Should We Listen To Danjuma?

Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma as a young Nigeria military officer. Image: Facebook

BY IGBOELI ARINZE

One of Nigeria’s retired major generals, Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, recently announced to the chagrin of a number of youths like myself that should he talk about Nigeria, we would, like Shakespeare’s Macbeth, sleep no more. One may wonder what the billionaire general has to say this time, however, for me it’s just a load of gibberish and here’s why!

This nation’s problems began with the likes of TY Danjuma, a military coup had just taken place by young officers who felt that the likes of Sardauna, Balewa and a number of top citizens were the problem with the newly formed nation. To counter these young officers, senior officers like Aguiyi Ironsi mustered loyalists and crushed the coup in the South, arrested the culprits and slammed them in jail. He, Ironsi then sought to pacify the nation and unite the country, perhaps he was a bit idealistic, perhaps he was naive, but the Ironsi I read about never harbored any dreams of Igbo domination of Nigeria, all he wanted was a united Nigeria, a concept which eludes us till this very day.

To allay fears of the people, Ironsi began a tour of the regions, rather than impose such a unitary system on the nation by fiat as other military leaders afterwards did. Against warnings of a counter coup, Ironsi, who was one not known for shirking his responsibilities over some feared putsch, continued with his tour and landed in Ibadan.

In Ibadan, TY Danjuma arrested Ironsi alongside Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi, military governor of the West and Ironsi’s host, in a manner unbefitting for a gentleman officer. Ironsi and Fajuyi were then beaten by junior officers under the instructions of TY Danjuma before they were both dispatched to the great beyond by busts from machine guns. What was their offense, Ironsi was accused of participating in the January 15 coup, a coup he himself had quelled and risked his life in such course. For Fajuyi, his only crime was insisting that wherever they took his supreme commander, he, as his host, would go. Should TY Danjuma have also killed such a man for exhibiting such chivalry and living up to the brother code of military officers?

Can Danjuma kindly explain his role in the pogroms that followed? After all, he was a ring leader in the coup that removed Ironsi, but killing Ironsi was not enough, they had to kill every Igbo officer and soldier before moving to the civilians. Danjuma, the officer, was obviously a cheer leader!

His rise as a military top gun was meteoric, soon he was to be Chief of Army Staff and one day ordered that soldiers go and bundle one bloody Fela. He was the ‘Unknown Soldier’ in Fela’s song of how his home was invaded by soldiers throwing his mother out of the building and maiming a number of other civilians.


Other perks were to follow, obviously the counter coup of 1966 ushered in the era of the billionaire generals, you name them; Obasanjo, Yar Adua, Abacha, Babangida, Gowon and Danjuma, made their money the Nigerian way, throwing the citizenry into shameless poverty and destroying the psyche of the people, such that when Shagari came to power, he lamented that he met an empty treasury that the political class of 79-83 sought not to be found lagging in the race to swamp out the commonwealth to their private pockets.

Fast forward to 1999 and Danjuma found his way back to the corridors of power. He had earlier threatened the whole nation that he would go on exile should Obasanjo not win his first term in office as a civilian president and was justly compensated for such scaremongering with the portfolio of the Defence ministry. The massacres of Odi and Zaki Biam are still fresh in our memories, presided over by Danjuma.

So, I laugh when someone like him turns around to cry wolf about talking and no Nigerian would sleep. It is obvious that Danjuma is up to some form of mischief since he fell out with the Buhari administration over the issue of oil wells. You see, the Nigerian establishment or should I say, the ruling class have a habit of not talking while eating, for as long as there is something to eat( apologies to Sunday Afolabi) it is bad manners to castigate such a government but remove the venison from their mouth and you will be greeted with all manner of protestations!

In such protestations, the likes of Danjuma portray themselves as canonised saints. They blame everyone but themselves for the sorry state of the country; there is an infusion of the theatrics and an appeal to crass sentiments while labeling other ethnic groups as cowards. All they see are imaginary fifth columnists because no one seems ready to buy into their hogwash like tales.

Danjuma has been lamenting all this while, perhaps he intends to write Lamentations II. Perhaps he intends to wuru wuru his way to an answer by asking questions he himself should answer first.

SOURCE: LEADERSHIP

IMO STATE: Stakeholders Lament Politicians’ Penchant For Denigrating Court’s Verdicts

BY CHARLES OGUGBUAJA

Recently, the Court of Appeal sitting in Imo State validated the election of Governor Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). However, there are disturbing moves by the parties to discredit the judiciary. Although, there is still room for appeal as the Supreme Court is expected to fix a date for hearing of appeals on the Imo State Governorship election, politicians’ penchant to denigrate the judiciary each time a court’s decisions do not favour them has drawn condemnations from stakeholders across political and legal spectrums.

Governor Emeka Ihedioha’s opponents are praying the Supreme Court to overturn the judgments of the Imo State Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal judgment that upheld his victory in the March 9 election.After a keenly contested election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the election.

The returning officer, Francis Otunta, said Ihedioha polled 273,404 to beat his closest rival, Uche Nwosu of the Action Alliance (AA), who polled 190,364. Ihedioha won in 11 of the 27 local government areas, defeating about 69 other candidates.The other major candidates included former Senator Ifeanyi Araraume of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), who polled 114,676 votes, Senator Hope Uzodinma of All Progressives Congress (APC), who garnered 96,458 votes, and former governor Ikedi Ohakim of Accord Party (6,846 votes).

The Returning Officer declared Ihedioha the winner “having satisfied all the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes.”Dissatisfied with the outcome, Ihedioha’s opponents approached the Election Petition Tribunal to cancel the election on the grounds that he did not meet the mandatory 25 per cent in two-thirds of the 27 local government areas of the state. They also alleged substantial non-compliance with the electoral laws. But both the tribunal on relocation to Abuja, and the Court of Appeal dismissed the cases.

How the courts decided the cases
THE Election Petition Tribunal, chaired by Justice Malami Dogondaji, in a September 21 verdict, held that the petitioners were unable to prove their allegations. It held that the evidence supplied was mainly based on hearsay and that the unlawful exclusion allegation was not proven. Dismissing Uzodinma’s petition, the tribunal held that the results he presented were not recognised by law as they neither emanated from, nor were authenticated by, INEC.

Justice Dogondaji said Nwosu’s application for judgment on admitted facts could not be sustained on the basis that declaratory reliefs were not granted on admitted facts. The tribunal held that Ararume’s expert witness could not be sustained having not participated in the election. It dismissed Araraume’s and Nwosu’s petitions for lacking in merit and for being incompetent.“Failure to discharge the heavy burden of proof makes the petition liable for dismissal and it is accordingly dismissed,” the tribunal held.

Not satisfied, Ihedioha’s opponents proceeded and approached the Court of Appeal, which also dismissed their appeals on November 19. A five-man panel, led by Justice Oyebisi Omoleye, dismissed the appeals on grounds that they lacked merit. The court also awarded N500,000 cost against all the appellants in Ihedioha’s favour. One of the Justices, however, rejected Ihedioha’s cross-appeal and ordered him to pay N1million to Uzodinma and APC. AA’s and APGA’s appeals were unanimously dismissed, but APC’s appeal was decided by a four-to-one verdict (minority judgment).

The Court of Appeal disagreed that the election was marred by corrupt practices, non-compliance with the electoral laws and failure to secure the majority of lawful votes cast. It upheld the tribunal’s findings and conclusions. The appellate court found that Uzodinma, who came fourth, called no witness from the polling units, ward or local government level to prove that Ihedioha did not score 25 per cent of the votes cast in 18 out of the 27 LGAs.

The Court of Appeal discountenanced a set of documents in which he claimed to have scored substantial votes from 386 polling units, but which he alleged were excluded by INEC. The appellate court allowed a cross-appeal to the effect that with respect to Section 179 (3) (4) and (5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), only the person who came second in an election can make a case regarding Section 179 (2).

The Section provides: “A candidate for an election to the office of governor of a state shall be deemed to have been duly elected where there being two or more candidates (a) he has the highest number of votes; and (b) he has not less than one-quarter of all the votes cast in each of at least two-thirds of all the local government areas in the state.”Ihedioha’s lawyers had contended that no other contestant in the March 9 election, except Nwosu, was competent to canvass the issue of whether Section 179 was complied with or not. On Ararume, the appellate court agreed with the tribunal’s position on his expert witness. The tribunal had found that the witness had degrees in education rather than in statistics.He relied on Form EC8D, being the overall collation of results by INEC, and not polling units, ward or LGA results, and could not successfully demonstrate how he arrived at his figures from Form EC8D.

