2023: Eze Commends Jonathan for rejecting the Bite of the Northern Presidency Sour bait

...States that the move is a trick to deny the South her two terms after the two terms of the North through President Buhari

...Describes Plot as an Unacceptable insult on both Jonathan and the entire southern political class

 

Having carefully perused through the series of articles on the deadly scheming of some Northern Leaders to lure former President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan into the 2023 Presidential contest, chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has said it smacks of deceit for anyone or group to concoct interest over the reemergence of Dr. Jonathan as Nigerian President in 2023.

 

In a statement made available to media houses in Port Harcourt, the party Chief said the scheme is a trick packaged by some Northern leaders in order for Jonathan to be President for one term which would be the completion of the four years remaining of his tenure and retake power come 2027 thereby denying the Southern part of Nigeria a complete term of eight years.

 

Eze said that the Northern schemers knowing very well that with President Buhari successfully completing his second term by 2023, the South, in all honesty and fairness will produce the next President and so to truncate a southern eight-year rule, they intend to feature Jonathan who would reign only four years thus, throwing the 2027 Presidential election open for a fresh zoning arrangement and contest favourably to the North.

 

Eze urges all Nigerians to speak up and condemn such a dastardly act that may plunge this nation into unprecedented chaos.

 

 Eze is consoled by the fact that Jonathan has rejected such a devious plot. I therefore commend him for his foresight, sagacity & wisdom by rejecting the bite of the Northern Presidency sour bait as this is a deadly trick to deny the South her two terms after the two terms of the North through President Buhari. This Plot is an unacceptable insult on both Jonathan and the entire southern political class as if we lack credible political leaders from the South that can turn the fortunes of this country around.

 

He said it is imperative to commend Dr. Jonathan for reading through the deceit of these leaders, trashing their dishonest entreaty and ensuring that his political feats and present status as a great promoter of democracy is not ruined, tarnished but kept intact by keeping these undemocratic elements at bay.

 

“I am very glad that Dr. Jonathan has done his best to keep these undemocratic forces at bay who are hellbent to deny the South  the chance to preside over the affairs of this country according to the terms of power rotation between the North and South, not minding that the Northerners have through the military and Democratic dispensations, governed this country to their heart contents.

 

Funny and sad enough, same leaders who ensured that Dr. Jonathan was not reelected in 2015 are the same crop of leaders that are doing everything to lure him back to finish whatever that  is left of him politically.

 

As much as I am not a supporter or sympathizer of Dr. Jonathan and his type of politics, as I was one of those who saw to him not been reelected, I will not seat and allow his haters drain the little integrity left of him.

 

Luring him to contest the 2023 does not  in any way wash him off the sins and reasons behind why he was not reelected in 2023 but a careful ploy to portray the Southerners as lacking better and credible leaders to improve on the fortunes of the country.”

 

In this vein, the party chieftain commended Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State for insisting that he will not support Dr. Jonathan if he decides to contest the 2023 general election, not minding that he was instrumental to his imposition as the Governor of Rivers State.

 

If Wike, who Jonathan did everything to impose on the good people of Rivers State could reject him, Eze said he is very much convinced that if he succeeds to allow himself to be fooled by those luring him, the worse political defeat awaits him come 2023.

 

Eze counseled Jonathan to continually read in between the lines and avoid the deadly bait that will make both the North and South politicians to derign him further.

 

Eze further highlighted that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan who based on his Democratic feats earned through his handing over power peacefully to the incumbent President in 2015 unlike most African Leaders shouldn't allow any situation that will cause division and tension in the country because of this deadly plot.

 

This 2015 feat has earned him an International figure and he shouldn't allow himself to be rubbished and reduced to a local politician by these politicians that don't mean well for the unity of this country.

 

Eze postulated that Dr. Jonathan while in Mali urged the Malian transitional government to hasten the process of developing an electoral framework and the establishment of the priority actions needed to be taken in order to hold the presidential and legislative elections as scheduled. The Mali election is scheduled for February 2022.

 

Although the Mission appreciated the renewed expression of the transitional authorities to respect the agreed deadline of the transition before the international community, it however noted in its communiqué that it was concerned “about the lack of concrete action in the effective preparation of the electoral process.

