Igbo Day: Ohanaeze submits agitation, marginalisation, other worries to God

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September 5, 2017

ENUGU— OHANAEZE Ndigbo said it has decided to use the 2017 Igbo Day celebration to submit their worries, agitations and marginalization to God. The apex Igbo body said Ndigbo had at all times believed in God’s superintendence in their affairs and urged the Igbo not to lose faith in God in their tribulations in Nigeria.

The body, therefore, prayed the people in all parts of the world to use the one week 2017 Igbo Day celebration to rededicate their worries to the Almighty.

Chairman of the National Organising Committee of the 2017 Igbo Day celebration, Dr. Greg Ibe, made this known during a World Press briefing at Enugu, yesterday, when the committee released the timetable for celebration. Ibe said they were praying over a myriad of challenges currently facing Ndigbo, which they would use the occasion to ask God for intervention.

He said: “Our prayer points are numerous. It ranges from justice, peace, equity and all that will bring us in total belonging to this country called Nigeria.” Ibe said that in keeping with the tradition of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, activities for the 2017 edition of Igbo Day celebration have been scheduled to hold from Saturday 23, to Friday 29 ,2017 with the theme “Oganiru Anyi Di N’aka Chukwu.” With the grand finale scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on September 29, the activities will commence on Saturday, September 23 with worship in select Sabbath churches.

On Sunday, September 24, members will worship in select church denominations across the nation and in the diaspora. Tuesday and Wednesday, September 25 and 26 are for awareness activities by state chapters of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, while September 27 is for prophetic prayers in Abuja.

Thursday, September 28 is a symposium at University of Port Harcourt followed by an all night vigil, while September 29 is the grand finale in Port Harcourt. Ibe said Ohanaeze annually organises the Igbo Day celebration as a way of commemorating the unique Igbo traditional heritage. He said: “Against the backdrop of the current challenges of Ndigbo and as a way of seeking divine solutions to these problems, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has decided to use the annual Igbo Day celebration for 2017 to mobilise Igbo across the globe to pray and seek the face of God for Nigeria and Ndigbo in particular. “All Igbo in Nigeria and in the diaspora are enjoined to be actively involved in the programme.”

Source: Vanguard News

ASUU Strike Continues: Only FG can end Strike

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September 5, 2017

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said only the Federal Government can end its strike.

The industrial action embarked upon by the union has entered its third week nationwide.

The union said the only way the strike can be called off is for the federal government to implement the agreement it reached with the union and described the current development in the nation’s universities as a mockery of global standards of university education.

The union’s chairman in the University of Ibadan, Dr. Deji Omole, stated this, yesterday, when he featured on a live television programme on the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), monitored in Ibadan.

Dr. Omole noted that the union never shunned negotiations with government but added that the bone of contention is implementation of the 2009 agreement and 2013 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

“When you reach an agreement, you must implement it. They just ended the Eid-el-Kabir festival and why are we celebrating? It was because someone promised to sacrifice his son to God. When he decided to fulfill it, God replaced that with a ram and that is why we are celebrating till today.

“Jesus Christ also promised to come and die for the sin of the world and he came and fulfilled that promise and that is why you still have people who believe in his second coming.

“Why will government not fulfill their promises, contained in signed agreements? That is what brings crisis.

“Government should see education as investment. The products will come out to change society. University is to develop ideas; to change society.

“What we are doing in the universities is a mockery of university education.

“Government should pump in money (to the universities) so that we can solve Nigeria’s problems here in Nigeria. If our universities are properly funded, we can conduct cutting-edge researches which can take us out of the recession.

“What we are simply saying is that the federal government should use public funds to fund public education.

“University lecturers and students are not the ones who created recession. The ruling class, through their activities, plunged Nigeria into this recession crisis. Government should stop establishing new universities if they cannot fund existing ones. Universities are not constituency projects,” he rounded off.

Source: Daily Sun

Policeman commits suicide in Ebonyi

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September 4, 2017

There is bad news in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital as a serving policeman attached to the state’s police command, Mr Donatus Oyibe, yesterday afternoon reportedly committed suicide. The incidence, Daily Sun found, happened at Ukwuakpu axis of Abakaliki capital.

Also, the decomposing body of a 70-year-old woman allegedly abducted and killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Ezi Ajah, Amuro Community in Afikpo North Local Government Area of the state, Mrs Uche Oko, was found in the bush by the residents of the area.

Oyibe, a native of Ndegu Ishieke in Ebonyi Local Government Area of the state was said to have jumped inside a deep well when he went to fetch water.

