FG terminates Amnesty Program Over 6000 Niger Deltan Students Expelled From Foreign University

Authorities of foreign universities have started delisting Niger Delta students on Federal Gov ernment scholarship abroad over the failure of government to pay their fees. This was disclosed by the President, Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide, Mr. Udengs Eradiri, who raised the alarm over the plight of over 6,000 Niger Delta students on Federal Government’s scholarships in some foreign universities. Eradiri, stated this at a news conference on Tuesday in Yenagoa, appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari and other well meaning Nigerians to wade into the matter to save the students. According to him, the students’ plight was compounded by the vacuum in the Presidential Amnesty Programme because of absence of an administrator for the programme, adding that the amnesty programme had of recent been beset with a lot of bureaucratic bottlenecks due to absence of an administrator. He appealed to President Buhari to appoint an administrator for the programme or do whatever he could with “the executive power he wields to ensure that somebody begins to take responsibility in that office”, adding that he had been under intense pressure in trying to maintain the peace in the region because stipends to ex-agitators had not been paid for the last two months. Eradiri disclosed that he and other Ijaw leaders had been appealing for calm and for them not to take to the streets, nor go back to the creeks, stressing that they had been appealing to them to give President Buhari an opportunity to run government. “I want to use this opportunity to call on the Niger Delta leaders, well meaning Nigerians and President Muhammadu Buhari to the fact that the cause of the vacuum in the presidential amnesty programme is as a result of the change in leadership. “It has begun to tell on the lives of our young ones that are undergoing university training as a result of the amnesty programme in various countries – America, United Kingdom, London, South Africa and other African countries where we have young Nigerians. “These young Nigerians who are undergoing education and training scattered round the world, because of the bureaucratic nature of the programme, the funding used to be month by month, most of the upkeep of the students is usually on a monthly basis. “But for two months now, the students have not been paid; the financial obligations to the institutions have not been met and so we heard the shocking news that some of the institutions have started delisting some of the students studying there. “As for the UK, we know that rents are paid monthly and when the stipends are paid, these students also pay their rent. As I speak to you, a lot of them now are being thrown out of their accommodation; they are all on the streets.” Eradiri said the matter was getting to a breaking point where they could no longer hold the youths back because “we have been doing that with just the word of mouth and the goodwill we enjoy as leaders. But when government fails to do their own part, then very unfortunately, we will not be able to maintain the peace as it was in the last few months.”

News Flash BUhari Lead Government Demolished Igbo Owned Ladipo Market In Lagos

News Flash: Buhari led Government Demolished The Popular Igbo owned Ladipo Market

Some armed men and officials suspected to be working for Mushin Local Government and supported by a team of policemen on Tuesday morning invaded Ladipo Auto Spare Parts Market and demolished shops in the market.
During the demolition exercise, the traders were barred from entering the market in Mushin, Lagos State, western Nigeria, to remove their goods from the shops.
The armed men were battle ready to forestall any resistance from the traders as the demolition was going on.
Traders were also not allowed to get near the entrance into the market as tipper lorries were seen taking sand and gravel into the market to commence work after the demolition.
The chairman of the market and president of the central market union, Comrade Kingsley Ogunor said he was not informed before they came for the demolition which threw the entire market into confusion.
In front of the market gate was a banner placed by those suspected to be behind the demolition with the inscription: Proposed Commercial Development of Mushin, Lagos.
It was also written on the banner that Mushin Local Government in conjunction with a developer known as Total Value Integrated Services Limited is to commence building a modern plaza market in place of the present stalls being demolished.
Roofs at Ladipo market removed
Roofs at Ladipo market removed
The duration for the completion of the project is 18 months.
When our reporter visited the market Tuesday morning, some of the traders expressed their surprise over the development and said they were not given any notice, neither was there any court judgment asking them to vacate the stalls.
At the time of this report, the traders had started protesting over the demolition and had moved to the Mushin Council secretariat to complain about what they alleged as illegal demolition.
When our reporter visited the council, the council secretary, Mr Babajide Bello was not around to comment on the matter.
Traders locked outside the market as demolition going on at Ladipo market
Traders locked outside the market as demolition going on at Ladipo market
The information officer, Mr Akin Akinwunmi was not also around and did not pick calls at the time of this report.
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Greater Igbo Nation Anambra Is Ancestral Home Of The Igalas

Anambra is ancestral home of the Igalas.

It was Professor Anta Diop of Senegal who observed that ethnic groups often do not realize the extent to which they share kinship with the language, culture, traditions and historical socio-political structures, evolved by communities they have come to view as rivals. Indeed ethnic groups tend to see themselves as self-enclosed communities. But as an example are the Luluas of Kenya aware of their kingship with the Luluas of Senegal?
By the same token how many of us in Nigeria are aware that Anambra State is the ancestral home of the Igalas, Ngwas, Jukuns and Binis? Yet it remains historically true that Anambra State is the birth place of the founding fathers of Bendel, Imo and Benue States. Hence in language classification these separated people speak a common language which forms part of Kwa group of West African languages.

