The Everlasting Senatorship of Ike Ekweremadu

written by Obinna Akukwe

Ike Ekweremadu has been the Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate since 2007. He joined the Nigerian Senate since 2003 under the Governorship era of  Chimaroke Nnamani. Ekweremadu is the Senator representing Enugu West Senatorial Zone which consists of five major blocks namely Awgu-Aninri, Ezeagu, Udi and Oji River.He is one of the product of the disintegrate 'Ebeano' political dynasty powered by Chimaroke Nnamani.

After four years as Senator, political fortune smiled at Ekweremadu and he became the Deputy President of the Senate. I believe that probably this man could have been the senate  president in 2011 after the then ruling PDP gave President Jonathan the highest number of votesin the South East  and people clamored, including my humble self, that Jonathan replaces  David Mark with  Ekweremadu as Senate President as compensation for the South East for.huge  number of electoral votes.   I led a group of activists on protest mission to some of Jonathan’s close ally, threatening fire and brimstone if Ekweremadu was not made Senate President, ostensibly, to defend Igbo partisan balance, not minding the political beneficiary.,

 At the end, Jonathan played a fast one on all of us and ceded the post of Secretary to the Government of the Federation to the South East, which,Senator Anyim A Pius Anyim became the beneficiary. Jonathan then told our courier  that the post of SGF was as influential as Senate President, especially if the occupant has enough sense to use the office. He also posited that he has an alliance with David Mark for a return as Senate President. Therefore, I could say that Ekweremadu nearly became the President of the Nigerian Senate in 2003.

This man also nearly became the Governor of Enugu State in 2015, but for Ex Governor Sullivan Chime who never wanted an Ekweremadu as successor . The same Senator almost got his senate seat wrenched from under his nose by Sullivan Chime who was bent  on replacing him as the Senator representing Enugu West. The saving grace was the PDP Elders who told Sullivan that he cannot produce his successor and also replace Ekweremadu in the Senate, rather, he should choose one of the two options. The same was told both tn  Goverhors Suswan and Uduaghan in  Benue and Delta States  respectively. While Uduaghan toed the same line with Sullivan and produced successors , Suswan dared the elders and lost out on the two options.

Therefore, Ekweremadu could be likened to a cat with nine lives, always a step ahead of opposition, but whether this cat will survive the events of the next few months , only divinity can tell. He also dealt with Sullivan Chime by strangulating him out of the PDP and emasculating the apparatus of governance from the current Governor Ugwuanyi and replacing the Ebeano structures with the Ikeoha structure.

Senator Ike Ekweremadu has been fabled to have done a lot of constituency projects especially on areas of road networks in his Awgu-Aninri block of the Senatorial zone. He also purchased many tricicles  which he gave to many youth in his constituency as dividends of democracy. Some of my colleagues in the clergy who participated in the distribution of the empowerment gifts to the youth informed me of the events. However, those  in the Oji River, Udi and Ezeagu blocks of the constituency claimed that the road networks and empowerment were limited to Awgu and Aninri axis only.

Ike Ekweremadu was still the Deputy Senate President when former President Jonathan gave the Igbos  a 419 Niger Bridge. The details of it was contained in a write-up I penned in 2014 titled .Fraudulent Construction of 2^nd Niger Bridge, another 419 on the Igbo Nation' I alerted the Igbo nation ahead of the election that the much politicized 2^nd Niger Bridge was a big fraud , with pittance budgetary provisions, meant to enslave the Igbo nation through an equally fraudulent Public Private Partnership. Ike Ekweremmadu was also the Deputy Senate President when the same Jonathan gave Ndigbo another fraudulent International Airport. I explained it in details in the piece’ fraudulent Construction of Enugu  International Airport Scam, another 419 on the Igbo Nation’ The 419 2nd Niger Bridge, ,-fraudulent-construction-2nd-niger-bridge-another-419-igbo-nation/         thenigerianvoice.com/news/167169/enugu-international-airport-scam-another-419-on-the-igbo-where I explained that while N6 billion naira was budgeted to upgrade Enugu Airport to International Standard, N12 billion was given to renovate aspects of Aminu Kano Airport.

 I also explained that while FG spent N132 billion on 11 airports  in Nigeria, only N6 billion out of the N132 billion was spent in Enugu, therefore calling it international was a political deceit. To date most international carriers from Europe, America and Asia have shunned the  that Enugu Airport, describing both the runway and navigational equipment  as substandard. Ethiopian Airline has become the saving grace of the airport fraud.

