ONNOGHEN: THE CACOPHONY OF JUSTICE AND THE FATE OF NIGERIA - by Professor Dejo Olowu

My little contribution is to assist the non-lawyers and independent watchers of current proceedings to distill the issues beyond the muddy waters being thrown up and about to achieve political ends.

By virtue of Nigeria's colonial legal heritage, judicial precedents (decisions of the higher courts made on earlier cases) take a prime position in the determination of new cases on similar or related facts. The courts, therefore, rely heavily on the settled principles of the law in arriving at their decisions in subsequent cases.

There has been so much hullabaloo about and around the indictment of the eminent occupant of the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), in the person of Mr. Justice Walter Onnoghen. Understandably, the indictment occurring at a politically volatile period (less than 40 days to a vital presidential election) in Nigeria was bound to generate rowdy and opportunistic responses from legal minds and non-legal minds alike.

However, to help our objective understanding and analysis of the state of the law in Nigeria, recourse must be made to the causa celebre, that epic piece of judicial precedent from which all subsequent extrapolations should be made on the present scenario. That point of reference is NGANJIWA v. FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA (2017) LPELR 43391 (Court of Appeal).

The Honourable Justice A.O. Obaseki-Adejumo, Justice of the Court of Appeal (JCA) formulated the following principle in the Ngangiwa Case:

"It must be expressly stated that if a judicial officer commits theft, fraud, murder or manslaughter, arson and the likes,...WHICH ARE CRIMES COMMITTED OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS OFFICIAL FUNCTIONS [emphasis mine], he may be arrested, interrogated and prosecuted accordingly by the State DIRECTLY without recourse to the NJC (National Judicial Commission).

.. These classes of criminal acts are not envisaged and captured by the provisions of PARAGRAPH 21, PART 1 OF THE THIRD SCHEDULE (to the Constitution).

On the other hand, if any Judicial Officer COMMITS A PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT WITHIN THE SCOPE OF HIS DUTY and is investigated, arrested and.......subsequently prosecuted by security agents without a formal complaint/report to the NJC, it will be a usurpation of the latter's constitutionally guaranteed powers under Section 158 and Paragraph 21 Part 1 of the Third Schedule, thereby inhibiting, and interfering with and...... obstructing the NJC from carrying out its disciplinary control over erring judicial officers as clearly provided by the Constitution.''
The simple question that all honest people of clean conscience must ask the coterie of Onnoghen's Amen corner is: what is the category of Onnoghen's wrongdoing?

Failure to declare his personal fiscal assets as statutorily required is a wrongful act OUTSIDE the performance of his duties as a judicial officer. His wrongful act was and remains a criminal offence for which the apparatus of State must act. The NJC has no role in dealing with that.

However, as I already mentioned, these are highly volatile and flammable times. Every action or omission of the Federal Government of Nigeria headed by Mohammadu Buhari will be turned into a weapon of mudslinging against Buhari’s electoral chances. That is the reason for all the pandemonium that has been unleashed on Nigerians these past few days.
Of course, the high volume of count-me-in SANs supporting the CJN will most likely sway the minds of innocent watchers into believing that there is indeed a vendetta against the CJN. There is none and there can be none.
The same Buhari confirmed Onnoghen as CJN despite all the opposing forces that felt he lacked the moral uprightness and integrity required for that office.

But we cannot be shocked or surprised by the outrage and outbursts of those opposed to the trial of a roguish CJN for his roguish act(s): they need him and his roguish system to perpetuate the distribution of judicial largesse and crooked elevations to the Bench and Bar in Nigeria. That is the way the Nigerian judicial and legal architecture now works in the larger part. Corruption oils the system...for those who run by it!

What more? The same judicial system created and nurtured by Onnoghen is the very one that will handle his indictment. Throw up a knife a thousand times and it will come down resting on its flat side. Why so much chaos when Onnoghen will carry the day in his own judicial system? What will however not go away is the moral albatross that will hang on his neck for the rest of his natural life. He'll remain a tainted CJN regardless of how he ends his career.

