Osinbajo wades into bloody border clashes between three states

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday intervened in the bloody clashes among border communities of Ebonyi, Cross River and Akwa Ibom States.

The meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, dealt with the issues at the root of the crises.

At the meeting were Governors Dave Umahi (Ebonyi); Ben Ayade (Cross River) and Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom) and officials of the National Boundary Commission.

The not-so-cheerful men of the governors as they emerged from the meeting suggested that no amicable resolution of the disputes had been reached.

Also, presidency officials prevented journalists from speaking to the governors, who also appeared unprepared to speak on the outcome of the peace meeting.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity, Laolu Akande, said that Prof. Osinbajo met with the Governors of Cross Rivers, Senator Ben Ayade; Akwa Ibom, Mr Emmanuel Udom and Ebonyi States, Mr Dave Umahi, alongside top officials of the National Boundary Commission, led by the Director-General, Dr Muhammad Ahmad, to review updates on boundary  and boundary demarcation issues.

Recent reports showed that about 20 people were killed in a clash between people of Oku Iboku in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom and those of Ikot Offiong in Odukpani LGA in Cross River State over boundary demarcation.

The people of Ikot-Offiong community had in the aftermath written a letter to the Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant-Gen. Tukur Buratai and the Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris to investigate the activities of the soldiers and policemen posted to the area to foster peace.

Also, Governor Umahi had appealed to the Federal Government to quickly intervene and provide a lasting solution in settling a similar boundary dispute between the people of Azuofia Idda in Ebonyi and Ohene in Cross River states, which had claimed many lives.

He made the appeal when the General Officer Commanding 82 Division, Enugu, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Abubakar, briefed him on the outcome of the surveillance of the two communities at Government House, Abakaliki. 

Umahi advocated a security meeting where the military commanders of both states and heads of other security agents would be in attendance.

He had said that “the problem between Cross River and Ebonyi states is quite known and unfortunately, the problem of the boundary in our country is quite funny. Nobody is really taking any definite action”.

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Why it’s impossible for Igbo man to become Nigeria’s President in 2019 – MASSOB

The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, on Tuesday explained why it is impossible for someone from the South-East to become Nigeria’s President.

In a statement by its leader, Uchenna Madu, the group said the structure of Nigerian system which had reduced Igbos to “minorities” had made it impossible for the race to emerge as Nigerian President.

Claiming that “Igbo leaders are political slaves in Nigeria,” Madu said, “The way Nigeria is structured politically, it will be very hard for Igbo man to be president of Nigeria. The structure almost reduced Ndigbo to a minority tribe in Nigeria but history has always proved that Ndigbo is the largest ethnic nationality in Nigeria.

“Even though five states were accorded to Ndigbo in Nigeria but we aare the largest ethnic group in every state after the indigenes of that state, in all the Nations of the world.

“Ndigbo are also the largest Nigerian ethnic nationality; even during the yuletide, all the states in Nigeria become temporal deserts and inhabitable because Ndigbo that make every state thick returned to their native hometowns.

“Even with our population and handshake with some geopolitical zones, it will be hard for the Igbo to be Nigerian president because there is a grand plot against Ndigbo in Nigeria. It will still be difficult for Igbo man to be president in Nigeria.”

He, however, noted that the only reason that will force Igbos to agree to Presidency was for Nigerians to support the actualisation struggle “because that’s the only working panacea that attract regional interest to the presidency.”

Recall that former President, Olusegun Obasanjo had recently advocated for an Igbo Presidency in 2019.

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Xenophobic attacks: Senate to send delegation to S/African parliament Share 0 Tweet 0

• Saraki

…Rejects calls to severe relations

The continuing xenophobic attacks on Nigerians living in South Africa took centre stage Tuesday in the Senate.

The upper chamber after over one hour deliberation of the contentious issue, resolved to dispatched a “powerful” parliamentary delegation to South African parliament to express the displeasure of the Nigerian parliament over the attacks.

The lawmaker however turned down the prayer for the Nigerian Government to reconsider its diplomatic ties with South African.

Senator Rose Oko (Cross River North) and three others presented a motion on “Resurgence of xenophobic attacks and extra-judicial killings of Nigerians in South Africa.”

