of the man’s claim of who he is.
Why did Alaigbo Development Foundation and South East Elders Forum not long ago travel to US to petition UN and US Congress over Biafra?
We made the petition when the Igbo living in the North were given quit notice, when it was still changing. The truth is that we agree that living in a big country like Nigeria has many advantages, but if insecurity to life and property cannot be guaranteed, it is far better to be alive and live in a small country. If the waves of unprovoked killing of our people in the Northern part of our country, if pillaging and sacking of villages with destruction of farm crops in Igbo land by the so-called Fulani herdsmen, who still do nomadic cattle rearing, if sacking peaceful Igbo people and businesses in the Northern Nigeria is our lot, then we are far better off living in a separate smaller country called Biafra. We take consolation in a United Nations Act which allows for self-determination for ethnic nationalities, who so wishes to do so, peacefully.
Now on 2019. Will Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s return to PDP affect APC’s chances to remain at the centre in 2019?
Well, Atiku Abubakar moves round. Perhaps, he has not permanently landed. Or has he? Are you sure he is not going to move again. We should wait until he has permanently become a member of either APC or PDP before we can assess the situation.
PDP may not be happy welcoming him because he has been jumping from party A to party B. He is a man who is pursuing an objective, to be the President of this country. He is looking for locus standi so that he can use that platform to actualize his ambition.
Should President Muhammadu Buhari be endorsed for 2019?
You know I’m no longer in active politics. So, I can’t discuss that matter.
BVI Channel 1 can confirm from a reliable source that Charley Boy Group has requested for deployment of Security Personnel to ensure a peaceful conclusion of EndSARS Procession across the Country.
Part of the request reads’ In line with the provision of section 40 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which guarantees the right of peaceful assemble and in exercise of that right,a coalition of civil society organisations will be holding peaceful processions across the country to protest over the brutality,intimidation and corruption of members of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad(SARS) following massive public outcry across the Country’
It should be noted that OURMUMUDONDO is an association of all angry and frustrated Nigerian who are hungry for good governance and end of impunity in the system.
