The Business Of Music With James Ndubuisi

James Ndubuisi. Image: Twitter

BY UGOCHUKWU IKEAKOR

With over ten years experience helping a core of artists from the South East break into the Nigerian music scene, James Ndubuisi has built for himself a reputation as one of the best A&R and music business strategists in Nigeria. His client list includes Flavour, Phyno, Runtown, Zoro, KCee, Bracket, Wizboy, RuffCoin and the late MC Loph. He started his career with Eastside Records, after understudying Biglo and currently works with STARZ as the Soundtrack and Music Acquisition Lead. Flavour name checked James Ndubuisi on Destiny, a song on his second studio album titled Blessed. I sat down with James and he shared his experience on the business side of music.

How did you get into the music management business?

My entry into the world of music started immediately after my secondary school (2004). I got admission to study law at Obafemi Awolowo University Ile Ife, but the school was on strike. My elder brother “Jay Stuntz” was learning how to produce songs. We bought 2 Shotz first solo album after it came out and we loved the production of the album. There was a phone number on the album cover so we called to let the person know that we were interested in producing songs. Biglo picked up and we didn’t know it was him. My brother met him after that and he took him in to work with him at the studio. I was always hanging around the studio back then and that afforded me the opportunity to meet Durella, Ikechukwu, Ruggedman, Sasha and DBanj in the early days.

How did you get into music promotion?

After some months of meeting Big Lo, he wanted to release his own album. Jay Stuntz was working with him on the album and we were all involved in the process of songwriting and making of the album. A lot of people don’t know this but Big Lo started as a producer before he turned to a rapper. Big Lo produced most of the songs on 2 Shotz first album. From being in the studio with Big Lo and Jay Stuntz, I was able to understudy them to learn the basics about music production, songwriting and A&R. When the album was ready, a marketer (Uzi Music) dropped some money for the promotion of the album. Big Lo gave me some money and CDs to share his songs with top radio stations at that point. There was no mp3, so you had to submit physical CDs at different radio stations and give the presenters some money to play your song on the radio. Payola was normal then and it was the only way upcoming musicians could afford airplay on radio. It was at this point that I learnt that you can’t leave anything to the goodwill of people in the music industry. You had to pay to get presenters to play to your songs. The money served as an incentive for them to play your songs. From doing this for Big Lo, I started building my contacts and understanding how to promote and market artists, then A&R their projects to meet market demands.

How did you meet MC Loph?
After working on Big Lo’s album (Aristo) I had to go back to school. When I came back from holiday, my brother told me about MC Loph and played me some of the songs they made together. “Wrekognize” stood out from all the songs he played and I loved the song and I was eager to meet MC Loph. Jay Stuntz had perfected his production skills at that point but Big Lo didn’t allow him to mix and master songs. MC Loph believed in Jay Stunt ability to mix his songs which helped him perfect his mixing skills. Big Lo at that time was at the top of his career with the Delicious remix he made with 2shotz and was always on tour. For weeks we didn’t get to see Big Lo, that afforded Jay Stuntz and MC Loph the opportunity to work together in the studio and they were completing works on an album (Wrekognize) . I met MC Loph at this point, discussed some marketing strategies I used for Big Lo and what I could do for him when his own album would come out.

How did you meet Goldie and what did you learn from her?

Goldie was the person that changed our minds about the financial aspects of the music business. We didn’t know music pays good until Jay Stuntz and I wrote, composed and arranged an entire song for Goldie (Fashy). Goldie paid Jay Stuntz 100,000 naira in 2005. That was mind-blowing to us then. At that point we had been with Big Lo for years and we hadn’t made that kind of money from one song. Goldie paid me 20,000 naira separately for my A&R services and that was new to me.

Let’s talk about your experience with East Side Records and how it evolved.
One day we were all in the studio together and MC Loph got a call that he should come to Ojez Night Club in Surulere. Surulere was the hub of entertainment in Lagos at that point. A lot of Nollywood actors and actresses were living in Surulere and Ojez was the favourite spot for entertainers. He met with Ifeanyi Anagoh who was a movie producer, owner and financier of “Mega Movies”. His younger brother was a rapper (Sino) and he needed someone to feature on a song with him. Rappers like Ikechukwu and Ruggedman were difficult to get and someone recommended MC Loph. He recorded the song that day and shot the video of the song the following day. Ifeanyi Anagoh was impressed and signed him to EastSide records. I remember the night he got signed, it was wild. Loph came back with a “ghana must go”bag filled with cash. I will never forget that day. Loph couldn’t sleep that night and we were all squatting in the studio. Loph used the money to rent apartment. MC Loph told Ifeanyi Anagoh about me and he signed me to work with him at East Side records as their only Promoter and A&R exec. Jay Stuntz was signed as the in house producer. I was in my early 20’s, still pursuing my degree at OAU Ife. Ifeanyi Anagoh, on my recommendation also signed Nigga Raw “Mr Raw” to East Side records. At this point we were no longer available for Big Lo as easily as we used to be.

Jay Stuntz had a recording session with an artist at Big Lo’s studio, but because of his new engagement at East Side, he missed the session that night but came back the following morning. Biglo was pissed, but he wasn’t paying JayStunt salary for production. He wasn’t paying me for my promotion and A&R work- we had no contract with him. Jay could produce a song for an artist , Biglo would charge the artist 50,000 naira and only give Jay Stuntz 5000 naira. Sometimes, 3,000 naira.

At East Side Records, Jay Stuntz was paid 70,000 naira for a song and earning a monthly salary of 50,000. Big Lo gave us an ultimatum to choose between working for him and East Side Records after Jay Stuntz missed the night session, we chose East Side Records and that was the end of our working relationship with Big Lo. Working with Ifeanyi Anagoh “Mega Movies” we had the opportunity to meet nollywood stars who came to Mega Movies and interact with other producers who came to record at East Side Records. That experience made us understand better the music industry and opened us up to the movie side of the entertainment industry. And marketing films.

How did you meet Flavour?

If not for EastSide records and MC Loph, I probably wouldn’t have met Flavour. EastSide signed Nigga Raw, MC Loph and Sho’boi. 9ice came to Eastside record to ink a deal, but Ifeanyi Anagoh didn’t sign him because he wanted to work with Igbo artists only. 9ice already had some songs that was getting street buzz. I made recommendations and begged that we sign 9ice, but that didn’t happen. 9 months later Gongo Aso dropped, 9ice blew up and was the biggest artist in the country. I remember we even had to pay him to perform at one of the stops on Nigga Raw’s album tour. After we released Nigga Raw and MC Loph albums, Flavour asked for a deal, but that didn’t materialize for some reason. Flavour was featured twice on Dat Nigga Raw, Everything Remains Raw album.

After the album was released, I met Flavour. I came back from Ife ‘cos we were on another ASUU strike. Flavour was working with Jay Stuntz in the studio when I met him. He had released N’Abania and was gradually coming up on the music scene. Eastside tried to sign him at that point when he started buzzing. But he didn’t need them again. Flavour had a great studio chemistry with Jay Stuntz and it was easy for both of them to create songs together. We had a chat that day and I convinced him of some strategies I could use to market his projects and that was the beginning of our working relationship.

How were you able to combine all this with your educational exploits?

Upon graduation from OAU Ife, I was posted to Nigeria Law School, Enugu. I called Jay Stuntz to inform him and he said he had moved to Enugu in order to complete production of Flavour’s second studio album Uplifted. When I got to Enugu for law school, I joined them at Obiagu where Flavour was staying. At that point, Jay Stuntz didn’t have any contract with Flavour when they were producing the album. As the album was nearing completion, Duncan Mighty released his second album titled Legacy. That album was everything. This is a secret but Flavour had to postpone his album release after we listened to the songs on Duncan Mighty album. We went back to the drawing board. We worked on the album for another 2 months before we came to the conclusion that the album was good . We were heavily influenced by how good the Duncan Mighty album was and created our album to match the work he released. I didn’t have a contract with Flavour either, but we kept on working. I A&R’d several songs on Uplifted. Also, I set up his social media accounts and handled PR. I worked on three album projects for Flavour. Uplifted, Blessed and Thankful.

What did you understand about social media that made you set up social media accounts for Flavour?

I understood the power of social media to reach many people at a time. I came to this understanding because of an artist I worked with in university, his name is Cyko. I used to promote him before I met Flavour. He became popular because of Facebook. Reverbnation was the only music site that accommodated sharing on Facebook so I set up a fan page for Cyko and people were joining and sharing his music. I knew what Facebook did for Cyko and how it helped push his music further. We were even getting gigs within the university for him. I had to translate that knowledge on a bigger scale for Flavour.

What one moment would you say changed your life?

After we dropped the Uplifted album, we recorded a video for Ashawo remix featuring some Ghanaian artists (Asem & Bradez Stones). The song was hot and it blew up in Francophone Africa and France. I got an email from Trace France about the video. They said they loved the song but the video was not good enough to air on Trace. There was no Trace Nigeria at at that time. I showed the email to Flavour and the team. I advised Flavour that instead of shooting a new video, we should redo the song, remove the Ghanaian artists and shoot a better video in South Africa. P Square had the best videos in Africa then and the videos were shot in South Africa by Godfather. The bill they gave us to shoot the video was 2 million naira, compared to what we had shot for 400,000 naira. Psquare level was the standard we were looking to achieve. I was able to convince Big A (Anderson Obiagu of Big A Ent. who was then the GM of Bad Beat Records who partnered with us for a bit) to fund the video shoot and he did it. After the video was shot, I sent it to Trace in France through DHL. The Ashawo Remix got massive playtime on Trace Urban and this cemented my position as a top promoter and music strategist. I still wasn’t getting paid because it felt like family business working with Flavour.

So how did you start working with other artists?

As a result of the success we recorded with Uplifted, other artists started reaching out to Flavour to find out who helped with his music promotion, marketing and A&R. Flavour kept referring them to me. I later on worked with Bracket, Kcee, Phyno, Runtown, Wizboyy etc. Because of my relationship with Trace France, I was able to help push their videos and handle other things for them. My connections grew, and the relationships I have built since I started working with Big Lo became very useful. I had contacts in Alaba and I was the go to guy for anything music promotion for these artists. These other artists were the ones that paid. Before I started working with Flavour, there was probably no Igbo artist from the East who had recorded the kind of success Flavour had in Lagos and across the continent

What do you think is the reason behind your success with these Eastern Artists?

