Politics

Ignoring South-East in 10th NASS leadership is risky for APC – Benjamin Kalu

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Benjamin Kalu, the choice of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the post of the Deputy Speaker in the yet-to-be-inaugurated 10th National Assembly has stated that the South-East geopolitical zone must not be pushed aside in the 10th NASS leadership.

The lawmaker representing Bende Federal Constituency in Abia State who sat for an interview on Channels Television on Sunday night, May 14, said APC might lose out in securing votes from the region in 2027 if they are neglected.

Kalu said;

“When you talk about nation building you forget about sentiments, you forget about emotions and look at the strongest argument and the strongest argument here is how do we make a diversity sensitive leadership, nation-building effort that will incorporate all the beautiful efforts of all the diverse part of the country coming together to work for what we peach? It’s by unity, peace and progress.

“You may recall that in the last four years, the South-East was not holding any of the presiding officers’ position and it has impacted on this election, among other things. I can assure you, if you neglect South-East again, a whole zone in such sensitive position, then you battle again in 2027, that is a big risk for any great planner to take.

“If you start now to plan and adopt this spirit of inclusion, South-East is going to yield a better harvest than what was yielded before.”

Lifestyle, Politics

Elections in North-West and South-East may be hampered by insecurity – INEC

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The Independent National Electoral Commission has expressed fear of elections in the South-East, North-West and North-East region of the country being hampered by insecurity.

Speaking at an event organized by National Endowment for Democracy and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems at the NED Headquarters, Washington DC, United States of America, INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood noted that while insecurity has spread to some parts of the country, he has received assurances from the service chiefs that they would secure the voting environment during the 2023 polls.

He said;

“Are there concerns about the 2023 general election? I’ll be the last to say there are no concerns. The first concern is the perennial issue of insecurity in different parts of the country, compounded by the traditional issues of thuggery during elections organized by some of the political actors.

“I say it is a perennial issue because, at the end of the day, it is nothing new. However, the dimension of the insecurity is concerning in the sense that in the past, it was localized or confined to a particular part of the country, the northeast.

But now, it is more widespread and we are keeping our eyes, particularly on the northwest and the southeastern parts of the country.

“Elections are conducted by human beings. We worry about the security of our officials, voters and the materials to be deployed. Without them, we cannot conduct elections.

We have spoken to the security agencies and they have assured us that the situation will improve before the elections.“So, fingers crossed.

Those who are supposed to secure the environment have assured us that they will secure the environment for us to conduct elections. Our responsibility is to conduct elections.”

On the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), Yakubu said the technology has eliminated the flaws in previous elections, including identity theft and multiple accreditations.

He also said the commission has dispatched the BVAS to over 23 states of the federation.

Yakubu said;

“The BVAS has eliminated multiple accreditations that were observed in previous elections. Now, you are sure that the person who is accredited is the voter and the bearer of the card.

“It has increased public confidence in the outcome of elections as shown in the recent off-cycle elections. People tend to be more confident now with the protection of the process of accreditation using technology.

“It has eliminated the use of the Incident Form. For those of you who have been following our elections for a long time, when the Card Reader was introduced, the machine would read the card but it may not read the biometrics.

“So, when it fails to read the biometrics, they then say – give the voter the Incident Form. And through that, many people voted using identity theft. We have eliminated the Incident Form.

So, every registered voter must go through the biometric and the facial, and we jokingly say that the only way the two processes can fail, particularly the facial, is when the voter forgets his or her face at home on election day.

The system of using the BVAS for the conduct of elections has come to stay. There’s no going back.”

Politics

Sit-at-home killing businesses in South-East -Abaribe

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The Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, said on Saturday the continuous observance of sit-at-home order in the South-East has crippled businesses in the region.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ordered the sit-at-home in the South-East last year in a bid to force the Federal Government to release its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who is standing trial for alleged treasonable felony and terrorism charges at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Abariba, who addressed participants at the investiture ceremony of the 16th President of Enugu Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Jasper Nduagwuike, in Enugu, decried the insecurity in the region and called for an end to the sit-at-home directive.

He said: “What is happening in the South-East is a tragedy. Every Monday people sit at home. When you go to IPOB they said they are not the one enforcing it. Nobody has an idea to solve it.

“When I and Ekweremadu personally visited Nnamdi Kanu at the Department of State Service (DSS) detention, he said never give an order for anybody to sit at home. It’s time we stop all this mess in the South- East and build our economy.

“Sit at home is killing the economy of the South-East as most businessmen are moving out of the region. Insecurity in the South- East is the biggest problem.

“We want to turn the South-East into a Catalonia of Spain. We want to turn it into a hub of the world. We want to turn the South-East into a Bavaria of Germany. In 2023, the South-East needs a leadership that will combat insecurity and restore the economy.”

