Nigeria/S-Africa face-off: Reps insist on ‘fire for fire’

THE Chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Mrs Nnena Elendu-Ukeje,Tuesday asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Gbenga Ashiru to invoke the tenets of reciprocity in tackling the present face-off between Nigeria and South Africa.

The House Committee had on Monday summoned the Minister to appear before it and explain the relationship between Nigeria and other African Countries over the repatriation of 125 Nigerians aboard South Africa Airline and Arik Air, a Nigerian carrier.

Mrs Elendu-Ukeje did not mince words when she told the Minister that “the whole thing has turned into an affront and the tenets of reciprocity that is the thrust of our diplomatic policy should be invoked in tackling the situation because it was an illegal deportation.”

The Nigerian Embassy was not informed before such an act was perpetuated on Nigerians so it was illegal and should be seen from that purview, Elendu-Ukeje said.

In his response, Ashiru said, “I share the same view with you on the issue but the bi-national Commission headed by both Vice Presidents of both countries had already started discussions on the issue.

“SA does not have a monopoly of deportation as they should not take our friendly business environment for granted.”

“We are going to make sure that we convey the next session of the international commission. I want to make one thing clear, African countries including South Africa should not think Nigeria’s maturity and the friendliness of our people to foreigners for granted.

Also they should not take the friendly business environment we have in Nigeria whereby companies are making more profits from Nigeria than in South Africa for granted. I believe as we go on these are the issues we’ll bring to the table and sort out. I believe that the present administration is determined to ensure the dignity of Nigerians anywhere. When you deport two Nigerians from a country, there will be appropriate reaction. It may not be retaliation but we will know that we are responding one way or the other.

He said “the National Transitional Commission, NTC was not the cause. The issue of NTC is not the problem that gave rise to the deportation that we were faced with. The underlying problem has to do with the attitude of the ordinary South African to Nigerians.

They have a xenophobic attitude towards Nigerians. We have to address this under the international commission between the two countries. Others on immigration procedure, deportation of Nigerians, police harassment, attitude to Nigerians, will be covered under the meeting.

Ashiru said, “We will demand an apology for the act and it will be measure for measure on issues like this.

“South Africa immigration authorities and officials do not have the monopoly of deporting travellers, I’m sure you also saw the newspapers today. So we will get to the root of the problem. South Africa will know that we are very serious on this matter and henceforth any deportation of any Nigeria we will meet it with equal reciprocal measure, we will not let it go ‘”unreciprocated”, that you can take from me, and we intend to do that.”

The Minister further explained that “I was not informed and that’s why we were shocked because for a brotherly country, South Africa should have followed normal diplomatic procedure. You don’t just deport our nationals and deport them back, it’s not done. In fact before they do it, they  are supposed to invite our own officials in Jo’burg to come over so that they will parley. But I believe that the immigration officials in South Africa are hostile. “

Courtesy: 

I won’t be distracted, says Orji

•Suspended officials at Abia Assembly •Youths back governor

Abia State Governor Theodore Orji has said his administration will not be distracted by the opposition’s criticisms.






Speaking with reporters yesterday in Umuahia, the state capital, Orji said: "My administration will not be distracted by any political party. We are focused on developing the state and improving our people’s lives."
He said his administration has invested over N5 billion in the repair of infrastructure, adding that the government, with the collaboration of the Federal Government, will soon revive the Aba Regional Water Scheme.
On the suspension of some government officials, Orji based his action on security reasons.

He said: "As the chief security officers in their different local government areas, government expected a lot from them. Security is paramount and we have to take measures to correct lapses."
The suspended officials appeared before the House of Assembly yesterday.

Seventeen local government chairmen, 10 commissioners, the chief of staff to the governor and his deputy, security advisers and heads of some parastatals were suspended over security issues.
The state’s Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the burial of Chief Dim Ojukwu, headed by Prof. Joshua Ogbonnaya, also appeared before the Assembly.

The suspended government officials and members of the LOC appeared before an Executive Session of the Assembly for questioning.
They were accused of not mobilising people at the grassroots for the funeral and causing a security breach.
The invited persons were at the Assembly Complex as early as 9am, wearing long faces. They refused to speak with reporters. The closed door meeting, which started at 10am, ended at 3pm.
Speaker Udo Oko Chukwu and other members declined to comment on the meeting.

Clerk of the House John-Pedro Irokansi said the press would be addressed on the outcome of the meeting later.
Security operatives had a hectic time controlling a crowd of youths at the Assembly entrance, who were in support of the governor’s action.
Singing solidarity songs, the youths carried placards with inscriptions, such as, "TC chairmen, disappointment to PDP", "Wayo chairmen, we fire all of you by fire by force", "Greedy TC chairmen, carry your loads and go", "Ochendo go ahead and chase them away, they are greedy".
Other inscriptions were: "Sidon dey look commissioners, bye bye for now" and "Suspension not enough for them, we need their expulsion from both the party and the government", among others.
Speaking on behalf of the youths, Coordinator, Abia Youths Movement, Uche Ogbusuo said: "The action taken by the governor by removing and suspending some political office holders is a welcome development. He has shown that he has the zeal to sanitise the system.
"We cannot just fold our arms and watch our governor, who has exhibited a high level of dynamism in leadership in the past years, be undermined by the carefree and nonchalant attitude of some political office holders.
"We salute Orji for taking this bold step. It is high time he probed the political theories of this state. What he has done, though a tip of the ice berg, shows we are in for a change.