It wasn’t my deliberate choice to work with Eastern artists alone. Some call me tribalist because of this, but this is far from the truth. It was a coincidence. Remember I asked Ifeanyi Anagoh to sign 9ice but he failed to do that. I would have worked with 9ice, if Eastside had signed him. Flavour’s success was visible to these Eastern artists and they could relate to him, knowing he came from Enugu just like them.

The reason behind the success of the Eastern artist I worked with was my ability to understand both offline and online audience. I understood what Alaba wanted. I knew how to push the songs on radio stations, navigate through Alaba and run power street campaigns. I knew the right industry connects that could help these artists at each point of their careers and Alaba was key in blowing up their songs then. Of course, times are changing.

From all the things you mentioned you did for these artists, promotion stands out. Taking their Eastern sound and blowing it up in Lagos through Alaba. What did you understand about Alaba at this point?

Promoting and marketing artists is also one of the roles of an A&R exec. I am of the opinion that online sales of music and streaming is still in the minority in Nigeria. Look, compare the numbers, without sentiment, you’ll see I’m right.Some people make the mistake of thinking that everyone who lives in Abuja or Lagos are educated and internet savvy. But that’s not true. Take a look at Lekki axis, you’ll see a combination of beautiful estates alongside horrible slums. From Jakande to Sangotedo, slums are everywhere. Majority of the people that live around here don’t know anything about streaming even today. Uploading music into people’s phones at Computer Village is still a thriving business in Alaba and Computer Village. Nigeria is a poor country and we have a lot of people who are not educated and don’t understand anything about streaming or paying for music. When I started, internet penetration was very low and Nigerians didn’t have access to streaming platforms. With this understanding, I knew that Alaba and the radio stations were the best channel to promote these artists because they could reach a mass audience easily.

What was the influence of Alaba at this point on Nigeria music and how did you become the go to guy for Artists in Alaba?
I worked directly with Obaino music at Alaba after I left Eastside Records. He is arguably the biggest marketer in Africa. But when I was working with Ifeanyi Anagoh, Eastside Records had a store in Alaba. They had their own store. Ifeanyi was a movie producer and these movie producers back then all had shops in Alaba, Iweka road (Onitsha), Pound road (Aba) and outlets in Asaba. So it was easier for them to move their music through the same channel as their movies. I understood the channel and links for distribution of music. Then working with Obaino, I was able to get the numbers of CDs we sold at each particular point. The numbers were very important to me.

What was the number of CDs sold for Flavour Uplifted album?
The last time I checked Obaino Music had sold 17 million copies of the Uplifted album. Yes, 17 million physical CDS.

Obaino Music confirmed this to you?

I knew when we sold a million copies and when we sold 10 million copies. Some people will say it is not documented. But my question for them is have they met any Igbo man that doesn’t document his sales? Even to the guys who sell okrika in Yaba, they have a book where they document their sales. The numbers are there in Alaba. Duncan Mighty has sold more than 20 million copies as an artist. P Square’s Game Over is still selling till today and I think it is the highest selling album in Nigeria. I am aware that the album had sold more than 30 million physical copies.

Do you still believe in this age of streaming that CD sales is important?

Yes of course. More numbers means more money for the artists. Some artists are okay with having their fans streaming their music online. But Nigeria has a mass market that you can still reach with your CDs.

Do you believe Alaba is no longer relevant today? And should artists do away with them?
Alaba is still relevant. Without them you can’t serve the mass market completely. If you throw them away as an artist, you’re the one losing. Because someone out there in Alaba is making money off your sweat. As an artist if you fail to print physical copies of your CDs, you don’t negotiate with any of the marketers in Alaba. You’re busy focusing on online alone. You’re losing out on a major cash stream. Because someone will print the CDs in your name and sell them to your fans.

Does this still happen today?

Yes it is still happening. Tekno and Teni have albums at Alaba.

This is piracy. How do Alaba do this?

It is piracy, but it can be solved. It’s a demand and supply problem. Before an album comes out there is already a demand for it. The distributors fund the production and printing of the album, and they pay a marketer who buys the albums from the artist to sell. If an artist takes his/her album to Alaba, negotiates properly with the distributors, you can easily checkmate the piracy of your work and earn money from the marketers at Alaba who buy the album from the artists. But when an artist fails to sell to a marketer, the distributors will bypass the marketers and illegally fund the production of the album to sell to the mass market who are ready to pay for it.

What can young artists do to prevent fix this and have Alaba work for them?
They need knowledge. A lot of them don’t know that Alaba still sells. Asa had decent numbers from Alaba. Adekunle Gold and Simi had good numbers from Alaba. I understand that the problem some artists have with Alaba is that of trust because they feel that the numbers can’t be tracked with tech. So they are afraid that the numbers coming out from Alaba is rigged against them.

So the main issue artists have with Alaba is trust?

Yes. Lack of trust is a big problem. A lot of marketers are dishonest. Just a few of them I can recommend that can show an artist their numbers without falsifying it. Alaba is a key part of the music industry, but these new artists are neglecting. They need to go to Alaba, do their own research, find out what is working against them and find a way around it and create the trust they need to push their music further. There are new marketers who are in Alaba, ready to show the artists their books and get decent numbers for them.

But online we have seen artists buy Youtube views to rig their numbers?

The difference between Alaba and YouTube is that, buying YouTube views increases the number for an artists. The artists prefer their numbers to increase than to decrease. So some of them will invest their money in buying more YouTube views, than waiting for Alaba to tell them they sold 100,000 copies. TJoe told Psquare they sold only 500,000 copies, it took their late mother confronting him to admit the truth about the number of sales he had recorded.

After all the success you recorded in the music industry, why did you leave?

I moved to California in 2016, after more than 10 years playing an active role in the music industry. I was tired of everything and I was done with music. I had no plan when I was moving to LA. But a friend was gracious enough to host me in LA. When I got there, it felt out of place. But after my friend saw my CV, she told me how good it was, it dawned on me that I could use my portfolio to get a job at Hollywood. Within the passage of time, I was invited to a meet up organized by Showtime. It was at that event that my friend introduced me to someone, whom I later found out was working with Starz. I had a meeting with the person the following week, they offered me a consultancy role for the projects they were working on. Towards the end of 2016, I moved back to Lagos to work with STARZ on a docuseries they were shooting in Badagry. They shot the docu series for 13 months in Lagos. There were a lot of interviews, research and ground work done. It was wild. The docuseries was about slavery in Badagry, I can’t speak more about it because it was eventually shoved aside.

When did your job with STARZ become permanent?
My consultancy role with STARZ lasted for months then I reached out to Netflix and HBO. When my boss got wind of it, they offered me a permanent role- Soundtrack and Music Acquisition for STARZ.

What advice do you have for any upcoming A&R?

The ugly truth is that A&Rs, producers and songwriters are at the mercy of musicians in Nigeria. Especially the young A&R, producers and songwriters. We need a structure that covers A&Rs, producers and songwriters when an artist is signing any contract that licenses his music or whenever they are working on any project. The contract should be inclusive in such a way that everyone involved in the project will get a percentage from it. Everyone involved in this industry should standardize this in our contractual process, doing this will ensure that artists don’t take everything and leave those who contributed to the project dry. For the young ones coming into the music industry, they must know that you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you signed for.

So what are you doing at the moment to help make this possible?

Whenever I acquire sound for STARZ, in the contract I make sure that the song writer, producer, composer, A&R, samples to be cleared and everyone involved in creating the song has a percentage from the money we are paying to you. That is how I am trying to correct this norm that is prevalent in our music industry and make sure that upcoming A&Rs don’t make the mistakes I made when I was starting out. It is my job now to verify and make sure that everyone involved in the creative process of making a song benefits from it. It is in the best interest of the industry, for other key players involved in the music industry to adopt this model and make sure artists don’t cheat anyone. Artists are cheats. Quote me anywhere. I once worked with an Artist who when he signed an international deal, he put down his name as producer, mixing, mastering, song writing, back up. His name was everywhere. He cheated everyone involved in the creative process. And then I knew these guys can kill.

Since you left the music scene in 2016, artists from the East are no longer topping the charts as they used to. Do you plan on coming back to help some of them again?

I think any advice I give will help them. I don’t plan on helping them again. The work I did for the majority of them felt like charity. I didn’t have anything to show for my labour and I don’t plan on doing that again. They need to get over themselves because they have some success now. They should hire people that are capable. There is nothing wrong in paying songwriters, A&Rs and producers that work for them. I used to go out of my way to get investors that will invest in some of these artists. They don’t have the culture of everyone eating- they made it difficult for people that will help them to get involved at this point.

Afrobeats is trending globally, and you’re in the middle of it acquiring afrobeats sound for STARZ. How has the experience been?
Thus far, I have been able to acquire sounds that STARZ will use in their upcoming shows from Nigeria. We have paid almost $250,000 to different artists in Nigeria. STARZ gives me song briefs to work with. If I can’t find the sound, I go into the studio with Nigeria artists to sing according to the brief. Sometimes they give me specific songs to acquire. Because of my position with STARZ, I have been able to plug in some upcoming artists from Nigeria, because it is easier to work with them and have them create the sounds you need.

What is the future of Afrobeats?
Afrobeats will fade away in 2023. There is no music that doesn’t fade away. We are not cashing in from Afrobeats.

So how do we cash in?

We all need to storm Hollywood collectively. If not time will come when no one will care about afrobeats, the same way no one’s paying attention to reggae music at the moment. This is not the first time world is seeking for a bit of Nigeria music- it first happened under Majek Fashek and King Sunny Ade. If we are not careful we can lose this moment. That is why I am making sure that our songs are used as soundtracks, making it easy for a lot of people to benefit from Nigeria music. Also, we need to stop limiting ourselves, everyone that is involved in the creative process of making Nigeria music should be involved with what’s happening beyond the shores of Nigeria. Seek opportunities outside Nigeria, protect the culture in order to prevent vultures from ripping and owning our sound.

SOURCE: CULTURE CUSTODIAN

Revolution Imminent In Nigeria – Archbishop Chukwuma

Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma

BY SUNDAY ANI

The Anglican Archbishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Province, Dr. Emmanuel Chukwuma has condemned the arrest and detention of Omoyele Sowore, by the Federal Government over his recent call for a national protest tagged #RevolutionNow. Chukwuma, who also accused President Buhari of having increased hardship since he commenced his second tenure, however, declared that spiritual revolution was imminent in the country.

