Ike Ekweremadu, the former Deputy Senate President has stated that Igbo presidency can be possible in 2023 if the South East engage in negotiations with the Northern region.
Ekweremadu said this on Wednesday, November 25, when he spoke at the 2020 edition of the Brandish Meeting of Minds Colloquium.
“There is clamour for Igbo presidency today. And I believe it can only be realised if we engage ourselves in conversation with northern Nigeria to buy into our initiative. There can never be a universal decision of any ethnic group and the rest of us in this country. It is only dialogue and conversation that can be equity to all parts of the country.”he said
Following his disappearance at a meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and South-South leaders in Rivers state, the All Progressives Congress in the state has attacked the Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi.
The Igo Aguma-led party said that the minister was at the Port Harcourt airport to receive the Presidential delegation, escorted them to the Government House, and disappeared.
The Federal Government held a meeting in the Rivers State Government House, Port Harcourt, on Tuesday.
The absence of Amaechi, a former Governor of Rivers State, drew the ire of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State, saying the Transportation Minister cannot justify his absence, which it described as “unfortunate.”
According to a statement by Livingston Wechie, the media adviser to its Caretaker Committee Chairman, Igo Aguma, the party demanded that Amaechi should tender an apology to the people of Rivers State and his party for his “embarrassing action.”
The statement added, “We condemn the absence of Rotimi Amaechi, the minister of Transportation from the Southsouth Stakeholders meeting with the Presidency which held in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, November 24, 2020.”
The APC wondered why Amaechi was never part of such a crucial stakeholders’ meeting that has to do with the Southsouth geopolitical zone.
“The absence of the minister of Transportation, who is supposed to be the minister representing Rivers State in the federal cabinet is most unfortunate as there can be no justification for his non-participation.
“The action of Amaechi is an evidence of the type of divisive and selfish leadership he is giving the APC in the state which is solely aimed at destroying the party at all cost for his personal gain in keeping with his vows,” he said.
The meeting had in attendance most presidential appointees from the region and elected representatives.
Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, the Chief of Staff to the President, led the presidential delegation comprising ministers from the South-South.
Media personality, Shade Ladipo says she wants Self-acclaimed African giant, Burna boy, to win the Grammy Awards so that the whole Nigeria can breathe.
This is coming months after Burna boy blocked her for saying he’s ‘selfish and just a product’.
Taking to her social media handle, the media personality, disclosed the Twice as Tall album was good and deserved to get the award. She also stated that the singer could look forward to achieving other things when that is done.
She wrote;
”I want Burna Boy to win the Grammys so we can rest .. Oya Oga you’re the best. Frustrate us we are your Nigerians. TBH Twice as Tall is a great album. It’s devoid of tricks. It’s exactly what it’s supposed to be almost a coming of age who Burna is. Pls recording Academy let Burna Boy win so we can breathe in Nigeria and he can have something else to look forward to.
Governor David Umahi has dismissed two Ebonyi local government development centre coordinators for refusing to endorse the communique they considered defamatory against former Senate President, Pius Anyim.
Okorie Daniel of Ivo DC and Fabian Ivoke of Echiele DC got the boot just after leaders of Ivo council gathered on Wednesday November 25 in Abakaliki, to endorse the defection of the governor from the All Progressive Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The meeting was attended by present and former members of the National Assembly, State House of Assembly and the State Executive Council, members of federal and state boards and commissions and council chairpersons from the council.
The vice chairpersons, leaders of Ivo Legislative Council, coordinators of development centres, chieftains of the APC, traditional rulers and town union presidents were also present at the meeting.
The leaders expressed their total support for Mr Umahi and dissociated themselves from the activities of Mr Anyim, who is from Ivo LGA in a communique read out by the Commissioner for Information, Uchenna Orji.
The communique read;
“We, the good people of Ivo Local Government Area dissociate ourselves from the activities of our son from Ishiagu Community who is fronting for People’s Democratic Party (PDP) against the wish of Ivo people and we hereby state that he is on his own and does not have the support of us in Ivo Local Government Area.
“That despite having him as Senate President for about three years and Secretary to the Government of the Federation for four years, no form of infrastructure or human empowerment was attracted to any part of Ivo Local Government Area let alone South East, except crisis and killings of innocent people. Our people were impoverished.”
It was gathered that the above part of the communique angered some persons at the meeting, including the two sacked coordinators who refused to sign the communique. Briefing journalists later, Mr Okorie said the communique was dictated to the meeting.
He said;
“The meeting was to articulate our position on the issue but at the tail end of the meeting, a communique was brought from somewhere defaming the person of Senator Anyim.
“We can have different political ideologies or support the governor or any other person we want to support, but not to come and start defaming Anyim. We can play our politics without insulting our elders.”
Shortly after dissenting, the two coordinators were relieved of their duties as heads of the two development centres.
A statement by the secretary to the state government, Kenneth Ugbala read;
“The Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr David Nweze Umahi, has approved the removal from office of the following Coordinators of Development Centres in Ebonyi State: Okorie Daniel (Ivo D/C) and Fabian Ivoke (Echiele D/C).
“Consequently, the two former officials are directed to hand over all government property in their possession to the Secretary to the State Government/Coordinating Commissioner before the close of work on Thursday, 26th November, 2020.”
Since his defection on November 20, Governor Umahi has been sacking some of his officials.
