News From Nigeria
When people have been raised on a lie, anger becomes a weapon. This anger can be all consuming and blurs vision and can become self-destructive. This is what is happening today in the South-East geo-political zone of Nigeria.
The Federal Military Government failed to secure peace at the end of the Nigerian Civil War. They failed to prognosticate into the future and prevent the recurrence of the events that led to the civil war.
At the end of the war, Nigeria admitted the defeated Biafrans without asking them anything in return. The admission of Biafrans to Nigeria should have been done based on conditional loyalties. The leaders of the rebellion should have been punished and made to renounce their Biafran citizenship in public. None of these were done and their children who were raised on lies and propaganda are begging to emulate the traitors.
They were not made to swear loyalty to Nigeria and renounce Biafra for Nigerian citizenship. It is this failure that has resulted in proponents of Biafra reinventing history to justify their aggression towards the Nigerian State. At the time of surrender, the Biafrans propaganda agencies were not destroyed. The generation that started Biafra used these agencies to pass lies to their children.
While Nigerians were donating lands and sundry to Igbo people to restart their lives, the Biafrans were still nurturing hate and telling their children that Nigeria took all their monies from them and gave them twenty pounds in return. This was a gross lie. They painted every scenario that could make Nigeria the villain. The stories became carefully curated and embellished. No Nigerian pushed back because we wanted to maintain the peace.
History was abolished from school and the Biafran narratives gained currency. Igbo people started beating their chest and started saying more outlandish things. As our parents were making sacrifices to reintegrate the Igbo people into Nigeria mainstream, a lot of the Igbo people started thinking those actions were appeasement. We just wanted peace.
All over Nigeria, you have Igbo markets. This is because many communities donated lands to the Igbo people to start these markets. Today, the Biafrans will say they got those places due to their hard work and Igbo ingenuity. Those markets became a congregation point for Igbo people outside Igbo land. They became successful and the true character of the Biafran came to life.
They will brag that they brought development and that the indigenes are just simply lazy and jealous. Alaba Market was donated to the Igbo people by Governor Lateef Jakande In 1979. This land was given to them as free leasehold in perpetuity. It became the Alaba Market. Since 1979 to this day, that market does not have any non-Igbo with a stall there. It is the same all over the country. The Igbo people will always carry out ethnic cleansing wherever they are trading.
Empirical observations will show that you may not find a non-Igbo having a stall in Onitsha market or Aba market. How do they do it? They form cartels and fix prices. No one except members of these Igbo cartels can compete in these environments. Sooner or later, the Non-Igbo are forced to close or sell his place to another Igbo trader. This is how the Igbo market in Warri became Igbo market. These various actions lead to insularity and paranoia and they reinforce each other’s negative opinion about their host. Any minor disagreement becomes an attack on the entire Igbo people.
Governor Soludo recently demolished illegal structures in Onitsha. No one accused him of destroying properties belonging to the Igbo people. Illegal structures are demolished in Lagos and that becomes a war against Igbo people. Due to their insularity, the Igbo people reinforce and transmit these stories without any context. The Biafrans pick this up and there are more cries for Biafra.
At the end, everyone forgets what led to the demolition and the story becomes the wanton destruction of properties belonging to the Igbo people. Anger is stoked and proponents of Biafra flames the fire that will eventually incinerate every one. The initial action is forgotten and the Igbo people are now the victim.
This is similar to what led to our loss of the First Republic. This is what the present proponents of Biafra are conveniently forgetting. They seem to think the fire next time will be kind to them and they have become more bellicose. For every action, there is an equal opposite reaction. The killing of the leaders of any people always leads to chaos and uprising. The killing of the ArchDuke of Sarajevo led to the First World War. The killing of Habyarimana of Rwanda led to the Rwanda genocide. These actions happened because the leader is the collective consciousness of the people.
When Ahmadu Bello, Tafawa Balewa and other Northern leaders were killed, there was no spontaneous uprising in the North in spite of the taunting and provocations from the Biafrans. The last straw was when Aguyi Ironsi abolished the regions and there was a spontaneous uprising in the North.
One of the least talked about in these uprisings is the reciprocal uprising in the East where Northerners were slaughtered. In Elele, the Hausa quarters were raised by Igbo youth gangs called Bakassi boys, who slaughtered all the Hausa people including people from Benue who spoke Hausa. Some of the Northerners who were given passage to go to the North by train were all murdered. The train was stopped and all the Northerners on that train, including women and children, going back to the North were killed and their bodies thrown into the imo river. A woman named Halima who survived the attack wrote a book in Hausa about her ordeal.
When the Biafrans tell the story, they assume that they were not participants in this sordid ordeal. The Hausa Fulani have moved on as they understand that those were the losses of war. The Hausa/ Fulani are still skeptical as to why the Igbo people cannot come to the table of reconciliation. It is this attitude of the Biafrans that has made them come to the understanding that the Igbo people are not mature for leadership and will abuse power if they are given the opportunity. Anyone who has sympathy for Biafra should not be seen near the corridors of power in Nigeria. They are preoccupied with vengeance.
Have any Igbo acknowledged the ethnic cleansing that was perpetrated against the Hausa people in Okigwe , Port Harcourt , Owerri and the Igbo enclaves at the beginning of hostilities? What did those of us in the Midwest do to the Igbo people that they subjected our region to murder and mayhem? It was the season of alienation. The fact that the biafrans think their hands are clean is very disturbing. If Nigeria hates the Igbo people the way they claim, how come they make so much money and taunt us with their advancement? Who is really oppressing who? Under Sani Abacha, Ojukwu directed all federal government contracts to the Igbo people. More than 75 % of Jonathan’s cabinet was Igbo people. Obasanjo did more for the Igbo people than any other president mentioned here. The Igbo claim they have about 80 % of the houses in Abuja. Are these due to discrimination or favoritism? Obasanjo did more for the Igbo people than any other president in our history.
Those of us in the Midwest who were violated by the invading Biafra army have decided to bury the hatchet for the love of country. We were never compensated. The Hausa Fulani have been magnanimous to move on but the Igbo people who started the whole fracas cannot seem to find a way to develop a new sense of brotherhood.
Those who are pleading for Nnamdi Kanu are not Nigerians. I am afraid that with this new aggression and bellicosity of Biafrans, Nigerians will be forced to push the Igbo out of the federation. It is becoming very glaring that the Igbo people have mobbed so much lies and have developed a pathological hatred for Nigeria. This is the only way I can explain their perpetual anger towards other Nigerians. Nigeria is Igbo’s Problem and Igbo people are Nigerians’ problem. Their loyalty is to Biafra. This is the only reason why they exhume lies to justify their aggression towards Nigerians.
