For apologising to Abubarkar Atiku, because he was called out on his prostitutional visit to Olusegun Obasanjo, Icheoku says, the Abia Elders Forum is the most despicable and destitutional of all associations presently parading itself in the South East of Nigeria. Their beggarly apology amplifies the stereo-typical thinking in some quarters, that the Igbos are their own worst enemies? Can you imagine these faceless a-holes selling out on their own son, Orji Uzor-Kalu for a piece of the proverbial Abubarkar Atiku's poridge; and someone please tell Icheoku that the Igbos, with this kind of attitude, stand a chance at producing a Nigerian president of Igbo origin someday?
Why must it be Orji Uzor-Kalu that should be singled out and persecuted for putting his take on the swirling criticism of Abubarkar Atiku for genuflecting back to his old nemesis, Olusegun Obasanjo? That Atiku's caustic visit to Obasanjo connotes “selfishness and inconsistency” on the part of Abubarka Atiku is without doubt; so where then, is the beef against Orji Uzor-Kalu, that this Abia Elders Forum should open their ever-yawning mouth in such a denigrating way? Who in Nigeria did not criticise the miscalculated move by Abubarkar Atiku, going on all fours before Olusegun Obasanjo and naively thinking that his sins will be forgiven? Does Atiku not know that with Olusegun Obasanjo, forgiveness is for God only, but not him? Icheoku says, at the appropriate time, Olusegun Obasanjo shall take his pound of flesh off Atiku's body and with some blood as Lady Portia will not avail her services to Atiku. From Wole Soyinka to Balarabe Musa to Segun Osoba to every politician/pundit in Nigeria as well as the media including Icheoku.com; the criticisms were firing on all cylinders? So why should Orji Uzor-Kalu's merely adding his voice on a national discuss be deemed as inappropriate and an exception by these charlatans under the aeges of "Abia Elders Forum"?
Icheoku asks who constitues the membership of this shameless association, the Abia Elders Forum ? Shame on you, Abia Elders Forum and whatever you represent does not include the interest of the Igbo-man. Unmask your ugly self and let us know what you have contributed to the general welfare of the average Igbo-Joe since your inception? Your vituperations on Orji Uzor-Kalu adds impetus to the saying that some Igbos can sell their mother for a few shekels of silver; and also shows that the Igbos are the most disunited of all the people that ever walked the face of this earth. What shall it take for the Igbos to once again become each others brother's keeper? Icheoku says, Orji Uzor-Kalu was right to add his own opinion about the Abubarkar Atiku's infamous visit to the medicine man of Otta and nobody should hang him out to dry or unwantonly criticise his freedom of speech; particularly these lilliputians who purportedly begged Abubarka Atiku to please forgive Kalu? These guys are naughts and out of their freaking minds? They are the men and women every Igboman should beware of! They are the present danger and new-saboteurs of the Igbo struggle in Nigeria. Icheoku says, Igbo people must be ashamed to be so identified, after this shameful condescensional act of unsolicited apology of the Abia Elders Forum.
In their offesive statement, the Abia Elders Forum (AEF) through its Publicity Director Uchenna Kalu, said "it received with sadness the utterance of the former Governor of the Abia State, Orji Uzor-Kalu, on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. We apologise to Atiku over Kalu’s recent statement calling him a “chameleon, selfish and inconsistent. We commiserate with Alhaji Atiku because we know exactly the role he played in moving the country forward and we urge Atiku to forgive Kalu over his utterances and we call on him to continue to associate with the Abia people". Icheoku says if this people are not the lowest of low-lifers on earth, nothing else so qualifies? How condescending and slavish for them to beg Atiku to continue to associate with Abia people and Icheoku asks what is the benefit derivable from such association? When have Adamawa people ever begged to be associated with anybody, not even Olusegun Obasanjo when he was torturing their own Abubarkar Atiku? Who is the chameleon if not Atiku? Who is selfish if not Atiku? Who is inconsistent if not Atiku? Inspite of all his hoofing and puffing against Olusegun Obasanjo, he still crawled back on his knees to beg for forgiveness of his sins? So Orji Kalu was right! Despite swearing to be the symbol of democracy struggle in Nigeria, Atiku abandoned course and without consulting his followers surrepitously arranged to and went to prostrate before Olusegun Obasanjo? And again, Orji Kalu was right on the money! An Atiku's visit founded on his selfish desire to rule Nigeria at all cost, even if it means dinning with the devil Olusegun Obasanjo; and again Orji was right! Peradventure, a big surprise awaits Atiku as Nigerians will resist such a drooling son of a bitch from becoming their president.
