Summit to Address Yoruba Unity Approaches

Worried by lack of unity among the Yorubas, a pressure group, Egbe Omo Yoruba in the North America, has concluded arrangement to hold The World Yoruba Summit in Ibadan to sensitise the Yoruba nation on the need to have a united force. The group has also identified the need for economic empowerment of the youths as the leaders of tomorrow and a vital component of the repositioning plan. The summit is slated for University of Ibadan between October 17 and 22 with the theme, ‘Yoruba Renaissance: Understanding Our Past For A Better Future’.

President of the organisation, Agbaakin Bolu Omodele during a press briefing in Lagos said the association, founded as a result of the unexpected annulment of the June 12 election in 1993, decided to organise the summit to promote Yoruba unity and empower the youths.

Omodele, who expressed concern over the lackadaisical attitude of Yoruba leaders toward issues of general interest and their unbridled concern for financial gain, however pointed out that there are some Yoruba leaders, who are equally concerned about lack of unity among the Yorubas and have strived very well to arrest the situation. The president pointed out that Egbe Omo Yoruba is convinced that a big platform like the proposed Ibadan summit will help leaders of thoughts in Yoruba land to reason together and identify challenges facing the people and how to chart a new path for the development of the nation.

“Twenty-three years after we established the association with record of involvements in some national discourse, we have decided to move in at this critical period of our country to address issues related to unity. We have not had any meeting in Nigeria since then, that is why we are convening a world summit of all Yorubas in October in Ibadan. I stand to be corrected but the truth is that we have discovered over time that the Yorubas are not as united as our counterpart from the Northern part of the country. It appears that our leaders are more concerned about personal gain in the power game. We members of Egbe Omo Yoruba in North America now think there is urgent need for us to bring our people together to talk about our unity; our culture and those inherent values deposited in us by almighty God that will help us speak with one voice. We believe the best thing to do is to allow our collective interest to override our individual interest,” he said.

Earlier, a former president of the association, Agbaakin Adeola Odusanya, had appreciated the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, who he said has been campaigning for unity since he assumed office. He also appreciated former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who during a visit to the U.S. advised members of the association to come to the country and galvanise their people on the need to have a united force.

To make the impact of the summit to cut across, Agbaakin Adeola stated that the group had reached out to the Yorubas in Cuba, Brazil, Republic of Benin and other places to join hands with them and assemble for the summit. He also added that the leadership of the association has been moving round to meet traditional rulers, leaders of thought and top government functionaries in the South-west to impress them on the importance of buying into the summit.

Speaking on measures being put in place to make sure the summit is not hijacked by any politician or political party for selfish interest, the Publicity Secretary of the association, Mrs. Sola Yusuf-Aiwinnilomo, said the funding of the summit is restricted to members’ donation and support from individuals, who share their dream. The Publicity Secretary said the summit would also create a forum for workshop on empowerment, adding, “We want to use the workshop to galvanise the youths to be agents of change. We want our people to support federal government move on job creation and economic diversification.” She also disclosed further that the World Yoruba Summit has received the royal blessings of Ooni of Ife and other traditional rulers in Yoruba land, including the monarch of Ile-Oluji, in Ondo State, who has given the organisation some hectares of land for agricultural purposes.

Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho could miss Spurs clash with hamstring issue

Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho could miss the Reds' Saturday clash at Tottenham with a hamstring injury.

The Brazilian playmaker felt tightness in the muscle in the wake of Liverpool's 2-0 defeat at Burnley last weekend, and was out of Jurgen Klopp's side in the team's 5-0 midweek thrashing of Burton Albion in the EFL Cup.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Klopp said he will not be risky with the former Inter Milan man's health.

"The muscle was a little stiff," Klopp said. "He felt something so we didn't want to take a risk [against Burton].

"We left him out of training until now. We have to make a decision on Friday with what we can do with him.

"It is not a situation to take any risk. We have to talk to the player.

"From the medical side, it is not a big issue, but it was big enough to leave him out of the squad for Burton."

Klopp expressed confidence Liverpool have the depth to cope should Coutinho not be fit in time for the match.

"Yes, we still have options," Klopp added. "Adam Lallana can play there, Roberto Firmino can play there, Sadio Mane is back and he can play there ... on the wing if you want!

"Usually, Sheyi Ojo could play there but he has not been fit for a few weeks.