DR AUSTIN ORETTE WRITES FROM HOUSTON TEXAS
The person who cries loudest when a stone is thrown into the market is the one who has been hit. To him, everything is about tribal affiliation. For someone to grow, he or she must at some point learn whether his interaction is positive or negative with the people around him
A recalibration is not a weakness. I am an Isoko man from Delta state. This is what people like you will call a minority. Unlike you, I don’t wear my tribe on my forehead. I only use it as a reference point here .It does not connote power to me and it is not my whole identity.
When you use yours, it is everything to you because you have been raised to believe that without it, you have no power, and you have no identity.
When you are not invited to the high table, it means you are totally subjugated, and you feel your entire tribe is marginalized and your whole existence becomes meaningless.
It is a sad life when the definition of us becomes the group. This illusion obscures our humanity and our real identity as a person. This is the limitation that takes away the natural order of growth that increases our understanding of our environment and we are glued to the mirror and Narcissus becomes our best friend. Any counter view is considered an existential threat that must be eliminated with acidic fervor. Language becomes crude and vulgar and meaning is lost and progress stunted.
I don’t have those kinds of attachments and hang-ups because my existence is beyond anything that confines me. You have been raised to think otherwise. You are your tribe and your tribe is you. This ossification makes your cage very uncomfortable. No matter where you go, you can never belong.
I am a citizen of the world. I am home anywhere because I have never been raised to lord it over other people. I am not disappointed when I don’t meet your expectations which are clannish and subterranean. You take it as a personal affront when an independent observer talks about the need to rethink. From my vantage position, I can see how the interplay of Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba affects the other people that you and others hardly think about. From the way I mentioned the tribes, you can see that they are in alphabetical order because someone like you will complain that i did put Igbo last.
I have written more on the Hausa / Fulani relationship and its effect on Nigeria. No one from there has accused me of myopia or stupidity. I am an equal opportunity offender. Why would you want me to include the South-West in an essay about Igbo and Fulani? You can write about the marginalization of Igbos if that is what you are worried about. You can also write about the relationship of Igbo and Yoruba. That should keep you busy because you have so much grudge. It is time the South-East people learn to deal with issues dispassionately.
How can a member of the big tribe preach marginalization to those of us you call minority? Everything in our land is harvested, devastated and divided among Igbo, Hausa and the Yoruba in Nigeria. Do the people from the dominant groups actually spend any time talking about justice? Your attitude is poor because it is self-serving. People like you only talk about justice when your tribe’s man is affected.
The Igbo candidate lost in the last election. If he had won, he would make everyone around him Igbo. I see nothing wrong with that. My quarrel is that we are not restructured, and the federation is lopsided. If we are well structured and every region is in charge of their resources, I will not care if you become president and all your family members become your cabinet. This is because most of the decisions they will make will not affect me and at that time, there will be a workable system that will check that kind of abuse. It is normal for people in high places to appoint people they can trust and have the vision of the leader. Buhari put all his people there. It was terrible because most of them were incompetent. In a well-structured country, it will not be necessary to be a kinsman in order to be appointed. We just want those who could do the job. The system we have now is the winner takes all. When Goodluck Jonathan was president, the majority of the cabinet was Igbos. The West and the North complained and they wrestled power from him. It was due to the insularity of the Igbos that Jonathan lost.
You are wrong to complain that you are marginalized when you could not work hard to re-elect the person who gave most of his cabinet positions to the Igbos. Your marginalization is self-imposed.
Learn how to work with others and they will work with you. It is pathetic when people like you whine about marginalization, when in actuality, you lack the discipline, dedication and the humility needed to form workable alliances.
For your homework, go and study how Bola Tinubu gained power. He stooped to conquer. I don’t think stooping is in the lexicon of the Igbos. This is why power will always elude you. You think we should beg you to lead because you are very smart. You are going to wait a very long time if you don’t change your attitude
Remember I am an equal opportunity offender. I will revisit this subject.
DR AUSTIN ORETTE WRITES FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS
Stolle: we are taking the right steps to strengthen our presence in the region.
Julius Berger Nigeria Plc is reinforcing its regional expansion strategy, aiming to solidify its presence across West Africa’s construction sector.
Speaking at the Choiseul Africa Summit in Cotonou, Benin Republic, the company’s Director of Corporate Development, Jochen Stolle, expressed confidence in Julius Berger’s growing footprint in the region.
“I see Julius Berger as one of the big players coming out of this region in the future,” he said.
At the Sofitel Marina Hotel & Spa in Cotonou, where West Africa’s movers and shakers gathered under the coastal sun, conversations weren’t just exchanged—they carried weight with more than 350 economic minds, government leaders, and industry decision-makers meeting for the Choiseul Africa Summit convened by the Choiseul Institute. It was a space to build partnerships, shape new economic strategies, and set the pace for regional growth. With the Government of Benin actively supporting the event, Julius Berger co-sponsored the summit, positioning itself at the heart of discussions on the region’s infrastructure and economic future.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines, Stolle underscored the importance of Julius Berger’s presence at the summit. “The sponsorship for Julius Berger is very important. We attended this conference last year, and now it is coming to Benin Republic. It is a story that we have to pick up. Let us interact with other agencies, let us interact with other government bodies in all the West African countries that are in the focus of Julius Berger. Let us do the first step here, introduce us to the people, and develop anything that is coming out of it.”
He highlighted the advantages of doing business in Francophone West Africa, emphasizing economic stability and shared currency benefits. “I think the Francophone region of Africa has the greatest advantage; they have the common currency; they have a stable currency. This will also give Julius Berger the trust and the face is good development in this region.”
President of Choiseul Africa, Pascal Lorot, underscored Benin’s rising profile in the region, stating, “Benin today embodies an ambitious Africa that is firmly focused on the future. With its stability, modern infrastructure, and strategic positioning, it stands out as a market of opportunities and expertise, as well as a key hub for regional economic exchanges. Hosting the Choiseul Africa Summit in Cotonou is a recognition of Benin’s central role in driving growth and fostering cooperation in West Africa.”
Adding his perspective, Julius Berger’s Regional Representative in Cotonou, Christophe Fierens, echoed the importance of the summit. “With over 10 years of expertise, Choiseul Africa has been instrumental in highlighting attractive economic hubs across the African continent. The host country, Benin Republic, which is undergoing a remarkable transformation, has now established itself as an attractive hub for investors and a key player in regional trade,” he said.
On Julius Berger’s operations in Benin, Fierens noted key differences from Nigeria. “Operating in Benin has required a shift in approach,” Fierens said. “As a company with strong roots in Nigeria, we’ve had to adapt to the nuances of the Francophone business environment—navigating regulatory processes, understanding administrative expectations, and ensuring seamless operations. We’ve gained valuable insights and are now fully aligned with how things work here.”
