Also, to have been honoured included the First Republic Minister, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi and the late former Governor of old Imo State, Chief Sam Mbakwe, late Margret Ekpo and late Philip Effiong (all post humous) among others.
READ ALSO : Buhari reassures workers on minimum wage
The event which attracted Dr. Azikiwe’s widow, Prof Uche Azikiwe; Chief Mbazuklike Amaechi, a former member of the Zikist Movement; the former Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, Prof Elochuwu Amucheazi; Prof Nwabueze; Anieken Akpan from the Niger Delta; a Kalabari Leader, Mr Douglas Warmate; Chief (Mrs) Maria Okwo; Chief Kiamse Okoko; Prof Obasi Igwe; Emeka Onyeaso; Mr Charles Effiong and Dr Alex Mbakwe among others ended in a fiasco.
IPOB members
The organizer of the event and Founder of the Igbo Youth Movement, Evangelist Elliot Ugochukwu- Uko said the aim of the gathering was to discuss the restructuring of the country as well as honour deserving Igbo, living or dead.
However, when Amaechi began to talk about the need to restructure the country into six zones, the Biafran agitators began to interrupt him, saying they did not want to hear anything about Nigeria.
After several interventions by Evangelist Ugochukwu-Uko, Amaechi was allowed to complete his speech, saying that Nigeria was an illegality, and that the country was being ruled by banditry, which attracted a loud applause from the crowd.
Professor Nwabueze spoke after Amaechi but his voice was muffled by the noise from the IPOB/MASSOB members.
Zik, cause of our pain—IPOB
However, hell was let loose when Ugochukwu- Uko announced that it was time to give a post-humous award to Dr. Azikiwe for his contributions towards national development.
As soon as Zik’s name was mentioned, the Biafran agitators rose in condemnation of Zik’s efforts to keep the country united, just as they blamed the late nationalist for the current travails of the Igbo in the country.
As the crowd became restive, Ugochukwu- Uko threatened to deal with any trouble maker in the hall but his utterances angered the agitators the more and they descended on the people on the high table and in the commotion that ensued, they removed Prof Amucheazi’s red cap from his head and his eye glasses.
Some of the leaders ran helter-skelter as their cars were stoned leading to the shattering of the wind shields.
Apparently, not satisfied with scattering the event, the mob chased journalists out of the venue before moving to the streets of Enugu metropolis, where they blocked roads, displaying the photographs of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
READ ALSO : FCT to reintroduce monthly sanitation
No restructuring
They condemned restructuring, saying that they would not settle for anything other than Biafran Republic.
However, as they were marching, the police confronted them in front of the Presidential Hotel, by firing tears gas canisters on them.
Ugochukwu-Uko said that trouble erupted at the hall, following his refusal to give the pro-Biafrans the platform to talk about dismemberment of the country.
“For more than 20 years, I have been advancing the cause of restructuring and people were saying I was mad. Today, they are calling me a prophet,” he added.
Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Ebere Amaraizu confirmed the story saying some IPOB/MASSOB agitators were arrested.
Nigeria, an illegality— Mbazulike Amaechi
First Republic Minister, Mbazulike Amaechi, yesterday said that Nigeria is an illegality, saying that it was being ruled with laws unknown to majority of the people of the country.
Amaechi said that the agreement by the country’s founding fathers including the former Governor General, late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Premiers of the old Western and Northern Regions, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Sir Ahmadu Bello respectively among other nationalists was jettisoned.
He spoke at a meeting of the Eastern Consultative Assembly, ECA, at the Universal Hotel, Enugu, yesterday.
Continuing, Amaechi asked the people of the Eastern Region to reject the proposed cattle or grazing colonies, saying they were meant to Islamise Nigeria.
According to Amaechi, “the Fulani in the country were waging both the Boko Haram and herdsmen wars on Nigerians as part of plans to force Christians or worshippers of other religions to become Muslims.
“In Borno, they are killing the Kanuri who defeated the jihadists from the Uthman Dan Fodio Empire. They are also killing people of Zangon Kataf in Kaduna, Tivs in Benue, as well as natives of Taraba- the Jukuns…
“In the southern part of Nigeria, it is only Governor Ayo Fayose that is fighting for the people. The governors of the South East are like jelly fishes. They are hiding their heads in the sand like ostriches, “ he said.
Police arrest suspected IPOB members in Enugu
Meanwhile, Nigeria Police Force, Enugu Command, has arrested 11 persons suspected to be members of the outlawed Biafran group in Enugu.
The suspects were arrested yesterday around WAEC Bus-Stop in Independence Layout within Enugu metropolis at about 1p.m.
The Command’s spokesman, SP Ebere Amaraizu, made this known in a statement he issued to pressmen in Enugu.
“They were nabbed based on intelligence information gathered which guided the police operatives on the successful operations carried out,” he said.
“Those arrested are helping the operatives in their investigations in relation to their alleged nefarious activities and will be arraigned properly in a law court after investigations are concluded,” he said.
According to him, members of the public are enjoined to be law- abiding and be security conscious.
“The command is also calling on members of the public to partner with police to ensure that the state continues to maintain the tempo of the safest and most secured state in the country.”
Are you an artiste? Do you want your music to go viral and reach a large number of audience? Promote your music and Submit your story on Ujuayalogusblog.com by clicking here. For Advert Inquiries Tel/+44(0)7590363984 Subscribe to Ujuayalogusblog.com News!
For More: Visit Us at Uju Ayalogu's Blog
No comments:
Post a Comment