What is your rating of President Muhammadu Buhari’s performance in the first 100 days of his second tenure?
As far as I am concerned, there is nothing to celebrate and nothing to cheer about his 100 days in office. Okay, we are celebrating squandermania and more corruption. All we have had are more insecurity, increased killings, more hunger, more bad roads, more failed infrastructure and more insincerity; buying more time over new minimum wage, and closure of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport with no sign of commencing the proposed repair works, among others. What is there to celebrate when majority of Nigerians are visibly disappointed with the latest verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal? What are we celebrating when the marginalisation of Ndigbo is on the increase? We are celebrating selective negligence and total squandermania of our commonwealth. When you keep hearing about huge sums of money being doled out for security, and insecurity keeps worsening by the day, what do you call that? We are celebrating because the Service Chiefs apparently have nothing more to offer, yet, they are still allowed to continue. So, we have nothing to celebrate because things have continued to get worse and foreign countries are making mockery of us, ridiculing us and treating us like lesser beings.

Look at how Nigerians are being killed in South Africa and other countries, even in Congo, Ghana and everywhere. Before now, we used to say Ghana-must-go and a brand of bag was tagged Ghana-must-go bag. But, Ghanaians took their bags, returned home and fixed their country. Today, it has turned to Nigeria-must-go; soon we will have Nigeria-must-go bag. It is unfortunate. We need good leadership for Nigeria to become a country of pride because it is a nation that is so blessed by God.

Are you satisfied with the recent move by the South East governors to tackle insecurity and herdsmen’s attacks in the zone?
South East governors are doing their best. The truth is that because governors in Nigeria answer chief security officers but are not in control of heads of security agencies in their respective states, they are handicapped. Thank God that when the former Commissioner of Police (CP) in Enugu failed to perform, we cried out and he was removed. When you keep sending Northerners all the time as CPs to the South East, what do you want the governors to do? Most of these officers are Fulani and Muslims, so, they are bound to compromise. We need Igbo officers as CPs and security heads in the South East. Let us experiment that and see if insecurity would not cease in the zone. We will continue to support our governors in prayer. When you have an army GOC that is a Fulani Muslim, and does not have any passion for Christianity, what do you expect? But, whether anybody likes it or not, South East is a Christian zone and we want GOCs and CPs that have passion for our religion. Those with negative passion will always offer insecurity. That is why the establishment of forest guards and neighbourhood watch groups are very commendable initiatives by the governors.

The outcome of 2019 Presidential election and the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal have been described in some quarters as untidy and unfortunate developments; what are your thoughts?

Our Presidential Election Petition Tribunal has not given us honour or cause to be proud wherever we go, just like the outcome of the Presidential election. We have a government that lacks integrity and so, the entire system is without integrity. When a President cannot produce his certificate, and the institution that is supposedly the last hope of the common man tells you that you do not need a certificate, but just an affidavit as pre-qualification to run for office of President, what integrity is left in the system? We have a President that has no WAEC certificate in a country that parades tonnes of academic professors, and highly educated individuals locally and internationally. Yet, a critical institution has the boldness to declare that it is not a big issue to be unable to show clear evidence of possessing a credible basic certificate. But, I declare that it is a big issue. In the 1960s and 70’s, there was no WAEC certificate that bore candidate’s photograph. How come Mr President’s certificate bears his photograph? I have said it before, and I am saying it again – Buhari is only pretending to be fighting corruption. Time has come, and I give this advice as Archbishop Chukwuma, that he should declare himself inefficient and unqualified to rule Nigeria and consequently resign. People are talking and calling for revolution. There will be revolution indeed! The country is being put into total chaos because this is the worst government ever in Nigeria; the bloodiest government we have ever had. This is a government that has subjected citizens to so much hunger, unemployment and insecurity. This is a government where selfish and evil cabals reign supreme and Mr. President is not allowed to be in charge of anything? I don’t think Buhari is in charge of the government of Nigeria. That was why he openly directed that the Chief of Staff should oversee all affairs of Nigeria. I wonder why he should issue that kind of directive. We cannot be ruled by proxy. It was Charley Boy that floated #Ourmumudondo campaign, and I agree with his idea.

When you mentioned revolution a while ago, were you referring to Sowore’s recent controversial revolution campaign?

Look, this is not a matter of muzzling and arresting a man because he said that he was going to organise a revolution rally because revolution is imminent in Nigeria. It is looming and it could come in various forms. God is going to visit Nigeria with revolution because there is total wickedness in the land. You can scuttle physical or human revolution but nobody can stop spiritual revolution. Spiritual revolution is akin to hurricane or wild fire; it is more devastating. There could be spiritual revolution in Nigeria because we can pray government to power and pray any government out of power, as well. A plan to redeem Nigeria has come, and I will stand by that plan because standing on the power of the almighty God, who created all of us, we can move mountains. So, let Buhari know that all the evil things happening in Nigeria and all the evil things happening to Nigerians in South Africa and other foreign nations are signs that his government is not acceptable by God, and that God is not happy with the government. Our country is richly blessed by God but bad governance and evil people have destroyed it, and citizens are suffering in the midst of plenty. We must return the country to what God had originally designed it to be and I trust that God will deliver us.

Is it true that you no longer eat beef out of protest over killer-herdsmen menace?
I do not eat cow meat anymore and I will never eat it again. I said that nobody should eat beef anymore because if we cease to eat it in the South East, there would be no need for the Federal Government to think about having RUGA or a camp for cows and herders in the zone anymore.

So, I have banned cow for all occasions and ceremonies in my diocese and I urge that the ban be replicated in the entire South East so that the Ogbuefi (cow killer) becomes Ogbuewu (goat killer) or Ogbuefi Igbo (Igbo local cow specie killer). Let us begin to rear Igbo cows, which we were once known for in the South East. Once we take such collective decision and begin to implement it, they will cease to bring in cows here because the market or demand for cow will cease. Then nobody would think of where to settle or how to kill us or rape our women under the cloak of cattle herding.

Do you doubt the FG’s capacity or will to contain killer herdsmen and bandits?

I am saying that if President Buhari continues to fail to call Fulani herdsmen and bandits to order, then we are going to bring out Ogbunigwe to face insecurity within the South East, and that is why I have told the governor of Enugu State not to bother himself again. It is approaching a time when we shall return fire for fire, and it is a pity that we have not done what we ought to do to save ourselves from the ongoing mess.

You are among the leaders that spoke out when Nnamdi Kanu was arrested; are you happy with what the IPOB is doing now?

I am not happy with them because they are biting the fingers that fed them. How I wish that Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB would understand that they were delivered by the people they are now insulting and harassing. They should realise that the case is still in court and that it is not yet over. They should repent, apologise and be more sensible in fighting their cause. You cannot be somewhere outside the country enjoying peace while the people that you said you are fighting for are here suffering, losing their lives and closing their shops and offices. IPOB should respect Igbo elders and governors and team up for us to fight the common cause in a more sensible and responsible manner than what they are doing today. I feel so bad because even though Nnamdi Kanu is fighting a just cause, he thinks that he can achieve his aim without carrying us along. No tree has ever made a forest anywhere. He is fighting the cause with a lot of selfishness, arrogance and pomposity, and that is not good. IPOB should desist from creating house enemy but join hands with their elders to fight our outside enemies rather than fighting ourselves within. That is the way to go.

Then to the Igbo nation, Igbo youths have ridiculed the elders, so the elders are losing the seal to defend their cause outside. How I wish the IPOB will go and fight in South Africa, rather than fighting Igbo elders. The IPOB is fighting absolutely a useless battle for the Igbo, and I challenge them to go to South Africa and fight the South Africans rather than insulting their elders. The manner, in which IPOB insults leaders, leaves one with the impression that they have gone out of their senses. If they keep insulting and ridiculing elders, which elder would rise to defend the cause of their children, when they have not been respected? It’s a pity. So, Ndigbo must unite and speak with one voice. Do you find any Hausa or Yoruba crying that their people have been killed? Igbo are very hard working. They are very enterprising and very reformed in business and that is why they are more in South Africa. Talk about electronics, motor spare parts and several other businesses; they make great impact in South Africa, thereby creating so much jealousy among South Africans, and that is probably the main cause of the xenophobic attacks. Most South Africans are naturally lazy and that is the issue. And unfortunately, the Igbo who are there live extravagant lifestyles which attract so much jealousy on them. I urge Nigerians to always humble themselves wherever they live, so they can enjoy their wealth peacefully. We hear that many of them engage in drugs and crimes, so, we have a lot to do to recover our lost integrity to end being ridiculed by outsiders.

How do you feel about the killing of blacks in South Africa?I feel very sad. It is unfortunate and so dishonourable for blacks to be killed in black continent by fellow blacks, and one wonders what the so-called African Union, AU, is doing about it. Again, it is unfortunate that most of the people affected are Igbo and that is why it is of much concern to us. We, therefore, commend Air Peace and the FG for their efforts to bring those affected back to Nigeria safely. But, notwithstanding, I think time has come when the Nigerian leader must ask himself why the exodus of Nigerians to other countries where they end up being treated badly. If Nigeria is comfortable, if there was favourable business atmosphere and availability of employment, would citizens move out of the country in such embarrassing numbers? How many South Africans are in Nigeria? When it is not safe enough for people to live and earn their living in their country, they are forced to look for alternative places.

What should be done to stem the tide?

We need to look inwards first because Nigerians are not safe even in Nigeria here. If we are so concerned about ongoing attacks and killing of Nigerians in South African, what about Fulani herdsmen killing Nigerians in Nigeria? What about Nigerians killing, maiming, raping and kidnapping fellow Nigerians in Nigeria, with reckless abandon, under the guise of Fulani herdsmen, bandits, Boko Haram and what have you? So many lives are being wasted under the current government, while government stands and looks helpless.

How does the scenario that you just painted relate to the xenophobic attacks in South Africa?

It has everything to do with it! The present administration in Nigeria does not respect life and because of that, foreign nations no longer have respect for the lives of our citizens outside. Many people have been killed, their hard-earned valuables get razed every day in this country and nobody cares, not even compensations are paid to victims. Now, you are pressing for compensation in South Africa. Although that is not a bad idea but I am saying that charity should begin at home. It is unfortunate that we have exposed ourselves to more dangers outside by not respecting lives in Nigeria. This is a country where cows have become more important than human lives. When animals become more valuable than human beings, what do you expect? That is why RUGA is still in contention in Nigeria. If the money they have earmarked for the controversial RUGA project is used to establish businesses to engage those Nigerians in South Africa, that would have been more reasonable. And if that is done, virtually all of them will come back home. So, we should stop disgracing ourselves. We should stop belittling ourselves and making fun of ourselves. We should look inwards and start doing things right.