Reflecting on the company’s adaptation process, Fierens said that Julius Berger had navigated these challenges through experience. “With the second project now being undertaken, things are getting better. We now know what to do, what not to do. The feedback has been valuable. Julius Berger originates from Germany in the 1900s, and since then, we have had very strict and rigorous procedures.”
He emphasized that the company is setting new benchmarks in the country. “I believe we are helping to raise standards, especially in this regard. The reputation we have built is very strong. Many people now want to work with us, and now that the project has started, we are visible everywhere in Benin. This brings a significant advantage for other projects as well. Another thing is that the country is very welcoming. The local workforce we find here is of good quality.”
Speaking earlier, Benin’s Minister of Economy and Finance, Romuald Wadagni, stated: “this summit is fully aligned with our ambition for the structural transformation of Benin, driven by world-class infrastructure and major initiatives that are redefining economic paradigms across all key sectors. This event provides an opportunity to share our vision of inclusive, innovative, and sustainable development while strengthening Benin’s strategic role at the heart of regional and international exchanges.”
The Choiseul Africa network consists of over 450 members, including 100 Africa laureates and alumni, spanning 51 of the 54 African countries.
The Movement for National Reform (MNR) on Friday rationalized its hostility towards the actions of the initiator of a draft bill seeking the restructuring and new model of government in Nigeria, Dr. Akin Fapohunda.
‘’The attention of MNR has been drawn to a strident advocacy that seeks to convert an annexure of decree 24 of 1999 to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN). The champion of the said advocacy is Dr. Akin Fapohunda who has zealously offered himself as a consultant to Mr. President by substantiating a draft earlier rumoured in the public and denied by the government. This is curious and worrisome as such a matter of national interest affects the collective destiny of all of us as citizens of Nigeria’’.
The movement also contended that it would not be out of place to lift the suspension of the 1963 CFRN to amend it with contemporary realities for seamless reversion to true democracy and republicanism.
‘’Let it be known that We the People in MNR share the same sentiments about the need to restructure the FRN to one that works for all, but we differ significantly in strategy with the position of Dr. Akin Fapohunda. We wish to caution that the art of statecraft requires very careful attention to details in order to eschew social dislocation of the life and livelihoods of citizens by succumbing to fleeting clannish sentiments. We hold the views that all Nigerians will benefit from lifting the suspension of the 1963 CFRN to amend it with contemporary realities for seamless reversion to true democracy and republicanism. We firmly stand on this premise’’.
The Movement in a statement in Abuja accused Fapohunda of seeking to convert an annexure of decree 24 of 1999 to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN).
‘’The catch phrase, “We the People” is the DNA from which any democratic constitution must draw its life. As a result, it is important to interrogate the position of Dr. Akin Fapohunda in seeking for a conversion of an annexure of Decree 24 of 1999 to the CFRN via a private member Bill at the National Assembly (NASS)’’.
Titled: An addendum to the Memorandum of the Movement for National Reform (MNR) to the House of Representatives Constitution Review Committee of April 6, 2024, the Movement said it was unfortunate that Fapohunda who has zealously offered himself as a consultant to Mr. President descended so low to making unguarded statements.
‘’MNR hereby wish to consider the altruism of Dr. Fapohunda’s motivation against other schools of thought on the ongoing public discourse on the CFRN. It is very revealing and indeed interesting that NINAS with over 25 years of research and advocacy issuing for a brand new CFRN and not such a quick fix of Dr. Fapohunda. MNR view on the subject matter is rooting for a repeal of four junta decrees to pave way for LIFTING OF SUSPENSION of the 1963 republican CFRN for amendment with contemporary realities to rejuvenate the existing presidential style federation akin to that of USA plus necessary modifications that suit our cultural environment. The silence of Patriots about their preference for the 2014 Confab report cum draft constitution should not be disregarded’’.
The statement signed by MNR Constitution Review Committee Chair, Prof. O. Igho Natufe and Secretary, Dr. Yemi Adegoke reiterated that the MNR is clearly focused on the democratic exigencies for NASS to restore the suspended 1963 republican CFRN for amendment rather than the so-called 1999 CFRN.
‘’Our stand gives due recognition to NASS as elected legislative representatives of We the People’. The solo effort of Dr. Akin Fapohunda in his second coming on subject matter is curious. In his first coming of 2021, Dr. Akin Fapohunda was Secretary of an erstwhile Eminent Elders Forum that made a presentation to NASS on 9.2.2021, which did not prosper. That exercise focused on the 1963 CFRN’’
The group said events so far pointed to the fact that it is obvious that the tackles act of Fapohunda is a plot to redefine the federating units from the existing structure of littoral states to shadow notional geopolitical regions.
‘’At his second coming in 2024, same Dr. Akin Fapohunda position has shifted from his support for the 1963 CFRN to now push a narrative that seeks to convert an annexure of decree 24 of 1999 as the CFRN and to redefine the federating units from the existing structure of littoral states to shadow notional geopolitical regions. How a draft by an individual will be different from decrees by few under the military that has rendered the democratic tenets of the nation impotent should be of deep concern to every true democrat’’.
Noting that the activities of Fapohunda if not checked could affect the hopeful democracy in the country, the group said it is advisable to restore the 1963 CFRN from suspension for amendment with contemporary realities such as the existing littoral states in order to recalibrate the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) in consonant with global best practices that will be modified to align with the cultural traits of the FRN, recognizing the rights of the indigenous ethnic nationalities as the core federating units of the country’’.
‘’The efforts of Dr. Akin Fapohunda in his second outing woefully fail the democratic litmus test of We the People in all ramifications. The 1963 CFRN is the only democratic template upon which the Republican strands of Nigeria are hinged
The Movement urged Fapohunda to stop throwing caution to the wind.
‘’The fear of electoral supremacy of yore from any part of Nigeria will be diminished by the recalibration of the governing system along the path of true federalism that reflects the republican import of ethnic nationalities. In the likelihood of the FRN going the way of USSR/Czechoslovakia, the littoral states in each notional geopolitical zones will easily ‘amalgamate’ into respective standalone Republics they deem fit. Upon the restoration and subsequent amendment of the 1963 CFRN, the emergent entities from the ashes of the FRN will be on sound tenets of democratic foundation; the path of Dr. Akin Fapohunda will birth such entities from the chaotic oligarchy of junta decrees like the burdensome decrees 1 of 1966, 34 of 1966, 104 of 1979 & 24 of 1999’’.
‘’A cursory perusal of the Bill proposed by Dr Fapohunda reveals disturbing provisions for matters of person(s)-specific pursuits rather than secular provisions that are broad in outlook and purview. Such provisions as those in Section 6(g) on transhumance, Section 17(1)(a) on federal government lands in the federation, Section 18(1) on the role of the governor of a littoral entity (state), and section 22(7) on open grazing of livestock are impulsive enough to stir deep and unsavoury hunches in citizens’’ the statement added.