"Youths are tired of hearing thesame names since the inception of this regime. We thank Ochendo for this bold step and are solidly behind his action."

Source: The Nation

JTF kills three Boko Haram members

The Joint Task Force(JTF) on Sunday night killed three Boko Haram members and arrested two in Maiduguri.

Also, another member was injured in the crossfire between the sect and the JTF.

Investigation showed that the six Boko Haram members had attempted to set ablaze Lamisula Secondary School in the metropolis.

But acting on a tip off, the JTF took pre–emptive steps to prevent the arson.

A reliable source, who spoke in confidence, said: "Of recent, Boko Haram members have been attacking schools and the development has forced the JTF to re-strategise.

"The JTF has risen to the fresh challenge and those behind attacks on schools will soon be fished out.

"On Sunday, March 4 about 22.40hrs, at Lamisula Secondary School in the Maiduguri metropolis, following intelligence report, the JTF operatives laid ambush for suspected Boko Haram arsonists who were to set the school ablaze.

"In the process, three suspects were killed, one injured and two arrested. They had earlier been repelled at Ganam Primary School, also in the Maiduguri metropolis.

"Those arrested might be relocated to Abuja for a comprehensive investigation. It was a major breakthrough to have caught Boko Haram members in the act."

Another source said: "Security agencies have been directed to guard all schools because Boko Haram members do not want pupils to attend schools.

"We know that the sect is trying to intimidate the public and show that the state is unsafe. Yet, the situation on ground is completely different."

DERIVATION FUND: The banter between S/south govs and the northern govs

Stoking fire

 
ON July 27, four days after the northern governors stoked the raging fire over the federal revenue allocation formula, the chairman of Northern Governors Forum and Governor of Niger-State, Dr. Aliyu Babaginda, literally declared that the agitation was a no retreat, no surrender affair for the north.

Governor Babaginda at an event in Lagos appealed to his South-South colleagues in particular to see reason with the north in the new demand. His words, “I, therefore, appeal to my entire colleagues (governors) to be involved in deliberate efforts and activities to promote national integration and harmonious co-existence”.

He hinged the northern governors’ case on the justifiability of a situation in which a state like Niger gets between N4.2 to N4.5 billion monthly from the federal treasury, while an oil state gets N24 billion, when in his contention, the idea of common nationality implies that the resources of the nation should be considered as a common patrimony.

Uduaghan’s dismissal of northern govs

Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard on the call by the northern governors said it was within their constitutional duty to ask for a review of the revenue formula, just as South-South, had, over the years, been agitating for an upward  review of the 13 per cent derivation.

He, however, said the argument by his northern colleagues that oil well, 200 kilometers away from the shore of the country does not belong to a particular state was untenable, as in actual fact, the land and water that belong to the country are located in a specific state.

Uduaghan, however, said South-South governors would be meeting, among other things, to take a position on the demand of the northern governors. He said the matters would be squarely addressed by the South-South governors when they meet and that they would not let the people down.

This is where the problem lies. According to the national coordinator of the Ijaw Monitoring Group, IMG, Comrade Joseph Evah, “Northern governors and indeed, northerners are talking like this because we don’t have politicians like them, they are well organized, our politicians are selfish, and they are cash and carry politicians”.

But in unison, the governments in Abia, Akwa Ibom, Ondo and Rivers, have all pooh-poohed the idea.  Chief Press Secretary to Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State, Mr. Ugochukwu Emezue, and the information commissioners of Akwa Ibom, Ondo and Rivers, Mr. Aniekan Umanah, Mr. Kayode Akinmade and Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, respectively, the idea was pilloried.

S-South govs equal to the task

A source close to one of the governors told Sunday Vanguard, “It is not true that South-South governors are uncoordinated and selfish. They don’t have to talk or make noise when there is no need to.

“Governor Uduaghan made the point clearly that Governor Babaginda’s argument is on shaky ground, remember that the arguments of the northern governors are old wine in a new bottle, the issue of offshore oil wells had been tackled and settled in the past,

The source maintained that south-south governors would not buckle on the issue of 13 per cent derivation and that review of the revenue formula that is not in accordance with the constitution will be receive their blessing.

In his words, “The minimum the south-south will accept is the present status-quo or adoption of fiscal federalism, where the owners of resources will pay tax to the Federal Government. We are aware that our oil will soon finish and there solid mineral deposits and other natural resources in the north, which they are not developing because of oil money”, he added.

It was gathered that even though Edo state is not seriously in contention among the oil states, Governor Adams Oshiomhole is not prepared to give in to the north on the issue of revenue allocation formula. Sometime in 2011, he called for a review of the revenue allocation formula which he said was skewed in favour of the Federal Government.