"We have different players for that position but when two of them are not available you have a little bit of a problem.

"That is what football is. We are not allowed to have a squad of 28 players but we still have options."

Ronaldo (Winning BALLON DE O?) crowned UEFA best

Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo won the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award on Thursday after winning both last season’s Champions League and Euro 2016 with Portugal.

Ronaldo, 31, received the accolade for the second time in his career after finishing ahead of Real team-mate Gareth Bale and Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann.

“I’m obviously delighted to receive this award, it’s been an incredible season. But these two other players deserve it as well,” said Ronaldo, who also won the prize in 2013-14.

Ronaldo struck the winning spot-kick as Real claimed a record 11th European Cup title, beating city rivals Atletico on penalties in May, before leading his country to Euro 2016 glory.

Ronaldo scored three goals en route to the final of the tournament to equal France’s Michel Platini’s record of nine goals in the European Championship finals.

The award was voted for by journalists from each of UEFA’s 55 member associations.

Norway striker Ada Hegerberg won the women’s award, ahead of France’s Amandine Henry and Dzsenifer Marozsan of Germany, after helping Lyon lift the Women’s Champions League trophy in addition to the French league and cup double.

Federal, State and Local Govt Shares N443.66Bn – FAAC

The Federal Government has assured states that they can still tap into the fiscal sustainability funds to meet with obligations.

Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahmoud Isa Dutse disclosed this at the close of the monthly federation accounts allocation committee meeting where 443.66 billion naira was distributed between the three tiers of Government as revenue generated in the month of July.

Last month, governments smiled to the bank after revenue rose astronomically following the remittance of company income tax and petroleum profit tax in June.

However that revenue was almost halved in July as gross statutory revenue declined by 250.97 billion naira.

Crude oil export decreased by 2.8 million barrels in April which affected income as Federation export revenue decreased by 102.17 million dollars.

The increase in amount shared was occasioned by a recovery of 1.373 billion naira excess bank charges, exchange gain as well as arrears of 36.494 billion naira from the month of May.

Lagos will soon join the league of oil producing states receiving 13% derivatives and journalists were informed that so far no state funds are being held to repay bailout funds.

Of the 443.663 billion naira distributed, value added tax was 64.308 billion naira, refund by NNPC 6.33 billion naira along with other refunds while excess crude account stands at 3.03 trillion naira.

Minister Beaten To Death By Striking Miners

Bolivian miners on Thursday during a clash with the police in the town of Panduro hacked the Deputy Interior Minister to death.

Interior Minister, Carlos Romero, confirmed on Friday that reports by witnesses indicated that the 55-year-old was beaten to death following clashes between police and miners in the town of Panduro, 165 kilometres south-east of La Paz.

Romero said Illanes had been kidnapped by miners after attempting to initiate talks with them at a roadblock.

The minister, who spoke of a “cowardly and brutal” murder, added that his aide was also injured and was taken to hospital.

He said that one miner was reportedly also killed in the Thursday’s clashes, bringing the death toll in several days of protests against controversial trade union legislation to three.

“Two miners were killed on Wednesday.

“Around 100 miners were detained after Thursday’s protests,’’ he said.

Miners currently represented by independently organized cooperatives have been using street blockades to protest against a law allowing them to join trade unions.

The national federation of mining cooperatives (Fencomin) representing some 10,000 miners rejects any trade union influence on Bolivia’s mining sector. (dpa/NAN)

Klopp vs. Pochettino: the three similarities and differences between the managers

Rivalries and grudges are fired in the furnace of regular competition over similar goals, and in recent years, as Tottenham Hotspur have sought to move in on a top four promised land Liverpool once claimed as their own, tensions have grown.

Both sides have had to contend not only with a veritable glass ceiling set ahead of them by the richest teams in the Premier League but also each other.

It was fitting then that Jurgen Klopp’s first game in charge after taking over at Anfield came against Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs. Given the parallels between the two managers and their approaches, as trainers and as tacticians, they were always destined to be paired off against each other in a battle to become best in their class at what they do.

But what are the similarities shared by the managers of Tottenham and Liverpool and how does their work differ?

Importance of pressing

image: http://www.squawka.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/4842290.jpg

Liverpool players press Arsenal centre-back Rob Holding.

