Merger: CPC Sets Up Convention Committee

| By Channels Television

The National Chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Tony Momoh has appointed a 33-member committee to plan the Party’s convention.
A statement issued on Wednesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Rotimi Fashakin, said the committee, which has been inaugurated, is expected to organize the party’s national convention to endorse the merger with the other progressive parties.

The National Chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Tony Momoh

The Committee is headed by the former Minister of Works, Hassan Muhammadu Lawal. Other members of the convention committee include: Senators Sani Saleh, Abubakar Sadiq Yar’adua, Hadi Sirika, Solomon Ewuga, Saleh Damboyio, Ibrahim Musa and Abu Ibrahim.

Others are Abdullahi Idris Garba, Hon Garba Datti, Gen India Garba (Rtd), Alex Hart, Mr Eddy Ogunbor, Sharon Ikeazor, Jerry Johnson, Basirat Noibi, Chris Hassan, Louis Ogbuefi, Munir Yakubu, Suleiman Hassan, Oscar Udoji, Idika Ochaa and Marliyya Zayyan.

Deputy Governor Funmilayo Olayinka Of Ekiti Sick With Cancer

Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Funmilayo Olayinka-Photo credit: PM News, lagos

By SaharaReporters, New York

Several government sources in Ekiti State have confirmed to SaharaReporters that Deputy Governor Funmilayo Olayinka
 is seriously sick. Two of the sources told SaharaReporters that Mrs. Olayinka has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
The deputy governor’s prolonged absence from public events had fueled rumors that she had passed away. However, when a correspondent of SaharaReporters sent a text to Governor Fayemi of Ekiti four days ago inquiring about speculations of his deputy’s death, the governor wrote back denying the rumors. In his text, Mr. Fayemi stated that Mrs. Olayinka was alive.
Even so, Mr. Fayemi failed to respond to follow-up texts asking about the deputy governor’s whereabouts and health condition.
In interviews with several government sources, SaharaReporters learned that Mrs. Olayinka had been unable to perform official public functions due to her serious ailment. “Her Excellency, the deputy governor, is suffering from cancer,” said one of our sources. He added, “We’re all praying God to heal her and make it possible for her to return fully to serving the state.”
Our  sources disclosed that Mrs. Olayinka was receiving treatment at St. Nicholas Hospital in lagos. However, they  stated that they could not reveal the stage of her cancer.
One source disclosed that the governor had warned top government officials not to discuss the deputy governor’s health crisis. “The governor is in touch with her and with members of her family and is offering every possible form of assistance in addressing her cancer,” the source stated.
The government officials we spoke to were cagey about the deputy governor’s location. One of them said the ailing deputy governor “is very much in Nigeria,” even though he would not disclose whether she was within the state or outside. A different source also stated that the deputy governor had been discharged from St. Nicholas hospital and is currently recuperating at her Lagos home with her family.
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party told SaharaReporters that he sympathized with the sick deputy governor, but he criticized the Fayemi administration for concealing information about her condition from the people of the state. “Governor Fayemi and his group raised their voices in protest when [former President] Yar’Adua was flown to Saudi Arabia for treatment without Nigerians receiving information or updates about his condition. Today, the same Fayemi is behaving like the cabal that surrounded Yar’Adua,” said the source. He added, “Mrs. Olayinka is a public official.
If she is too sick to attend to her official duties, then the good people of Ekiti State deserve to be told.”

Boko Haram’s tactics baffling – Ihejirika

By EVELYN USMAN

LAGOS—Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt.-General Azuibuke Ihejirika, yesterday in Lagos, expressed concern over the unpredictable and random nature of terrorist activities in the country, saying their modus operandi was posing a serious challenge to security forces in the country.

Ihejirika spoke at the Interactive Session on Military-Media Relations in Nigeria with the theme Enhancing Military-Media Relations Toward Improved Security.

He said: “In Nigeria, the activities of Boko Haram sect and other terrorist groups continue to threaten peace and security while their modus operandi poses serious challenge to security forces in the country.

“The affiliation of the sect to Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and Al-Shabab has added an international dimension to its activities.”

COAS said it had been established that Islamist sect declared intent was the Islamisation of the entire Northern states of Nigeria without regards to constitution of the country, noting that any country or community whose citizens had high level of security awareness had greater chances of defeating terrorists.