Uduaghan , who is an apostle of derivation had at the first Information Summit and Unveiling of the True Face of Delta, he challenged the National Assembly to confirm its autonomy by increasing derivation to oil producing states from 13 per cent to 50 per cent, as it was in the 1960 and 1963 Constitutions of the country”.  Governor Uduaghan said the increase does not require an amendment of the Constitution, as the law simply says not less than 13 per cent should be paid as derivation, and not necessarily that derivation is fixed at 13 per cent.

As the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, Governor Rotimi Amaechi is trying to be careful so as not to be accused of showing bias for his people of the south-south. However, Amaechi and the entire governors had before now, clamored for a review of the revenue formula to favour states.

From the findings of Sunday Vanguard, the governors from both south and north are not against a review of the revenue allocation formula, the issue is to whose advantage- federal, north or oil states.

MOUAU: VC Converts 200 Casual Workers to Permanent Staff After 18 Yrs

The new Vice -Chancellor of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Professor Hilary Edoga, has announced the conversion of 200 casual workers of the institution into permanent staff after 18 years of much labour with little remuneration.

Edoga who announced this Thursday during a thanksgiving service at the university to mark his first one year in office as VC, said the decision was based on his sympathy for the affected workers who had been subjected to almost slaves with little or nothing to show for it, adding that over 90 percent of the workers were from the host community of Ikwuano.

" They have grand children, and they are paying school fees , and that was why I said they should be employed as permanent staff of the university irrespective of the fact that they are not from my home state of Enugu. They are not from Isiuzo Local Government Area LGA where I come from. In fact, 99 percent of them came from either Ikwuano LGA or Abia state.

"There are some people when they occupy my kind of position, they will go to their village and bring all the people even those with forged certificate. I don't do that . These people have helped to make sure that the university survived, and to push them away and go and bring new people was a crime I refused to commit. And where ever we see a capable hand we bring in to ensure our programmes receive the necessary accreditations. It is university that is supposed to have every body from any part of the world , and not a primary school", he added.

The VC also said the institution had procured Optical Mark Recognition machines to facilitate early marking and release of computer-based examinations, while reaffirming his readiness to embark on any project that will enhance the lots of students .

" I am bound to go into such interventions that will positively affect the lives of students because we are not just producing ordinary graduates, we are producing tomorrow's leaders. And for you to produce a leader, you must equip the leader very well," he said.

Edoga identified some of his outstanding achievements in the past 12 months to include: procurement of nine 60 KVA generating sets for laboratories to facilitate practical and studio activities for students; establishment of a centre for entrepreneurial studies; attraction of N50 million Education Trust Fund for library intervention projects for ;accreditation of MOUAU Accounting Department; granting autonomy to the Admission unit to make room for transparency; and construction and tarring of two -kilometre road on the campus.

Others were establishment of a new College of Agriculture and Science Education; regular payment of staff salaries on or before the 26th day of every month; construction of a new university bookshop and university press; establishment of an international secondary school; establishment of new commercial fish ponds with hatchery; award of contract for the establishment of a commercial piggery farm, among others.

Speaking at the event, former Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), MOUAU, Chapter, Professor Victor Osodeke described the VC as a great achiever, saying he has made unions in the institution redundant through prompt payment of staff salaries and allowances.

In her remarks on behalf of the non-academic staff, Mrs. Udochi Madumere, said Edoga had within his first one year in office sponsored 32 of their members to a conference, the first in the history of the institution as only their academic counterparts had remained the only beneficiaries of such gesture.

Federal Allocation and Our Future

 Did you know? If oil money were to dry up today (maybe crude prices drop to uneconomic levels or we are unable to export), only one state in the entire federation would be able to settle its wage bill. You guessed right: Lagos. This statistic may shock you, but only Lagos generates enough internal revenue to pay its workers. To meet wage obligations, the rest of Nigeria depends on federal allocation—which is anything between 70-90 per cent from oil. Let me quickly make a point before I move on: Rivers State also generates significant IGR, but it is mainly from oil activities. And since my fundamental assumption here is that oil dries up, Rivers’ IGR would thus be massively depleted. Lagos is a secondary beneficiary of oil activities, of course, but because of its industrial base and unique position as the commercial and financial capital of Nigeria, the state will still generate sufficient IGR to take care of its wage bills.

Let’s put things in proper perspective. Speaking sometime last year, the chairperson of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui-Okaru, said most states hardly generate up to three per cent of their total income. She said beside Lagos and Sokoto which generated 60 per cent and 46 per cent IGR respectively in 2008 (obviously the latest statistics she had access to), others depended on federal allocation for the bulk of their income. I quote her: “Some states have IGR-to-total revenue percentage that is as low as three per cent. Only two states had an IGR ratio above 40 per cent. For most states, the federal allocation ratio is above 80 per cent. This went down slightly to 70 per cent in 2009. States whose IGR are about 20 per cent or a little more in 2008/2009 include Borno, Gombe, Rivers, Osun, Oyo, Ogun and Abia States. Most states did less than 20 per cent. A state managed only three per cent.”

