biafrans knocks Facebook managers for blocking Kanu’s account

 

The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has condemned the blocking of Facebook page of its Leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu following his live broadcast last Tuesday night.

The group described the action as not only baffling but too petty, wondering why a global social media giant like Facebook would allow itself to be used by agents of oppression in Nigeria to suppress the truth.

A statement from its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB said Facebook only succeeded in partnering with perpetrators of human rights abuses and other criminal activities masterminded by the Nigeria State against innocent citizens.

It warned that no matter how hard the message of its leader was supressed, the struggle for Biafra liberation would not be slowed down, urging its teeming audience to follow Kanu on other IPOB’s numerous platforms.

The statement partly read, “We strongly condemn this attitude of Facebook Managers in Lagos and Abuja who collude with corrupt Nigerian government officials to suppress free flow of Information via their platform.

“This unconscionable and reprehensible attitude amounts to partnering with perpetrators of human rights abuses and other criminal activities masterminded by the Nigeria State against innocent citizens.

“The federal government and its foot soldiers – terrorist herdsmen and bandits – have continued to subjugate indigenous nations in the country including Biafrans with the intent for conquest. These foot soldiers on daily basis unleash all sorts of mayhem on the innocent and hapless indigenous peoples while the federal government mischievously remains docile.

“These vampires masquerading as herdsmen have forcibly seized our forests and converted our farms to grazing fields for their cattle. They have equally turned our ancestral lands to slaughterhouses where they kill with impunity in most dehumanising manners, innocent locals going about their legitimate business.

“They commit these crimes unchallenged by security operatives. They kidnap for ransom, maim and rape our women. They feed their cattle with our crops, and Facebook is saying we don’t have a right to cry out?

“Now that our Leader has started exposing the atrocities of these wolves in human clothing, Facebook have decided to be an accomplice to mass murder and oppressive tendencies of Fulani Janjaweed rulers of Nigeria.

“Why should Facebook block the account of the leader of the largest peaceful mass movement in the world for speaking the bitter truth people are too terrified to talk about? Why hasn’t Facebook prevailed on the perpetrators of these heinous crimes in Nigeria to stop their atrocities instead of denying innocent victims media access?

“Facebook is quick to fall for the lie of agents of oppression and accuse us of hate speech but fails to realise that hate action begets hate speech if in Facebook lexicon, bitter truth translates to hate speech.

“This unholy act is only akin to what Britain and her allies did to Biafra during the Genocidal War of 1967-70 when they imposed land, air and media blockade on Biafra in order to deny the truth about the ongoing genocide from coming out.

“But our message to Facebook is simple: no matter how hard you try to suppress the gospel of truth being preached by our leader, the struggle for Biafra liberation cannot be slowed down. On the contrary, our efforts will be intensified because Biafra restoration is a divine mandate that must be accomplished in this era.

“We are very resolute in our resolve to restore Biafra and will not be deterred. If you like block all Biafran activists on your platform, we shall keep pushing on until Biafra is fully restored.

“We therefore, wish to encourage our leader’s teeming global audience to follow him and hook up to his live broadcasts via IPOB’s numerous other platforms. Our leader can be followed through many other platforms such as: Twitter YouTube, IPOB Community Radio app, Radio Biafra app, Satellite and FM.

“May we therefore remind all those local staff of Facebook in Lagos and Abuja that but for Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB, their families in their communities would have today been overrun by herdsmen and terrorists. An accomplice to a cruel man will surely get the reward of cruelty!”

NEWS : MASSOB faults northern governments’ plot to field Jonathan in 2023

 

Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has condemned a “subtle political move” by some All Progressives Congress (APC) governors from the North to lure former President Goodluck Jonathan to the 2023 presidential race.

The move, according to MASSOB, is a systematic way of establishing another political discord among the people of the old Eastern Region.

In a statement, yesterday, by its leader, Uchenna Madu, MASSOB urged Jonathan and his Ijaw kinsmen to be wise enough to discern the subtle and hypocritical moves of Arewa governors.