While Pochettino and Klopp may come at the problem of winning matches from different angles – the former being a direct disciple of Marcelo Bielsa and Argentinian football, the latter an indirect student of Arrigo Sacchi and the German school of gegenpressing – their solutions are almost the same.

They like their players to play an aggressive, ambitious and intense pressing game, rapidly closing opponents high up the park, often in their own half and ideally close to goal in order to force errors and launch counter-attacks behind enemy lines.

It is these fundamentals by which they have both ultimately defined themselves as managers throughout their careers so far, and the most obvious parallel to be drawn between them.

Loading on the training

image: http://www.squawka.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/4706491.jpg

Mauricio Pochettino watching England training from the sidelines.

Dutch football fitness expert Raymond Verhaijian may not approve but Pochettino and Klopp often make use of extra training, often double sessions, to try and ensure their sides are as fast, fit and powerful as they need to be in order to play their manager’s hard-pressing systems to the level required.

The Argentinian and the German’s view is to ensure their players put in the work, especially during pre-season, to ensure they are ready for the long campaigns ahead of them. Unfortunately, their demanding regimes out on the training pitch can cause issues as well as solve them too.

It’s no coincidence that Liverpool’s injury record was worsened under Klopp while signs of mental and physical exhaustion in the closing weeks of a season are not just symptomatic of Pochettino’s teams but also sides coached by his mentor, Bielsea, and the many other coaches to follow in his wake.

A settled first-choice team

image: http://www.squawka.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/4846007.jpg

Klopp

Making the most of the transitions between defence and attack – and losing the ball and winning the ball, and vica versa – is key to the style of football Pochettino and Klopp set out to create. However, to execute the rapid, almost automatic counter-attacks required to realise the potential of their ideas, their teams need to be more than just well drilled.

They need the chemistry, understanding and send of collective intuition to make sure – as a unit – that not a moment is wasted on hesitation or indecision. Only time and experience spent playing with the same teammates, in the same side, can forge this kind of bond.

In ideal conditions, Pochettino and Klopp do not rotate. Neither do they obsess over alternatives to the primary plan of action. If they can identify their strongest side and ensure the team reaches its potential – and realises the potential of the system – the results will follow.

Klopp won two Bundesliga titles and constructed one of the most exciting and watchable teams in Europe at Borussia Dortmund. A common view last season was that Spurs were the best, most balanced team in the Premier League, beaten by the forces of destiny swirling around Leicester City.

Different dealings with the media

image: http://www.squawka.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/4762869.jpg

While Klopp may be happy to engage with the press, winning over reporters with his gregarious manner, Pochettino endures a far more evasive relationship with the media.

At Southampton, he pretended to be unable to speak a word of English, using an interpreter during his post-match interviews to bat away questions or get away with less complex answers.

He wasn’t able to repeat the trick at White Hart Lane and since moving to Spurs Pochettino has instead become one of the most reserved managers in front of the media in the Premier League. Klopp’s approach couldn’t be more dissimilar if he tried.

Contrasting functions at full-back

image: http://www.squawka.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/4687579.jpg

While neither Pochettino nor Klopp look to go defence-first when it comes to the personnel they deploy out the flanks of their defence, there is a slight divergence in how they use their auxiliary wide-men down each flank.

The former uses his full-backs for width, instructing his wingers to come narrow and cut inside as alternative threats for the opposition’s centre-backs to deal with while the likes of Kyle Walker, Danny Rose, Kieran Trippier and Ben Davies shuttle the ball forward and sling in crosses for Harry Kane.

Klopp on the other hand still tends to rely on his forwards out on the flanks to do a fair share of the work stretching teams – running wide and at full-backs before coming inside, or sitting slightly deeper to surge forward on the counter, with the rest of the pitch freed for them to gallop through as a three-or-more pronged attack alongside the centre-forward.

It could be argued that Pochettino’s players are more like wing-backs while his German rival still depends on a more traditional, yet still offensively-minded interpretation of the role of the full-back, with defensive stability important as well as their forward propulsion, hence the difficulties Alberto Moreno has got himself into of late.

Target men, or not

image: http://www.squawka.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/reu_2010746.jpg

For Spurs, Kane is key. He is not just their main goalscorer but a vital focus of the whole team’s style of play, holding up the ball, bringing others into play and giving his teammates purchase in the opposition’s half.

