President Buhari rejects Title from The Punch

FIIRO Calls For Transformation Of Agricultural Sector

By Ada Dike
FIIRO boss calls for transformation of Agricultural sector
Acting Director General of Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO), Dr Chima Igwe has called for transformation of Agricultural sector in Nigeria.
Igwe stated this in Lagos during the Annual Agricultural Summit organized by Nigeria Association of Agricultural Journalists (NAAJ).

The Annual Agricultural Summit was themed: Bridging the Investment Gap in Agricultural through Information.
He said the transformation of the sector is needed to serve as agent of economic recovery and growth.
“In the past few years, Nigeria and Nigerians experienced a sudden and significant drop in economic activities which led to the loss of the purchasing power of our currency, the Naira. Although Nigeria has been able to exit the recession, the strangling effects might still be seen lingering with the possibilities of a relapse if the nation does not diversify.
“Upgrading and improving the agro-allied production and production processes, mining and other relevant manufacturing sectors, upgrading and improving the existing traditional and local technologies, making new discoveries and innovations through research and products and services development in all sectors of the economy,” Dr Chima said.
On the same vein, Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Dera Nnadi, who represented the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) said Nigerians need to produce what they eat to grow the economy.
But the Commissioner of Agriculture in Lagos, Prince Gbolahan Lawal appealed to Nigerians to key into the Agricultural revolution of federal government so that more jobs can be created.
FIIRO boss later explained that technology and innovation are veritable tools for national growth and development.

Patronise locally-made goods -Customs to Nigerians

   The Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) has urged Nigerians to patronized locally-made goods in order to boost Nigerian economy.
The Customs boss stated this in Lagos during the Annual Agricultural Summit organized by Nigeria Association of Agricultural Journalists (NAAJ).

The Annual Agricultural Summit was themed: Bridging the Investment Gap in Agricultural through Information.
Ali, who was represented by Deputy Comptroller of Customs in charge of Enforcement at Tin Can, Dera Nnadi, said that there is no need for the country to import what it can produce.
“Since 2015, this government has been making deliberate efforts to encourage local production of rice and other items. The border closure is just an addition to encourage our farmers. It is not Nigerian Customs that is saying it; it is the people that are benefitting from the good policies of government,” he said.
On the same vein, Acting Director General of Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO), Dr Chima Igwe called for transformation of Agricultural sector in Nigeria.
Igwe said the transformation of the sector is needed to serve as agent of economic recovery and growth.
“In the past few years, Nigeria and Nigerians experienced a sudden and significant drop in economic activities which led to the loss of the purchasing power of our currency, the Naira. Although Nigeria has been able to exit the recession, the strangling effects might still be seen lingering with the possibilities of a relapse if the nation does not diversify.
“Upgrading and improving the agro-allied production and production processes, mining and other relevant manufacturing sectors, upgrading and improving the existing traditional and local technologies, making new discoveries and innovations through research and products and services development in all sectors of the economy,” Dr Chima said.
The Chairman of Elephant Group, Mr Tunji Owoeye added that the border closure has been opening doors of opportunities to Nigerian farmers.
But the Commissioner of Agriculture in Lagos, Prince Gbolahan Lawal appealed to Nigerians to key into the Agricultural revolution of federal government so that more jobs can be created.
Meanwhile, Agricultural journalists later recognized the outstanding personalities that have contributed to Agricultural development in the country.

SME boosts economic growth, panacea for unemployment - David Olanrewaju Olutimehin

In a bid to create wealth and reduce unemployment in Nigeria, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SME) have become major sources of economic growth. In fact, there is massive economic diversification going on in Nigeria as the economic base is being shifted from oil to Food and Agriculture. ADA DIKE writes.