Because citizens are not safe in Nigeria and their rights are not respected, we are seen as useless outside the country. If lives are secured in Nigeria and the Federal Government values lives more than animals, the South Africans would not have had the guts to be killing Nigerians in their country. Have we not been complaining that we are being killed in Nigeria? Have we not been complaining that bandits and killers are all over the place? People are kidnapping fellow citizens; Fulani herdsmen are raping and killing our people across the country, but what has been done about that?

So, it is a case of double jeopardy for Nigerians, especially the Igbo. Nigerians are not safe in Nigeria and they are not safe outside. Buhari has never made any strong statement against Fulani herdsmen. He has made no move to declare them terrorists or to ensure that they are arrested and made to face the law. In some places where most of them were arrested, they were not even tried in the court; that is the issue. Most of these things are repercussion. What you sow, you will reap. We are reaping what we have sown and we need to go on our knees and ask God to forgive us. I have said it during the burial of former Vice President, Alex Ekwueme, that a time shall come when even those who think they are big men or who are in high political offices, blowing sirens when they move around, would be challenged by the young people out of frustration due to high unemployment rate. Nigeria is still sitting on a keg of gunpowder, in that regard.

What is the way out?

The way out is that President Buhari should realise that the best way to go is to create businesses that would engage the returnee-Nigerians from South Africa, and other teeming unemployed citizens. That is a much better move than pursuing the RUGA programme in whatever guise.

SOURCE: SUN NEWS ONLINE

Aladimma: Developmental Trajectory Of Igbo People

Chimaraoke Nnamani. Image: Wikipedia

BY CHIMAROKE NNAMANI

The concept of Aladimma in the Igbo world view is not a claim of having it all and good at all times, and certainly not built on sitting in recrimination over the disaster of a consequential war waged on them and the other Eastern Nigerians in an avoidable chain of actions escalated by the egos of otherwise professional soldiers who departed their careers and delved into statecraft for which they were ill-prepared.

The concept of Aladimma is a prognosis of the would-be, anchoring on the best that had been of the past, relegating the flash points of conflict in present interactions in a multi dimensional state system as Nigeria, without bowing to the hues and cries for chiselling a people into one pattern of behaviour.

In then considering the factors which give vent to social agglomeration or blending of multiple values into a functional loose society of nation State, Frank Wallasey in his work, “Emerging New States after the great war, declares, “the state is not built on amorphous claims, but founded on the relationship between nation and state, between culture and society, and between values and covenants.”

Put differently, the modern State must take into consideration the pre-existing or organic values, character and interests from which the careful blending of the society of the state would commence and proceed without relenting.

If then we are challenged as we are today, in sorting out the Igbo character, which, when fully understood, provides a spur of the individual and group in irrevocable pursuit of inclusion within the Nigeria State, it is not asking for too much to demand a reinvention of the glorious past added with values of the present, and which is capable of gainful influences in the Nigeria context.

Unknown to many an Igbo and other Nigerians, what has, at present, thrust itself forward, threatening to be considered as the all-time character and aspiration of Ndigbo in Nigeria has tended to be disruptive tendencies and a desire to attainment of a separate State in the name or the like of Biafra.

I strongly think differently. Remember, Biafra had arisen on the reality of failure of the State in protecting the people of old Eastern Nigeria origin from repeated and then enduring deadly mob attacks by their fellow countrymen. Such had then suggested that the abdication of the primary duty of the State in protecting her citizens was a confirmation of a State policy to be perpetrated as exclusion of some. It was simply unacceptable. And, yes, the hurt was deep. The disruption of the social order was total, and the oddities were even surpassed in the proportion of injury by post-war state policies, such as the abandoned property, twenty Pounds limitation mockery, and indigenisation programmes. Since these have yet to be removed, they have remained as strongest suggestions of a design to relegate and stunt the people already traumatised by war.

The question now is whether, in the face of typecasting the people as affronting the State in the drive to a separate State of Biafra, have the people themselves reflected on the best options in either holding out and excelling even against all odds or adopting a Pro-State principle, which would give vent to achieving both at the same time, leaving no one in injury or further agitation?

Now, get me right. The drive for a separate state is no more rewarding in actualisation than first getting the acts together, especially in bounding and streamlining of the myriad rewarding character traits from days of the past to the present.

How do I mean? The question may not have been asked of the lines or matters between physical Biafra, which is of territory and restricted in geographical outreach against fiscal Biafra, which is individual and group economic culture, boundless in pattern, endless extent and outreach and capable of repetition, recreation and remodelling. It is also global in influence. Now, what does one offer, either for or against the other?

The physical Biafra offers a near monolithic State which shall have the arduous task of commencing the journey of nation building if after recovery from the pangs of birth of a State, with its attendant physical and psychological destructions, pillaging and traumatisation. Such pangs usually run on the same lines of a revolution, which has operated on the principle of consuming its best and brightest, also in oftentimes, relegation of the prior target principles in setting out. As certainly disruptive and usually violent, the price of vacuous liberty sometimes may tend to outweigh the gains of the new project if not dwarfed by the private desires of the prime actors. What tends to unsettle in such is that often times, the seeming group objectives often tend to differ from the personal political and social aspiration of some select individual leadership figures, who though, are smart and strong to impose their characters and wills on the people; always charismatic, even if not cerebral. The first hint of this is the adulation in songs, chants and popular calls which explore the emotions of the common herd. Yet, some situations compel this option in sifting and building a safe and continuity nests necessary for the perpetuation of a people. Yes, people who are threatened with extinction by political actions of others.

The fiscal Biafra is not a negation of a possible physical type, rather, it is a consolidation of the foundation on which a reliable and realistic State can be constructed whether it is within or outside a particular State. It is also more tasking in achieving as it is more demanding of the intellect and managerial skills of the people. It simply means the economic foundation which enables the individual man of the region to aspire, apply the well stated competitive strength, perseverance and varieties. A good example of this was in the immediate post-war commencement of Nnewi as the nucleus of a commercial and industrial hub, which in a space of 45 years achieved the feat of the fastest developing single close-nit industrial/commercial town in Nigeria. Nnewi did not commence as a protest venture. It was a protective strategy against excitement, fears of domination and hostility against Igbo entrepreneurs in other parts of Nigeria. It was therefore a necessity. Self preservation is the first law of nature, they say.

Of course, we had before Nnewi the Onitsha and Aba commercial hubs, which though were laid to waste in the Nigeria – Biafra war, have continued to serve as vast and rewarding business incubation centres for all time. The question now is this: if Onitsha and Aba have been sitting and giving vent to the Igbo character in enterprise and industry, and the emergent Nnewi has added to the commercial and industrial clout of the region, providing platforms for thirsts, commencement, self actualisation, wealth and sense of well being, why have Ndigbo not attempted to create another, even as they have remained the single largest group motivators of the economies of other parts of Nigeria?

Elsewhere, somebody had argued that the government had the single responsibility to so venture into creating such an ambitious town. I dare say, this is wrong. Nnewi, in the first instance, was a creation of the Nnewi Town Union. Looking then back at what befell the Igbo during the crises of 1966, but worse, what happened to their investments afterwards, it was only wise to create a platform and home landing point for at least a fraction of their fortunes. The indigenes who first embraced this venture were sufficiently creative to envision a centre capable of standing both as a supportive base for other enterprises outside ani-Igbo and the nucleus of businesses without such fears of inviting the envy of less competitive elements of Nigeria.

In effect, even where it may be difficult to create a multiplicity of ‘Nnewi’ all over the region, the reality of the Nigeria situation and necessity of economic foundational setting of the Igbo region demands at least one extra‘Nnewi’ in every State where Igbo industry and enterprise is strongly evident. This, in no way, is an advocacy in favour of total Igbo withdrawal from Nigeria. Often, protagonists of physical Biafra have prefixed their strong propositions on the birth of the State of Israel. Yes, it is welcome. But it is often done in total negation of the true accounts of deciding factors in the emergence of the Jewish nation. Sojourning all over the world, including parts of Africa, as a stateless people, they first built this enterprise and intellectual leadership caste of their elements, right to the point of myth, all over the world. When therefore the project got underway, it was irresistible as it was powerful, riding also on the fillip of rage of unparalleled persecution. What then we leave out is this fact that without the intellectual muscle, entrepreneurial leadership and organisation, there would not have been the telling of the story of the Jew, let alone garnering the powerful backing that made the emergence of the State possible. In other words, no quantum of anger, feeling of deprivation, persecution and mass murder, without the enabling power of appearing in the right courts of world power, would have given a birth to a new State. In our case recently, the injury was terrible, yet ignoring us as the world did, was too loud and costly.

The thinking in this direction is the seed of the concept of Aladimma, the departure from the thirst of physical Biafra for the necessity of the urge for fiscal Biafra. If you cast your mind to the Barcelona region of Spain, Scotland of the United Kingdom, etc, it would be simpler in conception. Also, if your understand the basic economic principle of forming a foundational platform unto which a disturbed plane can land, first to reassess and recommence the journey of reinvention, you would appreciate the necessity of a base.

There is something not in doubt about the Igbo whether of the South East geopolitical zone or the others in the Middle Belt (Benue and Kogi), South-South and even outside Nigeria (Diaspora). That is industry, entrepreneurship, creation of wealth, innovation, pioneering strength, perseverance and hunger for material success (often wrongly termed greed). These attributes are usually natural especially when the native values compel a process of participation in the community activities fuelling these traits.

Yet, these attributes, had as given, but which have proven to force a state of incompleteness among the people, now command that a terminus for perpetuation must be instituted. That is Aladimma – the Fiscal Biafra.

Right ‘before our very eyes’ the State of Lagos, Nigeria, has proven the viability of a region of Nigeria despite all odds. Indeed despite the revenue from the Federal Account. This was a State that went to a constitutional battle with the federal government over the legal status of the local government in states. In the three or more years while the battle lasted, Lagos was denied the due federal allocation for operations of the local government administration. This action forced out the creative revenue strength of the State and soon, its internally generated revenue soared and it became a question of evolving more creative strategies to deploy the new wealth.

