Igbo leaders have explained their decision to support the presidential candidate of the
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji
Atiku Abubakar and his running mate,
Mr. Peter Obi in the 2019 presidential election.
They
said they are identifying with Atiku and his deputy because of their
promise to restructure the country along geopolitical zones.
Among those present at the event were President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo,
Chief Nnia Nwodo;
chairman of the occasion, Prof Ben Nwabueze, SAN; Senator Ike
Nwachukwu; former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Azubuike Ihejirika, rtd;
the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe; wife of the former President of
Nigeria, Prof Uche Azikiwe; the chairman of Enugu Council of Traditional
Rulers, Igwe Lawrence Agubuzo; business mogul, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu;
Admiral Allison Madueke and the former Governor of Enugu State, Dr
Okwesilieze Nwodo.
Others were Prof Anya O. Anya; Gen Obi Umahi,
rtd; Chief Onyema Ugochukwu; the governorship candidate of the PDP in
Imo State, Chief Emeka Ihedioha; former Economic Adviser to President
Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof Osita Ogbu; Chief Uzodinma Okpara; Prof Uzodinma
Iwuala; former President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Gary
Ogariwey; Chief Olisa Agbakoba, SAN; Senator Ben Obi; Chief Emeka
Ugwuoju; Chief Venatius Odo; Archbishop Maxwell Anikwenwa; and Prof
George Obiozor; Chief (Mrs) Kate Offor; Chief S. N. Okeke and Prof
Walter Ofonagoro, among many other Igbo leaders and PDP heavyweights.
In
his opening remarks, the chairman of the occasion, Prof Ben Nwabueze
said that although Ndigbo believed in the unity of the country, they
wanted to survive as a people first, hence their agitation for survival.
He
said Ndigbo would support Atiku Abubakar/Peter Obi presidential ticket
because they believe that the duo would wipe away the Igbo tears when
they come to power in 2019.
Nwabueze who noted that the roll call of the Igbo in the meeting was complete said: “
With
this kind of assemblage, how can we not achieve our purpose? Success is
ours, we are here for our own self survival, we all know that Ndigbo
have been reduced in a country. They were in the vanguard of its
independence. We must preserve the legacies of Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe and
Nwafor Orizu because these are the great leaders of Ndigbo.
“We
must survive in this country, we must fight for our own self survival
because we became relegated to almost irrelevancy and we must change
that. We must organise round a ticket that will help us for self
survival and that is the ticket of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi. We must
not let that opportunity pass us by.
“If it passes us
by, then we must be ashamed of hat, we must not allow that. We are here
to tell ourselves about the actualisation of that dream. There is
nothing wrong with self survival. We are not campaigning for anybody but
for self survival. In this Atiku/Obi ticket, it is our determination to
mobilize the Igbo in the country to work for it.”
The elder statesman told the gathering to go back to their various villages to preach for the self survival of the Igbo nation.
A communique drawn at the end of the meeting, titled,
“Ndigbo 2019 and Beyond Summit,” which was read by Chief Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) stated in part:
“The
Igbo people of Nigeria held a one day non-partisian and inclusive
summit, convened by elders, traditional and religious leaders on
November 14 2018, to consider Ndigbo’s place in the polity, especially
in the light of the forthcoming 2019 elections.
“We
identify with Atiku/ Obi ticket on the restructuring agenda as has been
reiterated by the four zones of the country, namely South-South, South
west, North central and South east. We believe that as long as the
federating units remain weak, the centre will continue to be weak.
We equally move to appreciate the position of the Atiku/Obi ticket in promoting national unity.
“The
summit deliberated on the state on Ndigbo in Nigeria today, especially
after years of exclusion from the centre. This country has never been so
divided as it is today. We, Igbo, have always yearned for a level
playing field with justice, equity and fairness.“In conclusion, the summit reiterated that the time is now for
Ndigbo to mobilise and organise effectively and realise the Atiku/Obi
ticket. We are not campaigning against anybody, we are simply
campaigning for our very survival. Igbo votes must count wherever they
live in Nigeria.”