The Oko specifically asked the Senate to ask the Federal Government to reconsider Nigeria’s diplomatic ties with South Africa if the ugly incidents of the attacks of Nigerians do not stop.

The prayer was rejected as some of the Senators contended that the ripple effect of such action would be overwhelming.

Senate President, Abubakaer Bukola Saraki, noted that the government could no longer fold its hands and allow its citizens to be attacked and killed.

Saraki said that henceforth, Nigerian ambassadors in other country’s would be given specific assignments to defend the dignity and rights of Nigerians living abroad.

The Senate President said that the Senate would work to ensure that funding for foreign missions are increased.

Saraki said: “I want to thank the mover of the motion and those that have contributed. This attack has become one too many. We must put a stop to these attacks. We must take the bull by the horn. That is why we have resolved to meet with the South African parliament.

“We must be seen to be defending the dignity of Nigerians abroad. We need to screen the ambassadorial nominees to ensure that they protect Nigerians abroad. Some foreign missions are poorly funded. On our own part, we must show commitments. I want to commend Nigerians who have shown restraints.”

Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, in his contribution noted that it seemed the Federal Government is not doing enough to protect Nigerians living in South Africa.

He said: “It appears that our brothers and sisters in South Africa have forgotten where they are coming from. South Africa suffered Apartheid for many years. It took the intervention of Nigeria for them to get out of that.

“There was a time Nigerians did not need a visa to travel to the United Kingdom. They started issuing visas to Nigerians when we imposed sanctions on UK, following the Apartheid regime in South Africa. Till this day, we still need visas to go to the UK. This happened because of what we did for South Africa.

“I think Nigeria needs to take a position. Enough is enough. There was a time Nigerians accommodated South Africans in Nigeria and they only returned to their country when the Apartheid regime ended. As a country, we gave them money and rendered other forms of assistance.

“I suggest that we send a strong delegation to the South African parliament to table our position. We cannot allow them to continue to attack our people and their businesses.”

Senate committee chairman on Foreign Affairs, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu, on her part told the Senate that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama had already been summoned by her committee, in conjunction with her colleague in the House of Representatives.

Senator Sunmonu said that the outcome of their interaction with the Minister will be communicated to the Senate in plenary next week.

Senate Chief Whip, Senator Olusola Adeyeye, in his contribution recalled the pivotal role played by the Nigerian Government during the apartheid regime.

Adeyeye noted that it was unbecoming of South Africa to ill-treat Nigerians despite the Nigerian’s sacrifice to the liberation of South Africa..

He said, “South Africans must be reminded that it was Nigeria that came to their rescue in their hour of need. We played a role in liberating South Africans. It breaks my heart to see that having done so much for South Africa, they have turned around to be the one fighting Nigerians.”

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Banky W loses award plaques to house fire

R &B singer, Banky W, has survived a fire outbreak which razed a part of his Lekki residence early this morning. The fire which started at about 6am was said to have been caused by a faulty air conditioner.

The actor/singer recounted his experience on his Instagram page.

“So there’s good news and bad news. The good news is… I’m thanking God that I’m alive to give the bad news as a testimony,” he stated.

Narrating the incident, Banky said that he was lying awake in bed at about 6am, when he started smelling smoke and realized it was coming from outside his door.

“Opened it to see the whole stairway was filled with huge gusts of black smoke/soot, and a fire was burning stuff downstairs. The smoke was so much I couldn’t get down past it to see the source of the flames. Rushed back into my room and climbed down from the 2nd floor balcony with my dog… and then got help from the amazing workers and neighbours who helped me put out the flames,” he wrote.

According to the artiste, the fire was caught early enough and the damage wasn’t so bad, although, he said, it basically burnt some of the stuff that was around it.

“So awards, portraits, and some small electronics. But thank God, Duke and I are alive and well. We only had to form James Bond and climb down from the top floor balcony LOL Thank God for my neighbors and the amazing workers in and around the compound for helping us escape via the balcony, helping put out the fire, and helping with the aftermath/cleaning,” he added.

The officials of the Lagos State Fire Service were said to have arrived the scene of the fire by 7.30 am and helped to stop the fire.

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