NDDC Forensic Report: We need to have a copy of it – Chief Obiaruko

 

….says six trillion is enough to build two Dubais

 

…..expresses dismay over leaders involved in the sleaze

 

…..tells them to “Go and return the money joor”

 

Chief Obiaruko Christie Ndukwe the President of Citizens Quest for Truth Initiative, an accountability advocacy Non Governmental Organization has appealed for the release and accessibility of the NDDC Forensic Report to those who want to have access to it in accordance with the spirit and letter of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

 

Chief Obiaruko who made the appeal on her “Media FBI” Youtube Channel with the headline “Matters arising from the Forensic Report on (NDDC)” said, “The forensic report has come out, the President has received it. He has asked Malami the Minister for Justice to look into it, setup committee and maybe forward the names of the offenders to EFCC, DSS, whatever.”

 

“That is not the issue here we need to get a copy of that report, we need to see what is contained in the report. Who are those that were in the sleaze? Who are those that were involved in under developing the region? That is what we need to find out. We are asking they make it available for us base on the Freedom of Information Act.

 

The media guru who code-switched in the short and straight to the point video clip, stressed that it is not going to be business as usual for any person or group who is involved in the squandering of whopping sum of six trillion naira.

 

According to her, “It’s gonna be a time bomb for those who are part of it, let them know that it is not going to be business as usual. As they gave una six trillion to develop una region, una chop the money die.”

 

She called for efforts towards developing the region as according to her, “something has to be done to ensure that monies meant for development is adequately and judiciously used.”

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2a2MgikB4M

Citizen's Quest, the Emergence and the Polity

 Written by Sukari Alex Owuru

 

Advocacy in black race has not really gotten the best of concern, accolades and support. Basically, it is because, maybe, the understanding about it is low or because to most humans in that race, any and everything should be and addressed with the same gloves used in contemporary politics. In other climes, advocacy groups pose as hope lines for the people and society. Advocacy groups speak for the people, put the government in check, make the government accountable to the people and always walk side by side with the government's result oriented programmes.

 

So, it is not out of place but normal when politicians and those in public offices promote advocacy groups in any society. As a matter of fact, it is even those who are held in stewardship of the people's common wealth that should support advocacy groups for the obvious reasons; one of which is for the PURPOSE OF PEER REVIEW.

 

The Citizen's Quest for Truth Initiative CQTI as an advocacy stands for that and more. Having stated its mission as an ACCOUNTABILITY advocacy group concerned with holding government at all levels accountable for their actions, programmes and policies, CQTI also operates a grand media outfit that not only documents but makes accessible facts known to the public.

 

A convention of persons from all works of life, CQTI holds dear the belief that the outcome of its existence should rob off positively on the masses. That they have successfully carried out and still committed to do.

 

One would wonder why a few wouldn't understand the modus operandi of the Quest but pick up a battle where there really should be none. Those who know what the CQTI have done and is still doing for the people within its area of operation can attest to the fact that advocacy has been given a new face by the group.

 

Why then the antagonisms? Why the unnecessary bickerings? Those fighting her existence fight their friends and allies. Why all the eavesdropping?

 

If advocacy groups support political or social causes, if they make recommendations that create certain changes in government, public policy, society, and/or law, then the CQTI should also be seen as that; knowing that not all beginnings begin at the same speed even though the CQTI runs on an unprecedented one. All humans are political in nature; so are their activities.

 

Advocacy groups, also known as special interest groups, use various forms of advocacy in order to influence public opinion and ultimately policy. They play an important role in the development of political and social systems. Motives for action may be based on political, moral, or commercial positions. Groups use varied methods to try to achieve their aims, including lobbying, media campaigns, awareness raising, publicity stunts, polls, research, and policy briefings. Some groups are supported or backed by powerful business or political interests and exert considerable influence on the political process, while others have few or no such resources.

 

If the CQTI has multi talented young minds taken on advocacy, it should not be supported. It should be praised. It should be encouraged. Especially in a time like this where young counterparts are all over the place with hybrid criminality, the CQ convenes willing and resolute young minds to build an empire where truth advocacy will thrive. Ask me and I'd say the CQTI deserves the support of every good and well meaning citizen of this Country.

 

The CQ is by its advocacy developing young Leaders that will take over the new horizon with a zeal that's second to none.