Unlike Abubarkar Atiku, Orji Uzor-Kalu had remained steadfast with his convictions and was the first to throw his hat in the ring to stop Olusegun Obasanjo from his third term bid? That he suffered greatly without cowing down to Olusegun Obasanjo was a fact of general awareness; losing his Slok Airlines operating license as well as Hallmark Bank etc as a consequence of standing up to the lunatic of Otta, Olusegun Obasanjo. That Orji Uzor-Kalu fought off Olusegun Obasanjo's machine and got "elected" twice as Abia State's executive governor and topped it all when he was succeeded in office by his own chosen candidate, under his own newly floated political party, PPA; is there for these urchins consituted in Abia Elders Forum to see? Abubarkar could not even win his own state of Adamawa and yet it is the same Atiku that this Abia Elders Forum prefers and is begging to forgive Orji Kalu; and to also not forsake Abia State? What for and wherein is the dividends of such felicity?
Icheoku says, it is regrettable as it is omnious that some Igbo people do not recognise their heros, of which Orji Uzor-Kalu eminently qualifes as one, belonging in the same genre as Odumegwu Ojukwu, Senator Ken Nnamani and Ralph Uwazulike just to mention a few. Icheoku says this, because we recognise where people stand in periods of high adversity and not those story-tellers, like this Abia Elders Forum, who re-appear from their hide-outs after the tornado had already blown away? Calling Orji Kalu a political rascal does not belittle his stature as he, Orji Uzor-Kalu has by his accomplishments during his short life on earth, achieved so much that these rat-packs called Abia Elders Forum can only day-dream about. That Orji Uzor-Kalu is a man is without doubt and a brave man indeed; and to say otherwise will be as pitful as a jealousy-driven denial of the obvious. Aptly described by Orji Uzor-Kalu himself, these folks of Abia Elders Forum are a bunch of irresponsible and faceless political orphans! Icheoku does not care about the veracity of the excahnges between Orji Kalu and Atiku but only mindful that Orji Uzor-Kalu should not be singled out to be crucified, for chastising Abubarkar Atiku's ill-advised, capitulating visit to Olusegun Obasanjo, period!
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Christy 'Apena' Essien-Igbokwe , the wife of Jegede Shokoya of the New Masquerade and Nigeria's lady of songs is dead; she was 51years old. Although her family claimed that "brief Illness" killed her like so many Nigerians; Icheoku retorts that it was most likely AKwa Ibom voodoo and remote control that was used to arrest her. It is on record that she had fallen out with the governor of her native Akwa Ibiom State and have been having a relentless war for political turf with the governor? So who knows whether she was sacrificed to Ekpe cult or even Alusi-Okija as an offal; afterall African science is still very much alive and portent. May her soul rest in peace.
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Kalu denies attacking Atiku
ReplyDeleteWritten by Chris Agabi, Lagos
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
The former governor of Abia state, Oji Uzor Kalu, has denied attacking the former vice president, Atiku Abubakar. “I never attacked the former vice president, I only said as long as he lives he remains my friend, but as long as he wants to get into politics, he can play it with his other friends, Obasanjo, and not with me again.
” Lately Atiku and Orji have been exchanging hot words on the pages of newspapers. Kalu, who spoke to airport correspondents in Lagos, said, “I didn’t attack him but Atiku went to attack me, so, there was no fundamental reason for the attack. What I said and his reaction showed that there was animosity somewhere, waiting for time to blow up that is all”. “Some people have been using that opportunity to attack me. There is no elders’ forum in Abia State, the people behind this smear campaign belong to Onyeama Ugochukwu camp of the PDP, and his political machinery. Since he has been defeated, he should go and wait for 2011 for another election; he should go home and sleep and wait for the next election and come out again, and we will defeat him again and again”, he said. On the influence of PPA in the south east and how the party would spread to other parts of the country in the 2011 elections, he said PPA is not a regional party, just as “I am not a regional person, I am a national figure and our plan is to make the party a national party, we expect to field candidates everywhere, and we expect to win free and fair elections anywhere”.