According to sources close to the deceased, his tragic death might be connected with his recent transfer to Borno State. He was reportedly displeased after his posting letter was released on August 28.

The deceased’s daughter, Ukamaka, narrated that his late father took bucket to fetch water from the well but could not be seen for several hours. His unknown whereabouts created suspicion and tension that led to his search.

She added that when they got to the water well, his bucket was seen and they looked inside the well only to discover that he has died.

“He went to fetch water from our well on Sunday night but could not come back after some time that created suspicion and we started looking for him. I went to the well and saw his bucket. When I looked inside the well, I discovered that he has died” she narrated.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Loveth Ogah, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, said she was not aware of the development. She said that she would get back to our reporter but did not return as at the time of filing this report.

Source: Daily Sun

Man kills lover, commits suicide in Ebonyi

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September 4, 2017

A middle-aged man, Mr. Friday Njoku, has committed suicide after he allegedly murdered his fiancée, Cynthia Nwofia, 25, over suspicion of infidelity in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.

The late Nwofia was murdered at her Abakaliki residence around 11.30pm on Wednesday, while the alleged killer, Njoku, committed suicide by drinking poison on Thursday.

Njoku, who hailed from Izzi LGA of the state, was an okada rider. He had been dating the late Nwofia for two years before the tragedy.

Addressing journalists in Abakaliki, Nwofia’s elder brother, Mr. Mishak Nwofia, claimed that Njoku stabbed his fiancée to death.

He said the family had reported the matter to the police, adding that the remains of his sister had been deposited at the mortuary of the Federal Teaching hospital, Abakaliki, for an autopsy.

He said, “Friday Njoku was to become the husband of my late sister, having made his intention to marry her known. He even brought drinks to my family which was accepted, although both of them have not officially been joined together as husband and wife as the tradition demands.”

Nwofia debunked the allegation of infidelity against his sister.

One of the late Nwofia’s neighbours, Mr. Michael Ugwu, explained that at about 11pm on Thursday, he heard the panic cry of Nwofia’s roommate, calling on neighbours that the victim was being stabbed with dagger by her fiancé in their room.

“When people rushed out to rescue her, Mr. Njoku ran out of Cynthia’s room and escaped through a bush path. We hurriedly conveyed the girl to the Federal Teaching hospital Abakaliki where doctors on duty confirmed her dead,” he said.

Efforts to get the reaction of Njoku’s family proved abortive when our correspondent visited his residence on Friday as none of his family members were around.

Confirming the incident, Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Lovet Odah, said the police had commenced a full investigation into the matter to unravel the circumstances surrounding the murder of the deceased and the suicide case.

“Our special anti-robbery squad, visited Njoku’s residence and found him dead. With him was a bottle of chemical and there were stains of the poison in his mouth,” Odah said.

Source Sun: Punch

How Catholic priest was kidnapped, murdered in Imo

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September 4, 2017

OWERRI—Palpable fear has gripped Imo indigenes, following the increasing level of criminality in the state. The latest victim is a Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Cyriacus Onunkwo, who was September 1, 2017, abducted and killed in cold blood. Vanguard investigations revealed that in the evening of the same day, about 7pm, the newly ordained younger brother of Rev. Fr. Jude Udokwu, was somewhere close to Mbara Okporo with his friend, when some gunmen suspected to be kidnappers attacked them. Although the priest escaped by the whiskers, it was, however, gathered that his car was riddled with bullets. It was also gathered that the same armed group struck shortly after at Nkwoito. It was at this point, Vanguard gathered, that Fr. Onunkwo was kidnapped.

Source: Vanguard news

Breaking News:Flood claims 50-yr-old woman in Ebonyi

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September 4, 2017

A devastating flood has claimed a 50-year-old woman at Mebiowa Okposi in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

The victim, identified as Grace, was said to have been among several persons washed away on the road leading to the Njoku Oha bridge in the community, on Saturday night.

Farms in the area were also submerged.

A community leader, Chief Okereke Ogudu, who confirmed the incident on telephone told our correspondent that they were still counting their losses, adding that the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) was yet to be informed.

Similar incident occurred in the town about two weeks ago where corpses were allegedly washed away from a mortuary at the General Hospital, okposi.

Source: Daily Sun

MASSOB cautions S’East govs against anti-Biafra actions

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September 4, 2017

The Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), under the leadership of Mr. Uchenna Madu, has warned South East governors against any step that would undermine the struggle for the actualidation of a sovereign state of Biafra.

The group gave the warning after its meeting in Abakaliki, EBonyi State capital, with some of its national officers.