For once, please stop and ask the question. If the Igbo, in their investment wisdom and entrepreneurial skills contributed at least 35 per cent of what has become the vast foundational wealth of another State in another region, why has nobody considered the possibilities in creating an economic funnelling process/culture for the emboweling of the excess or additional fortune of the Igbo at places in Igbo land? We say that the concept of akuluo uno is inexorable among the Igbo. Yes, it is. That is why the best architectural edifice of the Igbo man is erected in his village. He even builds a tarred road to his palace. He arranges and installs electricity, security and more, for his palace and the adjoining neighbourhood. But does this not fall within the derided docility of wealth? It does, as long as it is not in further creation of wealth more than it is of ostentatious display of affluence. This is where Aladimma is a gainful extension and deepening of aku luo uno. In simple general terms, these mean the same thing. But in the present context, one is a platform for funnelling of wealth solely for the purpose of extension/perpetuation/recreation/rejuvenation, while the other is the village endorsement, spelling affluence and proclaiming opulence. One is economic, the other is social. One is industrial initiative, the other is social prestige.

The later, as a family gesture needs to and must continue, but its continuity can only be guaranteed by the former. Now, in looking back at Aladimma or if you like, our modern industrial/commercial/business clusters, we can even check and confirm that we are not proposing in futility.

The past, the present (future). That is the connect. Our memories have not faded of the Mbala Opi Bazaar, Akpugoeze Bazaars, Iji-Nike Fair, Otuocha Trade Concerts, Nyawezi Bazaars, Ujele Trade Feasts, Oru Trade Fairs, Ogbede Seasonal Fairs, etc. These were long before the births of successor commercial centres, which though were centres of arduous slave sales points still played their paths in the agglomeration of the Igbo nation. Already, or at moment, we have some sleepy and vibrant pro-commercial/industrial centres created almost unconsciously by their statuses as junction towns. What these towns need is the consciousness of the people to act to evolve as strong medium power economic beltways. Ninth Mile, Ozala, Okigwe, Awomama, Amaraku, Otuocha, Oji River, Anara (Anghara), Uga, etc. Where the conceptualisation of the project is deep and well thought out as starting completely a kind of Nnewi, these commercial junction towns would be some healthy feeder settlements for realisation of more modern industrial hubs.

Some questions have arisen recently over the possibility of these propositions:
Are territorial specialisations possible in these?

Which area should engage in what or undertake the one?

What is the role and where is the blame of the “docile elite” class?

For the first, there is a room for territorial specialisation. Nnewi started as primarily an automobile spare parts town. It has continued in that stead as its strongest selling point, now to the effect that manufacture and assembly have kicked off other ranges and classes of businesses.

The determinants of sub-regional roles can be consciously designed or allowed to emerge on the strength of economies of scale. If the Ozubulu/Enugu Agidi in Anambra State are past masters in building material trade, dating back to a century, who then can take it and run faster than the masters; if Akpugo/Obe is a strong arm in the entertainment industry; if Orlu/Ideato is the birth place of pharmaceutical manufacture and enterprise; if Aba is the bastion of west coast intercontinental trade; if Nsukka is the haulage base of local foodstuff, etc, the water finds its level as it sweeps the plain and ditches.

Now, the engaging question is the so called ‘docile elite.’ It is my intension to deal with matters of the so called docile elite in a subsequent piece in the future, but it is important to consider the introduction now as we try to establish the thread between Aladimma and Akuluo uno. In ever accepting that there is a concept called docile elite, we are not returning to Lenin’s theory of lumpen bourgeoisie and the proletariat counterpart. Frederik Maas considers the docile elites as the leaders of the society living lazily in either long established wealth or on well appointed offices and professions. Their contributions to industrialisation or founding of economic clusters can be enormous. They are the significant few whose life styles define the taste, choices and aspirations of the other members of the society. Where they live or eventually settle is a matter of influence for growth of new towns and cities.

Ani-Igbo is one part of Nigeria where, safe Nnewi, no single modern (major or Minor) town has been created by the Igbo, themselves and for themselves. When the talk of a proposed Etiti-Igbo State was high and frequent, a revelation was made of the potentialities of the areas which would have been carved out as the first ever such distinct modern town. It was the proposed melding of land areas of Awgu/Aninri/Oji River(Enugu),Ohaozara(Ebonyi), Orumba North and South/Ihiala (Anambra), Orlu/Ideato (Imo) and Isuochi/Isuikwuato(Abia), from which a central modern City would be carved to spin speedy development of such final destination town of the Igbo elite. The docile elites, rather than erecting mind blowing palaces which elicit derision in the locales in Lagos, Abuja and elsewhere, would commence in development of their ultimate Aku luo uno. So, whereas there has been the akuluo uno of the ultimate village destination, there has not been a pan-Igbo agglomerating Aku luo uno City. It is even possible that many have not considered that while these elite erect the intimating edifices expending hundreds of millions of Naira, artisans from or living in their native home towns – uno would never have earned any living from the hands of their kinsmen, let alone honing their skills.

Like the mysterious Phoenix Ndigbo have risen from the ashes of the civil war, deprivation, marginalization, lack, regional infrastructural neglect, exclusion from central governance, to the mainstay as far as the Nigerian economy is concerned.

The Jews migrate, disperse, settle and work like us. Yesso, not vice versa since mankind’s dispersal started in the African motherland. The Jews of Arabia share similar ethnology with the Ndi Igbo Africana. The Jews, until of recent had nowhere to call their home. Through struggle, determination and divine providence, today apart from having their homeland (Israel), they have became a global empire in the diaspora. They are a highly industrialized nation, a trade and commercial superpower and wizards in technological advancement.

Like the Jews our homeland can rise here in Aladimma, South East Nigeria within her jurisdictional control and authority that is One Nigeria with neither a Flag nor National Anthem but with inherent, foundational and native inalienable sovereignty. Infact with little or no study of political science, I believe sovereignty resides permanently with the people and those in authority exercise it on their behalf.

We are here domiciled in Nigeria neither homeless nor stateless while retaining our sovereignty. Thus, we are more than many centuries ahead of the state of Israel after the inception of the Jews odyssey.

We at least have a place to call our homeland. We can rebuild our own homeland inside the nation called Nigeria.

We can develop our Aladimma using our talent and intellect working together with our brethren in the diaspora.

Nike nike ka anyi ji alu olu! Onye obuna Nike Nike!

SOURCE: THIS DAY

Full Marks, Onyema/Dabiri

Ifechukwu Onyema

BY WOLE OLAOYE

Few things bring out the fellow-feeling in humankind than adversity. Nothing trumps the feeling that a fellow mortal has got your back, even when you think your back is against the wall. Ever fractious Nigeria stood up as one to show unparalleled empathy with their countrymen and women caught in the maelstrom of xenophobic hate in South Africa, and no two individuals epitomise this outpouring of love and charity than Allen Ifechukwu Onyema, businessman and owner of Air Peace, and Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chair of the Nigerians In Diaspora Commission. 

Onyema volunteered an aircraft from the fleet of Air Peace to ferry home his compatriots free of charge. Such noble spirit at a tie when hundreds of his countrymen with private jets, including billionaire pastors, business moguls and politicians, looked the other way.

Touching ground in Nigeria was like entering paradise for those who had virtually seen death face to face in South Africa. Nobody needed to preach to anyone that home was where you would find solace even if the whole world rejected you. The passengers are indigenes of various parts of Nigeria. All that had not mattered in their hour of distress as the enemy did not distinguish between Hausa or Igbo or Yoruba. In the aircraft too, adversity united them as they sang as one.

In a spontaneous show of gratitude they belted out a song in Igbo: “Onyema, Onyema! We go forth with him in his journeys; hither and thither, its Onyema we shall follow”. They followed that up with a rendition of the Nigerian national anthem, at which point it was all too much for the Air Peace boss and he burst into tears.

 I have made the point over the years and it bears repeating: No matter the problems in Nigeria — and there are many of them — we shoot nobody but ourselves in the foot when we de-market our country as the worst place on the planet. The social media is full of negative invocations against this patch of earth called Nigeria as if there is one single country in the world that is problem-free. It is not blind patriotism to wish one’s country well. When the chips are down, this is really the only country we can truly call our own. This is where our roots are. We must fix our country to make it a destination of choice for the rest of the world. Forget what prosperity preachers tell you. The road to sustainable wealth is hard work!

 It wasn’t too long ago when foreigners shipped themselves en masse to Nigeria in search of opportunities. We blew our prosperity of the 70’s to the extent that we now export crude oil only to import refined petroleum products. We have the ocean in our backyard but are forced to bathe with spittle. Oh, sure, we ought to do better — and we must. So, let’s stay here to prosecute the developmental battle instead of putting ourselves in a position where we are no better than sitting ducks for target practice by xenophobes.

\ All through the process of documenting the returnees in South Africa, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa was the visible face of the Nigerian government. Her commitment and empathy showed that Nigeria cared for her citizens no matter the situation. This is a new perception of government as the caring mother-hen. The fact that government could so seamlessly collaborate with the private sector to bring home our returnees is something that gladdens my heart. 

The resettlement programme announced to help the returnees rediscover their economic footing is equally commendable. Nigeria’s money must work for Nigerians. Announcing the measures via Twitter, Dabiri-Erewa said, said, “Apart from transport stipend to convey them to their various destinations, they are to receive airtime which would last for well over two months, as well as a soft loan from the Bank of Industry to support those interested in little businesses. A program for reintegration will also be put in place.”

 If every entrepreneur had the heart of Allen Onyema and every government operative had the commitment and efficiency of Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Nigeria of our dreams can’t be too far off anymore. Onyema, by the way, deserves a national award. 

Back to prosperity preachers who have been egging some Nigerians on to perdition in the name of Biblical promises. The more you sow (not the harder you work) the more you reap! Hawking miracles and illusions, they have blurred the lines between homily, motivational talk and 419! One of them, Pastor Benny Hinn, recently confessed that he had misled a lot of people with his prosperity gospel. According to him, “I am correcting my own theology … The blessings of God are not for sale. And miracles are not for sale. And prosperity is not for sale.”

 So, we are back to the good old gospel of how to get ahead in life: hard work, tenacity, honesty, with or without a pinch of luck. With those, you can approach the Throne of Grace to bless the work of your hands. 

If only our political leaders all over the federation would stop looting the treasury and deploy our resources towards the development of our land and people! 

The red carpet treatment accorded the returnees is quite in order. Now, let us roll up our sleeves and work hard to make Nigeria better so that our children will no longer suffer the indignity of being hunted down with cudgels and guns as unwanted foreigners in countries they had, not too long ago, sacrificed so much to liberate. Welcome home, sojourners!