Members of the MNR Constitution Review Committee representing the six geopolitical zones include Mr. Aaron Daniel Ladan, Sir Amorighoye Sunny Mene, Barrister Kingsley Ehensiri Akpederin, Barrister Gbenga Awosode, Barrister Matthew Godfree, Barrister Ozegbe S. Ogokuni, Barrister Edward Ekpoko, Chief Emeka Diwe, Chief Ike Nwalunor and Da Jonathan S. Akuns.
Others are Dr. Ayodele Ojajune, Dr. Chris Enemuoh, Dr. Diamond Longjel, Dr. Philip Idaewor, Dr. Sola Olunuga, Elder Ben Osawe, Engr. Ikem Nwandu, Prof. Ezekiel Kolawole Ogundowole, Mr. Isa Nuhu and Mrs. J. Adedeji.
Prof. Benjamin Okaba, Prof. Chris Akpotu, Prof. Friday Emenka Udeh, Prof. Jerry Chukwu Okolo, Prof. Nath Agu, Prof. Adaobi Patricia Ugbomeh, Prof. Julie Nwabogo Umukoro, Rev. James Pam, Mr. Rex Essenowo, Mr. Taiwo Akinola, Mr. Tony Ede, Mr. Wole Aina and Mr. Yerima Shetima are also members of the MNR Constitution Review Committee.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the 36 state governors in the country and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Mr Nyesom Wike to “disclose details of federal allocations meant for local governments in your state and the FCT and the actual disbursement of the allocations to the local governments since the return of democracy in 1999.”
SERAP also urged them “to promptly invite Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the actual disbursement and spending of federal allocations meant for local governments in your state and the FCT since May 1999.”
Former president Muhammadu Buhari had in December 2022 stated that, “If the money from the Federation Account to the State is about N100m, N50m will be sent to the chairman but he will sign that he received N100 million. The chairman will pocket the balance and share it with whoever he wants to share it with.’”
In the freedom of information requests dated 27 January 2024 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Nigerians have the right to know the details of actual disbursement and spending of federal allocations in your state and the FCT.”
SERAP said, “States and the FCT should be guided by transparency and accountability principles and proactively publish information pertaining to their actual disbursement and spending of federal allocations meant for local governments.”
According to SERAP, “Opacity in the amounts of federal allocations actually disbursed to local governments in your state has continued to have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of the citizens and the public interest.”
The FoI requests, read, in part: “We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel you and your state and the FCT to comply with our requests in the public interest.”
“Transparency in the actual disbursement and spending of federal allocations meant for local governments is fundamental to increase accountability, prevent corruption, and build trust in democratic institutions, and strengthen the rule of law.”
“Implicit in the freedom of expression is the public’s right to know what governments are doing on their behalf, without which truth would languish and people’s participation in government would remain fragmented.”
“Transparency would ensure that the allocations are not diverted into private pockets, and increase public trust that the money would be used to benefit Nigerians resident in these local government areas.”
“SERAP is seriously concerned that years of allegations of corruption and mismanagement of federal allocations meant for local governments have contributed to widespread poverty, underdevelopment and lack of access to public goods and services in several states.”
“Ensuring transparency and accountability in the actual disbursement and spending of federal allocations in your state would also improve the enjoyment by Nigerians of their right to natural wealth and resources.”
“You have a legal responsibility to promote transparency and accountability in the actual disbursement and spending of federal allocations meant for local government areas in your state, and to ensure that the allocations are dully and fully disbursed to the local governments.”
“SERAP is concerned that despite the country’s enormous oil wealth, ordinary Nigerians have derived very little benefit from oil money primarily because of widespread grand corruption, and the culture of impunity of perpetrators.”
“Combating the corruption epidemic in the spending of federal allocations meant for local government areas in your state would alleviate poverty, improve access of Nigerians to basic public goods, and enhance the ability of the local governments to effectively and efficiently discharge their constitutional and statutory responsibilities.”
“According to our information, the 36 states in Nigeria and the federal capital territory, Abuja, have collected over N40 trillion federal allocations meant for the 774 local governments areas in the country and FCT.”
“The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursed to states N225.21 billion federal allocations meant for local governments in November 2023 alone. States also collected N258,810,449,711.47 federal allocations meant for local government areas in December 2023.”
“However, there is opacity in the actual disbursement of federal allocations to the local government areas in your state. States and the FCT have over the years failed and/or refused to disclose the portion of federal allocations that are disbursed by state governors.”
“SERAP notes that former president Muhammadu Buhari recently alleged that state governors routinely pocket or divert federal allocations meant for local governments areas in their states.”
“According to Buhari, ‘If the money from the Federation Account to the State is about N100 million, N50 million will be sent to the chairman but he will sign that he received N100 million. The chairman will pocket the balance and share it with whoever he wants to share it with.’”
“SERAP also urges you to provide details of the transparency and accountability mechanisms that have been put in place to ensure that the trillions of naira of federal allocations that have been received by your state and the FCT are not embezzled, misappropriated or diverted into private pockets.”
“Section 162(6) of Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) provides that each state shall maintain a ‘State Joint Local Government Account’ into which all allocations to local government councils from the Federation Account and from the Government of the State shall be paid.”
“Section 162(5) makes it mandatory that amounts standing to the credit of the councils will be allocated to the States for the benefit of their local government councils.” “Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution imposes clear responsibility on your state to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter 2 of the constitution.”
“SERAP notes that Section 15(5) of the Nigerian Constitution requires public institutions to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power. Section 16(2) further provides that, ‘the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good.’”
“Nigeria has made legally binding commitments under the UN Convention against Corruption to ensure accountability in the management of public resources. Articles 5 and 9 of the UN Convention against Corruption also impose legal obligations on your state to ensure proper management of public affairs and public funds.”
“The public interest in publishing the information sought outweighs any considerations to withhold the information. Nigerians are entitled to the right to receive information without any interference or distortion, and the enjoyment of this right should be based on the principle of maximum disclosure.”
Kolawole Oluwadare
SERAP Deputy Director
28/1/2024
Lagos, Nigeria
Emails: info@serap-nigeria.org; news@serap-nigeria.org
Twitter: @SERAPNigeria
Website: www.serap-nigeria.org
For more information or to request an interview, please contact us on: +2348160537202
January 27, 2024
Press Statement
PDP Demands Release of Abducted Lagos Party Chairman, Others
…Tasks Tinubu on Security
The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) demands for the immediate release of its Lagos State Chapter Chairman, Hon. Philip Olabode Aivoji, who was abducted on his way to Lagos from Ibadan, Oyo State capital after a very important Party assignment.
The PDP is seriously concerned about Hon. Aivoji’s well-being and safety especially considering his age and health status.
