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Igbo abused, called greedy after playing a major role in shaping Lagos, Abuja — Iwuanyanwu
You recently played host to former President Olusegun Obasanjo at your residence in Owerri, Imo State. The meeting was described as symbolic. Would you like to share some of those issues of mutual interest that the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo discussed with Obasanjo?
The visit was purely a private one obviously but the situation in Nigeria today is so bad, so critical that it must be discussed when leaders meet and I don’t think anybody needs to be told the situation of the country. Things are not good and it Is important to underline the fact that it is not proper to blame this government for what is happening because this is a combination of errors and failures of many past administrations. But the worst situation is in not taking step, not taking action.
I believe that the government in the past few days has taken some steps which have given some confidence to Nigerians. When they have taken step to suspend somebody who actually was suspected to have done a wrong thing, mind you, she has not been convicted by any law court but it’s normal to suspend her and if she is free, that is, if she is not found guilty, she will come back to her job. The government has taken practical steps to show they identify with the sufferings of the masses by cutting down the entourage because the entourage of Mr President’s recent visit abroad was embarrassing. We are talking about over 500 people following an entourage, it is very embarrassing.
Amalgamation
One thing is clear, in 1914 when Lugard amalgamated Nigeria, the country had ethnic nationalities, people with different cultures, languages and religions. It was clear to us at that time that the survival of Nigeria would depend on our ability to manage our differences. And of course, our forebears, before independence, were able to manage it. The military intervention in 1966 was absolutely very unfortunate; it was the saddest thing that ever happened to Nigeria. Unfortunately, that was blamed on the Igbo but there was no reason for Igbo to topple that government but it was blamed on us.
Now, that particular government before independence had a constitution, a true federal constitution, a constitution that could actually apply without a lot of strain to a people who have diverse backgrounds like Nigeria. We had a true federal constitution in 1960/1963 that worked for us. Later on, they changed to unitary constitution which is not right.
Now, that is why we in Igbo land are saying please, let us have a true federal constitution. What we are operating today is a unitary government. It doesn’t work for a people who have diverse backgrounds.
Unitary Government
Take many countries for instance, if you go to a place like Britain, you have Scotland, you have Wales, and you have England. They have a constitution that binds them together and it’s working for them. If you go to America, we are supposed to be following their kind of constitution, what they have is not a unitary government.
Every state in America has got a certain level of autonomy. Now, I believe that the government of Bola Tínubu should take steps to see if we can actualize this restructuring of Nigeria. Without a proper restructuring, Nigeria will continue to have problems. There is no way this country can survive. Today, everybody is talking of presidency; in a restructured Nigeria, the presidency will not attract so much attention as it does today. Because today, every power is vested in the President.
Rail Project
As I said last time, for example, a child who is born in South-South or South-East in the past 30 to 40 years has not even seen a train before. He doesn’t know what it’s all about. But we have borrowed money and the whole money we borrowed was invested in railway line from Western Nigeria to North -West. So these are some of the problems we have because South-East and South-South were not in power. Now, coming specifically to one of the Igbo, our own is very serious. It’s very, very serious. We feel very sad about what is happening to us.
When we came together as one country, Lagos became my capital. Naturally, in every country in the world, people all work together to develop their capital. The moment Lagos was made the capital of Nigeria in 1914, it was the duty of all Nigerians to come together to develop our capital. Our capital, Lagos, became the pride of our country. Ndigbo came in and participated. I must tell you, Igbo, by nature, once they say they are with you, they are with you.
They are people who, when they commit, they keep to it. They did a lot to develop the place. We are not saying that Igbo built Lagos alone. No, they couldn’t have built Lagos alone. We didn’t say that there were no other inhabitants, there were.
So, the point is that they played a major role in shaping the destiny of Lagos today. Now, the same thing with Abuja. When Abuja was made the federal capital, Igbo moved in. Today, Igbo are being abused and insulted, people call us greedy because of our efforts to develop Abuja and Lagos.
Following reports of anti-Igbo activities in areas like Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the country, could you give us a bit more detail into that, the experiences of your people, and what the Peace and Reconciliation Committee being set up by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo hopes to achieve?
Before the last elections, there had been information, unverified information circulating in many circles that Igbo had dominated and had major investments in Abuja and Lagos. There is no statistics that proved that Igbo have majority investments in Lagos and Abuja, but people believe and peddle the unverified information.