And talking about electoral calculations, Buhari does not and will not require an Onnoghen or any court to serve any ulterior purposes after the February 2019 elections. Buhari winning the election fair and square dispenses with the need for a subservient adjudicator. Handing over the presidency of Nigeria to Buhari’s closest challenger will be farewell to the sanity of governance that the Buhari administration has set on a steady path since 2015. Nigerians cannot afford to choose profligacy over thrift, we cannot afford to elect a photo-op president over one whose soul is about how to rescue our commonwealth from entrenched vultures.

The 2019 election is and will be all about the very survivability of the Nigerian nation. We must not hand over the polity to those who will mish-mash our treasury and national resources with their insatiable quest for wealth, debauchery and lascivious lifestyle.

CONFUSION REIGNS SUPREME BETWEEN ETHICAL LAWYERS AND UNETHICAL LEGAL PRACTITIONERS by M.A. OLUWALAMBE, ESQ.

Believe the explanation that appeals to your morality or lack thereof.......
HON JUSTICE ONOGHEN, CJN V FRN: 
The position of law
By M. A. Oluwalambe, Esq.

I have read and watched some lawyers expressing a legal opinion on the proposed arraignment of the CJN by the CCB at CCT For offence relating to declaration of assets as required by law.

Some argued that the arraignment at CCT directly without first recourse to NJC is unlawful and they placed reliance on the case of Nganjiwa vs FRN. My opinion shall be solely on the legality of the said arraignment.

Let me start by reproduction of some of the provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria. Fifth Schedule, part I of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended provides in paragraph 11 thereof as follows:

 11.1. "Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, every public officer shall within three months after the coming into force of this Code of Conduct or immediately after taking office and thereafter -
a. at the end of every four years; and
b. at the end of his term of office, submit to the Code of Conduct Bureau a written declaration of all his properties, assets, and liabilities and those of his unmarried children under the age of eighteen years.

11.2. Any statement in such declaration that is found to be false by any authority or person authorised in that behalf to verify it shall be deemed to be a breach of this Code."

The same law provides that no public officer shall maintain any foreign account.

The issue is whether these constitutional provisions apply to the Chief Justice of Nigeria?

Fifth Schedule, part II of the 1999 Constitution as amended provides for the categories of persons recognised by law as public officers. These include:

5. "Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justices of the Supreme Court, President and Justices of the Court of Appeal, all other judicial officers and all staff of courts of law."

Also, Paragraph 12 of part 1 of the fifth schedule to the 1999 constitution provides:

12. "Any allegation that a public officer has committed a breach of or has not complied with the provisions of this Code shall be made to the Code of Conduct Bureau."

in view of the above constitutional provisions, the Chief Justice of Nigeria is a Public Officer. And the provisions of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers as contained in the Constitution of the Federal Republic is applicable to him.

No provision of any law makes such allegations of breach of the declaration of assets to be made to NJC.

Some of the acts that amount to a breach of the code of conduct are in Paragraph 11.3, Part 1 of the fifth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution:

 "Any property or assets acquired by a public officer after any declaration required under this Constitution and which is not fairly attributable to income, gift, or loan approved by this Code shall be deemed to have been acquired in breach of this Code unless the contrary is proved”

Therefore, the argument put forward that the Federal Government ought to have petitioned NJC before arraignment of the CJN at CCT relying on the judgement Of the Court of appeal in the case of NGANJIWA v. FRN is not valid in this case of Mr. Justice Walter Samuel Onnoghen, CJN, in accordance with the Constitution and Nganjiwa's case.

Hon. Justice Walter Samuel Onnoghen CJN is both judicial officer and a public officer and he can act in the two capacities as such, His Lordship can, however, be prosecuted by the Code of Conduct Bureau CCB and a conviction by the tribunal can be a basis for NJC's recommendation for removal.

The judgement of Court of Appeal in the case of NGANJIWA V FRN  is mostly relied upon by the lawyers opposing the arraignment of CJN at CCT, I also rely on the position of the Court in the same case but the case is distinguishable from the  Hon. Justice Onoghen case, this position is in line with the judgement of the said court. 