I don’t like bombarding readers with excessive figures, but I have gone to this extent for just one reason: to emphasise that we are living a false life in Nigeria. Many commentators and analysts have been saying this for years, but it always falls on blocked ears and stone hearts. So every day, there is a fresh demand for state creation. Every local government wants to become a state. There is political agitation, but no economic viability plan. Everybody wants to eat from the national cake. Everybody wants a fiefdom with which they would go to FAAC meeting every month to collect their share of the oil-fuelled federation account. Nobody has said: Come, Ladies and Gentlemen, can we pay our bills without FAAC? The reason for this mentality is simple: it is because we run a “unitary federalism”, where the resources of parts of the country are pooled into a central pot and shared to the rest of the country.

Last week, I did argue that the clamour for “equitable” sharing of federal allocation is faulty. The argument, really, should be how states can begin to gain financial independence from the centre so that federal allocation can become “pocket money” or something to be saved for future generations. The story of Nigeria is like that of a father who has 36 children. He takes the income of his wealthy children to a central port and distributes it among his 36 children. A good father will encourage all his children to be creative and hardworking so that they can make the money to sustain themselves. A bad father will ignore the larger picture of every child being self-sustaining and insist on redistributing his children’s wealth. The ultimate danger is that you will have children who are extremely lazy and unwilling make good use of their talents and gifts. Every month, they will go to “papa” to give them their own share of the other children’s wealth. It will now reach a stage that they will start complaining that the money is not enough to buy the limousine of their dream.

I understand a bit of the logic of natural resources. The oil in the Niger Delta is a gift of nature, many will argue, since the people played no role in putting it under the ground. So let’s share it—it belongs to all. But so also can we say of human beings—we are not gifted the same way! Michael Jackson could sing better than his brothers and sisters. But it would be wrong to compel Michael to bring his income to the table so that his father could share it among all the Jacksons. If that were the case, Janet or Jermaine or LaToya would have no reason to do any work at all. They would all be waiting for the month to end to collect their own FAAC. But Janet honed her skills and became a success in her own right as an artiste. She may not be anywhere near the success of Michael, but she is certainly a success. The Jacksons can have a common purse where they can contribute resources for the common cause of the family. There is nothing wrong with that. But to make a policy of taking from one Jackson to sustain another Jackson is illogical.

There is no state in Nigeria that cannot sustain itself if the governors understand the art and science of development. If it is natural resources, every state has them. If it is value-added agriculture, every state can become an industrial host. These are the things that can generate employment, generate economic activities, generate tax revenue and shore up the incomes of the states. The real challenge for the governors is: how can they use what they’ve got to get what they need? How can they put the right policies in place to attract the needed investment? How do they spend wisely to make state economies viable? These are the questions they should be asking. But because of the ease of travelling to Abuja for federal allocation cheques every month, forward planning and critical thinking are no longer part of governance.
The eternal reliance on oil revenue has done a lot of damage to the federation. Every day now, we hear the Niger Delta people say “our oil, our oil”. During the petrol price hike crisis in January, some Niger Delta person, trying to suggest that the protests were unjustly aimed at President Goodluck Jonathan, said something like: “If our son is not good enough to be president of Nigeria, then our oil is not good enough for Nigeria.” This warped logic—which tends to paint oil as the solution to all human problems—defies the fact that the most advanced countries in the world do not rely on oil revenue. Even Norway, the poster boy of successful management of oil revenue, survives on tax. Their oil money is saved largely for the rainy day.

But do you blame us? Why do we need to stretch our brain to dream of building our own Microsoft and Apple when we can look up to Abuja for the flow of petrodollars every month? Why should Bauchi bother to tap its tourism potential? Why should Bayelsa dream of feeding Africa with its FADAMA rice when there is a fat FAAC cheque to be collected in Abuja monthly? Why should we quicken Ajaokuta so that the fourth biggest steel company in the world can begin to operate fully and spice up the economy? Why should Aba be developed into our own Taiwan or Japan? There is no such incentive.  The only incentive I can see in Nigeria is federation account.

It wouldn’t even matter if we are utilising federal allocations to develop the most important resource at our disposal: the human capital. Oil is not the real deal, no matter how dominant it has become in our lives. It was human beings that designed cars and made petrol as important as it is today. Human beings are now designing cars that run on bio-fuels, electricity and solar energy. By the time the cars become popularly accepted, the demand for oil could drop. It may not happen in the next 50 years but it would happen someday. So the wise person does not keep emphasising on oil and ignoring human capital. The wise person thinks about a future where our lives will no longer depend on oil but on the quality of the brain. It was human beings that invented aeroplanes, computers and phones, etc. If we are wise now, our energies should be devoted to getting out of this oil trap.

I wish we could discuss these issues honestly without trading insult and threat. The quality of public debate is very poor in Nigeria. We have a real problem in our hands but instead of engaging in fruitful debates to chart the way forward, we specialise in name-calling and blackmail as if that would solve our problem. Those of us who have no interest in politics or politicking will continue to make our point.

And Four Other Things...

Nitel from Hell

 
Nitel and Mtel—the ultimate symbols of Nigeria’s public sector inefficiency—will finally be liquidated, according to the National Council on Privatisation (NCP). Anybody who wants to know everything that is wrong with this country should not look beyond Nitel. Once an absolute state monopoly, every attempt to sell it since 2001 when new players, such as MTN and Econet, entered the telecoms market, has either been frustrated or manipulated. Yet, by any means, this is a company that could have been bigger than all other telcos put together if not for the fundamental flaw with the Nigerian mentality. For a company saddled with a debt in the region of N350 billion, it is always going to be difficult to do an acceptable deal that will not hurt either the seller or the buyer. The “guided liquidation” option being adopted, I understand, would mean anybody who eventually buys it will not be able to engage in asset-stripping. That is some good news, judging by the Daily Times tragedy. But Nigerians must pay close attention to the entire process.

