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Tag: Anyaoku

  • Anyaoku, Kukah seek transparent election at Tribune’s70 anniversary

    FORMER Commonwealth Secretary General Chief Emeka Anyaoku has warned that the international community will adjudge the forthcoming election by its transparency.

    He urged the Federal Government and other relevant agencies to ensure the elections that are free, fair and credible, noting that utterances from political stakeholders were heating the polity.

    Anyaoku, who was the chairman at the unveiling of ‘New Look Tribune’ and celebration of African Newspaper of Nigeria PLC’s 70 years of progressive journalism, said the country’s friends and international community are watching.

    In a symposium titled, “Electoral integrity, legitimacy of democratic institution and good governance”, the former Commonwealth Secretary General said the country should be careful not to become a pariah nation.

    He said the country witnessed large-scale of human debasement in recent times, noting that everything  must be done to ensure the sanctity of lives.

    “Nigeria today is underperforming and not cohesive as expected.

    “It is, therefore, imperative to ensure that the results of the election reflect the wishes of the Nigerian people. The image of our country within this international community will be defined by how Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Federal Government are seen to have prevailed in all matters concerning the elections.

    “The country is underperforming and lack national cohesion. Therefore, I think the way out of all these challenges is to restructure the country. We must return to true federalism as practiced in the days of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and others.”

    The keynote speaker, Rev. Matthew Kukah, said those who found themselves in position of leadership were not prepared for it, adding this was responsible for administrative failure.

    He said the deteriorating state of affairs suggested that democracy had not delivered to the majority of the people.

    According to him, this was due to ill-preparation of leaders, who were thrust upon the people unceremoniously.

    “A simple example is the climate of trepidation, anxiety and fear that gripped the nation as the elections draw near. The monologue that characterises the elections has turned the campaign into a source of mere entertainment.

    “The presidential candidates crisscross the country with their huge army of supporters hurriedly assembled and shove from one stadium or open square to the other, adorned in polychromatic attires, promising electricity while they campaign in darkness.”

    Kukah maintained that the political scene had been consumed by the politics of ethnicity and religious, forcing the young well-trained idealists into blind alley of regionalism.

    He said despite the peace accord signed by the political parties under the Gen. Abdulsalami  Abubakar-led National Peace Committee (NPC), many of them have reneged on their promises.

    The cleric noted that the promise by them to ensure decent campaign, free from calumny, provocation and hate speech have been relegated.

    African Newspapers Nigeria PLC Chairman Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu said the celebration was to review the legacy of Tribune and reposition it for the better.

    She added that the paper made remarkable contributions to the development of democracy in the country, stressing that despite the challenges facing it, it did not renege from the ideas of its founder, Awolowo.

    Present at the event are former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Chief Olabode George, former Lagos State Deputy Governor Femi Pedro, eminent scholar Prof. Adebayo William, Chief Supo Sonibare, Dr. Eddy Olafeso, Afenifere leader Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Peoples Democratic Party candidate in Lagos State Jimi Agbaje, Odia Ofeimun,   Young Progressives Party presidential candidate Kingsley Moghalu, Erelu Abiola Dosumu, Akarigbo of Remoland Oba Adewale Ajayi, Afenifere leader Chief Ayo Fasoranti, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Chief Femi Okunrounmu, Mrs. Sinatu Ojukutu, African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Dr. Obadiah Malafia, Lagos State Information Commissioner Mr. Kehinde Bamgbetan and others.

  • National unity: Ukiwe, Anyaoku, others on role of ethnic organisations

    • As Item Union Lagos celebrates 78th anniversary

    The unifying effects of ethnic nationalities in national unity will be the focus as Item Union Lagos celebrates her 75th Anniversary on Saturday, November 10, 2018. The event, which will hold at the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN), would be chaired by the Ochiagha Ochimba, Aka ji Ofo Ndi Igbo; Commodore Okoh Ebitu Ukiwe (retired), who served as the Chief of General Staff (Vice President of Nigeria) from 1985-1986.

    The Keynote Speaker at the event, with the theme, “The unifying effects of Ethnic Organisations in National Unity: The Case of Item Union in Lagos is Chief Emeka Anyaoku, the former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.

    Other distinguished personalities scheduled to grace the occasion include Senator Ike Nwachukwu, who will serve as the Father of the Day; Special Guest of Honour, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, the President-General of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo; the host, Prof Joe Irukwu, a former President-General of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo and HRM, Eze Silas Okeofia Igwe, the Okpi of Item.