From Archeological discoveries at Ugwuele near Okigwe dating their existence to some ages follows that the Igbos were descendants of the first men of earth now traced to the Oduvai Gorge in East Africa. In historical literature, the Igbos, originally known as Iduus had their territorial distribution covering South west of the African continent later converging at the whole of the low lying land mass North and South of the Niger and Benue river confluence, down the Niger and Anambra River basins right down to the Niger Delta and westward to River Okpara beyond Lagos as shown in Rev. Johnson’s map in his history of the Yorubas. Later the low land dwellers were characterized as the Olu and the highlanders as the Igbo.

Tradition
Waves of migratrants led by Eri settled at Anambra River basin, establishing the ancient Iduu Ime KINGDOM at Aguleri. Historical traditions relate that his progenitors included Agulu and Menri (from who were descended the Nri), Igbo, Igala, Oba (whose descendants were the Binis) Enuike and a daughter, Ulu-uwa. 
Igbo, an itinerant missionary acquired large Iduu followers who became known as Igbo people thus losing their Iduu identity just as followers of Christ are called Christians whether they came from Rome, London or Bonn.
Eris other descendant Menri established a priestly kingdom at Nri known for purification ceremonies and coronation of tributary of Iduu Ime kingdom. Hence, the Eze Nri Obalike (Nri kings (1989-1935) in the first decade of the 20th century told the Government Anthropologist, Northcote Thomas, that the area subject to him was Iduu.

On the same matter Lawton wrote:
“A marked feature of this (Nri) tribe is its hostility to the European, natural enough, when it is remembered that prior to the British, the Obalike was Eze Nri and crowned the kings of Benin and presided over all the religious observation of surrounding peoples”.

It was the tradition that coronation titles were usually conferred on tributary kings by the ancestral Iduu Ime kingdom which also assigned to each a General as head of the palace guards. Hence in honour of their ancestor, Atta the ruler of Igala was titled Atta of Igala. The founders of Benin were the descendants of Oba Eri whose habitation was UgwuOgodo where exists today, the Ogodo spring in Umuleri, near Aguleri. Hence the Binis in modem times still trace their ancestry of “Igodo” a corruption of Ogodo, an Igbo word for elevated place. Hence the first king of Benin, Iweka (anglicized to Eweka) was titled Oba in honour of their ancestor, Oba Eri. Eweka is English spelling of Iweka just as the letter E in England is pronounced I, This name Iweka an Igbo name in full means Iweka n’uno. It reflected the internal feud at the time the-would-be king was born. His second name was Edoziuno, Edo for short, meaning peace maker, thus was derived Edo Kingdom.

The name Benin itself was a corruption of the Igbo words. 'llo obi inu', meaning a place of bitter mindedness, again reflecting the quarrelsomeness of the people at that time over kingship disputes. To the first Benin king was assigned General Ado from Iduu Ime as head of his palace guards. According to the tradition of the people, Egbunike, the founding father of the Ogbunikes has three brothers, Awkuzu, Umuleri and Nando and a sister, Nwonicha. General Ado who was assigned to the Oba of Benin, married Nwonicha and the marriage resulted in such progenies as Onitsha Ado, Ado Ekiti etc.

Background
The Marriage formed the basis of the link between Ogbunike and Onitsha, thus giving the historical background to the Igbo adage which says: “Afuzi Onicha, Ogbunike ewelu,” meaning in the absence of Onitsha, Ogbunike takes its turn. When therefore Eze Chima, a descendant of General Ado in his flight with others, first from Benin, then from Agbor, named his son Onitsha, in honour of their maternal ancestors, and established Onitsha Ugbo and Onitsha Olona and the entire Umu Ezechima being referred to as Onitsha Ado, the origin of nomenclature cannot therefore be in serious doubt.

The Igalas who are descendants of Atta Eri had their ancestral home in Aguleri in the area of Ama Atta (Atta-in-the-fields). Igala was said to be the father of Ikem and was reputed to have such descendants as Omor, Omasi and Umuneke. The Ikems had sometimes settled in Umukete Agukeri, whose descendants were supposed to be the Ikem of Nando, Ikems in Nsukka, Ikems in Onitsha and other areas.

It is relevant to note that in a preliminary statement on the excavation made in Aguleri by the Department of History and Archaeology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Dr. F.N. Anozie said that the excavation took place at a site known as “Okpuno Igala”; and that is known to everybody including school children in Aguleri as a deserted Igala settlement. He said, there were sites with walls, one deserted and the other still inhabited by a group of Aguleri people, who during the author’s filed work in the area said they had blood relations with the Igalas. At the approach is the Ama Atta which seemed to have once been a village square. Almost at the centre of the enclosure is a mound known as “Ukpo eze” (kings throne” and North –East of the mound is the Owelle Atta (toilet area) and Ajo Agu Atta (cemetery).

