News From Nigeria
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Two established families in the Niger Delta Region on Thursday heaped praise on the Late Chief Executive Officer of Oghene Ochuko Motors, Chief Veronica Ikpeerha Ebireri.
They described her as a woman of great personal integrity, courage, good character and wealth.
‘’History has been good to Chief Veronica Ikpeerha Ebireri. The Niger Delta people, regardless of their orientation, think highly of her’’
The families of Ebireri and Umukoro spoke at the 25th remembrance of the persistent and methodical entrepreneur in Okpara Waterside, Ethiope East Local Government Area.
They applauded Veronica Ebireri for creating positive change and supportive space, leading by example, caring for the poor and offering sound counsel and teaching.
The tribute of the Okpe and Agbon families was read to the press by a prominent Nigerian journalist, political communication expert and strategist, Henry Ovie Ebireri.
The families commended Veronica Ebireri for lavishing inexhaustible love on the brothers, sisters, children and grandchildren.
‘’Chief Veronica Ikpeerha Ebireri was a kindhearted woman and moral leader. She gave hope for the future to many people’’
Tall, beautiful, energetic and generous, Veronica Ebireri was praised for drilling honesty, hard work and empathy into the children
‘’Words cannot express the joy we feel in our hearts as we recall your life of exemplary dedication to humanity and business’’.
The Chief Executive Officer of Ikpeerha Sawmills and Oghene Ochuko Motors was an influential trader, a leader of great stature and significance and a woman of humble origins.
‘’Hard work, humility, discipline and honesty brought her fame and fortune’’
The honest woman, employer of labour and meticulous achiever, according to the families, impacted in people’s lives at her own discomfort and sponsored many to higher institutions in Nigeria and abroad.
‘’Your impact on our lives is immeasurable. We continue to be grateful for the love you showered upon us. We continue to benefit immensely from your hard work, honesty, love, foresight and deep sense of humour which you shared with us. Continue to rest in perfect peace’’ the families said.
The families expressed profound gratitude to all for the unalloyed support, words of comfort and expression of love following her transition on March 10, 2001
Similarly, the Ajamikarawa, Egbeku, Igbimidaka-Elume, Eku, Okpara Waterside and Kokori families also celebrated the late Sapele lawyer, public administrator and businessman, Barrister Victor Okpako Ebireri for his firmness and good actions.
The former staff of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) died on Wednesday, November 7, 2012.
They described Victor Okpako Ebireri as a great motivator, caring father, dependable friend, lovely brother and exemplary leader.
The families highlighted Okpako Ebireri’s open mindedness, love for clearness and precision, self-control and serenity.
They also stressed his generous nature, sympathy, model of friendship and reverence for others’ individuality.
‘’Victor Okpako Ebireri was polished, grave, funny, thoughtful and intelligent’’
Particularly, the families praised his honesty and bravery.
Born on February 4, 1972, Victor Okpako Ebireri attended Okotie-Eboh Grammar School, Sapele, Mater Dei College, Ashaka, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma and the Nigerian Law School.
We must teach our history. I cannot find any reason why Nigeria’s history is not being taught in Nigerian schools. This is a terrible mistake. What are we afraid of? Whose idea is it, that teaching Nigerian history will be unhealthy to our nation?
This must be one of the mediocre ideas of the mercenaries that imprisoned Nigeria for more than fifty years. Our history is who we are and why we are here and where we are going.
As a nation, we are not perfect. We have made mistakes and we have done some good things. Our history is the record of this journey as a nation. Our history should give us constant hindsight so that we don’t repeat mistakes. If we take the good and bad and give a proper account, it will be discovered we have made some great strides as a people.
We fought wars and we have managed to win the peace. Out of the cacophony of our existence, we have produced the Nigerian character. The Nigerian is the product from this blast furnace. It is this character that is under attack throughout the world. Nigeria does not have the monopoly of criminality. What the West is attacking is the virility of Nigeria. If we know this, it will give us the fortitude to persevere.
We cannot know who we are if our history is not made known to us. Knowing who we are will give us the ammunition to fight in a world that has become hostile to the Nigerian. We will be able to define ourselves instead of letting others define us. We must tell our story if not others will tell it and are unpalatable by using our least common denominator. We are Nigerians and we are not more corrupt than any other group of people.
