In his reaction to the 30-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government to rescind its decision to suspend the RUGA policy, the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, on Thursday described the threat as irresponsible and urged his kinsmen, the Igbo, to stand up and defend themselves against any threat.
According to Nwodo said in a statement, “My attention has been drawn to a broadcast by Abdul Azeez Suleman, speaking for a coalition of northern groups in which he had the audacity to give the Federal Government an ultimatum of 30 days to rescind its decision on the suspension of its RUGA settlements policy.
“Abdul went further to threaten the expulsion of southerners resident in the North at the expiration of his ultimatum if the Federal Government does not rescind its suspension decision.
“This irresponsible, unlawful and provocative outburst reminds me of the northern youths’ notice to quit the North to southerners two years ago.”
While describing the RUGA policy as an Islamisation and a Fulanisation policy, Nwodo said that Ohanaeze would resist it.
He added, “The threat to evict law-abiding Nigerians from their places of abode in northern Nigeria is treasonable and obviously like the gun-trotting herdsmen will go unnoticed by our federally-controlled law enforcement agencies.
“Let Abdul, the Federal Government and others like them, take notice that Ohanaeze has no objections to all Igbo in the North returning home so long as all northerners in the South-East would leave the South-East and we dismantle the federal structure imposed on us by the military and return to autonomous federating units.“The nepotism exhibited by this Federal Government, her duplicity of standards in law enforcement, her undisguised Fulanisation policy is repugnant to the rule of law and good governance. We will no longer tolerate any further threats from these northern war mongers.
“After all, who should be the aggrieved under the circumstance? The millipede that has been marched is whimpering, but the person that marched it is complaining that his foot has been soiled.
“The southern Nigerian people that are bearing the yoke of oppression from cattle herders are trying their best to co-exist with their aggressors, yet it is the aggressors that are threatening further mayhem. This cannot be.
“I call on all Igbo to be ready to defend themselves. Enough of these threats!”
Tag: Igbos
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RUGA: Defend yourselves, Nwodo urges Igbo
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Igbos, Yorubas have historical, family ties – Ooni of Ife
The Ooni of Ife, Enitan Ogunwusi, has reaffirmed his position on the family ties between Yoruba and Igbo nations, saying the two ethnic groups are inseparable members of the same family.
Ogunwusi stated this last weekend at his Ile-Oodua palace in Ile-Ife while receiving the Lagos State president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Solomon Ogbonna, who had as a member accompanied the delegation of African Farmers And Cultural Organisation on a courtesy visit to the palace.
“I am so happy to have the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State President here as part of this empowerment initiative.
“Lagos is part of Yoruba land, we are all one, we are all the same. The history is there, the facts are there, and we should actually put this facts out. Why are we fighting?”
“This is your root. I said it recently, some of our Yoruba kinsmen with ignorance of our history came out with nugatory beratement of my position on the family ties between Yoruba and Igbo people. We have to say the truth and the truth must set us all free, we are blood brothers. We should be inseparable. Please feel at home in Yorubaland and respect your Yoruba brothers and sisters too.”
“We still have House of Igbo right in this palace till date. We call it Ile Igbo up till now. Our ancestors are buried and transfigured there. That is where kolanut was first discovered and nurtured.
“The Igbos are still the biggest consumers and users of kolanut which is only planted in Yorubaland till date. Can the Igbos do without kolanut? ”
“The ancient Igbo house is one of the most sacred places in this palace till date. One of my brother kings – Aka Arogundabi from Iremo quarters saw the mysteries of house of Igbo (Aka-ri-Igbo). Till date, Akarigbo of Remoland still sees house of Igbo as a common heritage of his forebears,” the Ooni explained.
The African foremost monarch maintained that he is a reincarnated spirit of his ancestors, asking Olugbo of Ugbo in Ondo State, Fredrick Obateru, to visit the Ile Oodua in Ile-Ife for proofs and evidences on the Igbo/Yoruba ties and also various tribes of Igbo ancestory in Ife.
“We have a lot of discoveries that the Igbo and Yoruba people once lived together as one family and this will be revealed to the public. We should look at things that connect us together not those that separate us.
“I am a reincarnated spirit of our ancestors, my name is Enitan which means a child of stories and mysteries. I had come to this world before. That’s why I am Babatunde also and I am back again to establish the truth and nothing but the truth and the truth will set us all free.”