The sorry states of Enugu-Onitsha Expressway and Enugu Port Harcourt Expressway experienced its worst condition during the last days of  Jonathan regime and the ex-president told an Anglican Bishop based in Enugu that it was the political leaders from the South East that embezzled the money meant for the repairs of these roads. Was Senator Ekweremadu among those leaders who shared the money for these roads. What is the quality of representation he gives Ndigbo at  center where national cake is being shared. How solidly has he represented Ndigbo at the centre.

A strong opposition has arisen again to challenge Ekweremadu for the position of Senator in the person of Rev Oscar Egwuonwu. . Rev Egwuonwu hails from Udi block of the zone. , A one time Chairman of Udi Local Government Area, Egwuonwu is the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Ugwuanyi on Conflict Resolution. Oscar Egwuonwu has also contested for the governorship of the state in 2007 under the Democratic People’s Party, DPP, led by  then Governor Bafarawa of Sokoto State.

Political  juggernauts in the state have vowed to give Rev Oscar Egwuonwu all support to chase Ike Ekweremadu out of the Senate. Already they have prevented  GovernorUgwuanyi  from giving a blanket support to Ekweremadu, insisting that the primaries must be free and fair or else they will indulge in anti party activities to the detriment of the party. . The political heavyweights have been asked by Senator Ekweremadu to prevail on Egwuonwu to soft pedal on the issue and allow him go for the fifth term as spring board to negotiate for Vice Presidency,  but those juggernauts have said that Ekweremadu’s senator-ship must not be an everlasting one.

 It promises to be a do or die affair tomorrow in the primaries and beyond because the groups have vowed that Senator Ekweremadu’s everlasting Senator ship of Enugu West Senatorial Zone must come to an end . Ekweremadu sure has battles within and outside the party to fight in the coming months and if Oscar Egwuonwu and their supporters continues their awareness streaks, Ekweremadu’s everlasting senatorship may come to an abrupt end, will ‘Ikeoha’ survive this one?

written by Obinna Akukwe  profetobinna2@yahoo.com, @ObinnaAkukwe, facebook.com/obinnaakukwe

Anambra Elections Buhari, Obiano, ,Ohanaeze and IPOB Battle for Supremacy

Written by Obinna Akukwe

The undercurrents of today’s  elections in  Anambra State has promised to be a supremacy battle between President Buhari, Governor Obiano and Ohanaeze Ndigbo on one hand and Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB)  on the other hand. While President Buhari and the federal government has mobilized over fifty thousand security personnel, including twenty eight thousand from the police, fifteen thousand from Civil Defense and three thousand soldiers on standby plus men of the secret service, DSS, deployed from some states, you have over fifty thousand for a single election. The purpose of these security personnel is to ensure that IPOB does not succeed In disrupting elections in the state thereby boosting the morale of Biafra separatist agitations.

 

The Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano who is having tuning battle with IPOB in Anambra State. is on the same page with Buhari, but for a different reason.  While IPOB accused the governor of frequently inviting soldiers to kill their members, Gov  Obiano insists that he is protecting the state from hoodlums and criminals using IPOB as front to ferment trouble. While IPOB has vowed that there would be no elections in Anambra State, Obiano sees it as the work of political enemies who want to remove him from office through the back door using the separatist agitators as a front. Therefore when the South East Governors Forum proscribed IPOB, Obiano lent a willing voice.  

Anambra Elections: Buhari, APC Disagree over Governor Obiano

Written by Obinna Akukwe

President Muhammadu Buhari is still insisting that elections in Anambra State will be free and fair in line with the promises he made to Governor Obiano twice when the former visited him in Aso Eock, our contacts within the villa had insisted. The first visit to Buhari was on October 2^nd and was brokered by powerful elements within Daura  in Katsina State, the President’s home town who were convinced and induced that Obiano can be retained in Anambra State for security purposes. These elements helped broker the first meeting where Buhari told Governor Obiano that he is not particular about who wins the elections.

Days later, we were told that another more private meeting ensued between Buhari and Obiano and the sacked SGF,  Babachir was present. Governor Obiano raised concerns about issues bordering on INEC neutrality and change of security personnel and Buhari promised that nothing will railroad a free process.