Kalu blasts Abia elders’ forum
ReplyDeleteWritten by Kayode Ekundayo, Lagos
Monday, 23 March 2009
Former Abia State governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, yesterday descended on the Abia Elders’ Forum, describing the group as grossly irrelevant.
The ex-governor, who insisted that no responsible Abia elder would belong to such a lowly gathering of political misfits, urged Nigerians to ignore their ranting.
Kalu said, “We know our elders in Abia State. An elder’s forum without great men and woman like Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, Rear Admiral Godwin Ndubuisi Kanu, Lady Victoria Aguiyi-Ironsi, Dr. Ogala Osoka, Commodore Okoh Ebitu Ukiwe, Maj. Gen. Ike Omar Sanda Nwachukwu and Professor Anya O. Anya can best be described as a band of disoriented senior citizens, if indeed they are, whose contributions only come after an overdose of free handout”.
He wondered why members of the forum would continue to drum unsolicited support when their pay masters had been consigned to political oblivion.
“A lot of my opponents do not even understand why I am in court challenging the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
They have no case against me. All through my eight years as governor of Abia, the state did not receive more than N1.4 billion from the federation account at a particular time. It is all politics. Those who accused me of corruption because they wanted to rule forever, have more questions to answer today than I do. Nigerians know this,” he said.
Trouble looms for Ogbulafor
ReplyDelete•Presidency goons move against PDP chairman
By STEVE NWOSU
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Photo: Sun News Publishing
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These are not the best of times for Prince Vincent Ogbulafor. For despite the façade being put up before the public, the national chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is seriously embattled.
He is set to become the first major victim of the Obasanjo/Yar’Adua division within the party – a division that has been brought to the fore by the perceived disagreement over the return of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to the fold.
While Yar’Adua is yet to openly oppose the return, the body-language of his close aides suggest that he is not excited about it.
So, for openly sticking out his neck for a cause on which was yet to clearly read the president’s lips, the clock appears to be ticking for Ogbulafor. And, if the presidency goons that have been unleashed on him have their way, he could well be on his way out of the exalted office of leader of Africa’s largest party before the end of next month.
The president is said to be so pissed off with Ogbulafor that a highly reliable party source told Daily Sun that the chairman has been unable to see the president one-on-one for some time now. “I suspect it was to fence off Ogbulafor that Polycarp Nwite was appointed by the president. Now, Ogbulafor takes whatever he wants to see the president for to Nwite and Nwite would then brief the president. It has been like that for sometime now”, the source revealed.
Dubai meeting that could cost Ogbulafor dear
The presidency is said to be very angry with Ogbulafor for allegedly meeting with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar – probably to discuss the latter’s planned return to the PDP family. The meeting which allegedly held in Dubai was said to have been facilitated by one serving governor from the North Central and a former governor from the south-south – both of whom are believed to be close confidants of President Umaru Yar’Adua.
Incidentally, one of the facilitators of the meeting is suspected to eyeing the presidency himself.
Already, it is an open secret within the party that the push of the former Vice President to return to the PDP is driven by one goal: the desire grab the ticket of the party for the 2011 presidential election.
Although President Yar’Adua has not told anyone that he is desirous of a second term in office, some of his ardent supporters, including, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa, the attorney-general and minister of justice, FCT Minister Adamu Aliero and PDP Deputy National Chairman Mohammed Haliru Bello, have left no one in doubt that the desire is to get the president to seek re-election in 2011.
Consequently, Ogbulafor’s romance with Atiku is perceived in the senior hierarchy of the party (and the presidency) as a direct affront to the Aso Rock agenda. The matter is made worse by the fact that Aiku/PDP rapprochement is being masterminded by former president Olusegun Obasanjo who is believed to have a no love lost relationship with Yar’Adua. Although the Atiku/OBJ fence-mending efforts recently went awry – with the ex-president’s comments on his BBC Hardtalk interview, many within the hierarchy insist that throwing Atiku into the PDP mix a direct attack on Yar’Adua, and Ogbulafor should be wise enough to steer clear of the plot.
