12072020 - Uzodinma, Ngige, Nnamani others meet, vow Igbo united front

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PAGE 20—SUNDAY VANGUARD, JULY 12, 2020 Keyamo’s Saga: NASS needs to watch it For one week, I tried in vain, to understand the purpose of the invitation by the National Assembly to Chris Ngige, Labour and Employment Minister, after having a shouting match with another Minister, in the same ministry, Festus Keyamo. I had hoped that the federal legislators were not planning to report Keyamo to Ngige in the belief that the former was junior to the latter, but that appears to be what played out. Why would that occur to the law makers – does the post of junior minister legally exist in Nigeria? Did the Senate clear Festus Keyamo or any other person for the post of junior minister? If the purpose was to employ divide and rule in their conflict with Keyamo, did they expect him to tremble before Ngige? In fact, did they expect one minister to support legislators against another? After all, is it not an open secret in Nigeria that if a legislator is found to be part of any corrupt practice, the usual response of the Assembly, is to hurriedly set up a committee to exonerate their colleague? To my mind, the invitation to Ngige, was misplaced. The open confrontation between the legislators and Keyamo generated ample concern among analysts, some supporting and others opposing each of them. One interesting commentary came from Ayo Arise, a former Senator, Ekiti North, who on national television called for a political rather than a legal solution ostensibly because his former colleagues are not likely to get legal victory over the tussle. Many of those who condemned Keyamo did so because they saw him as a long-time trouble shooter. One cannot blame them as it is customary for lay persons to often resort to character evidence. Unfortunately, the issue at stake was not about Keyamo’s antecedents or even mannerism, rather, it was a case of two bodies laying claim to a public project whose success ordinarily requires the cooperation of both parties. The project which is a Special Public Works Programme involves the employment of 1,000 Nigerians in each of the nation’s 774 local government areas. Having approved the project by appropriating a huge sum for it, the legislators had concluded the first phase of their own involvement, leaving the executive to work out the logistics and implementation strategies for the project. During and after implementation, legislators have fresh opportunities to get further involved in the project which is their power of oversight that is, the power to monitor the implementation. But if the legislators insist on being part of the implementation, then they can no longer objectively monitor the project. In ordinary day parlance, what we are saying is that if a teacher partakes in the writing of an examination by a student, then, it would be irrational for the same teacher to mark the same paper. In other words, as in all issues, it is always wise to allow for division of labour and in the case of government, the separation of powers among the arms. Accordingly, the National Assembly should allow Minister Keyamo to play the part assigned to him both by the President and by the relevant law while the legislators ensure that the project is implemented as conceived. As to who is blame-worthy in the open confrontation, Sections 60, 88 and 89 of our constitution have been correctly quoted to support the argument that Keyamo The clamour to be ‘carried along’ in every subject often beyond constitutional limits, is becoming suffocating cannot question the manner of hearing determined by the legislature. We think the argument is simplistic because the issue at stake was again not fully understood. If the relevant committee wanted a private session, it would have said so ab initio but to publicly indict a minister and thereafter direct him to answer in private, does not appear neat. Same is true of the directive for the minister to hands-off from his official duties as the supervising minister of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE)- the Agency mandated to implement the project in issue. Even the committees set up by the minister which the legislators were uncomfortable with, is backed by law. In the words of Section 16 of the relevant law, “the minister may from time to time, constitute a committee to be known as the special committee of the directorate for deliberation on special matters.” In like manner, to direct the chief executive of the agency to report directly to the legislature is patently objectionable because Section 6 of the same enabling law says “the Director-General and Chief Executive of the Directorate SHALL be responsible to