The present Umukete people in Aguleri who claim blood relationship with the Igala people have their village walled, and traces of the wall could still be seen today. When an elderly man from this group was asked by excavators from the University the relationship between them and the Igalas, he said that the father of Igala and Igbo were sons of the same parents and that whenever anybody from Umukete went to Idah he normally would go to greet the Atta or the King. The greeting usually went as follows: “Ata abikibo bie takata bie Igala” which translates the lgbo saying that “Igbo is senior to Atta and Atta begot lgala. This is also reflected in the lgbo saying that: lgbo mulu Atta, mana Atta mulu lgala.” This oneness of lgbo and lgala is also reflected in lgbo adage which says “Alusi lgbo jebe mbana, obulu, alusi obodo lgala” which interprets that the spirits of lgbo-land in transit constitutes the spirit of lgalaland. Those who still doubt the common ancestry of lgbo and lgala could refresh their memory with this popular lgbo adage which says, “ Egbusia lgbo nine, lgbo afodukwa na lgala”, meaning even if all lgbos are wiped out of existence, the lgbos still remain in lgalaland. As with lgala, so is ldoma, who still have remnants of ancestors of ldoma community in Aguleri.

Aku was the fourth son of Agulu whose pregnancy were the Jukuns. The Jukuns as a result of their assertion of their monarchical sovereignty moved North-East of the Middle Belt area. They adopted a kingship tradition that is based on the lgbo abuana (puffada) life cycle. As the puff ada is said never gives birth naturally, but that the young ones bores through its mother which dies in process, the Jukuns kings live very short lives, dying untimely after about seven years when there are signs of maturity of a successor.
The Jukuns greet their kings after his coronation as Agaba Iduu meaning” Iduu Field Marshal whereas in their ancestral lduu land, Agaba Iduu does not refer to the king but to a war lord. Traditionally, the Jukun king’s title is Annum Agaba or Ojogwu Oji Agaba. The Jukun separation from Iduu kingship tradition followed the battle of Nando waged against their relations, the Aguleries. It ended in the Jukuns settling up coronation spot in Wukari. Thus the Nandos in Wukari, in the Middle Belt are presumed to be relations to Ikem, son of lgala in Benue State, and the Nandos in the present Anambra Local Government Area.

The war of succession from lduu Kingdom was initiated by the Oba of Benin known in lgbo historical literature as Agha lduu na Oba. (war of the lduu and Oba). It was a protracted war that touched most lgbo areas. It was intensified when the Benins acquired arms from the Portuguese. Then followed the war of secession of lgala initiated by the Atta. General Ogbe the son of Ajide attacked him at ldah, and was supported by General Udenze who controlled the Anam riverine area. Onoja Nwoboli left Aguleri and joined the lgalas because he was one of the remnants of the lgala descendants still at their Aguleri ancestral home.

Disturbances        
General Onoja was stopped at Ogurugu from pushing Southward by General Enewelue who founded the Anyamelum area and part of Nsukka districts. But some remnant of lgala at Aguleri loyal to Atta created disturbances at their Aguleri ancestral home which made a section of Okpuno Nri, to move in a hysteria of haste to the present Imo State where they settled as Ngwas, a name reflecting the nature of the hurry (ngwa ngwa) with which they fled.
Okpuno Nris were made up of Okpu-enu, Okpuana and Aro. From the Okpuno dynasty came Disi Nri whose descendants founded Abacha named after their leader, Ikendu Abacheleku, in the present Idemili Local Government Area. There the principal village is Umudisi. Their ancestral home is Umudisi village at Ikenga Aguleri. Of the Okpuno elements comprising Okpuenu, Okpuana and Aro, the Okpuana people during the lgala disturbances left in a hurry hence their present settlement is known as Okpuala Ngwa. In remembrance of their ancestral structure and traditions during the Annual get-together of the Ngwas of Okpuala, they usually went on a pilgrimage to Okpuno Ngwa.

Traders, Artisans To Shut Anambra Today As FG Relocates 40 Boko Haram To Anambra

As a rsult of an allged relocation of about 40 Boko Haram detainees from the Northern zone of the country to Ekwulobia prisons in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra state, last Sunday, traders in the state, under the aegis of Anambra Markets Amalgamated Traders Association ( AMATAS ) and artisans, yesterday, vowed to stage what they termed as ‘mother of all’ protests today against the relocation exercise. Disclosing this in a telephone interview, Publicity Secretary of AMATAS, Dede Uzor A. Uzor said since the federal government had refused to feel the pulse of the Anambra people last Saturday who closed markets in the state in protest against the move to relocate the prisoners and gone head to relocate the prisoners, traders and other stakeholders had concluded arrangements to stage a mother of all protests today. Uzor, however, noted that markets would not be closed in today’s protest like that of last Saturday, adding that as time progressed they would fashion out more ways to tackle the idea because, ccording to him, instead of keeping the prisoners in Abuja prisons where there is adequate security, government deliberately decided to relocate them to Aguata prisons where there was less security network.They expressed the fear that with the prisoners inside Aguata prison, Boko haram members could capitalize on that to relocate to the Eastern part of the country and begin to launch violent attacks on the peaceful people of the East. Asked to comment on the development, leader of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike declined comments, saying that those who were in support of one Nigeria should be in a better position to do the reaction by themselves. Uwazuruike said: “From the onset, MASSOB did not believe in one Nigeria but many others like Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Governors believe in one Nigeria and it is their responsibility now to comment on it. If I say it is not good to relocate them it will be an over statement and if I say it is good, it will be an under statement but I want those who believe in one Nigeria to know that those prisoners are being relocated to any part of the same Nigeria, not outside Nigeria. However, MASSOB’s Deputy National Director of Information, Mazi Chris Mocha in an SMS text, warned that if they hear any sound of bomb blast, as a result of this relocation exercise, they would retaliate with immediate effect because according to him, no particular group or sect had the monopoly of throwing bombs or causing violence. .As at yesterday, there were conflicting reports of the actual number of prisoners that were relocated to Aguata prisons. Some said they were 40, while others said they were 47 but all efforts to get the true position from the prisons officials proved abortive as all of them maintained sealed lips. On how the relocation idea was muted, security forces explained that the development was just an implementation of the existing federal government’s radicalization programme whereby violent criminals were radicalized and relocated to other prison custodies, a programme created under the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA.