-------------------------------------------------------
Before the end of 2015, the Federal government asked Nigerians to be prepared for challenging times in the New Year.
As predicted, Nigeria almost went into economic recession in 2016. Many people lost their jobs as a result of the recession. While the government worked tirelessly to ensure that Nigeria surmounted the recession by developing the agricultural sector and gave it its pride of place, some Nigerians dusted their certificates and went to search for a new job while many others went to the drawing board, did research and set up Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SME). Some are into furniture making, clothes and shoes designing, plastics production, beverages production, computer training centre, repair and sales, cement selling business, blogging, cooking gas sales, transportation, cleaning services, online marketing, jewellery making, photographs and video production, hairdressing salon, makeup artistry, arts and crafts, house painting and so on. Others are into catering, food distribution, baking and farming (yams, cassava, corn, rice, fishery, piggery and poultry) among others.
Meanwhile, the World Bank Group President, Jim Yong Kim, during a recent chat with some journalists urged African nations to prepare itself for the next phase in economic development.

Mr. Olutimehin

 “One of the real questions that we all have is our traditional notions of economic growth which are Agriculture to heavy industry. How many countries in Africa will actually experience that, and do we need to really think about another kind of path to economic growth that’s very focused on a small to medium enterprises and entrepreneurship as they have in parts of the world?” he queried.
“I think we still don’t know that, but the one thing we know is that better health outcomes, better education outcome will be critical no matter what the global economy looks like,” he added.
Presently, different small scale businesses are springing up on a daily basis in different parts of country which has help tremendously in creating employment opportunities for job seekers.
Revealing what motivated him to start his business, the Chief Executive Officer of Treasures Bakery, Mr. David Olanrewaju Olutimehin, said it was actually a dream that he nursed and followed up for some time.

Bajinotu Poka Creamy Bitters’ production borne out of generational secret –Bajinotu Poka Creamy Bitters manufacturer

Bajinotu drinks

Herbs are essential to human life, that is why the introduction of foreign herbal drinks into Nigerian markets metamorphosed to the massive production of alcoholic and non-alcoholic ones.
One of the producers of herbal drinks known as Bajinotu Poka Creamy Bitters and Seakam Bitters, Mr. Ayinla Kazeem, in this interview with ADA DIKE, speaks on the health benefits of herbal drinks, his challenges and future plans, among others.
==========================

Production, distribution and consumption of alcoholic and non-alcoholic herbal drinks have increased tremendously. In fact, herbal drinks’ production and marketing have become one of the money spinning ventures  in Nigeria as different sellers at shops, bars and markets have different brands on sale these days.
The Chairman, Seakam Global Resources Limited, makers of popular Bajinotu Poka Creamy Bitters in Ogun State, Mr. Ayinla Kazeem, conceived the idea of producing herbal drinks in 2007 and brought the idea to fruition by commencing production of the drink in 2010.
According to him, Bajinotu Poka Creamy Bitters’ production had a secret based on what he had been taking and what his grandfather was giving them when they were younger.
In his word: “When we came to Lagos, we thought of using the old things which are better than the new things. We then discovered that there are many people outside drinking dry gin which weakened their systems and we called them drunkards. So we decided to look for ways to help lovers of spirit by producing alcoholic herbal drinks that can cure them,” he explained.
While thinking of how to start, that was when an herbal drink was introduced from Ghana, which gave him an inspiration.

Bigi Cola, King of Soft Drinks in Nigeria?

A fairly newly introduced soft drink in the market, Bigi Cola, has become the most consumed drink in Nigeria due to its quality, availability and price. Ada Dike reports.
============================

There is a popular saying that, ‘a good product sells itself’.  This can be referred to a new indigenous product, Bigi Cola, which has consumed the soft drink market like a wild fire in dry season.

Manufactured by Rite Foods Limited, maker of Rite Sausages and Fearless Energy drinks, its producer announced its birth many months before its introduction, using the Rite sausages. The suspense that announcement created in the minds of soft drinks consumers before it was unveiled also added a plus to its successful story today.

