Senate President, Bukola Abubakar Saraki has showered encomiums on workers as they mark the International Workers Day Celebration.
Saraki said workers are instrumental to the development and growth of the nation’s economy.
In a Goodwill message, Saraki, also commended the leadership and members of the organised labour for their patriotism in mostly choosing dialogue over industrial action in resolving trade disputes.
He also pledged his loyalty to the cause and welfare of workers, promising to always champion their causes.
Saraki expressed hope that workerswould be encouraged to always put in their best to uplift and sustain the nation’s economy, “in view of the recent signing into law of a new minimum wage of N30,000.
“No nation can develop without a virile and agile workforce.
“It is trite to say that workers are the mainstay of our nation’s economy, since no policy of government, no matter how remote, will succeed without the commitment and collaboration of workers saddled with implementation.
“Having interacted with Nigerian workers and their leadership times without number, I can say without fear of contradiction that the nation’s workforce is among the best in the continent.
“All that is left is to adequately harness their abundant talents and spirit of patriotism to further improve on the nation’s economic and political development through timely and adequate motivation, training and retraining,” he said.
Saraki advised the public sector, “to work to ensure that the country realized her potentials.
“It should eliminate tardiness, increase the level of discipline and strive to provide enabling environment for the private sector to thrive with the resultant broadening of the scope of national prosperity.”
Oyo State Governor-elect, Seyi Makinde has written the outgoing governor of the state, Abiola Ajimobi over the excesses, recklessness and the move by Ajimobi’s aides to thwart the transition process.
Makinde also alerted Ajimobi’s attention to Local government stabilization fund and the activities of the Oyo State pilgrim board (Muslim Wing).
The excerpof the letter read thus:
Your Excellency, Since March 11 this year and 48 hours after the Gubernatorial election, I have observed serial infractions that connote efforts to thwart smooth transition come May 29, 2019 under the guise of spurious legitimacy.
I have highlighted some of them to the public through my Campaign office including but not limited to deliberate haste to rush out fresh contracts, backed with mobilisation, running into billions of naira even while other residual issues of more importance were crying for attention.
I wish to draw your attention to yet another development in similar manner presently playing out at the Oyo state Muslim Wing of the Pilgrims Welfare Board, which continues to make far reaching plans and even radio announcements in relation to the Board’s activities beyond May 29th 2019 , when it is crystal clear that the tenure of this out going government ends on the above stated date.
While the Chairman and the board are still well within their rights to function in that capacity till the end of this out going administration, it is however unacceptable and mischievous for the board to be making long term plans that are well beyond May 29th, 2019 with regards to the coming hajj operation, as my Administration will not be bound to accept any of these arrangements, including transportation, accommodation and welfare of oyo state pilgrims for the coming hajj operations.
Any action executed by the board that will continue after May 29th will be considered to have been initiated in bad faith.
I therefore, call on your Excellency sir, to prevail and rein in all overzealous officials who may wrongfully perceive the lame duck situation in Oyo state as a Gold Rush.
I thank you as I anticipate your utmost and sincere cooperation in this matter.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria are set to trade tackles against the Teranga Lions of Senegal in a friendly encounter ahead of the 2019 African Cup of Nations tournament to be hosted in Egypt.
The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF and the Senegalese Football Association reached a conclusion that the two African soccer power house will play each other in testing the strength of their teams and their preparedness ahead of the championship.
Earlier, the Zimbabwean Football Association has also indicated interest to play the 2013 AFCON champions ahead of the tournament.
The Super Eagles are grouped alongside, Burundi, Guinea and Madagascar.
Coach of the team, Gernot Rohr, said he is not leaving any stone unturned, as all the players that will make the squad will merit it, as there won’t be any form of favouritism.
The last time the Super Eagles played Senegal, it ended 1-1 in London, with Kelechi Iheanacho equalising for the Eagles fron the spot.
The African Hub of Information Technology, generally called the Sillicon Valley of Africa, the Ikeja Computer Village, has been shut down by protesters because of attempts at imposition of an Iyaloja and Babaloja, market leaders meant for local markets of onions and pepper on the market. This, apparently, has been ordered by the Iyaloja general, the daughter of the strong man of Yoruba politics, Bola Ahmed Tinubu Mrs Tinubu Ojo.