Breaking Soldiers Escort First Batch Of Dreaded Boko Haram Convicts To Anambra

Heavily armed soldiers last night escorted at least 47 dreaded Boko Haram convicts to Anambra State and moved them straight to Ekwuobia Prison, a report from the area said.

The action was taken despite the outcry that greeted the plan, including the strong opposition of Governor Willie Obiano and protests by Anambra traders, who shut their markets over the issue on Saturday.

Ekwulobia is not a maximum security prison and there are strong fears that the presence of the terrorists might attract attacks from the Islamist terrorists who have made parts of Nigeria’s Muslim-dominated North-East virtually ungovernable since 2009.

Security Agents Comb South East For Operators Of Radio Biafra

Security agents comb S/East for operators of Radio Biafra Mystery as Nigerian, Wale Oginni, dies in Catawba River, North Carolina Newsflash: Buhari traces looted funds to UK, Switzerland, others Saraki lectures APC leaders • Says party's position on senate leadership against parliamentary conventions • Plot to sack Oyegun thickens • Forces root for Amaechi as replacement Mother, Rotimi beg Emmanuel Adebayor for forgiveness Security agents comb S/East for operators of Radio Biafra Click to learn more... Security agents in the country are currently combing the entire South East to track down the source of Radio Biafra broadcasts and possibly apprehend all those behind the station. Already, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has described Radio Biafra as a pirate radio station and accused it of transmitting seditious and divisive content, contrary to the provisions of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code and the law. Reports have it that listeners to the radio station which airs on 104.7 FM cut across age and political leanings. It was reported that the radio station criticised all past and present presidents, including President Muhammadu Buhari. Even the leader of the Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, was not left out as the station described him as a sell out, while referring to Nigeria territory as zoo. However, Awwalu Salihu, who is the director in charge of public affairs at the NBC urged citizens to ignore the inflammatory content of the broadcasts and continue to work towards a strong, united and prosperous nation. He said, "The National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, has become aware of a pirate radio station transmitting seditious and divisive content contrary to the provisions of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code and the law. "The Commission wishes to assure the public that it is working in conjunction with security forces to track the source of the broadcasts and possibly apprehend all those behind the station. "The Commission further urges Nigerians to ignore the inflammatory content of the broadcasts and continue to work towards a strong, united and prosperous nation," he said. Meanwhile, indications emerged that the station has been on air for years now without successful efforts to put it off the airways. Sunday Tribune gathered that the fact that the station, which also streams on the internet, has been around for years and gained appeal among the people of the region.

North Set To Take Over NNPC

Barely 48 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari dissolved the board of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), intense lobby has begun to fill the positions of the Group Managing Director (GMD) and those of Executive Directors, Daily Sun has learnt. Eight new structures are being proposed for the corporation and it is already awaiting the approval of the President. It was further gathered that there was likely to be further sweeping changes at NNPC, a development, Daily Sun further learnt, may lead to the sack of other Managing Directors and General Managers. As part of measures aimed at ensuring a smooth take-off of the proposed new structures, some highly placed northerners from the core northern states are already strategizing to fill existing vacancies, while other “qualified” officers from the North-Central, South-West, South-East and South-South geo-political zones, would be “pushed to obscure departments and positions.” So far, Daily Sun further gathered, three names from the North-West and North-East zones are believed to have been penciled down for consideration and possible approval for the position of Group Managing Director (GMD) of the NNPC. The three persons are: Malam Isa Inuwa from Kano State, Dr. M. K. Baru, Bauchi and Alhaji Sa’adi Farouk, Sokoto State. Dr. Baru is a former Group General Manager of NAPIMS, a subsidiary of the NNPC, while Malam Inuwa, whose background is in Accounting, is the Deputy Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) just as Alhaji Farouk, had served as Group Executive director (GED) Exploration Production of the NNPC. A source said some powerful forces from the North close to the Presidency that include a governor of one of the North-Western states, is said to be leading the trio of Malam Sarki Abba, Adamu Adamu and AVM Muktar in lobbying Aso Rock Villa to approve the new structure and appointment of one of the three nominees. But other contenders, who though are not from the North are: Oando’s Mofe Boyo, Chief Pius Akinyelu, a former Executive Director at Mobil, Boyo Ibirogba, Mr Udom Inoyo, a former Director at Mobil and former Minister of Works, Christopher Aigbovbiosa Ogiemwonyi, who was GED at the NNPC and the current GED Gas, Mr. Ige. A document obtained by Daily Sun showed that the positions to be headed by Northerners are: Group Executive Director, Capital, NLNG, NGC, NIDAS; MD NETCO; MD NNPC Shipping; MD Retail and MD Pension. Efforts to get the comments of Mr. Ohi Alegbe, GM Corporate Affairs, NNPC proved abortive. When he was called, he sent and SMS saying he was in a meeting. An SMS sent to him demanding his response was not replied.