Now, after the elections, the presidential candidate the Igbo supported won in Abuja and Lagos. It was now confirmed by all these people who were against the Igbo that the only way to handle Igbo is to cripple them. They used the word ‘cripple’. Several clandestine meetings were held in places where people said that it was now important to cripple the Igbo and that the only way to cripple them was by crippling their businesses in Lagos and Abuja.
Due Process
This information gets to us, it gets to me as the leader of Ndigbo. I have got this information, I don’t believe the information but, you see, when I see certain things happening, for example, suddenly after the election, Igbo buildings were demolished in various places with excuses. I have investigated the demolitions in Lagos for example, and it is very clear to me that some of them didn’t follow the process of law.
You cannot come anywhere and start demolishing somebody’s structure without telling him. In the first place, in every place, when a building is going on, if the person has violated the construction, the building people must go to that place and mark it.
But these people just come in without any court order and demolish the buildings. This is not a proper thing. We have raised our objection and I’m glad to observe that I think the government of Lagos State and all those doing this have stopped. I’m happy because we are not objecting to the government acquiring any property for overriding public interest. They can, it’s the right of any government. But the government must follow the right process.
However, it is sad for somebody who has come into a place, invested his life saving, and suddenly wakes up one morning and sees his building demolished or a child who went to school and before he came back, the house where he left in the morning was demolished. There is also the threat that whatever the Igbo have licensed for would not be renewed. Igbo may not get contracts too. But on the issue of contracts, to be honest, most of the Igbo businesses buy contracts from other people because we don’t get.
Reconciliation Committee
Let me tell you about the Truth and Reconciliation Committee. This matter has become so much that I have decided that the best thing to do is to expose the fact and let Nigerians know the truth. One malicious falsehood against the Igbo was the Civil War and then the coup of 1966. Igbo were blamed for the 1966 coup.
The coup was a military operation and many other coups have come after that led by other groups. I believe that it’s unfair for Nigerians to brand it, of course, the coup was very bad.
We are not happy that great leaders like Ahmadu Bello, Tafawa Balewa and others were killed. But they forget to say that that coup failed and the person who made it to fail was an Igbo man, General Ironsi. And even Ironsi was later killed. And that is how all these troubles we have started.
Aburi Accord
Even this secession, we went to Aburi in Ghana for peace conference and, in Aburi, we agreed on certain restructuring of Nigeria to make it easy for us in the South-East and South-South but it was violated. Today, young Igbo are talking about secession and they are serious about it. They are serious because they don’t see any future for themselves in Nigeria.
They think they don’t have any future in politics, business, and so on but we the older ones have been begging them because we know there are potentials, there are a lot of opportunities and, above all, we believe in God Almighty.
So this committee has been set up and we’re going to produce our own story about the events in Nigeria from 1966. We’re going to produce a book which we are going to keep in Nigeria for posterity to know the position of Igbo because, today, a young northerner, for example, will think Igbo hate northerners by killing two great leaders from the North. It’s not true.
So, the committee will put the story, it will be clear what the position is. The committee will also make contact with leaders in all the various ethnic groups and then find out. I’m not saying Igbo are angels, Igbo definitely must have made some mistakes, must have done things wrong in those places. So, this Committee on Peace and Reconciliation will also find out what Igbo are doing wrong in all the various places and then, we will try to make effort to get them through because it’s not only going to tell our story, but also visit all these places because Igbo are everywhere and it is our culture and tradition to invest and develop any place we live in.
You said you’ve been able to investigate that most of these demolitions were racially motivated. Where is your proof?
The demolition of Igbo properties in Lagos was brought to me as the leader of Ndigbo. I sent some members of the National Assembly to go and find out the facts. They went and brought me reports. I sent some leading Igbo in Lagos. They brought me the facts. Most of the reports were conflicting.
Some of them said that the people didn’t obey (rules); some said they were given notice and so on. I know Igbo very well, I know that no Igbo man will go and gamble with his money when he knows it can be lost. Igbo have lived in Ikeja, Yaba, Apapa, Ebute Meta, Ikoyi, Victoria Island and many other areas in Lagos, and we have never in history heard the story that Igbo don’t obey laws, that they go and build without obeying law. That is not part of our character. And knowing my people very well, so I decided to go and find out myself.