Anambra Elections: Ohanaeze Youths, Igbo Mandate Congress Tasks Buhari, IGP on Free Polls

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth in Anambra State has tasked the Inspector General of Police on free polls in Anambra State. Speaking with the Director General of Igbo Mandate Congress IMC, Rev Obinna Akukwe at Awka today, The President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council in Anambra State, Mazi Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu said that despite the disturbing news of change of Governor Obiano;s Security aides, what concerns Ohanaeze is that the elections will hold in a peaceful manner in the state.

 

Mazi Okpalaezeukwu said that “the police should not use their might and presence to harass, intimidate or favor any candidate. The youth also should not provoke or incite  the police to acts of  violence and  mayhem  on voters Those who have PVC’S and willing to vote should be protected to exercise their franchise while those without PVC’S should stay at home to avoid trouble”

The Ohanaeze youth leader in the state said that Ohanaeze cannot come out openly to support any candidate in the polls but they are working with the relevant security agencies to ensure that Anambra State is not turned into a theatre of war. They also want to ensure that the people’s votes count.

Ohanaeze , South East Governors Lauds Ojukwu’s Courage Over Biafra

Ohanaeze Ndigbo has lauded the courage of Odumegwu Ojukwu before, during and after the civil war and tasks Igbo leaders on unity. This was part of the speech delivered by the National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo on Tuesday at the Posthumous Birthday in honor of the late Ikemba of Nnewi, Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu at the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Secretariate, Enugu.

Chief  Nwodo lauded the late Igbo leader as a principled , committed and dogged man who stood and defended his people when it mattered most.

The Chairman of South East Governors Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Dave Umahi described Ojukwu as a brave example of leadership in the midst of adversity. Speaking through the Commissioner of Education who represented him at the event, Chief Umahi said that the South East Governors are willing to do everything possible to keep the memory and spirit  of the Ikemba alive. He thanked the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Leadership Foundation (COOLEF) for organizing the event and promised the support of South East Governors.

Anambra Guber: Ohanaeze Denies Backing any Candidate, Warns Against Fictitious Groups ....Igbo Mandate Congress Supports Fair Polls

Ohanaeze Ndigbo has denied backing any candidate for the gubernatorial polls in Anambra State scheduled for November 18th. They have also alerted Governor Obiano of the existence of spurious groups bent on fleecing the Governor of various sums in the name of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

This was made known by the Assistant National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo,Comrade Chuke Ibegbu while briefing the leadership of Igbo Mandate Congress, IMC. on the official stance of the foremost Igbo Socio-cultural group on the forthcoming polls .

Comrade Chuks Ibegbu told Rev Obinna Akukwe,Director General of Igbo Mandate Congress and chieftain of Ohanaeze Ndigbo that “the primary concern  of Ohanaeze Nddigbo is for there to be free and fair election in Anambra State, The President General and members of National Executive Committee are concerned about free polls in Anambra State”. Comrade Ibegbu stated further that “ Ohanaeze has within its fold members of all political parties and as such cannot come out openly to support any candidate, however, it reserves the right to give direction to the Igbo race if the need arises and that direction can come through the President General , therefore anyone purportedly supporting any candidate without the clearance from Ohanezze NEC is only seeking for financial aggrandizement”

Anambra Guber: Buhari to give Obiano Soft Landing as Igbo Mandate Congress Calls for Fair Polls

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari is favorably disposed towards giving Governor Willie Obiano OF Anambra State a soft landing in the November 18th Gubernatorial Polls in the State. This was the fallouts of the earlier audience the President granted Obiano on October 2nd at at the State House, Abuja. Igbo Mandate Congress, IMC, learnt from reliable security sources within the Villa and its friends within influential Arewa circles that there is a soft spot for Governor Obiano after the said meeting.

In the meeting of Tuesday October 2nd, President Buhari had told the Governor that he is more interested in Governors delivering dividends of democracy and not particular about the parties concerned and promised a fair polls. Though the governor’s aides have analyzed the President’s statement as political and devoid of any commitment, unknown to them, Buhari was impressed by the efforts made by Governor Obiano to bring peace and security to Anambra State especially in the face of IPOB agitations.

Operation Python Dance: Nigerian Army Apologizes to Igbo Mandate Congress Chieftain over Assault

The Nigerian Army has apologized to the Coordinator of Igbo Mandate Congress in the United States and publisher of Nigerian Masterweb, Chief Charles Okereke over assault by troops near Umuahia while returning to the city. This was contained in the situation report received by the leadership of Igbo Mandate Congress IMC over the incidence yesterday.