“We are all the same. We have about 4 set of sub ethnic Igbos in Yoruba land when we were all together like we have sub ethnic clan in Yoruba race. We have the Egbas, Ijebus, Ekiti, Oyo, Ondo, Itshekiris. They are all Yorubas but at the end of the day they belong to the Aku Aaro Oojiire (Omoluwabi ethnic clan).
“The Ifa corpus that brought our ancestors from Heaven were and still are Ogbe Meji, Ogbe Ofun and Ofun Meji. While Oduduwa clan had Ogbe meji, the Oranfe (Sango) and Obatala clans had Ogbe Ofun and Ofun Meji respectively. Our generations thereafter became intertwined with different roles and responsibilites directly from the Almighty God who sent all of the brothers to the world. The facts are there, so it will take the deep efforts to fact find all these facts and connect all the dots together”.
“So, people that don’t know the story, I’m not trying to cast blame on anybody but if they don’t know they should ask. They say one Igbo is different from the other, it is true we have about 4 categories of Igbos we have Igbo Ile, Igbo Oko the Iwinrin sub ethnic clan and Ado na Udu. All make up to the unified Igbo clan.”
“There were different clans of Igbos that left from Ife to establish their kingdoms. One of them rebelled back and started coming to cause mayhem in Ife (where they originally came from) and that is the Olugbo kingdom. We should all come together and forget what happened in the past”.
“I mentioned that the Igbos started the spirit of profitability, Aje, in Ife at Igbomekun market (known as Oja Ife too). I implore you to tell the entire Ndigbo that you did not come from Jew, the Jews came from you and that is the truth.
“Let us all reconcile differences and look at things that connect us rather than things that divide us,” the
Ooni added.On his part, the President of Ohaeneze in Lagos State assured Ooni Ogunwusi that the Igbo people hold him in high esteem and will always appreciate his efforts in unifying all the races in Nigeria to peacefully coexist as one inseparable family, calling him an uncommon bridge builder who is well loved and respected across Africa.
The Chairman of Ogun Osun River Basin Authority and a member of the African Farmers And Cultural Organization (AFCO), Sola Lawal, had earlier introduced the delegation which included its president, Chukwunwike Esiole, and Yetunde Babajide as its South-West Officiating Ambassador who said they were visiting the Ooni in appreciating his agricultural empowerment for the youth and his efforts promoting made-in- Nigeria products which is in tandem with what AFCO stands for with its theme “Nigeria eat what we produce! Produce what we eat”.
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We don’t trust Igbo people – Remi Tinubu
Senator Remi Tinubu, representing Lagos Central at the National Assembly, created a stir on Saturday when she told an Igbo man that she does not trust people from their ethnic group
The wife of All Progressives Congress (APC) national leader, Bola Tinubu, made this known after voting at the polling unit in front of her Bourdillon residence in Ikoyi
The encounter was captured in a video that has since gone viral.
Speaking directly to a physically challenged voter identified as Charles Nnamani, Mrs. Tinubu said that Igbos in Lagos did not vote for President Muhammadu Buhari during the presidential election.
When Nnamani told her that he voted for Buhari, the 58-year-old responded in Pidgin English, “How I go know? Igbo, we no dey trust una again (How will I know? You Igbo, we don’t trust you anymore.)”
Recall that Tinubu, who was elected for a third term in the Senate last month, had earlier told people who demanded money from her at the polling booth “show me your hand, get the money.”
Earlier, while speaking with journalists, Tinubu attributed the low voter turnout at the polling unit to her belief that the elite living in the highbrow area believed that only the Federal Government’s policies could impact on their business interests.
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Lagos 2019: I can appoint an Igbo man to my cabinet- Babatunde Gbadamosi, ADP Gubernatorial candidate
The Lagos governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party, Babatunde Gbadamosi, has said he can appoint an Igbo man to his cabinet if he emerges the governor of Lagos State.
He stated that Lagos needs the best hands irrespective of tribal affiliations.
Gbadamosi who is also a real estate developer, made this known during an interview on Channels Tv ‘Politics Today’.
