By Chioma GABRIEL
The former President-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Ikedife, Honourable Chidi Duru of House of Representatives and Dr Okey Umeano of All Progressive Grand Alliance have reacted to the news report that quoted Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Emeka Ojukwu to have warned against the outbreak of another civil war should Anambra Governor, Peter Obi be excluded from contesting 2010 guber election.
Dr. Dozie Ikedife told Saturday Vanguard that he did not believe Ojukwu said that and must have been qouted out of context.
“ Ojukwu did not say that. I don’t believe he said that. He is being accused of saying what he did not say. He only warned that the situation in Anambra state should not be allowed to deteriorate to a situation of chaos that could lead to war because he ,Ikemba, would not want another civil war.
It was just a warning so that people should be careful over how they handle very sensitive issues pertaining to Anambra election. Ojukwu is a respectful leader but the mere fact that he mentioned war was misinterpreted and misconstrued to mean something else and that has been attracting adverse comments. Nobody is going to war! We have seen enough war in the past and won’t fight another one. And Ikemba never said there would be war.
“ I don’t know how the rumour of the probability that the appeal court would rule in favour of somebody against a case already decided by the Supreme court came about but my position is that we should wait for the court to deliver judgement on the matter before making our comments.
A case is in court and judgement is not delivered yet and therefore we should not comment until judgement is given on the case.
A case in court should not be commented on in a public arena and we hope the judgement that will emanate will lead us to our expectation. This exercise of April Fool that was the 2007 gubernatorial election in Anambra state had already been declared a nullity by the supreme court. The election shouldn’t have held in the first place and that is the issue.
But since an appeal is in court, we should wait and hear what the court will say before reacting.”
Also commenting on the Ikemba utterance, a former member of the House of Representative, Honourable Chidi Duru said it is wrong to comment on a matter that has not been decided on by the court.
“ It is not good. I am a lawyer and we should not preempt the court judgement. Ikemba Nnewi is a respectful Nigerians leader. I don’t believe he said what was attributed to him.We should be very careful about the situation in Anambra state and whatever comes out of that case in court, we should not take the law into our own hands but trust the judiciary to do their work.”
The state chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, in Anambra state ,Dr Okey Umeano equally expressed dismay over Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu’s statement on Anambra crisis.
Dr Umeano in an interview with Saturday Vanguard said Igbo would not be dragged into any controversy of war by anybody anymore, saying the people should feel safe and not be disturbed by Ikemba’s utterance.
“The people are safe .They are not going to be dragged into any war because Ojukwu s link to Anambra treasury is about to be severe red. We are not in the 1960s . No blind man can deceive our people again.. Maybe Peter Obi should bring his children back from London to go to war with the tired general who has refused to retire. The peace-loving people of Anambra state or even Nigeria will not go to war.”
The State APGA chairman went further to accuse the factional chairman of the party, Sir Victor Umeh of kicking off the propaganda of war even before Ojukwu.
“ It was desperate Victor Umeh who started singing the song of war even before Ojukwu..You see, this is the reaction of game players whose game is coming to an end. Politics is supposed to be played without bitterness but in Anambra state, you see political jobbers in the game. Because our votes don’t count here for us who have been in the game for good, we do not mind when we lose in a clean competition.
“My advice is that people should not play God and should allow God’s time. It should not be a do or die affair.
“Kidnaping is new around here. It came from the Niger-Delta. I feel strongly that it is this way because of the inability of the current government to conduct Local Government elections and also to empower the young people. So we plead with our politicians to avoid the use of violence to achieve ends since nobody has the monopoly of violence.”
All those calling Ikemba of Nnewi, Chief Emeka Odumegwu- Ojukwu names because he stood up to say the truth will surely be disgraced. What he said about the political situation in Anambra State deserves commendation because as an elder statesman, he can not sit down and watch political neophites and opportunists like the Uba’s hijack the treasury of the state to serve their masters in Abuja.I know that the Uba’s and their cohorts have lost steam and are only looking for relevance, but they will all fail this time around.The state has been emancipated and we youths of Anambra will no longer sit dow and watch the name of our idol being rubbished or watch semi illitrates like Andy Uba, Chris Uba and all their cronies who does not wish Anambra well hold the state to ransom again.