Anambra Government Kick Against Planned Relocation Of Boko Haram Prisoners To The State

PRESS STATEMENT
THE PLANNED RELOCATION OF BOKO HARAM CONVICTS TO ANAMBRA PRISONS
SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT
The attention of the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano has been drawn to the mischievous speculations on the social media that the planned relocation of some Boko Haram convicts to some prisons in Anambra State was done with his tacit approval and endorsement. I wish to categorically dismiss these speculations, hearsay and beer parlour banters as fundamentally untrue and should be disregarded by Nigerians.
Hard Facts
The fact is that when governor Obiano got wind of the planned relocation of these high risk prisoners to Anambra State, he quickly swung into action and contacted the relevant authorities to seek clarifications on the matter after which he raised several objections to the plan.
Among Governor Obiano’s many objections are -
That Anambra has been one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria in the past one year under his watch and that the arrival of these radical elements in any part of the state would disrupt this peace and lead to a new regime of a different kind of fear in the state.
That Ekwulobia Prisons is not a Maximum Security Prison. It is therefore not suitable as holding place for convicted terrorists. Global experiences show that terrorists and terror suspects are kept in strongly fortified and isolated places. A good example is the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp where the US keeps high-risk terror suspects and convicts which is a military facility, located away from the people. Ekwulobia Prisons does not fit into this category of detention facilities.
That Ekwulobia Prisons has a capacity to hold 85 inmates. At the moment, there are 135 inmates in the prison. Therefore, there is no space for new prisoners. The acute shortage of space presents a high possibility for the radicalization of other inmates by the Boko Haram convicts. 
That unlike other locations where the terror-convicts are held in sparsely populated areas which makes their isolation from the people easy, Ekwulobia is a densely populated town. There is a very high risk of contact between these radical prisoners and the civilian population with an avoidable danger.
That the relocation of these prisoners to Anambra may not have paid adequate attention to the sensibilities of the country, especially the fact that some ethnic populations have suffered the most from the activities of these convicts across the North.
Governor Obiano’s efforts to establish this understanding and achieve a speedy and peaceful resolution of the matter went to the highest authorities. He was given assurances that the matter would be looked into with a view to resolving it with dispatch.
With these assurances he worked assiduously to ensure that there was no breakdown of law and order during the peaceful demonstration staged by traders across the state on Saturday, June 27, 2015 against the relocation of the inmates. Since the demonstration, Governor Obiano has continued to engage the relevant authorities on behalf of Ndi Anambra to ensure an amicable resolution of the issue.
He therefore urges Ndi Anambra and Ndigbo in general to remain calm and avoid anything that might lead to a breach of the peace as the matter is being resolved at the highest level.
Thank you
James Eze 
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media

NewsFlash!!Plan To Relocate Boko Haram Prisoners To Onitsha Thousands Of Youths Protesting Now

Massive Prostest In Onitsha: Over A Million Youths Took To The Streets.

seems their is a plan to relocate Boko haram prisoners to Onitsha this have caused some outrage when the news get into town . the popular main market was shut down as the traders protest against the move More than a Million youths have taken to the street as commercial activities has been halted... I keep hearing "No to Boko-haram prisoners" One President Buhari billboard has been pulled down... The type of hold-up at Onitsha-Owerri express road is alarming. I'm confused, I really can't explain what is going on exactly...

New Fg Policy Onitsha Bridge Head Drug Market To Shut down July 1st

This new policy by the federal Government will completely shut down the Onitsha Head Bridge market one of the biggest open drug market in Africa with a total of 5000 shops and over 10,000 traders will be out of their business.
In order to ensure organised drug distribution system in the country, the federal government will on July 1 commence the implementation of the National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDGs)

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health, Linus Awute stated this at a press conference on Friday in Abuja adding that regulatory agencies like the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) and NAFDAC will on that date resume the exercise of their mandate to ensure full compliance.

He said “We are hopeful that the existence of open drug markets in the country will be a thing of the past as the drug distribution system of the country has remained uncoordinated, chaotic and has resulted in the circulation of fake, adulterated, substandard and counterfeit drugs.

According to Awute, this chaotic drug distribution posed a very big challenge to th

e pharmaceutical sector in particular and the federal government in general, considering the negative impact the situation had on the entire healthcare delivery system of the country.

LEADERSHIP recalls that in order to address the ugly situation, the federal government established the Presidential Committee on Pharmaceutical Sector Reform and charged it among others to develop a strategy towards the institutionalisation of a well ordered drug distribution system.

The strategies adopted by the committee to achieve this include the development of the National Drug Distribution Guidelines in 2010 to provide guidance for drug distribution.