Ararume’s other witness, his state collation officer, testified as to events that took place at the polling units in different parts of the state.The tribunal held that his evidence was hearsay and not based on what he witnessed.

Both the tribunal and Court of Appeal disagreed with Nwosu, who came second in the election, dismissing his claims that Ihedioha did not satisfy the requirements of geographical spread as stipulated in Section 179 (2).The section provides: “A candidate for an election to the office of Governor of a state shall be deemed to have been duly elected to such office where …(b) he has no less than one-quarter of the votes cast at the election of at least two-thirds of all the local government areas in the state…”

The AA candidate’s witness, a teacher at the College of Agriculture, Ishiagu, Ebonyi State, admitted under cross-examination that the only document he analysed was Form EC8D – the overall INEC-collated result. The tribunal and the Court of Appeal concluded that Nwosu’s “expert” was a mere sympathiser, who was out to support the petitioner’s case rather than help the court arrive at the truth.

The Court of Appeal held that none of the petitioners was able to establish, by credible evidence, that Governor Ihedioha did not meet the requirements of geographical spread as stipulated in Section 179 (2). The courts noted that Araraume did not predicate his original petition on the geographical spread but called for cancellation of the election on allegation of fraud.

It was after Nwosu’s candidacy was nullified on grounds of double nomination that the Senator raised the issue of geographical spread at the Appeal Court. The Court of Appeal cautioned Ararume on the point that he could not present one case at the trial court and an entirely different one on appeal. AA withdrew from the petition, and a high court struck out Nwosu’s candidature, which was upheld by both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution provides: “No association, other than a political party, shall canvass for votes for any candidate at any election…”With the Constitution having no provision for independent candidature, observers will be keen to see how the Supreme Court resolves his prayers. The Court of Appeal cautioned Ararume on the point that he could not present one case at the trial court and an entirely different one on appeal.

Ihedioha’s opponents have headed for the Supreme Court on which its decision is being awaited. The appellants are contending that the tribunal and the Court of Appeal failed to adequately address their contentions. The Imo Professional Group, had also faulted both judgments, saying the courts did not do justice.

In an advertorial signed by Dr. Ifeanyi Emeka, the group said: “It is a cardinal principle of law that justice must not only be done, but seen to be done.“The ‘justice’ of the judgment of the Imo State Election Tribunal, chaired by Justice Malami Dongondaji, and the Court of Appeal by five man panel led by Justice Oyebisi Omoleye, can definitely not be seen from the judgment of the courts.”

The group said Ihedioha failed to meet the constitutional minimum requirements of scoring 25 per cent of the votes cast in each of at least the two third of all the Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state.“It, therefore, baffles one’s imagination why and how the ‘Learned Judges’ can find legal reasons to ignore such a brazen wrong against the constitution,” the group said.

But, another group, Imo Leaders of Thought (ILT), has dismissed the position of Imo Professional Group, warning against denigrating the judiciary. ILT comprises former Deputy Governor Ebere Udeagu, former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Engr. Charles Ugwu, former Attorney-General, Prof. Francis Dike, Secretary, Imo State Council of Elders, Chief Peter Mgbenwelu, former military governor of Delta State, Commodore Luke Ochulor and an elder statesman, Chief J. C. Odunna.

To them, the statement by the Imo Professionals “is a direct assault on the integrity of the nation’s judiciary,” adding, “What the authors of the publication attempted to achieve, throughout the 10-paragraph advertorial, was to discredit the learned Judges involved in the matter at both the Tribunal and the Court of Appeal.“We are, however, of the view that this growing penchant to turn the Nigerian judiciary into a whipping boy is something every well-meaning and patriotic Nigerian must rise against.

“Much as we agree that the laws of the land allow citizens the liberty to seek remedies where they are not satisfied with judicial pronouncements, the growing tendency by political litigants to brand every court ruling that is not in their favour as a ‘travesty’, makes a mockery of our collective integrity as a people.” ILT noted that the INEC, in declaring Ihedioha winner, said he satisfied all the requirements of the Electoral Act and the Constitution.

“This means that in the eyes of the law, the result declared by the electoral body was correct, valid and authentic,” ILT stated. “Therefore, the burden of proof to the contrary lies on the petitioners. The electoral laws require that to establish that a person did not satisfy the constitutional requirements as winner of an election, the results will have to be recalculated, beginning from the polling units; the reason being that votes are cast at the polling units.

“But throughout the trial, none of the petitioners was able to provide any new configuration of results from the polling units that could prove what INEC declared wrong. We agree that these three brothers of ours have the right to pursue their cases to the highest level, but the desperation they are manifesting in the matter is a let down to the rest of the people of the state.

“Imolites are amused that these three hitherto mortal enemies, after losing woefully at the Tribunal and Court of Appeal, have proceeded to the Supreme Court as one unit, through a covert blackmail of the entire judiciary, as could be seen from their joint advertorial.“But the people of the state, who voted overwhelmingly for Governor Ihedioha, are undeterred by the fact that the matter at hand is about the requirements of the law and are confident that the judiciary will not be swayed by the paranoia of recalcitrant clansmen.”

However, political watchers have condemned the attitude of politicians in denigrating the judiciary as well as making unfounded allegations when cases do not go in their favour. They want an end to the practice of discrediting judges and casting aspersions on the judiciary.

According to Mr. Ebun Olu Adegboruwa,
‘It is wrong for a party who has lost a case in court to proceed to denigrate the judiciary or castigate the judge. It amounts to contempt of court to subject a judicial officer to ridicule only on account that he gave a judgment that one of the parties considers unsuitable.

“The notion of rule of law is that due process should be followed in all cases and in all circumstances. A situation whereby the judiciary is pilloried for the reason only of judicial exercise does not augur well for our nation.“Constantly criticising the judiciary in the media is to lower the estimation of that noble institution in the eye of the ordinary man and thus reduce the confidence that people have in that organ of government which in turn may lead to lawlessness and resort to self-help.”

For Adegboruwa, it is the duty of everyone to preserve the integrity and authority of the judiciary while also encouraging all judicial officers to decide the cases brought before them according to law and according to their good conscience.In the same vein, former President of Aka Ikenga, an Igbo cultural group, Chief Anayo Uwazurike, condemned the practice, stressing that the situation might arise when a dishonest lawyer collects money from his client, ostensibly to bribe a judge, but pockets the money, which naturally will make the litigant to feel betrayed.He said: “I know that the Court of Appeal descends heavily on a lawyer who denigrates the trial court. The loser may have briefed a lawyer who has a lot of confidence in negative law practice. The line of action is as follows.

“Where the facts are against his client, the lawyer goes for the law. Where both the law and facts are against his client, he goes for judge, through bribery and denigration.“But there are some disgruntled litigants who are so cantankerous that any judgment against them is a reason to badmouth the judiciary. Some even write petitions to the National Judicial Council. Luckily, the NJC will require proof of the accusations. Even some lawyers encourage a losing client to embark on a campaign of calumny.”

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

ND'IGBO: FG’s Free Visa Policy Plot To Overrun Igbo-Town Unions

BY MAGNUS EZE

The umbrella body of town unions in the five South East states has described the proposed free visa policy of the Federal Government as an attempt to import and settle foreigners from Niger, Mali and Chad into the country to displace Igbo.

National President of Association of South East Town Unions (ASETU), Chief Emeka Diwe, who spoke in Enugu warned that unleashing foreigners of Fulani descent on the Igbo will be counter-productive.

According to the leader of the pan-Igbo grassroots group, “it is an obvious case of policy somersault for a government that is shutting down the borders to be letting foreigners into the country without visas. How can you move forward and backward at the same time? You are shutting down the borders, yet you are granting aliens free and unbridled entry into the country! How does that sound? Is it not also brazen executive rascality for the President to unilaterally make such pronouncement without recourse to the National Assembly? It is our considered opinion that there is more to this.”

Diwe said it was worrisome that the Federal Government had not been pragmatic in its foreign policies, and added that the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa never elicited any concrete action from the Federal Government, and wondered why the free visa policy should be of importance.

“Nigeria is grappling with a population rate which grows geometrically without any concomitant growth in economic opportunities. Imports have been banned without incentivizing local production and the level of hunger, squalor and deprivation in the country has become all-time highest. The impact of this is felt most by the vast majority of the people at the grassroots which we represent as ASETU.