Politics

‘South-East wants political solution to Kanu’s case,’ Ohanaeze tells Buhari

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The President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prof. George Obiozor, said on Thursday the people of South-East preferred a political solution to the travails of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

President Muhammadu Buhari had about two weeks asked the activist to defend himself on the alleged treasonable felony charges hanging on his neck at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The President’s remark ended all hopes of a quick release of the IPOB leader who was brought back to the country on June 27 last year.

Obiozor, who featured in a Channels Television’s programme, Politics Today, urged President Buhari to use his exclusive right of the prerogative of mercy to solve Kanu’s matter and douse the tension in the South-East.

He said: “We in Igboland have made it categorically clear that we prefer a political solution to Kanu’s case — a dialogue to end it. It is clear to the rest of Nigeria.

“And we have repeatedly said that the Igbo nation is not at war with Nigeria. Therefore, what is happening can be handled. I will use the words ‘political solution’ as the answer. Dialogue is the answer.

Just as in other sections of Nigeria, in some areas of Nigeria, people who behaved like Kanu have been forgiven, given amnesty and integrated into the country.

“So, what we are asking is for Mr. President to use the prerogative of mercy to look into the situation in the South-East.

“Prerogative of mercy is exclusively the right of the President. We are not talking about the court. We are not talking about the use of force. The use of force is dangerous for everybody and it will definitely not solve the problem. It will make it worse.

“We are not new to Nigeria’s politics. We saw in South-South — Niger Delta Avengers, MEND — and the rest, even the present Boko Haram, those who said they are repenting, how they are being rehabilitated.

The problem of federalism is that the sensitivity is very much on the surface. If you don’t do one as you have done others, you will have a problem.”

Politics

Buhari reveals problem with restructuring, South-East

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President Muhammadu Buhari said on Wednesday those pushing for the restructuring of Nigeria lacked the basic knowledge of the process.

The President, who stated this in an interview on a Channels Television, also flayed the people of South-East for demanding an additional state.

Several Nigerians including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka and the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, among others had in the past demanded the restructuring of the country to prevent its total collapse.

The President said: “Those who talk of restructuring; I want them to define what they mean in their own concept of restructuring.

“Do they want more states? If they want, look at the map of Nigeria, at whose expense?”

“I have a problem with people from South-East; they said they wanted another state, as each of the geopolitical zones has six states.

“I said go and look at the map and see how many of the existing states will contribute to other states. That was the last I heard from them.”

Politics

Uzodinma urges Nigerian govt to compensate South-East for civil war losses

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The Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to compensate the people of the South-East for the losses recorded during the country’s civil war of more than 50 years ago.

The governor made the call during the public hearing on the review of the revenue allocation formula held in Owerri, the state capital.

He described the effect of the war as most “devastating,” and urged the federal government to establish a special fund that would address the complaints of people of the region.

According to him, the special fund will provide succour to those who lost their properties and family members during the civil war.

Uzodinma said: “I think the debacles of the civil war led the South-East into a deep poverty level; houses were burnt down and people were killed.

Only recently, a special law was enacted as the North-East Development Commission, arising from the disaster of Boko Haram incidents. But the 30-month civil war that ended in 1970 left the South-East in a state of penury.

“Today, as it stands, the federal government takes home 52.68 percent, state governments, 26.72 per cent, while the 774 local government areas take home 20.60 percent.

“It should not just be about multi-billion-dollar pipeline projects that siphon oil and gas from the state which results to youth restiveness, quantum violence and subsequent deaths.”

Politics

South-East has over 30 secessionist groups – Abaribe

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The Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, said on Tuesday there are more than 30 secessionist groups in the South-East.

Enyinnaya, who disclosed this when he featured in a Channels Television’s programme, Political Paradigm, stressed that secession agitators are merely protesting the marginalisation of their people and demanding justice and equity in the country.

The lawmaker, however, expressed regret that the focus of Nigerians has always been on the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

He asked the Federal Government to dialogue with the self-determination groups to restore calm and peace in various parts of the country.

Abaribe said: “One of the biggest problems the media has is that they tag everything IPOB. In the South-East, you won’t believe that there are more than 30 different separatist organisations – IPOB, the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), there are so many and each one of them comes back to the same thing.

“Why you are having separatist agitations everywhere today in the West, in the South, in the South-South, is that some people are unable to manage our diversity, that is just the fact.”

Politics

Sit-at-home order 100% successful in South-East – IPOB

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The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) boasted on Monday that its sit-at-home directive was 100 percent successful in the South-East.

The group issued the directive last week to protest the continued detention of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, by the Federal Government.

In a statement issued by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, IPOB commended the people of the region for complying fully with the directive.

It urged the people to remain resolute in their push for Biafra.

The statement read: “We the global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by our prophet and liberator, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, are delighted to note that this ghost town and sit-at-home order issued by IPOB leadership was 100 percent successful.