The western press can make you hate your friends and make you love your enemies. At the end, it induces its audience into a state of celebrated ignorance. As Africa is waking up from its doldrums, the west is beginning to recalibrate their positions. They have chosen Nigeria as the bogeyman because the Nigerian represents everything they fear about the awake African.
For centuries, they used their instrument of coercion and education to tell the lion that it can only survive by stealing food from the hyena. A few Africans and the Nigerian never accepted this. The lion, within, was never slayed. It roamed without a purpose and it used its strength to attack its own kind and listen to the tails of the gazelle. It wandered in self-doubt. Every now and then, there is a glimpse of the glorious past which appeared as hallucinations. The dreams became more vivid and took on a reality of real life. He is the lion and must not wait for the meals provided by the hyena. He is the lion and must make his own kill and establish his pride. This is Nigeria from Slavery to Colonialism and Neo-colonialism. We lost our way. It is this awakening that the World is fighting. They have made the Nigerian a pariah because he wants to stand on his own two feet. The attack on the Nigerian is the attack on the manhood of Africa.
From wars, coups and disrespect, we have survived what the world has thrown at us. Out of this crucible, we have created a citizen who believes in himself and his people. This is what the world is attacking. Every one of these attacks tries to gain legitimacy by using our own against us. In South Africa, the black South Africans blamed the Nigerian for his problem. In West Africa, the Ghanaians blamed Nigeria for their problems. In America, the black America blamed Nigeria for their problems.
When Trump started his orgy of deportation, the black Americans were celebrating the deportation of Nigerians. When the world and our own are against us, we have to rely on each other and our history. Due to the lack of this history, we cannot tell the world what Nigeria has done for the freedom of all black people in the world. If we have history, we will tell the South African that we paid a heavy price to fight for their freedom. Western Companies like Shell, Barclays and others were nationalized due to their relationship with apartheid South Africa. Nigeria spearheaded and funded the anti-apartheid committee that negotiated the final phase of apartheid.
If we have history, we will tell the Ghanaian that the stability they enjoy in West Africa today was made possible by Nigeria. When Sierra Leone and Liberia caught fire, Nigeria became the fire fighters. America that created Liberia was nowhere to be found. People were dying in thousands and they were preaching human rights to those who were dying. Nigeria created the peace and did not ask for their land or their gold. Nigeria brought the soldiers who died in that war to be buried in Nigeria. We did not even ask for a place to bury our dead. We did not ask for their Diamond or their Gold. Nigeria did not impose any system of government on them. America or Britain will never give that kind of selfless service.
My country Nigeria did that. If we have that history, we will tell the black Americans that during the oil embargo of the 1970, a certain American president visited Nigeria to request for energy. The price of energy was prohibitive .Americans were losing their homes and could not afford to mitigate the brutal winters. Nigeria helped America by supplying them fuel at a very reasonable price, and also donated fuel to various foundations in America who were helping the poor to survive those brutal winters.
To top it all, Nigeria took an unprecedented step to assist Historical Black Colleges in America who were in danger of closing due to a serious financial crisis. Nigeria seized this opportunity. Nigeria awarded scholarships to many Nigerians to further their education at these Historical Black Colleges.
This is the beginning of Nigerians moving to the United States for education. The presence of Nigerians in those colleges brought a new lease of life to them. Today the Black American and the South African and the rest have joined the league of those who hate Nigeria with passion. Out of our difficulties, we have created a unique individual we call the Nigerian. He may be beaten but his head is unbowed. He is not bound by geography. His identity is justice, enterprise and fair play. We may tear at each other from North to South, East to West; let us never forget that the strength of our fabric will stand the test of time if we learn to understand that we are one people bound by a common identity that seeks justice and fair play in our common struggles. This struggles, created this individual we call the Nigerian.
When the World tugs at us, we remember that we are more than the sum of our differences. The Nigerian is not bound by geography or race. The Nigerian has a keen sense of justice. and knows that we are more than the sum total of our differences. He is indefatigable. The Nigerian is the hope of the African renaissance. The World is beginning to recognize this Nigerian and they all want to be members of this tribe. All that is needed to be members of this tribe is a keen sense of justice, agape love and fair play. Indeed, love of service and enterprise. Let us be this Nigerian. The world is waiting.