    The President-General of Item Union in Lagos, Chief Onwuka Orji, told The Nation that the event will not only discuss the role of ethnic organisations in national unity, but will also feature the rich cultural heritage of Item Okpi Ancient Community, in Bende local Government Area of Abia State.

  • Anyaoku for Annan’s funeral

    Former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Chief Emeka Anyaoku will today arrive in Accra, Ghana for a funeral ceremony in honour of ex-United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

    Anyaoku is a guest of President Addo Akufo-Addo.

    Anyaoku, in a statement yesterday, said: “I have been invited by President Nana Dankwa Addo Akufo-Addo to the late Kofi Annan’s funeral in Ghana. I shall therefore leave Lagos tomorrow for Accra.

    “Mr Kofi Annan was the United Nations Secretary-General during the last three years of my ten-year tenure as Commonwealth Secretary-General and in 2002 after my retirement from the Commonwealth, he invited me to chair the United Nations panel for mobilizing international support for the new mechanism established by African leaders in the African Union for the development of the African continent (NEPAD).

    “Beside official collaboration between our two organizations, Kofi Annan and I were close personal friends for over 50 years, and we worked together in Abuja in January 2015 for the adoption of what came to be known as the Abuja Accord by which all the 12 Nigerian presidential candidates, including the then incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan and his eventual successor President Muhammadu Buhari, committed their political parties to violence-free campaign and importantly, to acceptance of the results of the impending national elections.

    “I am grateful to President Nana Akufo Addo for the invitation to join in paying last respects to this great son of Africa and an outstanding global statesman who has left a legacy that will endure in the pursuit of world peace and human dignity and development. I am sure that all of us in Africa are deservedly proud of Kofi Annan’s memorial.”

  • Okorocha, Anyaoku, Ekweremadu seek police reform

    •My achievements, by IG Idris

    IMO State Governor Rochas Okorocha, former Commonwealth Secretary General Emeka Anyaoku, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremmadu and other stakeholders in the Southeast have called for a reform in the management of the Police to cope with security challenges.

    The Imo governor particularly urged the police to engage in crime prevention rather than combating.

    Okorocha, in his speech at the Southeast Security Summit organised by the Inspector General Ibrahim Idris, noted that one of the major problems bedeviling the Force was indiscriminate promotions that did not take into cognisance of qualifications and competences.

    According to him, “this promotion by quota has not helped the Police, a situation where a police officer is promoted based on his region of origin instead of his capabilities cannot inspire commitment and hard-working.”

    Ekweremadu, who was represented by Senator Andy Uba, expressed concerns over the proliferation of small arms, saying over 60 per cent of arms manufactured in the country emanated from the Southeast zone.

    He urged the police to formulate tangible response to security challenges from the summit.

    Anyaoku said the security challenges could be defeated if patriotic actions were taken.

    Anyaoku, who was represented by the Chairman of Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Samuel Ohiri, advocated for strong synergy among security agencies.

    President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo Nnia Nwodo flayed the Federal Government for proscribing Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist organisation when it didn’t kill anybody.

    Nwodo said the Fulani herdsmen had unleashed enough mayhem on the people that was justifiable to proscribe them as a terrorist organisation.

    Idris, in his speech, said President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered him to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of killings in Jos, Plateau State .He said: “The recent killings in Jos, Plateau State, where over 200 persons were said to have been killed, is a sad commentary in the history of our nation.”

    According to Idris, “myself in company of the President and the Minister of Interior have visited Plateau State and the President was categorical that the perpetrators of this dastardly act will be brought to book.

    “In line with the directive of Mr. President, the police have launched a high-powered investigation into the incident and I can with confidence inform you that no stone will be left unturned in getting to the root of the killings.”

    He said despite funding challenges confronting the police, under his watch, “the police had been effective and combated crimes, especially kidnappings and armed robberies”.

    He said community policing was crucial in tackling effectively the security challenges.

     

     

     

     

  • Restructuring a must, say Anyaoku, Akintoye, others

    ‘Adesanya’ was a soldier of democracy’

    With one voice, some leaders from the North, East and West yesterday spoke on restructuring, saying it is the only way to stabilise Nigeria and guarantee its progress.

    Former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former military governor of Rivers State Gen Zamani Lekwot, renowned historian Prof. Banji Akintoye and Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General Chief John Nwodo, among others, urged those in power to arrest the country’s drift by returning to true federalism.