The quest to demand the release of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, from DSS dungeons will continue but from another dimension until they release our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

“We, therefore, warmly commend Biafrans, friends of Biafra and lovers of Biafra freedom who made the exercise a huge success irrespective of counter orders from unknown men working for DSS to discredit IPOB and its leadership.

“We equally thank our gallant security outfit and volunteer members who made this exercise a successful event today, the 9th of August 2021.

“The huge success recorded in the sit-at-home order today has again further demonstrated that IPOB is intact and has no issues with anybody. We are in unity and we can restore Biafra sooner than expected.

“We, therefore, encourage all Biafrans to remain resolute in our struggle for self-determination which is our fundamental right.”

Politics

Amnesty claims security agents killed over 110 persons within three months in South-East

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Amnesty International has bemoaned what it claims were extra-judicial killings of Nigerians in the South-Eastern region of Nigeria.

According to the body, no fewer than 115 persons have been killed in the South-East by security operatives between March and June.

This was contained in a report issued on Wednesday by its Country Director, Osai Ojigho entitled, ‘Nigeria: At least 115 people killed by security forces in four months in country’s Southeast.’

It further noted that relatives of the victims denied the deceased were part of the ‘unknown gunmen’ that were attacking security agents.

In the report, AI revealed that some hospital sources revealed that all the victims deposited by the police had bullet injuries, adding that at least 21 security personnel were also murdered within three months in Imo.

The evidence gathered by Amnesty International paints a damning picture of ruthless excessive force by Nigerian security forces in Imo, Anambra and Abia states,” Ojigho noted.

The report further noted, “Nigeria’s government has responded with a heavy hand to killings and violence widely attributed to the armed group calling itself Eastern Security Network, the armed wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra, a pro-Biafra movement.

“According to government officials, the ESN killed dozens of security operatives and attacked at least ten public buildings, including prisons and police stations, from January to June. In response, security forces comprising military, police, and Department of State Services have killed dozens of gunmen, as well as civilians, where attacks have been committed.”

Politics

Nigerian security agents disguise as gunmen in South-East – IPOB

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The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Wednesday accused the Nigerian security operatives of carrying out the attacks in the South-East.

In a statement issued by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the group cautioned those behind the killing of innocent people in Okporo and Umutanze Orlu in Imo State to “stop the ethnic cleansing or brace up for mass resistance by the people.”

IPOB also accused the security agents of burning houses in the South-East and blaming their actions on unknown gunmen.

It challenged the Nigerian Police Force to immediately release the people they arrested and tagged as Eastern Security Network (ESN) operatives or charge them to court.

The statement read: “The Nigerian Police should stop parading innocent people and tag them ESN personnel because there is nobody looking or missing in IPOB; parading innocent people and tagging them ESN shows that Nigeria Police and Army have failed and don’t know their job.

“Since Nigeria abandoned their duty and focused on dishing false information to the public, we are out to expose them. Those you paraded to the public are not ESN members. Nigeria must stop ridiculing itself in the world because everyone is watching their activities.

If this secret genocide is not halted, both the perpetrators and their sponsors will be dealt with in no distant future.

“It is regrettable that some shameless politicians would connive with the oppressors to kill their own who committed no crime other than demanding their freedom from the Nigeria contraption.

“These Efulefus and evil politicians decided to sponsor Nigeria Army and Police to attack innocent Biafrans in Orlu and other places in Biafra land to implicate IPOB and ESN.

“We are warning politicians and traitors amongst us supporting this evil agenda to call it quit or brace up for the wrath of the people.

“It is ridiculous to think that IPOB which has been operating for many years now will suddenly start killing.”

Politics

‘APC to take over South-East soon,’ says ex-Senate President, Nnamani

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Former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, on Saturday expressed confidence that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would take over the South-East soon.

The ex-Senate President disclosed this to journalists shortly after supervising the ward congress at Ward 2, Enugu South local government area of Enugu State.

He said the mass participation of APC members in the exercise showed that the people have confidence in democracy.

Nnamani, who is a member of the APC National Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, advised party members to continue in the same spirit and ensure that the party take its rightful place in the South-East ahead of the 2023 general elections.

He said: “The major target is for APC to be the most dominant political party in the South-East.

“Gradually we are getting there especially with the solid foundation we have laid at the ward levels of the party now.”

The APC chieftain thanked party members in Enugu state for hitch-free ward congresses in the state.

Nnamani added: “It is only in APC that you see this type of peace and cooperation among party members.”

Politics

Insecurity: Onion suppliers stop supply of onions to South-East

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Onion Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (OPMAN), says it has suspended the supply of onions to the South-East over the security challenges currently facing the region.

The National President of OPMAN, Aliyu Isah, made the announcement on Wednesday, May 2, 2021.

