NIGERIA CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT THE IGBO – FEMI ARIBISALA

Out of the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria, the Igbo have by far the worst politicians. Among the different ethnic groups in Nigeria, the Igbo are without a doubt, one of the most remarkable. So remarkable, indeed, that some have even traced their ancestry to biblical Israel, as the far-flung descendants of Jacob, the Jewish patriarch.

Gad, Jacob’s seventh son, is said to have had three sons who settled in South-eastern Nigeria. These sons; Eri, Arodi and Areli, are believed to have fathered clans in Igbo-land and to have founded such Igbo towns as Aguleri, Arochukwu, Owerri and Umuleri.

Igbo genius Even the bitterest adversaries of the Igbo cannot but admit that, as a people, they are very resourceful and ingenious. Indeed, this has often been the cause of their envy and dislike by others. However, more enlightened non-Igbo Nigerians see this as a cause for celebration. While today, the centre-point of Nigeria’s manufacturing is situated in the Lagos/Ogun axis, there is no doubt that the real locomotive of Nigeria’s indigenous industrialization lies farther afield in Aba and in the mushrooming cottage-industries of the Igbo heartland. In one of the paradoxes of Nigerian history, the terrible civil war provoked homespun industrialization in the South-East. Military blockade left the Igbo with little alternative than to be inventive in a hurry. While Nigeria as a nation failed woefully to harness this profitably after the war, it has nevertheless ensured that the Igbo are at the forefront of Nigeria’s economic development today. Indeed, the way we disregard “made in Aba” today is the same way we disregarded “made in Japan” yesterday. For those of us who believe against the odds that Nigeria is the China of tomorrow, we equally recognize that the ingenuity of the Igbo is an indelible part of the actualization of that manifest destiny.

Hall of fame
The Igbo have been a great credit to Nigeria. They have given us a great number of our favourite sons, including international statesman Nnamdi Azikiwe; military leader Odumegwu Ojukwu; regional leader Michael Okpara; vice-president Alex Ekwueme; mathematical genius Chike Obi; literary icon Chinua Achebe; world-class economist Pius Okigbo; world boxing champion Dick Tiger; international statesman Emeka Anyaoku; and world-class artist Ben Enwonwu. Pemit me to include in this illustrious list even some of my very good Igbo friends: Pat Utomi, Ojo Madueke, Olisa Agbakoba, Joy Ogwu, and Stanley Macebuh. Let us get one thing straight: Nigeria would be a much poorer country without the Igbo. Indeed, Nigeria would not be Nigeria without them. Can you imagine the Super Eagles without the Igbo? Not likely! Who can forget Nwankwo Kanu, Jay Jay Okocha and our very own Emmanuel Amuneke? Can you imagine Nollywood without the Igbo? Impossible! Just think of Stella Damascus-Aboderin; Rita Dominic and Mike Ezuruonye. And then there are the diaspora Igbo who many are unaware are of Igbo descent, including concert singer and actor Paul Robeson; Oscar award-winner Forest Whitaker; mega-pastor T.D. Jakes; Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu; and BAFTA actor award-winner Chiwetel Ejiofor. You may well wonder why I have found it necessary to present this small litany of Igbo who-is-who. I think it is important to emphasise how the Igbo have been very vital to the Nigerian project. They have more than represented Nigeria creditably in virtually all walks of life. This makes it all the more absurd that this same people have been consistently denied the position of executive president of the country in all but six months of Nigeria’s 54 year history.

Civil-war legacy
Of course, a major reason for this was the 1967-1970 civil-war which had the Igbo on the losing side. But that was over 40 years ago. If there is really to be “no victor, no vanquished” in anything more than mere rhetoric, then the rehabilitation of the Igbo back into post civil-war Nigeria will not be complete until an Igbo man finally becomes president of the country. That imperative should be of interest to every Nigerian nationalist, committed to the creation of one Nigeria where everyone has a deep sense of belonging. The problem, however, is that the Igbo themselves seem to be their own worst enemies in this regard. They appear to be doing their very best to ensure that this inevitable eventuality continues to be denied and delayed. The Igbo need to forgive Nigerians. No one who lived through the horrors that precipitated the secession of Biafra and led to the civil-war cannot but admit that the Igbo were abused and mal-treated in one of the worst pogroms ever. It was not just that they were senselessly massacred in their own country; it was that they were butchered. I remember vividly gory pictures of scores and scores of the Igbo with hands chopped up and with legs amputated. And then there were the ravages of the three-year civil-war itself, resulting in the death of millions of Igbo; many through starvation and attrition. The end of the war brought no respite, as the Igbo were pauperized by fiscal decrees that wiped out their savings and their properties were blatantly sequestered by opportunists. All this is more than enough to destroy the spirit of any group of people. But God has been on the side of the Igbo. It is a testament to their resilience that, in spite of this terrible affliction, they have survived, bounced back and have even triumphed in Nigeria. Forty years have now gone by. The Igbo may never forget what happened to them and, indeed, should never forget. But it is past time for them to forgive.

We are sorry
This is one voice in the Nigerian wilderness saying to the Igbo from the depth of his heart: we are sorry. We are sorry for the way we mistreated you. We are sorry for the way we abused you. We are sorry for starving your children to death. We are sorry for killing your loved ones. We are sorry for stealing your properties. We are sorry for making you feel unwanted in your own country. Please forgive us. It is time to forgive us. It is way past time for the Igbo to forgive Nigerians. We beg you in the name of God. There was a civil war in the United States, but the defeated South rose from the ashes. Five of the last nine presidents of the United States have been from the South, including Jimmy Carter from Georgia, George Bush from Texas and Bill Clinton from Arkansas. The time is overdue for an Igbo president of Nigeria, but it is not going to happen as long as the Igbo continue to hold a grudge against Nigeria and Nigerians. There is no question about it: the Ibos cannot elect a president of Nigeria on their own. To do so, they have to join forces with others. They have to form alliances with people from other parts of Nigeria. That is not going to happen as long as the Igbo continue to bear a grudge against practically everybody else. The Igbo have a gripe against virtually all the people they need. They have this tendency to antagonise their possible alliance partners. They keep dredging up the past, refusing to let sleeping dogs lie. Until they drop these gripes, they are not likely to realise their dreams.