Ibori’s Plea

 
Former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, has finally pleaded guilty to 10 charges of money-laundering and fraud before a London court. If we are to believe all the talk about plea bargain, he is expected to get a 30 per cent discount on imprisonment when he is sentenced next month. Ibori admitted to fraud totalling more than $79 million (N12.6 bllion), said to be part of total embezzlement that could exceed $250 million (N40 billion). Indications are that he would be jailed for seven years instead of 10. The bargain was intended to end the long prosecution, which had consumed millions of pounds as well as invaluable time. To me, Ibori was never going to escape guilt. His wife, associate, sister and lawyer have all been jailed with the same evidence and because of him. So on what ground would they free him? The lesson I have learnt from the Ibori saga is that the best-laid plans can go wrong. A few years ago when Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was president, Ibori went around boasting: “We’re in charge now!” This life…

To Pastor Adeboye

 
I always tell anybody who cares to listen that although I don’t celebrate my birthday, the first I would mark is when I clock 70. Anytime anyone clocks 70, I’m always excited. I therefore send my hearty congratulations to the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor EA Adeboye, who clocked 70 last Friday. I’ve always admired him for something—how he has managed to build bridges across the divides in Christendom. The monthly Holy Service of the church is essentially nondenominational—you find Catholics, Anglicans, Baptists, and indeed Christians from several denominations trooping to Redemption Camp to worship. I wish him many more fruitful years ahead. In fact, what he has achieved in 70 years will be child’s play compared to what is ahead! That is my prayer for him.

Caverton Flies High

 
As an advocate of “Made in Nigeria, Enjoyed around the World”, I was more than pleased to learn that Caverton Helicopters has launched its international operations. Caverton is a leading provider of aviation services to the oil and gas sector in Nigeria. But from this month, its operations will expand to Cameroon following a five-year contract with the Cameroon Oil Transportation Company (COTCO). I hope this is the beginning of more to come, and a challenge to other Nigerian companies to rise and shine. It is not always bad news that is coming out of Nigeria, after all.

Ojukwu And Igbo Leadership

By Pini Jason

There was an event that happened during the Abacha Constitutional Conference of 1994/1995 that many may have forgotten and which nevertheless showed Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu as a compulsive fighter against injustice and oppression.

It was at the Abacha conference that Dr Alex Ekwueme articulated the doctrine of six geo-political zones. That immediately drew the ire of the Northern members who accused him of trying to divide the country. During his contribution on the floor of the Conference, Ekwueme was loudly heckled and harassed by some elements in the conference.

*Ikemba Nnewi, Odumegwu Ojukwu.

Ojukwu, his eyes popping out of their sockets, characteristically strode majestically across the conference floor, planted himself solidly behind Dr Ekwueme as a show of support and urged him to make his contribution! There was calm in the hall until Ekwueme finished his submission.

That did not in anyway suggest that Ojukwu did not hold strongly to his view of his (Ojukwu’s) place when it came to the leadership hierarchy in Igbo land.

It will be recalled that at the time Ojukwu returned from exile in 1982, Dr Alex Ekwueme was already the Vice President of the country and in a pole position to succeed Alhaji Shehu Shagari, if the military had not struck. Ekwueme’s rise to number two soon after the civil war was regarded by many as evidence of the reintegration of the Igbo in Nigeria. But Ojukwu saw things differently.

He plunged into partisan politics against the views of some people, including this writer, that he remained an oracle and establish what Chinweizu called “a paramount cultural-political institution” that would be the embodiment of Ndi Igbo. He joined the National Party of Nigeria, a party on whose platform Ekwueme was already a Vice President and declared that he joined politics to “take Ndi Igbo to the mainstream of Nigerian politics”.

Ojukwu was always fund of saying that he had been holding the mantle of leadership for too long and his hand was aching; that he was searching for the right person to hand it over to. This he always said, notwithstanding how high the political position held by any other Igbo in the country.

That brought the clash between him and other Igbo leaders when he declared himself Eze Ndi Igbo. That controversy died only when he tactically declared that his Eze Igbo had no territorial claim; that he was just primus inter pares among other panjandrum Eze Igbos in diaspora. He soon after adopted the Eze Igbo gburugburu title.

Apparently, Ojukwu was always guided by his own view of the hierarchy of leadership in Igbo land. In mid 90s, this writer had the privilege of interceding on behalf of a group of Igbo youths who invited him as a Special Guest of Honour. Always meticulous in matters of protocol, Ojukwu demanded to know who else would be sitting on the high table with him and with whom he could have conversation. Names of some of his friends were mentioned; eminent Igbo like Senator Ben Obi, late Senator Chuba Okadigbo, Prof George Obiozor and others.