    They spoke on Leadership and the future of Nigeria at the 10th memorial symposium of the late Afenifere chieftain and Alliance for Democracy (AD) national leader, Senator Abraham Adesanya.

    Adesanya, a politician, lawyer, activist and deputy leader of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), a pro-democracy movement formed in 1994, died on April 27, 2008. He was 85.

    Former Head of State Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, who chaired the occasion, described the late Adesanya as a man of integrity.

    He added: “I had a good relationship with him when destiny brought me to be the head of state of the country. I commend organisations that fought to bring democracy to Nigeria, and NADECO was the leading organisation. I relied on his advice and others to pilot the transition to democracy in Nigeria.”

    Anyaoku described the late Adesanya as a symbol of loyalty to his ethnic group and country.

    The late Adesanya, he said, protected the interests of the Yoruba, democracy and Nigeria, as a whole.

    “He was devoted to the fight for democracy in Nigeria and he incurred the wrath of Abacha with an attempted assassination on his life in 1996. He was a political activist, a patriot and a defender of truth and public interest,” Anyaoku said.

    He lamented the killings in some parts of the country and the simmering agitation for secession.

    Anyaoku said: “I believe that restructuring Nigeria’s present governance architecture by returning to the provisions of its 1960 and 1963 constitutional arrangements will not only help the emergence of a leadership that will pave the way for a national rebirth, but will also put the country on a more assured path to political stability and faster socio- economic development.

    “I am proposing a restructuring of Nigeria into a true federation of eight federating units comprising the existing six geo-political zones plus a restored old Mid-West region and a newly created Middle Belt federating unit”.

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who spoke with reporters on the sidelines of the event, spoke of his plan to restructure the country in six months, if elected president in 2019.

    He said: “The process is not rocket science. A serious-minded government that knows how to listen and build consensus can restructure Nigeria for the benefit of all and this I undertake to do when I become president.

    “Indeed the Federal Government can voluntarily withdraw from most of the items listed in the exclusive list of our constitution. I believe that the benefits accruing from these first steps will help us as we move towards the changes that require amendments to our constitution.

    “The major task is recomposing the second schedule which does not encourage development and when you enjoy cordial relationship with the National Assembly and see it as an independent partner in progress rather than as a competitor, you can achieve great things,” he said.

    Nwodo urged Nigerians to vote only politicians who believe in restructuring.

    He said: “Nigerians, any leader who does not recognise that the cause of our underdevelopment, bickering, missed standards, is the fact that we do not have a restructured nation, don’t vote for him.”

    Lekwot urged Nigerians not to be afraid of restructuring. He also called for state police, and better funding for the armed forces as a way out of insecurity.

    He said: “Our police are well trained because when they go overseas, they win medals. But back home because of the faulty structure, they cannot perform. Even if we had a million policemen, this country is very large, they cannot cover every corner. This is why restructuring will create room for community or state police.

    “The American presidential system we are running has three tiers of policing. They have the county police, which are the local government, state police and the federal police. I hear people say we cannot pay them. Well, if we don’t pay them to do the right thing, we are going to reap the harvest, because, those who make life uncomfortable for us are well organised.

    “Another advantage is if community or state police is created, many youths will be employed and as we know, people in the rural areas know the ground better than anyone else.

    “I hear some people castigating the military, it’s based on ignorance….What is happening now, even the military, they are very thin on the ground, and because of the number of years, fatigue has set in. They too are suffering from manpower shortage and when morale is not high, anything can happen.

    “Given our diversity, restructuring is the way out, because the present structure is not working. If you programme something and it is not working, you have to come back. So, we have to get back to the drawing board in order to see if what requires fixing can be fixed.

    For Prof Akintoye, a historian and former senator, a break-up is imminent if the country fails to urgently restructure.

    He said: “If Nigeria does not take steps, which are important and prerequisite; if Nigeria does not take steps urgently, to return to a federal system, the kind of federal system that we saw in the 1950s up till 1965, Nigeria may very likely break up. That’s my assessment of the situation.

    “I’m a historian and I also happen to have been in your politics, but I speak from what I know. Don’t say that your country cannot break up, it can. Any country can break up. The Soviet Union had the most feared government on earth by the middle of the past century. I was in Tashkent, Uzbekistan for a few days and I saw that the people were scared of the Kremlin. That was in 1982. Less than 10 years later, those people who were scared of the Kremlin were already an independent country.”

    Former Managing Director of Concord Newspapers Dr. Doyinsola Abiola, urged Nigerians to go back to their roots in their quest for quality leadership.