Demonising Yorubas.
For example, the Igbo have this tendency to demonise the Yorubas. It is alarming when reading the Vanguard blogs today to see the animosity often expressed between Igbo and Yoruba contributors. The hatred is most unhealthy. Insults are traded with abandon. What is the point of this? For how long will the Igbo demand emotional retribution from every Yoruba for the betrayal of Awolowo? Most of the contributors were not even born when the civil-war took place more than a generation ago. There is now even transferred aggression against Babatunde Fashola, who made the blunder of repatriating some destitute Igbo from Lagos back to their home-states. The man has apologised for the infraction. He should be forgiven. Blunders are not the exclusive preserve of the non-Igbo. The Igbo have made more than a few themselves and will yet make others. Paradoxically, the redemption of the Igbos to prominent national office moved apace under President Obasanjo; a Yoruba man. Recognising that Igbos are some of the most seasoned, competent and experienced public-servants, Obasanjo relied heavily on their expertise. Thanks to him, we got Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at Finance, Charles Soludo at Central Bank, Obiageli Ezekwesili at Education, Ndidi Okereke at the Stock Exchange, and Dora Akunyili at NAFDAC. Indeed, Igbo statesmen came into more prominence under Obasanjo than did Yoruba statesmen. But for some strange reason, this does not seem to have succeeded in assuaging the ill-feeling of the Igbos toward the Yorubas.

Bad politicians
Within the framework of Nigerian politics, the Igbo also have a fundamental problem. Out of the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria, the Igbo have by far the worst politicians. They have no recognizable leaders, and have no discernible strategy as to how to negotiate power at the centre. As a result, the Igbo have tended to be short-changed at the federal level. Traditionally, the inconsequential ministries, such as the Ministry of Information, have been zoned to them. The Igbo need to work out a plan that will take them to Aso Rock. First, they need to choose and groom a de-tribalised leader of the Azikiwe mould who can be sold to non-Igbos. Then, they need to give him undiluted support. At the moment the internal politics of the Igbo militates against this. The Igbo seem to hate themselves as much as they hate others. They seem to fight themselves with as much venom as they fight others. Every potential Igbo leader seems to have more enemies within than without. This must not be allowed to continue. The Igbo need to help themselves in order that their friends can help them. In this centenary of Nigeria’s amalgamation, as we embark on the arduous process of crafting our future through a National Conference, we salute the Igbo for their fortitude and implore them to stake their claim in Nigeria. Nigeria cannot survive without the Igbo.

NIGERIA CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT THE IGBO – FEMI ARIBISALA

Out of the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria, the Igbo have by far the worst politicians. Among the different ethnic groups in Nigeria, the Igbo are without a doubt, one of the most remarkable. So remarkable, indeed, that some have even traced their ancestry to biblical Israel, as the far-flung descendants of Jacob, the Jewish patriarch.

Gad, Jacob’s seventh son, is said to have had three sons who settled in South-eastern Nigeria. These sons; Eri, Arodi and Areli, are believed to have fathered clans in Igbo-land and to have founded such Igbo towns as Aguleri, Arochukwu, Owerri and Umuleri.

Igbo genius Even the bitterest adversaries of the Igbo cannot but admit that, as a people, they are very resourceful and ingenious. Indeed, this has often been the cause of their envy and dislike by others. However, more enlightened non-Igbo Nigerians see this as a cause for celebration. While today, the centre-point of Nigeria’s manufacturing is situated in the Lagos/Ogun axis, there is no doubt that the real locomotive of Nigeria’s indigenous industrialization lies farther afield in Aba and in the mushrooming cottage-industries of the Igbo heartland. In one of the paradoxes of Nigerian history, the terrible civil war provoked homespun industrialization in the South-East. Military blockade left the Igbo with little alternative than to be inventive in a hurry. While Nigeria as a nation failed woefully to harness this profitably after the war, it has nevertheless ensured that the Igbo are at the forefront of Nigeria’s economic development today. Indeed, the way we disregard “made in Aba” today is the same way we disregarded “made in Japan” yesterday. For those of us who believe against the odds that Nigeria is the China of tomorrow, we equally recognize that the ingenuity of the Igbo is an indelible part of the actualization of that manifest destiny.

Hall of fame
The Igbo have been a great credit to Nigeria. They have given us a great number of our favourite sons, including international statesman Nnamdi Azikiwe; military leader Odumegwu Ojukwu; regional leader Michael Okpara; vice-president Alex Ekwueme; mathematical genius Chike Obi; literary icon Chinua Achebe; world-class economist Pius Okigbo; world boxing champion Dick Tiger; international statesman Emeka Anyaoku; and world-class artist Ben Enwonwu. Pemit me to include in this illustrious list even some of my very good Igbo friends: Pat Utomi, Ojo Madueke, Olisa Agbakoba, Joy Ogwu, and Stanley Macebuh. Let us get one thing straight: Nigeria would be a much poorer country without the Igbo. Indeed, Nigeria would not be Nigeria without them. Can you imagine the Super Eagles without the Igbo? Not likely! Who can forget Nwankwo Kanu, Jay Jay Okocha and our very own Emmanuel Amuneke? Can you imagine Nollywood without the Igbo? Impossible! Just think of Stella Damascus-Aboderin; Rita Dominic and Mike Ezuruonye. And then there are the diaspora Igbo who many are unaware are of Igbo descent, including concert singer and actor Paul Robeson; Oscar award-winner Forest Whitaker; mega-pastor T.D. Jakes; Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu; and BAFTA actor award-winner Chiwetel Ejiofor. You may well wonder why I have found it necessary to present this small litany of Igbo who-is-who. I think it is important to emphasise how the Igbo have been very vital to the Nigerian project. They have more than represented Nigeria creditably in virtually all walks of life. This makes it all the more absurd that this same people have been consistently denied the position of executive president of the country in all but six months of Nigeria’s 54 year history.

