Connect with us

News

Ezeuzu III of Awka to Gov Soludo: I have the right to honour Bianca Ojukwu, stay out of Awka politics

Published

on

Governor Soludo and Ezeuzu III, Obi Austin Ndigwe at his palace
Spread the love

His Imperial Majesty Obi Dr. Austin Ndigwe, the Ezeuzu III of Awka Ancient Kingdom in Anambra state has described as shocking and surprising the disclaimer placed against him by the state government following the conferment of a chieftaincy title on the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Her Excellency, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

Ndigwe said the government’s disclaimer coming months after the conferment of the esteemed chieftaincy title “Anyanwu N’Awalu Ora” (The Light of the Community) on Amb. Odumegwu-Ojukwu, was an attempt by the Chukwuma Soludo-led government to blackmail him and intimidate the people of Awka a few weeks after giving him massive votes in the November 8 governorship election.

Speaking at his palace in Awka when approached by some Journalists, who sought his reaction to the disclaimer, the Ezeuzu III said he would not want to join issues with the state government but he had to make some clarifications on the misinformation dished out by the State Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, TonyCollins Nwabunwanne against him.

Ezeuzu III of Awka, Obi Austin Ndigwe with Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu during the ceremony at his Awka palace.

Insisting that he has the authority of the people of Awka Kingdom to serve them as their traditional ruler having been duly enthroned as the Ezeuzu III of Awka, the royal father also declared that he had the right to confer the chieftaincy title on Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu after consultation with members of the Awka traditional council, stressing that he does not require the approval of any other body to do so.

Maduka College Advert

Ndigwe said crowning of traditional rulers is the prerogative of the communities and not the government noting that he was enthroned by the people of Awka.

“It is the community that crowns kings. The Awka community crowned me as their traditional ruler. No amount of intimidation will make me relinquish the power given to me by Awka people. I will never chicken out no matter what; I am not afraid because the Orimili (River) is never afraid rather it is the person that jumps into it that is usually afraid of being drowned,” he said.

Continuing, Ndigwe said, “I have the supreme order of Awka Kingdom to be their traditional ruler. I have no business with the Anambra State Government. I am not ruling Anambra State, I am ruling Awka and it is not a must that I should be a member of Anambra State Council of Traditional Rulers

“The governor always likes to intimidate people, whoever tells him the truth must be pulled down. You can see what he (allegedly) did to the Obi of Onitsha and other people. I am not that kind of person. He has done it before but I have remained calm. Governor Soludo should leave Awka and their politics alone, he is not a native of Awka, I am not disturbing him in any way, he can’t be more Catholic than the Pope.”

Ndigwe explained that he had no issue whatsoever with the state government to warrant being disclaimed by the Commissioner saying: “I am not owing them, they did not crown me. I am not a government-certified agent, I am the traditional ruler of my kingdom and I face what I am doing squarely.

“Nobody can intimidate me or force me to succumb to any cheap blackmail. I don’t want to join issues with the Commissioner for Local Government, he is an agent recruited and can be fired anytime.

“As for Governor Soludo, he is my friend. I don’t want to join issues with him over what they are doing other than to wish him well. He will start his second tenure in office by 17th of March and in another four years he will be out of office constitutionally. He can’t be governor again.

“My tenure as a traditional ruler is for life and I am still very strong, vibrant and energetic. So, in the next three or four years, he (Soludo) will become a former governor of Anambra by the special grace of God and I will still be here as the traditional ruler of Awka Kingdom.

“I was crowned five years before he became governor of Anambra and he cannot say that he didn’t meet me here as a traditional ruler. What they are doing is therefore surprising and shocking. Somebody like me cannot be intimidated.”

“What’s most paramount to us as people of Awka is good governance, and I am praying for him to do well in Awka, to reform Awka as he has promised to do. Let him stay off the politics of Awka people, we are at peace there is no issue between us and the state government.