SOURCE: DAILY TRUST

Nigeria Must Accept Restructuring Or Rissolution —Yoruba Leader, Prof Akintoye

Prof. Banji Akintoye. Image via Punch

BY FEMI MAKINDE

Leader of the Yoruba World Congress, emeritus Prof Banji Akintoye, is a former Head of the Department of History, University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State. He tells FEMI MAKINDE in this interview that his organisation will work with all groups to defend Yorubaland
You were elected the leader of the Yoruba people on August 22 by some groups but it took you almost one month to respond to this offer. Why?
I had to make consultations and I consulted widely before I responded. I deeply appreciate the organisations and the leaders who met in Ibadan on August 22 and took the step of electing me. I am convinced that all of them, individually and collectively, were motivated to take this step because of the desire to see the interests of our Yoruba nation further advanced. This is more so because of the circumstances in which we Yoruba people find ourselves today in the context of Nigeria. My message to all Yoruba people now is that we need to unite. The danger facing the Yoruba nation is great. We are under invasion and we need to unite to defend Yorubaland.

How do you intend to get this done?

We intend to work with everybody who is interested in defending Yorubaland. With all of us working as a determined team through the instrumentality of a worldwide Yoruba organisation, we shall work closely and positively with, and give encouragement and assistance to the tens of organisations that are standing up for the defence of our Yoruba nation and the protection and promotion of our nation’s interests. We shall commit ourselves to all efforts to move our Yoruba people forward and upward again in the direction that would revive their vitality, enterprising character, creative energy, love of elegance, and love of sensitive, dutiful and decent leadership and governance. We shall commit to fostering and promoting ideas and agendas that will open wide doors of opportunities to our youths and our women. We shall commit ourselves to serious efforts to forge the quality of Yoruba unity and morality that will impart serious strength, confidence, sense of national oneness, and sense of duty to our people – to the Yoruba farmer on his or her farm, the Yoruba worker in his or her place of work, the Yoruba entrepreneur and businessperson creating or managing a business in the daunting terrain of Nigeria, the Yoruba teachers and their students in our educational institutions, the Yoruba trader in her trading, the Yoruba craftsman in his workshop, etc. We commit ourselves to relating and interacting positively, without discrimination, with the Yoruba politician, the elected Yoruba public official and professional bureaucrat at every level of government in Nigeria, the governments of all our Yoruba states, and the governments of our LGAs, all to the end that they will all consciously employ their positions, their power and their influence for uplifting, uniting, empowering and enriching our Yoruba nation.

What is the relationship between your group and Afenifere?
Afenifere exists as a very prominent organisation and I will respect it as such. That is all I can say.

But is your group different from Afenifere?

We are creating a worldwide Yoruba organisation. It is different from Afenifere and I am sure you know that there are many groups different from Afenifere. Afenifere is just one of the groups. We have Yoruba Assembly, ARG, Yoruba Council of Elders, Yoruba Unity Forum and others like that. But our organisation is going to be a worldwide Yoruba organisation.

What is the name of your organisation?

We are calling it Yoruba World Congress. We haven’t announced it yet but your medium might be the first to announce it.

What is your position on Ruga?

Whatever Ruga is, Yorubaland is not for a thing like that. What Ruga is Fulani settlement and when they settle there they will begin to oppress those living or farming close to their settlements.

Yorubaland is a no-go-area for Ruga. There is no land for Ruga here and that is our position, that is the position of our people. This is the time for our people to support all the governors in Yorubaland irrespective of their political parties. We are not talking politics and we want our people to support the governors to reject this because we are aware there is pressure on them. We need to support them to do the right thing and we must let them know that we are not hostile towards them in any way. We are not thinking about party affiliation and we should respect them as our elected leaders. But they must defend our Yoruba nation and we will support them in whatever they do to defend our ( Yoruba) nation. This is the time to close ranks and defend our land. They should lead and we will follow them.

South-West governors have established a security outfit to tackle insecurity in the land. How do you view this?
This is a good one. We are going to thank them for this. It is good they are thinking and working towards addressing the insecurity problem in the region. We will meet the Chairman of South-West Governors’ Forum which is the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu. We don’t know much about the outfit and we will not hesitate to offer advice if we see how they can achieve the desired result. We will work with them. Our group is populated by people with expertise and who know the terrain very well. We are building an organisation that is replete with expertise in security, economy and other areas.

About 123 northern youths entering into Lagos State were recently intercepted and questioned by security agents and released. Are you satisfied with this?
That is a danger. Some days before those boys were arrested, our organisation got information that 40 vehicles would bring some youths to the South-West. Those ones that were questioned were just some of them. They could not arrest them because they are Fulani and that the Federal Government of Nigeria is protecting them. That the Federal Government is protecting Fulani people against our people even right here in Yorubaland is obvious. There are people that were attacked by Fulani people in their farms and they ran to the police but the police said they could not do anything against the Fulani people because the government is backing them. They will lose their jobs if they arrest Fulani people no matter what they do. There have been cases where Yoruba farmers arrested Fulani herdsmen destroying their farms and who were engaged in other criminal activities, they took them to the police but the police said they didn’t have the authority to arrest them. That is what is happening and that was why Gen. Theophilus Danjuma said the military were colluding with the Fulani herdsmen killing his people. Danjuma is correct because he spoke from the position of knowledge. He saw the happening and he interviewed some of the troops. Most of the rich people traveling to Ondo and Ekiti states now go by air from Lagos and when they land in Akure Airport, they hire security personnel to escort them to their various towns. We are a people under an invasion, we are under siege

Why do you think Nigerians are always attacked in South Africa and other parts of the world?

Nigerians are always attacked because our image is horrible. We are seen as highly corrupt, immoral and destructive people. People in some countries don’t want us anymore. The impunity here- some of our people want to carry them abroad.

But it is surprising that South Africans could be killing Nigerians and destroying their legitimate businesses. We don’t deserve this at all. Even if some of our people are bad, they are not supposed to be killed and maimed by South Africans considering the role Nigeria and Nigerians played when they were fighting for their freedom. Nigeria played a major role and this was one of the reasons they eventually became free. We supported them massively, we gave them financial support, diplomatic support and all kinds of support. Killing Nigerians in South Africa is very wrong. But their economy will suffer if they succeed in chasing Nigerians and other Africans out of their country. Their reputation in the world will also suffer.

The governments of Nigeria and South Africa should investigate what led to the brutal attacks against Nigerians. I think there is the need to investigate this. Even if they say Nigerians are bad and are into drugs, I am sure that not all Nigerians there are bad. From the stories that we have heard, South African policemen join their youths to attack Nigerians and ask them to leave their country. That is why the two governments need to investigate this thing. They sent a delegation led by Oliver Thambo to Nigeria in 1980 when apartheid was growing stronger and we (Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs) made recommendations to President Shehu Shagari that we needed to support South Africa.

There are claims that many Nigerians are trooping out of the country because of the poor economic situation in the country. Is this true?
That is correct. The poor economic situation is driving many abroad to seek greener pastures but Nigerians are not running overseas because of the economy alone, insecurity is driving many away from the country as well. Nigerian youths are lining up day and night in front of embassies begging for visas to travel out of the country. Those who can’t afford that are helping themselves by traveling across the Sahara Desert sailing in rickety boats across the Mediterranean to get to Europe. Many of them die regularly in their bid to get to Europe.

Has your view on restructuring changed?

Restructuring is absolutely necessary for the survival of Nigeria. If Nigeria does not restructure itself, it will have to accept the dissolution of itself. If we delay to restructure any much longer, then there may be no Nigeria to talk about.

There are claims that the South-East has overtaken the South-West in the area of educational development. What is the reason for this?
No, this is not true. South-East has not overtaken us. The cumulative effect of our earlier start in education will for a long time put the South-West ahead of any part of Africa not only Nigeria. Educational standard has gone down all over Nigeria and that is what the people controlling government at the centre want. In the midst of their efforts to devalue education, some may be claiming to have overtaken the South-West.

Are you saying those controlling government at the centre are deliberately doing this or what?
The reason is that the Fulani controllers of the Federal Government who the British handed over the control of the country to at independence are afraid of education. This is not because of Islam but because of their ethnic interest. If Hausa kids are flooding to school the way Yoruba kids and Igbo kids and others have been doing, what do you think will happen to the Fulani tiny population in the country? The Fulani are about six million while the Hausa people are about 47 million. This small number of people hold the position in Hausaland. They developed the almajiri system to make sure Hausa kids do not go to school. Rather than creating schools for children, they get Quranic teachers who may have 500 kids or more. At times, the teachers may use the kids for farming and even send them out to go and fend for themselves.

Is it correct to say that almajiri system is contributing to insecurity in the northern part of the country?
Yes it is. When you have a huge population of the youth with no education, no skills roaming around, it is a time bomb. The problem will even spread to other parts of the country later. So, it is a big problem.

What is your reaction to the state of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway?

The road is no doubt the busiest in the country and work has been going on it for so many years. The people in power are not really interested in doing it and it is the same thing with the road that leads to Apapa where the nation is making so much money. The road that leads to the port where we make so much money is so bad just like the roads that lead to Badagry. The roads were allowed to deteriorate despite their importance to the economy of our country. They were allowed to deteriorate because they ate in the South-West. There are other roads that are also very bad all over the South-West. There is no road between Akure and Ado-Ekiti. The last time I traveled to Ado-Ekiti from Akure instead of 25 miles the driver took me through Igbara which was about 70 kilometers to Ado-Ekiti.

Are you saying they would not have allowed it to deteriorate if the road was not in the South-West?
If it was in the North, it would have been done long ago. They would not even have allowed it to deteriorate. Nobody would have been suffering on these roads if they were in the North.

The Federal Government has started making efforts to fight insecurity in the South-West. How do you view this?
The Federal Government is not interested in fighting insecurity caused by Fulani herdsmen anywhere in the country and not just the insecurity in the South West. I was in Benue State as part of the delegation of the South-West, South-East, South-South and the Middle Belt to commiserate with the people of the state after the massacre and the massive destruction of property by herdsmen in Benue in January 2018. Governor Samuel Ortom said the attackers, herdsmen, gave them a notice before they struck. He also read a letter written to the state by herdsmen after the attack notifying them of another attack which promised to be more brutal than the previous ones. They wrote in the letter that the land not only in Benue State but land all over Nigeria belongs to the Fulani and that they had mobilised Fulani people from all over West Africa to reclaim their land. They said they had accumulated weapons and money to carry out this and that the Federal Government could not stop them. We southerners have been superficial in our understanding of this matter. There is a well coordinated plan to conquer the peoples of Nigeria. There is a programme of ethnic cleansing going on in front of us and we are not rising up to stop this. This is not politics, this is war.