The product was launched in Nigeria in 2016, a year after another accepted cola drink, Big Cola, by AJE Group entered into Nigerian markets. Its factory is along Shagamu-Benin Express Road, Ososa, Ogun State.
Bigi has various flavours namely: Bigi Cola, Apple, Bitter Lemon, Orange, Soda, Tropical and so on. Bigi Cola is made with water, sugar, carbon dioxide, colour sulphite Ammonia, caramel E150d, Phosphoric Acid E338, Preservative, Sodium Benzoate E211, Flavouring, Caffeine, Natural Flavouring and so on.
It is pertinent to note that a lot of marketing strategies lead to market dominance, that is why there are many soft drinks in the world market. But a few of them such as, Coca Cola and Pepsi using their years of existence, taste and advertising hypes have become increasingly popular globally, despite the fierce competitions they are encountering.
According to its website, Coca Cola, produced by Nigerian Bottling Company, was introduced into Nigeria in 1951. History has it that Coca Cola was established in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States of America by Dr. John S. Pemberton. It was first offered as a fountain beverage by mixing Coca‑Cola syrup with carbonated water, introduced in 1886, patented in 1887, registered as a trademark in 1893 and by 1895 it was being sold in every state and territory in the United States. In 1899, The Coca‑Cola Company began franchised bottling operations in and outside the United States expanding its frontiers to consumers in North America and Europe and in subsequent years to other parts of the world.
In 1951, Coca‑Cola, made with carbonated water, sugar, carbon-dioxide, caffeine, Phosphoric acid, caramel colour and flavouring, came to Nigeria and it is available in 35cl and 50cl classic glass contour bottle; 33cl on-the-go Can, 50cl and 1.5L PET bottle. Coca Cola Company produces other products like Fanta, Sprite, Limca, Eva water and so on.
In the same vein, Seven-Up bottling company Limited, which has nine bottling plants located across the country, produces and sells soft drinks brands namely: Pepsi, Mirinda, Seven Up, H2oh!, Teem bitter lemon, Mountain Dew and Aquafina bottled water.
One can hardly attend any sporting event, sponsored outdoor activity or visit any shop without seeing Coca Cola adverts. For many years now, Coca Cola Nigeria Plc has continued to produce signboards painted red with Coca Cola and the names of each shop owner written on it. Its market dominance was tested after it increased the prices of its products a couple years ago, then, Seven-Up bottling went to the drawing board and came up with the idea of increasing the volume of Pepsi plastic bottle with extra 20 Cl and sold the 60 Cl at the same price. today, 60CL Pepsi popularly known as 'Orobo' in Lagos is now being sold at N70.00 from N80.00.
Presently, the retail price of 60Cl Zero coke some other Cocacola drinks are being sold at N100. Pepsi didn’t shift ground, but still sells its 60Cl platics bottle at N100, same with Bigi. This, an observer said, can be linked to the stiff completion they are encountering in the market.
A shop owner at Ajao Estate, Lagos, Mrs. Kehinde Adetayo, said people buy more Bigi than other drinks from her shop. “You know, when there is an increase in price of a commodity, people tend to boycott it and go for an alternative. This is what happened to a popular soft drink brand after Bigi entered into the market and they lost a lot of consumers,” she divulged.
A key retailer of Bigi drinks, whose shop is located in Alimosho area of Lagos spoke on the condition of anonymity by saying that consumers embraced Bigi whole heartedly due to its taste, size and price which indirectly affected the patronage and prices of other soft drinks in the market.

Meanwhile, large quantity of soft drinks are sold during the dry season due to hot weather which comes with heat, dryness of throat and thirst for water. Most Nigerians resort to drinking soft drinks while quite a few of them drink water in the sachet (pure water) and bottled ones. These drinks come handy as hawkers put them in a bowl, carry the bowl on the heads and move around strategic places including bus stops. In fact, selling soft drinks business is one the most lucrative one in Nigeria these days, that why as early as 10 am, many hawkers make much sales which is evident in the amount of money they clutch in their hands as they move about hawking their wares. Some of them sell sausages alongside the drinks. That is why most Nigerians have their breakfast at bus stops and inside vehicles because, if one eats two sausages and drinks a bottle of soft drink, he or she will be filled.

A businessman, Mr. Ndubuisi Nwafor, who deals in electrical appliances along Aiyetoro Road, Ayobo, Lagos, said  it is difficult for a day to pass by without him drinking Bigi Cola.