the Minister for the day-to-day management of the affairs of the Directorate.” This is still the law till today and if as a result of its fall-out with Keyamo, the legislature wishes to overpower him, it cannot capriciously do so. Instead, it must in line with the dictates of the rule of law, first amend the law setting up the NDE. But because this is Nigeria, the legislature can do so in the twinkle of an eye, by adopting the same provocative procedure by which the 7 th senate on the eve of its departure in 2015, passed 46 bills in 10minutes! Even then, such a step is not likely to help the subsisting image of our National Assembly. There is indeed, no doubt that many Nigerians do not think well of their law makers. While those in the states are generally known for only doing the bidding of their governors, not many know who the federal legislators actually represent, just as they are perceived to be ever selfserving. Each time federal legislators pursue benefits allegedly in the interest of the grassroots, the claim arouses covetousness. Do federal legislators know or relate with the grassroots? Who do the grassroots know and see more, local councillors or Abuja based political office holders? Why do we run a third-tier level of government if things meant for the grassroots are best sent to them through far away party leaders? Do our politicians know that after elections, those elected are expected to, as statesmen, serve everyone and not only members of their respective political parties? Answers to these questions are best sourced from the way and manner, covid 19 palliatives were hoarded and diverted far away from the ‘most-needy’ in society. Over the years, the Nigerian legislature has sufficiently attracted too much power to itself to the discomfort of many sectors of our society. The clamour to be ‘carried along’ in every subject often beyond constitutional limits, is becoming suffocating. What many people expect now is for our legislators to use such powers and privileges, like constituency projects judiciously. Oversight should now be better organized to put an end to the misadventure of the power probe or how the subsidy scam became a celebration of corruption or how corruption fought back through tendentious oversight behaviour in the capital market. The on-going accusations between the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC and legislators, past and present, are distasteful. Our legislators will do well to enable societal institutions utilize their initiative, discretion, age-long expertise and established processes to carry out their functions. The NDE is sufficiently widespread enough and well-tested in the execution of its nationwide functions without daily routine supervision. E ven our revered erudite Emeritus Professor Chinua Achebe failed to appreciate the bold divide between Awolowo’s, call it local patriotism if you like, and Zik’s manifest egomania and selfishness. Because of the Igbos’ blind, crass and uncritical evaluation of our Igbo leaders, I am writing a book with title, ZIK IRONSI OJUKWU – WRECKERS AND GRAVE DIGGERS OF IGBO NATION DEMYSTIFIED. At 79 years plus, I hope I will complete writing the book before I pass on. Achebe said in his booklet, The Trouble with Nigeria, “As a student in Ibadan I was an eye witness to that momentous occasion when Chief Obafemi Awolowo “stole” the leadership of Western Nigeria from Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe in broad daylight on the floor of the Western House of Assembly and sent the great Zik scampering back to the “Niger” whence he came.” In that same book, Achebe correctly and rightly stated as follows, “Here was a true nationalist (Zik) who championed the noble cause of “one Nigeria” to the extent that he contested and won the first general election to the Western House of Assembly. But when Chief Awolowo “stole” the government from him in broad daylight he abandoned his principle which dictated that he should stay in the Western House as Leader of the Opposition and give battle to Awolowo. Instead he conceded victory to reactionary ethnic politics, opuruiche2000@gmail.com Zik is the trouble with Nigeria! (2) “ PhD,Department of Philosophy, University of Lagos 08116759758 fled to the East where he compounded his betrayal of principle by precipitating a major crisis which was unnecessary, selfish and severely damaging in its consequences. “Professor Eyo Ita, an urbane and detribalized humanist politician who had just assumed office as Leader of Government Business in Enugu saw no reason to vacate his post for the fugitive from Ibadan. Neither did most of his cabinet which in sheer brilliance surpassed by far anything Enugu has seen or is likely to see again in a long time. Using