Satisfied, he then said he had to ask because Ndigbo must be circumspect about the occasions they want him to grace; that he was saying so because in Igbo land, after Owelle Nnamdi Azikiwe (former Senate President, first indigenous Governor-General and first civilian President of Nigeria) and Dr Nwafor Orizu (former Senate President of Nigeria and Acting President when the coup of 1966 occurred), he Emeka Ojukwu was next (having been Governor of Eastern Region and Head of State of Biafra)!

Ojukwu’s vision of himself in Igbo leadership creates a problem for those who are posturing over his succession. Soon there will be claims by people who would say that Ojukwu anointed them. Already there are a few missteps.

On what basis would anybody succeed Ojukwu as Eze Igbo? Does that make one the Igbo leader? What does it mean when his son, Emeka Ojukwu Jnr. is crowned Ikemba II by a community that did not crown Ojukwu Ikemba Nnewi? Does that elevate the young man to his father’s place in Igbo pantheon of leaders? These missteps are manifestations of the usual penchant of some Igbo to create confusion where there should be none and a lack of insight into the persona of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, a man who was difficult to pigeonhole.

Nigeria: The Trouble With the North

Two prominent Nigerians of Northern extraction have been in the news recently for lamenting what they perceive as the relative backwardness and poverty in that part of Nigeria. The two gentlemen in question are quite outspoken and well-informed leaders who have been visible in the public domain for some years now, on account of the important positions they occupy in government.


They are: Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and Dr. Babangida Muazu Aliyu, Governor of Niger State. Sanusi was quoted to have told an influential foreign newspaper, the Financial Times of London that, "there is a direct link between the uneven nature of distribution of resources and the rising level of violence". In reference to the prevalent violence perpetrated by the Boko Haram insurgency in the North, he stated, inter alia that, "those states (Northern States) that are the breeding ground of the Boko Haram do not have enough money to meet basic needs while some states have too much money". He was comparing the resources accruing to the Northern States on one hand and the South-South States on the other. At a separate platform, Governor Aliyu expressed misgivings at the current revenue allocation formulae. He called for a review of the existing mode of sharing the federation account, alleging that the North was being impoverished.


In a democratic setting such as ours, there is nothing wrong with the above-stated views of these leaders. The only reservation one may have here is the sectional character of the campaign which implies that a more appropriate approach ought to be adopted in pushing such issues. The Governor of Niger State, being the Chairman of the Northern Governor's forum is eminently qualified to agitate for the North, because he is already accepted as their spokesman. But that cannot be said of Sanusi, who is not the Governor of the Central Bank of the North. It is professionally unethical for Sanusi as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, to use his office to serve or pursue a sectional agenda. Talking about the North and the South has become the past time of some misguided elites who deploy the worn-out jargon to undermine the unity of the country. Sanusi's statements are rather inciting and inflammatory and should be condemned. He should be working towards the overall financial well being of Nigeria and not just the North alone. Moreover his idea of North/South dichotomy is even very archaic and smacks of ignorance of Nigeria's political structure. Nigeria was a union of three main regions - the North, East and West. In 1963, the fourth region, the Mid-west came into being. So, let Sanusi analyze the allocation of resources to these old regions and stop being particular about the North. He should talk about the East and the West at the same time, because these are independent entities and groups that existed and have continued to exist in the Nigerian Union. The arrogant attitude of assuming that the North is more important than any of the other old regions is a backward mental posture. The mere fact that the old North has 19 States at present only reflects the sectional disposition of Northern military rulers who created the states. In fact, it has been observed that some of the Northern states were created to milk the federation account.


The main argument by some of the Northern leaders is that the granting of the 13% derivation fund to the Niger Delta has diminished the Federation Account, thereby impoverishing the Northern States, whose share of the account has correspondingly been drastically reduced, as a result. But this argument is teleological and does not take into account the decades of economic deprivation suffered by the oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta. The 13% derivation fund was a product of political agitation which involved legal and constitutional issues and terminated at the Supreme Court which handed a ruling on the matter on 5th April, 2002. It was not an imposition by fiat. Therefore, it will be illogical for the implementation of the derivation principle to be blamed for causing the Boko Haram rebellion in the North, because it is not only the Northern States that are affected by the relative shortfall in revenue allocation. Most of the South-Eastern and South-western States are not beneficiaries of the 13% derivation fund. The problem of the North can be located in three related factors: the character of their ruling elite, an unproductive and docile population and a rigid class structure.
The Northern elite since independence have essentially been made up of state dependants. They see political power as an end in itself instead of a means to an end. This has been the crux of the political agitation and conflict in Northern Nigeria between the Northern progressives and the conservatives. As far back as 1951, the Sawaba declaration was made by the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), led by late Mallam Aminu Kano. It stated that "the shocking state of social order as at present, existing in Northern Nigeria is due to nothing but the family compact rule of the so-called Native Administration in their present autocratic form". The Sawaba declaration went further to describe the administrative system in the North as "unscrupulous and vicious" and was responsible for "deprivation and poverty" in Northern Nigeria. Northern leaders are used to living on public privilege, at the expense of the people. Their opulent lifestyle is sustained by some hardcore principles bordering on the proverbial "blue blood theory" which argues that the ruling elites are the only ones in society created by God Almighty to remain on top of the rest. They and their offspring and siblings life in lavish feast and splendor. Their instinct for accumulation of wealth, using instruments of state, is rapacious. They are neither accountable nor transparent because they derive their status in society from traditional sources. In such a setting, development is contradicted in the light of the existence of an army of the dispossessed, the talakawa - the ordinary folks for whom life has no meaning. They are thus compelled to live on the progenitors of false generosity.