Our Party condemns the distressing spate of kidnap for ransom, mindless killings, marauding of communities and other acts of terrorism across the country under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s watch and calls for urgent action to ensure the release of all those held in kidnappers’ dens in various parts of the country.
The alarming situation is an agonizing confirmation that the security intelligence, command, operation and coordination structure under President Tinubu has collapsed.
It is lamentable that despite widespread outcry by Nigerians, the Tinubu administration remains insensitive, nonchalant and laidback on security matters.
Despite the killing of over 5000 Nigerians with the maiming and kidnapping of many more since he took office on May 29, 2023, President Tinubu has not taken any concrete Presidential measure to stem the carnage beyond issuing insipid press statements and extemporaneous security orders whenever an attack occurs.
More heartrending is that the Tinubu-led APC administration continues to play to the gallery by mouthing false assurances while many Nigerians are languishing in kidnappers’ dens and families grieving over the daily killing of our citizens by terrorists.
Our Party however appreciates and commends the efforts of our gallant men and women in uniform for their patriotism, courage and determination in the fight against terrorism, kidnapping and other social vices plaguing our country despite daunting challenges.
The PDP charges the security high command to take urgent steps to secure the release of Hon. Aivoji and all other Nigerians trapped in abductors’ camps in various parts of the country.
Our Party calls on Nigerians to be at alert and continue to support our security agencies in their efforts to safeguard our nation at this very critical time.
Signed:
Hon. Debo Ologunagba
National Publicity Secretary
UNDERSTANDING THE SCHISM BETWEEN THE ORODJE OF OKPE KINGDOM AND THE OKPE UNION BY PROF. O. IGHO NATUFE, PRESIDENT GENERAL, OKPE UNION WORLD WIDE
January 25, 2024
Introduction
On January 10, 2024, the College of Physical Education Mosogar chapter of the National Association of Okpe Students (NAOS) organized an Okpe Cultural Day to promote Okpe Culture and Okpe Identity. They invited the National Leadership of the legitimate Okpe Union as well as the illegal Okpe Union imposed by HRM Orhue l, Orodje of Okpe Kingdom. We gathered that severe pressures were exerted on the organizers of the Okpe Cultural Day event by some Palace Ekakuro, ordering them not to invite the legitimate Okpe Union. Barr. Ehensiri Akpederin, the General Secretary of Okpe Union worldwide was there to represent the legitimate Okpe Union. So also was Okakuro Joseph Aboze with his colleagues from the illegal group. Okakuro Aboze expressed his disappointment at the presence of Barr. Akpederin, and told the students that he and his group would depart from the venue after his address, explaining that they would not sit at the same venue with, according to him, a group that had taken the Orodje to court and planned to send the Okpe Monarch to prison. In his attempt to establish the supremacy of the Orodje, he declared: “There is no Union in Okpe without Okpe Kingdom”.
Characteristically, Okakuro Aboze focused on the effect and not the cause of the schism between the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom and the Okpe Union. He did not brief the Mosogar students and fellow Okpe nationals present at the event, about the series of peace initiatives that were aborted by the Orodje. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to debunk the propaganda of the illegal group led by Okakuro Aboze by providing a step-by-step review of the schism. But before going into the details, let us start with Okakuro Aboze’s falsification of Okpe History when he declared that: “There is no Union in Okpe without Okpe Kingdom”.
A kingdom exists because there was a Nation that produced it. Thus, a kingdom cannot be superior to the Nation that birthed it. This is particularly true of the Okpe Kingdom where the Okpe Nation congregates to elect one of its male citizens as the Orodje via a democratic electoral process. The sovereignty of an Orodje does not grant him an absolute or dictatorial power or authority, but is derived from the results of the electoral process on behalf of the Okpe Nation. When the four princely brothers, our ancestors – Orhue, Orhoro, Evbreke, and Esezi – decided to establish the Okpe Kingdom, they did so from the bowel of the Okpe Nation. Unfortunately, the kingdom under the first Orodje collapsed in 1779 leading to an interregnum of 166 years. (See https://okpeunionng.net/orodjes-of-okpe-kingdom/) During this period, there were no Orodjes because there was no kingdom, but Okpe Nation continued to exist and represented by power brokers in several autonomous Okpe communities.
Thanks to the Okpe Union, the Okpe Kingdom in the modern era was resuscitated in 1945. From its inception in 1930, the Okpe Union launched a campaign for the restoration of the Okpe Kingdom, irrespective of the opposition of several influential Okpe leaders who were apprehensive about the likelihood of our having another dictatorship akin to the rule of HRM Esezi l. It was not until 1943 that Okpe leaders acquiesced to the demands of the Okpe Union for the resuscitation of the Okpe monarchy, after the Sapele land case which got to the West African Court of Appeal (WACA).The invitation by the British colonial government for the revival of the Udogun Okpe in the late 1920s was for the purpose of its indirect rule policy. It is an incontrovertible fact that the Okpe Union birthed the Okpe Kingdom in the modern era that produced HRM Esezi ll (1945 – 1966); HRM Orhoro l (1972-2004); and HRM Orhue l (2006 – present). This brief narrative succinctly demonstrates that Okpe Union existed in Okpe Nation “without Okpe Kingdom”as the Okpe Nation thrived as several autonomous communities with solidarity “without Okpe Kingdom”. I am sure that Okakuro Aboze is aware of this Historical fact, but elected to falsify it in order to propagate a false thesis to mislead the Okpe Nation. We therefore reiterate that there is a modern Okpe Monarchy because there was an Okpe Union in an Okpe Nation that fought for its restoration in 1945, after almost 200 years of interregnum. The Okpe Monarchy was not restored to enthrone dictatorship and/or an absolute monarchy, as feared by the influential senior Okpe leaders that were opposed to the restoration of the Okpe Kingdom. In fact, to underline the symbolic role of the Okpe Union in Okpe History, Okakuro Senator David O. Dafinone, the Master of Ceremony at the coronation of HRM Orhue l, on July 26, 2006, asked the Okpe Union three times in Okpe Language:
“Okpe Union, are i hweri ta ghene ahẹ Felix Mujakperuo siyẹ aga-ẹ Orodje Okpe?”
The above means in English Language: “Okpe Union do you agree that Felix Mujakperuo be crowned as Orodje of Okpe Kingdom?” Okpe Union responded Yes on each occasion.