his privately owned newspapers and political muscle, Azikiwe maligned and forced Eyo Ita and his team out of office and proceeded to pack his own cabinet with primary school teachers, ex-police corporals, sanitary inspectors and similar highly motivated disciples who were unlikely to dispute anything he said. So the rule of mediocrity from which we suffer today received an early imprimatur in Eastern Nigeria of all places! And that was not all. Professor Eyo Ita was an Efik, and the brutally unfair treatment offered him in Enugu did not go unremarked in Calabar. It contributed in no small measure to the suspicion of the majority Igbo by their minority neighbours in Eastern Nigeria – a suspicion which less attractive politicians than Eyo Ita fanned to red-hot virulence, and from which the Igbo have continued to reap enmity to this day.” Zik probably thought that everybody was on mental holiday when he wrote in his autobiography- MY ODYSSEY on page 305 as follows-”Before the end of 1952 a crisis loomed in the ranks of the NCNC as a result of the unwillingness of certain NCNC-appointed Federal and Regional Ministers to toe the party line.(This is a long story which I hope to expand in a later volume.) Consequently, I was drafted to contest an election into the Eastern House of Assembly and regularize this irregularity.” According to Dr. Okechukwu Ikejiani, in his autobiography, Zik did not write the later volume and I am aware that there was no crisis in the ranks of the NCNC anywhere at that time, except that introduced by Zik when he fled Ibadan, stormed Enugu and sacked Professor Eyo Ita, and his brilliant team even though Professor Eyo Ita was his party man and fellow easterner! Zik deliberately and knowingly caused his party the NCNC to lose the government of Western Nigeria to Awolowo’s Action Group, created the eternal minority problem for the Igbos in Eastern Nigeria and above all, handed the fruit of independence struggle to feudalists who contributed nothing to the struggle, save delays and obstructions. Some Nigerians, mostly Igbos contend that Awolowo’s action which was legal and constitutional was unfair and below the belt, even though he fought for the Yoruba nation and Westerners. Accepting this proposition as correct for the sake of argument as the Since the end of the civil war, Igbos have not been accepted as partners and equal citizens in the Nigerian Project professors say, for whom was Zik fighting when he drove away Eyo Ita, his party man and fellow easterner out of office? I entered Ibadan University in 1964 with my advanced level papers in Physics and Mathematics to study Physics. During my second year in 1966, Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu and his men struck. After the long vacation of 1966, I packed my things from Ibadan and sought safety in flight at the Physics Department of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where I graduated with a B.Sc. hons. degree, in Physics, University of Biafra 1967 because Biafra had been declared while we were doing our degree examinations and everything Nigeria in former Eastern Nigeria changed to Biafra. While we were doing our degree examinations, Oil Companies and others interviewed us for possible employment on graduation only to be confronted by a war of survival which was imposed on Biafra by Nigeria, therefore dashing our hopes of a greater tomorrow. I am proud to say that I served as an officer in 12 COMMANDO BRIGADE, BIAFRA ARMY during the war. Though Biafra did not survive, Biafrans to the discomfiture and against the expectations of the Nigerian establishment survived in large numbers. This made the Nigerian government to device new methods of giving the final solution to the Igbo problem by repressing, suppressing and oppressing us. For example, of the six geopolitical zones in the country, only the South East Zone where the Igbos are located has five states. The other zones have six states with one northern zone having seven states! The alternating of the presidential seat between the north and south has been holding. For the 2023 elections when the presidential slot will go to the south, Ahmed Bola Tinubu from the South West zone is warming up to take the slot even though the South West and South South have had their turns. Bola Tinubu is planning to do to the Igbos exactly what Awolowo prevented Zik from doing to the Yorubas in the Western House of Assembly in 1951. Perhaps it is convenient for Tinubu to forget that many Igbos such as Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, Rear Admiral Ndubisi Kanu, late Mokwugo Okoye, Echukwu myself and many others were his compatriots in the NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC COALITION, NADECO, under the