Mr Awute said “The launch of the document in 2012 signalled the take-off of its implementation while the deadline was for the establishment of State Drug Distribution Centres (SDDCs) by the state governments and Mega Drug Distribution Centres (MDDSs) by the private sector was declared on 30th June, 2014.

“The deadline was, however, extended to 30th June, 2015 to allow more time for the establishment of more SDDCs and MDDCs.”

He explained that as the new deadline date has drown near, it was imperative to remind stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector and Nigerians so they would commence the full implementation of the National Drug Distribution Guidelines.

He said that state governments were allowed to upgrade their medical stores to the level of SDDCs, adding that states like Jigawa, Niger, and Ekiti had already commenced the implementation of the guidelines while Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Anambra SDDCs were ready for take-off.

He added that other developed MDDs structures included the Arsene Laboratory, World Wide Ventures and the Onitsha Mega Drug Distribution Centre waiting commissioning, even as the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria was supporting the establishment of ultra-logistics company with ongoing structures of the MDDCs in the six geopolitical zones of the country.

the Rise Of Radio Biafra Nigerians React On Twitter

Re: Radio Biafra Now Trending On Twitter. (pics) by Eugenedimgba(m): 8:52am

These last two are meant to humour you... (Quote) (Report) (Like) (Share)

The Great Perpendicular lines between the Igbos and the Hebrews

Two lines that intersect and form right angles are called perpendicular lines. The symbol ⊥ is used to denote perpendicular lines. In Figure , line l ⊥ line m.

It have become very obvious that the Igbos have a lot of similarity with the Jews of Israel , a careful study of the two culture, norms and values draw same trait that must be genetically connected .

Even in terms of historical experience they both share a lot in common . we shall focus on constructing a mathematical equilibrium between the Igbos of Nigeria and the Hebrews of Israel.

                                             THE NAME

 It is note worthy to emphasis that igbo have diverse way of pronouncing it and some of the most ancient way of pronouncing the name is EBOE , EBO , IBO HEBOE and as recent as 1960s it was pronounced and written as IGBO/HIGBO.

From this simple name mathematics we can safely deducted that HEBREW and HEBOE share same name pronunciation in spite of the difference in spelling which is understandable.

However, this research is not exclusively limited to name we are going to also study the cultural ,customs and historical norms.

Historically, the  Jews suffered one of the most worst genocide in human history with the massacre of over 6 million under the Nazi Germany similarly, the Igbos also suffered the greatest genocide in Africa with the lost of over 3 million people during the Nigeria Biafra war of 1967-1970, this is a gruesome and devastating lost of human live and dignity

The igbos are great travelers and business men and women just like their Israeli brothers so in practical terms the most hard working Enterprising tribe in Africa are the igbos . they have suffered the glory and suffering same with the Jews.

There is a widespread belief among Igbos — the third-largest ethnic group in Nigeria — that they are descendants of the tribes of Israel. Many of them are passionately Zionist. Their precise number among the 175 million people in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is not certain, but ranges somewhere between 60 and 65 million.

Their claim to a Jewish lineage and their support for Israel are interesting in and of themselves, but even more fascinating is that during the last 30 years or so there has also been a movement among some Igbos to match their tradition of Jewish descent with the practice of rabbinic Judaism, the learning of Hebrew, and the fostering of connections with Jews abroad.

To Igbo Jews, the Jewish practices they have begun embracing in the past few decades are not those of a foreign religion or culture, but rather their own. They see themselves as ba’ale teshuvah: Jews returning to Judaism and to the traditional observances of their ancestors, which were lost due to the Igbos’ long exile from the Land of Israel and due to the introduction of Christianity to Igboland.

This view is enlarged upon by Dr. Caliben I.O. Michael, head of the OBGI Israel Heritage Foundation and its Abuja synagogue, in his 2011 “Our Roots: Igbo Israel Heritage.”

“The Igbo nation is part of Israel,” Caliben affirms, despite its widespread loss of Jewish practice. He chose to name his foundation OBGI, which is Igbo spelled backwards, in part to indicate that Igbos “are no longer what we used to be.” European and Christian influences have altered Igbo society, he contends, and its members must now “rejuvenate the latent/dormant Hebrew souls of the Igbos to reflect their real essence.”

The Torah ark in Abuja’s largest Igbo synagogue, Gihon, is flanked by the flags of Nigeria and Israel. On one of the synagogue’s walls, prominently displayed beside framed artwork depicting the Ten Commandments, is a handwritten English prayer: “Grant us the privilege to worship you in Yerushalayim [i.e., Jerusalem].”

Igbo Jews hope one day soon to be able make pilgrimages to Israel. In their efforts to assert their Judaism and Jewish identity in Nigeria, they look to the Jews of Israel for inspiration and solidarity.

Ifeduba ThankGod T ( A political scientist Bsc writes in from Anambra state. Nigeria)

     

Great Igbo Innovators Dr Chukwuma Innocent Owner Of Innoson Motors

Innocent Chukwuma; Innoson; Billionaire; Entrepreneur; Anambra State Celebrity.