Civil-war legacy
Of course, a major reason for this was the 1967-1970 civil-war which had the Igbo on the losing side. But that was over 40 years ago. If there is really to be “no victor, no vanquished” in anything more than mere rhetoric, then the rehabilitation of the Igbo back into post civil-war Nigeria will not be complete until an Igbo man finally becomes president of the country. That imperative should be of interest to every Nigerian nationalist, committed to the creation of one Nigeria where everyone has a deep sense of belonging. The problem, however, is that the Igbo themselves seem to be their own worst enemies in this regard. They appear to be doing their very best to ensure that this inevitable eventuality continues to be denied and delayed. The Igbo need to forgive Nigerians. No one who lived through the horrors that precipitated the secession of Biafra and led to the civil-war cannot but admit that the Igbo were abused and mal-treated in one of the worst pogroms ever. It was not just that they were senselessly massacred in their own country; it was that they were butchered. I remember vividly gory pictures of scores and scores of the Igbo with hands chopped up and with legs amputated. And then there were the ravages of the three-year civil-war itself, resulting in the death of millions of Igbo; many through starvation and attrition. The end of the war brought no respite, as the Igbo were pauperized by fiscal decrees that wiped out their savings and their properties were blatantly sequestered by opportunists. All this is more than enough to destroy the spirit of any group of people. But God has been on the side of the Igbo. It is a testament to their resilience that, in spite of this terrible affliction, they have survived, bounced back and have even triumphed in Nigeria. Forty years have now gone by. The Igbo may never forget what happened to them and, indeed, should never forget. But it is past time for them to forgive.

We are sorry
This is one voice in the Nigerian wilderness saying to the Igbo from the depth of his heart: we are sorry. We are sorry for the way we mistreated you. We are sorry for the way we abused you. We are sorry for starving your children to death. We are sorry for killing your loved ones. We are sorry for stealing your properties. We are sorry for making you feel unwanted in your own country. Please forgive us. It is time to forgive us. It is way past time for the Igbo to forgive Nigerians. We beg you in the name of God. There was a civil war in the United States, but the defeated South rose from the ashes. Five of the last nine presidents of the United States have been from the South, including Jimmy Carter from Georgia, George Bush from Texas and Bill Clinton from Arkansas. The time is overdue for an Igbo president of Nigeria, but it is not going to happen as long as the Igbo continue to hold a grudge against Nigeria and Nigerians. There is no question about it: the Ibos cannot elect a president of Nigeria on their own. To do so, they have to join forces with others. They have to form alliances with people from other parts of Nigeria. That is not going to happen as long as the Igbo continue to bear a grudge against practically everybody else. The Igbo have a gripe against virtually all the people they need. They have this tendency to antagonise their possible alliance partners. They keep dredging up the past, refusing to let sleeping dogs lie. Until they drop these gripes, they are not likely to realise their dreams.

Demonising Yorubas.
For example, the Igbo have this tendency to demonise the Yorubas. It is alarming when reading the Vanguard blogs today to see the animosity often expressed between Igbo and Yoruba contributors. The hatred is most unhealthy. Insults are traded with abandon. What is the point of this? For how long will the Igbo demand emotional retribution from every Yoruba for the betrayal of Awolowo? Most of the contributors were not even born when the civil-war took place more than a generation ago. There is now even transferred aggression against Babatunde Fashola, who made the blunder of repatriating some destitute Igbo from Lagos back to their home-states. The man has apologised for the infraction. He should be forgiven. Blunders are not the exclusive preserve of the non-Igbo. The Igbo have made more than a few themselves and will yet make others. Paradoxically, the redemption of the Igbos to prominent national office moved apace under President Obasanjo; a Yoruba man. Recognising that Igbos are some of the most seasoned, competent and experienced public-servants, Obasanjo relied heavily on their expertise. Thanks to him, we got Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at Finance, Charles Soludo at Central Bank, Obiageli Ezekwesili at Education, Ndidi Okereke at the Stock Exchange, and Dora Akunyili at NAFDAC. Indeed, Igbo statesmen came into more prominence under Obasanjo than did Yoruba statesmen. But for some strange reason, this does not seem to have succeeded in assuaging the ill-feeling of the Igbos toward the Yorubas.

Bad politicians
Within the framework of Nigerian politics, the Igbo also have a fundamental problem. Out of the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria, the Igbo have by far the worst politicians. They have no recognizable leaders, and have no discernible strategy as to how to negotiate power at the centre. As a result, the Igbo have tended to be short-changed at the federal level. Traditionally, the inconsequential ministries, such as the Ministry of Information, have been zoned to them. The Igbo need to work out a plan that will take them to Aso Rock. First, they need to choose and groom a de-tribalised leader of the Azikiwe mould who can be sold to non-Igbos. Then, they need to give him undiluted support. At the moment the internal politics of the Igbo militates against this. The Igbo seem to hate themselves as much as they hate others. They seem to fight themselves with as much venom as they fight others. Every potential Igbo leader seems to have more enemies within than without. This must not be allowed to continue. The Igbo need to help themselves in order that their friends can help them. In this centenary of Nigeria’s amalgamation, as we embark on the arduous process of crafting our future through a National Conference, we salute the Igbo for their fortitude and implore them to stake their claim in Nigeria. Nigeria cannot survive without the Igbo.