He said the role of the media in warfare took root in the dynamics of the global security environment and explained that it was established that the primary goal of terrorists was to win the attention of the media both home and abroad, and decision makers in government.

Ihejirika said: “It is for this reason that terrorists carefully select the places in which they carry out their attacks to provide the best media coverage. On the whole, terrorists rely on the media as a tool to shrink the power asymmetry between them and the governments they fight, create an atmosphere of fear and suspicion, legitimise their acts, and reach greater audience.

“All these attributes have come to play in the activities of Boko Haram here in Nigeria.”

and that explains why we need to continuously partner with the media to deal with the menace.”

Declaring the programme open, Minister of Defence, Dr. Olushola Bada, said apart from performing its primary role very well, the Nigerian Army had equally promoted the ideal of professionalism, integrity and discipline in all its engagement.

Vanguard

FG to scrap JAMB exam, NECO, NAPEP

By Ben Agande
ABUJA—The Federal Government is scrapping the National Examinations Council, NECO, and the National Poverty Eradication Programme, NAPEP among other government agencies. It is also divesting the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board of powers to conduct examinations into tertiary institutions in the country.

Some candidates during Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations

The government is taking the decision in order to streamline agencies of government and reduce the cost of governance.

The decision, Vanguard gathered is part of the recommendations of the Steve Oronsaye Panel Report on the reform of government agencies and ministries.

The Oronsaye Committee Recommendations

Mr Oronsaye who was the former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation recommended the abolition of 38 agencies, merger of 52 and reversal of 14 to departments in ministries.

According to the white paper, which was drafted by a committee headed by the Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, the Joint Admission and Matriculations Board would be divested of the powers to conduct matriculation examinations into tertiary institutions while universities would be allowed to conduct their entrance examinations to students.

Although the JAMB would not be scrapped, it would be a mere administrative structure that would set standard for minimum requirements on how  the various universities would conduct entrance examinations.

JAMB to be re-modelled

JAMB will be modelled along same line with the body in the United States of America which sets standards for admissions into institutions of higher learning.

Other decisions taken by government on the Oronsaye committee include the scrapping of the National Examinations Council, NECO, the National Poverty Eradication Programme, NAPEP, and the National Complaints commission.

The report seen by Vanguard, recommended that the functions of NECO would be assumed by the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, which will also take over the structures of NECO nationwide.

In order to make up for the deluge of students who sit for the external examinations of Neco, WAEC would be expected to conduct two external examinations, one in January and another in November for external students while still running its internal examination programmes for secondary school students.

Under the proposal, the National Poverty Eradication Programme would be replaced by an agency called National Agency for Job Creation and Empowerment (NAJCE) while the National Complaints Commission will be merged with the National Human Rights Commission.

The Government rejected the recommendation urgung the scrapping of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission and the Ministry of Police Affairs, saying it would be counter productive.

A member of the committee told Vanguard that the decision was preparatory to government’s plans to overhaul major sectors in the country.

“JAMB will be divested of the admission provision. It will no longer conduct examinations but will be a clearing house. Every school will admit its students.

“Neco will be scrapped and its infrastructure will be merged with that of the West African Examination Council (waec).

“Universities will be allowed to set their standards but jamb will set the minimum standard for admission into all tertiary institutions” the source said.

Several efforts to reach the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity failed as he did not pick his phones as at the time of this report.

It will be recalled that the Oronsaye report stated that the average cost of governance in Nigeria is believed to rank among the highest in the world.

Oronsaye said in his report that “there are 541 Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies (statutory and non-statutory).

“Going by the recommendations of the Committee, the figure of statutory agencies is being proposed for reduction to 161 from the current figure of 263.

“The Committee believes that if the cost of governance must be brought down, then both the Legislature and Judiciary must make spirited efforts at reducing their running costs…”

Vanguard

The structure of PDP might hinder Jonathan from moving Nigeria forward – Pat Utomi

*Hopeful about the APC…
*Calls for dissolution of Nigerian Governors’ Forum
*‘I am not running for anything, but…’