I think this issue of war or no war is igniting so much excitement because of who was quoted to have mentioned it. But intelligent Nigerians know that there is a time bomb hanging over the country. For one if PDP succeeds with their experiment in Anambra State, they will obviously move on to another state most likely Lagos, then to Edo and of course Ondo etc. Of course this will no longer be without resistance and indeed VIOLENT RESISTANCE. Ojukwu has spoken like a good old man, a historian and ex-war leader that he is. It will take a more intelligent people to understand what he is saying. Already, Nigeria is a country at ‘war’ and all the citizens know how much they are involved in this every day war. There is so much frustration and anger in the land. Even those who do not and will never understand Ojukwu know the country is sitting on a keg of gun powder waiting to be ignited. The point of ignition may be anywhere from Anambra State to Lagos TO Kano State as all conquering PDP GOES ABOUT THEIR AFFAIR. And for anyone wishing or deciding that IGBO will never lead Nigeria. Save your breath. Just go read the interview of a true Igbo son Adm. Ndubisi Kanu.That is the way true Igbos think about themselves and Nigeria. Unfortunately, since the END OF THE WAR, Nigerians have gotten used to seeing the useless Igbo sons like the Ubas who are imposed on their psyche by equally useless external force. Insulting Ojukwu or the Igbo will not stop what looks almost inevitable to happen except practical steps are taken to stop it by enthroning justice and fair play ie the end of Nigeria.
Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.
Nigerians deserve peace.
check out this; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JHc04AYRaA&feature=related
we can’t afford to go through this kind of path again.
God bless you all for seeking peace for all.
If anybody feels frustrated or dejected with the Hausa-Fulani’s domination and emasculation of Nigeria, such a person should direct his thoughts to the appropriate quarters,and not to insult and disparage our own IKEMBA-Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu- Ojukwu.This is the man who saved the Igbos from the rampaging Federal migh that were fully backed by three World Powers. I was only four years old at the outbreak of the civil war but i have read all that happened in the various literature that i could lay my hands on.Some ignorant Nigerians who did not care to read history or just out of myopic understanding have unwittingly been misrepresenting the roles of Chief Ojukwu during the civil war.A group of army officers from a particular region,conspired and killed a Head of state of a country and took off on a shooting spree of about 30 millin Igbos ,and the best that the then ColonelOjukwu could have done as the surviving senior Igbo officer alife would have been to stand at akimbo and say,”Thank You ”Jack” Yakubu Gowon, Good job Hassan Katsina, Oh!Murtala Muhammed my boy well done, Martin Adamu congratulations,Yakubu Danjuma excellent job”. Bullshit! Till i die,IKEMBA remains my hero. Where he stands on any issue concerning the Igbos, there i and my generation will stand.
All the Northerner bloggers here and their Yoruba counterpart should explain to Nigerians, what they have achieved after over 49 years of ruling Nigeria. At least they should tell Nigerians what they have done and what they are about to do. I hate to be called a Nigeria, where this parasites are living.
You grabbed Nigeria with force from the Igbos and from Easterners who did their best to get independent for Nigeria, since then it has been one step forward and two steps backward. that burden will continue to heavy all us you until you leave Easterners alone to go there way.
Mr. Damno´s write- up is quite moving. He´s a true nigerian. Nigeria will survive. The Ojukwus just like those before them, the Awolowos and Ziks will die off and Nigeria will come out in one piece. What will lay a stronger foundation for a better tommorow is QUALITATIVE EDUCATION which the “wolves” clearly denied the citizens, just for their own selfish ends. No other alternative is comparable to a stronger Nigeria.
@Olugbenga Ogunbote, we saw how the Yorubas have been playing the “opposition role” in Abiola`s and Richard Akinjide`s role during the time Thief Awolowo was contesting; how Ernest Shonekan, Gen. Diya, Lateef Jakande, Bisi Onabanjo, Ebenezer Babatope, the Evil from Otta(OBJ) etc, etc, etc played their “opposition roles” during Abiola and Abacha`s saga. To talk of those playing “boy-boy” role to pick crumbs from the table of their Hausa/Fulani masters.
Boy, you and your likes – your fellow THIEVES who have ruined Nigeria through your THIEVERY – should think before you vomit your shit here.