MASSOB stated: “The Sultan of Sokoto, the Aso Villa cabal, the frontline emirs, the Arewa opinion leaders and Islamic gurus, both in Nigerians and overseas, are perfectly aware and systematically pushing for a Goodluck Jonathan one tenure administration. Their ultimate political aim is to frustrate the golden chance of the Igbo man or South East zone to emerge as President of Nigeria.

“The people of South East and the indigenous Igbo in South South region have always supported the Ijaw mostly on the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan during his political travails in the hands of Arewa leaders.”

It also asked former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, and Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State to bury their presidential ambitions in 2023, insisting that the South East zone will produce the next president of Nigeria was a settled issue, considering the gentleman’s agreement on rotation.

The statement added: “It is not about sentiment or selfishness to support the South East zone; it is the turn of South East zone to produce the next president of Nigeria, according to the zoning arrangement.”
BUT the APC has declared that such arrangement was not among its plans.

The Interim Committee Chairman of APC, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, told BBC Hausa Service that those peddling such information were afraid.

“Even if someone wants to base assumption on our recent visit to him (Jonathan) during his birthday, we were there because of his position as a former President of Nigeria.

“Again, when we are talking of peaceful coexistence, we must give credit to former President Jonathan on the issue of peace. How he accepted defeat in 2015 and resigned to fate. That has qualified him as a statesman and he is now among our fathers,” he said.

BIAFRA : IPOB flays Facebook for blocking Kanu’s account

 The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has condemned social media platform, Facebook, for blocking the page of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, after his live broadcast on Tuesday night. https://saviournicodemus.blogspot.com/2021/02/biafra-ipob-flays-facebook-for-blocking.html

In a statement yesterday, IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, described the action as too petty for a global social media giant like Facebook to allow itself to be used by agents of oppression in Nigeria to suppress the truth.

According to him, “such unconscionable and reprehensible attitude” amounts to partnering with perpetrators of human rights abuses and other criminal activities masterminded by the Nigerian state against innocent citizens.

He also condemned the attitude of Facebook managers in Lagos and Abuja, saying they were colluding with corrupt Nigerian government officials to suppress free flow of information via the platform.

IPOB urged its teeming global audience to follow Kanu’s live broadcasts via its numerous other platforms. Powerful said: “Our leader can be followed through many other platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, IPOB Community Radio App, Radio Biafra App, Satellite and FM.

“May we, therefore, remind all those compromised local staff of Facebook in Lagos and Abuja that, but for Kanu and IPOB, their families in their communities would have today been overrun by herdsmen and terrorists. An accomplice to a cruel man will surely get the reward of cruelty!”

He alleged that the Federal Government and its foot soldiers have continued to subjugate indigenous nations in the country with the intent for conquest.

“These foot soldiers daily unleash all sorts of mayhem on the innocent and hapless indigenous peoples while the Federal Government. Vampires masquerading as herdsmen have forcibly seized our forests and converted our farms to grazing fields for their cattle. They have equally turned our ancestral lands to slaughterhouses where they kill with impunity, in the most dehumanising manners, innocent locals going about their legitimate businesses.

Powerful stated that IPOB’s message to Facebook was simple: no matter how hard anyone tries to suppress the truth being preached by its leader, the struggle for Biafra liberation could not be slowed down.

“On the contrary, our efforts will be intensified because Biafra restoration is a divine mandate that must be accomplished in this era. We are very resolute in our resolve to restore Biafra and will not be deterred. If you like, block all Biafran activists on your platform, we shall keep pushing on until Biafra is fully restored,” he added.

BIAFRA : Don't Waste Energy On Igbo Presidency, Go For Biafra, Bishop Tells Ndigbo

 

According to him, Ndigbo has no prospect in the Nigerian project from the look of things.