 

Leadership for the purpose of change has so successfully exemplified the concept of courage. CQ leads the match in that courageous route. Just like the legendary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it was his advocacy that was able to create his legacy as one of the United States’ most prominent civil rights activists.

 

Though, he was fought, he achieved his dream and up till now, his achievements still speak. It will speak still for many generations to come.

 

I have read some query why the CQTI controls an influence in the social media. Here is a report in part of a study released in 2012 which "suggests that advocacy groups of varying political and ideological orientations operating in the United States are using social media to interact with citizens every day. The study surveyed 53 groups that were found to be using a variety of social media technologies to achieve organizational and political goals:

 

Facebook was the social media site of choice with all but one group noting that they use the site to connect with citizens.

 

Twitter was also popular with all but two groups saying that they use Twitter.

 

Other social media being used included YouTube, LinkedIn, wikis, Flickr, Jumo, Diigo, Tumblr, Foursquare, Identi.ca, Picasa, and Vimeo".

 

As noted in the study, "while some groups raised doubts about social media’s ability to overcome the limitations of weak ties and generational gaps, an overwhelming majority of groups see social media as essential to contemporary advocacy work and laud its democratizing function."

 

In my opinion, the latter is game and that's what the Citizen's Quest for Truth Initiative stands for. Let the Quest thrive that we'd all C4ourselves.

 

Sukari Alex Owuru (SMG) is a public relation practitioner base in Port Harcourt

Leave Amaechi from Your Sinking Party, Eze to Akawor

 

 

... Thinking Amaechi 'll return to PDP is a sick, wild fantasy

 

... Amaechi didn't join APC to Oust Jonathan, but was forced out by PDP hawks and idle political Jobbers

 

...Counsels Governor Wike to start preparing his handover note come 2023 for enthronement of an APC Led Government

 

Erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP) and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has trashed claims by the Rivers State Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, that former Rivers Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, will soon return to the People’s Democratic Party.

 

Recall that Akawor, had during a sparse gathering of members of the PDP in Ikwerre Local Government Area, announced to his audience that the Minister of Transportation and South-South Leader of the APC, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, would make a comeback to the People’s Democratic Party any time soon.

 

An excerpt from the very deceptive and widely publicized opinion reads “One day, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, your son, will come back to his family, which is PDP. He has to come back because he was a speaker. Where he went, he went for a reason. He went to remove President Jonathan. Jonathan has gone, so he should come back to his party. I am saying it again. My brother, my friend, the bosom friend of our Governor, Nyesom Wike, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, come back home.”

 

In a statement made available to media houses in Port Harcourt, Chief Eze counseled Akawo and those who share in his wildest imagination to quickly seek the service of health professionals for medical examinations to ascertain their health status and subject themselves to treatment where necessary, because according to him, only young men with sophisticated health issues, defective sensory neurons and blurred reasoning will share in such a blunt view.

 

“While I lack the power to stop Ambassador Akwaor from dreaming of the Super Minister and Minister of the Decade, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, erstwhile Governor of Rivers State and incumbent Minister of Transportation returning to the sinking Peoples Democratic Party, I wish to counsel him to try to treat himself of malaria as nothing will cause the Minister to return to a party that did everything to destroy his political feats and personality.”

 

The Party Chief said Chief Akawor, who earned his Ambassadorial appointment on the footing of his roles in the satanic collaboration among the Jonathans,Wike, Obua, and others, which led to forceful exit of Amaechi from the PDP, may just be  scamping alongside

others, for the return of Amaechi, in order to give credibility to the party already destroyed by Governor Wike and his inklings.

 

It is unfortunate and in fact pricking on the conscience for Akawor, whose inputs in the broad day robbery that tore the Rivers PDP in pieces, to say Amaechi’s motive for leaving the party was chiefly to remove President Jonathan, and having succeeded, he should return to the PDP.

 

For avoidance of doubt and in straightening the records, Chief Eze said Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has nothing to do with the ouster of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as the President of Nigeria but was forced out of the PDP by those he described as party hawks and jobbers who felt Amaechi was a threat to their undemocratic antecedents.

 

The famous statement "We’ll arrest Amaechi by next year - Wike" credited to Chief Nyesom Wike, then a junior Minister in the administration of Dr. Jonathan Goodluck by 2014 still suffices and speaks more on the ploy to trick the then Governor to swim in  muddy waters.