Extortion meets greed: the corruption allegation
Ogbulafor is also fingered in allegations of extorting from the party’s elected members, especially the governors. Of particular interest were those who had their elections upturned at the tribunal and fresh elections ordered by the appeal court.
Three of the governors so affected were said to have erroneously thought that the party ha the prerogative to either field them or replace them as the party’s candidate for the re-run.
To ensure that they were not dropped by the party, the governors allegedly parted with hundreds of millions naira under the table. Unknown to them, however, the party was statutorily stranded with them. It was either the PDP re-fielded them, or it would not field any candidate for the re-run.
But the money had already reached point of no return.
In the South-east, where the PDP has only two of five states, the anti-Ogbulafor forces also allege that the party chairman squeezed one of them so much that he soon wizened up. It was this wizening up that led to the situation whereby the governor reportedly refused to send anyone to receive the party boss at the airport when he visited the state capital. In fact, Daly Sun gathered that the smart governor whom the party boss put on alert before leaving his Abuja base had switched off his phone as soon as he finished talking to the chairman. The result was that the party chief had to drive alone to government house, where the aides of the governor rubbed salt into injury by refusing to allow him see the governor.
An infuriated Ogbulafor was said to have returned to Abuja to attempt to drag the governor before the party leadership for ‘anti-party’ activity. But even that move was blocked by some members of the National Working Committee who insisted that the beef with the governor was a purely private matter. A national officer from the South East zone was said to have chastised Ogbulafor for trying to rub a governor from the zone in the mud when his governor colleagues from the north were being treated as demi-gods.
But that was not the only handwriting on the wall for the embattled National Chairman. Soon after some elements in the party went public with the allegations of corruption against the party chairman, another junior officer who had placed an advertorial exonerating Ogbulafor and boasting that the man came from a rich family and had always been a rich person, soon drew the wrath of the NWC members who queried whether he was a spokesperson for chairman or party. They warned him that he should let Ogbulafor defend himself.
The options
With the noose daily closing in on Ogbulafor, Daily Sun learnt that the presidency is exploring two or more ways of kicking him out. One of them is to try to see if one of the many allegations of corruption would stick and then the chairman is forced to resign. To this effect, all manner of fresh allegations have been thrown up to support the initial allegations of buying a house worth over N400 million in Abuja and the extortion story.
Another option is to call for a special convention of the party where the chairman can be thrown out.
But the chairman is not folding his hands and waiting. He is said to be sending emissaries to intervene and plead with the president and also explain his own side of the story and how all the allegations are untrue.
He is also said to courting other party bigwigs, including members of the national assembly.
Irrespective of which direction the pendulum swings, it is likely that Ogbulafor might become the first victim of the new Obasanjo versus Yar’Adua division that has now been introduced into the already balkanized PDP.
Ndigbo kick
Incidentally, while Ogbulafor’s butt is set to fry over the contact with Atiku, not too many people seem to be remembering that the national secretary, a believed protégé of Kwara State governor Bukola Saraki (another Yar’Adua man), was also said to have been at the Dubai parley. This seeming silence on the party scribe has, however, introduced an ethnic coloration to the move against the PDP chairman.
“why would two people commit the same offence and you now single out the Igbo man and leave out the Northerner?”, a member of the South-East caucus of the party asked this reporter. He alleged that the development is following a known pattern of the lot of Ndigbo in the PDP. According to him, “every time an Igbo man is given a position of importance in the party, they set all manner of hurdles for him to ensure that he is never really able to assert himself”.
He lamented that there is no longer an Igbo voice in the PDP strong enough “to challenge all this rubbish”, adding that “this is one score on which we miss (Orji Uzor) Kalu sorely”.
“When Kalu was here, he would look them in the face and say ‘this can’t happen’. Yes, many of us disagreed with him then, and still disagree with him on a number of issues, but that was one strong south-east voice they had to listen to. Now, there is none. Everybody has fallen in line and are keeping quiet”
The pro-Ogbulafor lawmaker also hinted that it was as a result of the lacuna created by the exit of the likes of Kalu that there are now subtle efforts to lure the former Abia governor back to the PDP fold. Unfortunately, we hear that the PPA leader has said that he would rather quit active politics than return to PDP”.