Senate demands for National Conference report.

The Senate on Thursday requested for the submission of the 2014 National Conference report for consideration by the Federal Government

The Senate’s decision was sequel to a motion sponsored by the Leader of Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, on the need for National Unity and Peaceful Co-existence in Nigeria.

The National Conference was set up by the regime of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
-The New Telegraph.

IGBO-HATERS, THE AREWA ULTIMATUM AND OUR NATION

By Reuben Abati
Fifty years after the civil war ended, Igbos do not yet feel a sense of belonging, acceptance or safety in the Federation called Nigeria. The sad part is that this belief is shared not just by the generation that witnessed the war and its deadly consequences, but Igbos across all generations, including the millennials who have been socialized into believing that there is a gap between their people and other Nigerians.
Let us not deceive ourselves about certain plain truths. The civil war is perhaps the most remarkable incident in Igbo history in the last century. The pain, the loss, all about it, is deeply imprinted in the Igbo consciousness. Whereas the Igbo nation has shown great resourcefulness since the war, and its people have proven to be enterprising and determined to hold their own in every sphere of life, including outstanding contributions to the making of the Nigerian state, there are Nigerians who still regard and treat the Igbo suspiciously.
Anti-Igbo sentiment may not be so openly expressed, but it is usually something beneath the surface. There are landlords in many parts of Nigeria, for example, who will never rent out their property to an Igbo man. The Igbo tenant is easily stigmatized. I have heard people complain that Igbo tenants are too stubborn or that when you rent a room to an Igbo man, he will end up sub-letting that one room to all kinds of persons from his village, putting pressure on the property’s limited facilities.
Some landlords insist that an Igbo tenant could even start eyeing the property, to buy it off the landlord, or if it is a shop, the Igbo trader would end up renting the entire street, and could turn the street into an Igbo neigbourhood. This stigma has been a source of agony for many Igbos seeking accommodation, particularly in Lagos, but it is of course completely baseless stereotyping. There are good and bad persons from virtually every Nigerian ethnic group.
The stereotyping of the Igbo person can also be found in the political arena. It is assumed by some persons, and such statements have been made to my hearing, that the only reason an Igbo man cannot be President of Nigeria is because every Igbo man sees himself as a potential President, and should the Presidency be zoned to the South East, the struggle for the ticket could result in inter-community strife in Igboland. The name of the group is Igbo, but when other Nigerians want to be mischievous, or perhaps out of ignorance, they refer to Igbos as Ibo, and when you try to correct them, they may insist you don’t seem to understand. It is I-Before-Others (IBO).
Igbos have also been held responsible for all sorts of things, kidnapping, drug trafficking, child trafficking, armed robbery – even when there are criminals from virtually every community in Nigeria. Meanwhile, they are one of the most vertically educated ethnic groups in Nigeria, and the most enterprising in all fields. A friend once said that if you enter any community in Nigeria and you don’t have an Igbo man running a small shop there, or engaged in some other kind of business, then you have no business staying in that community. Igbos are also obviously the most integrated ethnic group in Nigeria, which is why it is ironic that they are also the most vilified.
I wrote what I considered a harmless piece recently in which I referred to the declaration of Biafra in 1967 and quoted excerpts from the Ahiara Declaration. I got a phone call from a friend who declared that I should stop encouraging these “Biafrans”. Nothing I said made sense to him.
“You don’t know those people”, he declared.
“I know people from all parts of Nigeria,” I said.
“You don’t know Igbos. Has there been any problem in this country that you know in which Igbos have not been involved? They have started again, heating up the polity with threats of secession.”
“It is a sign that all is not well with Nigeria,” I retorted.
“Don’t mind them. I don’t think anybody wants to secede. If Igbos really want to secede, you think it is Nnamdi Kanu that will be speaking for them?”
“It takes just one illuminated soul to start a revolution.”
“Don’t bring that line. Everything is not textbook, this man. Just tell those Igbos not to include my people in whatever they are looking for. We are their neighbours. They dragged us into the civil war. This time around, they’ve gone to draw a map, including my people. Biafra does not extend to the South-South. We are just looking at them.”
“Biafra is an idea.”
“I don’t want to hear all these textbook things, I have told you. Which idea? See, most Nigerians do not support Biafra. They think Igbos are just playing games. I’ll send you some other articles written by other Nigerians and you’d see what I am talking about. People are angry that anybody will be talking about secession in 2017! Nigerians are fed up with Igbos and their games. President Jonathan gave them everything but on election day, many of them stayed at home and refused to vote. Now, they are talking secession.”
“But Yorubas are also talking about Oduduwa Republic.”
“The Yoruba are not going anywhere. What they want is restructuring, fiscal federalism. Which Oduduwa Republic?”
“The people of the Middle Belt are also aggrieved.”
“Anybody can be aggrieved. You can’t please Nigerians. And some of these things are political. Obasanjo became President, Niger Delta carried arms; Jonathan got there, Boko Haram kidnapped children, Buhari is there now, and all the ghosts of Biafra are frightening everybody. But these Igbos, tell them they are not going anywhere.”