The Orodje’s Coup d’état
The Okakuro Robert Onome-led NEC of the Okpe Union was ridden with internal crisis from the day of its election on November 19, 2016. The Orodje had made a couple of attempts to reconcile the warring parties. At a meeting he had convened at the Palace on Sunday, October 3, 2020, the Orodje announced his dissolution of the NEC and barred its members from contesting for elections for two years and as well announced an Interim Committee. I had spoken with the Orodje on September 24 and September 29 before the purported dissolution of October 3, 2020. I initiated the September 24th call to discuss the NEC crisis, while the September 29th call was initiated by the Orodje primarily to seek my opinion on why the Okpe Union of North America (OUNA) was not a branch of the Okpe Union in Nigeria. He sought for my opinion because he knew I was the Founding President of OUNA before his coronation. We hosted him at OUNA’s 3rd AGM at College Park, MD, USA, on August 31 – September 3, 2007 where he delivered a landmark Keynote Address, emphatically stressing the uniqueness and distinctiveness of Okpe as an ethnic nationality in Delta State. (See https://okpeunionng.net/tradition-and-governance/)
Moments after the Orodje dissolved the NEC on October 3, 2020 I ranged him to register my opinion followed by a memo to him on October 5, 2020 in which I offered him a pathway to resolving the deepening crisis occasioned by the October 3 dissolution.
Prior to October 3, 2020, I made spirited efforts to mediate the internal crisis in NEC. I held a series of discussions with Okakuro Onome and Barr. Ehensiri Akpederin. They were the President General and General Secretary, respectively at that time. The discussions were progressing well as both parties agreed to participate at the Annual General Assembly (AGA) slated for November 14, 2020, at the Okpe Hall, Sapele. Unfortunately, further discussions were thwarted by the Orodje’s purported dissolution of October 3. However, my memo to the Orodje on October 5, 2020 continued my peace initiatives. For the first time, I am making excerpts from my memo to the Orodje public, because of the series of enquiries I have received from concerned Okpe nationals asking to know the role I had played at securing peace between the Orodje and the Okpe Union, long before I was elected the President General of the Okpe Union. It should be stressed that, immediately after the October 3, 2020 event, two Okpe nationals based in the Diaspora signalled their intentions to contest for the President General position. Their intentions were warmly received in several Okpe platforms.
I have provided below long excerpts from my memo of October 5, 2020 to the Orodje seeking for a peaceful resolution of the schism. Referring to the internal NEC crisis in the Okpe Union between 2016 and 2020, I wrote to the Orodje as follows:
“These series of crises completely paralyzed the Okpe Union during the past four years, thus denying Okpe a voice in the community of ethnic nationalities in both Delta State and in Nigeria. We became irrelevant in Delta State where we are recognized as the most populous mono ethnic nationality”.
“As concerned Okpe nationals most of us were worried at the purposeless leadership of the NEC. When we spoke on September 24, 2020, you informed me that you had instructed your Secretary to invite the leaders of NEC and other Okpe leaders to a meeting at the Palace on October 3, 2020. We talked briefly about the forthcoming Annual General Assembly (AGA) of the Union scheduled for November 14, 2020, at Okpe Hall, in Sapele. I recall suggesting that you send a senior Okakuro to observe the proceedings on November 14. The decision of the October 3 meeting at the Palace was a surprise to most Okpe nationals. I rang and spoke with you moments after the meeting ended. This is the subject of my memo to you. It is not my intention to challenge your decision, but rather to appeal for a reconsideration of certain aspects of the decision. In doing so, I will attempt to speak truth to power while respecting your position as the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom. I will do so as both a cousin and friend”.
I continued:
“The Dissolution Decree, as I have christened the decision of October 3, is akin to a military coup. Without prejudice to the good intentions of the decision, there is a grave concern about the precedent setting inherent in the decision. For example, the barring of members of the dissolved NEC from contesting in a new election raises fundamental issues about their human rights vis-à-vis the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Has a prima facia case been established against these former NEC members? Can this decision be sustained in a Court of Law? While it may be valid under an absolute monarchical system, I suggest that we examine its validity in a non-monarchical system like the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As I alluded to above, the decision establishes precedence for future Orodjes to adjudicate disputes in any Okpe organization. It removes the power and authority of internal conflict resolution from the respective organs of these organizations and drags the Orodje into political interference in the management of these organizations. My fear is, once this becomes an established modus operandi, the Orodje becomes a fair game for politicians and political parties. This will pull us into a system anchored on the divine rights of Kings engaged in a perpetual struggle vis-à-vis the peoples’ voice with severe consequences for democracy building and constitutionality”.
“Okpe Union is a members’ only organization whose members belong to respective branches or regions. It is observed that only three out of nine persons on the Interim Committee are members of the Okpe Union: Professor EmurobomeIdolor, Chief Barr. Bright Igbako and Professor Kenneth Eni. The establishment of the Interim Committee and its composition is regarded in several quarters as an attempt to make the Okpe Union an administrative arm of the Palace. I hope this is incorrect, for it will be injurious to both Okpe Kingdom and the Okpe Union”.
“The Constitution of the Okpe Union provides justification for the scheduled AGA of November 14, 2020 as a viable occasion to resolve the Union’s crisis. We have endured the poor governance and shambles of the dissolved NEC for almost four years. Okpe Union members and stakeholders in Nigeria and the Diaspora succeeded in raising more than 1,000,000 naira (One Million Naira) within 36 hours to host the AGA, surpassing the AGA Planning Committee’s budget of 950,000.00 naira (Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira). The main agenda item is to elect a caretaker committee that will appoint an electoral committee towards the election of a new NEC proposed for early or mid-March 2021. It is my understanding that 30 out of 32 branches and regions have registered to attend the AGA. It was clear that the people had spoken and prepared to reorganize and rebuild a viable Okpe Union. My plea, Umogu, is for you to utilize the existing structure of the Union in facilitating the emergence of a new and purposeful Okpe Union. It is instructive that you dissolved the NEC and NOT the Okpe Union”.
“Since the venue and funds for the AGA have been secured, I recommend the following for your due considerations.
“Umogu, Umogu, Umogu, it is my sincere plea that you accept the above recommendations. By doing so, your role in saving the Okpe Union from disintegration and/or fragmentation will be inscribed in GOLD for posterity.
May your reign be long, peaceful and prosperous.
God bless you”.
Attempts at a Resolution
Before the election of the current NEC on May 15, 2021, which I am privileged to lead, and since then, NEC has engaged in the search for peace on several occasions
Prior to the intervention of the Rev. Dr. Osume-led Okpe Peace Reconciliation Committee in the search for peace, NEC had gone to court in Sapele praying the Court to restrain members of the Orodje-imposed Interim Executive Committee and its agents from parading themselves as leaders of the Okpe Union. When Rev. Dr. Osume intimated us about his committee’s peace mission, he requested that we withdraw the case from court so as to give peace a chance. We obliged. However, immediately we withdrew the case from court, the Palace wrote to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) requesting them to recognize the Interim Executive Committee. This was a plot to oust the democratically elected NEC from CAC recognition. Thus, it was obvious that the intention of the Orodje-imposed Interim Executive Committee was not to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict but to gain time in its treacherous move to get CAC to recognise them and register their appointed new Board of Trustees and prevent the democratically elected NEC of the Okpe Union from being recognised by the CAC. Faced with this treachery, we elected to file a suit at a Federal High Court in Lagos. HRM Orhue l, the Prof. Idolor-led Interim Executive Committee and the CAC were served as defendants in the case.