bold and brave leadership of Chief Anthony Enahoro which valiantly resisted the autocratic maximum leader, General Sani Abacha. Anyway, to me, without restructuring the Nigerian polity, the presidency is not a worthwhile occupation for any patriotic southerner save the shameless lackeys of the northern feudal establishment. I do not agree with those who ask God to bless Nigeria without their leaders working hard to attract God’s blessing; for the ancient Romans said, “laborare est orare” which is, to work is to pray. Since the end of the civil war, Igbos have not been accepted as partners and equal citizens in the Nigerian Project. What MASSOB and IPOB are saying is, since you don’t accept us, PLEASE LET US GO IN PEACE. In the concluding part of his broadcast to the nation during THE GLORIOUS JANUARY REVOLUTION as Comrade Ikenna Nzimiro, Emeritus Professor of Sociology , termed it, Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu said, “….WE PROMISE THAT YOU WILL NO MORE BE ASHAMED TO SAY THAT YOU ARE NIGERIANS. Since October 1960 till now, excepting the brief excruciatingly herculean but exciting time we spent in Biafra, I have always felt ashamed to say that I am a Nigerian.” Mazi Chike Chidolue’s indictment of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe is quite interesting. But I will not engage in detailed critique of his main arguments now. Obviously, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe’s obsession with One Nigeria compelled him to take decisions that eventually proved extremely radioactive to southern Nigeria, on the one hand, and quite congenial to the stifling northernisation of the country, on the other. Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who had been excoriated for introducing ethnic politics in Nigeria, seemed to have understood better than Dr. Azikiwe that forging a stable, harmonious, and egalitarian democratic country with the Fulanidominated Muslim north is a mission impossible and wisely advocated a highly decentralised system of regional government. But no matter his justification for joining Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon to destroy the eastern region, that singular decision entails that Chief Awolowo cannot be genuinely regarded as a committed democrat and humanitarian. In all this, the extremely nauseating duplicitous role of British officials in handing over political power to Alhaji Tafawa Balewa who lacked the philosophical sagacity to govern has remained an albatross in Nigeria’s chequered history. One thing is clear though: great political leaders make great mistakes. Of course, Dr. Azikiwe was a great political leader and he made great mistakes. But to claim that “he is the trouble with Nigeria” is an unwarranted exaggeration. CONCLUDED.
SUNDAY Vanguard, JULY 12, 2020, PAGE 21 Stranger than fiction – Could some men get this low!? Are today’s women trying to out-do the men in their quest for sex? When we accuse some men of being lechers, isn’t their success to do with the connivance of their ‘victims’? When I came across a recent story of the nightmare a young man Andy went through in the hands of her fiancee’s mum and grandma, I was lost for words. According to him: “I had a wonderful fiancee and we were saving up to buy a flat together. I was very happy with my wife. Then something happened to change that. “It began when my fiancee asked me to help her decorate her mother’s house. We both took the day off work and threw ourselves into the job. Halfway through, she got a phone call from the office, asking her to go in. I felt bad leaving her mum to decorate alone, so I offered to stay and finish it off. I worked hard all day. My fiancee’s mum was delighted and suggested toasting her new-look home with a drink. She opened a bottle of wine, we both had a couple of glasses and I began to feel tipsy. What happened next took me by surprise. One minute we were admiring the room, the next we were kissing passionately. We stumbled upstairs to the bedroom and into bed. “A little while later, I heard a creaking sound. I glanced up to see my fiancee’s grandmother popping her head round the door. She looked shocked but put her finger to her lips, then disappeared. Her daughter didn’t notice a thing. A few minutes went by, then the front door opened and shut loudly and we heard my fiancee’s grandmother calling hello. Her daughter leapt out of bed, threw her clothes on and told me to come down in 10 minutes. I did as she asked and said I’d better be off. My fiancee’s grandmother insisted on giving me a lift. I couldn’t refuse. “As we got into her car, she started to laugh. She told me not to worry, that she wouldn’t say a thing. She said if I did her a small `favour’ then she’d lose her memory”. We