“I am surprised you are talking like this.”
“What is the matter with those people? They are all over Nigeria. They are even selling land in Lagos. But no outsider is allowed to buy half a plot of land in Igboland. You carry Igbo girl sef, na problem. Go and check your email. I will send you other perspectives on this matter.”
Before long, I received a mail indeed. The fellow had put together a collection of anti-Biafra, anti-Igbo articles which he urged me to read, with the rider that I should pay particular attention to the fact that some of those articles were written by Igbos. I ignored the rider. Some of those articles could have been ghost written. What is clear, however, is that all is not well with Nigeria. We are a country that needs to be rescued from the centripetal forces tearing us apart, and the leading forces today would include, as was the case before now, ethnicity, religion, the politics of hate, and citizen alienation.
If my review of the stereotyping of Igbos in Nigeria and the reported conversation with an Igbo-hater does not fully convey the seriousness of this situation, then the June 6 ultimatum issued to all Igbos living in Northern Nigeria by a coalition of Northern Arewa youth groups should.
A group called the Northern Emancipation Network, comprising 16 Arewa youth groups, has asked all Igbos living anywhere in Northern Nigeria to pack their bags and baggage and be out of the Northern region by October 1, 2017. When the 19 Northern Governors met and dismissed the threat as misguided, the young Arewa Igbo-haters issued a riposte and more or less asked the Governors to shut up. Their message is that since Igbos no longer want to be part of Nigeria, they should get out, because they, Arewa youths, do not want belong to the same political union with Igbos. They are angry that on May 30, the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Indigenous Peoples Organization of Biafra (IPOB) succeeded in shutting down a part of Nigeria to mark the 50th anniversary of the declaration of Biafra.
The arrogance of the Northern youths is insufferable. It speaks to virtually everything that other Nigerians are uncomfortable with about the Fulani North: a born-to-rule, hegemonic tendency. It is an assault on the Nigerian Constitution, to the extent that the Constitution does not grant any individual or group, the right or the power to determine where any Nigerian may live or work or die or acquire property. All Nigerians are equal before the law. The Northern youths, who do not think so, held a meeting, a press conference, and issued statements. The Governor of Kaduna state, Nasir el-Rufai asked the Nigeria Police to arrest them for promoting ethnic hatred. The only response we have had from the Police Headquarters so far, is from one Jimoh Moshood, described as Police Spokesman telling Nigerians that the Arewa youths “are not sitting in the market waiting to be picked up.”
Moshood, if you actually said that, then you should be relieved of your position forthwith. If you are a spokesperson and you have nothing intelligent to say, the best option is to remain silent, otherwise whatever you say will be used against you in the court of public opinion. So, the Nigeria police only arrest people when they go to the market and wait to be arrested? Is that the new police that we now have? The Northern Emancipation Network called Igbos all kinds of names – “unruly, reckless, insatiable, uncultured, confrontational, ungrateful” – and since they issued their ultimatum, the polity has been heated up, ethnic hate has been promoted, the Igbos of Nigeria have been further alienated.
This was how the civil war of 1967-70 started. Nigeria cannot afford another civil war. No country survives two civil wars. Already, Igbos in the North are reportedly relocating back to the South East or elsewhere in Nigeria. Young Nigerians from the North, the East and the South started the civil war. The politics of ethnicity and the rhetoric of hate ignited the fire that consumed the nation for three years. The scars have not healed because 50 years later, the youths of the North and the East are again lighting up the fire of hate. On June 6, the Northern Emancipation Network also asked Northerners in the East, I hope this includes the peripatetic herdsmen, to return to the North!
The Nigerian Government must take this on-going febrile conversation between the North and the East more seriously than it appears to be doing. The security agencies do not have to go to the markets to look for what is not there.
When there is a threat to the state, it is their duty to identify the threat and act on it. All persons who are working hard and making provocative statements to cause a national crisis should be monitored and checkmated. With all the difficult challenges facing this country, at this moment, our security alert system should be pushed a notch higher.
If the security agencies fail to act, particularly on the matter of the coalition of Northern youths promoting Igbo hatred, the Federal Government would have committed a grievous sin, likely to be interpreted as aiding and abetting. And there would be persons who will legitimately ask: are we confronted with a hand of Jacob and voice of Esau situation? Who is sponsoring the Arewa youths? Who granted them the permission to use the platform of Arewa House to spew anti-Igbo hate speech? Who is blocking their arrest by the security agencies? What those boys have done is even worse than the threat of secession by Nnamdi Kanu and his supporters.
But the message is clear: Nigeria is not yet a nation. A country where any group or association can threaten to expel another group is not yet a nation. The common enemy is not the secessionists. The common enemies are the political leaders, the tribal demagogues, the political opportunists, the religious bigots, the paid shamanists, who continue to manipulate Nigeria’s destiny to suit their own purposes. There can be no country except the people love the nation and the state.