Do you mean Fulani people are behind this plan to conquer the entire country?

Yes, they are.

Are Yoruba people prepared to defend their land?

They are not but I pray they will be. More and more Yoruba people are waking up to this reality that the land is under siege. The only thing is that Yoruba nation is potentially powerful to defend itself.

Are you making efforts to bring the Oodua People’s Congress which are in different factions together?
Really, what I knew before I returned to Nigeria was the OPC under Gani Adams who is now our Aare Ona Kakanfo, we invited him and he came to America and we were impressed by what he said. But when I came back I realised that there are factions. In the interest of the Yoruba nation, we need to beg them to come together and work for the interest of our land.

Are you working with other Yoruba organisations?

There are many Yoruba organisations that are doing well. There are many of them that are doing well, they may not have huge resources but the little they have, they are doing well with it. We are working with all of them, we need to encourage everybody.

There are claims that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is the leader of Yoruba nation. Does this affect you in any way?

I don’t think anybody is making that claim. I have never heard of it. That is what I can say.

But will you work with prominent Yoruba leaders like Tinubu and others?
It is duty of the Yoruba leadership of today to be totally non-partisan, to see Yoruba nation as a family and not to interfere in partisan politics. This is how we are going to do it. In 2015, I led a delegation of Oodua Foundation and we visited every important Yoruba political leader and the Obas and leaders of major civic organisations. We visited Chief Olu Falae, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Chief Bode George. We visited them in their homes and when the All Progressives Congress won the election and our plea to them was that Yoruba people should close ranks because Tinubu had been able to achieve to his aim and we all should work to see how our nation would benefit from it. We appealed to them to stop attacking him and Chief Bode George was gracious enough and said he would no longer attack Tinubu politically. He made the promise. That is my attitude and I am too old to play partisan politics and Yoruba nation needs a non-partisan leadership.

Will you want presidency to be zoned to the South-West in 2023?
I want Yoruba people to have the best in 2023 .

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Fulani Have Taken Over Nigeria’s Affairs – Prof Nwala, ADF President

Prof. Uzodinma Nwala

BY RAPHAEL EDE

Professor Uzodinma Nwala is the President of Alaigbo Development Foundation, a body of the Igbo intelligentsia and one of the foremost socio-political organisations in Igboland. Nwala, who is a former President of the Nigerian Philosophical Association, alleges that insecurity in Nigeria is jihadist agenda, in this interview with RAPHAEL EDE

Governor Nasir el-Rufai recently said zoning should be discarded for competence in 2023 presidency, what do you think was responsible for that?
First, let us begin from the agitation for a quota system that was invoked in the 70s and 80s because merit, when applied meant that most of the positions were taken by Igbo people and other southerners who were more educated, more competent in the system and so on. So you had very few northerners in the system. Have you seen the video being circulated where Sir Ahmadu Bello was saying that they were not going to engage Igbo people in the public service in the North and that he preferred taking foreigners to allowing Igbo people to dominate their public service?

He was scared of the education and competence of the Igbo people, even in those early days. It was paranoia that led to the northernisation policy which excluded Igbo people. Rather, such positions were reserved exclusively for northerners whether they were qualified or not. Even in education sector, regarding admissions, they created their own admissions standards whereby they had Mature Student Programme in which people with very low level Islamic certificates were given admissions into institutions of higher learning, at times for shorter periods and they received the same certificates as those who had spent years and earned higher level certificates.

By the time the debate was ongoing over the 1979 Constitution, the North had succeeded in getting the South to agree on the principle of quota in employment, admissions and other areas. Incidentally, the quota principle was applied mainly to the senior cadre level selection but not at the junior level.

What this development meant was that a constitutional backing had been given to elevate mediocrity over merit and education. In effect, what this development meant was that there was no more competence, no more merit. Higher level positions were to be shared pro rata among the various zones. This is the philosophy and rationale behind the famous quota system in the federation.

And yet the quota system was on paper. As far as the North was concerned, power and resources were increasingly dominated by the North. By the time we came to the 1994-95 National Constitutional Conference, the issue of equity and justice was raised by the South and the Middle Belt (North Central) delegates, and we settled it finally with the provision of Federal Character as the basis for power and resource sharing in the federation. When we agreed on six geo-political zones as the basis for power and resources sharing, we firmed up the principle of Federal Character. So we then said ‘okay, positions should be shared or assigned to the six zones on equal bases’.

We didn’t even emphasise on merit at the time because it was obvious that no one was interested in merit or competence, not the northern leadership. In the end, the principle of Federal Character was affirmed in the sharing of positions that were multiple. But in the case of the Presidency and governorship, we agreed on the principle of rotation. The Presidency was to rotate among the six geopolitical zones in a South-North alternation. In the case of the governors, it should be rotated among the three senatorial zones in each state. At that time, there was grim determination among some of the statesmen at that conference, whose numbers came from different parts of the federation to try and save the federation from disintegration. The Federal Character principle was to be applied to the armed forces, in the areas of recruitment, promotion and even in the citing of military installations, etc.

Although the northern political hawks used General Abdusalami Abubakar to torpedo the patriotic decisions of the 1994-95 Constitutional Conference, when we formed the Peoples Democratic Party, many of us who were leaders of the G-34 and who had worked hard to see if there could be a genuine post-military political dispensation, were still determined to uphold those key elements we had agreed on, and in fact, voted for. One of such decisions was the implementation of the principle of rotation, zoning and Federal Character. You can see what is happening today; the principle of quota is gone, the principle of rotation is gone, the principle of zoning is gone and the principle of Federal Character has been thrown into the dustbin. Thus, all the basic democratic ingredients that could hold the polity together have been completely eroded. And Nigeria has truly become the estate of the children of Usmanu dan Fodio. Nigeria has fully and truly become colonised. But can we blame the children of Usman dan Fodio alone? I doubt if we can. When in 2016, (Asiwaju) Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared that zoning and rotation were the affair of the PDP and had nothing to do with the All Progressives Congress, I knew we were in for a very cold winter.

When people say that basic principles that should keep a multi-national state together no longer matter and should no longer be operational, then it means that you have dissolved the federation. Thus, those that have seized the federation are telling us how they want to run the state.

That is what Governor el-Rufai is telling us. What else do you want me to say? The Fulani have permanently taken over power. Fulani settlements have been established all over the place. (There are plans to have) RUGA, cattle grazing colonies and (there are) moves to take over all waterways, etc. They have taken over the executive, legislature, judiciary, security agencies and armed forces, bureaucracy, economy, foreign affairs, etc. El-Rufai is daring you to do your worst.

So you think the northerners might want to hold on to power beyond 2023?

What do you think el-Rufai is telling you? He is telling you that they intend to hold on to power indefinitely. And when somebody also said that they might even enact a law in the National Assembly to make Buhari President for life, do you have any doubt that it is going to be so with the way things are?


But even a southerner in this government, Rotimi Amaechi, once said the Igbo people cannot produce the President in 2023 for not voting for the APC, what do you think about that?
Who is Rotimi? I mean who is Rotimi Amechi?

He is the current ministry of transport.

Who does he represent? What does he represent? I am asking you.

What do you think about the state of security in Nigeria?

Well, you were not at Owerri the other day when we held the 2019 Igbo National Summit on Peace Security and Development, we discussed and eventually affirmed an agenda Ndigbo should follow if they want to survive in the present political and economic onslaught against them. There are basic things we have to do to protect ourselves; that was the essence of the summit. The summit has said that the governors, state Houses of Assembly should ensure the passage of a law against the roaming of cattle and other animals (in the region). It is against Igbo culture because we are an agrarian society; it is against our survival as an agricultural society and so on. They should do what Benue has done; pass a law against open grazing. Once it is passed, both the people and the law-abiding and law enforcement officers should be able to enforce and defend that.

The summit also called on all Igbo citizens, town unions and everybody to make sure that the community vigilance groups protect the people. You can see what the South-West people have done; they are now setting up security teams comprising the people to comb their forests and flush out criminals, marauders, and those who want to take over their territory. That is what we should do throughout Alaigbo (Igboland). Such a law should be passed and everybody should be part of it. It is not just an affair of the governors alone; everybody should be part of it. We can protect our place and defend ourselves. We don’t even need a presidential permit to set up such a security system in Alaigbo and that is the challenge we all have now. Everybody should be active in their town unions and other local organisations. Every town can defend itself and every patriotic citizen should support their town and bring out money to provide gadgets for their town unions and local vigilantes. That is what we should do. We should not sit down and cry. If there are Fulani colonies in our place and those illegal colonies threaten our security and make it difficult for our farmers to go to their farms or destroy their crops, they should be forced to close down. Nobody has a right to occupy our territory anyhow.

The South-East governors came up with a similar resolution after their meeting recently but in a letter they sent to President Muhammadu Buhari, they were begging him to accept their decision. What do you think about that?

Everybody should join in to make a call (to the President). The women and students should even demonstrate. Everybody should urge them to take advantage of whatever constitutional and natural rights they have. What the Yoruba governors have done is to strictly inform Buhari about what they need to do and there is nothing wrong if they tell Buhari the same, but strictly speaking, they do not need Buhari’s authority to do so. Our people should go ahead to enact the Anti-Open Grazing Law.

What do you think about the state of the economy?

You know that we don’t even have a functional government. There has to be an effective and democratic government in existence before you can talk about the economy. What economy are you talking about when one ethnic group has taken over everything? Someone told me the other day that what we are running is a Fulani economy. In our days as students, before even the tertiary education level, we were taught about the economic evil called monopoly and we can see it manifest glaringly by one of our billionaire businessmen from the North. Is it the Innosons, the Chikasons, the Ibetos and others that should provide jobs for our people? When you destroyed those businesses, what did you expect? And again, agriculture that people should face, there is a problem there because they can’t go to their farms. What else are you expecting? So we are saying that our people should act like men and take their destiny into their hands. Rather than playing the victim and blaming our youths for the rate of crime in our land, Ohanaeze Ndigbo should focus on these major challenges to our economy and our existence. That is what we are saying.

Why do you think it has gone so bad?

I think you have the answers yourself. Don’t ask questions you have answers to; let’s talk about other serious things. Some of these challenges are so glaring that every child can see them. You are talking about RUGA settlement in Enugu State when Miyetti Allah recently arrogantly announced that they were going around to inspect about 14 Fulani settlements in the state. I hear that they have a Fulani colony in Ukehe, the hometown of the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. What else are you talking about?