“Was there any time something like this was contemplated by the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs, which is saddled with the formulation of our foreign policy? Did the National Security Council discuss it? Did the Council of State sit over it? Has the national security implications been considered?

“Why then does President Buhari consider it expedient to open up the borders for foreigners whose populations are culturally, historically and linguistically identical to those in the North to move into the country in their millions to subdue the Igbo people? They are coming into Nigeria to register to vote as citizens, to serve in the armed forces and to help in executing the many other anti-Igbo agenda. The Igbo people in Nigeria are now unbearably endangered and the international community should come to our aid,” he pleaded.

He, therefore, called on the Federal Government to quickly rescind the policy in order to save Nigeria from avoidable crisis.

SOURCE: THE SUN

Group Blast IPOB, MASSOB Over Quest To Continue Biafra Agitation After Igbo presidency Realization

BY STANLEY UZOARU

National president of the Main Igbo Movement (MIM) Simeon Okokwe has descended on the Igbo separatist’s groups, Movement for the Actualisation of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB) over their recent comment to continue the agitation for a Biafra nation despite the realisation of Igbo presidency in 2023.

According to Okokwe, such demand by the Igbo pressure groups would be tantamount to selfishness and inhumanity to the rest of the citizens of the country.

He wondered why the Igbo groups should continue such agitation, pointing out that the interest of the Igbo is to end the years of marginalisation by other ethnic groups in the country and not for separation.

Okokwe who addressed newsmen in Owerri yesterday further stated that the realisation would address so many anomalies such as the request for restructuring of the country.

“If an Igbo presidency is obtained today, why should we be talking of IPOB and MASSOB threatening the peace of the country and numerous clamour for restructuring.

“Our aim of agitating for an Igbo presidency is because we have been marginalised for too long, power should also shift to the southeast so that the world would know what we are capable of” Okokwe said.

Okokwe in similar vein supported the call for dismantling of the various checkpoints in the zone, just as he described it as a way of further disturbing the peaceful existence of peopele of the zone.

He said “I think what the federal government did is not in favour of the people of southeast, road blocks mounted here and there constitutes trouble for our people, if it’s not for extortion, it would be for intimidation and harassment of people of this zone.

“So we implore the security agencies to obey the directives of the National Assembly and dismantle all the checkpoints in the zone” Okokwe said.

The Needless Media War Between Okorocha And Ihedioha

BY FRED W. OPARA

The spate of tirade of abuse and antagonism between the immediate past governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, and his successor and former Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, was re-enacted during the assemblage of Igbo leaders of thought and other national leaders in the recent Ahiajoku outing. It reached a damning crescendo when the Imo State Chairman of the Recovery of Government Properties Committee, was allegedly assaulted in the course of duty by supporters loyal to the former governor at his Spibatt Avenue residence, in Owerri. Still in their usual characteristics, the abysmal handling of the imbroglio by the special advisers on media of the duo left much to be desired. The adversarial nature of the conflict which has resulted in growing polarity between their teeming supporters since the coming to power of Ihedioha’s government is traceable to the penchant to bellicosity than approaches to good public relations and crisis management by their special advisers on media.

It is quite unfortunate that most political special advisers on media in Nigeria share the same pedigree with Adolf Hitler’s minister of popular enlightenment and propaganda, Paul Joseph Goebbels, (1897-1945), with their firm grips over the press during and after their principal’s exit from power. It is on record that Hitler’s virulent anti-Semitism stance and World War II atrocities and wickedness in Europe was Goebbels’ irresponsible and malevolent public relations recipe. In trying to defend the indefensible, most public relations practitioners smear unfavourable, indelible, vitriolic publicity not only on themselves but also on the very personality, product or service they are paid to propagate.

It appears that Okorocha and his indefatigable media adviser have succeeded in taking the war of attrition to Ihedioha and his government. The grand ploy is to use the media to advance his cause as a gudgeon of political victimization and vendetta. It should be rightly emphasized that there is nothing wrong for a government that succeeded Okorocha to demand for eight years report on his stewardship in the State he imperiously held sway as a monarch. In exercising his executive authority, the Civil Service, Agencies and Departments of the State were virtually grounded. As a matter of deliberate policy and grand design to short-circuit governmental apparatuses, he failed to carry the bureaucrats along. He claimed to have given Owerri Municipality a facelift, just one out of the 27 Local Governments in a crude oil revenue-earning State. What other good report is he showcasing for the remaining 26 LGAs of the State in terms of Rural Development, Industrialisation, Science and Technology, Youth empowerment and employment, etcetera?

In his style of political administration, even the Legislature was an inconsequential arm of government and he spared no effort in making the elected representatives of the people a ridiculous bunch in the enviable annals of a State known for her robust legislative history. Throughout the duration of his government, he left no one in doubt that members of his cabinet who constituted the executive arm of government were merely used as political pawns in order to give it a semblance of altruistic leadership. In a State providently blessed with world class technocrats and the intelligentsia, it is ignobly on record that executive functions were either performed by his children, son-in-law, and siblings or by himself. For complete eight years, Imo State was governed by arrant guesswork. There was no conceivable Blue Print for its sustainable development. Obviously, where there was no clear-cut planning, it would be Herculean preparing a handover note to a successor since executive portfolios existed notionally. Suffice it to say that every yardstick in the indices of socioeconomic development such as youth employment, rural development, care for the aged through prompt payment of gratuity and pensions, full engagement of the factors of production, qualitative healthcare delivery system, inflow of Foreign Direct Investments, etcetera, were conspicuously non-existent. Even the much touted free education policy which was one of the basic pivots on which his Rescue Mission government was pillared ended up being a monumental failure for lack of qualitative ingredients for its diligent prosecution and sustainability. In Okorocha’s model of free education, unlike that of Lagos State Government where it is working perfectly, the teaching component, being a critical factor in the superlative actualisation of the laudable idea were starved of motivation which is intrinsic to pedagogy thus resulting in the obvious disconnect in the teacher and student relationship.

In the practice of Public Relations, the piper does not dictate the tune and if it is not premised on truth and integrity is bound to backfire. The negative multiplier effect is to the detriment of both the practitioner and his principal. Goebbels and his wife in trying to keep faith with Hitler based on transparent falsehood, took their own lives after poisoning their six innocent children. World War II ended with Hitler committing suicide with his wife, Eva Braun. The watchword of a good public relations practitioner is the adoption of a wide variety of techniques in presenting his employer in a favourable light to the public based on integrity and the absence of which he is very much obliged to throw in his towel for good. Good name is by far better than silver and gold.

A good public relations practitioner with political media advisory portfolio aptly shapes public opinion on major political and social issues with insistence on his principal to be on the side of the people through the provision of democracy dividends. He is not only the eyes and ears of his principal, but also the stand-alone pressure group of the people for the holistic benefit of the stakeholders in the polity. Muckraking in public relations which is exactly the role being played by advisers on media gulps resources. Agencies investigating public office holders in the country should extend same to their muckrakers because to say that they operate on deep pockets is an understatement.

It is quite unfortunate that most public relations team cum special advisers on media for majority of public office holders fail to educate them on the need to make straight their way in their stint as helmsmen eyeing political relevance and elevation.

Opara writes from Lagos

Oraifite Invasion: Court Set Hearing For December 27

Ifeanyi Ejiofor. Image: Twitter

The lingering accusations and counter-accusations between Barr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, lawyer to IPOB’s ( Indigenous People of Biafra), Nnamdi Kanu, and the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), over the 2nd December bloody rampage, murder, and destruction that took place at Oraifite, Anambra state, has taken a new dimension as the Ejiofor family have petitioned the National Assembly (NASS) and the Federal High Court, Awka, demanding investigations, justice, and compensation for the mayhem allegedly perpetrated by officers of the Anambra state police command.

Copies of the petitions filed from Barr. Ejiofor’s Chamber was made available to Sunday Sun recently, and in the petition, Ejiofor alleged that what played out at his hometown was an orchestrated plot by another prominent personality in Oraifite (name withheld by us) to assassinate him using the police, in other to gain favour, and ingratiate himself into the good books of the presidency.