“I also can’t join issues with the Commissioner who described me as a fake traditional ruler because his master wrote the disclaimer and asked him to sign and publicize it. But I hope he will be willing to sign his death warrant if his master asks him to do so in future. He should known that the future is very dicey.

“This job he (the commissioner) is doing, I did it over 20 years ago, he cannot come close to my profile in life. He is an ‘agent’ allegedly paid by his principal to blackmail and mess up the name of Awka and not me as a person,” the Ezeuzu III further said.

His Imperial Majesty Obi Dr. Austin Ndigwe was unanimously elected and crowned as Ezeuzu III by the Oha Awka (Council of Elders), the Ndichie (titled men), and the broader community in a process that reflected the collective will of people.

The concerned sons and daughters of Awka Ancient Kingdom, the host capital of Anambra State, along with supporters of Igbo cultural heritage, had in a statement issued recently, condemned the Anambra State Government’s disclaimer placed on Obi Dr. Ndigwe, warning that any attempt by the state government to label his leadership as “unrecognized” or “fake” is “an insult to our autonomy and a dangerous precedent that erodes the foundations of Igbo traditional governance.”

They declared that the conferment of the esteemed chieftaincy title “Anyanwu N’Awalu Ora” (The Light of the Community) on Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, a distinguished daughter of Igboland, widow of the eternal Ikemba Ndigbo, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and a symbol of grace, resilience, and service was a fitting recognition of her contributions to Awka community and the wider Nigerian society.

END

News

Gov Mbah approves new appointments to key Enugu institutions

Published

on

President Bola Tinubu
Spread the love

Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has approved the appointment of new members and principal officers to key state institutions as part of the administration’s ongoing efforts to reform institutions, strengthen governance and enhance effective service delivery.

Secretary to the State Government, Prof Chidiebere Onyia, disclosed this in a statement made available to Newsmen on Friday, September 4,2026 in Enugu.

The appointments are as follows:

CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION

Prof. Gabriel Ajah — Chairman
Christian Mbah — Member One
Mrs. Stella Ekweremadu — Member Two
Mrs. Theresa Onyefuzili Ifeanyichukwu — Member Three
Uzonna Emmanuel Ogarabe — Member Four
Ambrose Nwodo — Secretary

Maduka College Advert

ENUGU STATE TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (TVET)

Dr. Amaka S. Ngene — Chairman
Bonaventure Onu — Member
Barr. Nnadi Eluke — Member
Kingsley Agwu — Member
Mrs. Joy Odike — Secretary

ENUGU STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (ESUT) GOVERNING COUNCIL

Barr. Victor Chukwuani — Chairman
Engr. James Ifeanyichukwu Ajibo — Member
Dr. Eric Oluedo — Member
Dr. Mrs. Gladys Ngozi Okoro — Member
Chukwu Chikaodiri Joy — Member

INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY (IMT) GOVERNING COUNCIL

Hon. Chinedu Onu — Chairman
Dr. Barth Nwankwo — Member
Barr. Emeka Ede — Member
Mrs. Rita Chimaobi — Member
Prince Tony Nwonye — Member

ENUGU STATE POLYTECHNIC, IWOLLO GOVERNING COUNCIL

Rev. Fr. Prof. Anthony Aniagboso Igwe — Rector
Deaconess Ifeoma Nwobodo — Chairman, Governing Council
Obinna Aleke — Member
Barr. Henry Okeke — Member
Emeka Abba — Member

ENUGU STATE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION (TECHNICAL) (ESCET) GOVERNING COUNCIL

Barr. Nwabueze Ugwu — Chairman
Prince Cletus Ajaegbu — Member
Dr. Chiesonu Isiga Eruchalu — Member
Dr. Chukwuemeka Nwatu — Member
Theophilus Onyebeke — Member
The appointments take effect immediately.