    Dignitaries at the event included former President Olusegun Obasanjo; Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Mrs Yetunde Onanuga; former Governors Olusegun Osoba (Ogun), Chief Gbenga Daniel (Ogun) and Peter Obi (Anambra).

    Others included former Interim National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, KOWA Party chieftain Prof. Remi Sonaiya, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Chief Bode George, former Akwa Ibom State Governor Obong Victor Attah, former PDP Lagos State governorship candidate Jimi Agbaje and eminent scholar Prof. Adebayo Williams, among others.

     

  • About 4,765 Nigerian doctors working in UK, says Anyaoku

    •’Govts must uplift health sector’

    MEDICAL doctors are abandoning Nigeria for greener pastures overseas owing to inadequate management of hospitals by the three tiers of government, former Commonwealth Secretary General Chief Emeka Anyaoku said yesterday.

    He said over 4,765 Nigerian doctors were working in the United Kingdom (UK), which, according to him, constitute 1.7 per cent of the European country’s medical workforce.

    Anyaoku spoke yesterday during the celebration of the 110th anniversary of the Iyi-Enu Mission Hospital and the launching of an ultramodern Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) at Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State.

    He said Iyi-Enu Mission hospital had been no exception from the general decline of institutions throughout the country.

    According him, “People of my age (85) feel nostalgic for the old days in the early years of our country’s independence.

    “During that period, especially in the 1960s and 1970s, the Commonwealth ranked Nigeria fourth in the hierarchy of health sector efficiency countries.

    “In fact, at that time, ours was a country that itself was attracting medical tourism on account of the quality of the services offered by the University Teaching Hospital Ibadan (UCH).

    “But today, it is lamentable that the Federal Government’s endorsement of the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation that 13 per cent of the national budget should be allocated to the health sector, as well as the African Union’s Abuja declaration in 2001 that 15 per cent of the national budget should be allocated to the health sector, only a paltry sum of between about 3.4 per cent and 5.6 per cent are allocated.”

    The elder statesman said the result of the low budgetary allocation to the health sector over the years and “the Nigerian factor” had assailed the country with ill-equipped hospitals with low grade facilities.

    “Indeed, most of our hospitals have been reduced to mere consulting clinics.

    “Recently, we had a big shock to the national psyche, when it was revealed that even the Aso Rock Clinic that attends to the nation’s highest political leaders and their families was completely lacking in basic facilities like drugs and even syringes.

    “It is, therefore, no surprise that when he visited Nigeria recently, Bill Gates, the Chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in criticising Nigeria for spending relatively far too little on the development of its human capital, pointed to the nation’s health sector alongside the education sector as some of the most neglected,” the elder  statesman said.

    Anyaoku said Bill Gates’ reference to the Nigerian health sector was not comforting.

    “Yet, Nigeria’s dismal record and bad reputation in the health sector cannot come to anybody as a surprise, not when highly qualified Nigerian doctors are voting with their feet, fleeing and abandoning the country in droves to work abroad,” he said.

    He, therefore, hailed the authorities of Iyi-Enu Hospital under the leadership of the Bishop on the Niger, Rt. Rev. Owen Nwokolo, for accepting the challenge of restoring the health facility to its past glory.

    “But in this highly desirable restoration, I enjoin the management to take seriously, the importance of specific training of technicians for the maintenance of the sophisticated diagnostic, dialysis and the MRI equipment that are installed, “Anyaoku said.

    The event was attended by Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, the traditional ruler of Ogidi, Igwe Alex Onyido and others.

     

  • Nigeria must turn vision to reality, say Anyaoku, Sanusi, Moghalu

    Nigeria must turn vision to reality, say Anyaoku, Sanusi, Moghalu

    Former Commonwealth Secretary-General Emeka Anyaoku; Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II and a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, have urged Nigerians to find ways to actualise the country’s potential.

    They identified several factors, including good leadership, effective social policies and proper use of innovation, as ways to create sustainable economic growth.

    They spoke in Lagos yesterday at the launch of Moghalu’s book titled: ”Build Innovate Grow (BIG): A vision for my country”.

    Guests at the event included former Director-General of the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke; a former Chief of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe and former Cross River Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Eyo Ekpo among others.

    Anyaoku, who chaired the occasion, hailed Moghalu for identifying and suggesting solutions to the country’s problems in BIG.

    These problems, he noted, had ensured that Nigeria “is still a country and not yet a nation.”