The Northern Region, especially the core North is one part of Nigeria where leaders appear to have given up on what to do with its human population. The leaders are fond of discountenancing the potential of the human factor in the development process. They ignore the fact that it is human beings who create wealth. They allow their human potentials to waste, while focusing all their attention on sharing the national cake. Of course, they made use of their opportunities, while they lasted, empowering the few privileged ones, but they ignored the masses, who are supposed to be the main pillars of development and wealth creation. It was this policy of deliberate mass impoverishment that gave rise to the almajeri phenomenon. Some people have argued that why the North cannot deal with the almajeri problem is that it was created, nurtured and sustained as an instrument of violence, to be used by rival power blocks against perceived enemies or opponents. The almajeris are the dregs of the Northern society, who even in the 21st century still drink from open and infested gutters, with the bush-lantern as their variant of electricity. Their numbers have kept increasing since independence as if their material condition has defied all the logic of social reform.
Privileged people like Sanusi should look inwards in articulating a solution for the Northern development dilemma. He should develop a blue-print for the Northern states to generate internal revenue if they must be viable. They can revitalize their groundnut pyramids and pursue increased productivity in their food chains such as carrot, onions, potatoes, cabbage and dawa. They should also deal with the problem of ghost workers in their public services. They should take steps to create task forces on taxation and collection of levies from individual citizens. If any of the Northern States ceases to be viable, then some of them can be merged. After all the idea of having 19 states in the Northern Region with 414 Local Governments while the Old Western, Eastern and Mid-Western Regions were split into 17 states and 306 Local Governments, was not equitable. Now that the economic situation has started compelling the states to fend for themselves, something more drastic may be thrown up.

Jonathan, Rawlings, Soyinka, others for Ojukwu’s funeral

Enugu, the capital of the old Eastern Region where the late Dim Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu presided as governor, will today bid him a final farewell.

President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to lead the tributes at the requiem mass for the repose of his soul.

Today’s event will be the major activity of the funeral programme before the body is taken to Nnewi, Anambra State, for burial tomorrow.

Tomorrow has been declared a work-free day by Governor Sullivan Chime.

It was in Enugu that Ojukwu declared the still-born Republic of Biafra. He lived in the ‘Coal City’ on his return from exile in 1982, until he took ill and was flown abroad on December 22, 2010.

Major hotels have been fully booked as visitors converge on the city which has been given a facelift by the state government.

More security men have been deployed. President Jonathan may also be in Nnewi for tomorrow’s funeral. Also expected are former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Heads of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon and Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar. Former Ghanaian President Jerry Rawlings and Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka were also seen in Enugu yesterday.

Also for the funeral are the governors of Abia, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River,  Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states. Other governors are also expected. The newly re-elected governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke, will attend not only as a governor, but as a direct in-law of Ojukwu. His wife, Obioma, is Ojukwu’s niece.

Delegations from Haiti, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon and Tanzania are in Enugu. These countries were pro-Biafran nations during the Civil War. 

Yesterday, the Catholic Church, where Ojukwu worshipped, held a concelebrated requiem mass for the departed Igbo leader. Ojukwu never missed the daily morning mass and the mid-day angelus of the church.

The mass witnessed a large turnout of people. It was held at an open ground at the headquarters of the Enugu Diocese, the Holy Ghost Cathedral.

Although Ojukwu’s body was not brought to the service, his widow, Bianca and other dignitaries were there. The dignitaries include Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and his wife, the deputy governor of Enugu state, Sunday Onyebuchi, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Chairman Victor Umeh, Prof. A. B. C. Nwosu, Prof. Ukwu I. Ukwu and Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Eugene Odoh.

Also at the mass were the Anglican Bishop of Enugu, Emmanuel Chukwuma, the Methodist Archbishop of Enugu, Bishop Samuel Uche and the leader of the Pentecostal churches in Enugu, Obi Onubogu.

At the service was a big crowd of Biafran War veterans aged between 70 and 90 years. They performed some military manouvres and rendered some war-time Biafran songs.

The Diocesan Vicar General, Monsignor Luke Obi, officiated at the mass, assisted by over 200 Catholic priests. The homily was delivered by Rev. Fr. John Nwafor, the Cathedral Administrator.

Fr. Nwafor described the late Ojukwu as “a man of great ideas and philosopher, a man of intelligence and humility and a man who saw tomorrow many years back”, adding that the mass symbolised the celebration of the overthrow of evil by God’s blessings.

He said the late Ojukwu dreamt of one Nigeria where there will be no oppression or subjugation. “A Nigeria where the Hausa can live peacefully in Igbo land and vice versa. A Nigeria where the Igbo man can live in Yoruba land as his home and vice versa.”

The late Ojukwu, he said, lived with the conviction of an egalitarian society where everybody is equal and a level - playing ground where everyone could attain his or her life aspiration.