The lawyer then called on the NASS to intervene in the attempt to his life, and prevail on the Federal Government of Nigeria and the NPF to immediately set aside the declaration tagging him ‘a wanted person’. “I further call on the NASS, to prevail on the Federal Government of Nigeria to set up an independent investigative panel to probe the incident that occurred at my ancestral home in Oraifite, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State. And to crave the indulgence of the NASS for a proactive oversight and intervention in the light of this obvious travesty of justice against me, in view of the extraordinary circumstances prevailing in the case,” he said via the petition.

Furthermore, during the hearing of the ex parte application at the Federal High Court Awka, the judge, Justice Quadri ordered the respondents to maintain the status quo pending the hearing of the main application and then adjourned the matter 27th December 2019.

Those sued in the matter are the Police service commission, with the inspector general of police and commissioner of police. Other respondents in the lawsuit include the Oraifite Area Police Commander, the Divisional Police Officer, The Nigerian Army, The Chief Of Army Staff, The Federal Republic Of Nigeria and The Attorney General Of The Federation.

In the suit marked FHC/ ABJ/ CS/ 135/19, which was signed by Barr. Chinwe Umeche alongside 10 other lawyers, the court was asked to protect Ejiofor’s fundamental human rights by restraining the security forces from taking any steps to execute the warrant of arrest issued against him, and suspend all actions in connection with the matter, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application before the Federal Court.

The police was also sued to pay compensation for the damages they caused and to further publish an apology to the Ejiofor household in five major national newspapers.

--------------------HENRY OKONKWO/SUN NEWS

First Free Community Hospital Takes Off In Enugu

Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu

The first ever-free community hospital is billed for commissioning in Enugu State next week.

Built by the traditional ruler of Ubogidi/Ozalla Autonomous Community in Nsukka Local Council, Chief Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu, the hospital will provide free medical and maternal services to the people.

The 20-bed-space health facility is equipped with scanning machine, ultra sound, laboratory, eye clinic equipment and a standby 750 KVA power generating set, to ease the pain of accessing medical services by villagers.

Ahead of the commissioning on December 27, by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, about 20 patients diagnosed with different ailments had already been treated free of charge.

Asadu, a nurse of over 24 years in Dallas Texas, USA said the hospital project was to give back to the community, rather than wait for the state and Federal Government to do so.

Meanwhile, Asadu had earlier renovated two primary schools in the community.

He said: “My intention is not to make money from the hospital, but to touch lives. The hospital renders free medical attention for both minor and major cases. irrespective of gender. I engaged two medical doctors, 10 nurses and other paramedical assistants for the operation at the hospital. The hospital is free for my community, while others will pay for services rendered to enable management maintain the pace, purchase drugs and pay salaries,” he stated.

Chairman of the board of the hospital, Prof. Felix Asogwa, praised the donor for conceiving the idea.

-------------------LAWRENCE NJOKU/THE GUARDIAN

Pope Appoints Rt. Rev. Moses Chikwe Auxiliary Bishop Of Owerri Archdiocese

The Rt. Rev. Moses Chikwe. Image: Facebook.

The Rt. Rev. Moses Chikwe has been consecrated as Auxiliary Bishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province. He is to take over from Archbishop Anthony J. V. Obinna.

At the episcopal consecration at the Maria Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri, Imo State, the Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha, who was accompanied by his deputy, Gerald Irona advised Chikwe to work according to Obinna’s precepts. He commended him for working to the tops in the Catholic community.

The Holy Father, Pope Francis, was represented by Papal Noncio.

The Pope appointed Chikwe, currently, Director of Education of the Archdiocese, and collaborator of the Parish of St. Thomas More, as auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Owerri (Nigeria), assigning him the Titular See of Flumenzer.

He was ordained by Obinna in 1996. Archbishop Obinna was born on June 26, 1946, to the late Mr. and Mrs. Michael Obinna of Emekuku, Owerri, Imo State.

He was ordained priest of Catholic Church on April 9, 1972.

SOURCE: CHARLES OGUGBUAJA/GUARDIAN

BEN ENWONWU DISTINGUISHED LECTURE 2019: Using Art As Tool For Peace, Conflict Resolution

BY CHRIS ONUOHA

Sometimes art can fill the gap when politics falls short – Ms. Thompson (British deputy high commissioner to Nigeria.)

The outcome of the 11th Distinguished Lecture Series of Prof Ben Enwonwu Foundation was one agreed unanimously by the art and culture experts at the event that Nigeria art needs urgent attention to revamp.

The special guests comprising a renowned artist, Professor Bruce Onobrakpeya; another prominent artist, Kolade Oshinowo; Allan Davies, a veteran Architect; Her Royal Highness, Erelu Abiola Dosunmu and the keynote speaker, Her Excellency, Ms. Harriet Thompson, British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria deliberated on the way forward; how art can be used to resolve conflicts and build peace in a war torn zones.

The lecture series since inception in 2004, instituted to immortalise Prof. Ben Enwonwu’s unequalled contributions to the growth of art in Africa and the world has proved a delectable platform for national and international leaders, renowned academics, policy makers and diversity of contemporary Nigerian society to share their understanding and perspectives on the role of art in causing desirable societal changes.

With the keynote speech delivered by Ms. Harriet Thompson that hinged on “Art: An Instrument for Peace, Conflict Resolution and Socio-Economic Transformation,” she draw home some points to express her feelings over Nigeria’s art and culture and how women can influence decision in that aspect. She also stressed that Nigerian art that is striving for global reckoning should be harnessed for its potentiality and relevance in resolving conflicts.

She mentioned Enwonwu’s art as one that draw attention of effects of war and conflicts: “For Enwonwu, it was the horrors of the Nigerian civil war, with paintings such as “Children of Biafra” for example, or the piece on the invitation for today’s event, “Storm over Biafra,” she said.

“From Enwonwu to Picasso to Dali to Goya to Rubens – and the list goes on – so many artists who have used their creativity and talents to highlight the devastation of war. The Dada movement, for example, which started in Switzerland in the early 20th century, brought together artists from many different countries, including those ravaged by war, to advocate for peace and criticise those governments they believed responsible for pushing unwilling victims into war,” Thompson narrates.

“It’s worth recalling as well that arts and culture have also been used –are still used – to promote violence and disunity. Those appalling anti-Semitic pictures common through Nazi Germany, together with the nationalistic films and music used to promote a distorted image of the nation stay with me many years after my own studies of European history came to an end. And more recently in the Rwandan genocide as elsewhere, popular music attracted people to the radio stations that spread the messages inciting violence.

“But back to the positives: the Dada movement that I just mentioned was about more than raising awareness and speaking out through art. That process of self-expression was undoubtedly also part of the artists’ own personal healing, as they came to terms with the trauma they’d suffered. Today, art therapy is used for healing with many groups: victims and survivors of war, veterans, those suffering with PTSD. The value isn’t just in the work itself, but in the process of creating it – which can provide a route for self-discovery and to express emotions or thoughts too difficult to put into words.

“Last year, the British Council worked with the University of West Scotland to produce a report on “The value of art in post-conflict recovery”. The emerging evidence is clear on the role that arts and culture have to play – alongside security and development – in mitigating conflict and building peace. The evidence is particularly strong regarding the role of such programmes with post-conflict communities, in supporting therapy, reconciliation, and strengthening civil society. Rwanda provides a compelling case study. To commemorate the shocking genocide of 1994, as part of efforts to recover from the trauma, there is an annual Kwibuka period: three months of events to remember the conflict, in which arts and culture play a central role, building pride in the emerging nation. Ben Enwonwu’s sculpture, Anyanwu, also symbolises pride and hope, this time in a continent, as Africa emerged from colonialism. The power of arts and culture to bring people together, even and especially people once violently divided, is clear and sometimes, art can fill the gap when politics falls short.

Ms Thompson earnestly challenged the psyche of typical Nigerians asking; “So if art is so effective in promoting peace and speaking out, why don’t we see more of it today? The Nigerian art scene is booming – it’s one of the things I love about being here. But, and this is an observation rather than a criticism, much of it is art for art’s sake, celebrating skills, beauty and creativity; showing new perspectives on the world around us; rather than art to make a point, art as critique or advocacy, art as an inclusive means of expression or of healing and of coming together,” Thompson queried.

“Perhaps one reason for this is that using art to make a point can be high risk. Ben Enwonwu’s work during the Nigerian civil war came at a price: he came under so much pressure as a result of his perceived criticism – and at the same time from others who felt he didn’t go far enough – that he was forced to flee the country, taking many of his works with him to London to protect them.