By contrast, Klopp’s peaks, with Dortmund and Liverpool, have come without the use of a target man. Even Robert Lewandowski – a striker whose wiry frame makes him look taller than he actually is – stands at just six foot. His great strength was his intelligence, his movement and dexterity for a player of his build, not so much his strength, even if, like Kane, he melded together the roles of playing as a provider and scorer all at once.

Attacks by Avengers, others cut Nigeria’s revenue for July by almost half

Attacks by vandals, notably Niger Delta Avengers, on crude oil pipelines and other facilities, accounted for nearly 50 per cent loss of revenue to the three tiers of government in July.

The monthly Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting, which held Thursday in Abuja, declared the loss of N250.97 billion for the month, against N538.8 billion oil revenue shared in June.

The meeting, attended by representatives of the federal and 36 states and Federal Capital Territory, also reported a cut of about 2.8 million barrels in crude oil exports volume for April.

The permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mahmoud Dutse, attributed the huge cut to the subsisting force majeure declared at Forcados Oil terminal by oil companies.

Parties in a contract — in this case, oil firms — can declare force majeure when they are unable deliver on contractual obligations, due to unforeseen developments.

“The decrease was as a result of shut-in and shut-down of pipelines at other terminals due to the activities of vandals and for maintenance impacted negatively on production,” Mr. Dutse said.

Despite the increase in average price per barrel of crude oil at the international market in March from $38.64 to $42.21 in April, he said revenue accrual in the Federation Export Revenue decreased by $102.17 million.

Although revenues from non-oil sources declined from N279.16 billion in June to N168.41billion in July, the meeting reported a marginal increase in import duty during the month.

The Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, in his report said the performance of Companies Income Tax (CIT) and Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) declined drastically due to the filing of the actual annual returns by joint venture companies.

Mr. Idris also attributed it to payments made during the month, with taxes paid by blue chip companies not captured under the month, because they were made before the June 30, 2016 deadline.

The AGF said distributable statutory revenue for the month stood at about N268.8 billion, apart from about N66.99 billion from value added tax (VAT) and N6.33 billion refunded by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to the Federal government.

The refund was part of the N450 billion oil revenues from crude oil sales between 2010 and 2011 withheld by the NNPC from the Federation Account.

Mr. Idris said the federal government was yet to commence deducting bailout funds given to states, except those with various loan obligations to fulfil with commercial banks.

He said the debt sustainability programme of the government established to help states restructure their debts was still available for them to take advantage of.

Other revenues accruals during the month, the committee said, included about N1.37 billion excess bank charges recovered from commercial banks between 2008 and 2012.

Another N70.04 billion was realised as exchange gain as a result of exchange rate differentials between naira and the dollar, in addition to about N36.49 billion arrears for May proposed for distribution.

A total of about N443.67 billion was shared during the month. The amount was about N115.4 billion lower than the allocation shared in June.

Details of the allocation to the three tiers of government showed the federal government taking about N129.2 billion, or 52.68 per cent; States N65.54 billion, or 26.72 per cent, and local governments N50.53 billion, or 20.6 per cent.

The oil bearing States were allocated N12.87 billion as 13 per cent derivation revenue for the month.

Although Lagos was recognised recently as one of the oil bearing States of the Federation, Mr. Dutse said they would not benefit from the allocation for now.

Besides, each tier of government also received N9.65 billion, N32.15 billion and N22.51 billion respectively for 15 per cent, 50 per cent and 35 per cent allocation respectively for VAT.

The balance in the excess crude revenue account was given as $3.03 billion.

MEND hails Buhari for pledging not to use force on militants

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari on his pledge not to resort to the use of force to stop the militancy in the Niger Delta, noting that the pledge was one of the critical and strategic concessions it has so far secured from the Federal Government in the ongoing preliminary talks to find sustainable solutions to the current Niger Delta crisis.

The group therefore called on all aggrieved militant groups in the Niger Delta to remain calm and patient and, more importantly, refrain from attacks on oil installations; as their grievances shall be comprehensively and adequately addressed by the Buhari administration.

This was contained in a statement issued last night by MEND spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, which hailed the visit of the United States of America Secretary of State John Kerry to Nigeria, stressing that President Buhari’s pledge to the Secretary of State is one of the terms and conditions of the ongoing dialogue with agitators in the region.