By FEYI BANKOLE

As political parties galvanise ahead of the 2015 general elections, former presidential candidate and foremost professor of political economy and management, Prof.Pat Utomi, in this interview, declares his hope in the emerging All Progressive Congress-APC- and also faults President Goodluck Jonathan’s competence.  Utomi, it would be recalled, was a presidential adviser in the Second Republic’s government of Shehu Shagari. He had entered full-time politics in 2007 when he joined the African Democratic Congress under which he vied for the presidency. After that, Utomi formed another party, the Social Democratic Mega Party- SDP. Following the unimposing performance of the SDP at the 2011 elections, he heightened his gospel of a two party system, thereby joining the Action Congress of Nigeria which recently metamorphosed into the APC.
Why did you suddenly withdraw from political and public scenes after the elections in 2011?
I don’t know how that perception came, but it’s not correct. I gave so much in 2007 to trying to create an agenda for political life in Nigeria. In 2011, my effort was at a single objective of bringing together the oppositions. Though, the egos of individuals got in the way of letting that happen. I did not give up on political life. I simply thought I should focus more on grassroots activities. So, I went back, taking some of my civil society roots, to continue work with the poor and the weak at different levels. For me, returning to my root, the grassroots, has been the new emphasis. From public life, I never withdrew. In fact, I’ve been more active.

Many interpreted your said activeness in 2011 for the subtle execution of the South-South agenda, and that your actions were to ensure that Jonathan had a smooth platform…
People can run to any conclusion that they want to. If my actions were to ensure Jonathan had an easy way, have you ever seen Jonathan and me since he became president? My goal was to help bring together a merger, and I slaved for it. Part of my anger is what I sacrificed to make that happen. We took up a hotel in Abuja for a meeting with all the candidates, and we thought we had narrowed it down. The idea was for everyone to stay in that room and decide who will go and who will be the running mate. In the final evening, one person did not show up after he had set the day. I felt so bad because they had the resources and I was spending my own hard-earned money to fly back and forth.  When I came back to Lagos, I decided to endorse Shekarau and to let him step down for any other person if he so desired.

Now that you’re in a more influential party, what’s your plan for 2015?
I tell people often that my favourite desired position is that of a local government councillor because it is closest to the people and would really afford me the opportunity of affecting people’s lives. However, it was important for me to help set the tone when the political arena was completely bereft of ideas. That’s why I got into the arena, playing some of the roles that I have played. I’ve just finished discussing my Widows’ Support Centre. The centre was actually set up nearly a quarter of a century ago, to help very poor widows. Whenever I look at the impact it has had on the lives of those widows who have passed through it, I’m thankful. So, the centre of my passion presently is how I could affect the weakest, poorest and all of these people who have been denied justice in the society.

Pat Utomi

You are one of those promoting the ACN, CPC, ANPP and APGA merger. How powerful enough is this merger to unseat the ruling PDP in 2015?
I’m hopeful that the APC will be strong enough to move Nigeria in a different and more fulfilling direction. You see, the problem is not the people in the PDP, but its structure. The nature of the PDP is such that it cannot bring progress no matter how some people may want to try because the fundamental essence of the PDP is “let me get my own share”. So, their results will always be bad outcomes for the progress Nigeria will make. So, it’s in Nigeria’s fundamental interest to have a change so that the PDP will have a reason to sit down and have a rethink. That shift in power is what will make Nigeria develop in a new way that will lead to progress.

You’ve been a proponent of merger and alliance. What’s the difference between what you were trying to do with the SDP and the APC that is emerging now?
I always wanted the different parties to fuse into one. I’ve also always expressed my views that we should have two major political parties. This is not to say that anyone who has a different view cannot create his own party because parties are a way for people to express their dissatisfaction. Everybody knows that such will help raise our understanding of those issues of dissatisfaction.

Would you say the APC is the kind of merger that you anticipated?
The most important thing is that political parties get together and create a difference in the lives of the people of this country. This happened in Zimbabwe’s politics and in Senegal. If we really want to save this country, we must see power change hands. It’s not a matter of the PDPs are bad and the APC guys are good. No. It is the movement from one to the other that leads to progress and learning.

Is the SDP dead?
I do not know. It’s not in my place to pronounce life and death. What I do know is that after 2011, I said very clearly to all my partners that since people are not willing to come under a new umbrella, all of us should go back and join maybe the biggest one around us. I tried to persuade everybody and I set the example by joining the ACN.
Are you in support of INEC’s deregistration of parties?
Yes. I am in full support.

But why is the SDP not in the list of deregistered party?
I don’t know! I’m not the one registering or deregistering.