“Even if the art doesn’t go so far as to invoke the wrath of leaders and governments, on a far more basic level, artists need to eat. They need to sell their work. Upsetting people is not always the best way to make a profit, alienating potential customers. So it’s often only once artists are well-established that they’re able to take that risk. When Picasso painted Guernica, one of the best-loved and most well-known anti-war paintings in the world, he was 56 and already a successful – and therefore relatively secure – artist. Incidentally, I love the story of when a German Gestapo officer barged his way into Picasso’s apartment, pointed at the painting and demanded “Did you do that?” to which Picasso allegedly responded “No, you did”. Now, that is courage.

“And then if an artist has the economic security and the courage to use their work to make a point, to criticise or to provoke, how do they make that point land, how do they reach the people they might want to influence, how do they evoke change? In the case of Ben Enwonwu and Pablo Picasso, when they produced some of their anti-war pieces, they were well-known, well-respected artists who counted the influential elite among their clientele.

So what they painted was bound to be noticed, to attract attention, and to promote a reaction. Which meant it did reach an audience well beyond the elite. But even in today’s Nigeria, access to the arts is highly restricted – particularly access to the visual arts. Art galleries simply aren’t accessible to huge swathes of the population. One of the many things that impressed me about Art X was the focus on accessibility, bringing in schools and keeping ticket prices as low as possible. Yet still it’s out of reach for the vast majority.

“Art isn’t a luxury for the wealthy elites. It’s the means by which people can engage with and understand their complex and messy reality. It isn’t nice to have, it’s who we are. It therefore shouldn’t be the first thing to go as governments under pressure look to make savings, and in particular, it can’t be ignored in societies like Nigeria where there are conflicts and so many tensions to be overcome, bridges built and divisions healed. Culture is not incidental but fundamental to humanity. If we want to transform humanity – whether that be through supporting peace or promoting socio-economic transformation – art and culture must be at the heart of those efforts.”

Drawing points from the extensive lecture delivered by Ms Thompson, the speakers argued over government’s involvement in promoting art in the country. Kolade Oshinowo expressed his displeasure, an encounter with the Minister of Culture over the issues of Museums in the country. He laments the poor state of the existing museums and non availability of befitting museums to cater for the arts produced in the country, saying that when art issue is sidelined by the government, it doesn’t help matters. He however, canvassed that art should be taught in our schools, from kindergarten to the University level, so that the feel, awareness and enthusiasm should be embraced by all.

Bruce Onobrakpeya in his reaction tends to shift blame on government saying; “I think we are putting too much wait on government.” He advised that the public should start the consciousness and allow the government to come in and help where necessary. He said that there are many things private and corporate entities can do to encourage art and create adequate awareness, then allow government to pick it up from there. Onobrakpeya noted that art goes beyond painting and sculpture. “Art goes beyond that, it involves everyday use of common things in our lives – from architecture, construction, industrial purposes and others.”

Erelu Abiola Dosunmu also suggests that reliance on government cannot grow the art industry. “They are not ready. We need to do it as private entity to change the narrative. I have pursued this cause for 40 years while working for the government to no avail. It is time we look inwards as art enthusiasts to promote art.

Professor Bruce Onobrakpeya on a sideline speaks extensively on how to create opportunities to promote art without involving government. He spoke on workshops for artists that have been used to harness peace and harmony among different youths across the country. “There are series of workshop all over the country where youths engage, discuss and share idea together. They now think themselves as one rather than different bits. I mentioned the workshop, “Life in my City” at Enugu, and for how many days, they are doing things together. They seem to forget that they are Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa. With this kind of workshop, they feel now, that they are one. That to me reduces tension and removes some kind of bias that is in the mind of people, which will make them hate or fight one another.

“Art creates possibilities and open up venues for people to engage in some kind of practices that keep them occupied and help them reach out to another person. Government is important but to start with, who is the government. We are the government. If the people you have in government do not know about art, how then can they push it to the government for legislation? What happens outside the government is very important. The other people should be educated through all the small private avenues that I talked about,’ Onobrakpeya concludes.

The 2019 edition of the lecture was held at the MUSON Centre, Lagos on December 12. It was attended by art enthusiasts, stakeholders, collectors and artists. The event was moderated by Tunde Arogunmati, Associate Director, Sustainable Social Investment, Ben Enwonwu Foundation and the closing remarks was made by Oliver Enwonwu, Executive Director, Ben Enwonwu Foundation while a renowned visual and performance artist, Jelili Atiku made an impressive appearance with an illuminating performance.

According to some of the guests, “it was quite an incisive lecture worth attending. This really exposes some facts why we still lag behind on our pursuit of global reckoning in art,” says one guest while another was of the opinion that the awareness created in one lecture do not saturate to the main people that needs the information.

SOURCE: VANGUARD

24 Imo Communities Openly Denounce Female Genital Mutilation Practice

Odmangal C. has performed more than 1,000 FGM procedures on children in Chad. She has never cleaned the blade. She believes doing so would destroy its magic. Image: Sebastian Rich/UNICEF

Twenty-four communities in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo on Friday openly denounced the practice of Genital Mutilation (FGM) with a promise not to revert to it again.

The community members, with their traditional rulers, made the declaration in Oguta Local Government headquarters in the presence of the representatives of UNICEF, the National Orientation Agency (NOA). the Human Rights Commission and the Ministry of Gender and Vulnerable Groups.

In the declaration, read on behalf of the communities, by Eze Frankline Okafor, the Ottachereoha 11 of Ossemotor and Chairman of Oguta Council of Traditional Rulers, they said that FGM had ceased to be a culture and tradition of the people of the 24 autonomous communities in Oguta Local Government area. 

The communities also pledged to leave their girls and women intact as their beauty was preserved when they remained the way that God created them.

“We the Royal Fathers of the 24 autonomous-communities in Oguta Local Government Area, Imo State, Nigeria, and the entire people of Oguta with over 307 villages haven been sensitised about the harmful effect of FGM and haven deliberated during community dialogue and consensus-building meetings;

“Have recognised the immediate and long-term negative health and psychosocial consequences of FGM on the health of our daughters, wives, sisters, nieces and other women who are subjected to this very harmful traditional practice.

“We also acknowledge that FGM is a denial of girls’ and women’s ability to fully exercise their human rights and be free from discrimination, violence, and inequality.”

The UNICEF Enugu Field Office Representative, Mr. Victor Atuchukwu, a Child Protection Specialists, congratulated the Oguta people on behalf of UNICEF, adding that the Southeast had shown a lot of commitment to the fight against FGM.

He expressed gratitude that the declaration came from the traditional rulers, saying that there was the need to consolidate the declaration by initiating a surveillance team that would monitor activities of people, especially pregnant women in the communities.

The State Coordinator, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Vitus Ekeocha, went into memory lane in the journey to abolish and abandon FGM in the community.

He said the public declaration was a moment of broad social recognition which showed that most people in the community supported FGM abandonment and most likely would abandon the practice.

Ekeocha said the declaration was a significant decisive step in the campaign to end FGM.

“For communities to willingly decide to abolish any tradition or culture, such communities must have consistently participated in dialogue session and further deliberated in their sub-groups before reaching a consensus for every segment to come out publicly on any date chosen by them to stamp-out such tradition having recognised the harmful effects of such practice on their girls, daughters, sisters, wives, and mothers.

“What we are witnessing today is the outcome of various engagements, dialogues and advocacy meetings with critical segments on the immediate and long-term negative health and psychosocial consequences of FGM on the health of girls and women in the 24 autonomous communities by various partners and Civil Society Organisations(CSO).

“The journey toward ending FGM began in 2015 when UNICEF supported NOA to collaborate with Imo State Ministries of Health, Gender and Social Development, Information, and Child Protection Network to embark on the campaign promoting the rights and positive perception of the girl-child who has not undergone FGM as whole, healthy in body and mind, unharmed, intact and untouched” using the slogan “OdiNma Nwanyi Bu ka chi siri kee ya,” he said.

Ekeocha said that the Ministry of Gender and Vulnerable Group Affairs, through the Child Rights Department, was supported by UNICEF to inaugurate LGA Technical Committee on FGM(LTC) in Oguta Local Government area in September 2017.

He said the ministry had also trained prosecutors, the judiciary, police, and lawyers on FGM practices and extant laws that prohibited the practice with the view to ending the practice in October 2017.