Ebonyi State Coordinator of MASSOB, Ikenna Kalu, who read out a communiqué signed by himself and all local government coordinators of the state, said any governor in the South East who was not supporting Biafra agitation was andenemy of the Igbo.

The communiqué partly read: “We are determined to actualize Biafra through
non-violence since we don’t have guns or any weapon. We insist on absolute freedom of Biafra because not even Igbo presidency or restructuring will stop us from agitating for Biafra because that is where we come from.

“We are warning Igbo governors to be careful and avoid any step that is against Biafra. They should be careful of any step that is against Biafra freedom. Igbo are suffering, we are in bondage. So, anybody that is not with us is against us. South East Governors should be careful with any step that is against Biafra freedom.

“No amount of Uwazuruike’s BIM will stop us or even their cheap black mail that will stop us from actualizing Biafra. Our meeting with Ohanaeze Ndigbo was not for any political interest but for the overall interest of the Igbo.

On the planned arrest of leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, by the federal government, the group vowed that it will resist it with its last blood.

“We will fight, we will resist with even our last blood if they attempt to arrest Nnamdi Kanu again. We want to remind Nigerians that they are sitting on a time bomb”, it said.

Source: Daily Sun

PRESS STATEMENT -Lord Lugguard Created Nigeria Not God

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bvichannel1

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September 4, 2017

04/09/2017

Press Statement

Lord Lugguard Created Nigeria Not God

The attention of the Customary Government of IPOB has been drawn to an online report (Vanguard) that God created Nigeria.The report was credited to a message delivered by President Buhari in the occasion of Eid Kabir hosted by Aisha Buhari to mark Sallah celebration.The message from Mr President reads ‘ I am one of those who is extremely confident that our nation will remain united because i am convinced that God’s plans and purpose for Nigeria is that we would be the preeminent black nation in the world.The President said: the country would continue to show greatness in culture,in technology and in commerce which he stated was God’s investment in the black race.We must focus out time,our energies and our resources on being that great nation that God has called us to be’ the message concluded.

CG-IPOB is worried that neither President Buhari nor the Nigerian elites have learnt any lesson from the recent history. To associate the creation of Nigeria with God is trying to question the existence of our Redeemer .Is President Buhari trying to rewrite history that Lord Lugguard and Miss Flora were anointed by God the very day they created Nigeria? It is no longer in dispute that Nigeria is a failed state and God would never have hand in failures.

CG-IPOB could not believe that in a period when even the Northern Youths have come to terms that regions should be allowed to determine their economic, political and cultural aspirations, that few people inside Aso Rock would still be fantasizing on a dream one Nigeria. A country that could not provide ordinary medical assistance to number one citizen! God’s project indeed! A Country that has no reliable data for her citizenry! God’s project indeed.A Country that does not care and or perhaps do not have any concrete plan for millions of her jobless labour force! That Nigeria is still pretending to be one today is by the grace of God.God is about to set His Children free from Lord Lugguard creation called Nigeria.

CG-IPOB wants to reassure Biafrans that God can never be part of a fraudulent creation.God has set in motion action plans to restore Biafra without shedding innocent bloods .

Ndubuisi Anaenugwu

Director-Directorate of Information,CG-IPOB

We shouldn’t spend resources debating division – Buhari

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September 3, 2017

‎ABUJA – PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari Sunday said that the country should not spend her resources and energy debating disintegration. The President also said that the noises in some quarters about the division of the country was part of the rebirth going on, adding that God had designed that the country will be together.

President Buhari spoke Sunday in his address on the occasion of the Eid- Kabir hosted by his wife Aisha Buhari as part of the Sallah festivities said what was required by every citizen was sacrifice so as to take the nation to the destiny designed by God. The President represented by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo at the gathering at the Old Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the nation God had in mind while bringing every ethnic nationalities together was a diverse nation. Although President Buhari was unable to be present at the occasion because he was celebrating Sallah at his home town Daura having been away from his country home for over a year said he held the belief that Nigeria will remain together.

