Anambra Crisis Could Lead to Another Civil War

[AmazingG]

Anambra Crisis Could Lead to Another Civil War

Ojukwu,- Says my people want me to be the commander-in-chief
Jude Ossai, Enugu

Monday, November 2, 2009

FORMER Biafran leader and Ikemba Nnewi, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, has raised the alarm over the political crisis in Anambra State, saying any attempt to stop the incumbent governor of the state, Mr. Peter Obi, from exercising his constitutional rights of seeking re-election in 2010 could lead to another civil war in the country.

Chief Ojukwu, flanked by the National Chairman of the All Peoples Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, told journalists in his Enugu residence, on Sunday, that no country had two civil wars without suffering deeply for such a mistake, stressing that what was currently playing out in Anambra State could lead to civil war in the country.

According to Chief Ojukwu, “Anambra people are looking up to me to be the commander-in-chief if there is going to be another war and I will not allow anybody to toy with and play my people around like a balloon. I will support justice at all times.”

Reacting to media report that the standard-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2007 gubernatorial election, Chief Andy Uba, had gone to the Appeal Court, asking it declare him “governor in waiting,” the Ikemba warned against any move to set aside the ruling of the Supreme Court.

Chief Ojukwu pointed out that the apex court had ruled that there was no vacancy in Anambra State Government House in 2007 and that the puported election that Chief Uba was claiming brought him into office ought not to have been conducted in the first place.

“Appeal Court is no way superior to the Supreme Court. The pillar on which our justice stands is that the constitution is supreme. Nobody can stop the incumbent governor, Peter Obi, from exercising his constitutional rights of going for a second term. Whatever we are playing with, we must know the consequences. We are stepping into another bloody war and I do not want to be part of another civil war,” he further warned.

He noted, “We are being confronted with a very dangerous situation where they want to halt the Anambra State election and we shall resist it. We must bear in mind that as we set up courts and go through our various litigations, we must remember that we cannot get something out of nothing.”

[Iye]

Over ambition is a bad thing….you don’t when to quit...

[AmazingG]

Civil War or any kind of war is not healthy, most especially a growing nation like ours,
the aftermath result will be shedding of blood and loss of innocent lives.

And it will further destroy our already struggling economy.

Bearing the above and much more of the impact of war at the forefront of our mind, we should be very careful, learn to solve our differences and learn to live together as one big family under God.

God bless and save Nigeria.

My God is Able.

[toksy]

It's inconceivable that someone like Chief Ojukwu who has been through it all could be flippantly talking about another civil war.

According to Chief Ojukwu, “Anambra people are looking up to me to be the commander-in-chief if there is going to be another war and I will not allow anybody to toy with and play my people around like a balloon. I will support justice at all times.”

Gosh, what's wrong with this senile old man? He will not allow anyone to toy with his people but he's willing to sacrifice the lives of hundreds of innocent kids, just to satisfy his inordinate ambition.


Yeah, commander-in-chief, indeed!!!

[tonsoyo]

Na Shakara! Shakara Oloje!
The last time I checked Andy Uba is also from Anambra not Lagos or Kano, how will Anambra Vs Anambra lead to another Civil War?

[Dapxin]

war to be fight by who ? v. who ?

Hmmmm! Ya better remember that extra-judicial killing, now known as Boko-Haram treatment....b4 you run your mouth.

[Ednut]

how will Anambra Vs Anambra lead to another Civil War?

What caused WW1?
The breakup of the Ottoman Empire in Eastern Europe.

[Iye]

Originally Posted by Ednut

What caused WW1?
The breakup of the Ottoman Empire in Eastern Europe.

Ok ooh..good luck breaking up....just contain it within your area....thanks

[tonsoyo]

Originally Posted by Ednut

What caused WW1?
The breakup of the Ottoman Empire in Eastern Europe.

You mean those European inter-tribal wars that they christened World Wars?

Is the composition of Anambra same as Ottoman Empire?

@Iye
You got me cracking up there. So Ednut you have heard it from Iye, any attempt to carry that Na-my-turn-to-chop fight outside Anambra ehn, na koboko we go take send una back.

[Ednut]

Is the composition of Anambra same as Ottoman Empire?