Dr. Innocent Ifediaso Chukwuma, popularly known as Innoson is the Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing Co. Ltd, the first indigenous vehicle manufacturing plant in Nigeria. He was born in 1961 in Umudim, Nnewi,in  Anambra State. He is the last of six children born to Mr. and Mrs.
Chukwuma Mojekwu of Uru-Umudim Nnewi, in Anambra State. After his education, he started trading in spare parts under the name Innoson Nigeria Ltd in 1981. His company is next  after Leventis and Boulos Enterprises in assembling branded motorcycles in the country.

Dr. Chukwuma loves playing tennis as a form of relaxation and he is married to Mrs. Ebele Chukwuma and they are blessed with children.

His business has expanded into four manufacturing companies namely: Innoson Nigeria Limited Nnewi, manufacturers of motorcycles, tri-cycles, spare parts and accessories; Innoson Tech. & Industries Co. Ltd Enugu, manufacturers of Household and Industrial Plastics, Health & Safety accessories, Storage containers, Fixtures & Fittings, Electrical components & accessories; Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) Nnewi, manufacturers of Capacity City bus, Mini & Midi buses, Pick-Up trucks and Garbage Collecting vehicles; General Tyres & Tubes Co. Ltd Enugu, manufacturers of Tyres and Tubes.

The vehicles in IVM fleet range from cars, trucks, SUVs, compactors, etc . Presently, the company has made in-road into some African countries such as Ghana, Sierra Leone, Chad, Niger, Togo.

As the first indigenous motor manufacturing company in Nigeria, he says he wanted to prove that Nigerians can do it. This he says has been proved. According to him, the inspiration to go into vehicle manufacturing was drawn from a desire to see Nigerians drive new cars.  According to him in an interview with Vanguard he says “Nigeria has become a dumping ground for second hand cars. I know it was the high price of new vehicles that made Nigerians resort to patronising old vehicles, but since we decided to manufacture the vehicles here, the price is affordable, and our people can drive new vehicles again,”

When the car manufacturing company began, he faced a lot of challenges because some people felt it will not work, but today, he is the first black man to embark on such a venture.

Due to his group of manufacturing companies, he has ensured employment of more than 7,400 Nigerians who work in the company’s factory and are all on his payroll.

Due to his outstanding contributions to the development of Nigeria, he has been given several awards both locally, Nationally and internationally.

In November, 2013, Innoson was made Deputy Chairman, Board of Trustees, National Coalition for Jonathan/Sambo Presidency.  He was made the honorary Life Vice President of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines & Agriculture (NACCIMA) on November 23, 2013; Ambassador for Peace by St. Andrews Anglican Church, Trans Ekulu, Enugu, April, 2012; Entrepreneur of the Year by Wesley University of Science and Technology, Akure, Ondo State, March 2012.

He was also given the Most Outstanding Indigenous Entrepreneur in the Manufacturing Sector by Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA) in January 2012; National Council Member, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria.

He was Conferred  the National Honour of the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) on November 2011 by His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan; Awarded Doctorate Degree in Business Administration (DBA) by Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu in November 2011 amongst several other awards.

During an interview with vanguard, he recalls how the whole success story started. This is what he said: “I started as a small business man dealing on spare parts at Nnewi. At that time, people were bringing only second hand motorcycles to Nigeria, and I felt there should be a way to reduce the price of the new ones, so that people will be interested enough to buy new ones, rather than the second hand motorcycles.

“I travelled overseas and found out that there were four companies importing motorcycles into Nigeria. First was Leventis that was bringing the Honda brand, the second company was Yamaco that was bringing Yamaha, the other company was Bolus that was bringing Suzuki and the fourth was CFAO that was bringing moblet.

“These were the companies that were dealing on motorcycle in Nigeria, and my company was the next one. So when I went there, I discovered that when they brought the motorcycles in crate and each crate contained one motorcycle which took a lot of space and you can put about 40 units in one 40ft container. In one container with 40 units of motorcycles in a 40ft container, the motorcycle will become expensive. So after evaluating it, I went to overseas and packed 200 units in one 40ft container and my price came down by 40%. Of course, this was cheaper.” This feat he was able to achieve because he discovered that if he disassemble the parts and brought them in different parts to be manually assembled here, it reduced the initial cost of packing the fully assembled machines.

This ingenuity on the part of Innoson brought down the initial cost of  

Motorcycles from N150,000 to N60,000.

It was in the course of motorcycle importation, that he discovered that there are a lot of plastics in a motorcycle, and that is one of the reasons he set up a plastic plant to produce the plastics components locally. These are some of the things he did to bring down the cost of motorcycle to about N60,000. Today, nobody thinks of buying second hand motorcycle anymore in Nigeria. Everybody wants to buy a new one because a new one is cheap, and he had promised that he was going to do the same thing with motor vehicles.

Today however, his promise has become reality as his company is now into full time manufacturing of new vehicles in Nigeria and at a very cheap rate.

Armistice The Nigeria Biafra War Have Not Ended According To International Law

According to international law the Nigeria civil war is yet to end because a copy of the document ending the war shows that Nigeria civil war was brought to an end by an armistice agreement between the two parties Nigeria Federation and Biafra Republic.