 

Then Supervisory Minister of Education had said that Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi will be arrested after President Goodluck Jonathan's declaration as winner of the 2015 presidential election.

 

"Once INEC announces the victory of President Jonathan, we will immediately shut down the Port Harcourt International Airport and all land and sea borders in Rivers State to prevent Governor Amaechi from escaping. Does he think we don't know that he is planning to run away? But he and his cohorts will not succeed.

 

All they can do thereafter is to lock themselves in the government house and at the appropriate time we will go there and pick them up one after the other. Believe me, governor Amaechi will surely account for all our monies that he is frittering away now".

 

The Deputy National Chairman of the PDP then Prince Uche Secondus, who also spoke at the event said that Governor Amaechi is a temporary occupant in government house and that PDP will not allow him to choose his successor in 2015 because Rivers State is for PDP. He has taken all our money to Lagos to develop APC.

 

With this type of threat by the over ambitious and deadly Wike, one may be forced to ask, "is Amaechi a stone or a tree that is been threatened to be cut but stood still without running. Amaechi has to find a way to survive this unwarranted onslaught, so he left.

 

Eze recalled with nostalgia how the hawks running the administration of Dr. Jonathan kicked Amaechi out of PDP.

 

Let me state that the obvious desperation of the PDP leadership to completely destroy Amaechi led to his departure, alongside five other PDP governors, to form the New PDP, with five of them later joining the mega opposition political party, the All Progressives Congress.

 

The Factors that forced Amaechi out of PDP are thus under listed:

 

1.

When the PDP national leadership undemocratically decided to suspend Governor Amaechi from the party without any sound reason on May 27, 2013 and was to follow it up with expulsion, Amaechi the victim resorted to the courts, once again, to stop them from taking any further step on his case until he decided to join APC. The suspension of Amaechi from the party was agreed during an unscheduled and unusually early morning meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party at the residence of the then National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. The meeting commenced at 8:00 am and came two days ahead of the regular meeting of the NWC, which normally holds on Wednesdays. It was also three days after Amaechi beat the odds with his re-election as chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. He had been allegedly opposed by the PDP Governors’ Forum (PDP-GF) ahead of the election.

 

It was this suspension of Governor Amaechi from PDP, not minding all that he did to uplift the party that started the decimation of PDP and its reduction from a ruling national political party to an opposition regional political party.

 

It is said that during the intervening days, many interventions were made to save the crisis and resolve the matter. Important national leaders including Retired General Yakubu Gowon tried to stop the departure of Amaechi knowing it was the only way to stop the exodus. But the more such efforts were made, the harder those who did not want Amaechi in the party worked to push him out.

 

For the education of Ambassador Akwaor and his misguided fellows, let me call on Amaechi to explain by himself why he joined APC.

 

Explaining why he joined APC, Governor Amaechi said: “Unfortunately, recent events within the PDP have given me reason to reconsider our collective interest as people of the South-South and, indeed as Rivers people. At various times, as the one whom you gave your mandate, I had cause to complain about the marginalization of our state and our people, despite our huge contribution to the national coffers and our unflinching commitment and support for the ruling PDP. While the political and economic importance of Rivers State cannot be contested, we continue to hold the shorter end of the stick.

 

“A few instances may suffice: Our demand that the Federal Government return oil wells belonging to Rivers State to us has gone unheeded and been treated with levity under this administration. Rather, our oil wells have been ceded to Bayelsa, Abia and Akwa Ibom states. Even after we got a judgment that the oil wells were wrongly ceded to Akwa Ibom State and should be returned to us; only dry wells that were no longer producing oil were returned.

 

“In the specific case of the Soku oil wells, despite a decision reached that the monies should remain in an escrow account till all matters concerning it are resolved, the Federal government continues to pay neighbouring Bayelsa State the revenues meant for Rivers State in a classic case of robbing Peter to pay Paul. It is indeed noteworthy that we have made several representations formally and informally on this matter.

