Press Release: CISF commends INEC, Police, others on Anambra Guber
The Leadership of Concerned Igbo Stakeholders Forum has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and the Security Agencies for their roles in ensuring credible and peaceful election in Anambra State.
Reacting to the outcome of the Election, the Leader of the group, Mr. Chukwuma Okenwa, stated that the turn out was indeed a consolation for the tension leading up to the election, emphasizing that by now, the naysayers must have been utterly disappointed.
Mr. Okenwa, commended INEC for the deployment of BVAS, noting that though there were challenges, it was however worth the wait. He commended the electoral umpire for its sensitivity and display of intelligence in the extension of the timing of the poll when it became necessary.
He equally advised INEC to build on the gains of the just concluded election to position itself towards delivering excellence in the 2023 General Election.
Mr. Okenwa, while commending the Inspector General of Police, IGP Mr. USMAN ALKALI BABA and the heads of other sister agencies for helping to ensure peace during the election, stated that the success story would have been complete if enough tactics was on ground to forestall pre-election violence.
He urged them to be proactive in ensuring that people enjoyed peace during election to check post election violence.
Mr. Okenwa urged the IGP and the leadership of other security agencies to rejig their electoral security strategy to contain incidences of avoidable electoral violence.
In his words,”security is best when it is proactive and not reactive”
Chukwuma Ephraim Okenwa (CEO)
Leader, Concerned Igbo Stakeholders Forum
2023: Igbo Unity Forum visits Anyim; urges Southeast politicians to run for President
A socio-cultural Organization known as IGBO UNITY FORUM has urged Igbos from the South East extraction to come out and contest for the position of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria come 2023. The group led by a former member of Federal House of Representatives, Chief U.S.A Igwesi made the call recently at the Abuja Residence of former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim when they paid him solidarity visit immediately after his inter face with the EFCC.
The group expressed worries that South Easterners are not indicating interest to contest the plum job as were the case with their counter parts in the Northern Part of Nigeria, even when the zone have been agitating that is their turn to produce the next President of Nigeria, insisting that position cannot be served a La Carte but requires continued engagement, lobbying and constant inter-facing with other ethnic nationalities to achieve results. They called on the Igbos home and abroad with convincing credentials and capacity to come on board stating that power cannot be taken from the fridge but from the oven.
The group observed that Senator Anyim Pius Anyim is a cerebral politician with rich political antecedents and credentials having paid his dues in the political engineering and administration of this country when he was the Senate President, Chairman of the 4th National Assembly and Secretary to the Federal Government of Nigeria and demanded that he should give a thought to their request.
Earlier in his speech; Senator Anyim thanked the group made up of seasoned politicians, technocrats and business moguls for their visit and solidarity during and after his inter face with EFCC, and commended the leader of the delegation, Chief U.S.A Igwesi, describing him as a man of few words and one not known for frivolities, while recalling his days in the National Assembly.
Anyim reiterated his determination to serve the country in any capacity stating that he had since given a thought to their request, but, that by their visit, the group had energized it, saying that he will soon roll out drums in that direction. He went further to state that the visit was not only timely but auspicious especially now that the country is in dire need of an upright and tested character to steer her ship and provide leadership in all sectors of our economy.
The former Secretary to the Government of the Federation insisted he is going to contest the position of the President of the Federal republic of Nigeria come 2023 not because of the Principle of Zoning even though he believes in it but primarily because he is a Nigerian and qualified to contest, using every known parameter, observing that the present day Nigeria needed a President with experience, capacity and humane disposition to provide leadership and unite the country as one indivisible united entity.
He expressed joy and hope in the quality of the members of the forum and urged them not to relent in their avowed determination to sensitize and enlighten the Igbos in this direction.