To demonstrate the insincerity of the Orodje-imposed committee in respecting the court process, they obtained a court order in Abuja to appoint an illegal Board of Trustees, without disclosing to the Abuja Federal High Court that they were already defendants in a Lagos Federal High Court on the same subject. Furthermore, we already lodged an application at the Lagos Federal High Court with a similar prayer much earlier and known to the CAC, the Orodje and the illegal Interim Executive Committee. They surreptitiously acquired a certificate of incorporation; an issue that is being handled via an appropriate channel. It is worth noting that the judgment of the Federal High Court, Lagos has nullified the Board of Trustees appointed by the Illegal Interim Committee and all other actions by it.
Exposing the Falsifications
Even after the judgment of the Federal High Court ruled in favour of the Okpe Union on January 19, 2023, we still opened a window for an out-of-court settlement, on the proviso that the illegal group respects and complies with the Judgment. Interestingly, Okakuro Aboze did not mention this to the NAOS students in Mosogar on January 10, 2024. For example, he did not inform them that, upon his receipt of the Federal High Court Judgment of January 19, 2023, he and his colleagues informed the Udogun-Okpe of their decision to “step aside” from their illegal status so as to allow the Judgment to reign. But, according to him, Udogun-Okpe rejected their decision to “step aside”. By his own revelation, he and his group decided to continue playing their roles as sycophants because they lacked the courage to speak truth to power. He made this revelation on August 9, 2023 at a peace meeting convened by Okakuro Oghenevworo Jemikalajah and two other Ekakuro. Okakuro Aboze and Mr. Ochuko Abegbe represented the illegal group, while the Okpe Union was represented by Messrs Okpako Ayaruja, Kingsley Ehensiri Akpederin, Esq. and Dr. Lucky Akpere. While he recognized the grounds for the victory of the democratic Okpe Union as legal, he however pleaded that his illegal group be allowed to remain in office for the first four years before they would hand over to the democratically elected NEC of Okpe Union. We rejected his conditions for resolving the conflict as they tantamount to crowing the illegal group with a toga of legitimacy. We insisted on their compliance with the judgment of the Federal High Court, which declared that the Orodje lacked the power and authority to dissolve the NEC of the Okpe Union and impose an illegitimate leadership on the Okpe Union
It is important to state that, since the October 3, 2020 purported dissolution of the NEC of Okpe Union, the Orodje and his imposed illegal group label us and those who support the truth as “dissidents” and “enemies” of the Okpe Kingdom, simply for disagreeing with the illegal dissolution of the NEC. Some persons in a bid to weaken the support base of the Union have been promising members of Okpe Union and other Okpe citizens that are supporting Okpe Union, that the Orodje would recommend them for employment/appointment in the Delta State Government, if they withdrew their support. We consider this a despicable act as it transforms the Orodje into an employment agent for the Delta State Government. Interestingly, in 1994, Ms. Liz Truss called for the abolishment of the British Monarchy. She was NOT declared an enemy of the United Kingdom and neither was she denied access to gainful employment. On September 6, 2022, she was invited by Queen Elizabeth ll to become the 3rd female Prime Minister of Britain. It is imperative that we as enlightened Okpe nationals guide Okpe traditional institutions along the path of democracy and reject any tendency towards absolute monarchy.
Why did the Orodje shift from his strong position as a promoter of Okpe as a distinct ethnic nationality that he brilliantly articulated on September 1, 2007 (See https://okpeunionng.net/tradition-and-governance/) to become an apologist for Urhobo ethnic nationality by permitting his Udogun Okpe–in-Council to propagate a false thesis that “Okpe Kingdom is one of the twenty four (24) Kingdoms of contemporary Federated Urhobo Nationality of Delta Central Senatorial District.” (OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY, SEN. DR. ARTHUR IFEANYI OKOWA, GOVERNOR OF DELTA STATE. RE: RECOGNITION OF OKPE AS A DISTINCT ETHNIC NATIONALITY, VANGUARD, Lagos, Nigeria, July 13, 2021, p.20.)? This was not only a blatant distortion of Okpe History but a regrettable public denial of Okpe Identity. History will Judge if this seismic shift was influenced by the Orodje’s personal interest or by Okpe national interest.
Commenting on an article entitled “IS OKPE STILL URHOBO?” that was posted on the Okpe People’s Forum (WhatsApp) platform on November 28, 2023, two erudite Okpe sons responded in strong defence of Okpe Identity. Barr. Ehensiri Akpederin declared: “When the leadership of a people claim the identity of a neighbouring nation for political correctness, they have wittingly or unwittingly opted to destroy their own identity, language, arts and the self esteem of the people of their nation or ethnicity. May the Okpe Nation be saved from betrayers”. Prof. Kenneth Eni opined in that same platform that: “Well, it’s only a few Okpe people who do not know their roots that will trumpet Okpe as Urhobo. The Urhobo people have not really considered Okpe as Urhobo. This is not coming as a surprise to me. The more Okpe is not included in this type of affair, the better for the identity struggle”.
Concluding Remarks
The purported dissolution of the democratically elected NEC of the Okpe Union, by the Orodje on October 3, 2020, has introduced a divide in Okpe Nation. Note that the Orodje’s purported dissolution took place 42 days before the scheduled AGA/Meeting of the Okpe Union to elect a new NEC. It was a stratagem to enforce the conversion of Okpe Union as one of the Administrative Units of the palace under the Orodje’s control, a process which he had put in place in an organogram of Okpe Kingdom administration in 2019. This became evident in August 2021 when the head of the interim regime he imposed declined to participate in a mediation process on the ground that he would only participate if instructed by the Orodje. It became obvious that the Orodje’s decision of October 3, 2020 was primarily to obliterate any semblance of checks and balances in the Okpe Kingdom. This he hoped to achieve by paralysing the capability of the Okpe Union via its conversion to an administrative unit of the Palace, a plot which will deny Okpe citizens a voice in Okpe Nation. Since 1945 the Okpe Union has been that force for checks and balances in the system. The Orodje’s policy is to gradually concentrate power under his ambit and steer Okpe Nation into an autocratic/dictatorial polity. The current drift towards dictatorship does not augur well for the peaceful growth and development of the Okpe Nation. If the influential Okpe elders that opposed the resuscitation of the Okpe Monarchy were alive to witness this current drift, it is only best to imagine what their thoughts would be.
