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Gov. Wike’s Action Against IPOB Will Haunt Him In Future – Gani Adams
Gani Adams, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land, has given his views on the action taken by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on the Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOP) in Oyigbo during the End SARS protest.
Grassroots.ng understands that Wike had invited security agencies to manage the crises in Oyigbo, an action which turned bloody with many Igbo people been killed in the Local Government Area.
Reacting to this situation, Gani Adams in an interview with the Sun Newspaper, noted that it is wrong to blame members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for the violence that erupted in Obigbo during the #EndSARS protest.
He said; “I think the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has come out to debunk it that he didn’t give any instruction to the army. However, my take on the earlier statement credited to the Governor where he said he’s giving executive law to proscribe IPOB.
“I must say I disagree with that. I must advise the Governor that he should be careful. He should look beyond as Governor of Rivers State, one day; he will finish that tenure and will be aspiring to have a national position.
“If there is crisis in your state, don’t use every force in your power to descend on that crisis and you don’t act as a military. He should remember that he is a civilian Governor in Rivers State; he should not talk as if he’s talking to the opposition. Orders are very sensitive on how you handle issues with diplomacy. And to make sure as a leader you weather the storm.
“Even if the Federal Government called IPOB a terrorist group; it’s not in your power to say you will insert the law to call them terrorist in your own state because there’s a slight difference between the Igbo and the Rivers people.
“I understand during the state creation, part of Igbo land was cut to join Rivers State.
“When you build enmity between the major tribe it will count on you as a politician.
“Maybe in 2023 after his tenure he would want to be a President or Vice president and you want to go and campaign in the Southeast, they will remember what you did to their own brothers.
“Even though not all the Igbo share the ideology of IPOB, but they won’t be happy when you instigate or instruct Nigerian army to kill their sons and daughters. But he has come out to debunk it.
“He knows the implication. But he said one thing that he won’t care of future ambition; he has to protect his own state. But he should understand that same issues that happened in Rivers, happened in Ebonyi, almost all the states in the South, in the aftermath of killing in Lekki, turned to violence and most of the Governors managed it without using executive power
“Even within the crisis of the EndSARS, there was crisis between the Yoruba and Hausa, but the Lagos State government and the security agencies managed it so that there won’t be two crises at the same time.
“I don’t see him managing that issue very well. He should talk less, on the crisis in the media. He should allow his commissioner for information to talk on his behalf. If you notice the statement has boomeranged you can debunk it as a Governor.
“That’s why a government has different ways of communication, when he tests the waters with the statement and the statement did not go down well with the people, he should now come out as the principal to debunk it and say something in a diplomatically way that will not cause tension.
“I will appeal to him that the issues in Oyigbo should be managed very well. This is race that are business people, scattered in different places in Nigeria. What happened in Oyigbo can cause a reflection of interest of the Igbo all over the world today and we don’t want something like that to happen in future.”
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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