‘Omo onile’
I traveled and went to Abule Ado (site of demolition of Igbo properties) and I spent over six hours there. I was there that day until about 8 pm. I saw everything. They told me their story. The truth is that one, the land was not government land. They bought it from the villagers, they call them ‘Omo onile’.
It’s a native land. That means at the time they bought the land, there was no municipal planning. You know in some parts of Nigeria today, natives sell lands and you can buy and build. So they bought land from the villagers and started developing. At the time they bought land, they didn’t know if there were any issues.
Later on, the government planned a layout there and put roads. That is fine. As a people, we are not objecting to it. We want anything the government think it can do to develop Lagos.
However in doing that, the government must take the following steps: One, go to court, get a court injunction, assess the property and pay compensation to property owners because these people have bought it from the villagers. So, the government should first of all value the land and pay compensation. That is all we want. We are not telling the government not to carry out their duty. Government has a right anywhere to do that but citizens must be paid. We are all Nigerians and this time people are suffering, people are in difficulty. Part of the thing the government should do now is to produce, bring unity, peace and happiness.
Detention
Again, there is a man, one Nwajiaku, an Eze in Lagos, one of the prominent Igbo in Lagos. He has been in detention because they said he mentioned the name of IPoB. This man has been in detention. Every effort to get him out has failed. By the time I went to Lagos, I went to Lagos about three weeks ago, and he was still in detention. The offense he was alleged to have committed was bailable offense. I don’t see why Eze Nwajiaku should be kept in prison because it’s a bailable offence.
Sunday Vanguard
The Board of Trustees of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has rejected President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s emergency rule in Rivers State.
This is as the BoT faulted the National Assembly for ratifying the President’s action via a mere voice vote instead of the constitutional two-thirds majority.
The body demanded the immediate reversal of the emergence rule, which it said “is a gross violation of the Nigerian Constitution.”
Chairman of the PDP BoT and former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, in a Sunday statement on behalf of the body, said the action of Mr President could only be imagined during a military era.
The statement read: “The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, vehemently, and in very strong terms, condemns President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending the democratically- elected Governor, Deputy Governor, and members of the State House of Assembly. His decision to replace them with a sole Administrator is undemocratic and alien to our Constitution.
“This action is a gross violation of Nigeria’s Constitution – the foundational legal document that guarantees the rights of Nigerians to participate in the democratic process. It is an attack on the very essence of our Republic. It’s an action that deserves the strongest condemnation and corrective action by all well-meaning Nigerians, the judiciary, civil society, and the international community.
“In my capacity as the Chairman of BoT of our great party, the PDP, and a former Senate President, I call for the reversal of this assault on our democracy. It’s sad and disheartening that Mr President ignored my earlier advice to ignore those calling for emergency rule in Rivers State.
” I had also advised him not to lean towards those attempting to hijack power through the back door in Rivers State. I had then sought his intervention as the father of the nation because the political crisis in Rivers State, if mismanaged, is capable of plunging the entire country into a needless political turmoil.
“I unequivocally denounce the President’s action, which disregards the rule of law and undermines the sovereignty of the people of Rivers State. This grossly- undemocratic action constitutes a violation of our Constitution, which the President solemnly swore to uphold, and threatens the very foundation of democracy in Nigeria.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s action only reminded Nigerians of the better-forgotten era of military dictatorship. Could it be a mere coincidence that the day the PDP National Secretariat land in Abuja was revoked by the APC-led administration , was the same day the Governor of Rivers State was served impeachment notice?”
“Nigeria’s Constitution, under Section 7(1), mandates that each state shall have a government that is formed through the democratic process of elections. The people of Rivers State exercised their democratic rights in electing their leaders, including the State Governor, Deputy Governor, and Members of the House of Assembly.
“These leaders were not appointed by the President or any other authority but were chosen by the people to represent their interests. The Constitution guarantees their right to serve the duration of their mandate, and the President’s unilateral suspension of these duly elected officials is a direct breach of the people’s will.
The PDP BoT acknowledged the President’s power to declare emergency rule on any state, but it said the power is not limitless.