    He said: “We have far too many fissiparous tendencies in our country, and we spend a lot of time in castigations and vituperations about who among us is the greater wrecker of our country than the other, whether in terms of individuals or groups such as ethnic or religious groups.”

    According to Anyaoku, the solution lies in restructuring.

    Anyaoku said: “No country can be reckoned with abroad in a situation in which its domestic situation is as fragile and fundamentally unsettled as Nigeria’s is today. And as I have said on many occasions, the key to stabilising Nigeria and guaranteeing its deserved economic progress lies in restructuring the country’s current governance architecture back to a truly federal structure composed of more viable federating units as was the case in the 1960 and 1963 constitutions.”

    But Sanusi suggested a different approach to tackling the country’s ills, stressing the need for re-examination of the country’s ineffective social policy framework.

    The former Central Bank Governor, who was represented by the Sarkin Kano, Alhaji Shehu Mohammed, hailed Moghalu for the economic and social roadmap presented in BIG.

    Sanusi lamented that Northern Nigeria has been held back by “extremely conservative cultural attitudes to the education of the girl-child and the immunisation of children against deadly diseases such as polio.

    “Many of the problems faced by the North today – extreme poverty, the so-called “Almajiri Syndrome” with millions of children begging on the streets, drug addiction, thuggery, extremism, herdsmen-farmer conflict, etc, take their roots from a failure of social policy.”

    Moghalu, who said he is running for the presidency, identified three things the country needs.

    He said: “We need to heal Nigeria, we need to wage a decisive war against poverty and unemployment and we need to restore Nigeria’s place in the world. And that is what I tried to capture in BIG.”

    According to him,  ”Governments must govern. A government must deliver on its promises.”

    He criticised politicians who give excuses for bad governance.

    Moghalu said: “An ineffective government is a reflection of an effective man or woman, who is placed in an office for which he has no competence.”

    Reading from the book, Moghalu made a case for better funding, training and equipping for the police, noting that police’s failure was “why everywhere is so militarized”.

    According to him, Nigeria needs 1.5 million more law enforcement agents, because many of the existing about 350,000 police personnel “are guarding Very Important Persons (VIP).

  • Nigeria must turn vision to reality, say Anyaoku, Sanusi

    Nigeria must turn vision to reality, say Anyaoku, Sanusi

    A former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku; Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II and a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, on Monday urged Nigerians to find ways to actualise the country’s potential.

    They identified several factors including good leadership, effective social policies and proper use of innovation as ways to create sustainable economic growth for the country.

    They spoke in Lagos at the launch of Moghalu’s book “Build Innovate Grow (BIG): A vision for my country.”

    Guests at the event included a former Director-General of the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke; a former Chief of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe and former Cross River Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Eyo Ekpo, among others.

    Anyaoku, who chaired the occasion, commended Moghalu for identifying and suggesting solutions to the country’s problems in BIG.

    These problems, he noted, had ensured that Nigeria “is still a country and not yet a nation.”

    He said: “We have far too many fissiparous tendencies in our country and we spend a lot of time in castigations and vituperations about who among us is the greater wrecker of our country than the other, whether in terms of individuals or groups such as ethnic or religious groups.”

    According to Anyaoku, the solution lies in restructuring.

    Anyaoku added: “No country can be reckoned with abroad in a situation in which its domestic situation is as fragile and fundamentally unsettled as Nigeria’s is today. And as I have said on many occasions, the key to stabilising Nigeria and guaranteeing its deserved economic progress lies in restructuring the country’s current governance architecture back to a truly federal structure composed of more viable federating units as was the case in the 1960 and 1963 constitutions.”

    But Sanusi suggested a different approach to tackling the country’s ills, such as a re-examination of the country’s ineffective social policy framework.

    The former CBN Governor, who was represented by the Sarkin Kano, Alhaji Shehu Mohammed, commended Moghalu for the economic and social roadmap presented in BIG.

    Sanusi said: “If any country needs a bold vision of how to turn its underachieved potential into reality, it is Nigeria. Few are more equipped and prepared to offer such a roadmap as Kingsley Moghalu.

    “We can’t have good governance without good leaders and good leadership. Those attributes are essential for nation-building. Meanwhile, to create a thriving Nigerian economy we must have a stable and cohesive nation.

    “As Kingsley writes in BIG, our country surely needs to revisit the role of its women and youth in our society. It is time to end gender discrimination. Women and youth must be mainstreamed into governance and the democratic process.”