Iyaloja and Babaloja are meant to be market leaders of local salt and pepper markets, usually selected from the oldest market men and women.With the death of the last Iyaloja, Tinubu unilaterally imposed his daughter, who was never a market woman in the traditional sense of it, as the new Iyaloja General of the whole Lagos state. Since then, it has become an avenue of imposing market taxes on every little pepper seller-a veritable penny pinching-allegedly for the benefit of the alleged Black Maffioso
Recently, the same crisis emerged in the old Trade Fair complex in Ojo, where the Market was closed temporarily.
These are Igbo dominated business areas, fueling speculations that it is part of the ongoing onslaught against the Igbos in Lagos, which came to a head during the 2019 presidential and governorship elections. But a large percentage of the businesses, particularly real estate part, are owned by the traditional indigenous natives of the South west.
“This is becoming too much for the traders in Computer village”, said Ikechukwu Amanze, one of the traders in the Market. “Do these people understand that this is not Otto Market, where foodstuffs are sold? This is the African ICT hub, for crying out loud, not some local market”
Wassiu Agbaje, an information Technology expert, queries what the Iyaloja has to offer in a technologically driven market.
“what do the Iyaloja and Babaloja have to offer? what value are they going to add to the hub? What technological innovations are they bringing?”he querried, saying the hub is an international hub and should be treated as such.
The 25 year old market is estimated to generate over N2 billion turnover daily, and has been a tax haven for the Lagos state government. Attempts to relocate the Market to Lagos Ibadan expressway has been resisted over the years. “There has been various ridiculous taxes and levies imposed on the hub by greedy leaders amounting to several millions everyday. Now they want to install Iyaloja whose only duty will be to impose more levies on the hub. We must resist this”, says a trader on condition of anonymity.
A foremost civil right group, Journalists for Democratic Rights, JODER, has called on the Economic Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to Probe the governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson.
This call was made on Tuesday bubuthe group, stating that the plan to approve largesse for Bayelsa State lawmakers is a conscious attempt to institutionalize corruption and an indication that corruption is entrenched in the oil rich state.
“We see recent developments in Bayelsa State as an eye opener. There is a deliberate attempt to exploit the people of Bayelsas State. The bill epitomizes the manner and ways Mr Dickson has been running the state since inception.
JODER fully supports the call for investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) into the finances of the state since Mr Dickson took over,” JODER said in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Mr Adewale Adeoye.
JODER urged the anti-corruption agency to beam it’s searchligt on Bayelsa finances especially on the management of public funds by the Governor of Bayelsa, Mr Seriake Dickson.
JODER also urged the people of Bayelsa not to trust reports that the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson is withholding his signature adding that it may be a temporary plot to allow public outcry to fizzle out.
The rights group said the funds being requested as pension for Bayelsa lawmakers will further fuel anger, hate and even the prospect of violence in an already impoverished state. JODER said the total amount to be taken from public purse by the lawmakers in their post service era runs into millions of naira at the expense of the public.
The Bayelsa State House of Assembly had approved N500,000 post service monthly pension to a speaker of the Assembly, while a deputy speaker will receive N200,000 and a member will receive N100,000.
The bill was sponsored by the leader of the House, Peter Akpe, a close ally of Governor Dickson. The Governor was reported to have withheld its signature but there are fears that the bill may resurface in the near future.
JODER said to conceive the idea in the first place suggests that the current Bayelsa State Government is likely to have adopted corruption as a state policy. The media rights group said promoting a law that seeks to officially appropriate public resources is akin to day-light robbery.
The group stated “The withholding of his signature by Governor Seriake Dickson is an afterthought. We have a strong reason to suspect that the governor is actually behind the plot to steal public funds using orchestrated legal instruments put in place by the State Assembly.” The right thing to do is for Nigerians to continue to mount pressure unit the finances of the state are probed by the relevant authorizes.
Over two billion naira provided by an international oil company for the construction of Ugborodo New Town in Warri Kingdom, Delta State is causing problems among top Itsekiri leaders.
The magazine learned from competent sources that a foreign oil company, Chevron and Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) paid the cash at different times into the account of Itsekiri Regional Development Council.
The fund is now missing various sources told the magazine.
As a result of this situation, Ugborodo community, the magazine gathered, is on the verge of being washed away by the sea, while there is nothing in the ground to suggest that a new town has be constructed for the oil-rich community.