“Where as the President under Section 305 of the Constitution, is vested with the power to declare a state of emergency, such power is not without limits. The President can only declare a state of emergency in specific circumstances such as war, insurrection, or other situations that threaten the integrity of the nation. The situation in Rivers State does not meet the constitutional criteria for such a declaration. “
It further read: “The absence of any pressing national emergency renders the President’s decision not only unwarranted but also an abuse of power. A declaration of emergency does not automatically dissolve or suspend elected state governments. The Constitution does not empower the President to unilaterally remove or replace elected officials; such actions amount to an unconstitutional usurpation of power and a fundamental breach of Nigeria’s federal structure.
“The President’s decision to replace democratically elected officials with an unelected Sole Administrator is nothing short of a democratic travesty. It is a stark reminder of the fragility of our democratic institutions and the persistence of authoritarian tendencies by the President.
” By dissolving the elected government of Rivers State, the President has effectively denied the people their right to be governed by officials of their choosing. This move is not just unconstitutional; it is a blatant effort to subvert democracy and install unelected officials who are more likely to be subservient to executive power than representatives of the people.”
The PDP BoT expressed shock that President Tinubu, who stoutly opposed the emergency rule imposed by former President Goodluck Jonathan in the North East in 2013, would be applying the same measure he condemned.
“It’s surprising that Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who condemned President Goodluck Jonathan in 2013, when he proclaimed a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States that Boko Haram insurgents ravaged, could declare a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspend democratically -elected government unprovoked.
“This is nothing short of hypocrisy and a well-orchestrated plan to highjack power from Rivers State Governor in the accomplishment of his 2027 presidential ambition. This is a veiled plot for APC to take over Rivers State.
The statement further read: “In a democracy, power belongs to the people, not to the whims of the executive. When the people of Rivers State chose their representatives, they entrusted them with the responsibility to govern according to their wishes and in accordance with the Constitution.
“The President’s action has upended that process and deprived the citizens of Rivers State of their constitutional right to self-governance. This is a dangerous precedent that could be replicated in other states across the country, and it is one that all Nigerians, regardless of political affiliation, should reject.”
The PDP BoT further accused President Tinubu of bias against Governor Siminalayi Fubara for blaming only the Governor for the crisis in Rivers while tactfully shielding other gladiators.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was hypocritical, deceptive and playing to the gallery when he said in his nationwide broadcast that he made personal interventions between the contending parties for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, but his efforts have been largely ignored by the parties to the crisis.
“Can he deny that his allies are part of the political crisis rocking Rivers State? Why did he in his hypocritical broadcast fail to call them to order or blame them the way he blamed Gov. Fubara? It’s only obvious that Mr President tactfully shielded those acting out his script for unconstitutional takeover of power in Rivers State.”
The statement also faulted President Tinubu for accusing Governor Fubara of failing to prevent the explosion at the oil pipelines when the security agencies were not under the president’s command.
“Mr President claimed that the latest security reports made available to him showed that there had been disturbing incidents of pipeline vandalism by some militant without the Governor taking any action, as if the Governor was the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR) or the Chief of Defense Staff. He was invariably looking for unjustifiable excuse for his dictatorial actions.”
The PDP BoT queried the constitutionality of the President’s pronouncement that the Sole Administrator he appointed for Rivers would “be free to formulate regulations,” alleging it is a ploy to gain illegal access to Rivers’ funds.
“Equally disturbing is President Ahmed Tinubu’s statement that “the Administrator will not make any new laws but will be free to formulate regulations as may be found necessary to do his job, but such regulations will need to be considered and approved by the Federal Executive Council and promulgated by the President for the state.
“This is a dangerous overreach and a terrible precedence that speaks volumes of the President’s intentions to un-democratically usurp power from Rivers State Governor and undermine the Legislative Arm of Government vested with the responsibility of making laws. Is this not a veiled plot to gain unholy access to Rivers funds?
“There is no gainsaying the fact that the struggle over the control of Rivers’ resources is the genesis of the political crisis rocking the state. It’s an open secret that those who see Gov. Fubara as an obstacle to their unfettered access to Rivers’ Treasury have been pushing to remove him from office at all costs.
PDP BoT said it was further devastated “by the provocative process adopted by the National Assembly in ratifying the action of Mr President.”
The body said that approving a state of emergency via a voice vote instead of the constitutional two-third majority “is another travesty of justice, legislative rascality and rape of democracy.”
“The claims by the Speaker of the House of Representatives that there were 243 members on the register is laughable. Those 243 members should be physically present in the chamber and not on the register. Names on the register without physical presence do not in any way translate to a two-thirds majority. What translates to a two-thirds majority is physical voting or electronic voting. The presiding officer will mention your name, and you say ‘Aye or Nay.’ Afterward, they will calculate the numbers and do the arithmetic until you get a two-thirds majority.