  • Rain of tributes as Ambode, Anyaoku, Fashola, Obi, others mourn Ekwueme

    Rain of tributes as Ambode, Anyaoku, Fashola, Obi, others mourn Ekwueme

    It was a rain of tributes yesterday for Nigeria’s first elected Vice President, the late Dr Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme.

    Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode; Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; former Anambra State Governor, Peter  Obi, and Africa’s richest woman, Folorunsho Alakija, all extolled  Ekwueme’s integrity and statesmanship.

    They and others, including former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Sir Emeka Anyaoku, spoke at the commendation service for Ekwueme at the Cathedral Church of God, Marina and the ‘Evening of Tributes and Music’ at the Muson Centre, Lagos Island.

    Other guests at the events included Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun; former Ekiti State Governor and Minister of Solid Minerals Development, John Kayode Fayemi; former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba; former Abia State Governor, Chief Orji Uzor, among others.

    Ambode described Ekwueme, who died in London last November 19 aged 85, as “a leader among leaders.”

    He said Ekwueme was “a well respected elder statesman who carried himself with dignity and exuded knowledge, experience and maturity.”

    Ambode noted the “exemplary patriotic roles” played by Ekwueme.

    He said: “Significantly, his answer to the still-problematic National Question grabbed public attention in a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural country searching for unity, stability and an equitable power-sharing formula.

    “Dr. Ekwueme had proposed six geopolitical zones as the federating units that would rotationally produce a five-year single-term presidency. The six geopolitical zones are Northwest, Northeast, North central, Southwest, Southeast and South-south.”

    “There is no doubt that Dr. Ekwueme was a creative political thinker. Although his novel proposal during the 1994-1995 National Constitutional Conference (NCC) that produced the 1999 Nigerian Constitution was not formally included in the constitution, it is to his credit that the idea of six geopolitical zones has been informally embraced and today informs aspects of governance in the country. In this respect, his contribution to the country’s political evolution has an enduring quality.”

    Fashola, who paid his tributes via a video interview said Ekwueme was “a truly great man.”

    He recommended Ekwueme’s credibility and high values as worth emulating.

    Obi described Ekwueme as a nationalist and urged other politicians to emulate him.

    He told The Nation that Ekwueme was one of Nigeria’s best leaders ever.

    Anyaoku said: “He was not a typical leader. He left a legacy of diligence, hardwork.”

    Subomi, Ekwueme’s friend and former Lagos neighbour, recalled how their bond of friendship was cemented after Ekwueme returned to his house in Apapa from the east after the civil war. He noted God used Ekwueme to direct opportunities his way.

    Alhaji Lateef Okunnu SAN, Ekwueme’s former school mate at King’s College, Lagos, said Ekwueme would have made Nigeria great if he had become President.

    Mrs Alakija recalled Ekwueme’s brilliance.

    She said: “He was extremely sharp and would always recognise anyone who was sharp. He loved dancing. He would dance and dance.”

    Bishop of Lagos and Dean Emeritus, Church of Nigeria, (Anglican Communion), Most Rev. Adebola Ademowo, the Bishop of Lagos and Dean Emeritus, Church of Nigeria, (Anglican Communion), described the late former Vice President as a selfless and God fearing Nigerian statesman.

    He said: “We cannot compare him to the politicians of today as he single-handedly supervised the construction of Oko Comprehensive Secondary School, among many things he did, he spent his money for the good and benefits of Nigerians.

    Ekwueme will be buried in his hometown Oko, Anambra State on February 2.

  • Jonathan greets Anyaoku at 85

    Jonathan greets Anyaoku at 85

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan has felicitated with the former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Chukwumeka Anyaoku, on the occasion of his 85th birthday, describing the octogenarian as a national icon and leading voice for equity and good governance.

    A statement issued by his media adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, said the ex-President conveyed this in a message of goodwill in which he also highlighted Chief Anyaoku’s achievements as an international public servant.

    Jonathan said: “I write to most sincerely felicitate with you and your family on your 85th birthday.

    “As an international public servant you flew the flag of our nation so high that Nigeria’s pride of place in the comity of nations became well defined. You made your mark on the global scale as a distinguished technocrat whose footprints as the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations have continued to endure.

    “Even as an octogenarian, you have continued to manifest a dogged commitment and dedication to national development by readily offering yourself in the service of our great nation. Nigerians will continue to celebrate you as a national icon and elder statesman whose voice resonates for equity and good governance.”