According to him, “The significance of this celebration is the willingness of Abraham to make the great sacrifice ‎of possibly the dearest thing to him, his son Isaac. “Obviously, anyone who knows anything at all about the kinds of things that…..it is a willingness to ‎make a great sacrifice. And Abraham was able to make that sacrifice. “And he made it in order to be able to fulfill his own destiny and the destiny of his people. “The message today is that our nation’s elites, Muslims, Christians and all ethnicities must recognize that we also must make sacrifices, the sacrifices that are necessary ‎to attain the destiny that God has brought unto our people. “I am one of those who is extremely confident that our nation ‎will remain united because I am convinced that God’s plans and purpose for Nigeria is that we would be the preeminent black nation in the world.” Continuing, the President said the country would continue to show forth in culture, in technology and in commerce which he stated was God’s investment in the black race. He said, “This is why today for every … ‎four or five blacks, some people say one must be a Nigerian. That is not a mean attainment at all. “That nation that God has in mind is a diverse nation. Diverse in resources, in ideas, in opinions. “The kind of nation that we have, where there is an argument about something everywhere, before you get tired of that lone argument, another one arise and before you finish with that one there is yet another one. “This is the type of country that God has ordained where we have diversity of opinions, diversity of ideas. People saying their own things here and there. “But, He has also planned that this country will remain together, and that we will be a nation that is gifted just as we have the oil, the gas, and the most arable lands than most continents. “This is a country that has all of what other countries will travel and spend money ‎looking for the sort of resources that we have.

All of the tourism resources that we have people will travel everywhere looking for it. “It is a nation of men and women so creative and prosperous. That we will feed the entire continent and create opportunities ‎for the world. All the different ethnic groups are important in that arrangement. “On every ethnicity, incredible minds, brilliant and creative people doing all manner of things. “Our energies and resources shouldn’t be spent again on debate about division. Our manifest destiny is to be a great nation, not to be a nation where we are talking about division. “We must focus out time, our energies and our resources on being that great nation that God has called us to be. “I think we have started building that country already. “Despite all the noise that we hear, all that noise is part of the building. Everybody knows that you cannot have birth without noise. No woman delivers a baby without some noise and without some pains. “What we are hearing today are the ‎noises and the pains of that great nation that God is about to give birth to.” Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari thanked Nigerians for the prayers offered for her husband’s speedy recovery while he was bedridden in a United Kingdom (UK) hospital. Represented by the Minister of Interior, Lt Gen Abdulrahman Dambazzau, she urged Nigerians to support the administration’s effort to sustain the peace and development in the country. She said, “Without development there will be no peace and without peace there will be no development.” Messages from other speakers including the representative of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) , Rev Israel Akanji, and Special Assistant to the President on Prosecution, Okoi Obono- Obla centered on Nigeria’s unity.

source vanguard

FEHN to train IPOB, Arewa, OPC, members on ethic harmony

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September 2, 2017

The Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria (FEHN) has concluded plans to train 45 members of Oodua People Congress (OPC), Arewa Youths and Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on ethnic harmony and how to entrench peace and unity in Nigeria.
This was disclosed by the Chairman, the Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria (FEHN),Mr. Allen Onyema who said that the trainers who specialise in conflict resolution would come from the United States of America (USA) to organize the training and after the training in Nigeria the beneficiaries would also be taken overseas for further training at FEHN’s expense.
He said that the objective of the training is to make the beneficiaries to eschew all those things that create division among ethnic nationalities and to see and help to build Nigeria as one, united entity and also help to galvanise their members to unite and campaign for one united Nigeria.
Onyema said that the Foundation was at the forefront in promoting peace and unity in Nigeria during the Niger Delta militancy, which contributed immensely in quenching the crisis in that part of the country.
Said Onyema, “we are training 45 youths from OPC, Arewa and IPOB. This is our effort to ensure that Nigeria remains one united country because we are better off living together and if any part of this country splits, it can never rise to any level compared to if all Nigerians are living together because this country is a great country, which we must work hard to sustain.”
“I think what most people are against is perceived injustice or imbalance but the most beautiful thing is that most people want one, big Nigeria than a fragmented Nigeria,” Onyema added.
Onyema said he hopes to see the end of the present crisis and said FEHN would do everything possible to end the various ethnic and tribal crisis and agitation in the country.
“If I tell myself there is no tension, it will be a lie. But we all must be positive about it. One thing I want to say to my fellow Nigerians is that conflict is part of life. Conflict can become a catalyst for positive change; it depends on the kind of approach or response you give to issues of conflict. If you give the right approach to issues of conflict it becomes a catalyst for positive change. However, if you give the wrong response to issues of conflict it becomes an avenue for catastrophe. So we should make the present conflict as catalyst for positive change,” Onyema said,
The FEHN Chairman, who is also the Chairman of Air Peace, said that the training of these youths would be part of his contribution to the quest for unity and ethnic harmony in Nigeria.
“Everybody must not be a political leader to contribute to the development of the country. Recently I wrote to the state security service and I told them to please give me permission to engage the Arewa Youths and IPOB. That I believe from my position of expertise in conflict management, that I could handle these people. I know that we can make them come together and embrace peace and that I what we are working on now, which I know we will realize to strengthen the unity of Nigeria,” he added.

SOURCE:SUN