Part of the judgement of the Court of Appeal in the case of NGANJIWA V FRN is as follows:

"It must be expressly stated that if a judicial officer commits theft, fraud, murder or manslaughter, arson and the likes, which are crimes committed outside the scope of the performance of his official functions, he may be arrested, interrogated and prosecuted accordingly by the State DIRECTLY without recourse to the NJC. These classes of criminal acts are not envisaged and captured by the provisions of Paragraph 21, Part 1 of the Third Schedule."

It means that it is not in all cases of allegations of crime against a judicial officer must be first recourse to  NJC.

In my humble opinion, the offences relating to the declaration of assets against a judicial officer need not be first reported to NJC before prosecution doing otherwise is a breach of the Constitution and rule of law.

Therefore, as NJC has duties and powers to control and discipline judges as judicial officers so also the CCB has powers under the law to prosecute a judge for an offence committed as a PUBLIC officer, not as a judicial officer.

The arraignment of Justice Onoghen, CJN at CCT directly without first recourse to NJC is legal because he is to be arraigned for an offence committed as a PUBLIC officer not as a judicial officer because offence relating to declaration of assets cannot be said to be committed within the scope of performing judicial function.

M . A. Oluwalambe, Esq

APC'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN COUNCIL

Tinubu co-chairs APC presidential campaign council; Dangote, Otedola named advisers (FULL LIST)

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has released the names of members of its Presidential Campaign Council for the 2019 elections.
They are as follows: 
2019 Elections: APC Picks Tinubu As Co-Chairman Of Presidential Campaign Council
Updated December 28, 2018

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been chosen as co-chair of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Campaign Council.
Tinubu is to join President Muhammadu Buhari who is the chairman.
This latest development is according to a statement by the party released on Friday, December 28.
The APC in its statement released the names of members of its Presidential Campaign Council for the 2019 elections.

Below is the full list as published by the ruling party.

CHAIRMAN
President Muhammadu Buhari

CO-CHAIRMAN
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu

DEPUTY CHAIRMEN
1. The Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo.

2. The APC National Chairman Comrade Adams Oshiomole

VICE CHAIRMAN NORTH
Senator George Akume

VICE CHAIRMAN SOUTH
Senator Ken Nnamani

DIRECTOR GENERAL
His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi

DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL (OPERATIONS)
Senator A.O. Mamora

DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL (COORDINATION)
Arch. Waziri Bulama

SECRETARY
1. Adamu Adamu

2. Dele Alake

ZONAL DIRECTORS
a. North West: Senator Aliyu M. Wamakko

b. North East: Senator Muh’d Ali Ndume

c. North Central: Senator Abdullahi Adamu

d. South West: Sola Oke, SAN

e. South East: Sharon Ikeazor

f. South-South: Senator Godswill Akpabio

DIRECTORATES
a. Director, Buhari Support Groups – Dr. Mahmoud Mohammed

b. Director, Strategic Communications – Festus Keyamo, SAN

a. Deputy Director- Abike Dabiri- Erewa

c. Director, Contact & Mobilization – Hadiza Bala Usman

a. Deputy Director South -Victor Eboigre

b. Deputy Director North- Senator Bashir Nalado

d. Director, Election Planning & Monitoring – Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN

a. Deputy Director I- Baba Kura Abba Jato

b. Deputy Director II-Chief Emani Ayiri

e. Director, Logistics – Dr. Pius Odubu

a. Deputy Director- Senator Umanah Umanah

b. Deputy Director II- Nasiru Danu

f. Director, Policy Research & Strategy- Prof Abdulrahman Oba

a. Deputy Director- Prof. A.K. Usman

g. Director, Youth Mobilization- Hon. Tony Nwoye assisted by the APC Youth Leader Sadiq

a. Deputy Director North- Barrister Ismaeel Ahmed

b. Deputy Director South – Jasper Azuatalam

h. Director, Admin- Onari Brown

a. Deputy Director I- Chris Hassan

b. Deputy Director II- Abubakar Magaji Gasau

i. Director, Women Mobilization- Woman Leader Salamatu Baiwa

a. Deputy Director North – Binta Mu’azu

b. Deputy Director South – Adejoke Orelope Adefulire

j. Director Security – Gen. A. . Dambazzau

a. Deputy Directors – Brigadier General Gambo and Mr. U. Ukoma

k. Director Legal – Emeka Ngige, SAN

a. Deputy Director- Prof. Maman Lawan Yusufari

l. Director Field Operations- Mallam Nuhu Ribadu

M. Director Finance – Wale Edun

Deputy Director ….Alhaji Adamu Fadan

SPECIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO MR. PRESIDENT
1. Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

2. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu

3. Senator Ahmed Lawan (Senate Leader)

4. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila ( Leader of the House )

5. APC Party National Chairman Comrade Adams Oshiomole

6. Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

7. Mr. Femi Otedola

COUNCIL MEMBERS
1. Chief Bisi Akande

2. Chief John Oyegun

3. Senator Ita Enang

4. All APC serving Senators

5. All APC serving and former Governors

6. All APC Members of the House of Representatives

7. All members of the National Working Committee of the APC

8. All Zonal Women Leaders

STATE COORDINATORS
1. Governors are to serve as State Coordinators in their respective states

2. Gubernatorial Candidates in non-APC States will serve as State Coordinators in their respective states

OKOROCHA LOCKS OUT OSHIOMOLE, IMO APC CHIEFS FROM STAADIUM

SOURCE: THENATIONONLINENG.NET

NATIONAL Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, and Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State were yesterday locked in a fresh spat after the state government allegedly denied APC the use of Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri for the flag-off of its governorship election campaign.

Oshiomhole branded the governor’s action anti-party and derided his style of governance. Although Okorocha is an APC member, he is vehemently opposed to the party’s governorship candidate, Senator Hope Uzodinma, whose election he has threatened to work against. The governor, who is supporting his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, for the governorship race on the platform of Action Alliance (AA), fired back at Oshiomhole, dismissing the allegation that he denied Uzodinma the use of the stadium as untrue, adding that only Oshiohole could believe it. Okorocha and members of the state cabinet boycotted yesterday’s campaign of APC.

Oshiomhole said: “For the workers who no longer know what a pay day looks like, I bring a message of hope. “When a governor will look at the face of his people and say there is money to do other things but no money to pay those who are working for the government. “I bring a message of hope that appointments into your government will be made on merit and not on family connection. “I bring a message of hope that when we talk of happiness, we will not domesticate it in the hands of a sister; that the happiness of the great people of Imo State will be the primary purpose of government under Senator Hope Uzodinma. “I bring you a message of hope that in constructing buildings and building roads, they will be based on due process. “One contract will not be awarded to three people. If it must be awarded, it must not be awarded to in-laws; it will be awarded to genuine business men and women of Imo State.

“I bring you hope that never again will your governor look at your leaders and abuse them because democracy is about people. “I bring you a message of hope that never again shall we govern on the basis of family connection: whether you know somebody or you don’t know somebody; you married from me, I didn’t marry from you; that shall not be the basis of winning the next election. “I bring you a message of hope that your money will be used to develop Imo land. “And through you, I bring a message of hope to the traditional rulers; that they will be able to preside over their domains without being intimidated by the governor. “I bring you a message of hope that from now on, we will govern in a way that will leave no man in doubt that democracy is government of the people by the people and for the people.

“I want to assure those workers who have been lamenting, those families whose husbands have not been paid for six months to nine months, and I want to assure those pensioners that the bailout money which President Buhari gave to governors, including the governor of Imo State, that was not used for the purpose, that money will be retrieved and our pensioners will smile again. “Never again will a governor of this state look at you in the face and say that your salary depends on when he wants and not when it is due. “Never again will someone use your money to print posters with a President Obama when he is doing the opposite of Obama. “I bring you assurances of hope that you are going to have a governor who will lead you by the power of personal example. “Let me say it without fear of contradiction that those who are printing President Muhammadu Buhari’s posters, putting his face and their own faces because their faces are unknown, their party is unknown and they will put Buhari’s face and put the logo of an unknown party, those ones are fake.