Mr. T, the point I was making lies with post #4 not with whether Anambra politicians wan thief or not. The last naija war after all was basically results of what happened in the then Western Region and we all have read or experienced how that went, even some of those outside the West had it worse.

[Ednut]

And Mr. T, Good luck to the Phillies. If you know baseball, you should have known that the National league's style of playing the game cannot compete with a legitimate American League team.

[Ednut]

There is need for prayers as Anambra State prepares for its gubernatorial election in 2010 amidst some unhealthy political developments. This becomes necessary since those who want to govern the State are now devising some invidious schemes to be governors. The seriousness of this call for prayer derives from the fact that one of the families who see Anambra State as an aspect of their patrimonial inheritance has since been involved in a dangerous legal battle which if not arrested forthwith may throw both the State and the judiciary into a very big mess. This call for prayers should neither be treated with levity nor undertaken perfunctorily if the State is going to remain one peaceful entity. Its exigency is underscored by a likelihood of a conflagration should justice be miscarried in this same case which has continued to fail in almost all its appearances in both the tribunal and Supreme Court. The crisis this would engender is sure to make the political turmoil in the Delta a child’s play.

The prayer must be done with Angelic dedication devoid of the twists and turns of our modern day prayers that pay more attention to frills rather than substance. This is particularly necessary since this stubborn chase over a phantom mandate may well heed only spiritual command. If this is not averted now by upholding the judgment of all the other courts on the matter, the cloudy political atmosphere may give way to a heavy rain that would beat everybody silly. This call is not just another prophetic homily from the stable of our numerous prophets who Wole Soyinka derisively referred to in his book The Credo of Being and Nothingness as monsters of prophetic impudence.

This latest attempt at bringing the courageous efforts of our courts to disrepute due to the nagging pressure of Andy to be governor would only consume the Ubah brothers politically. This determination to have his ambition gratified by the Appellate Court is becoming unbearably embarrassing. An ambition becomes inordinate when, against the grain of reason, a case that has suffered several nullifications, sometimes with outright reprimands from esteemed Justices of the Supreme Court is still being pursued with so much vigour. One begins to wonder what manner of service the applicant would offer the State if he derives his mandate from a corrupted process.

Recall that Andy’s quest to reclaim a mandate that never was has suffered series of failures from the tribunal to Supreme Court with neither of the courts encouraging him to go further on the case. “I have come to the undoubted conclusion that the motion is a thorough abuse of judicial process in that the validity of the Notice of Appeal filed in the Court of Appeal on 18/4/2009 had been firmly decided by this Court on merit. It is trite law that there should be an end to litigation and the court cannot re-open this case which has come before us three or even four times. Further, in order to foreclose a further gross abuse of the processes of this court this application will be dismissed and it is hereby dismissed. This court regards this matter as closed.� This was the submissions of the Hon. Justice Idris Kutigi, Chief Justice of Nigeria on the same matter. Subsequent judgments on the matter have followed the same pattern.

Ordinarily, this case should not cause people’s hair to stand on end but unfortunately signals from the camp of the applicant are dictating otherwise. The signs are quite ominous. The man’s belief that his money can buy him power at all cost can only be ignored at the perils of the naïve. Or are we blind to the role money played in that contentious gubernatorial election of 2007 on which basis all these litigations have since emanated? We are not oblivious of the attraction wealth holds to a good number of people and when deployed with intention to destabilize can do just that. That is why we believe that beyond everything, a good dose of prayer laced with fasting as in the days of Biblical Esther, would set the tone for the Appellate Court to spare the State another round of gnashing of teeth. This call for prayer with an appeal on the conscience of the judges to remain steadfast in the administration of justice becomes imperative since there is no end to the corruptive influences of money. The tendency of the wirepuller to unrestrained spending in order to get results is legendary.

Our concern is further heightened by the obsessive tendency of the rich in our midst to spend lavishly on selfish projects like political power. Or did the State not record capital flight of close to 11billion Naira in the just concluded party primaries alone? This excludes enormous budgets already mapped out in order to assist in tilting victories for the candidates including compromising those who are in positions to effect such victory. To still underscore the power money wields, not long ago, a man in a public show of shame, brazenly debased his mother by admitting to her adultery with Olusegun Obasanjo’s father. Being the product of that affair, he is today advocating sameness of paternity with Obasanjo apparently to have a share in the former president’s finances. Of course, the Obasanjos have carefully ignored him.