Bishop Abraham Chris Udeh, the founder of Mount Zion Faith Global Liberation Ministries Inc, Nnewi, Anambra State, has advised Ndigbo not to dissipate their energy on the much talked Igbo presidency in 2023 but rather go for Biafra actualisation.

According to him, Ndigbo has no prospect in the Nigerian project from the look of things. 

He said looking at the lopsided appointments of service chiefs and other political appointments so far made by the present Buhari regime, coupled with incessant shootings and killings of Igbo youths by soldiers in various parts of Igbo land, Ndigbo, do not need a soothsayer to tell them that they do not have any stake in Nigeria, both now and in the future. 

Udeh was reacting to the recent appointment of service chiefs.

"I have a revelation that Ndigbo's quest to produce a Nigeria President would not only amount to a fruitless venture but also an exercise in futility," he says in a report by Vanguard.

"I insist that what would favour Ndigbo is to expedite efforts to actualize the Biafran nation and not an Igbo president because any Igbo man elected as Nigerian President would not last in office and would be subjected to the wishes and dictates of the power brokers in Nigeria.

"The Northern oligarchy had continued in pretence to support Nigerian President of Igbo extraction in 2023 as if they meant it. Ndigbo should be cautious about the game plan and not fall for it."

He added, "All the juicy appointments in the current government at the federal level go to the North. How do you think they can easily allow an Igbo man to become a President to lose their position just like that. It is not possible. The game plan is to pretentiously allow an Igbo man to become President only to frustrate him.

"Restructuring is not even a good option. I don't support that. Biafra is the solution and nothing less than that."

Bishop Udeh maintained that the killings by the Boko Haram insurgents and other banditries in the Northern part of Nigeria that had refused to abate were consequences of the millions of the Igbo killed during the civil war, adding that the violence would only stop when the Igbo were allowed to have Biafra.

Chelsea release new Champions League squad ahead of Atletico Madrid tie

 

Chelsea boss, Thomas Tuchel has released a 25-man list for the Champions League knockout stages.

The west London Blues face LaLiga giants, Atletico Madrid in the knockout stages of the competition after finishing top of their group.

The first leg takes place on February 23, in Madrid while the second leg comes up in Stamford Bridge on March 17

Two names have been removed from the first being Fikayo Tomori who joined AC Milan on loan and Ian Maatsen after his loan move to Charlton Athletic.

Young duo, Nigerian-born Tino Anjorin, and Henry Lawrence have made the knockout squad.

The list also has Billy Gilmour, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Mason Mount all included on List B.

Here is the confirmed squad list in full:

List A: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Antonio Rudiger, Marcos Alonso, Andreas Christensen, Jorginho, Thiago Silva, N’Golo Kante, Tammy Abraham, Christian Pulisic, Timo Werner, Willy Caballero, Kurt Zouma, Edouard Mendy, Mateo Kovacic, Olivier Giroud, Ben Chilwell, Hakim Ziyech, Cesar Azpilicueta, Kai Havertz, Emerson Palmieri

List B: Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Billy Gilmour, Reece James, Karlo Ziger, Henry Lawrence, Tino Anjorin

List B is made up of players ages 21 or below with two years development at the club.

Defence Chief, Irabor and Igbo origin controversy

 

On 26th January President Muhammadu Buhari appointed four new service chiefs for the Nigerian Armed Forces. They are Major-General Leo Irabor, Chief of Defence Staff; Major-General I. Attahiru, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral A. Z. Gambo, Chief of Naval Staff; and Air-Vice Marshal I.O. Amao, Chief of Air Staff.

Surprisingly enough the discredited former President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, chided President Buhari for not appointing an Igbo man as one of his service chiefs. He said, “Gen Buhari, thanks for making us in Igboland feel, once more, that we are not fit to head any of the security services.” His utterance varies from the overwhelming goodwill in Igboland towards Buhari for appointing an Igbo his Chief of Defence Staff.