arrived at her home and went inside. I asked where she wanted me to start decorating but she ignored me. Instead, she began telling me that she hadn’t been with a man for many years. That even though she had vibrators, she missed the `human touch’. She might be a grandmother, but she was in her early 60s. “Suddenly, I realised what she was asking of me. I was horrified but knew she\d tell my fiancee if I didn’t agree. I thought that once it was over, I could put it all to the back of my mind and forget about it. I was wrong. Now I have two women constantly pestering me for sex. They won’t give up. They keep inventing excuses for me to go to their homes to `help out’. It looks mean if I don’t go, but once there, I’m cornered. My fiancee is starting to suspect that something is wrong but she’d never guess the truth. The guilt is overwhelming. I desperately want to tell her but I know it would spell the end of our relationship. I love my fiancee so much and I’m desperate not to lose her. Is there a way out for me, or have I ruined any chance of a happy future with the woman I love? ...” My first reaction was to laugh. Who did this adventurer think he was kidding? Did he genuinely believe that if he didn’t bonk his fiancee’s grandmother, she would let it slip about his being caught in bed with her own mother? And risk being condemned by both daughter and granddaughter? Please! I recently shared Andy’s experience with a male friend of mine, expecting him to be appalled by Andy’s recklessness. He told me he was actually bemused by my indignance. “Women are equally wayward when it comes to the grand seduction”, he told me flatly. “You hear of the devoted wife and mother who constantly sleeps with her father-in-law, or the disgruntled ex-wife who still bonks her ex-s much older uncle years after the break up of her marriage. The uncle makes sure she never wants for anything financially and even if the ex finally got a whiff of the scandal, there’s nothing he could do except make a lot of noise”. When it comes to sex, he affirms, your best bet is to get it wherever you can and with whoever you can as long as the chemistry if right! I’m still trying to get that round my head! Networking/ Sponsorship Francis, needs N200,000, help from well meaning and spirited Nigerians for hospital bills. Access Bank Account.1391890618, 08130081445 Osaro from Edo State, needs kind hearted Nigerians, especially all PDP members in Edo state to assist him with the sum of N500.000 to enable him to care of his heart disease problem. 08114031801 Faith from Anambra State needs kind hearted Nigerian to help open her saloon business. 09038413928 Daniel Timi, a graduate, is appealing to the Federal Government and well meaning Nigerians for a job, or the sum of N50,000 to start a business. 08147838744 Friends Searching Males Tony needs a lady for good friendship to start with. 08076094836 Kelvin from Onitsha, needs a mature lady aged 30- 40 for friendship. DISCLAIMER! 08036554689 08149367157 Paul, President of Circles of Flowers Lovers Club, in Asaba, Delta State. He needs male and female friends aged 18-80, for social networking. 08162775078, 08110887008 Lovers Searching Females Anita 30, from Delta State, resides in Asaba, needs a man, aged 40-50, who is caring and loving, for a serious relationship. 08118252558 A single mother 30, needs a single father,aged 30 - 50,for marriage. 08134698597 Love,42, God fearing, good looking, a Christian and resides in Warri Delta State, needs a God fearing and good looking man, aged 45- 70. 08146758936, 08054700825 Juliet, 28, a graduate is clean, loving and sexy. She needs a good man aged 45- 70 to take care of her financial needs. She promises to be a nice girl. 09014787170 ?Testimony from Ebonyi State,needs a loving and God fearing Igbo man, who must be financially ok, for a serious relationship that will lead to marriage. 08027605022, 08147033933 Benedicta, 40, big, beautiful, caring, understanding jovial Christian from Anambra lives in Warri. She needs a God Dear readers, please note that we neither operate, nor are we an affiliate of any match–making agency in or outside the country. Any reader who transacts business with any one claiming to be our agent does so at his/her own risk. Our mission is only to provide a platform for social networking. Also note that neither Vanguard, nor Yetunde Arebi will be liable for any error in the publication of requests which may result in any form of embarrassment to any member of the public. We therefore request that text must be sent through at least one of the numbers for contact. This notice is necessary to enable us serve you better in our refreshingly different style. You can send your requests to 33055. For enquiries, text or call 08026651636, or 08054700825 fearing, genuine Christian man a who is wealthy, understanding and mature minded, to care for her. He must be aged between 45-70. 