A teenager was caught with a bottle of blood, severed genitals, and the
fingers of a four-year-old boy in Awka.Sunday Onwebenyi, from Emeziaka,
Mgbo, in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, was referred to a
spiritual house in Awka by one Ms Blessing Eze. There, Sunday was
allegedly told to get the body parts of a child for money rituals.The
ritualist was able to get the items but was apprehended before he could
hand it over to the spiritual house. He reportedly confessed
to abducting and killing a 4-year-old child, in connivance with some
other suspects from the said location.He has since been handed over to
the police authorities. 
The post 19-year-old man caught with genitals and other human parts in Awka (graphic photos) appeared first on Emiratco Blog.
Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA, have
uncovered N340 million worth of Tramadol tablets in 12 containers at the
Apapa port in Lagos State. In a statement released by its Head of
Public Affairs, Jonah Achema, the agency said the tablets which were in
various dosages ranging from 120 milligrams to 250 milligrams were
recovered from 12 containers in the ongoing search in Apapa port. He
said the containers were on the watch-list of NDLEA since November, 2017
and were brought to Nigeria Customs Service for search based on the
agency’s reasonable suspicion of the containers.He stated that the NCS
on Wednesday, dropped 28 of 62 containers slated for search, among which
12 of them were been found to contain tramadol.“The search is still
ongoing. Tramadol is a pharmaceutical drug which has been subject of
abuse by the populace. In one single operation in November last year,
the agency intercepted 160 million tablets of tramadol at the Apapa port
which ranged from 220 to 250 milligrams. They were imported from India
using false documents in the name of an unregistered company,” Achema
said.The Federal government banned Tramadol and Codeine in May due to
the gross abuse of the drugs by women and youths.The post 
As he shared on his Insastories.The post 
President
Buhari has been conferred with the prestigious Polio Champion Award in
recognition of his uncommon commitment and leadership in the polio
eradication programme in Nigeria. Rotary International President, Barry
Rassin, who is on a four-day official visit to Nigeria, presented the
award to President Buhari, Thursday, at State House, Abuja. The Polio
Champion Award was instituted by Rotary International in 1995 to
recognize and appreciate Heads of Governments and organisations that
have played a key role in polio eradication around the world. The last
recipient of the Award was Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada.
Other past recipients include Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe,
Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and former UN Secretary General Ban
Ki-Moon.The post 
Timi Frank, former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All
Progressives Congress (APC), has threatened to publish names and amounts
paid to Adams Oshiomhole, APC National Chairman during the party
primaries. He also claimed that Oshiomhole collected over $50million
from different aspirants and candidates. According to Frank, a large
percentage of the money was paid to Oshiomhloe through proxies from Imo,
Zamfara, Adamawa, Ogun states, among others. An exclusive report by
SaharaReporters on Thursday revealed that the Department of State
Services (DSS) has written to President Buhari, asking him to prosecute
Oshiomhole for allegedly receiving at least $55million in relation to
the nationwide primaries of the party. However, in a statement signed in
Abuja on Thursday, the former APC spokesman threatened to "publish the
names and amounts paid to lobby the national chairman to clear aspirants
and substitute the names of duly elected candidates with those that
failed". "I dare say that this singular act of refusing to order the
prosecution of Oshiomhole over sundry acts of bribery and corruption he
committed as contained in the DSS report, President Buhari has shown
that his APC-led administration is a stinking house of corruption," he
said. Expressing surprise at Oshiomhole's latest ordeal, he said the
former labour leader will go down in history as a party chairman who
allegedly received such "humongous bribe within a short period of time
in office". Frank, however, called on the president to act on the
recommendations of the DSS by ordering "Oshiomhole's sack and
prosecution, if his (Buhari) government is actually fighting corruption
or opposition". He continued: "We are in the know that President
Muhammadu Buhari has received the DSS report on Adams Oshiomhole and
Nigerians are patiently waiting for the action or inaction of his
government, because this is an administration that has claimed fighting
corruption as an achievement.In the history of party administration in
Nigeria, no party chairman has been accused of collecting the
jaw-breaking amount of money allegedly collected within a short period
in office like Comrade Oshiomhole has allegedly done.Instead of
Oshiomhole to clear his name, he has taken to diversionary path asking
the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki to resign. Nigerians are not
gullible. We shall wait to see how the acclaimed anti-corruption regime
will act on this particular issue.This same Oshiomhole has been
attacking the Senate President, calling on him to resign on moral
ground. Can Oshiomhole now step aside while investigation into his
financial malfeasance is ongoing to justify his much talked about
morality?"The post 
Tonto Dikeh is really disgusted after she made a recent discovery and
it's led her to decide that she's never kissing her man again.The
mother-of-one found fried grasshoppers hanging on a shelf in her man's
house and when she asked him about it, the answer she got grossed her
out. 