Continue Reading

News

Boko Haram attacks APC governorship candidate’s convoy in Borno

Published

on

Mustapha Gubio
Spread the love

Suspected members of Boko Haram terrorists have attacked the convoy of Mustapha Gubio, the governorship flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Borno State.

Sources said the incident took place along the Gubio-Karote-Damasak highway in the northern part of the state on Thursday.

Damasak is located in northern Borno and is about 190km from Maiduguri, the state capital.

The convoy was en route to Mobbar, headquarters of Damasak Local Government Area, to pay a thank-you visit to members of the APC for their support which led to his emergence as the consensus candidate in the party’s last primary elections.

Sources said: “The convoy came under heavy attack around Kareto community at about 2:30pm, but was swiftly repelled by a combined team of security escorts, including soldiers, police, NSCDC, DSS, CTJF and vigilante groups.”

Maduka College Advert

According to an insider who escaped but did not want his name mentioned, “The incident happened during a thank-you tour by Mustapha Gubio and his team to the northern part of the state.

“It was a terrifying moment for us; we came under heavy attacks by terrorists yesterday.”

He continued, “The terrorists fired several Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) on our convoy, which also followed by sporadic shooting. Luckily, our security agencies repelled the attacks.

“Police armoured vehicles were damaged, but there was no casualty,” said the source.

Force Public Relations Officer, Ani Iniedu, confirmed the attack, saying: “Police tactical operatives successfully counter-engaged suspected terrorists who attacked a convoy along the Kareto–Damasak Road with an IED and rocket-propelled grenades.

“The tactical team forced the terrorists to retreat into the surrounding bush and subsequently scanned and cleared the immediate axis to neutralise secondary explosive threats.

“The convoy, conveying a gubernatorial aspirant, government officials and political stakeholders, was safely evacuated to a secure location with no casualties recorded among members of the entourage.”

Continue Reading

News

Harsh economic policies pushing young Nigerians to sell their kidneys to survive — Atiku

Published

on

Spread the love

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, has blamed the desperation of young Nigerians to sell their kidneys on President Bola Tinubu’s harsh economic policies.

It could be recalled that the police last week raided a hospital in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, after it was reported that at least 10 young men were victims of organ harvesting.

Atiku, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has now accused President Bola Tinubu of making life more expensive for Nigerians, saying he would make the country affordable again if given the opportunity.

In a post on his X handle on Friday, Atiku expressed concern over reports of young Nigerians allegedly selling their kidneys and other body organs in desperate attempts to survive the country’s worsening economic hardship.

He said young Nigerians should be pursuing their dreams, building careers and developing innovative ideas rather than considering the sale of their body organs as a means of survival.

Maduka College Advert

“I have heard disturbing stories about the extent to which young Nigerians are being driven simply to survive.

“Perhaps the most horrifying are the growing reports of young people selling parts of their bodies: kidneys in particular, in desperate attempts to raise money.

“Young people should be selling dreams, ideas and innovation, not their body organs,” Atiku wrote.

He added that the rising cost of food, transportation, rent, school fees, medicine and electricity had worsened the living conditions of many Nigerians.

According to him, reports that some young Nigerians were being driven to sell their kidneys for as little as N1.7 million reflected the level of desperation caused by the cost-of-living crisis.

Atiku said Nigeria’s laws prohibiting commercial organ sales and organ trafficking were insufficient to address the poverty and desperation that make vulnerable young people targets of criminal networks.

He stressed that economic reforms should improve the living conditions of citizens by making basic necessities more affordable.

“Economic reform must have a human face. It must mean affordable food, cheaper transportation, accessible healthcare, decent jobs and renewed hope for the next generation.

“Our young people should be selling their ideas, talents and innovation to the world and not their kidneys for N1.7 million just to survive at home,” he said.

Atiku described the situation as the human cost of Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis, accusing the Tinubu administration of worsening the economic burden on Nigerians.

He further stated that “Tinubu made Nigeria expensive. I will make Nigeria affordable again.”

Continue Reading

Trending

Maduka College Advert