Ebonyi State Governor and Chairman, South East Governors’ Forum (SEGF), Chief David Umahi on Tuesday insisted that the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) does not represent the interest of Ndiigbo and cannot speak for Igbos.

Umahi, in an audio clip of his speech when he led other Southeastern governors to visit his colleague in Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, in Government House, Port Harcourt, queried the reason behind the agitation of the outlawed group.

Addressing Wike, he said: “We can claim here and show leaders back home that all we read in the social media from your own account are all lies. We did not come to verify your claims. You did not report to us.

“I have lived in Rivers State for a very long time. My six children out of seven were all born here in Rivers State. We have never had any form of discrimination here. We must call a spade a spade.

“We have 11.5million Igbos living in the north. We have three million Igbos that are of voting age in Lagos State not to talk about other parts of this country. And somebody wants to start a war for us so that the Igbos will be slaughtered.

“During the civil war, we lost three million Igbos. Most of them were killed when they were running away from the north back to the southeast. Everywhere you go in this country, you see our infrastructure. Think about the percentage of infrastructure of Ndigbo in Lagos and in Abuja. Who brings war upon itself?

“We, Ndiigbo, we do not support criminalities. Do not buy into any criminal that is from our side. I find it very funny when somebody is going to be claiming that part of Benue State must descend into his territory and part of Rivers State must descend into his territory. What sort of madness is that?

“Even if there is referendum, people must freely say where they want to belong to. You can’t force them. No matter the history you have, you can’t force people to belong to where you want them belong. They want to belong to where they want to belong.

“Why I am telling you this is that we should be wise not to support what is wrong. Let’s go back and tell ourselves the truth. What is happening cannot be said to be for Ndiigbo. Those people are not speaking for us. What are you agitating for and you are destroying the properties of Ndiigbo? Won’t that tell you that they are looking for something?

“They came to my state, the beautiful streetlights and beautiful infrastructures you are destroying them. You are burning tyres on the tarred road. Is it part of the agitation? Let us rise up and defend our name.”

Also, the President-General, Ohaneze Ndiigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, said Niger Delta and the Igbo had the same issues confronting them and had adopted the same approach in resolving their common Problems.

He said: “We have come today to reinforce a creation of affinity, of brotherhood and cordiality between Ndiigbo and not just Rivers State but the entire Niger Delta region. We have the same issues confronting us in this country.

“We have the same attitude to the solution of these issues and I have not seen a more active fighter for this than the governor of Rivers State. You have been fearless in championing the goals of the southern and middle-belt leadership forum.

“You have spoken out for restructuring and you have spoken out that justice must be done to everywhere. I have heard you say, ‘we Niger Delta have had President, Ndiigbo should have President.”

BUA Cement has received approval to export cement through the country’s borders.
According to TheCable this is coming after it was revealed that Dangote Cement had received approval to export cement through the land borders to Niger and Togo.

Michel Puchercos, chief executive officer of Dangote Cement, told investors on Monday that the company is now exporting cement in a controlled manner following the government’s approval.

A June 18 letter signed by Victor Dimka, comptroller (enforcement headquarters) for deputy comptroller-general, seen by TheCable said the approval was from the Office of the National Security Adviser.

In October 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered a closure of the land borders to curb the smuggling of arms, food items, and hard drugs into the country.

The closure, which is meant to boost local production and strengthen security, has taken a significant toll on neighbouring countries such as Togo, Ghana, and Cote D’Ivoire that rely on Nigeria’s market of over 200 million people.

Nigerian businesses have also not been able to export their products through the land borders as a result of the closure.

Nigeria has been losing over $5.1m daily since Friday, November 6, 2020, as the OML 30 cluster communities shut down eight flow stations that produce 80,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

The OML 30 oil fields operated by Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited (HEOSL) is said to be the most viable and largest oil block in the country.

Cluster Management Committee (CMC) of OML 30 and presidents-general of the 112 communities, told journalists that the flow-stations were shut down over HEOSL’s failure to honour agreed obligations to the host communities.

Chairman of the committee, Dr. Harrison Patrick Oboghor and Secretary, Ibuje Joseph, disclosed that HEOSL was indebted to the communities to the tune of over N2.4b, adding that the firm had not been honouring Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) with the host communities.

With these host communities to the Nations rich oil installations it raises concerns why such communities still remain in a decadent state with wide spread poverty.

Analyst say better attention should be paid to the goose that lays the golden egg by ensuring that such payouts from oil companies go into the development of the host communities and are not frittered away by corruption.

An activist, Kenechukwu Okeke has filed a criminal complaint before a Chief Magistrate’s court in Abuja against Fifty (50) #EndSARS promoters.

In the complaint, prominent personalities mostly entertainers and social influencers were listed. The case was instituted on Monday in pursuant to sections 88, 109(a), 110(1)(c) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

The defendants include; Aisha Yesufu, Oseyi Etomi, Sam Adeyemi, Yemi Alade, Rinu Oduala, Peter Okoye, Paul Okoye, Kanu Nwankwo, Deji Adeyanju, Dr. Joe Abah, Banky W, Kiki Mordi, Modupe Odele, Burna Boy.

Others are Uche Jombo, Tiwa Savage, Ayodeji Makun, Folarin Falana, Apaokagi Mayram, Ayo Sogunro, David Adeleke, Pamilerin Adegoke, Japheth Omojuwa, Micheal Collins, Chinedu Okoli, Yul Edochie, Innocent Idibia, Debo Adebayo, Feyikemi Abudu.

Okeke, who alleged that during the protest, his properties were destroyed, states that the defendants who promoted the #EndSARS protests must be brought to Justice.

He said, “I shall instigate a private criminal prosecution against all the alleged perpetrators and coordinators of the #EndSARS riots on Twitter. The nation bled, lives lost, and properties worth billions destroyed as a result of the sheer recklessness of some persons.

“Having initiated criminal proceedings against the #EndSARS riots promoters at exactly 1052hrs WAT, 09/11/2020, we shall ensure that same is diligently prosecuted in the interest of defence, public safety and public order. The Federal Republic of Nigeria is country of laws.”