He said the association’s decision was based on the recent hijack of two of their member trucks by armed men suspected to be members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

Gunmen have been attacking critical public infrastructure in the southeast for some weeks now especially police stations and offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Recall that a video surfaced days ago showing some residents of Imo state looting two truck-full of onions from the North which were reportedly hijacked by gunmen and distributed to the public.

Politics

South-East govs plan legal backing for Ebube Agu

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The South-East governors on Monday disclosed plans to give legal backing to the formation of the region’s security outfit codenamed Ebube Agu, which they launched on Sunday.

The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Ebonyi State, Uchenna Orji, while speaking to newsmen in Abakaliki, said each of the five states in the zone would enact a similar law to establish the outfit in its area of jurisdiction.

According to Orji, although the law would be similar, each state government would still be in charge of the operatives in his state.

He said, “There will be commonality and similarity of law across the states but it would still be manned by the state governors individually. Ebonyi State will also join other states to enact a law to legalise the operation of the outfit in the state.”

The governors of the region had in a communiqué issued on Sunday after a meeting in Owerri, announced the setting up of the regional security outfit to battle the rising insecurity in the zone.

Meanwhile, security experts had attributed the clamour for the regional security outfits in the country to the neglect by the police and the Federal Government.

Politics

South-East is for PDP —Ologbondiyan

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has revealed that it is optimistic about winning the Nov. 6 Anambra governorship election and revamping the state.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said this in a statement issued by Assistant Director (Head of Unit), Publicity Department, PDP, Richard Ihediwa on Sunday.

Ologbondiyan, playing host to a coalition of Anambra youths under the aegis of Anambra Youth Initiative For Good Governance, in Abuja, said the “PDP presents the hope for the state to rebuild and realise its full potentials”.

He said that the victory of the PDP in the recent Abia National Assembly by-election was a signal that the South East was for PDP.

According to him, the assemblage of leading aspirants and the surge of the people to the PDP, clearly indicate their resolve to elect the next governor of the state on the platform of the PDP.

The reality of the direction the Nov. 6 governorship election in Anambra will take is already manifest.

Ndi Anambra are very industrious, resourceful, and inventive people and they have collectively realized that they can only achieve their full potentials on the platform of the PDP.

This is particularly given our robust manifesto and wealth creation principles of inclusiveness, transparency, accountability, massive infrastructural development and empowerment of the people.

“Across our nation today, it is only PDP governors that are commissioning legacy projects,” he said.

According to him, projects upon projects are being commissioned by the party on daily basis in line with its manifesto in different states of the federation.

He said that the states included Rivers, Bauchi, Sokoto, Bayelsa, Akwa-Ibom, Benue, Abia, Adamawa, Edo, Oyo, Cross River, Zamfara, Enugu, Taraba, and Delta.

Ologbondiyan added that PDP states were opening new development and investment frontiers in critical sectors, including agriculture, aviation, energy, power, healthcare, education, real estate manufacturing, and massive industrialisation.

“This is why Ndi Anambra have firmly resolved to rally on our platform to revamp and move their state towards realizing its full potentials in all spheres of life,” Ologbondiyan stated.

Politics

South-East govs meet in Owerri over increasing insecurity

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Governors of the South-East region on Sunday held a meeting in Owerri, the Imo State capital over the security situation in the zone.

The meeting was made known by the Imo State Government in a tweet, saying “Southeast Security Summit currently ongoing at Owerri, Imo State. All 5 South-East Governors present at the meeting.”

More to come….

Politics

IPOB not responsible for burning herdsmen houses in South-East – Umahi

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Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State on Monday said videos making the round on social media purporting that members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were responsible for burning of houses belonging to herdsmen were not the handiwork of the separatist movement.According to Umahi, communities, rather IPOB were responsible for the acts.The governor  who also disclosed that South-East governors had earlier banned open grazing and movement of cows on foot in the zone, stated this in Abakaliki on Monday during the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) membership registration committee.

While warning against politicization of security matters, the governor called on leaders of the South-East geopolitical zone to create a framework that will secure the lives and properties of the people.Umahi, who is the Chairman of the Southeast Governors’ Forum said: “The governors of the southeast had banned not only open grazing, but we have also banned the movement of cows by foot into the southeast.“In each of the five states of the southeast, we are managing ourselves very well. We have also stopped the movement of cows across communities.“What we discussed in the southeast with the herdsmen, with the farmers is the method that has been in place for a long time before now.“What our people must know is that security is not political, what is demanded of the leaders is to put up programs that favour the people and foster national unity.“There is a new dimension that is taking place in the southeast which is very dangerous. It is when the communities use the name of IPOB, the video and upload it to the social media and say it is IPOB that is burning the houses of herdsmen.“It is not IPOB, it is the communities that are doing this and this is very dangerous for the Igbo man. I am talking to us as leaders.”

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