According to the 34-year-old bachelor, he hardly cooks food at home but patronises a restaurant near his shop in the morning and takes Bigi Cola with biscuit or sausage for lunch.

“I like Bigi Cola, and I don’t think I can stop drinking it. I buy it at a mini mart in the petrol station beside my shop every afternoon. I like the taste, it is not too sugary like others and I love the feeling I get after drinking it,” Nwafor said.

He further said that he took interest in the drink when he noticed the mini mart has many cartons of Bigi drinks displayed for sale more than other soft drinks. “I became curious and decided to taste it,” says the Anambra State born trader.

“There are two soft drinks mini depots opposite my shop, one of them distributes Bigi drinks, while the other depot distributes another brand of soft drinks. Any time trucks supply Bigi drinks to one of the depots, within 30 minutes, retailers buy up almost everything. It is colourful to see the tropical flavoured Bigi, Apple and so packed in front of the depot as the company’s salesmen are bringing them down from the truck.

“In a twinkling of an eye, the depot will be empty, while the other depot has fewer retailers coming to patronise them. This made me to love Bigi drinks the more”

The Economist put a call across to Rite Foods Limited to find out their unique selling proposition, but didn’t get through.

With the reduction in prices of Zero Coca Cola drink, Bigi manufacturers and other soft drink soft drink may strategise so as not lose many consumers. Mrs. Adetayo suggested that Rite Foods Limited should do more promotions that will be beneficial to consumers, retailers and the general public.

I am addicted to Bigi cola and I don’t think that I can stop drinking it. I buy it at a mini mart in the petrol station beside my shop every afternoon. I like the taste, it is not too sugary like others and I love the feeling I get after drinking it.

Indigenous engineers struggling without palliative measures from the government – Adesewo Sopade

Engr. Sopade

Having spent 44 years working tirelessly to fabricate Agricultural, bakery and confectioneries equipment, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer of De Sopas Engineering, Adesewo Sopade, does not just love engineering but indeed, he is a fabricator with a difference. In this interview with ADA DIKE and BAYO BALOGUN, the engineer who hails from Ogun State but based in Lagos, among other issues sheds light on how engineering can boost Nigerian economy and improve development.

There are a lot of people roaming the streets of Nigeria without jobs. We thank you for creating job opportunities through De Sopas, which has immensely helped to depopulate the labour market. Can you tell us the staff strength of your company from the inception?

Many staff have passed through my company. Over 50 of them have passed directly while over 30 have passed through us. Directly are those who come for training while indirectly are people who were employed as workers and they got the idea, when they left, they are still practising the trade.

Many people are still here including some of my children.  I made sure that all my male children from the age of eight start coming to the workshop. Some of them have passed out. They go the normal process other staff go. I don’t give them the chance of saying this company belongs to my father.

One of my children came late this morning and I told my secretary to give him half day salary as a punishment.

‪BREAKING News: NWC panel dissociates itself from Lagos APC Gov Primary Election

  ‬

‪The National Working Committee panel in charge of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in Lagos state has dissociated itself from the ongoing exercise, saying it didn’t sanction it. ‬

"We are not aware of the primaries going on in Lagos," says APC National Headquarters.

Stay tuned!

Ambode tried but not a good party man –Tinubu

Tinubu

National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Tuesday, agreed that Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode had done well as a governor and further said that he was not a good party man.

He said this at his Ward C, Ikeja Local Government Area after he voted at the governorship primary.

He claimed that the decision not to support Ambode for the second was above him and added that the party leadership of the state endorsed Jide Sanwo-Olu.

 “Who did I support in 2014? Ambode. Life is dynamic. It’s those who made me the leader of the structure in Lagos who said it was what they want. It’s only if you have followers that you’re a leader in democracy.

“If I look back and I don’t find them again; if I don’t respond to them, if I fail to accede to their request, I would have failed the leadership test.

“This is not personal; it is beyond me as a person. Every democratic constitution is preceded by ‘We, the people’. So, I had to submit myself to the wishes and the yearnings of our party.