08096228228 Godstime single, homely igbo lady with great potentials, needs a goodlooking, educated, comfortable widower already blessed with two children for a relationship. 07065658063 Virichie 24, from Delta State resides in Benin. She needs a financially stable man that can support and take good care of her. 07082314652 Searching Males Richmark 49, a Civil engineer in Delta State, needs a rich or wealthy business lady, for a relationship. 08118692290 Dave, self employed, resides in Lagos needs a faithful lady, aged 20-27 who is single, ready and willing for a relationship that will lead to marriage. 0810898258 Peterson, 28, needs a lady aged 28-26 for a relationship in either Edo or Delta State. 08163604963, 08162065737 Tunde, 46, School teacher and business owner from Ondo State, needs a friendly lady aged between 20-39 for a relationship. 09090924398 Toyin, 54, Muslim male, needs a beautiful, mature lady who is self sufficient and willing to embrace polygamy. 08175306852, 08071099518 Adeoba, 42, from Osun State, lives in Ikorodu. He needs a lady aged 29-40 for marriage. 07036700943 08031104525 High Chief, 48 from Abia State, working in Lagos, and divorced with children, needs a fine lady aged 25-32 for marriage. 08061074595 Mike, 40, based in Ibadan, needs an employed single lady for marriage. 09047658878 Alfa Ibrahim, 40, resident in Lagos needs a young Muslim lady aged 25-30 08029894571, 08084356024 Agbarha Warri communities distance selves from threat to oil firms The Agbarha Warri riverine oil communities of Ukpokiti and Oteghele in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State have disassociated themselves from a threat to oil and gas companies in Warri South , Warri South- West and Warri North local government areas in a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari written by one Roland Oti Yomere. The inuovwodo (representatives of Agbarha Warri) of the two communities, High Chief Victor Usiakpor and High Chief Samuel Itu in their reaction made available newsmen in Warri at the weekend, noted that the news item could destabilize and cause pandemonium in the area The two Agbarha-Warri high chiefs made it clear that Ukpokiti and Oteghele are Urhobo communities of Agbarha-Warri autonomous kingdom and not parts of Omadino federated communities as claimed by Yomere. They said Yomere cannot speak on behalf the two communities. The two Agbarha Warri chiefs insisted that the two communities were never consulted before the threat was issued and therefore added "If there is eventually a shut down of oil well and gas locations in our area, government should hold him responsible ". Chief Usiakpor and Chief Itu maintained that Ukpokiti and Oteghele are peace-loving communities and therefore cannot be part of any action that would be inimical to the revenue generation of Delta State and federal governments. They however appealed to President Buhari to prevail on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) contractor handling the Omadino/Ukpokiti and Okerenkoko Escravos Bridge project to return to site, adding that the completion of the project would attract meaningful development to the area. WASC Bible varsity holds maiden matriculation ASC Bible University, Ekete, WDelta State of the Celestial Church of Christ has held its maiden matriculation for students of the 2019/ 2020 academic session. The institution also used the occasion to honour some distinguished personalities with honorary doctorate degrees and award of honour. Some of the recipients include; Chief (Dr.) Freeman O. Ikpen; Engr. (Dr.) Moses Eyewubokan; Chief (Dr.) Dickson M. Najomoh. Also among the recipients of Award of Honour was the first female bishop in Uvwie, Bishop (Dr.) Ileleji Felicia, founder of God's Command Ministry, Effurun. In a welcome address, the Registrar, WASC Bible University, Sis. Gloria Novughakpo, stated that WASC Bible University is the work of Celestial Church of Christ Welfare Association of Shepherds and Clergies with the intention of preparing and equipping ministers for the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The registrar while presenting the 14 matriculating students, congratulated them for taking a decision to receive knowledge and divine impartation in the institution. According to her, the vision of WASC is to raise kingdom messengers. Mr. Akhabue-Airiede Matthew and Bishop (Dr.) Ileleji Felicia who responded on behalf of recipients of the awards commended board members of the Bible University for the recognition and award bestowed on them.
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