Dr. Blessing Azubuike, who represented the state Commissioner for Gender Affairs and Vulnerable Group, said the declaration showed that the sensitisation on FGM had yielded the desired result.

She said that the aim was for the protection and well being of the girl-child and women, adding that Oguta was now one of the local governments that had registered their agreement on stopping FGM.

Mrs. Ukachi Uka, State Coordinator, National Human Rights Commission, said that FGM was against the rights of the girl-child as it inflicts pain and an infringement on her right to freedom from torture.

She also said that the practice degraded the dignity of the human person and rights to survival and urged the communities to abide by the declaration.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of 24 communities that openly declared the abandonment of the FGM included Obeabor, Ndiulokwu, Mgbala, Mgbele, Ndionyemaobi, Oguta, Ossemotor and Egwe.

SOURCE: VANGUARD

500 Benefit From Imo Senator’s Empowerment Programme

Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi. Image: Facebook

BY THE SUN

No fewer than 500 persons in Imo East senatorial zone have benefited from an empowerment scheme initiated by Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi as part of efforts to reduce poverty and crime.

The beneficiaries, who gathered at the constituency office of the senator at Ugwu Orji and All Saints Anglican Cathedral in Egbu, Owerri, were drawn from nine local government areas. The beneficiaries, will also receive take-off packages for their businesses at the end of their training. Beneficiaries included youths, women and physically challenged persons.

Director-General of the programme, Godwin Nnadozie, who addressed journalists said Senator Onyewuchi was poised to change the fate of jobless persons in Owerri senatorial district through the empowerment programme.

He said the participants are being trained in catering, video and photography, ICT (Computer Training) as well as mobile phone technology and that they were given daily transport allowance and free meals throughout the duration of the training.

He said the aim was to youths off the streets and engage them meaningfully to be productive and useful tot he society.

Nnadozie said aside the 500 currently undergoing the training, additional 200 persons had been slated in the subsequent week, thus bringing the number of beneficiaries to 700.

FUTO Develops Sexual Harassment, Plagiarism Policy

Federal University of Technology, Owerri. Image: FUTO

BY CHARLES OGUGBUAJA
In its bid to sanitise the academic system and eradicate sexual harassment, authorities of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), have developed a policy framework to checkmate the harassment of students on campus.

The vice-chancellor, Prof. Francis Chukwuemeka Eze who disclosed this said: “the document spelt out what constitutes sexual harassment as well as appropriate sanctions for same.

“In the same vein, anti-plagiarism policy and university research policy have been developed and are awaiting approval of the senate and council so as to promote and maintain academic standards and protect intellectual work.”

According to Eze, the institution has established an outfit, which converts wastes to products such as bottles, card-shredded materials to paints, inter -locking and tiles for the universities consumption and later outside the university’s community.

“The university through its environment and waste management committee in collaboration with the departments of polymer and textile engineering and materials and metallurgical engineering has established a mini recycling centre that converts wastes into saleable and useful products.”

“The wastes used are broken bottles and glasses, used plastics bottles into shredded into flakes to produce rugs, pullovers, pen, pet bottles for chemicals; used papers shredded and recycled into toilet rolls and packaging papers.

“I wish to add that the committee on the environment and waste management has also developed a proposal on the generation of electricity from heterogeneous waste materials. This novel proposal is begging for funding and we appeal to donor agencies and corporations to support this project to achieve the first indigenous generation of electricity from waste materials. Interaction with the private sector is going on.

We are optimistic that funding will soon flow in. Our plan is to satisfy our local community and then move to the larger markets.”

On the institution selected among the six institutions developing a proposal for $11 million research and development, he said: “FUTO was among the six federal universities selected to host the world bank sponsored centre of excellence in sustainable procurement, environment and social standards enhancement. The university proposal was outstanding among other proposals that were assessed by NUC panels and the World Bank.

“The project value is over $11 million. This centre of excellence when fully operational will champion research and development of manpower in procurement, environment and social standards. It will interest you to note that this new centre of excellence is coming barely a few months after FUTO was selected as Africa Centre of Excellence in Future Energies and Electrochemical Systems (ACE -FUELS).”

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Umahi, Dozie to Ndigbo: Pool resources to grow South-east economy

David Umahi, Ebonyi State Governor. Image: Facebook

BY CHUKS NWEZE

Ebonyi state governor, David Umahi, has said for the people of the South-east geopolitical zone to make headway economically, they must pool their resources together.

Umahi, represented by his deputy, Dr. Kelechi Igwe, made this submission Thursday in Enugu during the 4th South East Economic Summit (SEES) that took place at the Base Event Centre, Enugu.

Umahi, who is also the Chairman of South East Governors Forum, said South-east could achieve economic growth by pooling resources together to achieve a common goal.

He lamented that Nigeria spends billions of US Dollars to import salt whereas Ebonyi state has abundant salt deposits which if tapped would generate enough wealth for the zone, should they pool resources together to explore the large salt deposits.

“$23 billion US Dollars was spent on salt importation to Nigeria in the last 10 years,” he laments.

Umahi also suggested that South-east could invest where they have comparative advantage like in Agriculture. He said that for the zone to maximise revenue, “we must maximise our potentials.”

Chairman of the Summit tagged:”Financing South East Economic Development and Improving Ease of Doing Business,” Dr. Paschal Dozie, former MTN, boss, towed the same view of pooling resources together to make South East Geopolitical zone thick economically.

“Why can’t our politicians cooperate? Why can’t our governors come together and say, let’s embark on one project?” he wondered.

“Are we going to wait for this place to be completely deserted before we do something? If you want to move fast, you move alone but when you want to get things done, you do it together,” he continued.

A resource person, Professor Chidi Onyia, former adviser to the Minister of Power and team leader, DFID – Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Faculty (NIAF) Programme 3, said having laudable ideas had never been the problem for economic growth in the zone but the inability of Igbo leaders to take bold steps to achieve a common goal.

Onyia said political leaders could look beyond election promises and move to something tangible that would better the zone.

“The issue has never been lack of ideas but for the policy makers to be honest to set up a financing process for the East. We should look beyond election promises. If risk exposure is not too much, people will invest. We should move from political sound bite to real implementation,” he posited.

SOURCE: BLUEPRINT

Sen Uwajumogu’s Demise, Monumental Loss To 9th Senate -Lawan

Benjamin Uwajumogu

BY THE TIDE

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, yesterday, described the death of Sen.Benjamin Uwajumogu as a monumental and fundamental loss to the Senate and Nigeria in general.

Lawan made the remark in an interview with journalists shortly, after signing the condolence register in honour of the late Senator.

According to him, Nigeria has lost a great man, adding that Uwajumogu’s constituency would definitely feel the loss.

“Well, this is a huge loss not only to the 9th Senate but to the entire country.

“The late Sen. Benjamin was one-time Speaker of Imo House of Assembly, he was a returning Senator, very resourceful, very patriotic, a quintessential legislator.

“His last contribution on December 17 was when we debated the problems that Nigerian business owners are facing in Ghana.

“He made a very categorical statement that we must, at all times as Senators, protect the interest of Nigerians.

“We must support them wherever they will be in the world. That was very constructive of him.
“For us in the 9th Senate, this will continue to be one of the guiding principles of what we do to always ensure that we protect Nigerians wherever they are in this world.”

He said the late distinguished Senator, as Chairman on Labour and Employment, gave a very good account of himself during the labour disagreements.

Lawan said Sen. Uwajumogu was at hand to intervene on behalf of the Senate during the issues between government and labour.

“But I think we are united in one thing, we must ensure we live to protect those ideas that he lived and worked for,” Lawan said.

Also paying tribute to the late Senator after signing the condolence register, the Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege said:”It is a very painful loss.

“Ben is not just a colleague, he was a brother, a comrade, it is a personal loss.

Honouring The Memory Of An Excellent Medical Doctor, Humanitarian

Dozie Ikedife. Image: Punch via Premium Times

BY CHUKS MADUEKE

He was born on August 24th 1932 in Nnewi to the family of Ikedife Ugochukwu (Dunu Ifeneti). He attended Nnewi Central School before proceeding to Dennis Memorial Grammar School Onitsha (1946 to 1950). He later attended City College Norwich, England (1952 to 1953) for Higher School. He studied Medicine and Surgery in University of Glasgow, Scotland (1954 to 1959). As a medical student, he was enrolled in the University of London as an external candidate and was awarded a degree in Anthropology in 1958. He obtained a Diploma in Obstetrics (1960) from the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and became a Fellow of same college (1963).