Why do you think the cases of kidnapping appear to have got worse recently?

It is part of the agenda to take over the federation. It is part of the jihadist’s agenda which (former President) Olusegun Obasanjo, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.), Femi Fani-Kayode and others have been warning about. And you know about the heavy influx of citizens from other West African countries. Fulani people from other parts of Africa and the Middle East are coming into Nigeria. These are the insurgents you refer to as armed Fulani herdsmen, who are highly trained in the use of sophisticated weapons such as AK 47. So when they come in here, they have to feed themselves and while they occupy a territory, they engage in all manner of banditry, kidnapping, rape and ritual murder.

They have to find a way of kidnapping our people to get money in other to maintain their system. The major assignment they have is to occupy the territory, eliminate the local population and render what is left as minions and slaves.

Although the Federal Government suspended the Ruga Settlement idea, the Senate President was talking about Water Resources Bill, what do you think about that?

I think the message should go to our members in the National Assembly. We should ask them what they are doing about these things if they are really representatives of their people. That challenge is for them unless they are going to the National Assembly to just collect the allowances and shut their mouths without protecting their people, fighting for their people and protecting their interests. It is now obvious that we have to prepare ourselves to get more involved in the politics of region; in the elections, to ensure that when our people vote, their votes count. Unfortunately, they control the electoral system that conducts elections and control the courts and tribunals that decide the legality or illegality of elections. So elections are foregone conclusions. Thus you have one ethnic nationality conducting elections, deciding who wins, who doesn’t win, when elections are to be held and when it shouldn’t be held. What else do you want us to do? It is a state of the declaration of war. We are facing a life-or-death challenge. But we must do something. That is what the situation calls for.

Some people, including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, have said that many Nigerians have only been labelling Fulani wrongly and blaming the tribe for every crime, do you think the Fulani herdsmen have been made to carry too much blame?

I have done statistics as to what you can ascribe to the Fulani herdsmen and what you can’t ascribe to them but I know that many cases being reported like kidnapping, raping, farmers being killed are all ascribed to the Fulani herdsmen, most of them. I know we have criminals of non-Fulani ethnic group, but those are social criminals created by the poverty of politics and leaders in general. But we have political criminals created for the pursuit of political agenda. In this class, you have the Boko Haram, the Fulani herdsmen, insurgency and terrorism. These are strategic criminals, who are part of a political movement meant to overhaul and overrun the people and take over their land.

What can be done to really solve the problem?

I told you that anti-open grazing bill has to be passed. Open grazing should be banned. That is one important and inevitable step. Then communities should defend themselves. Our governments and individuals should empower their community vigilantes to protect them. This is another basic step. They are not just academic steps, they are important practical steps everybody, including you, should do. When you go to your town, make sure that the vigilance groups are working; contribute money to empower them and attend town hall meetings to make sure your vigilance groups are organised.

Then urge the governors and state Houses of Assembly that have not passed the anti-open grazing bills which the Alaigbo Development Foundation had sent to them since two years ago, to urgently pass them.

When this government came to power, the key things it promised were adequate security, better economy and fight against corruption. Would you say the promises have been fulfilled?
You should ask the people whether those promises have been fulfilled or are being fulfilled. You should go to the streets and ask people questions and report the feelings of the Nigerian people and not just the feelings of public figures.

Apart from the Boko Haram threat, there is also the threat of bandits, kidnappers, ritualists, cult members, robbers and so on, why does it seem like criminals have suddenly been emboldened?
I have no answer.

Recently, FBI published about 80 names of Nigerian for cybercrime and about 70 per cent of those people were Igbo. How does that make you feel?

You know, fake news reports are carried on social media. We have asked our people to confirm that story.

Are you worried about the increasing number of young people going into crime?

Don’t divert attention from the security problem we have in the country. I heard that an Igbo leader said our problem was what our youths were doing. We are not oblivious to the fact that there are regular crimes that take place in every society and the ADF is organising programmes – public enlightenment – to educate our youths to shun crime. But what we suffer from today is not just such crimes. We are encouraging everybody, including churches to make sure that they educate our youths but we should also make sure that they are given jobs. Ensure the ones who don’t have jobs are given bicycles, tricycles, taxis, etc., to use for commercial purposes as the northern governments are doing. We should know that there are great impoverishment and hardship in our place but that doesn’t justify the crime. We need to engage in youth empowerment activities – that is what ADF is working on and our people should invest at home. If youths don’t have jobs, you expose them to temptations. Our regional governments should provide jobs for them if they have denied our youths of the opportunities to get jobs in the Federal Government. We should come home and make the best we can from our local resources. And of course, if they deny our youths in the federal system, it means we are being asked to go and that we don’t belong here.

You are talking about coming home to invest but so many roads in the South-East are in terrible condition. Who will bring their business to the region when there are no roads and so on?
You know, that is what we suffer; deliberate neglect of Ndigbo by the Federal Government, which wants to squeeze the life out of Ndigbo but we should say no.

Must we wait for the Federal Government to fix our roads?
Those roads are federal roads and I heard that our governors are fixing some but they don’t get reimbursed. A time has come when our youths should take to the streets and demonstrate so that the whole world would bear us witness as we are being systematically asked to go and that we are not part of this federation.

People should come out and take their destiny in their hands; they should let the world know what is going on. Women and youths should come out on the streets; that is what people in Edo are doing. They did it the other day, blocking the roads and insisting that criminals should be flushed out of their communities. I don’t see our women and our youths outside. Catholic priests have come out to protest the killing of their colleague but they should also do it because of the things that are happening in our territory. The traditional institutions should do the same. The clergy should speak out from the pulpit, the teachers should speak out from the classrooms, and students should demonstrate; that is how it used to be in those days when we were still in university.

The Indigenous People of Biafra has been proscribed by the Federal Government, how do you expect youths to come out again in the region without fear of arrest?
The ADF condemned the proscription of IPOB. We condemned the declaration of IPOB as a terrorist organisation when the world’s number three and number four most deadly organisations – the Boko Haram and the Fulani Herdsmen – are roaming about, wreaking havoc.

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New Australian Law Forces Priests To Break Seal Of Confession

BY MARTIN M. BARILLAS

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (LIFE SITE NEWS) -- A state legislature in Australia passed a law on Tuesday that would impose sentences on priests who fail to report child abusers who come to them for the sacrament of confession.

New legislation passed the upper house of the Victoria state parliament on Tuesday evening with bipartisan support. On Wednesday morning, state premier Daniel Andrews said the intent of the bill is to send a message to the Vatican and impose requirements on sacramental ministers to report abuse or mistreatment of minors, regardless of how they learn about it.

The bill amended the Children, Youth and Families Act of 2005 and made priests and representatives of various religions mandatory reporters of suspected child abuse. According to the amendment, it defines "person in religious ministry” as “person appointed, ordained or otherwise recognised as a religious or spiritual leader in a religious institution.” Examples included rabbis, imams, monks, pastors, nuns, priests, religious brothers and sisters, and even Salvation Army officers.

"The most important thing is to send a message that the law is to be taken seriously; if people don’t obey the law, then the penalties are very significant," Andrews said, according to The Age. “The culture is one where people have taken the laws and their responsibilities in terms of mandatory reporting very seriously."

"I've made it very clear that the law of our state is written by the Parliament of Victoria, it's not made in Rome, and there are very significant penalties for anybody and everybody who breaks the Victorian law," said Andrews, who is reportedly Catholic. He introduced the legislation in early August.

He told reporters upon the passage of the bill: “There’s been some controversy in recent weeks and months about churches, particularly the Catholic Church. We believe this is exactly what needed to happen.”

He went on to say, “The seal of the confessional, no one, no politician, no priest … has any reason, any right … to put their faith, or the laws of their church above the protection of kids. That's the most important thing.”

Priests who inform authorities of what they learn in confession are subject to automatic excommunication, according to the canon law of the Church. In the laws of the Latin rite of the Catholic Church, Canon 983 states, “The sacramental seal is inviolable. Accordingly, it is absolutely wrong for a confessor in any way to betray the penitent, for any reason whatsoever, whether by word or in any other fashion.”

In 2017, an Australian priest was excommunicated for breaking this law. Fr. Ezinwanne Igbo, a native of Nigeria, was found to have broken the seal of confession, after a Church investigation and more than a dozen complaints. The sanction can, however, be lifted by the Pope. Excommunication means that the priest can no longer celebrate the Mass and the sacraments, or can he receive the sacraments.

Canon 984 states that a confessor is “forbidden to use knowledge acquired in confession to the detriment of the penitent, while it also says that Church authorities may not use, “for the purpose of external governance,” knowledge of sins that come from the hearing of confession.

While the new laws would make priests mandatory reporters, as are physicians, police, teachers, nurses, school counselors and youth justice workers, lawyers remain exempt.

After the vote, Child Protection Minister Luke Donnellan said, "The special treatment for churches has ended and child abuse must be reported."

Victoria state Attorney General Jill Hennessy rejected objections that the law would endanger religious liberty. According to a press release, she said, “I don’t think in contemporary and mainstream times, knowing what we know now, that we can do anything other than say the rights of children trump anyone’s religious views.”

The legislation in Victoria came as a response to the final report of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse, which recommended in 2017 that clergy and confession no longer be exempt from mandatory reporting. South Australia and the Northern Territory have introduced similar mandatory reporting laws. Tasmania and western Australia are expected to do the same.

Archbishop Peter Comensoli of Melbourne has stated in the past that he is ready to go to prison rather than break the seal of confession.

In August, he said, "For Catholics, confession is a religious encounter of a deeply personal nature. It deserves confidentiality."

Father Bob Maguire of Melbourne said in response to the legislation, "They'll have to get the prisons ready." He told the media that his fellow priests will refuse to report abuse to police. He added that while he understands the motivations behind the law, he asserted that “restorative justice,” rather than “retributive justice,” for sexual predators, is preferable.

In August, Archbishop Comensoli wrote to his flock saying he was committed to safeguarding children and was working closely with Victoria’s Commission for Children and Young People. “I am strongly committed to reporting to the appropriate authorities, and have already exercised that duty here in Melbourne. I am also strongly committed to upholding the seal of confession. I have begun conversations with our public authorities about finding a way in which these two principles can be upheld, for the sake of the safety of all. Tomorrow I will be meeting with the Clergy of the Archdiocese, where I will reiterate my commitments and priorities, and seek their full cooperation in our common task ahead.”

SOURCE: LIFE SITE NEWS