But Ndigbo stand with Engr Chidi Ibeh, MFR, incumbent President General of Ohanaeze, for doing the right thing. Engr Ibeh spoke the mind of Ndigbo when he said, “Ohanaeze Ndigbo lauds President Buhari for the appointment of Maj Gen Leo Irabor, a Delta Igbo as Chief of Defense Staff.”

General Lucky Eluonye Onyenuchea (LEO) Irabor, born 5th October 1965 at Aliokpu Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area, LGA, of Delta State, is Ika Igbo; just like I am an Ikwerre Igbo. Nwodo is an Nsukka Igbo. All Igbos are Igbos without discrimination. The Ika are found in present day Delta State where you have other Igbos like the Kwale, Ndokwa, Oshimili and Aniocha collectively called the Anioma or Bia group. Their neighbours, namely, the Benin, Urhobo, Essan, etc, identify them as Igbos. So I don’t know where the likes of Nwodo draw their inspiration from.

Nwodo claims his name is “Nnia.” But does he know that 80 percent of Igbos do not know that “Nnia” means father? Ikwerre people call father “Nna” or “Ndah.” The whole Imo, Abia, Anambra and Delta States also call father “Nna.” I don’t know why Nwodo thinks his own dialect of Igbo is superior to that of Anioma or Ikwerre group.

Not a single Igbo can tell you the meaning of “Igariwey,” surname of former President General of Ohanaeze. Is “Torti” no longer an authentic Igbo name? It is. So it is okay if some Igbos do not know the meaning of “Irabor.”

Nwodo will Destroy Igbo

My genuine fear is that Nwodo is working for some external interests as he sees nothing good in another Igbo man except himself. I have said it that he is on the fast lane to destroy Ndigbo. If we don’t quickly come together and oppose him, his seed of discord will do us a great harm. Now that we desire a united Igbo for our immediate future interests, he alienates frontline Igbos outside the South East.

Nwodo is indicted for monumental corruption by no other person than the immediate past National Legal Adviser of Ohanaeze, Chief (Ichie) Chuks Muoma, the Ochiagha Oraifite. It is important to state for record purposes that since the inception of Ohanaeze we have never produced a better National Legal Adviser. Chief Muoma is a British trained lawyer called to Bar 50 years ago and for decades a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN.

Chief Muoma played significant role in cutting the teeth of hundreds of Igbo lawyers. He also ensured that a lot of them were elevated to the rank of SAN. I can attest to the quality of his character and intellect because I knew him before becoming a member of the Ohanaeze executive. He has a chamber along Okija Street in Diobu, Port Harcourt. A man of few words, the entire Igbo listen to him. He indicted Nwodo for corruption; not verbally but in writing.

The eminent Muoma challenged Nwodo to account for the Fifty Billion Naira (N50, 000 000 000) civil war compensatory damages awarded Ndigbo by the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Abuja, in the case of Vincent Agu & 19 others Vs The Federal Republic of Nigeria. Furthermore, he made it clear that Nwodo opened domiciliary accounts overseas not disclosed to Ndigbo. The accounts of Ohanaeze were also not audited the four years that Nwodo was President General.

Today, instead of answering to these damning charges Nwodo is gallivanting and playing to the gallery. He claims to speak for an amorphous Southern and Middle Belt Forum. The question is, who gave him the mandate? Can a discredited character speak for Ndigbo? How can he be taken seriously in the comity of nations when he has failed to clear his name at home?

Ndigbo Grateful to Buhari

We are eternally grateful to President Buhari for appointing an Igbo man, General Irabor, as Chief of Defence Staff. Ndigbo can never be more thankful at any other time. We are aware we never voted for Buhari. He never won election in any of the seven Igbo speaking states. Nevertheless, he takes practical steps to give choice positions in his government to our sons and daughters.

Under Buhari we head the Central Bank the second time. Godwin Emefile, Governor of Central Bank, will be heading the central Bank for ten years. Nobody in the history of Nigeria has headed the apex bank that long. Buhari is also rapidly building the second Niger Bridge. He is rehabilitating the Enugu-Port Harcourt and Enugu-Onitsha express ways. The Port Harcourt International Airport in Ikwerreland in Igboland and Akanu Ibiam International Airport also in Igboland are all being upgraded.