Worried about the alleged scam, the Warri Women Consultative Assembly, Itsekiri youths and some elders took the matter to the Chairman of Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti Corruption Prof. Itse Sagay, urging him to look into the issue in his capacity as head of the anti-graft committee and also a son of the Itsekiri Nation.
A petition detailing the history of the funds from the donation of 6 million dollars by chevron to the provision of another N1 billion by DESOPADEC was handled over to him.
Attached to the protest letter signed by Chief Rita Lori Ogbebor and Sir A. S. Meme, was a document endorsed by Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, (ILOT) verification committee on DESOPADEC, which revealed that only 15 units of bungalows at foundation level were structures at the site of the proposed New Town.
At a forum in Lagos, Professor Sagay condemned the mismanagement of the funds promising to take appropriate action.
Sagay, a chief of the Warri kingdom lamented that the misappropriation of such funds was common in Itsekiri Nation unlike in Urhobo, Ijaw and other oil producing ethnic groups.
To this end, he urged the youths to rise against such practices adding that they possessed the right to do so.
The petition titled “Construction and Development of Ugborodo New Town” reads,“ We are Itsekiri” mothers from the Warri kingdom in Delta State.
We have come to you as our illustrious son who has been very vocal in all mattes in this country where illegality, evil, marginalization and above all corruption are practices.
You have spoken without fear. It is for this reason that we are sure you were made the chairman of the anti-corruption committee, whose responsibilities you are carrying out diligently.”
According to the letter “in 1999, funds were earmarked and disbursed for the Ugborodo New Town and the project was envisaged to provide a modern township for Ugborodo, an oil and gas rich community in Delta State, most to Chevron Nigeria Limited.
Tank farm Escravos Gas to Liquid plant and many oil installations owned by several multinational companies including Shell, Panocean, NPDC, NNPC and NGL. To bring the project to life.
Chevron paid the sum of 6 million dollars into the Itsekiri regional development council IRDC, account in former Oceanic Bank now Eco bank in 1999 with account no 0033056452.
The Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC) paid the sum of N1 billion in 2011 to the office of the honourable chairman for development of the Ugborodo New Town. This project has been described in DESOPADEC as completed and 100 percent paid.”
Unfortunately, there are “only 15 units of bungalows at foundation level in the community there is nothing on ground to show for this humongous amount earmarked and abbursed for the building of Ugborodo New Town.
Since then, all that the Ugborodo Community in Particular and Itsekiri ethnic nationalist in general have heard, is a rather deafening silence from the parties like IRDC and Chevron who are all signatories to the account.
The rumour making rounds in the Itsekiri nation is that persons alleged to have misappropriated the funds are boasting that they have “closed the case”.
The letter further said “ May we use this petition to humbly request that you use your good office to investigate and bring perpetrator of this crime to justice, while the people of Ugborodo community and the Itsekiri ethnic nationality look forward to the construction and development of Ugborodo New Town.
For the sake of the continous existence of Ugnborodu and indeed the whole of Itsekiri nation, we request that the Federal Government who will suffer for the breakdown of law and order in Ugborodo land, takes over the investigation of the money and development of Ugborodo New Town.
If this is not handled properly, it could bring chaos, murder, kidnap and destabilifzation of the activities of the oil companies,” the letter stated.
For seven months, Comptroller Mohammed Uba Garba, controller in charge of Seme command of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS has worked hard, executing the mandate of the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali(rtd.)to anchor peace among all stakeholders in importation business and see to it that a roburst revenue is generated into the federation account.
Ultimately, “our job is to facilitate trade and generate revenue for the federal government” Uba said on assumption of office last August.
To a large extent, the Seme Customs boss has accomplished this task, though his critics insist that he needs to do more.
Therefore, taking a few days break away from the difficult job to attend to an important family demand, Comptroller Uba reasoned within himself few weeks ago, is not too much, after all, this is in line with the aphorism that all work without play makes jack a dull boy.
For two weeks the controller has been very busy attending to senior federal government officials.
The controller has played host to the minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi who commended him and other officers for operational efficiency at the busiest border in the whole of West African sub-region.
Amaechi lauds Compt. Uba Garba
Also, DCG Dahiru praised Comptroller Uba while on a working visit to the command.
But it appears the leave of absence was the opportunity needed by some mischief-makers to upset the apple’s cart around Nigeria’s important border with her West African neighbor, Benin Republic.
On April 2, some officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS and their Beninois counterparts decided to settle an old score, by using an issue that should been settled amicably to foment trouble and chaos.