The clergy said throughout his life time, the late Biafran leader was never accused of corruption. He challenged anybody who thought otherwise to come forward.

He reminded the people that the late Ojukwu was wrongly being accused of fighting a war of secession. According to him, he fought a war to protect his people from extinction. 

“He did not lead Igbo to war but he led Igbo in war for self defence,” he said.

Governor Obi said the late Ojukwu’s life was a challenge to Nigerians, especially those holding public trust on the virtues of being selfless in service. He spoke during a symposium in honour of Ojukwu by Anioma people of Delta State at the Grand Hotel, Asaba.

Obi travelled to Asaba from Enugu with Senator Uche Chukwumerije and Prof. ABC Nwosu and left for Nnewi to inspect the final work at the Ojukwu Mausoleum. 

The governor said he was overwhelmed by the type of honour Nigerians had accorded Ojukwu. 

Insisting that Ojukwu’s name has become a byword for justice, he asked rhetorically how many Nigerians today would support such an ideal without asking what material benefit would come out of it?

Chairman of the occasion Chief Sunny Odogwu said the late Ojukwu was admired by everybody, including his military colleagues for his courage and gallantry. He urged Nigerians, especially the leaders, to correct what he called “structural deficiencies and social injustices” against which the late Ojukwu fought.

The lecturer, Prof. BIC Ijeomah, described the late Ojukwu as “the only nationalist”. 

As Governor of Eastern Region, he had the responsibility to protect his people. That was not a rebellion, he said. Ijeomah decried as ‘unacceptable’, a situation where Igbo would always be made the sacrificial lamb for Nigeria’s unity.

Who is after the Governor’s son and why?

THE recent arraignment of two men, Silas Ihemeremadu and Stanley Nwaobilo before a Magistrate Court in Umuahia, Abia State on a two-count charge of impersonation and Advance Fee Fraud allegedly using the name of Chinedu Orji, the first son of Abia State governor, to dupe one Charles Esonu of the sum of N1 million is another eye opener and a confirmation of the desperation on the part of some people who want to pull him and his father’s government down for selfish and cheap political reasons.


Although these men have not been convicted or discharged by the court, it is worrisome and surprising that people could think such evil act and carry it out, especially with the recent youths empowerment programme by the state government where 4,500 youths were employed.
Well for those who have been following the plots and intrigues by the enemies of the family and the state government, the development did not come as a surprise.


Sometime last year, the same people who  had made themselves known enemies of the state after losing out of the power struggle with the dismantling of their political dynasty by Governor Theodore Orji had through the media peddled false rumour that Chinedu Orji was nominated for ministerial appointment by his father, Governor Orji
That information later turned out to be a farce aimed at running  the Governor, his government and family down by the same people simply because they were blocked from dipping their greasy hands into the state treasury.


Since their favourite pass time is exploring what to do or say to deceive the public and paint the Governor and  government in a bad light, the same people had before now alleged that Chinedu was beaten by military men in Umuahia for challenging their authority. But this was later discovered to be untrue. There have been several other mischievous plots by these desperadoes to smear Governor Orji and his family.
Clearly, all their plots have been failing one after the other. So the latest alleged attempt to use the name of the Governor’s son to dupe someone should not come as a surprise to anybody, after all they had once hacked and bugged the Governor’s phone. It is obvious that at the end of the trial, justice would prevail because he, like his parents, has a good track record. Since Governor Orji assumed office, he has been able to draw a line between his government and his family, unlike his predecessors.
Even though his sons are graduates who are overqualified to be governors of the state or handle any appointment in government, Orji has not allowed them to interfere in the day-to-day running of his government, being mindful that at the end of the day, the buck stops on his table as the elected governor of the state.

We have seen before now in the state where the mother of a former governor was in-charge of governance, even when she knew nothing about it. She decided who got what in government and all her sons were in government either as appointees or elected persons.
Time was when Government House Umuahia was relocated to a  village in Abia North zone. It was  from there  the State’s business was  conducted daily. Governance in the state then was more of a family affair  carried out in a manner devoid of transparency and accountability.
But today in the state, it is not so because the present government has brought in openness and transparency, devoid of sentiment and emotion in the style of governance.
Following his experience of betrayal and conspiracy from his deputy and others during his first term in office, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State on assumption of office for second term appointed his son, Yakubu Jang his Special Adviser on Special Duties. Constitutionally, the Governor did not err or commit any offence and the appointment has not affected governance in the state in anyway. This is because the appointment is all about choosing somebody one can trust, after all Special Adviser on Special Duties to the governor has no business with making or implementing government policies and programmes. Such an appointee is an ordinary adviser whose advice can be taken or rejected by the governor at will. But despite that, Governor Orji during his first term in office had similar experience or something worse than that of Governor Jang in the hands of some his lieutenants; he did not toe the line of Governor Jang, yet his detractors have refused to give him a breathing space to carry out the business of governance in peace. But  time will vindicate him.
Not deterred or bothered by the antics of these known enemies of the state and having known their antics before now, the people of state have ignored them for the good of the state, and have thrown their weight behind Governor Orji and his government for providing unprecedented good governance for them in all ramifications.


Courtesy: Vanguardnews