Igbo Mandate Congress learnt that its United States Coordinator was returning from a peace mission to Umuahia from Aba in the company of his Nigerian editor on Monday September 11, 2017, when soldiers stopped them at a check point at Ubakala on the outskirts of Umuahia. The obviously drunk soldiers asked them why they were returning late to Umuahia and they answered that it is just 7pm and the roads and traffic holdups delayed their journey. The said soldiers asked them to go, and as they were moving, the person in front hit his stick at the Nigerian editor while the man at the back smashed the windscreen of the vehicle and cocked their gun in a shooting position.

Chief Okereke had earlier reported the unfortunate incidence to the leadership of Igbo Mandate Congress IMC and its members were alerted to prepare for a legal redress in the United States and Nigeria if the authorities fail to correct the anomaly.

Flashback: How Obasanjo, Peter Obi. Achike Udenwa Murdered 5000 MASSOB Members| as Igbo Mandate Congress Calls for Enquiry on Genocide

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Special Reports Nov 25, 2015

Igbo Mandate Congress IMC wants to bring to the attention of all Biafran protesters and agitators that the greatest genocide ever under the guise of stopping separatist MASSOB agitators was under the tenure of Peter Obi, as Governor of Anambra State, Achike Udenwa as Governor of Imo State and Olusegun Obasanjo as President of Nigeria.

Biafran agitators should hold these three men responsible  for killing thousands of innocent civilians in the guise of seeking for members of Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB). Nigerian soldiers numbering over 200 were invited into Anambra State in June 2006 by Governor Peter Obi and in the process murdered estimated 5000 innocent Igbos in the guise of rooting out MASSOB agitators. This was done with the ever gleeful support of ex-president Obasanjo in the infamous operation ‘Shoot-at Sight Order’

During these periods that spanned till early 2009, Nigerian soldiers were on rampage at Onitsha, Nnewi, Oba, Ihiala and environs shooting, killing, and maiming anything that has a suspicion of being MASSOB. As the shootings were going on, real MASSOB members escaped into various dens while stranded travelers, unsuspecting trader and residents were branded MASSOB and shot. By the time the exercise was over, estimated 5000 people were killed and the affected families took the remains of their relatives and buried quietly to avoid being killed too by the rampaging soldiers. All these wickedness was at the behest of an APGA Governor claiming to be a follower of ex Biafran leader Odumegwu Ojukwu.

Int’l Women Conf: South Africa, Italian Ambassadors tasks Nigerian Govt on Women Empowerment

The International African Women Economic and Leadership Conference ended in Enugu on Thursday 30th August with the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria seeking greater economic and leadership role for women in Nigeria.

In his keynote address the South African High Commissioner Mr Lulu Louis Mnguni said that “We need developmental tools to train women in business. We want to see Nigeria come out with tourism as a way of coming out of recession, and unemployment. Tourism is a value chain, I’ve been to Calabar and other places and I know the tourism potentials of Nigeria. When you train a woman, you train a nation.” He asked that Nigerian women can be trained, equipped and assisted to boost the nation’s tourism potentials and said that South Africa invested a lot in the training of women.

Breaking of Kolanut L-R Mr Uche Paul Ekpere,Mr Steve Toluwase, Mrs Patricia Narri,Mrs Lollita Ezeife, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Rev Obinna Akukwe, Mr LuluLouis Mgnuni (SA High Commissioner) at the Cnference)

Panel of Discussion at the Conference -L-R Engr Alphonsus Anyanwu, Ambassador Anthonio lovecchio,Mrs Patricia Narai, Chief Mrs Sarah Jubril, Mr Uche Ekpere Paul, Rev Obinna Akukwe)dd caption

Cross Section of Participants

Dr Antonio Lovecchio, Ambassador at Large and Minister of Foreign Affairs O.S.J. Malta described Nigerian women as rich in untapped economic potentials. Dr Lovecchio , a multimillion dollar Italian business man lamented at the way Nigerians lose investment potentials worldwide due to ignorance and business naivety. According to Dr Lovecchio “Europeans come to Nigeria and buy cocoa for $10 dollars, process it and sell back to Africa at $500 dollars. In Italy we invest our experience. We are not colonialist, we are more into partnership and collaboration” Dr Lo Vecchio promised to assist Nigerian women who are into genuine export commodity businesses by partnering them with Italian companies. He advises the women to adopt modern techniques in business management.