“President Muhammadu Buhari has APC as his party. He is our presidential candidate. President Muhammadu Buhari believes in and has adopted Senator Hope Uzodinma as the APC governorship candidate. “We want real democrats that will accept the will of the people. How can you explain that an APC governor will deny an APC candidate the use of the stadium that is built with tax payers’ money from Imo State?” Switching to pidgin English, Oshiomhole continued: “I hear say yesterday he talk am say he no wan give stadium because when he dey contest against (former governor Ikedi) Ohakim, he talk say Ohakim no give am stadium. So, he too go copy Ohakim. I say e good oh! If you copy who fail exam, you too you never fail? If you copy who fail exam, what will you get? He who copy failure will find failure awaiting him.”

In a swift reaction to Oshiomhole’s allegation, Okorocha, speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, said: “For those who know Chief Hope Uzodinma very well, they won’t be surprised that he could come up with this false claim on the issue. Only men like Adams Oshiomhole would believe him. “Since Governor Rochas Okorocha became governor in 2011, the Dan Anyiam Stadium has always been made available for all the political parties and candidates to use, not minding the political affiliations.

“The Stadium is the property of Imo people and Chief Uzodinma would not have been denied the opportunity of using the facility for the flag-off of his campaign if he had asked or applied for it. “He never applied to use the stadium, especially when a press release had been issued days before the flag-off of his campaign that the governor had directed that the stadium should be released free to political parties and candidates who would like to use it for their rallies or for other political activities. “As usual, Chief Uzodinma wanted to use the stadium issue to blackmail the governor and to continue to deceive men like Oshiomhole.

“The truth is that Chief Hope Uzodinma cannot raise up to one thousand people, talk more (sic) raising a crowd that would fill the stadium. “He does not have the capacity. He knows his handicaps. Where would Chief Uzodinma get the crowd to fill the Stadium? “Last time, he published a crowd of an event that took place in the north as the crowd that graced his rally when he was named the candidate of the party. And Senator Araraume’s men also used the picture of the same crowd. We exposed them on that. “Men and women of goodwill should ignore Chief Uzodinma’s claim for who he is.”

THENATIONONLINENG.NET

OKOROCHA locks out OSHIOMHOLE, Imo APC Chiefs from stadium

NATIONAL Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, and Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State w

PARADIGM SHIFT IN KWARA POLITICS?

It appears that the tight skin of the Saraki drum in Kwara politics has refused to yield to the harmattan effect of tightening. The drum has lapsed liked the retired breasts of an unrepentant harlot.
The great politician had allegedly said he spent #400 Million in 30 states for the victory of the current President  Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 general elections, when the duo were still sharing the same political hut in peace.
Why should Saraki's stronghold of Kwara State lose a parliamentary re-run elections to the opposition party (APC) in the State in the elections conducted recently? Is it that the money possibly shared didn't have the desired effect on Kwarans? Or has Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information, also from Kwara State, was able plant in political lies that perfectly whittled down Saraki's enduring influence on the people of Kwara State? Or is there a paradigm shift on the side of the electorates against Saraki's Political dynasty?
No need for hurried answers. The reality will soon be dawn on us all. Let's watch as the politics and politicking unfold in the build up to the 2019 general elections.

EL CLASSICO ON CHANNELS TV by DR. UGO EGBUJO

Source: Frank Ofili.

I watched the El Classico on Channels TV
(Dr Ugo Egbujo)

I watched Atiku's man try to defend his integrity. I watched him try to parry Keyamo's corruption blows . I heard him say Atiku was not indicted by a congressional report. I heard him say it was something about 911.

911? What da ...

I have an advice for Atiku.

He needs to come clean on this issue. He needs forgiveness. Not just from one god in Ota but from the Nigerian people.

If Atiku starts denying the congressional and FBI reports then he will bog down his campaign.

His wife opened 30 bank accounts . She received 40 million dollars of slush funds into these accounts. She denied knowing the source of these funds. These funds came from her husband according to her. Yet her husband denies corrupt dealings.

Atiku needs to own up to these skeletons. If he doesn't then they will remain on the surface and haunt his campaign. And more will be exhumed.

America knows. America knows that part of the money used to set up the American university in Yola came from a dark source. America has convicted Siemens. Siemens has confessed paying bribes to Atiku.

Atiku needs a second chance. But he cant do that by confessing only to Obasanjo and pulling wool of the eyes of the rest of us.