The ADP governorship candidate said:” I won’t lie to you and say I don’t see the bullion vans being deployed as a challenge. We had Asiwaju speak and saying igbos should vote for the APC or face the consequence.
There is a lot of chatter going on social media that a lot of Igbos were prevented from going about their business which is very ‘unLagosian ‘like. Lagos is home to all. Lagos is Lagos because we are very hospitable people. Real Lagosians know that the prosperity of the state relies on people’s abilities to do business.
“Lagos belongs to people like me, I am an indigene of Lagos. I can appoint an Igbo man to my cabinet If he qualifies. We need the best hands; Lagos is a cosmopolitan city just like New York. If you are going to run a world class city, you need world class hands.If the best hands I find for the transport sector is an Igbo person or an Edo person, then that will be the person I will appoint”.
When asked what his plans are for the civil servants in Lagos, he said his government will review wages to bring them in line with economic realities.
“We are going to review wages to bring them in line with our economic realities. We would price people’s time appropriately and pay people wages commensurate to the responsibilities given to them”.
Gbadamosi also lamented over the violence perpetrated in some parts of Lagos during the presidential and national assembly elections.
“I knew it won’t be easy to pry Lagos from the fingers of those who are feeding fat on our taxes. I knew what to expect and expect that it’s going to be really tough. A new dimension has been added to it now with the deployment of bullion vans and thugs; we saw a few examples of a very widespread pattern of violence and a few disruptions of elections in areas where the APC were clearly going to lose”
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The Lagos election violence was a tribal war- Skuki Peeshaun
One half of singing collective, Skuki, Peeshaun has just expressed his opinion on the recent violence witnessed in some areas in Lagos during the presidential elections describing it as ‘more of a tribal war than a political battle’.
The singer took to Twitter expressing his thoughts. He said :”This is not a political post or a tribalistic one. It’s an awareness post, so you know the motivation that the political thugs are being fed with”
According to him:”The violence we saw in LAGOS during the presidential elections was more of a TRIBAL WAR than a POLITICAL BATTLE. Pls read on… Do you guys remember in 2015, when the Eze-Ndigbos (Igbo elders) paid a courtesy visit to the Oba of lagos?
“There was insinuations from the Igbo elders that the person they wanted for Lagos governor was PDP’s Jimi Agbaje The Oba of Lagos did not like the vibes he was getting and urged the Igbo elders to support his own candidate, which was APC’s Ambode.
“That was the time the Oba of Lagos said any Igbo person who doesn’t support a peaceful and united Lagos would be thrown into the Lagos lagoon Fast forward to 2019, this GROWING CONFLICT has surfaced again
“Lagos is the fastest growing among the 36 Nigerian states A lot of Igbos are settled here (Lagos) and they wish to hold higher significant positions in this booming state.
“Yoruba cultural leaders fear that, if care is not taken, the Igbos would break all cultural barriers and eventually snatch Lagos state from the Yorubas and install only their brothers into powerful positions in the state”.
TheNewsGuru recalls that Femi Fani-Kayode, a former minister of Aviation reacted to the crisis going on between the Yorubas and the Igbos living and doing business in Lagos State.
Fani Kayode on his Twitter described those terrorizing Igbos as ‘murderous scum’.
On his Twitter page, he wrote: “The murderous scum that are terrorising the Igbo in Lagos shall reap the wind they have sown. They are no better than the Fulani terrorists that kill non-Fulanis in the north.
“These attacks are not done for and on behalf of the Yoruba: they are done for and on behalf of Tinubu.”
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Elections: Asari Dokubu warns Yorubas, vows to ‘revenge’ alleged killings of Igbos in Lagos [Video]
A former Niger Delta militant leader Asari Dokubo has released a new video threatened reprisals over the alleged killing of “Biafra” people in Lagos
Recall that they were some level of violence in Lagos during the presidential and national assembly elections last Saturday where the Igbo dominated areas were largely disenfranchised by some thugs.
While speaking about the development, Dokubu in a video blamed politicians for the incidents.
He also berated the killings in Rivers State during the electoral exercise on Saturday.
“We will revenge the killings” he warned the Yorubas.
See the video…
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Appointments: I have been fair to you enough, Buhari tells Igbos
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said his administration has been fair to the South East states going by their appointments into the federal cabinet.