Sharing
a photo of the grasshopper, she wrote:Found these guys hanging on a
shelf and i quickly turned and asked BABY hope you dont eat
these...Guess his answer??Now I wanna puke at the sight of his LIPS...He
is never getting kissed again..So pissed off ..Like i feel violated OR
im LITERALLY A Drama QUEEN #Angryface 
The post 
Benue
State Governor, Samuel Ortom has directed the immediate renaming of the
LGEA Primary School, Ogene -Amejo in Edumoga, Okpokwu local government
area of the state after 13-year old Miss Ochanya Ogbanje who was
reportedly raped to death by her uncle and his son. The Governor who
announced the decision while briefing newsmen at the Benue Peoples House
Makurdi, said the action was to immortalize the late Miss Ochanya
considering the circumstances that led to her death. 
He
also directed the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, to
carry out massive renovation work on the primary school to accord it a
befitting standard. Governor Ortom expressed the hope that when the
Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, eventually releases its
counterpart contribution to march the state government counterpart
funding of N3.3 billion already deducted at source from the last tranche
of Paris Club refund to the state, it would help to further improve
infrastructure at the primary education level. The post 
Ebi
Odoh has been arrested and is being held in custody by the anti-cultism
unit as he confessed to be a member of the Dabam confraternity
popularly known as Bobos. His friend identified as Samuel is at large
and investigations are ongoing to also arrest him. The post 
Senate President, Bukola Saraki on Wednesday hit out at the National
Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, saying that
he has lost all moral rights to remain in politics. Speaking with
journalists in Ilorin during the sixth remembrance prayer for his
father, Saraki said Oshiomhole has ‘no locus standi to talk about
morality in today’s Nigeria’s politics.“That must be a joke coming from
Oshiomhole talking about moral ground. I think Oshiomhole has no locus
standi to talk about morality today. Oshiomhole is somebody who has been
told to have been collecting not even naira but dollars from candidates
and he is being accused by his party’s aspirants and governors.I don’t
think he has any moral ground, even to continue to be in politics, not
to talk about being a chairman of a party. I remember in those days,
even Oyegun, they never accused him of something like this.I have left
that party. I’m sure the President, based on integrity, knows the right
thing to do. So, on moral ground, he cannot speak.”The post 
A lady has narrated a very troubling encounter she had with SARS
officers who harassed her in Port Harcourt. Olorogun Mabel Peters said
she woke up sick and went to get drugs but by the time she got back to
her estate, some armed officer approached her and asked for her papers.
When they saw that the papers were complete, they asked for her company
ID and she explained she doesn't have it on her at the moment. They
immediately accused her of stealing a car and drove her to the station
where they then changed their story and claimed that she is one of the
criminals they received a call about. They ended up detaining her and
seized her phone. She went on to accuse one of the officers of
sexual harassment while she was in their custody. She said they
eventually asked her to pay N100,00 and drove her to an ATM to withdraw
the money.She wrote:@opetodolapo Today is definitely one of my worst
days.. I woke up a bit feverish with slight headache so I cancelled my
activities for the day, at about 6:30pm I decided to go get
drugs,because my condition seemed to be getting serious and also get
pizza for my mum just 7mins drive away from my estate..On getting back
to my estate, a blue Prado jeep stopped right in front of me and some
armed men on uniform came out asking me to park for a search, I obliged,
they went through all the vehicle papers and drivers license etc very
much complete..The next question I was asked was they needed to see my
company Id ,I tried to explain to them I didn't have it on me because I
just drove out to get pizza from the next bus stop and they said I was
under arrest for stealing a vehicle and I couldn't give them an ID of
where I work, I obliged and we drove to their station and the whole
story changed..One of the officers made a phone call and he said I was
among the criminals they received a call about.. I tried to beg, I even
showed proof of the medications I got, they gave me a paper to make a
statement,in the process they took my phones from me and started going
through my phone, from my chats call logs down to my bank mails
etc....After spending 2hrs with them they demanded for a sum of 2million
naira as my bail,for a crime I do not know.. This is pure wickedness
and evil... I never stole, robbed, violated any rules etc... We finally