While commending Buhari for his pledge, the group said: “We therefore use this opportunity to sincerely and immensely thank President Buhari for respecting one of the terms and conditions of the ongoing dialogue. By virtue of the public pledge, the President has truly, shown the entire world that he is a statesman who means well for the Niger Delta region.

“Consequently, we also use this opportunity to urge all aggrieved militant groups in the region, including but not limited to the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) the Niger Delta Greenland and Justice Mandate (NDGJM) to remain calm and patient and, more importantly, refrain from attacks on oil installations; as their grievances shall be comprehensively and adequately addressed by the Buhari Administration.

“Regarding Chief Clark’s invitation, MEND is considering dispatching a member of the Aaron Team to meet him. The public shall be duly informed about the outcome of the meeting,” the statement added.

Rivers APC bankrupt, secretariat, offices taken over by grasses

The All Progressives Congress, APC is gradually losing its ‘salt’ in Rivers state, DAILY POST investigation has revealed.

The investigation further revealed that the party is currently in comatose as the internal wrangling in the party is beginning to take a negative toll.

The party has also failed to be a viable opposition to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, as the ruling party now enjoys the moment.

Checks revealed that the party is yet to win any of its arguments of alleged misappropriation of funds, bad governance and insecurity reportedly embedded in the Government of Nyesom Wike, the Governor of the state.

Beyond that, leaders of the APC have either absconded or cowed by the intimidation of Wike and his “foot soldiers.”

The state Secretariat of the party located at the highbrow area of Port Harcourt, #43 Forces Avenue, Old GRA currently stands a moribund building.

Investigation further reveals that the APC office, a detached Duplex close to the Polo Club now has overgrown grasses covering the lawn, dilapidated building with an unkempt and seemingly dirty environment with no power supply.

The building is clearly not befitting of a party whose leader is the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, a major founder of the APC. The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dakuku Peterside and the Acting CEO and Managing Director of the Niger-Delta Development Commission, NDD, Ibim Semenitari are other leaders of the party currently holding prestigious positions.

Worse still, DAILY POST gathered that the party’s secretariat which has almost forty member staff in its payroll is now bankrupt and has not been able to pay staff salaries.

One of the staff members (names withheld) told this newspaper that they are being owed as much as ten months salary.

He said, “As I am talking to you now, our Chairman (Davies Ikeanya) has relocated to Lagos. Our party Secretary is in Abuja. Our Vice Chairman has gone back to face his business. Nobody is here anymore apart from the Press (Chris Finebone) who comes occasionally.

“We have not been paid for the past ten months and nobody is telling us anything.

“Take a look at this place. Does it look like the secretariat of a party that can win a councillorship election.”

Efforts to reach an executive member of the APC to react to the development failed.

Two Imo Polytechnic students burnt to death

The Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area, has confirmed the death of two graduating students who were set ablaze last week.

The deceased students had just concluded their Higher National Diploma, HND examination when the incident occurred.

Confirming the incident to newsmen yesterday, the Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the institution, Mr. Darlington Oparaocha, said the students were looking forward to going for the mandatory National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, before tragedy struck.

According to the PRO, the exact cause of the fire incident is yet-to-be known.

He said, “We can’t say definitively if they died of cult related activities or sheer armed robbery. A version of the story surrounding their death was linked to armed robbery attack.

“There was an armed robbery attack in the hostel of the deceased students. Unknown armed hoodlums stormed the hostel Wednesday night and robbed the inmates.

“After robbing the inmates of their valuables at gunpoint, the two unfortunate students were tied in their room and set ablaze by the hoodlums.

“We were told that the two students were equally robbed, tied in their room and set ablaze by the rampaging armed men, before fleeing the scene.

“It is true that two of our students have been reported dead. The incident occurred in a hostel close to the school,” Oparaocha said, adding that their bodies have been deposited in a nearby morgue.

Good Bye Nigeria, Hello Biafra ? By Jude Ndukwe

The recent arrest and continued detention of Mr Nnamdi Kanu, the pro-Biafran activist, by Nigerian authorities have sparked divergent reactions from Nigerians. Most prominent of these reactions are the protests embarked upon by youths (some of who have been arrested, unjustly detained, brutalised using State force and killed while others arrested a various other times and places are rumoured to be awaiting the death sentence) in parts of the country in solidarity with Kanu. Also, many prominent Nigerians, world leaders and groups have risen in defence of the detainee, calling for his immediate and unconditional release while declaring that agitation for self-determination is not itself a crime but the legitimate right of the agitators.