They have been working together until this latest incident when argument over the implementation of protocol relating to movement of persons between the two neighbors drew a wedge between the two immigration Services.
Ordinarily, the Immigration services are not supposed to be at the exit gate of the joint border post but CG Ali allowed the personnel in order to promote inter-agency cooperation, customs sources told the magazine last week.
Apart from Immigration officials, other agencies working with the NCS at the gate include DSS and police, and clearly they have all discharged themselves creditably well, customs sources told the magazine.
But on this occasion, the two immigration services decided to throw caution to the wind, instead they engaged in shouting match “at a point the Beninois Immigration officers threatened to stop cooperating with NIS officers. In fact they were prepared to vacate the offices the two services have been sharing for months,” a source told the magazine.
It took the intervention of senior officers from various security agencies before the matter was eventually settled.
Sources privy to the incident told the magazine that senior customs officers at the command rose up to the occasion by settling the matter before it got out of hand.
As if that was not enough. The refusal by a Beninois truck driver and his agent to bribe some Nigerian policemen had led to a free for all with other truck drivers joining in the fracas to create a mob-like situation.
“It was three days of strife by the Beninois government agencies, agents and truck drivers against their Nigerian counterparts,” sources told the magazine.
Close watchers of the Seme Border said the Beninois have been looking for avenue to get back at Nigeria.
Their anger is that the President Buhari government has implemented some unfavorable policies which have reduced drastically the revenue generation of Benin Republic.
For instance the closure of the Atlas Park by CG Ali, some Beninois reasoned was targeted to stiffen their government finances.
The park used to be a transit point for trucks exiting to Nigeria from the West African neighbor before it was shut down by the CG.
How is the park a cash cow for the Benonois and its people?
The drivers who park their trucks in the park are levied by Benin officials which forms huge revenues for their government apart from the fact that the Park created job opportunities for other unskilled Beninois laborers, analysts say.
“So you can understand why there’s anger on the part of the Beninois,” Akeem Rufai, a security analyst told the magazine.
The analyst told the magazine that the Nigerian government has been under serious pressure from her West African neighbor to rescind her decision on the park.
Obviously, “the CG has refused pressures to re-open the Park because he believes that such action will be counterproductive to the effort of the federal government for a seamless movement of goods and persons along the border,” a top custom officer told the magazine.
Meanwhile, close watchers of Seme/Krake border said the situation would have turned out differently if Controller Uba had been around at the time.
According to this line of thought, Comptroller Uba has promoted inter-agency cooperation than any of his predecessors since he took the baton at the command.
“Since the controller was redeployed from FOU to Seme last year, he has busied himself engaging Benin security officials and other stakeholders in the import chain business.
This has been responsible for the peace being enjoyed at this border.
Recall that during the time of his predecessors there were frequent disagreement between NCS and their counterparts from Benin.
Also, don’t forget that the constant dispute slowed down the relocation of all the agencies to the ECOWAS building before Comptroller Uba assumed duty last year,” an agent who identified himself as a member of ANLCA said.
“Trade can only prosper in an atmosphere of peaceful co-existence among all the stakeholders.
It’s when everybody works together that the government can generate revenue.
I believe this is the mantra of Comptroller Uba and he has demonstrated this to all officers and men since he became the head of the command,” one officer close to the controller told The Source.
Fidelity Bank, one of the upwardly mobile middle level Banks in the Country, has consolidated on the gains of the previous Financial year by posting a profit after tax of N22.926 billion as against N17.768 billion in the previous Financial year amounting to an increase in N5.158 billion increase within the year under review. The Bank, which got listed on the floor of the Stock Exchange in May 2005, has declared a dividend of 11 kobo per ordinary share of 50k amounting to N3.186 billion. This was approved by shareholders at their 31st Annual General Meeting held in Lagos. This was reflected in the opinion of several share holders who spoke at the Annual General Meeting, AGM, commending on the basis that they have been able to keep growth above the heady inflation rate of 2018. The bank, according to their annual report, had been able to raise gross earning by 11.8% from 43.3 billion in 2018 to 48.8 billion in the period under review while profit surged by 34.0% from N5billion in Q1 2018 to N6.7 billion in 2019.