As lay men in the things of the law, we are still confounded as to what grounds the Appellate Court is still entertaining a case that has made more than three unsuccessful appearances in the Apex Court albeit under different confusing guises. Even when law is described by some as an ass, it does not seem proper that when substantial justice is in conflict with technical ground that justice would tilt in the direction of the latter. If the purported election that produced Andy in 2007 has been described by the Lord Justices of the Apex Court as “a display of effrontery by INEC aimed at rendering nugatory the decision of the court�, it is yet to be seen what verdict Andy is trying to squeeze out from the court of Appeal.

It is true that Anambra State does not enjoy the best of press reportage since the return of democratic governance, yet dragging the judiciary along that inglorious path by no other than Andy Ubah is unacceptable. The judiciary would do well to distance itself from the corruptive influences of Mr. Ubah who obviously fails to realize that the source of the Ubah strength is no more. The prayer of every Anambra person is that the Appellate Court should dwell on the substance of the matter in pronouncing judgment.

As everybody in Anambra prays for return of sanity in the State especially in 2010, let the corruptions of the past remain in the womb of that forgotten past. Since Andy’s desperation has not been watered down with earlier judgments, let him get prepared for another contest in February 6, 2009 and save us the splitting of hair on this matter.

LOUIS EJIKEME

LAGOS

[toksy]

Ignore Ojukwu, group tells Appeal Court

From GABRIEL DIKE, Osogbo
Tuesday, November 3, 2009




The Committee for the Defence of Anambra (CDA), a pan-Anambra group of professionals and business people, yesterday, frowned at the strong expression of the inevitability of war in Nigeria by Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, in the event of the Appeal Court ruling in favour of Andy Uba.

According to the group, in a statement, signed by its chief promoter and National Chairman, Chief Nnama Ofor, such threat by Ojukwu is not only unstatesmanly but also amounts to a threat to national security.

Ojukwu, who was the presidential flagbearer of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the 2007 election, had in what many perceived as potentially treasonable, warned the Appeal Court against giving judgement in favour of Andy Uba, the 2007 gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Uba had approached the court to seek a validation of the mandate handed to him in the April 14, 2007 election whereupon he was sworn in as the governor of Anambra State. The Appeal Court had since reserved ruling on the case.

However, Ojukwu, at the weekend, said it would trigger another civil war should the court rule in Uba’s favour. But the CDA, yesterday carpeted the ex-Biafra warlord for attempting to use the occasion of the judgement to forment another bout of calamity for the Igbo nation, describing the Ikemba as a dictator who is averse to the rule of law.

The statement read in part: “The statement credited to Ojukwu is unfortunate, especially coming from the same man who, because of his intemperance, mindlessly, dragged the Igbo nation into a needless war. He is yet to atone for the blood of the millions of Nigerians who died in that senseless war.

We expect Ojukwu to keep quiet at this time as thousands of Nigerian families strive to push behind them the pains of the war.
“The Ikemba is not a true democrat and a genuine respecter of the rule of law, otherwise he shouldn’t have seized the moment to intimidate the judiciary into taking the action that would suit his ego. We find his statement utterly seditious and we urge the Appeal Court to ignore his threat and serve justice and nothing but justice.”
The CDA wondered why a presidential flagbearer of a political party in a democracy cannot have confidence in the court of law, adding that the judiciary is the symbol of hope for all democrats.

“If Ojukwu has any virtue of a democrat in him, this is the time to exhibit it rather than his tactless arm-twisting by trying to intimidate the judiciary. We urge the court to stand up for what it believes in and not succumb to the war chants of a man whose only contribution to national development is overseeing the massacre of his own kinsmen”, the statement said.
CDA urged all well meaning Anambrarians to shun violence and accept the verdict of the court, stressing that only the judiciary can save Anambra from the brigandage being perpetuated by politicians like Ojukwu. The CDA further urged President Yra’Adua to take judicial notice of Ikemba’s threat.

[N.A.R.]

Now help me out here. I thought the Supreme court is the highest and last law of the land? Once a case has been ruled on at that Court could can you appeal again? Can the Court of Appeal set aside and overturn the ruling of the superior court?