 

“A second instance is the total absence of federal presence in Rivers State. The ‘National Good Governance Tour’ provided a good opportunity for the Federal Government to showcase its presence in Rivers State. The tour, if nothing else, proved that there was not much to show in a state that is the cash cow of the federation. The East-West Road remains abandoned, work has been deliberately slow on the Port Harcourt International Airport, the third busiest airport in the country, while all airports started along with it have long been completed and commissioned. The Bonny-Bomu Road that leads to the only functional liquefied natural gas project remains uncompleted. In the midst of all these, our administration went ahead to fix federal roads to the tune of N103 billion. Several representations and letters after, not one kobo has been repaid. The Federal Government is actively discouraging investments in Rivers State.”

 

Amaechi at another forum stated, “They have become so desperate that they have gone to hire Joseph Mbu to serve as the political wing of the PDP in Rivers State. I pray to God to save Rivers State so that those thieves will not come to power and steal your money. We want to confront the Nigerian Police. When you hear impunity, it is because you allow it. There is no revolution without blood. From now till election, we should mobilize and confront the Nigerian police. If they say they are ready for debate, tell them I am ready. They should go to the National Assembly and summon me.”

 

Other instances that made the departure of Amaechi from PDP imperative are the following:

 

Posting and encouraging the excesses of the tyrannical Police Commissioner Joseph Mbu, during these inglorious days in the state.

 

Supporting every unimaginable act of impunity in the state, including the plot by five State Assembly members to impeach the speaker in a House of 31 members, with the hope of impeaching Amaechi thereafter. This led to the closure of the courts but they turned around to blame the victim, Amaechi.

 

Seizing and grounding the planes belonging to the state for no just cause. Shutting down the robust security architecture that was to save the region and oil facilities.

 

Harassing and intimidating the duly elected Governor of Rivers State for no just cause, and even supporting the splitting of the Governors Forum into two, to ensure that Governor Amaechi, who was duly elected by his colleagues, does not have an easy reign as the chairman of the forum.

 

 Other factors are:

 

1. Refusal to refund to the state government over N130 billion used in the dualisation of Ikwerre-Owerri Road approved by late President Yar’Adua, and other federal roads in the state executed by the state to ease the suffering of the people of Rivers State. It took the APC controlled FG and President Muhammadu Buhari to refund at least N79BN of it which fell into the laps of the same man who did everything against such payments to the state. What an irony.

 

2. Ceding of oil wells belonging to Rivers to Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Abia states, to ensure that the revenue accruing to the state is reduced. To this day, this has pushed Rivers State to the third state in the Niger Delta behind Delta and Akwa Ibom, but not far ahead of Bayelsa State that was far below Rivers State.

 

3. Abandoned construction of the Port Harcourt International Airport after completing other airports started at the same time with it. The airport thus became an eyesore and declared as one of the worst airports in the entire world. Pictures of the state of the airport attached then explained the level of hatred President Jonathan had for Rivers State and her people.

 

4. Posting and encouraging the excesses of the tyrannical Police Commissioner Joseph Mbu, during his inglorious days in the state.

 

5. Supporting or remaining silent over the impunity of daily killing, maiming of members of Rivers APC by the PDP and their agents’ killer squads.

 

6. President Jonathan released all N25 billion that accrued from the principle of derivation from the five Soku oil wells that rightly belong to Rivers State and kept in reserve for Rivers State and Bayelsa State, to Bayelsa, his home state.

 

Eze further highlighted that the world maybe astounded to learn that not minding all that Amaechi went through in the hands of Jonathan; he ensured that a slot in the State Executive Council was given to Jonathan throughout his eight years tenure as the Governor of Rivers State.

 

In conclusion, Chief Eze said contrary to the defective reasoning of Ambassador Akwaor and those sponsoring him, Amaechi never joined APC in order to oust Jonathan and his administration from the centre but undemocratic elements like Chief Nyesom Wike were the architects of his ouster after forcing and imposing on Amaechi all his actions in 2014 in order to join progressive forces to rescue Nigeria from the hands of the likes of Wike.

 

If there is anybody to blame over the exit of Dr. Jonathan from Government, it is Wike and his fellow hawks who, for the pursuit of selfish goals, plotted and ruined the administration of Jonathan, relegating him to the background and keeping him at bay on current happenings in the polity.

 

Finally, Eze counsels Akwaor to stop deceiving Governor Wike and help him to start preparing his handover note for an APC led Government come 2023 as Rivers State and her people are totally tired of the confused PDP Government in the State.