Sheikh Gumi didnt tell him the importance of public confession? What then did Oyedepo and Kukah do there? How can these Bishops now sit and watch their new altar boy send people to national television to lie?

Obasanjo warned him. To proceed henceforth with a contrite heart.

That report is lucid. It's emblazoned on the website of Homeland security.

Na wa ooo . They want Atikulate.......Unfortunately those guys are not some Port Harcourt convention delegates.

THE STRUGGLE FOR BIAFRA REPUBLIC: AN END OR IN SUSPENSION? ...by SHABA Mafu.

The struggle for the actualization of the sovereign State of Biafra started decades ago based, among other reasons, on the perceived marginalization of the ethnic extraction by the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The struggle culminated in a three-year enduring and bloody civil war in the mid-1960s. It was recorded that over a million people lost their lives from the two sides of the conflict. That struggle was eventually put to an end after the surrender of the main protagonist of the struggle, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, of blessed memory to the federal republic of Nigeria. After a long period of lull, the resurgence aimed at seceding from the country was again experienced in recent times.

In the days of the former president of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, the Biafran agitation was completely blotted out of memory at least for that period, possibly because of the political affiliation the agitators had with the former President. Shortly after the 2015 general elections, and the subsequent emergence of Muhammadu Buhari as the President of Nigeria, the agitations for the Biafran Sovereign Republic again resurfaced, this time around under the leadership of Nnamdi Kanu. He fronted the agitation under the caption of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). It was usually a potent and aggressive, though non-violent protest in the bid to actualize their vision. Due to the tempo of the agitation, the federal government under the leadership of incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, not only outlawed the group but also declared it a terrorist organization. The military, on its own side, conducted an operation code-named “Python Dance” in the region to nail the agitations. This exercise resulted in the inexplicable and continuous silence of the contemporary protagonist of the struggle, Nnamdi Kanu.

In a sudden political twist to the build-up to the 2019 general elections, the Vice-Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the main opposition party to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has been picked from the same geopolitical region, the South-East which has been agitating for sovereignty. The candidate is Dr. Peter Obi, the former Governor of Anambra State.

The issue this article wishes to raise are: is the desire of the South-Eastern part of Nigeria to secede from Nigeria merely politically-motivated and a deliberate deviation from the remote cause, as demonstrated in the life and times of the heroic Ojukwu? Does it mean that the agitators are easily swayed from their conviction of fighting for an independent State, based on its affiliation or otherwise, to the political party in the helms of the national government? Majority of the South-easterners currently support the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate for the 2019 elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. If Atiku wins the presidential election, will the secession bid be suspended for the period of his governance? If Buhari wins, will they resume the protests? I thought that if the secessionists were actually convinced about their reason for secession, which was the principal focus of the Biafran side of the civil war, the agitators could not be so fluidly ‘persuaded’ as to allow the politics of the Nigerian nation (their perceived oppressor to determine the tempo and the end-result of their secession bid.

If the agitation resumes in 2019 if Buhari wins the presidential election, it would then be robustly concluded that the agitations were politically-motivated and the Buhari-led federal government primarily targeted. It, therefore, becomes clearer that the federal government may not have been wrong, after all for responding to a perceived enemy of its administration.

Suggestively, I would think that instead of the South-Easterners dissipating their energies in intermittent struggles for a yet-to-be-realized vision, they would have put high-profile strategy on how to occupy the highest political position in the land – the Presidency. It is clear that the Ibos are still interested in Nigerian politics, hence Dr. Peter Obi being picked to represent them at the presidency come 2019. The struggle for the Biafran republic has smeared the minds of most Nigerians against the multi-focused agitators who. paradoxically, also show full interest in Nigeria and her politics. One can therefore safely conclude that it is either the Ibos are divided on the vision of secession or they are yet to actually reconcile on a collective focus.

It would pay the entire South-East region more if they are fully involved in the Nigerian project as they have the capacity to rule very well when they combine their hardworking, commercial and industrial lives, coupled with political power in ruling Nigeria. It would pay them more also if they jettison the secession attempts and join forces to build a prosperous Nigeria.