As student of political science from the prestigious Anambra state University i have taken my time to study the nature of the agreement that ended the Nigeria civil war and its very clear that Biafra was not totally defeated into total surrender even the speech of General Yakubu Gowon of No Victor No Vanquished is also a clear indication that the war ended through an armistice and not total surrender , peace treaty or capitulation agreement which would have bring the Biafra Republic to an end  and makes it impossible and illegal under international law to rise up its military again .

Let us look briefly into the meaning of  military surrender and armistice and its implication to Nigeria in this 21st century


Surrender in military terms is the relinquishment of control over territory, combatants, fortifications, ships, or armament to another power. A surrender may be accomplished peacefully, without fighting; or it may be the result of defeat in battle. A sovereign state may surrender following defeat in a war, usually by signing a peace treaty or capitulation agreement. A battlefield surrender, either by individuals or when ordered by officers, will normally result in those surrendering becoming prisoners of war..

whereas , An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, since it might be just acessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the Latin arma, meaning weapons andstatium, meaning a stopping. The key aspect in an armistice is the end of fighting without the surrender of any party to the conflict.

The United Nations Security Council often imposes, or tries to impose, cease-fire resolutions on parties in modern conflicts. Armistices are always negotiated between the parties themselves and are thus generally seen as more binding than non-mandatory UN cease-fire resolutions in modern international law.

An armistice is a modus vivendi and is not the same as a peace treaty, which may take months or even years to agree on. The 1953Korean War Armistice Agreement is a major example of an armistice which has not been followed by a peace treaty. Armistice is also different from a truce or ceasefire, which refer to a temporary cessation of hostilities for an agreed limited time or within a limited area. A truce may be needed in order to negotiate an armistice.

 Under International Law an armistice is a legal agreement (often in a document) which ends fighting between the "belligerent parties" of a war or conflict.The Hague II (1899)Treaty, says "If [the armistice's] duration is not fixed," the parties can resume fighting (Article 36) as they choose, but with proper notifications.

Th

e Civil War is Over. Broadcast by (Biafran) Major-General Phillip Effiong on Monday, January 12, 1970

"Fellow Countrymen,As you know, I was asked to be the officer administering the government of this Republic on the 10th of January, 1970. Since then, I know that some of you have been waiting to hear a statement from me. I have had extensive consultations with the leaders of the community, both military and civil, and I am now encouraged and hasten to make this statement to you by the mandate of the armed forces and the people of this country. I have assumed the leadership of the government.

Throughout history, injured people have had to resort to arms in their self-defense where peaceful negotiations fail. We are no exception. We took up arms because of the sense of insecurity generated in our people by the events of 1966. We have fought in defense of that cause. I take this opportunity to congratulate officers and men of our armed forces for their gallantry and bravery which had for them the admiration of the whole world. I thank the civil population for their steadfastness and courage in the face of overwhelming odds and starvation. I am convinced now that a stop must be put to the bloodshed which is going on as a result of war. I am also convinced that the suffering of our people must be brought to an immediate end. Our people are now disillusioned and those elements of the old government regime who have made negotiations and reconciliation impossible have voluntarily removed themselves from our midst.

I have therefore instructed an orderly disengagement of troops. I am dispatching emissaries to make contact with Nigeria’s field commanders in places like Onitsha, Owerri, Awka, Enugu and Calabar with a view to arranging armistice. I urge General Gowon, in the name of humanity, to order his troops to pause while an armistice is negotiated in order to avoid the mass suffering caused by the movement of population. We have always believed that our differences with Nigeria should be settled by peaceful negotiations. A delegation of our people is therefore ready to meet representatives of Nigeria federal government anywhere to negotiate a peaceful settlement on the basis of OAU resolutions.

The delegation will consist of the Chief Justice, Sir Louis Mbanefo as leader, Professor Eni Njoku, Mr. J. I. Emembolu, Chief A. E. Bassey and Mr. E. Aguma. The delegation will have full authority to negotiate on our behalf.I have appointed a council to advise me on the government of the country. It consists of the Chief Justice, Sir Louis Mbanefo, Brigadier P. C. Amadi (Army), Brigadier C. A. Nwawo (Army), Captain W. A. Anuku (Navy), Wing Commander J. I. Ezeilo (Air Force), Inspector-General of Police, Chief P. I. Okeke, Mr. J. I Emembolu (Attorney-General), Professor Eni Njoku, Dr. I. Eke, Chief A. E. Udofia, Chief Frank Opigo and Chief J. M. Echeruo. Any question of government in exile is repudiated by our people.

Civilian population are hereby advised to remain calm and cooperate with the armed forces and the police in the maintenance of law and order. They should remain in their homes and stop mass movements which have increased suffering and loss of lives.

On behalf of our people, I thank those foreign governments and friends who have steadfastly given us support in our cause. We shall continue to count on their continued help and counsel. I also thank His Holiness the Pope, the Joint Church Aid and other relief organizations, for the help they have given for the relief of suffering and starvation. I appeal to all governments to give urgent help for relief and to prevail on the Federal Military Government to order their troops to stop all military operations.

May God help us all.!!!