“We are delighted with our nine months financial performance which showed strong growth in key revenue lines and a corresponding decline in our operating expenses, despite the high inflationary environment. We remain focused on the execution of our medium-term strategic objectives and targets for the 2019 full year while we look forward to sustaining the momentum and delivering another strong set of audited results for half year 2019 (H1 2019FY)”, Nnamdi Okonkwo, the Bank CEO said. According to him, the bank’s grpowth earnings of 11 percent followed growth in fund and fee-based income. “We recorded double digit growth across key income lines: FX income (334.4 percent), digital banking income (34.6 percent), account maintenance charge (25.5 percent) and interest income on liquid assets (10.1 percent)” he said, adding that disciplined execution of the bank’s medium term strategy, which was based on optimal balance sheet management, strategic cost reduction and increased activity within the digital and retail banking environment was key. According to him, “43 percent of customers are now enrolled on the mobile/internet banking products and more than 81 percent of total transactions done on digital platforms, resulting in 25 percent in fee-based income, coming from digital banking. Savings deposits which now accounts for 24 percent of total deposits in the period increased by 6.2 percent to N242.1 billion indicating that the bank is on a steady march to achieving the 6th consecutive year of double-digit savings growth.”
Indications are that the governor of Lagos state, Akinwumi Ambode, may earn a ministerial slot in the new dispensation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Presidency. In the alternative, if some clandestine moves by some alleged groups to drag the Lagos governor elect, Jide Sanwolu, to court seeking to halt his swearing in based on alleged health grounds is successful, he may end up a default governor-again. He could not win the nomination for re election because the the Godfather, Bola Tinubu, refused to endorse him
Recently, the governor commissioned many projects in Lagos-both completed and uncompleted-which he invited President Muhammadu Buhari to come and cut the tapes. But surprisingly, the strong man of Yoruba Politics, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was conspicuously absent from the cutting of tapes. Other All progressives congress south West Governors were on hand to lend support. But Tinubu and Rauf Aregbesola, immediate past governor of Osun state who is his Man Friday, stayed away from the commissioning. Also surprisingly absent was Adams Oshiomhole, the Party Chairman.
During the mornings after, Tinubu has been at pain to explain away his absence. But there were indications that he was piqued that Ambode refused to heed his “order” not to commission the projects, but to let Jide Sanwolu, his successor commission it. This, this magazine gathered, infuriated Ambode who went ahead to invite Buhari to commission the projects.
With this rebellion, he has allegedly played into the hands of the so called presidential cabal, who are said not to be comfortable with the alleged 2023 Presidential schemes of Tinubu, and are already sending signals of their opposition to that bid. Only recently, the Mietta Allah, and Umbrella Body of Cattle rearers that has prominent Northern Emirs as their patron and President Buhari as Grand Patron, has openly said that the presidency remains in the North in 2023, thereby indicating where the wind is blowing.
Analysts believe that Ambode defied Tinubu with the encouragement of Northern Power brokers with a possible promise of Ministerial Appointments. Secondly, there have been unconfirmed reports of an as yet unknown group intent on dragging the governor elect to court, seeking the halting of his inauguration on health grounds, based on the allegations by Ambode during the campaign period that he-Sanyolu-was undergoing drug rehabilitation at a well known Psychiatric hospital in Lagos, and that he was once indicted in US on money laundering and fake currency issues. Although the possible success of such wild goose chase has been described as “Pissing in the wind” by an analyst, if by a slim margin of chance they are able to go far in the case believed to be backed by Tinubu’s detractors who are bent on smashing his iron grip on lagos, it could bring in Ambode back. It is believed that the aim may have been to disqualify Sanwolu as a candidate of the APC and award the victory to the next person in the election nomination bid, which is Ambode. By their calculations, this will give Ambode second term through the back door.
The Supreme court ruling that brought Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transport and former governor of Rivers state to power indicates that it is the party that went for elections, not individuals.
Whichever way it goes, Ambode may have become the latest pawn in the hands of APC political gladiators in a bizare chess game that leaves a lingering memory of Game Of Thrones, as he joins those empowered by the ruling Oligarchs to divide the political power blocks of Tinubu. Others are Minister of Power Tunde Fashola and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state. It is also accounts for the groundswell of opposition to Tinubu’s Candidates at the Federal Legislative chambers, which in recent times has caused a war of words between Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House Yakubu Dogara on the one Hand, and Tinubu on the other. All are because of Tinubu’s alleged 2023 Presidential ambition.