EFCC invasion,our position -The Sun Mgt

Law -abiding staff of The Sun Publishing Limited resumed work this morning, June 12, 2017 to behold heavily armed EFCC operatives in our company. They claimed to have "orders from above" to seal up the premises of The Sun Publishing Limited.
At gunpoint, they ordered our security personnel to take them round the company premises, after which they proceeded to prevent staff from either entering or leaving the premises, and disrupted our circulation process.

For one gruelling hour, EFCC operatives subjected our staff to crude intimidation, psychological and emotional trauma, even as some of the men accused our organisation of publishing pro-Biafra, Boko Haram and Niger Delta militant stories, as they surveyed our premises.

We recall that in 2007, (10 years ago) the EFCC had obtained an interim forfeiture order in respect of some assets of The Sun, attached to a suit against our Publisher, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, for which we have filed an appeal, which is still pending in court.

We also recall that the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu had written a letter personally signed by him dated 23rd of May and received on the 7th of June, asking The Sun management to report to the Commission on 5th of June, detailing our operations in the last 10 years, on account of an interim order of forfeiture under appeal.

As  law abiding corporate citizen, our lawyer, Chief Chris Uche SAN, wrote the Commission to intimate the Agency that the issue was pending before the court of Appeal. The receipt of our correspondence was duly acknowledged.

We were therefore shocked that our premises would be invaded by the Commission under whatever guise. This is condemnable and reprehensible. No one, Agency or authority should be above the laws of our country. An abuse of the law is a recipe for chaos.

Magu had in an earlier letter threatened to sue The Sun over a report published by one of our titles, pertaining to a report on investigation of a property allegedly traced to his wife. But up till now, we are yet to receive any court process.

In the light of the above, we strongly view this onslaught against The Sun as a personal vendetta by the leadership of the Commission, and by extension a declaration of war against the media.

In this invasion of our premises, it is crystal clear that what Magu and his Commission are after is not only to intimidate and muzzle us, but a furious attempt to call a dog a bad name in order to hang it.

On the issue of the interim order, which he purportedly based his invasion, Magu knows the matter has been on appeal since 2007 for which hearing comes up this week. But rather than wait for the court process, thecCommission under the leadership of Magu, typically resorted to self help.
We want the general public to take note of this  authoritarianism and high handedness, which  has been the hallmark of Magu’s leadership of the EFCC.

The other charge of publishing Biafra, Boko Haram and Niger Delta militant stories is very ridiculous, baseless and anti-Press freedom.

We like to state that we are neither an ethnic, political nor religious newspaper, but we are the Voice of the Nation, reflecting all sides, all views and all shades of opinion in line with the ethics of our profession.

We challenge Magu and his Commission to show where The Sun’s stories have been different from other papers in the country.

We call on well-meaning citizens and relevant authorities to restrain Magu and his Commission from taking the laws into their hands.

Management

Photo of the day: Delegation from Ahiara Diocese led by Cardinal John Onaiyekan at a meeting with Pope Francis

COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED BY THE EASTERN MANDATE UNION (EMU) ON THE QUIT NOTICE ISSUED BY THE CONFEDERATE OF AREWA GROUPS TO NDIGBO LIVING IN NORTHERN

Preamble:
Following from the recent quit notice issued to Ndigbo living in northern Nigeria by the confederate of Arewa Groups comprising Arewa Citizens Action for Change; Arewa Youth Consultative Forum; Arewa Youth Development Foundation, Arewa Students Forum, Northern Emancipation Network and the Northern Youth Vanguard, the Eastern Mandate Union convoked an emergency meeting last Friday, June 9, 2017 to review the state of the country and the events that culminated in the issuance of the quit notice.

We have on numerous occasions pointed out that Nigeria is an aberration created by a colonial fiat to feed its insatiable economic appetite. Regrettably, since political independence, Nigeria has failed to weave a nation out of the welter of ethnicities that make up Nigeria to the extent that today Nigeria has become emblematic of a failed state or banana republic.

Evidences of gross violation of peoples fundamental rights exist alongside barefaced injustices and marginalization of the Igbo nation in Nigeria. Since the counter coup of July 1966, a coup organized and executed by the north with murderous intensity and directed specifically against Ndigbo, the north has appropriated the resources of Nigeria as it deemed fit and in effect ran the country aground.

The distortion of historical narratives by the north to suggest that the January 15th 1966 coup was an Igbo coup can only find relevance in the labyrinths of warped imagination by the Hausa/Fulani Oligarchy whose sense of historical justice could only have been dulled by the desert sun. It was based on this otiose and criminal distortion of history that spurned the choreographed genocidal pogrom unleashed on the Igbos living in the north between 1966 and 1967. The active collaboration of the northern military and civilian population in executing the Final Solution to the Igbo Problem in Nigeria showed a premeditated agenda of ethnic cleansing by the north against the Igbo. This was the genesis of Biafra.

Despite a jaundiced policy of No Victor! No vanquished proclaimed by the Gowonian regime, the Igbo have at every point been treated like a conquered people; and a vassal state belonging to an imperial Czar and feudal lord. In spite of the huge lessons, which a generous history holds for Nigeria, we have learnt nothing; such that today the north is still carrying on as if it owns Nigeria and the lives of the Igbo people. It is this galling display of arrogance, and tepid understanding of the forces at play in the Nigerian state that has given vent to renewed agitations for Biafra.

Falsity of the Claims by the Arewa Confederate:
Ignoring the illogicality of the communiqué issued by the north wherein is contained the quit notice to Ndigbo living in the North, we wish to note that the document is fraught with so many falsehoods and baseless claims.  For instance, we consider it the height of self-delusion for the north to claim that it was the Igbo who wrought carnage on the nation in 1966.  The verdict of history in this respect is very clear. It was the north that actually wrought carnage on the Igbo and people of Southeastern Nigeria and sought to exterminate them in a brutal genocidal pogrom.

The Report of the UN Commission that visited the frontlines during the period conclusively declared that our people were subjected to genocide by the Nigerian State. The north owes Ndigbo and people of south eastern Nigeria unreserved apology for the millions of innocent lives wasted by them during this period. Even today, the north has continued with its policy of extermination of our people outside their homeland at the slightest instigation. To suggest that it was our people that aggressed the north is the full definition of unrepentance anchored on reprobate minds. Therefore, the claim that the  “Igbo was responsible for the first and so far, only civil war in Nigeria that cost millions of lives and sowed the seed of the current mutual suspicion and distrust is nebulous, mischievous, idiotic and downright false.