“Such a serious matter cannot be decided through a voice vote; otherwise, somebody may come up one day and say the President, Governor or Council Chairman has been impeached via a voice vote. It’s undemocratic! You must do the arithmetic physical counting or electronic ballot to arrive at a two-thirds majority, and that cannot be done by voice vote. In the Senate, the two-thirds majority is 73. The National Assembly must not be seen as a rubber stamp but serve as checks to the other arms of Government.
The National Assembly must not disappoint Nigerians in the discharge of their constitutional duties but rise to the occasion and help find a political and lasting solution to the crisis in Rivers State. They should engage Mr President and find a way to adopt a Doctrine of Necessity to salvage the situation.”
Therefore, it called on the National Assembly to protect Nigeria’s democracy from the Executive’s strangulation.
“The National Assembly must defend our democracy and protect the rule of law. Our Constitution must be upheld as the supreme legal authority in all circumstances, and we must ensure that power remains firmly in the hands of the people, where it rightfully belongs. The Nigerian people deserve no less.
PDP BoT expressed solidarity for Governor Fubara and the people of Rivers State over their current challenge.
“Members of the PDP Board of Trustees, join the PDP Governors Forum, and the NWC to stand in solidarity with His Excellency, Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, and the good people of Rivers State at this very difficult and trying moment of the state’s political history.”
Barely a week after a major explosion on the Trans Niger Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, another blast occurred, this time at the Soku oil facility in Akuku Toru Local Government Area.
The explosion has further heightened concerns over the security of oil infrastructure in the region.
The latest explosion, confirmed by the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), was reported on Sunday.
The grassroots NGO, with a strong presence in the Niger Delta, disclosed that its youth volunteers had alerted the organization about the early morning blast at the Soku oil facility, operated by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited.
In a statement signed by the Executive Director, Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, YEAC-Nigeria revealed that an explosion, accompanied by fireballs, was heard and seen rising from the facility.
“The fire is still ongoing as of the time of this report,” the statement noted.
However, the facility remains difficult to access, and the exact cause of the explosion is still unknown.
As the investigation continues, speculation surrounds the cause of the explosion. Possible causes mentioned include equipment failure, sabotage, or a deliberate attack.
This marks the third such incident in the oil-rich Rivers State within a week, raising serious concerns about the state’s oil infrastructure security.
The first explosion occurred in Ogoni, followed by another in the Oga/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area.
These incidents were referenced by President Bola Tinubu in his nationwide broadcast on March 18, where he declared a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, partly due to the repeated attacks on the region’s oil infrastructure.
In response to these attacks, the President suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, citing the governor’s failure to protect oil facilities.
YEAC-Nigeria has called for an immediate investigation into the latest Soku explosion.
The group urged the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to determine the cause of the explosion and ensure accountability.
“Perpetrators of this crime must be held accountable in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021,” YEAC-Nigeria stressed in the statement, as they demanded swift action to address the escalating violence in the region.
Amnesty International has called for an “immediate and impartial investigation” into the sexual harassment allegation against Senate President Godswill Akpabio by Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
At different television appearances at home and abroad, Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi central in the senate, has repeatedly stated that Akpabio made passes at her.
In a statement, Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International’s country director for Nigeria, said the gravity of the allegations necessitates a thorough and unbiased probe, warning that inaction could have severe consequences.
“The National Assembly must not continue to look away while the allegations remain and are being bizarrely trivialized, unaddressed and ignored,” the statement reads.
“Blatant failure of the authorities to investigate the allegations raised by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan will have wider devastating consequences, that include perpetuating a system that makes it increasingly difficult for survivors of sexual harassment to get justice, while allowing perpetrators to get away with gross human rights violations.
“This is one case that the Nigerian authorities can use to show that there is zero tolerance for sexual harassment — no matter who is involved.
“The fear of not being believed, or even being blamed, is already creating a dangerous culture of silence that prevents women who faced sexual harassment from seeking justice. The tide of sexual impunity against women and girls must be turned now.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan has maintained that her six-month suspension from the senate is an attempt to silence her.
The legislator was suspended from the senate on March 6 for “gross misconduct” following her seating arrangement altercation with Akpabio.
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