Indeed, Ndigbo have no regards and respect for constituted authorities in their own lands. Probably, our long aged practice of liberalism and freedom, in terms of choice of where to pay loyalty, liberty of expression and flexibility in association is heavily taking a toll on the supposed oneness and adulation to the regional powers, Nigeria is known with.
Without equivocation, no tribe in Nigeria will decimate its own regional power in the manner an Igbo would do. I can recall the threats by a monarch in Lagos, back in 2015, where one Oba Akiolu had threatened that should Gov. Ambode lose his election, the Igbos in Lagos would be thrown into the Lagos lagoon. And nobody breath a hooth; not even the Yorubas.
Of course, doing so in Yoruba land will amount to an aberration and arnomaly. It will no doubt negate their regional integration policy, which their “Ahmed Tinubu” is championing and steering its ship with every zeal and zest within his arsenal.
During the Raji Fashiola era in Lagos, Ndigbo were again, deported and dumped at the Bridge head in Onitsha in the wee hours of the day, with outrage across the country; and the only accompanying statement we heared from the Governor was that the deportees were “destitutes”.
And the question remains: how long are we going to continue playing the second fiddle in a country where we have given and invested our fortunes for it’s survival? Ndigbo have given and sacrificed more than anybody, any tribe could think of in the development and unity of this conflagration called “Nigeria”.
Never in my life have I seen a tribe so disorientated, balkanized and politicized with disdain and outright negligence for its own constituted authorities, lost of its collective values and aspiration Like ours.
Our younger generation in Igbo land, as represented by one Mbani Charles, in his opinion piece, with the caption overleaf has lost its compass and regional developmental manual. We are fast losing our identity and power as one of the three tribal tripod upon which the Nigerian Nation stands.
Were Charles Mbani to be a Northerner, probably with this scathing and disparaging opinion targeted at the sultanate, such as he has freely expressed against his own descendants and ancestry, Ohaneze Ndigbo, the Igbo Nation’s apex body, with the caption – “Nwodo, An enemy of Ndigbo?” published on the 23rd of April, 2019 in the Vanguard Newspapers, Charles would have been groaning in pains as a mob could have eaten him up for desecration of the sanctity of their highly revered throne.
But Ndigbo are civil and senile. They are educated and groomed to accommodate dissident opinions irrespective of it’s implications and dangers; even at the worst and most provocation, they are ever calm and receptive.
Examples abound of unwarranted and unprovocative invasions such as we have experienced in Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s house, where a group of unarmed young men were killed with impunity; and then the Port Harcourt rally for president Trump and a lot more, where more souls were committed to mother earth instead of addressing their grievances.
There were cases of lopsided appointments in the president Muhamadu Buhari’s government; where the interests of the Igbo as a nation was heavily threatend during the Last four years; we had the issues of headsmen’s brutality across Igbo land, and many more other cases such as exclusion of the zone from rail-way projects as made public by Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, abandonment of the Enugu Onitsha express road, the Niger Bridge moonlight tales etc.
These injustices and many more are what Chief Nnia Nwodo, President of Ohaneze Ndigbo is fighting on daily basis without appreciation from people like Charles Mbani; eapecially each time you watch and follow his speeches at Chatam House in London; press briefings and television coverages across the world.
Since his emergence as president of that oval office in the region, Chief Nnia has been a revelation in the entire East. He bestrides the ohaneze apex office as the colossus he is; working 24hours a day and even defending the indefensible.
He fights from all fronts and fires from all cylinders in defence of people who are considered annihilated and conquered as a region.
His only tango with the other tribes is that Ndigbo, for the first time in their history has fielded their best in terms of brilliance, intelligence, experience and wisdom, to steer their ship to the Canaan of their dreams.
For the records, Ndigbo like the Afenifere and the Northern elders forum’s adoption of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s former VP as their candidate in the 2019 elections was nothing but a reflection of the general interests of the tribes involved.
We did not just adopt “Atikuobi” as our choice, we voted according to our collective decision which Chief Nnia’s stance during the last election epitomises. So, whoever is suggesting like Charles Mbani expressed in his opinion piece that we have shot ourselves on the foot by that singular decision is on a long journey to nowhere.
Finally, Ndigbo are resolute in their decision. We made it clear in 2015 that we had no better candidate than the former president Goodluck Jonathan; and we have even made it clearer in 2019 that Buhari was not an option with 80% of our block votes. No regrests. Whatever the outcome, so be it.