“This is an elixir for the general election. Ambode Akin, he’s doing well, yes; he hasn’t been a good party man; not only the glamour, not only about brick and mortal. A talent is determined by character. For you to become an influential person, you have to respond to the yearnings of the people. This is politics; democracy, one man, one vote,” Tinubu said.
-Thisday

Lagos Deputy Gov supports Sanwoolu

Oluranti Adebule

The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule, on Tuesday, left Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and pitched her support to Babajide Sanwoolu, at the ongoing All Progressives Congress' governorship primary election in the state.

Adebule told newsmen at Ward A and D,  in Iba Local Council Development Area of Lagos where she participated in the governorship primary of the APC, that she would endorse  the candidate chosen by the  party.

“The party has chosen a man and it is that man that I will support and follow,”she said.

The News agency of Nigeria (NAN)  reports that when the deputy governor arrived at the ward, some of her aides came with  Sanwo-Olu’s posters and banners.

At the ward,  accreditation started at about 10.36 a. m.as party electoral officials arrived.

There was no formal announcement of the results as the accreditation was brief.

Many party members at the venue started singing the praises of Sanwo-Olu

Source: NAN

Lagos APC Holds Governorship Primary ElectionToday

There are signs that the Lagos State governorship primaries, which were postponed twice, may hold today, October 2, 2018.

But, we authoritatively gathered that it may be shifted again to Thursday, October 4, 2018 because cards are still being distributed, moreover, the list has to be pasted for delegates to verify the names and reconcile with their identification cards.

A source disclosed that the primaries can hold if there is an agreement for the delegates to vote with their slips.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Imohinmi Edgal, has released some numbers to call in time of distress during the election today.

The state police spokesperson, CSP Chike Oti, who released the numbers, advised members of the public to call the number to attract the attention of senior officers in the state when there is danger.

The numbers include:

 CP Imohimi Edgal, Commissioner of Police: 08033040870

DCP Ayuba Elkanah Nabuni, Deputy Commissioner of Police Administration:

08033422152

DCP Muhammed Ali Ari, Deputy Commissioner of Police Operations: 08073666669

ACP Mohammed Danladi, Area A Commander, Lagos Island: 08034080088

ACP Sani Sabo, Area B Commander, Apapa: 08038452224

ACP Godwin Eze, Area C Commander, Surulere:

ACP Akinbayo Olasoji, Area D Commander, Mushin: 08037140083

ACP Yusuf Ajape, Area E Commander, Festac:

ACP Ibrahim Zungura, Area F Commander, Ikeja: 08052058001

ACP Arumse, Area G Commander, Ogba: 08033464144

ACP Miller Dantawaye, Area H Commander, Ogudu: 08036695572

ACP Felix Oben, Area J Commander, Elemoro: 08033320682

ACP Hope Okafor, Area K Commander, Morogbo: 08026279242

ACP Ishola Olarenwaju, Area L Commander, Ilashe: 0810321160

ACP Toyin, Area M Commander, Idimu: 09093927982

ACP Mohammed, Area N Commander, Ijede: 07010070004

ACP Abdulsalam Gazali Alade, Area P Commander, Alagbado: 08033539984

Davido, Olamide, Wizkid Nominated For 2018 Headies’ ‘Artiste Of The Year’ Award

Davido, Olamide, Wizkid Nominated For 2018 Headies’  ‘Artiste Of The Year’ Award

D’Banj, Freeze, Jason Njoku, many others approved to speak at #NECLive6

D’Banj, Freeze, Jason Njoku, many others approved to speak at #NECLive6

RMD, Ego Boyo Return In New Drama “The Mr X Family Show”

RMD, Ego Boyo Return In New Drama “The Mr X Family Show”

Chioma Akpotha, Bobrisky, Chigurl, Others feature In “The Ghost and

Chioma Akpotha, Bobrisky, Chigurl, Others feature In “The Ghost and

Facebook Rewards Reports Of Data Abuse

Facebook Rewards Reports Of Data Abuse

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

Add caption

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.