Also, the claim that the Igbo were responsible for the very first violent interference with democracy in Nigeria resulting in a prolonged counter-productive chain of military dictatorships is laughable and indicates the historical enfoolment of the north. Having eliminated virtually all Igbos from the Nigerian military in the vengeful and hate-inspired counter coup of July 1966, the Nigerian Army effectively became the Northern Army. The consequent coups in the country were planned and executed by the various northern military cabals against itself in a bid by each cartel to have direct control of the resources of the southeast. This was the reason the northern military ran the country aground in a relay-like manner. Check the records of all the coups in Nigeria since July 1966 and name one that was orchestrated by the south. None!!!   

On the Biafran Agitation:
Our resolve and determination for the independent state of Biafra is unshakeable. Biafra is not a brainwave. It is our vehicle of redemption and freedom from the Nigerian union that has brought us only misery and grief.

Biafra represents the movement of people out of oppression into the Promised Land of self-actualization. It is a constant reminder to the Nigerian state of its structural defects, which we have on numerous occasions called for its correction to no avail. We support the Biafran agitation. We thank the people of the southeast for heeding the call by IPoB on May 30th 2017 to sit at home. We are committed to Biafra unless the Nigerian State is ready NOW to subject itself to comprehensive restructuring.

Our Observations:
The quit notice by the north to Ndigbo is not an accident or the action of a rascal group clamouring for relevance. It has the blessings of the northern establishment, the various denials notwithstanding

Many northern heavyweights have come out to openly canvass support for the confederate that issued the ultimatum and this is indicative of a comprehensive consultation among the northern establishment to act in concert for the interest of the north

The threat to use force to evict Igbos from the north after October 1, 2017 is in tandem with the character of the north and should be taken seriously

We agree with the confederate that the various groups in Nigeria should go their separate ways and in due time work out diplomatic framework for future engagements
Our Position on the Quit Notice by the North 

We have painstakingly gone through the communiqué issued by the north ordering our people to leave their political space and have come to the following Resolutions:

Ndigbo living in northern Nigeria must begin to make arrangements for relocation back home to avoid a repeat of the events of 1966. The ultimatum is serious and should be treated as such.

The assurances presently being given by some northern leaders and the federal government that all is well were the same assurances given in 1966 but did not prevent the carnage and genocide against our people. We must be wiser now.

The various ethnic groups in Nigeria should come together to discuss on the modalities of disengagement or dissolution of the Nigerian State without violence.

We stand by Igbo agitation for a better deal in Nigeria and if Biafra is it; then so be it. We will not tolerate a repeat of the 1966 carnage on our people. The north must know that 2017 is not 1966.  
       
Conclusion:
We cannot agree less with the conclusion of the Arewa Groups. In their conclusion, they remarked thus: We wish to draw the attention of the authorities and all other interest groups that there is nothing difficult or impossible for all the units that make up Nigeria to pull out if they so wish. We cite the example of the split of several independent nations from the old Soviet Union, the separation of Pakistan from India, the recent divorce of South Sudan with the former Sudan and most recently, the exit of Britain from the European Union”. This is our position.

Signed

Dr. Arthur Agwuncha Nwankwo, Chancellor, Eastern Mandate Union (EMU)
Muoneke Nwigwe, Secretary, Eastern Mandate Union (EMU)
Bekee Osuagwu, Director of Publicity, Eastern Mandate Union (EMU)

Book Review: This Is Lagos, Our Legacy

Lagos, Melting Pot for Enterprise, Exchange

 Book Review

Book: This Is Lagos, Our Legacy

Author: Abbey Wilson

Publisher: Ideas.Com Publishers, Lagos, 2015

 Reviewer: Ada Dike

Abbey Wilson’s 172 pages book, This Is Lagos, Our Legacy, deals with the historical and vital information about Lagos.

Part One of the book traces the origin of Lagos from two angles -Lagos and Benin. It shares local, historical and traditional accounts about the original inhabitants of Lagos who were the descendants of Ogunfunminire, a hunter that lived around the 16^th Century. Ogunfunminire settled in Isheri, moved to rule a fishing village on the mainland of Ebute Metta. Other progenitors in the book include the 12 descendants of Olofin who later became Idejo (the white cap chiefs).

Organiser of Miss Nigeria celebrates 60 years of empowering women, national unity

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By ADA DIKE

 Preparations for the celebration of 60^th anniversary of Miss Nigeria scheduled to hold in November this year, is in top gear.

Established in 1957, the pageant which holds every year aims to showcase the positive attributes of Nigerian women and also serves as a platform used in uniting Nigeria.

Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos today to intimate the media on the event which started in January this year, the Executive Director of Miss Nigeria Organisation, Dr. May Ikeora, said that all arrangements have reached at advanced stage to achieve a successful multi-faceted celebration.

“Miss Nigeria is 60 years today. Founded in 1957 when we were trying to secure Nigeria’s independence, it was a more symbolic pageant specifically formed to promote peace and unity in Nigeria, which it has continued to achieve,” she said.

MSM Thrill set to release mixtape, singles

Young Nigerian hip hop artistes from Lagos State, is set to unveil their upcoming mixtape later this year.

The group is set to release their debut singles and following after that, their debut mixtape E.H.S.E (Eleventh Hour Simple Effects).

All tracks on the album E.H.S.E was produced by Bobby.

 Known as MSM, the group is made up of two brothers -Momodu Kelly and Momodu Robertson whose stage names are: Kelly Vinelly and Bobby.

The rapper/ singer Kelly Vinelly and rapper, singer/producer Bobby formed the group in 2012 and it became official 2015, after which, they began to record songs together, learning how to structure songs properly and practicing vocal delivery. 