Nwodo’s Hatred for Buhari

I know why the wide-mouthed Nwodo is angry with Buhari. Nwodo has nothing to offer politically. He was rejected in 2003 as a running mate by Buhari, who preferred the late Oyi of Oyi, Dr Chuba Okadigbo. Since then he has chosen the path of dishonour attacking without restrain a man who has done him no harm. Nwodo is neither a leader nor hero nor patriot nor nationalist. If he thinks he’s popular he should test himself at the polls in 2023. He can contest for the office of the President of Nigeria; but one thing I can assure you is that he’s going to fail even in his own village of Ukehe.

The people of Ukehe repeatedly informed me that they were disappointed in him. That Nwodo did abnormal things they feared in the next fifty years would make Ndigbo hate anyone from their town. He abused office and a sacred position of trust. There’s this Igbo adage that when one finger smears itself with oil it also soils the other fingers. Ukehe people are worried about the Nwodo excesses.

I thank the leadership of Ukehe for ostracising Nwodo. The decision to ostracise him was in response to the damning allegations of fraud and maladministration levelled against him by Ohanaeze. I urge Nsukka people to also ostracise him as person non-grata in Igboland.

Nwodo is the greatest enemy of Ndigbo. He took all practical steps to undermine Ndigbo by casting President Buhari in bad light. In 2018, Nwodo played an abominable role in denying Ndigbo a sixth Aba State in the South East. I know that in the appropriate time, God Almighty, the Chukwu Abiama, our ancestors and the spirits of Igboland will certainly visit Nwodo with the required punishment fit for a man who took steps to destroy his people.

President Buhari must not be distracted by unhappy elements. On the contrary, he should kindly take further steps to accommodate our people more in his government. Ndigbo are thankful whenever we receive a favour from anyone. At the appropriate time, we shall build a Hall of Fame to honour President Buhari for his great and kind gesture appointing the Igbo-born General Irabor.

We urge General Irabor not to be distracted in his duties. He should discharge them with the fear of God and respect for humanity. Bearing his Igbo roots in mind, he should take steps, in strict adherence to the principles of justice, equity and fairness, to accommodate Ndigbo. We urge him to do what is right to all manners of people without regard to their language, tribe, gender or colour. We wish him the very best.

Conclusion

There are unfounded rumours allegedly peddled by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, that General Irabor was a Muslim, But Ndigbo must ignore IPOB, just as I urged my brother, Governor Nyesom Wike, to ignore it. In a sensitive matter of this nature IPOB should speak with caution. It wants secession, let it occupy itself with that and leave people’s careers alone.

IPOB is ignorant having not read the Holy Koran or the Hadith of the Holy Prophet Mohammed, May the Blessings of Allah be Upon Him. The Holy Koran, as revealed to Prophet Mohammed in the Cave of Light some 1500 years ago, clearly states that Islam is a religion of peace. As an Elele man, my people have lived peacefully with Muslims for about 150 years. There are good and bad Muslims; just like good and bad Christians.

Assuming without conceding that General Irabor was Muslim, he has the right to freedom of worship. As long as what you practice is not offensive to the law, you have the right to practice it. What is important is our collective prayer to God to strengthen him to discharge the duties of his office. He needs inner courage to fight terror in all its ramifications. Terrorism has brought Nigeria under very bad light globally; leading to poverty, food insecurity and deaths.

We pray to God to help General Irabor and the other newly appointed service chiefs. We thank President Buhari for appointing all of them. They are all men of honour and upright characters as it is not easy to attain the rank of general in a complex configuration like Nigeria. Anyone who passes the integrity and rigorous military tests to be so appointed is not only a deep person but serious minded. We congratulate all of them.

Dimm Okwukwu is Deputy President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.

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