He also obtained Diplomas in Family Planning from USA (1977) and Health Systems Management from Galilee College, Israel (2003)

He was awarded doctorate degree in Public Administration from University of Tucson Arizona and honorary Fellow of International Society of Cardio-thoracic Surgeons based in Japan

Dr. Dozie Ikedife worked as a Senior House Officer, Registrar in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Stobhlll Hospital Glasgow (1960 to 1963). In the same year, he became a Fellow of Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologist of British Commonwealth.

On his return in 1964, he joined the Ministry of Health in Lagos as a Medical Officer Special Grade and worked in the Island Maternity Hospital Lagos (1964 to 1966).

He was called to serve in the Eastern Region as a Medical Officer Special Grade in Enugu (1966 to 1967). Later in that year 1967, Dr. Dozie Ikedife founded the City Hospital Aba and was the Specialist-in-Charge till the Nigerian Civil War started. During the Nigerian Civil War, Dr. Ikedife demonstrated his courage and love for his people by staying back in the war ravaged area to assist victims of the war. He spent the 30-month duration of the civil war, rendering medical services to wounded Biafran soldiers and poor citizens in Biafran communities. Towards the end of the civil war, he relocated to his hometown of Nnewi with his family.

While in Nnewi, he built a Specialist Medical Center, “Ikedife Hospital” where he worked till his death.

As a Gynaecologist, he was very passionate about medicine and documented cases he treated. In his scientific observations, he came up with a widely published and accepted theory which he called “First Father Syndrome” in the etiology of PreEclampsia and Eclampsia in pregnancy.

Because of his desire to help train young doctors, in 1981, Dr. Ikedife accepted to be an External Examiner in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, which he did till 1992. Because Dr. Ikedife was one of those that attracted the College of Health Sciences to Nnewi town, (in 1995), he became a Reader in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in the college.

While exploring ways to mentor and encourage young medical students in the University of Nigeria, in 1988, he established the Dr. Dozie Ikedife Annual Prize for the Best Medical Student in Community Medicine. The annual awards encouraged medical doctors to consider medical practice in rural communities where they are needed the most. Furthermore, in 1995, Dr. Ikedife established the Dozie Ikedife Medal and Prize. An annual award in College of Health Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Nnewi, for the Best Graduating Medical Doctor.

Dr. Ikedife was the President of Nigerian National section of International College of Surgeons (ICS) for eight years (1987 to 1995), Secretary (African federation) and was a World Vice President of the International College of Surgeons (ICS) with headquarters in Chicago, USA.

While practicing Medicine in the rural community, he became more involved in community service and development. In 1972, he won an election into the Nnewi Community Council and was then elected as the Chairman of the Council (1972 to 1975). It was during his tenure as the Chairman of the council that he started the electrification of Nnewi as a town. In recognition of his achievements at the council, Dr. Ikedife was appointed as the Honorable Commissioner for Economic Development by the then Governor of East Central State, Colonel Aboki Ochefu in 1975, and later in 1976, he became the Honorable Commissioner for Economic Development and Finance as appointed by Colonel Atom Kpera who replaced Colonel Ochefu as governor. In 1977, because of pressure from his medical patients in the old Nnewi division, he honourably resigned his appointment as Commissioner and moved back to his rural medical practice.

With the Nigeria’s Second Republic in sight, Dr. Ikedife contested for Federal House of Representatives, on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). Though he lost the election, he was in 1979 appointed as the Special Assistant to President Shehu Shagari. He held this position till the end of Shagari’s government in December 1983. As the Presidential Liaison Officer for old Anambra State and the Chairman of NPN presidential campaign team, he worked hard with other party members to deliver the old Anambra State to NPN when his friend and ally, Chief Christian Onoh was elected as the governor of the state.

His selflessness and passion for community service earned him many traditional titles in Igbo land. Amongst them are: Ikuku Ebu Mkpu (conferred on him by the 14 towns in the old Nnewi division in 1980), Ikenga Nnewi (1981), Odezuligbo Umueje, Ogige Agbachi Enyi nke Olu na Igbo and Owelle Idu of Eri kingdom. He was chairman, Igwe Nnewi Royal Cabinet for many years.

Ikenga Nnewi was actively involved in the Rotary Club movement. He founded the Rotary Club of Nnewi as its Charter President (1985 to 1986). In 1997, he became a Paul Harris Fellow and winner of Vocational Services Award. He was also member of many social clubs; Peoples’ Club of Nigeria, Anaedo Social Club, Anyi Bu Ofu Social Club among others.

He continued to be active in his medical profession and in the advancement of Igbo heritage. In 2006, he was elected as the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo. His tenure as the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo saw a revitalized body, strengthened by unity and common interest. He insisted on drawing circles of inclusions rather than circles of exclusions. He believed in the words of Buddha, that “peace comes from within”. He was a courageous leader who spoke his mind, stood on the side of the truth and was not bothered being a lone voice.

In 2007, he became the Chairman of Anambra State Elders Forum and the convener of the South East Elders Council till 2013. He was given a National Honor of Officer of Order of the Niger (OON) in 2010 by President Goodluck Jonathan. In 2014, Dr. Dozie Ikedife was appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan to participate in the constitutional Conference in Abuja.

Ikenga was very passionately active in his alma mater’s old boys association (DOBA). He was the winner of 2017 Annual Chike Okonyia award by the Dennis Memorial Grammar School Old Boys’ Association (DOBA).

For more than 59 years, Dr. Dozie Ikedife was a medical icon that bestrode the medical and political fields like a Colossus granite rock. Until his death, he was unwavering and uncompromising in his commitment to the causes he believed in, like the preservation of Igbo culture, his persistent belief in community service and his love and commitment to his family, Nnewi community, Igbo race, Nigeria and Africa.

He was married to Hon. Chief (Mrs.) Christie Ikedife (Ayolugo Nnewi) for over 50 years and the marriage was blessed with many children and grandchildren. He loved listening to classical music, reading books, planting Iroko trees, drinking good palm wine and Drambuie Whiskey.

*Madueke can be reached at chuksmadueke@yahoo.com

SOURCE: THIS DAY LIVE

UNIZIK Champions Igbo Cultural Renaissance

Nnamdi Azikiwe University

BY ALOYSIUS ATTAH

The Directorate of Igbo Village and Centre for African Civilisation (IVACAC), Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, has lived up to its billing in the promotion of Igbo culture and civilisation to the globe, since it was established in the 2016/2017 academic session of the university.

Back to back, the centre has held the new yam festival, Ohazurume Igbo lecture as well as other cultural exhibitions that exposed the lessons of the Igbo African heritage.

This year’s new yam festival and Eze-na-Ifite Igbo conference was unique as it brought together Igbo scholars and culture enthusiasts, traditional rulers and student researchers on Igbo affairs.

The forum reaffirmed the need to continue talking about “Igboness”; that is what concerns the Igbo people and the need for “Igwebuike: which connotes the spirit of oneness, collectivism and communalism as opposed to individualism and selfishness.

Welcoming guests to the ceremony, Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Charles Esimone described the theme of the ceremony: “Igbo culture and civilization”, as a tantalizing theme rendered “quite germane in the face of a putative cultural asphyxia said to be dangling ominously over Igbo culture”.

Represented by Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, Prof Fredrick Odibo, Esimone said the Igbo have always been self-sufficient and that there was need to ask questions and proffer solutions on what happened to the Igbo enterprise, why things were not working well and to appraise where the Igbo were heading to.

Chairman of the occasion, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka (Ogirishi Igbo), said his heart was gladdened by what was witnessed in the university named after the Great Zik of Africa by the awakening of the Igbo spirit. He said that so many crops in Igbo were going extinct likewise other medicinal plants endowed to the Igbo free by nature due to the loss of interest exhibited by most Igbo of today and called for sustainability of the Igbo village and its activities in the university.

President, Naturecracy Association International, Prince Chinedu Nsofor, while presenting a keynote address on the spiritual significance of celebrating new yam festival, said western civilisation brought the Igbo many goodies but caused them more harm in dislodging the cultural heritage of Igbo and African civilization.

He urged the Igbo not to continue lamenting the injustices and errors in the foundation of Nigeria or continue to clamour for war but rather resurrect the intrinsic powers inherent in the epic “Igbo sense” to chart a new destiny for the Igbo nation.