[agensheku]

Originally Posted by Iye

Ok ooh..good luck breaking up....just contain it within your area....thanks

I suspect old age don begin dey catch up with their Ikemba!this is a man who because of his age may not win the bedroom war with im pretty wife if she decides to "give him finish"(funwontan)threatening another civil war!the last one he fought,no be ivory coast he did Ben Johnson to when im hand no cover the palava again?levels don change!even those born during that civil war are now daddies and cannot be pushed around for anyone s stupid ambitions.

[chanchaga]

I wish I studied law. I could have been in Anambra representing someone now or be a presiding judge. There is already civil war in Anambra with all that fighting.

[RAYNOSA]

Proper title to this article/write up should be.....Re: Anambra Crisis Could Lead to NATIVE WAR.
As for Ojukwu i think old age is setting in.

[N.A.R.]

I have just read Okey Ndibe's latest article on the Anambra crisis. It seems so many are focused on "part" of the issue and not the full story. I am struck by something he wrote:

Anambra is caught in the middle of (at least) a four-pronged assault. There is Soludo, a candidate who opted to cut corners rather than test out his popularity within his own party. There is Chris Uba, a thoroughly uneducated political operative whose mode of operation suggests a younger version of Lamidi Adedibu, the late rustic exponent of amala politics. There is Emmanuel Nnamdi Uba (most often called Andy Uba), Chris’s equally ill-educated elder brother whose political history objectifies the tragedy of Nigerian politics. Then there are the scores of governorship aspirants who shelled out more than N5 million for a shot at the gambling table – to decide who will have the most direct access to the Anambra treasury.

Let’s begin from the last group. That forty-seven men and women paid N5 million merely for the opportunity to seek the party’s governorship ticket says a lot about the parasitic designs of the would-be candidates. In a country where more than seventy percent of the populace lives on little more than a dollar a day, no sane person who made his money legitimately would spend so much on buying what was, in effect, an entry fee into a gambling session. Perhaps, then, a good number of these candidates, if not most, had their eyes set on the price: the billions to be stolen once in office. What stood out, above all, was the preponderance of mediocrities, even outright failures, on the roll of candidates – as if the governance of a state were an all-comer’s affair.

If 45 men and women are seeking to be governor and this is just from one party the PDP, then there is something seriously wrong with that state. Rather than just focus on Andy Uba and Soludo, what exactly is wrong with the state? Is it possible that the state historically has never had its government serve the people?

What is so wrong with the state that Ikemba starts talking about civil war again? Can anybody tell us rather than just shouting fire on the mountain all about?

[Bunch17]

But there is already a civil war in Nigeria. The Yaradua camp were successful at the skirmishes in EFCC in forcing the Ota general's troops to retreat. In retaliation, the Ota general's forces targeted Jimi of Oghara. In desparation, the Yaradua camp, lunched a diversionary attack in Asaba hoping that this will cover the retreat of their forces from Jimi of Oghara.

Unfortunately, the Ota camp are at an advantage here as Jimi seems to have fallen foul of other forces.

Seriously folks, we are almost close to a civil war if we look at this more clearly. The mistake we are making here is thinking that the war will be fought between Nations while it is actually being fought within Nations as we speak.

Except of course in Northern Nigeria. Those folks tend to be more intelligent and are less likely to be self destructive.

[Janjaweed]

Originally Posted by Bunch17

But there is already a civil war in Nigeria. The Yaradua camp were successful at the skirmishes in EFCC in forcing the Ota general's troops to retreat. In retaliation, the Ota general's forces targeted Jimi of Oghara. In desparation, the Yaradua camp, lunched a diversionary attack in Asaba hoping that this will cover the retreat of their forces from Jimi of Oghara.

Unfortunately, the Ota camp are at an advantage here as Jimi seems to have fallen foul of other forces.

Seriously folks, we are almost close to a civil war if we look at this more clearly. The mistake we are making here is thinking that the war will be fought between Nations while it is actually being fought within Nations as we speak.

Except of course in Northern Nigeria. Those folks tend to be more intelligent and are less likely to be self destructive.

Very good take, but you forgot to mention Bode George as a casualty of the 'war'