Unfortunately, very unfortunately, the first Orodje of Okpe, Esezi l abandoned the democratic structure and embraced absolute monarchy, an action which led to his demise and ushered in a period of almost 200 years interregnum of the Okpe monarchy. HRM Orhue l’s action of October 3, 2020 is a sad throw-back to the medieval concept of the “divine rights of kings” which challenges the fundamental thrust of democratic practice in Nigeria and in Okpe Nation. It also ridicules the basis of the democratic election process that the Orodje cultivated during his campaign for the Orodjeship in 2004-2006. This prompted a prominent Okpe Scholar/Journalist to lament in January 2022:
“I worry for Africa and Nigerians. More for the Okpe who are still buried in the womb of medieval mentality”. (An Okpe Scholar/Journalist, January 15, 2022.)
While the Orodje’s action is challenged by a group of pro-democracy Okpe nationals, a pro-absolute monarchy group is propagating the deceased medieval concept of the “divine rights of kings.” This division caused by the Orodje’s intrusion into the administration of the Okpe Union has facilitated an inimical atmosphere injurious to peace, law and order in Okpe Nation. Several Okpe belonging to the pro-democracy group are being harassed and intimidated by some members of the pro-absolute monarchy group whose source of authority is left to conjecture. This is reminiscence of events in the (then) Soviet Union when scores of Soviet citizens, at the minutest of criticism framed in Marxist-Leninist prism, were labelled “dissidents and revisionists”, arrested and incarcerated in the infamous gulag system of imprisonment scattered across the Soviet Union. Interestingly, the pro-absolute monarchy group has categorized the Okpe Union members as “mischievous” and “dissidents” for speaking truth to power while some Ekakuro have threatened several members that the Orodje would cause their arrests if they continued supporting the Okpe Union. Since the Mosogar NAOS Okpe Cultural Day event, we have gathered from various sources close to the Orodje, that the Palace is contemplating to either ban NAOS and/or establish a counter Okpe students association to be controlled by the Palace. It is preposterous that the Palace will conceive of banning NAOS that it did not establish or to consider establishing a counter Okpe students association. It is baffling that this is the Palace’s approach to building a strong Okpe Nation. How much has the Palace contributed to NAOS activities in the past 17 years?
A polity that does not accommodate dissenting views forfeits the rights to be referred to as a democracy. It is within this prism that, for example, citizens assess the performance of their political and traditional leaders, including in Okpe Nation. The dividends of democracy that leaders frequently pronounce imply a basket of essentials that includes good governance, demonstrable accountability, and dialogue with constituents, responsible management of public wealth, respect for contending views, etc. When regime regulators and their praise singers stifle open debate on socio-political issues, they render democratic institutions impotent and cause serious injury to peace and development in the polity. Just as we wrestle with political leadership at all tiers of government on this existential challenge, it is imperative that we do the same with our traditional leadership. Failure to do so is hypocritical and mere sycophancy.
Unfortunately, History is replete with occasions where hypocrites and sycophants gain the attention of political and traditional leaderships in prosecuting citizens that dare to speak truth to power. We witness this appalling phenomenon in both democratic and dictatorial polities. The unjustly prosecuted become respected citizens following the expiration of the previous regimes and the hypocrites and sycophants become vicious critics of the expired regimes which they had hitherto praised to high Heavens. Thus, sycophants and hypocrites are always ready to change their tunes when the regimes they mislead cease to exist. Like Nigeria, the failed giant of Africa, we are witnessing the failure of Okpe to exert itself as a giant in Delta State. Are we to achieve this laudable historical mission by hiding under the identity of another ethnic nationality?
Regarding Okpe Nation, when it is articulated that the “words of the Orodje must be obeyed” and opposing views are characterized as “mischievous” and “dissident,” then it is obvious that we are encouraging autocracy and dictatorship to reign. Democratic tenets are disregarded and mediocrity, in most cases, is enthroned. Fortunately, the nature of the Okpe Monarchy does not historically reflect absolute monarchy, as in the making of the throne of the Orodje; the four Ruling Houses who take turns to produce the occupant of the throne designed a limited office as against that of the Oba of Benin, for example, which is absolute. While we, members of Okpe Union, revere HRM Orhue l, Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, it must be emphasised that this reverence empowers us to also speak truth to him. Our reverence does not mean we should be sycophants and hypocrites.
Finally, it must be noted and for the avoidance of doubt, the Federal High Court, Lagos Division, in its judgment delivered on January 19, 2023, on the Okpe Union Autonomy Suit (Suit No. FHC/L/CS/603/2022) filed by the democratically elected National Executive Council, clearly upheld the autonomy of the Okpe Union as its founding fathers had intended it for the ordinary Okpe man to have a voice in the affairs of the Okpe Nation.
God bless the Okpe Union.
God bless the Okpe Nation.
God bless the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom.
Prof. O. Igho Natufe
STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
President Bola Tinubu on Monday charged the 45 newly inaugurated Ministers of the Federal Republic to prioritize the interests and welfare of the entire nation and its diverse population, above any regional or state-specific considerations.
Speaking at the inauguration of new members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the State House Conference Centre, the President underscored the immense responsibility the ministers now bear in shaping policies that will significantly influence the lives of hundreds of millions of Nigerians.
“You are not a minister of a particular state, colony, region, or ethnic nationality. You are a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” President Tinubu declared, setting the tone for his directive to the new ministers.
“This is all about the cohesion and work of a great team, and I believe we now have it. It is an honour to be chosen to serve as a minister in the Federal Executive Council, and such a high honour comes with tremendous responsibility. In this moment of abundant promise and peril in equal measure, all of you that have been sworn in have been called to distinguish yourselves. Nigerians are highly expectant of excellence in service delivery, accountability, and transparency,” he said.
The President also reminded the new ministers that they can not disappoint Nigerians, who expect them to serve with integrity, dignity and competence to actualize the Renewed Hope manifesto of the administration—failing which he will not hesitate to take necessary remedial measures.
“As your country honours you today, you must each work to make yourselves worthy in the eyes of God and our entire nation’s people. Your highest obligation is to restore public faith in government so that our people can once again believe that government can be a positive force for transformation and a vehicle for collective progress of all citizens of this great country,” President Tinubu said, while congratulating each of the ministers and welcoming them to “the Administration of Renewed Hope.”
He further affirmed that the newly appointed ministers were selected based on their track records of excellence in both the public and private sectors, noting their effective representation of the rich diversity present within Nigeria.
Expressing his wishes for the success of the cabinet members in the discharge of their duties, the President invoked a metaphor of a journey, in which he is the driver of a vehicle, along with all Nigerians as passengers.
“In this new assignment, we are in this boat together, even if it is a vehicle, I am the driver. The entire nation sits watchful, as you and I navigate this vehicle. We must hold each other responsible. We have to do the job to meet the expectations of all Nigerians. God be with you, and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Ajuri Ngelale
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
August 21, 2023