In his vote of thanks, another member for the delegation and a legal practitioner, Chief Ifeanyi Nwabueze extolled the virtues of the Former Senate President, describing him as a child of destiny whose political antecedents have portrayed him as a tested and impeccable leader who can not only be trusted but a huge asset to the country. Chief Nwabueze went memory lane and insisted that Sen. Anyim raised the legislative bar during the 4th National Assembly.
We can also recall that Senator Anyim told the press at the sideline of the recently concluded National convention of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) that he will contest the position of the President of Nigeria because of his personal conviction and calls from different groups, friends and well-wishers.
Press Conference: SED’21 Convener makes case for Restructuring.
By Debbie Egbo
As the Southeast Debate comes up on Wednesday, October 20, 2021, the Convener of the academic event, Monday Diamond Ani, has, in a press conference in Enugu, harped on Restructuring as having the potency to end National insecurity issues.
The document titled “Restructuring: A Panacea towards tackling rising insecurity, regional agitation and propelling national unity, peace and progress” read “The Concerned Igbo Stakeholders Forum and the Monday Diamond Foundation hereby express our concern over the rising spate of Insecurity and Violence in the South-East, which could be aggravated if nothing is done to stem the tide.”
“It is no longer news that the South East has practically lost trillions of Naira for missing out severally on the first day of work week due to the Sit-down-at-home order in the South East issued by the IPOB as a result of the continued detention of its Leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”
SED’21 Convener, Hon. Monday Diamond Ani
“While we commend the Leaders of the Southeast on their efforts towards managing the rising tensions in the region, we request the South East Leaders to intensify more efforts towards engaging the Federal Government of Nigeria to give Mazi Nnamdi Kanu a fair hearing especially as the scheduled commencement of his trial which is slated for 21st October 2021 is around the corner.”
“We implore the FG to leverage this opportunity to prove wrong several insinuations of purported attempts to mar Anambra Elections and collapse business activities in the South East by the needless denial of the IPOB Leader a fair trial for all the charges.”
“The Concerned Igbo Stakeholders Forum and the Monday Diamond Foundation hereby charges Mr. President to use the forthcoming court hearing scheduled for 21st October as an opportunity to demonstrate his commitment towards the stability of peace and economic prosperity in the South East, by ensuring that the commencement of the trial employees all rightful judicial processes as enshrined in the law of the land.”
“If a region that is a part of the One Nigeria equation says they should be fairly treated especially as it concerns their general welfare and political positions in the country, it is the responsibility of the Father of the Nation to treat the issue judiciously and diplomatically.”
“Having made this appeal to the Federal Government, we hereby call on the good people of Anambra State to turn out en masse and vote for the candidates of their choice in the forthcoming Guber Elections. The indigenes of Anambra should be rest assured that the radar of the whole Nation would be on the state on the 6th of November 2021 as Stakeholders across the Nation, including Governors,Senators, Civil Society Organisations and the Media will be on ground to ensure a free and fair election, thus the fear of intimidation should not replace the commitment of the good people of Ndi Anambra towards exercising their franchise for the emergence of the Candidates of their choice.”
“We equally want to use this opportunity to remind all Stakeholders in the South East of the debate coming up on Wednesday, the 20th Day of October in the South East Capital of Enugu State, where the issues of the agitations in the South East and Security shall be discussed by the elites, youths and students as a propellant of National Unity, Peace and Progress.”
“It will be a day where the Royal Fathers, Religious Leaders, University community and Leaders in the South East will brainstorm to come up with recommendations on the Way forward at this point in time in the South East and the rest of the country as a whole.”
Asked how he thinks the Southeast Debate will provide a solution especially to the IPOB order, he said “This is a summit that involves the Royal fathers, political leaders, clergymen, all and sundry, to discuss a way forward to tell them that, look they should come out on Monday. Whether we like it or not the Igbo nation makes up most percent anywhere in the world and that’s why people say any place you go and don’t see any Igbo man, you should run away from that place because its neither economically viable nor safe to live in”.
The event will hold at The Base Landmark Event Center, Independence Layout, Enugu.