The president also insisted that the appointed of heads of security agencies in his government was purely on competence and merit.
The president said this while addressing the Obi of Onitsha, Nnaemeka Achebe, and other traditional and religious rulers at the palace of the monarch in Anambra state.
He was in the state to campaign for re-election.
The president made the comments in response to allegations raised by the traditional rulers about the marginalisation of the South East states, particularly in the military.
Buhari, who commended the courage of the leaders in speaking their minds, told them that he had been fair to all the regions of the country since his assumption of office on May 29, 2015.
“I am pleased that you have the courage to present issues about your constituency but I expect you to be more patriotic in your presentation,” he said.
“In the south east, there are five states, in the north, there are 19 states. In the south east, out of the five states, I think five members of the Federal Executive Council are from this region, Trade and Investment, Foreign Affairs, Labour, Science and Technology, and seven of the northern states have only ministers of state,” he said.
Buhari said he appointed most people into the country’s security architecture without knowing them personally, except based on their professional records.
“I think I tried to be fair. And you can ask these ministers. I never asked them how are they running their parastatals, the boards. I appointed them and I trust them. I allow them work.”
He said the same complaints from the South East have been coming from other parts of Nigeria but that they do not reflect the truth.
“I don’t have to tell you what noise the other states are making especially when compared to the votes I got in 2015. So, I think I try to be fair.
“Those of you who were in the military even in the Biafran Army, know that the entry point is the same and you go for basic training, until you go to your formations or institutions whether it is Army, Navy, AirForce or the police.
The most competent or senior person is the one that gets there.
“If there are half a million soldiers, only one man can be the chief of Army staff at a time. This is so for the rest of the troop. In recruitment, we make sure that by states, people are recruited. At least, this is what I do, people are recruited from each state. For those who manage to get recruited, it’s up to them to get to the top if they are professional and work for it.
“The present chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff even the previous Inspector General of Police that just left, I didn’t know them personally before I appointed them. I follow records,” the president said.
He said even the current acting Inspector General of Police, Abubakar Adamu, was appointed based on merit.
“The same thing with the IG, that one was appointed last week. I don’t think I have ever seen him, I follow records. So, appointments in the Armed Forces and other law enforcement agencies depends on individual performance after recruitment not where you think you come. At least between me and God, this is what I do,” he said.
Meanwhile, the president also insisted that on infrastructure his government has done a lot for the south east region.
“On the issue of infrastructure, a lot of you that are here know that the last time the Enugu/Onitsha road was done was during the PTF days and it was also done again from Enugu to Port Harcourt,” he said.
He urged the traditional rulers in Anambra state to support the government in improving the security situation of the country.
Buhari pleaded to the people of the south east to vote for him in the February 16 election.
Speaking on the fight against corruption, the president said going forward he would jail all those who have over the years run down the fortunes of the nation.
He vowed that no individual found to engage in corruption will be allowed to go free.
He attributed his slow pace in prosecuting alleged treasury looters in the country to the need to follow due process of the law, but assured Nigerians of his commitment to restoring the dignity of Nigeria while he serves as president.
Governor Willy Obiono of Anambra state, who also spoke, thanked the president for releasing N30 billion for the completion of the second Niger Bridge.
He also commended the president for the government’s intervention on the Enugu/Onitsa road, and the on-going Onitsa/Nsukka road.
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APC deceiving Igbos with 2023 presidency promise – Obasanjo
…drums support for Atiku/Obi ticket
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday asked the Igbo to be wary of promises from the All Progressives Congress ahead of next year’s general elections.
Obasanjo, who spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting at Ukpor in the Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, said the APC had no plans to hand over the presidency of the country to the Igbo.
He urged the Igbo to take their destiny in their hands by getting united in the 2019 general elections and make a mark.
He said, “I urge you the Igbo not to allow anybody to relegate you to the background because you occupy a place of preeminence in this country.
“The Igbo must bury their differences and work together for the actualisation of the Atiku/Obi project in their best interest. It’s dangerous to take the APC government seriously.”
Describing Peter Obi as a beacon of hope, Obasanjo asked him to reach out to major stakeholders in South-East to drum support for the 2019 PDP presidential project.
“You and your presidential candidate have become the beacon of hope to all Nigerians who have had it so rough in the last four years.”