Are you saying you won’t have contested it if SDP was deregistered?
I won’t have! I was not a member of SDP at that time, anyway. Remember I told you I left the SDP immediately after the 2011 election. Let me tell you about my political background because I don’t believe in changing parties. The first party card I carried in my entire life was the ACN, and that was in 2006 in Asaba. I contributed to the finances of the ACN both in Delta and Edo State in 2006, 2007. When it became obvious that the structure of the party was not going to allow regular primaries, I thought my whole purpose of entering the political arena, which was to frame the discussion of the primary process, would be lost without the primary process. That was how the idea of going to take over a small party that will agree to merge later with the ACN came up. That was how the ADC initiative started until Chief Enahoro called me and we decided to come up with the SDP.

You said you left the ACN for reasons that had to do with the primary process. How sure are you that those short-comings no longer exist in the party?
In a way, that’s a myth question because what we’re now trying to do is to create two major political groupings. That’s the most important fact for now.

There are rumours that Buhari would be stepping down; will you be running for the presidency?
I am not running for anything. Whatever my party says I should do, I will do; even if it’s local government councillorship, I’ll be happy about that.

Recently the PDP Governors’ Forum was carved out of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, how do you view this?
It comes down to the same problem that we’ve always had; the pursuit of power over purpose. We’re very clever in pursuing power but we’re very limited in the pursuit of the purpose of power. The Nigerian Governors’ Forum, I would say, has become a threat to democracy in Nigeria, and I think it needs to be disbanded. It has become a bully and has not been used for what it was created for; finding ways of making governance better. Now, it is used as a powerful block in the fight between the centre and the body. The thing is a bloody failure, and the civil society should find a way of forcing its dissolution because it has prevented politicians from serving the Nigerian people well.

How would you assess the performance of the federal government?
Pretending that Nigeria is not making progress in any direction is a flawed argument. But the question is: “Is it the result of governmental action?” Nigeria is in a position right now to become one of the greatest economies in the world because of a number of natural developments, part of which is the youth bulge(which we should sensibly take advantage of) and the demographic dividend. In two critical interventions- education and healthcare, the federal government has been a total and complete disaster. But there’s progress taking place despite these; ridiculously, there’s the triumph of politics where we are focusing more on politics than on policies and delivering the things that would bring a better quality of life for Nigerians. Given the resources available, I will say the performance of the federal government has been very poor.  Given how much money we’ve poured into power supply, it still is a challenge! But one good thing is that the continued failing of government elicits to a situation where it is deciding to withdraw from arenas like power supply in the name of privatisation. Ultimately, I believe a private sector that is enabled will bring Nigeria the progress that it deserves.

Recently, the court declared that Jonathan can run for a second term; how do you view that?
It’s of no consequence to me. We are in a democratic society and people should be able to do whatever they want to do, as long as it is not against the law. So, I don’t know why he had to take the matter to court.

Based on his performance, will you, if given the chance, let him come back?
I will not vote for him. I did not vote for him the last time, and I will not vote for him tomorrow. With complete respect for his person, I don’t think he has the capacity to move Nigeria to where it should be going. He doesn’t have the capacity! What you need is competence, character and commitment. I doubt his competence, I’m not sure about his character and I’m worried about his commitment.

Is this just him in person or the PDP?
I’m talking about both.

Do you believe there will be elections in Nigeria in 2015?
I hope that there will be. However, I advise we have a national conference before then. Nigerians should sit down and determine our modus operandi as a people. Then, elections will make sense.

Vanguard

Crisis can consume PDP, says Oyinlola

Posted by: Yusuf Alli

The ousted National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola has raised the alarm that the party is at a crossroads and ought to resolve its crisis to protect its survival in the future.

He said PDP cannot be talking about the much touted “reconciliation’’ while some leaders are also taking steps to fragment the party.

He said with the proposed merger of some political parties, the PDP must watch it or else it will fail.

He said he suspected that some questionable scripts are being acted by some power brokers in the party.

Oyinlola spoke in a secret memo submitted to Governor Ibrahim Shema Committee looking into the problems facing the party’s Southwest chapter.

He said he had been committed to peace and reconciliation up to the extent of taking Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State to beg the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

In the memo, exclusively obtained by our correspondent, Oyinlola attributed the crisis in PDP to mutual suspicion.

He said it was sad that Alhaji Tukur backed parallel National Working Committee (NWC) than the elected NWC.

The memo reads in part: “Without any doubt, the political arena has now assumed higher levels of activity, with the planned merger of some political parties. To us, the leadership of the PDP, we must be able to avoid the problems associated with cynicism and resist the temptation to promote those issues that divide us instead of uniting us. In doing this, let us never fail to read the minds of people and situations correctly, while putting aside sentiments that have torn us apart.