The Guild gathered that the prominent theme in Kelly Vinelly's lyrics is his allegorical use of parts of speech ranging from word play, similes to metaphors from experiences in his natural surroundings,

Bobby the other member of MSM Thrill uses different rapping skills which is mostly drawn to storytelling,

They have done several collaborations including working with producer Tommy boy.

2Face gives music earnings to IDP

Hip hop, Innocent Idibia, also known as 2Face, has promised to donate the proceeds from his song to the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

The donation to Nigeria office of UNHCR, according to 2Baba, is to assist Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Northeast.

He made the pledge on Thursday when he visited the UNHCR office in Abuja and said that his foundation would donate 60 per cent of the proceeds from his music dedicated to Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

It was gathered that the song which would be launched in commemoration of the World Refugees Day on June 20, was part of his contribution to alleviating the plights of the IDPs.

“I have decided to dedicate my time, resources and my voice to support the UNHCR in this massive endeavour of alleviating the sufferings of displaced persons.

“On the June 20th which is the world refugees’ day, I am going to be commissioning a song and this song will be monetized.

“60 per cent of the proceeds will be donated to the UNHCR to further its humanitarian effort to alleviating the plights of refugees and IDPs.

“We want people to join in this campaign by downloading the song to use it as their ring tones, caller back tones.

“This download, which would cost between N50 to N100, is an opportunity for every Nigerian to contribute in their own little ways to the course of assisting displaced persons,’’ he said.

2Baba emphasised the need to create more awareness for people to understand the magnitude of the forced displacement and suffering of the IDPs and refugees so that they can do more to assist them.

“It is very disheartening to be stranded in your own home, many people who have not been hit directly downplay the situation.”

The songwriter and singer eulogised the Nigerian government, UNHCR, International and Local Organisations and kind hearted individuals who have contributed in assisting the displaced persons.

Deputy Representative, Protection, UNHCR, Nigeria, Bridgette Mukanga-Eno, in her remarks, thanked the foundation for supporting UNHCR in its intervention in the North-East, adding that the collaboration with the foundation started last year but was concretised in February when the agency received a donation from the foundation to support its activities in the North-East.

Furthermore, she said that the agency developed vocational facilities including mechanic trainings, iron bending, carpentry for the men and sewing for the ladies among others.

Mukanga-Eno said that the Nigerian government through relevant Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) has done a lot in assisting the IDPs but a lot still need to be done to address the huge humanitarian crises in the North-East.

She said that the food scarcity is overwhelming and is not sufficient for the over 1.8 million IDPs, saying that the influx of over 19,000 Nigerian refugees from Niger, Chad and Cameroon has made it worse.

She called for more support to cater for the IDPs and returnees in the areas of protection, food, livelihood, healthcare, education among others.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in February, 2baba donated N3.5 million to the UNHCR to support its humanitarian intervention to the displaced persons in the North-East.

Actress Moji Olaiya buried in Lagos

Colleagues, friends and family members of the late actress, Moji Olaiya, who died on May 17, 2017, wept sorely during her interment.

She died in Canada following a cardiac arrest and was interred on Wednesday at the Ebony Vault burial ground in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Olaiya, 42, who was dressed in white in a Muslim casket, was interred after prayers were offered for the repose of her souls at the Ebony funeral palour at the cemetery.

She died three months after she was delivered of a baby girl in Canada.

A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent at the cemetery reports that Olaiya’s colleagues at the funeral eulogised her.

 Keji Yusuf, said that Olaiya was like a daughter to her, describing the actress as a very good person.

“She is fun to be with. Her good smile, gentle manner, soft way of speaking will endear you to her. She was a nice and respectful person.’’

Yusuf consoled Olaiya’s family, especially the mother to look up to God for help to train the children the actress left behind.

She also advised Olaiya’s mother not to wait for anyone’s promises because they might not fulfill them.

An actor, Muyiwa Ademola, popularly known as `Authentic’, said that Olaiya cared for everybody.

“She is a down to earth person, no matter who you are. She carries people’s problem as if it is her own, she cannot be compared with any other person,” he said.

Ademola, however, advised the family to take Olaiya’s death as how God wanted it “we cannot query Him’’.

Actress Fathia Balogun, said that Olaiya was irreplaceable.

“She is my sister and everything anyone can be to any person.

“In fact, I do not have the strength to talk about her being late, it is still like I am dreaming.’’

Ronke Ojo-Anthony, better known as “Ronke Oshodi Oke’’ said that Olaiya’s humility was beyond her, because she humbled herself to everyone no matter the age.

“She is like a sister to me, even when we fight, she will be the first person to call. She was full of life but she does not joke with her daughter’s school fees, if you want her to buy something. She will tell you to wait until she pays for her daughter’s school fees, when she did that, she would buy whatever she wants to buy, I remember her for that. “She was more than good,’’ Ojo-Anthony added.

Moji Olaiya was the daughter of the legendary Nigerian highlife maestro, Victor Olaiya.

She converted to Islam in 2014.

Her acting career started with a feature movie “Sunmibare’’, which was produced by Dimeji Ijaduade, before she took a role in Wale Adenuga Productions, Super Story series, “No Pain, No Gain’’.

Olaiya starred in many Nollywood and Yoruba movies, among which are: “Sade Blade-2005’’, “Nkan Adun-2008’’; “Omo Iya Meta Leyi-2009’’; “Agunbaniro’’ and others.

She produced a film “Iya Okomi’’ which premiered in 2016.

She won some awards and was nominated for the Reel Awards for Best Supporting Actress of the Year- 2003.

In 2015, the FCT Command of the Nigeria Police honoured her as a role model for youths. (NAN)