Nsoffor advocated for ‘naturecracy’ as the way to go so as to enable the Igbo go back to nature and true culture. He described it as a ‘think home philosophy’.

Director, IVACAC, Rev. Fr. (Prof.) Bona Christus Umeogu, in a discourse on Iri ji, Ezi-na-Ifite and Igbo village, said yam is not only an Igbo affair as almost all continents of the world have yam in their respective traditions.

He listed various species of yam in Igbo tradition to include Ji ocha, Ji Oko, Ji Anunu, Ji Adaka, Ji Mbuna/Abana, Ji Mmiri, Ji Ofia, Ji Ona, Ji Adu, Ji Nwanyi eri, etcetera.

“New yam festival in Igboland is the king of all festivals and includes lot of Igbo cultural things like thanksgiving, kolanut breaking, masquerade performance, theatrical and dance exhibitions.

“The issue of thanksgiving during new yams harvest and festival has always been a thorny issue. Before the coming of the Church in Igbo land, the people have Ifejioku as the god of yams, the god of fire and the god of harvests. Because of this, some people think that new yam festival is a “pagan” festival but the answer must be given this way: with the coming of the church in Igbo land, Igbo people who are converted (Christian, Islamic, etc) are no longer bound to give their thanksgiving to Ani or Ifejioku, but to the God of their religion.

“It will be of importance to make it clear, at last, that yams in Igbo land are not only used for food, commerce and sacrifice, they are also used for healing purposes. For instance, the potassium and sodium content of yams like Ji Ona, Ji Anunu and others, regulate blood pressure in the human body. The hair and the skin have essential protein content called collagen which the vitamin C in Ji Nwannu increases for the wellbeing of the hair and the skin. A particular type of yam called Ji Adu is rich in manganese, which regulates blood sugar perfectly and helps stop minor kinds of inflammations,” Fr. Bonachristus posited.

Traditional ruler of Awka, Obi Gibson Nwosu, who was Father of the Day, said the entire Igbo communities cultivate yam, but only the Awka community through the iron smelting craft, produces the hoes that are used in cultivating yam.

South East Pensioners Bemoan Neglect

South East Pensioner image via The Sun

BY OBINNA ODOGWU, GEORGE ONYEJIUWA, OKEY SAMPSON, CHIJIOKE AGWU, JUDE CHINEDU

Pensioners in the South East have bemoaned their plight, especially with the backlog of pension arrears owed them.

Daily Sun gathered that lamentations over poor welfare have become the lot of pensioners any time the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in the region meet.

From non-payment of monthly entitlements to unpaid gratuities, pensioners in Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states share the same fate. Daily Sun learnt that members of the pensioners’ union have been crying to governors of the South East states to make their welfare top priority.

Their cry had been hinged on the death of members because of deprivations of their pensions to buy drugs and foods.

Investigations by Daily Sun revealed that retirees in Ebonyi, Abia, Enugu and Anambra states have one sour tale or another to tell in respect of unpaid gratuity. For instance, it was learnt that some persons who retired about 15 years ago were yet to receive their gratuities in the zone, while some states were paying by instalments.

Zonal Chairman of NUP, Mr. Chukwuma Udensi said pensioners in Abia suffer most as many of them could not keep count of the last time they received their pension.

He also alleged that pensioners in Enugu state earn less than N2,000 monthly, regretting that even the paltry sum was not paid regularly.

Udensi said the trend had left members in agonizing conditions, with some dying out of frustration and poverty.

Chairman of NUP in Ebonyi, Nwofe Okemini alleged that one per cent of pension was illegally deducted from their members by the government and paid to another group of retirees. He said the deduction had been going on for many years and that the recipients were members of a body christened Asociation of Retired Permanent Secretaries.

Vice Chairman of the union in Ebonyi, Ibiam Nkechinyere, has, however, called on the state to include retirees from 2014 in the screening of pensioners for payment of gratuities. She said that selecting only retirees from 2015 to 2019 was not in the best interest of all.

In Anambra, Anthony Ugozor said local government pensioners consisting of retired primary school teachers, local government officers, and officers of the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), have not been paid since 2017. He disclosed that they were being owed arrears of local government pensioners for 11 months for those of them that retired from 2002 to 2003, adding that letters written to Governor willie Obiano on the issue had not yielded any result.

“It was 22 months, but Governor Peter Obi paid 16 out of that 22 months leaving 11 months. But he approved it for payment, but it has not been paid up till now,” he said.

Similarly, the Zonal Secretary of NUP, Livinus Ashiegbu, at a meeting in Abakaliki, raised concerns over the death of members because of deprivations of their pensions to buy drugs and foods.

“The condition of pensioners in the South East is deteriorating; it is unheard of and it is inhuman. Pensioners are not treated as Nigerians. I wonder if they are citizens. And the nation forgets that these are the people that have built up the state.

“The time they need this little money from their saved salary, they are denied of it for years. The question of gratuity is the most pathetic. For example, since 1998 in Imo no pensioner has received his gratuity if it is above N500,000,” he said.

Like in Enugu, Ugozor lamented that some of the pensioners receive below N2,000 as monthly pension and he called for harmonisation of the pensions.

“Some receive N2,000 while some receive less than N2,000 every month as pension. That is why we are calling for review. Recently, there was minimum wage review to N30,000. We are saying that pension should be reviewed side by side with minimum wage so that pensioners will feel a bit better.

“When the minimum wage of N18,000 was implemented about 10 years ago, there was no review of pension because the constitution of Nigeria talked of the review of pension every five years or whenever the salary of the civil service workers is increased. This is in section 210 subsection 3 of the 1999 constitution (as amended). It is not implemented and the pensioners don’t have the capacity, or the will, to go on strike because they are not serving again.

“For you to understand it, pensioners that retired on one grade level in 1990 or 1980 receive very little, but pensioners who retired on the same grade level in 2017 or 2018 receive 10 times more than those that retired earlier. So, we are calling for parity. And that parity will be achieved by harmonization of pensions,” he stated.

In Enugu, aside the non-payment of gratuity, the leaderships of labour has decried the condition of local government pensioners, saying they were struggling to cope with pension arrears and gratuity backlog dating from 2005.

Chairman of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr Ben Asogwa and his Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) counterpart, Chief Damian Udeani, said that though the state pensioners were paid regularly, the retirees were also burdened with a gratuity backlog from 2009.

Said Asogwa: “2008, 2007 and 2006 have a huge chunk of pensioners that were not paid their gratuity. And the present government came up with an arrangement to be releasing N100million every month so as to take care of their gratuity. Government wants to pay two months until the arrears are cleared;that’s the arrangement now. But the gratuity situation is pathetic. This is both at local and state government level. At local government it was paid last in 2005, at state government level, it was last paid in 2010.”

Asogwa said: “In April this year, Enugu government stopped the release of the N100 million per month, but the governor said recently that he will reinstate it. So, we are looking forward to that and hoping he will do accordingly.”

On the frequent verification exercises for pensioners, Asogwa said it was a good development in assisting to plug fraud in the system. But in Ebonyi, some pensioners called for the standardisation of the verification exercise, claiming that many of them had died in the process.

Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Ebonyi, Leonard Nkah said the last verification of pensioners in the state was in August 2019, adding that the state had paid up to October.

He said labour leaders were in talks with the government to ensure that the November pension was paid.

One states that has given pensioners cause to smile is Imo.

Governor Emeka Ihedioha in the past six months has streamlined the pension system after the biometric verification which uncovered 8, 549 ghost pensioners. The exercise had reduced the monthly pension wage bill of the state to N1.2 billion as against the N 1.4 billion. So far, the administration has paid August, September, October and November pensions via e-payment process.

Chairman of NUP in Imo, P.U. Ugochukwu and Chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Napoleon Aniche have applauded Governor Ihedioha for paying pensioners.

In Abia, pensioners are owed several months of arrears.

But the state government said it is paying N800million monthly as pension, the figure is made up of N500million for civil servants and N300m for local government workers. Commissioner for Information, John Okiyi Kalu said the state had the highest wage bill in the South East arguing that was why it spent so much on pensions payment.

The commissioner described the number of months of arrears of pension being bandied about as untrue, but declined to state the exact figure owed pensioners. He said despite the challenges, which included the paucity of funds in the payment of pensions, the state would make sure that pensioners celebrate Christmas with their pension paid.

SOURCE: THE SUN