“ Today, we stand at a major crossroads. It is through our people and supporters at the grassroots that we could make our great party unshakable and greater.

“ The truth is that majority of our members in the Southwest are disenchanted as a result of many issues. And the manner in which we resolve issues confronting us today will largely determine the future of our political activities as a united and cohesive mass movement that is destined to rule Nigeria for a longer period.”

He said he suspected that some power brokers are acting some questionable scripts.

Oyinlola said: “From the aforesaid and available indications, it seems to me that there is a deliberate attempt to shut out the Southwest from the PDP given the very hasty and questionable decisions taken against us on the orders of the National Chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, following the court judgment in suit no: FHC/ABJ/CS/504/2012, delivered on January 11, 2013, by Justice Abdu Kafarati. The Learned trial judge nullified my election as the national secretary based on the complaint of the Engr. Bayo Dayo faction that I emerged as the national secretary based on the decision of the Southwest zonal congress.

“The PDP, led by the national chairman moved swiftly to implement this decision of the Federal High Court, Abuja by hurriedly organising a celebrated inauguration of my deputy, Onwe Solomon Onwe as the Acting National Secretary.

“Surprisingly, PDP disrespected the Court of Appeal to obey a Federal High Court ruling on the advice of Chief JK Gadzama, SAN, who is a personal friend of Dr. Bamanga Tukur.

“ Allow me to observe that it is normal for the Deputy National Secretary to act whenever the National Secretary is not available to perform the duties of the National Secretary. I believe there was no need to celebrate this development based on the fact that the PDP constitution is clear on the mode of stepping into the shoes of the national secretary by the deputy national secretary and the fact that the matter was still in court.

“Pronouncements in the newspapers after my removal from office by Mr. Buruji Kashamu and Mr. Joe Gadzama, SAN, stating emphatically that Olagunsoye Oyinlola will never return to office as the national secretary of PDP are very suspect.

“It is also a sad commentary that the PDP counsel went ahead to withdraw the PDP motion for a stay of execution of the Justice Kafarati judgment of January 11, 2013, and caused to be published, various statements antagonising me and my attempts to seek redress through a motion for a stay of execution of the Kafarati judgment.

“ That gave cause to me to suspect that some questionable scripts are being acted by some power brokers in the PDP. I say here that it is only God that is able to shut and no man would open; and conversely, open and no man would be able to shut.”

Oyinlola claimed that the crisis bedeviling PDP started shortly after the inauguration of the NWC led by Tukur.

He added: “A few months after our inauguration, I started hearing the rumour that there were planned moves to shut out those of us from my zone, and understandably the Southwest PDP from the NWC and remove us from reckoning within the PDP.

“I was informed that the plan was being hatched to obtain a ‘kangaroo’ court judgment against me on the grounds that I was not validly elected the national secretary of the PDP, as a result of my purported nomination by the Southwest zonal congress held on March 21, 2012, which had been nullified by a court order.

“I never took the information serious because I knew, as a matter of fact that nobody, who understands the constitution of our great Party would ever subscribe to, or canvass that position which is clearly patently false, ridiculous, misleading and pedestrian. I was to later discover, upon investigations and from records at the national headquarters that the crises in the Ogun State chapter of the PDP pre-dated the present NWC, into which I was validly elected.”

Oyinlola insisted that if the party is adamant on his sack from office, the same Federal High Court judgment had implied that Tukur should also vacate office.

He said: “I wish to also make it known that most of the decisions taken in this matter have been unilaterally taken by the national chairman who attempted on more than one occasion to rail-road the NWC into taking hasty and ill-conceived decisions.

“ I want it placed on record that our great party ignored the ruling of a Court of Appeal, Lagos which granted the motion for a stay of execution of the order of the Federal High Court which nullified the Southwest PDP congress. I hold that it is surprising that we could ignore the ruling of an Appeal Court which granted a stay of execution of judgment of the Federal High Court, Lagos, and choose to respect the order of a lower court simply because it nullified the election of Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

“ This development could only ridicule all of us in the eyes of right thinking members of the society; and I must say that, expectedly, these sordid developments have had negative effects on the morale of members of the PDP in my zone.