Also worthy of note is the new-found doggedness, resilience and perseverance of the Biafra protagonists even in the face of glaring suppression, open threats and murderous brutality from those that are supposed to engage them meaningfully, genuinely and continuously.

There have also been some protests and demonstrations both here in Nigeria and abroad in solidarity with Nnamdi Kanu, his people and their cause. Even those who lack the courage to openly express their support for Kanu and the Biafran cause, wish in their heart of hearts that Nigeria would allow those who seek self-determination to go peacefully; and the reasons for these are not far-fetched.

The arrogance of those who consider themselves superior to tribes other than their own is unbearable. Their pride stinks and their postures always belligerent towards the Igbo. Recently, Gen Yakubu Gowon (rtd), former Military Head of State, gleefully declared in Nasarawa State, that the issue of Biafra is finished! Finished? That could only be possible in his dreams!

How can the issue of Biafra be finished when Lt Gen Tukur Buratai has been praised by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) for a job well done in dealing with the Boko Haram insurgents but Lt Gen Azubuike Ihejirika has been haunted by this same group of people and even more from the north for having dealt with the same insurgents?

How can the issue of Biafra be finished when Nigeria has not thought it wise enough to completely allow for the integration Ndigbo in to mainstream politics of the country at federal level with the northern region particularly working assiduously against the emergence of an Igbo son or daughter becoming our president?

How can this issue be declared finished when no Igbo man or woman has been found worthy enough to lead our security agencies for over 40 years after the civil war? Does it mean that despite proven track records of Nigerians of Igbo extraction in various areas of endeavour, none of them is trustworthy enough to assume leadership position in our security agencies? The only one that was elevated to such a position was appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan in the person of Lt Gen Azubuike Ihejirika, and he undoubtedly did a good job as he dealt deadly blows to Boko Haram to the pain and hurt of their sponsors and protective kinsmen. Even at that, he was not allowed to concentrate on the job with different kinds of needless tantrums thrown at him by the Hausa/Fulani hegemony even long after leaving office.

How can this issue be declared finished when children from the Southern part of the country are made to study hard, their parents/guardians brave the odds despite the lack of economic opportunities and give up their all to ensure their children not only attend school but also do very well, yet, the child from the South-East who scores about 130 out of 200 is denied admission to Federal Government colleges just to pave way for a child from the north who scores just 2 out of 200? The same policy obtains in the admission processes of our higher institutions?

How can the sound of Biafra not resonate louder and stormier when the same northerners fill our civil service in great numbers far and above their southern counterparts despite the huge gulf in the number of educated and qualified people between the two sides? I am not against northerners or any other stock, but truth is sacred!

Why will there not be continuous agitation for independence for the Igbo when everything seems to be built against their progress and opportunities in Nigeria, when it is obvious that they will perpetually be punished for the genuine mistakes of their fathers as long as they remain in Nigeria and are Nigerians?

How can the voice of protestations ringing through the valleys of a “landlocked” region (as others would like to derisively refer to it) be silenced, when, more than 45 years after independence, there was no single airport in the whole of the South East except the one the people themselves built from self-help at Enugu and later upgraded just recently to an international status by the Jonathan administration?

You cannot continually beat a child and still flog him for crying! Fathers of today’s generation of Igbo told them of how Nigerian authorities seized their properties and termed them “abandoned” after the war despite the much mouthed 3R’s of Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation. Where did the Nigerian authorities keep the money of the Igbo after the civil war since they were given a paltry 20 pounds irrespective of whether anyone had millions of pounds in his bank account before the civil war? This led to the deliberate “de-industrialisation” and disempowerment of the Igbo as they could not participate in the indigenisation process of industries by the federal government in 1971.

Fathers of the Igbo have suffered for the adventure of the civil war, generations after them are suffering for it, and even the generations after the present generation might continue to suffer for it if nothing drastic is done now. No Igbo man will want his children to suffer the extreme isolation he is suffering today in our polity. The plague of continued political exclusion must stop with this generation, or you allow Biafra to be!

It was Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, current Emir of Kano and former CBN Governor who captioned it rightly, forthrightly and poignantly when he declared thus: “…this nation must realise that Igbo have more than paid for their foolishness. They have been defeated in war, rendered paupers by monetary policy fiat, their properties declared abandoned and confiscated, kept out of strategic public sector appointments and deprived of public services. The rest of the country forced them to remain in Nigeria and has continued to deny them equity.