came to an agreement after keeping me hostage from 6pm till 12am that I
should pay them 100,000naira..One of the officers even approached me
trying to sexually harass me!! This same men didn't even mind the time
they comfortably drove me to an ATM machine so I could make a withdrawal
for them... These men are criminals!!I was granted bail by 1:30am after
spending 7good hours... Someone's hard earn money This Is totally
unacceptable, Are you guys not meant to be protecting lives ? Why will
you extort someone of their hard earn sweat!! I thought SARS had
ended... (officers names are : officer Matt, Emma, security, Friday) 
The post 
The Nigerian Governors Forum last night had a meeting in Abuja to
deliberate on the N30, 000 minimum wage being demanded by the Nigeria
Labour Congress. After the meeting, the governors stated that the only
way they can afford the N30, 000 minimum wage is to downsize the civil
service. According to them, they cannot affot to pay that amount with
their current meager revenue allocation. Speaking to newsmen after the
meeting, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of
Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, said that a committee will be put
together to meet with President Buhari to discuss the need for an
increase in state revenue allocations .“Following a meeting of the
Nigeria Governors’ Forum where we deliberated on the national minimum
wage, governors resolved to re-strategise and put together another
committee to meet with the President once again, to work out another
formula towards quickly resolving the problem associated with the
proposed N30.000 minimum wage which is impracticable unless labour
agrees to a downsizing of the workforce all over the country or the
Federal Government itself accedes to the review of the national revenue
allocation formula. Members of the committee who were nominated to see
the President include the governors of Lagos, Kebbi, Plateau, Bauchi,
Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi. Enugu and Kaduna.” he saidGovernor Yari said that he
and his colleagues had seen the report of the Tripartite Committee
report presented to President Muhammadu Buhari. The report suggested
N30, 000 minimum wage. President Buhari last week received the rpeort
and said he will study it and advice the national assembly members
accordingly.Yari said that the committee did not consider the submission
of the governors who had earlier said they could only afford to pay
N22, 500 as minimum wage.“We have seen what has been presented to the
President by the (Tripartite) Committee. As a member of the committee,
our representative there said the committee did not take our submission
of N22,500 because it came late. I am surprised. How can you do this
without the input of the states because the states are the key
stakeholders in this business. So, a situation whereby our report was
not taken or considered by the Tripartite Committee … then I don’t know
how the committee wants us to work.” he saidAccording to Governor Yari,
the state governors really wnat to pay the N30, 000 but are currently
constrained by their meager revenue.''We still say we want to pay, but
the issue is the ability to pay. If we say no, it is not about the
ability to pay, just pay, I don’t know how this formulae will work and I
don’t know how we can get a solution to the issue.We are paying N18,000
(as minimum wage today), but when the President assumed office, about
27 states were not able to pay, not that they chose not to pay. So, now
you say N30,000, how many of them can pay? We will be bankrupt (if we
pay). So as Nigerians, we should look at the issues seriously. While
other people are saying that governors are riding jets and living in
affluence, that one is not luxury but compulsory. Like Lagos that is
paying about N7bn as salaries; if you say it should pay N30,000, now it
will be N13bn. From our calculation, it is only Lagos State that will be
able to pay N30,000. As Nigerians, this is our country; there is no
other country we have and we should be fair to this country.”Speaking
further, Governor Yari said “As for the way forward, we will continue to
talk with Labour. Let them see reasons and difficulties some of us
have. For instance, the money Lagos State is using to pay is not coming
from Abuja. They have a way of getting their money from the IGR and that
is why they can afford to pay. They get money through VAT (as well).
Apart from Lagos, even Rivers State cannot afford to pay. So we have
been crying out about this since 2011 but no one will listen.“One
critical example is that some states ration their salaries while some
others put everything they earn on the table and ask labour to come and
see and ask them to suggest how much should go for capital and
personnel costs. Some say 70 per cent for personnel cost and 30 per cent
for capital projects and yet the states cannot pay and they put the
remaining as outstanding.” The post 