“ Let me go further that going by this same Federal High Court, Lagos ruling cited earlier, both the national chairman and the national secretary have not been validly elected following the nullification of the Southwest zonal congress by the court. That aspect of the judgment concerning Olagunsoye Oyinlola has been implemented.

“ However, the Federal High Court ruling which annulled the Southwest Congress which also produced the national chairman and members of the NWC has not been considered in the process of implementing court decisions.

“Technically, that judgment also invalidated the election of the national chairman based on the fact that the Southwest delegates to the PDP zonal congress of March 21, 2012, also voted at our National Convention held on Saturday March 24, 2012.

“ I am of the opinion that if this lapse is not corrected, it would continue to be a case of great injustice and unwarranted assault on the Constitution of the PDP and that of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and against my person and office as a national secretary of the PDP. I believe very strongly, that I was removed from office in very questionable and unjustifiable circumstances.

“ I wish to state most respectfully, and without any fear of equivocation that my commitment is to contribute to a democratically constructed PDP that is predicated on peace, justice and truth. It is most painful that our confidence has been badly shaken by political antics and miscalculations which are capable of breeding disharmony in our great Party.

“ Coexisting with fellow human beings, even among immediate family members entail difficulties, not to talk about managing a huge political party like ours, which prides itself as the largest and strongest political party in Africa. It must be part of the gifts or endowments of managers of human resources to be able to organize them to keep friction among our members to the barest minimum.

“ We cannot in one breadth be talking about the much touted ‘’reconciliation’’ while also taking steps to fragment our cherished political party down the line. The Constitution of the PDP prescribes the mode of managing our Party and our differences.

“ I believe that major causes of internal conflicts in the PDP, apart from elite competition are mutual suspicion and our inability to pursue the path of moral rectitude.

He accused Tukur of backing a parallel NWC leading to a deeper crisis in the party.

he said: “Furthermore, the presence of ‘’parallel NWC members’’ at the national secretariat, who seem to enjoy the confidence of the national chairman than the constitutionally recognized NWC members has been one of the greatest problems confronting the National Secretariat.

“ A lot of doubts and suspicions could have been avoided, had all issues been handled transparently and made to follow the due process. It is not impossible that anybody so opportune to be functioning in a capacity that makes him/her to hijack the functions of an NWC member, could also be moving to position himself/herself for future political positions, and may indeed be influencing matters based on selfish interests.’’

TheNation

Have They Shamelessly Sold Igbo Presidency For N5 Billion Naira? By Obinna Akukwe

By Obinna Akukwe

It is obvious to informed political strategists that the Igbos have schemed themselves out of possible presidency for 2015 for a probable paltry sum of N5billion naira (subsidy thieves stole N1.7 billion naira). Since the Ohaneze crisis started in February 2012, various versions of how much was released to the body through various guise, means and reasons was rife. A news media (247ureports ) reported that ’’ Jonathan’s  N5billion bribe tears Ohaneze Apart ‘’and went on to publish together with another media site ( Elombah)  one of the secret bank accounts used to siphon the funds, but since the South East Governors set up a committee to look into the matter, facts before them suggested that the amount surpasses the N5 billion reported in the news. Some Committee members were availed of some  secret account including the Diamond Bank account where over N275 million naira was withdrawn over a period of about two years without the knowledge of Ohaneze Secretariat. Informed sources have explained that the South East Governors were shocked when they realized that the presidency have been bombarding Ohaneze with cash, contracts and businesses and some Reconciliation Committee Members were so ashamed that they buried their heads in  and sought an exit strategy. That is why a two-week assignment turned to over eight weeks and was concluded just before the Easter week. Their assignment is likened to a doctor called to cure malaria  fever only to discover that the patient had acute Hepatitis B and needs complicated medication.

Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma , at the peak of the Ohaneze crisis , put a call through to Governor Peter Obi, and asked what Igbo Governors were doing to checkmate the spiraling crisis. Peter Obi responded by scheduling a meeting of the five South East Governors at Government House, Enugu, and they responded within 24 hours to deliberate on the matter. The five governors of the South East set up 11 man committee to look into the Ohaneze crisis after the controversial January 2013 elections, unify the aggrieved chieftains and make Ohaneze stronger. The committee members include Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, Rev Prof Obiora Ike, Senator Uche Chukwumerije, Senator Ben Obi, Prof Joe Irukwu, Hon Ohuabunwa and  among others, but the extent of shit oozing from the place was such that even the Governors were reluctant to call for speedy conclusion of the report.