“The Northern Bourgeoisie and the Yoruba Bourgeoisie have conspired to keep the Igbo out of the scheme of things. In the recent transition when the Igbo solidly supported the PDP in the hope of an Ekwueme presidency, the North and South-West treated this as a Biafra agenda. Every rule set for the primaries, every gentleman’s agreement was set aside to ensure that Obasanjo not Ekwueme emerged as the candidate. Things went as far as getting the federal government to hurriedly gazette a pardon.

“Now, with this government (Obasanjo), the marginalisation of the Igbo is more complete than ever before. The Igbos have taken all these quietly because, they reason, they brought it upon themselves. But the nation is sitting on a time bomb.

“After the First World War, the victors treated Germany with the same contempt Nigeria is treating (the) Igbo. Two decades later, there was a Second World War, far costlier than the first. Germany was again defeated but this time, they won a more honourable peace. Our political leaders have no sense of History. There is a new Igbo man, who was not born in 1966 and neither knows nor cares about Nzeogwu and Ojukwu. There are Igbo men on the street who were never Biafrans. They were born Nigerians, are Nigerians, but suffer because of actions of earlier generations. They will soon decide that it is better to fight their own war, and maybe find an honourable peace, than to remain in this contemptible state in perpetuity.

“The Northern Bourgeoisie and the Yoruba Bourgeoisie have exacted their pound of flesh from the Igbo. For one Sardauna, one Tafawa Balewa, One Akintola and one Okotie-Eboh, hundreds of thousands have died and suffered. If this issue is not addressed immediately, no conference will solve Nigeria’s problems” (‘Issues in Restructuring Corporate Nigeria’, being text of a paper presented by Sanusi Lamido Sanusi at the National Conference on the 1999 Constitution, at Arewa House, Kaduna, in September, 1999).

Need we say more?

People like Gowon and his ilk should know that Biafra cannot be finished just by mere emotional declarations on television or at any public square; Biafra cannot be finished with extreme partiality, brutality and fatality but with deeper fraternity. Biafra is not just about a people, it is not just a geographical location; it is a movement, a belief, a spirit that has been allowed to hover around for too long as a result of the glaring and blatant injustices, inequities and humiliations the people have been subjected to over the years since the end of the unfortunate civil war. Not even the drones of America, Russia, France, China and or Nigeria put together can stop Biafra. The weapons that can stop Biafra are very inexpensive and not complicated; they are not in foreign lands but in our land: they are the simple instrumentality of love, equity, justice and fairness. Nigeria should transparently apply these and see how the indefeasible spirit and irrepressible voice of Biafra gracefully fades away into the thick wilderness of peace, silence and tranquillity!

Written By Jude Ndukwe

Shallow Graves Found in Home of ‘Prophet’ Who Chained 13 Children, 15 Adults

*Cancer victim among those chained up

Chiemelie Ezeobi

Following last weekend’s raid of the Ojodu home of a self-acclaimed prophet, Emmanuel Adeyemi, where the police rescued 28 people, including 13 children and 15 adults who were chained, THISDAY gathered on Tuesday that detectives have also discovered shallow graves in the house and in the swamp behind the house.

This is just as it was gathered that despite claims by the suspect that all those chained were mad, the police were able to ascertain that one was a cancer patient, who had developed sores from being chained up.

While 27 others had been taken to the Lagos State Government rehabilitation centre, one was however taken to the hospital as she was very weak and had terrible sores from the chains.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, CP Fatai Owoseni, acting on a tip-off, deployed operatives at the Area G Command Headquarters, to the house located at Oyinbo Unity Estate, Olamidun Close, Yakoyo, Oke-Ira.

Although the initial intelligence report was that a teenager, Adeyemi ‘s stepson, 17-year-old Toba Adedoyin, was chained, subsequent intelligence by the police revealed that 27 others were also locked up.

Confirming the incident, Owoseni said they had initially invited the suspect to the station based on a tip-off, and he claimed his chained his stepson to cure him of the spirit of stealing.

He said, “When we got information that a teenager was locked up in a house, the Area Commander had invited the suspect, who claimed that his son was known for stealing and so he locked him up in chains to cure him of stealing.