“You need to think out of the box to take this country out of the woods caused by the incumbent clueless administrators.
“With your pedigree as a governor, I’m hopeful that things will work again in Nigeria under your leadership as vice president.
In his welcome address, the first republic aviation minister, Chief Mbazuluke Amechi, described Obi as good man, adding that the Atiku/Obi ticket was needed at a time like this.
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2019: You deserve good governance, Osinbajo tells Igbos
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has informed the people of the South East that it is their right to obtain good governance and not to beg for it.
Osinbajo who was on a double barrel mission to Enugu stated on Friday at the commissioning of the campaign office of the standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu, Senator Ayogu Eze told the people that governance is for the well-being of the people.
He said the Muhammadu Buhari led Federal government was committed to the development of the South East whether the people asked for it or not.
The Vice President cited the 2nd Niger Bridge as one of the projects in the South East and assured that the would be completed as promised by the President.
He also said that many other ongoing projects in the South-East zone by the Federal government would not suffer abandonment as it is desire of the president to see to their completion.
“The Federal government will surely deliver its promise to the people of the South East. The contracts of the projects are ongoing. The second Niger Bridge is on course. The Enugu – Port Harcourt Expressway and many other roads and projects are on course, the Vice President stressed.
He changed the people to embrace the change mantra being enunciated by the APC by ensuring that they voted for the in the coming elections.
The standard bearer of the APC in Enugu State, Senator Ayogu Eze who was visibly elated at the presence of the Vice President assured that the party would wrest power from the ruling party in the state, the PDP.
He dismissed the said endorsement of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi by some Igbo leaders saying that the Igbo never at any time met and discussed it.
“The said endorsement was a fraud. The Igbos never met to take such decision,” he said.
Osinbajo left immediately after commissioning the campaign office to attend the book presentation by the immediate past governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime.
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Reelect Buhari presidency in 2023 – Group tells Igbos
The Buhari Support Organisation (BSO) Enugu State chapter, has said that voting President Muhammadu Buhari for a second term in 2019 will guarantee a president of Igbo extraction in 2023.
The organisation also urged Igbos to show appreciation to the President for the ‘befitting burial’ he gave Second Republic vice-president, Dr. Alex Ekwueme by supporting his re-election bid.
The group thanked Buhari for naming the Federal University in Ebonyi State after Ekwueme.
In a statement released on Sunday by its Publicity Secretary, Chibueze Eze, BSO lauded Buhari “for giving a befitting burial to an illustrious son of Ndigbo and a pan-Nigerian who invented the convention of geopolitical zones and who served the country meritoriously as vice-president and in other capacities.”
Recounting the Buhari administration’s contributions to Ekwueme’s burial, Eze noted that the late elder statesman was accorded an official reception at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on hand to receive Ekwueme’s remains, while the Federal Government also organised a night of tributes for him in Abuja.
According to the BSO spokesman, the Federal Government also sent a ‘high powered delegation’ led by the vice-president to Ekwueme’s final burial rites at his hometown of Oko, Anambra State, on Friday.
Eze thanked Buhari for the gesture.
“During the final burial, the vice-president announced that the Federal Government has renamed the Federal University in Ebonyi State after Alex Ekwueme, to immortalise him.
“We thank President Muhammadu Buhari for not only giving Ekwueme a befitting burial, but for also flying him to London for medical attention and capping it with renaming the Federal University in Ebonyi State after him,” the statement said.
The group urged Igbo to show appreciation to Buhari by supporting him for a second term in 2019.
“We urge Ndigbo to reciprocate this gesture by supporting President Muhammadu Buhari, who has embarked on the construction of the second Niger Bridge, Enugu-Onitsha and Enugu-Port Harcourt expressways, for a second term in 2019.
“Port Harcourt-Maiduguri standard gauge rail line will soon take off.
“We maintain that President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term is the fastest route for person of Igbo extraction to be president in 2023.
“Accordingly, supporting any other candidate from the North amounts to entering one chance bus,” Eze said.
Eze reaffirmed BSO’s conviction that President Buhari is fulfilling his campaign promises to Nigerians and Ndigbo in particular, pointing out that federal roads abandoned by the Peoples Democratic Party in the South-East, and the second Niger Bridge, are now receiving attention.