Among the revelations which shocked them, though not new to the informed observers was that the Ime Obi meeting of Ohaneze was called only four times throughout the four year tenure of the immediate past leadership. Ime Obi meeting is like the council of elders and they hold monthly meetings during which they review situations that concerns Igbos with a view to taking appropriate positions. The aggrieved parties alleged that the organization was run front Asaba without due consultations to forestall any attempt for Igbos to rally in pursuit of common agenda.

Another revelation was that the past leadership had audience with President Goodluck Jonathan 21 times and there was no infrastructure in Igbo land to show for the meetings. They alleged that he never attended any of the meetings with President Jonathan in the company of any member of Ime Obi nor member of the National Executive Council, therefore nobody knows whether Igbo interest is being sold during the meetings. However, the immediate past president Ambassador Ralph Uwechue had countered that the president had always requested to see only himself and as such he cannot be expected to carry crowd to the Sate House.

The committee were told that all the monies collected on behalf of the group was never lodged into the account and that the organization as at the time of swearing in of new executives, had less than N100,000 naira in the account. They were informed that if not for the magnanimity of Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State who came to the rescue of Ohaneze with N2million naira , the elections would not have held, wandering why the deliberate starving of funds to the organs when the members know that Ohaneze had excess cash in secret accounts. The committee was told that the reason for the starvation of funds was to frustrate a free and fair election and impose some presidency anointed candidates on the Igbos .Uwechue  countered the starvation of funds argument by explaining that he personally released N1million naira to the body for conduct of the said election , describing the taunted intervention of Orji as a blackmail.

The committee members were told that there was never any agreement between President Jonathan and Ohaneze that the former will support an Igbo man for president either in 2015 or 2019 and that Ohaneze’s blind endorsement of Jonathan 2015 is motivated by personal and business interests and they revealed some multi billion naira business interests of some Ohaneze Chieftains championing Jonathan 2015 projects.

The committee members also discovered that the presidential aide on Subsidy Reinvestment Programme, Nze Akachukwu Nwankpa was not acting alone in the bribery scandal. They were told that some people, who returned their bribe cheques issued through a proxy company, were given cash equivalent of between $120,000-150,000 dollars to shut up their mouth while Igbo interests is being sold. Nze Akachukwu on his own part have threatened to expose anybody that tries to drag his name to the mud and reportedly told some Igbo elders that  he did everything with the consent of Ohaneze leadership.

Ambasador Uwechue had always maintained that the Ohaneze foundation was run by the Akachukwu in concert with the past publicity secretary, Chief Ralph Ndigwe, who was managing the Ikenga Express fleet of buses and that he was denied vital information and access to the funds. That was his submission to the earlier committee set up by Ohaneze to investigate the matter and that was the stance he maintained while speaking  with some members of the committee.

The committee was told that the new leadership of Ohaneze has already foreclosed any support for Igbo presidency in 2015. The statement by the Ohaneze spokesman Prince Tonnie Ogonna that  ” If President Jonathan declines to run in 2015, it then makes it quicker for the Igbo. The bottom line is that Ohanaeze supports Jonathan in whatever decision he takes in 2015”  was tendered as evidence that the new leadership have sold off without any concrete agreement. This stance of the new Ohaneze leadership is already yielding dividends of financial transformation for some members.

Some Committees members, together with the Governors were disappointed that all the hues and cries that Ohaneze lacked funding was all lies and that Ohaneze was swimming in billions. Some of them expressed disappointment that the group had acquiesced to the President Jonathan second term agenda cheaply while others believe that Ohaneze is in order.

Governor Martins Elechi of Ebonyi State felt slighted that a president was elected for Ohaneze from his state and he was not allowed to either make input. He demanded a new election whereby according to the Ohaneze constitution, three persons must be presented from the state from which the General Convention can chose one.

The Committee had concluded its reports, however, informed sources revealed that while Governors Obi and Orji of Anambra and Abia States respectively are in support of the continuation of the present executives, Okorocha and Elechi favours fresh elections . It is expected that the Governors will harmonize their positions and probably appease the aggrieved parties.

Whichever way it goes, through acts of sabotage, it is obvious that Igbo presidency has been sold and those expecting the Igbo to preside over Nigeria  in 2015 should blame their leaders for sacrificing their desting for paltry appeasement of a few billions.

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Obinna Akukwe
Profetobinna2@yahoo.com