“While we were still on that case, we got another credible tip-off that there were other people chained in that same house.

“Of course, we carried out a raid and confirmed the allegation to be true. But before then, we had contacted the Lagos State Government because we don’t have the facility to keep the rescued persons.

“His claims now that he was arrested is that he is a herbalist, but why didn’t he tell us that when we first invited him to the station over locking up his stepson? He only told us that he wanted to cure his son of stealing. “

On allegations of shallow graves being found in the residence Owoseni said, “We had another tip off that they were people he buried in that compound and he confirmed it during interrogation.

“Because the area is swampy, the suspect had allegedly buried some people in the swamp and about three others in the house.

“When we asked him of their identities he said it was some of his patients that were brought to his home from the hospital, after they were given up for dead, that finally died in his care and were buried in the swamp.

“When we also queried him on the claims that he used the body parts of the deceased to sell to ritualists, he swore that he was only a traditional healer and not a human parts seller.”

Owoseni said investigation is ongoing, as the police is working assiduously to get the root of the matter.

PDP Dying, Says Bode George

Following the botched national convention of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Port Harcourt, a chieftain and one of the aspirant for the national chairmanship position of the party, Chief Bode George, has lamented that the PDP is dying, and he is holding Governors Ayo Fayose of Ekiti state and Nyesom Wike of Rivers state responsible.

George said in a statement signed by his political adviser, Mr. Uthman Shodipe-Dosunmu: “This is indeed a very sad period for the People’s Democratic Party. The sky is dark and bleak. The party is now at the edge of a cliff, dangling before an imminent plunge into ruin and forfeiture.

“Our party has lost its soul. Our party has lost the fundamental defining logic of its existence, stripped of all the higher values of old like Justice, fairness and equity.”
He said that the situation within the party right now is not what the founding fathers like Chief Alex Ekwueme, Alhaji Adamu Ciroma, Chief Solomon Lar and so many great men and women envisaged, as it “has now become a party led by ethically challenged and crude conspirators who openly and blatantly distort the democratic processes to sabotage the will of the people and perpetuate themselves in power.

“We had thought that the crisis provoked by the issue of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff would be finally laid to a rest after the conclusion of August 17th National Convention in Port Harcourt.

“We couldn’t be more wrong. Even as millions of well meaning party men and women were planning meticulously to restore our party to the part of decency and the part of probity and restorative sanity, a desperate gang of men had other ideas.”

George specifically accused Wike and Fayose of forming an unholy alliance against the growth and the development of the party.

“These two men have somehow assumed some reckless proprietary claim and dubious hold upon the jugular of our party.

“Wike and Fayose have become so powerful and heedless, blinded by narrow provincialism, swept aimlessly on the creed of greed, hurried along the straight path to inevitable perdition.

“They are the strutting gods of the hour who are disdainful of any guidance, who deride any counsel, who mock every advice with a sneer.

“They want to control every gesture and every nuance in our party. If possible, they want to impose their puppet candidates in all available offices if we are not vigilant enough.”

PDP slam APC, President in tweet storm

PDP slam APC, President in tweet storm

— 23rd August 2016

(By Adewole Adebusayo)

The Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday criticized the Buhari administration, stating that the country’s economy had fared better during the PDP’s 16-year run as the governing political party.

In a series of tweet on its twitter handle, @pdpNigeria, the opposition party charged the APC to focus on resolving the economic woes currently ravaging the country.

6. Chief Oyegun will be better served worrying about such things than the spread of a false narrative.

— PDP Nigeria (@PdpNigeria) August 23, 2016

The opposition party also slammed APC National Chairman John Odigie Oyegun over his recent comments over economic data presented by the PDP.  It had been claimed that the data was doctored.

The part recently released statistics which painted the country’s current economic picture in bad light.

“There are no indices anywhere by which the Muhammadu Buhari administration can be assessed as better than ours.”

“APC should focus on resolving the economic woes they have brought on Nigerians.

“Chief Oyegun’s response to our media statement of 19/08/2016 is a summary of the APC led FG – long on prose & badly short of substance. His retort that we hired spin doctors to bandy figures is badly unfortunate

“Our collective misfortune is made worse when we consider that the chairman of the ruling party thinks that figures that show the parlous state of the economy under the APC-led FG are spin or that the poor state of the economy is an act of God.

 “Chief Oyegun needs to concern himself more with the salient issues.”