 DR AUSTIN ORETTE WRITES FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS
The prize of democracy is eternal vigilance. It will be reckless and the failure of democratic norms to leave a bull in a China shop. America has seen this kind of presidency before. Andrew Jackson was known for being crude and lawless when he rose to the presidency through populist campaigns in 1824.
American presidents have always genuflected to the caprice of land-owning white men. The demand for land by this group led to the Indian Removal Act of 1830. This was when America was a frontier nation. All Indians living in the east of the Mississippi were forcibly removed. This led to the trail of tears.
His presidency was just as erratic as Donald Trump’s presidency. He was censured by the US congress for firing the treasury secretary and trying to turn the American treasury to a private depository. He had slaves but was not outwardly hostile to blacks. But his statements on black slaves were telling: They should remain slaves or sent abroad. When asked whether he owned slaves, he said he has not bought or sold more than one or two slaves and he believes he was more or less the slave in the relationship.
He suppressed any movement for abolition of slavery during his presidency. He was a southern plantation owner with a lot of slaves who testified to his cruelty. What he is known for is his erratic nature, cruelty towards non-white peoples and lawlessness like Donald Trump.
Thomas Jefferson was so alarmed that he wrote of Andrew Jackson “He is one of the most unfit men for the place, he has no respect for law, his passions are terrible, and he is dangerous “.
Some of his actions supporting nullification of federal laws increased tension between North and South that led to the American civil war. It appears Donald Trump is copying a lot from Andrew Jackson.
The pardon of the rioters of Jan 6 has left a sour taste in the mouth of most Americans including a lot of his supporters. At this moment, Republicans are in the majority, and they are too scared to say no. There is no one to bell the cat.
Some of his policies are beginning to be seen as cruel to those who have no voice. He started with undocumented persons, now he is moving to cut care for elderly and disabled. This is why the opposition is growing.
The answer to Trump is not escapism for black people. Black Americans are the conscience of America. Democracy in America today is the result of black struggles. In fighting for their freedom, they freed everyone to enjoy the promises of America. They are the only group who has consistently spoken the truth to Pharaoh. A lot of immigrants who don’t understand this history always think they are succeeding until they meet the impediments of irrational white people who want to claim back their lost glory and make America white again.
Trump is the result. During the elections, you can see this irrationality in immigrant voters, descendants of Palestinian and Mexican and probably Nigerians too. The Palestinians mocked Kamala as being in the pocket of Netanyahu. They called her genocide Kamala. They gave victory to Donald Trump in democratic strongholds of Michigan. White women have also started crying. I don’t care.
They proudly cast their vote for Trump without knowing some basic history of Netanyahu and American politics. American politics is always crazy. The constant is Israel. The Democrats tried to moderate the behavior of Israel, while the Republicans are in support of anything Israel wants. For a Palestinian to look to a Republican president for some relief against Israel is like looking for water in the Sahara.
Netanyahu is also a special case. In his first year in office, Clinton was fuming after he had a meeting with  Netanyahu. He asked his staff who he thinks he is, talking to the President of the United States that way. His staff replied. That is Netanyahu, Sir, he thinks he is the President of the United States, and you are his chief of Staff. That was then.
Bibi Netanyahu is all American. He grew up and studied in the United States. He knows the ways of Washington more than Donald Trump and Donald has surrendered the driver seat to him. Now the Palestinians and Mexicans are calling on black America to help them fight back. Black Americans say: we are looking forward to going on vacation at the new holiday resort that Donald Trump is constructing in Palestine. We have fought so much, we deserve a break. See you guys in four years if you have not been deported for protesting Israel occupation and Trump’s New Jerusalem: A place where all the angels of the choir are well paid by ELON MUSK. The angels are all white not Jews.
God bless Donald Trump. He has concentrated his energies on immigrants and the police have forgotten about black people. That is freedom!
All these folks voted against their personal interests and are supposed that Donald Trump will do Donald Trump. Now that the chickens are coming home to roost, they are crying ignorance. This is a democracy. It is your responsibility to know.
DR AUSTIN ORETTE WRITES FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS