Ojukwu’s birthday: Politics at play?

The celebration of the 78th birthday of Igbo leader Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu last weekend in Enugu saw politicians of various political persuasions jostling for attention, reports CHRIS OJI.    

It was a befitting celebration of the 78th birthday of  former Biafran leader Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu last weekend. It was at his Casabianca country home in Enugu, Enugu State.

The organiser and sponsor of the event, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, who is also the leader of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), had earlier warned politicians not to play politics with the  celebration.

Uwazuruike, who at a pre-birthday press conference had said that  Ojukwu’s name is an asset to any Igbo politician, and warned that the  celebration should not be turned into an arena for political negotiations,  advised that the occasion should be seen as spiritual with a view to offering prayers for his quick recovery now that he is lying ill outside the country.

To live up to that pla, interdenominational services were held simultaneously in all the South East and South South states. The home of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) leader, was swarmed by clergy men of different Christian denominations. There were no fewer than 40 men of God, including bishops and monsignors who struggled for  space at the makeshift altar. 

The MASSOB leader enjoined eminent personalities, particularly the governors, irrespective of their political leanings, and to all Ndigbo all over the world to join in the 78th birthday celebration and offer prayers for Ojukwu. He also enjoined those who may be indisposed to contribute their prayers wherever they are from 12 pm to 12.15 pm on Friday November 4, 2011 to offer just 15 minutes prayers for the ailing former Biafran leader.

Uwazuruike also tried not to reduce the  celebration to an all MASSOB affair as he disclosed that  Ojukwu is a great son of Ndigbo and “is a different Igbo leader. Unlike other Igbo leaders, he has a platform, he has Biafra, he has MASSOB and he has Uwazuruike.”

The birthday was a  success as almost every inch of space in the vast compound of Casabianca Lodge was occupied by humans. Those outside, far outnumbered those within. One of the most popular gospel musicians in the South East, Felix Ndukwe, provided live renditions of new songs of Biafra and Ojukwu which he said, would be released before the end of  November.

Various traditional dancers were in attendance; prominent among them were the popular war dancers common among the people of old Bende Division in Abia State and the acrobatic Nkpokiti dance from Umunze, Anambra State. Everybody present was ecstatic as they simultaneously provided musical entertainment.

However, with the exception of Senator Uche Chukwumerije, it appeared that members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) boycotted the occasion. At least, all the five Southeast governors were expected to grace the occasion as the chief hosts. And the presence of Governors Peter Obi of Anambra State and Imo’s Rochas Okorocha made it look like an All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) affair.

The other governors were absent. None sent in a representative. The scenario provided a cheap platform for the APGA governors to score major political points, but they never took the advantage. Obi who spoke only dwelt on the pitiable position of Ndigbo in present-day Nigeria as he recalled the position of Ndigbo in the past and asked where the place of Ndigbo in Nigeria is, at present. He insisted that Nigeria, today, stands on the past achievements of Ndigbo, adding that it was the Igbos who spearheaded the independence of Nigeria.

He recalled that in academics, the Igbos excelled, recalling that the first Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan, Prof. Kenneth Dike, was an Igbo, and that of the University of Lagos then, Prof. Eni Njoku.

Obi also recalled that the first president, vice-president, senate president of Nigeria were all Igbos including the first Army General and military Head of State. He added that the first Nigerian graduate soldier was an Igbo “and that is the man we are celebrating today.” 

Obi further posited that the first man to live in Ikoyi was an Igbo and that was the father of Chief Ojukwu, adding that it was his Rolls Royce car that was used in driving around Queen Elizabeth of England when she visited Nigeria in the 50s. He urged Ndigbo to rise up and take a pre-eminent position in the country.

Obi finally threw in an innuendo, ostensibly to those who “shied” away from the birthday of the great son of Igboland: “We should not be ashamed of Ojukwu. If he is not the greatest son of Igboland, at least, he is one of the greatest.” According to him, it was Ojukwu who saw the threat of extinction facing Ndigbo and rose to the occasion to halt it, adding: “Every true Igbo must be proud of Ojukwu.”

One significant thing about the occasion was that Chief Victor Umeh was  presented as the authentic chairman of the APGA. Other claimants to the control of the party were “unavoidably” absent. Umeh was seen taking control of everything while relating well with two APGA governors present.

The organiser of the celebration, Uwazuruike, did not make any comment at the occasion,  lest it be seen as a MASSOB affair. Rather, the Anglican Bishop of Enugu, Rt.  Reverend Emmanuel Chukwuma brought Uwazuruike to the rostrum and declared him the Okenwa (great son) of Igboland.  

The bishop told the large crowd of how Uwazuruike saved Ojukwu’s wife from being driven out of Casabianca Lodge by some elements who once declared Ojukwu dead. The persons, whom he did not name, arrived and asked Ojukwu’s wife to pack her bag and baggage because they “were the heirs to Ojukwu.”

“But Uwazuruike got the wind and immediately mobilised and dispatched MASSOB members who came to the rescue of the woman and secured the house. You people have not heard this story. I am just telling it to you now,” said Bishop Chukwuma amid thunderous applause.

And when Uwazuruike was asked to give a vote of thanks, he insisted that it was Ojukwu’s wife, Bianca who should do that. Bianca climbed the rostrum, Uwazuruike stood beside her as she addressed the crowd in an unblemished Igbo dialect. Bianca continually praised Uwazuruike all-through. Always referring to him as Okenwa, she told the crowd that comprised the publisher of Champion Newspaper, Chief Emmanuel 

Iwuanyanwu; former governor of Anambra State, Senator Chris Ngige; former governor of Imo state, Chief 

Ikedi Ohakim; former Central Bank governor, Prof. Charles Soludo and  Umeh, that it was Uwazuruike who single-handed planned and organised the 78th birthday celebration of her husband.

She told the cheering crowd that “Ezeigbo (Ojukwu) is home-sick. He is eager to come back home because he loves Nigeria and his people. It is a miracle that after almost one year, Ezeigbo fought and said no to death.

 “He has shown that he is a true General by his determination to live. Even the hospital workers in London refer to him as General whenever he visits for routine check.”

Bianca gave praises to God for keeping her husband alive and submitted that it was through the prayers of the people that God mercifully granted him life up till this day.

She said: “If my husband were to be here and see this crowd, he would definitely jump out of his sick bed. He would have been totally healed.”

She thanked President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife for their concern over the health of Ojukwu by keeping in constant touch with them in London. More of the thanks went to Governor Obi whom she said, sponsored the London trip and was always in London to see the ailing leader.

Justice for Michael Jackson

 Finally, the pop star’s doctor suffers for his professional wrong

Michael Jackson, the pop icon who died of drug overdose on June 25, 2009, finally had justice on November 7 when a Los Angeles court jury convicted Conrad Robert Murray, the late Jackson’s physician, of involuntary manslaughter.  He was convicted of pumping his patient, who suffered from acute insomnia, full of Propofol, an anaesthesia only permitted for use in surgical chambers.

Katherine, the late Jackson’s mother,  grunted, “I feel better now” as she emerged from the courtroom, amid loud celebration by the pop icon’s fans outside. Dr. Murray sat stoic and expressionless as the jury pronounced the guilty verdict. He was led away in handcuffs even as he watched his daughter weep.

The facts that emerged from the trial proved beyond any reasonable doubt that Dr. Murray professionally erred in his relationship with the late Jackson.  For one, he was, as the Americans would say, in the hole for some US $780, 000 in sundry debts: court judgments against his medical practice in Las Vegas, outstanding mortgage payments and child support for some of his seven children, that he had by six women.  The causes of the debt alone, particularly court fines and alimonies, established a trend of loose living and professional remiss that further, ab initio, damned the doctor, even if his innocence was presumed.

Being in such financial hole would therefore appear to have made him desperate to cling to the job; and therefore left him rather helpless to resist the rather suicidal demand by Michael Jackson, hankering after dangerous, if not lethal sedatives, just to combat his insomnia.  

Well, Dr. Murray got his due dessert, is bound for jail for a maximum of four years and may have his doctor’s licence revoked, which is like a life sentence in poverty.  Still, below the societal rage and ululation of conviction, Dr. Murray is at best a fall guy for being the final trigger of Michael Jackson’s death.

Right from the cradle, Jackson was abused through and through.  Joe Jackson, his father, spared no effort, including plain cruelty, to forge his poor son into a money-spinning machine.  Joe’s legendary iron discipline, which bordered on cruelty, was a subject of domestic tiff within the Jackson family, with the Jackson siblings, who morphed into the famous Jackson 5 and later The Jacksons, eventually backing their mum against their all-mighty dad.  

By setting his mind on the commercial success for his sons, the elder Jackson effectively robbed his musical genius son of his childhood.  That mercantilist spirit effectively turned Jackson into a mega-buck machine, which commercial interests exploited to the full.  Though he sparkled and dazzled, and his music and lyrics showed a tender soul that craved love and compassion for humanity, Black, White or Yellow, those he cared for so much only craved for the fortune they could get from that music machine with a wondrous voice and magical dance feet.  

So, Dr. Murray might have been complicit in fatally mistreating Jackson’s insomnia.  But those who drove him into that condition are even guiltier than the fall guy.  Still, even in death, Jackson remains a cash cow, at least to old Joe.  His father has brushed his grief aside to sue Dr. Murray in a wrongful death suit, from which he claims unspecified damages! 

The prompt trial of Dr. Murray is a lesson to the Nigerian criminal-justice system.  In six weeks, the society has got justices – and transparently so.  Such speed and impersonal rigour is highly recommended for these climes, where justice is almost always denied because it is almost always delayed.

Nigeria/Botswana Friendly: Keshi to join Super Eagles today

Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi could not travel to Benin with the squad yesterday as he stayed behind in Abuja for his contract signing ceremony with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Thursday.
There is only one scheduled daily flight from Abuja to Benin, and the unveiling of the coach, planned to start at 12 noon and last 90 minutes, is not expected to finish on time for him to make that flight.
The rest of the squad leave without the coach.
There was no training in Benin  yesterday, but regular sessions will start again today.
Kickoff time for Saturday’s match up against Botswana is 5pm.

A medical doctor who speaks 11 languages, which he taught himself; Targets 22

According to the ‘Guinness World Book of Records,’ Ziad Fazah, a 40-year-old Lebanese immigrant living in Brazil, is the world’s greatest living polyglot. He is fluent in 56 foreign languages, 54 of which he taught himself, without having to visit the native countries of those languages.

Pope Benedict XVI and Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid FC manager are also on the list of great polyglots, although not directly after Fazah. Pope Benedict XVI, who is fluent in nine foreign languages is well travelled, having worked as a priest in many countries, and Mourinho. He’s proficient in five foreign languages as he worked in Spain, Italy, England, France and Portugal.

However, ahead of Mourinho and the Pope, is Kogi-born Victor Moody, a final year medical student at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan. He has lived all his life in Nigeria, yet, he is a master of 11 international languages. And like Fazah, he learnt them himself without attending a language school.

When most of his colleagues would relax by sleeping and dreaming about their medical books and their patients, Moody would sit in front of his laptop with headphones and rummage avidly through non-English websites, eBooks and e-dictionaries. He would also watch movies made in other foreign languages.
Narrating how he knew he could speak Portuguese fluently, Moody said: “I was attending to a patient one day in the hospital and on discovering that he was Brazilian, I spoke Portuguese to him. He was surprised, but he replied. And then we started chatting in the language. But, the truth is that I also shocked myself. I didn’t know I could be so fluent.”

Apart from his native Yoruba and Hausa, a language he picked up while living in Niger State with his parents, Moody is also fluent in French, Spanish and Italian. He understands, reads and writes German, Arabic, Dutch, Nihongo (Japanese), Hangul (Korean) and Hindi (India), languages.

He told Saturday Sun: “I am not just going to stop at those 11 languages. My target is 22. But my biggest challenge now is finding those who speak these languages, so that I can continue to hone my fluency.”
Moody’s journey to language acquisition began some 16 years ago. He had read Journey to the Centre of the Earth, a novel by Jules Vernes. In the adventure story, the protagonist and his uncle, Prof Von Hardwigg,  were in Iceland, on an expedition when a volcano erupted and threw them beneath the earth. Prof. Hardwigg’s multi-lingual ability led them through the scary journey beneath the earth and up to Sicily, Italy. They survived the ordeal because of the professor’s multi lingual gift. This, Moody affirmed, was his driving force.
He said: “After reading that book, I wanted to be like Prof. Von Hardwigg. I wanted to speak as many languages as possible. So, while taking French in secondary school, I paid special attention and, of course, I got an A1 in the subject in my WAEC exam.

“An interesting incident happened when I was writing my NECO. Six of us went in for the exam, but at the end of the day, I was the only one who submitted. Others pulled out because the questions were exceptionally difficult. But, at the end of the day, I also got an A1. That convinced me that I could also do it in other languages.
To sharpen his French skills, therefore, Moody watched French movies and read French literature, including Bible.

“I love reading French novel. I even read medical books written in French and other languages that I can understand,” he said, adding: “When I finished secondary school, I was at home for 10 months before the University of Ibadan resumed. So, all I did for those 10 months was watch thousands of French movies on satellite television. I also watched English films subtitled in French. I even enjoyed them better than English movies because I was being entertained and I was learning at the same time.”

The satellite TV is one of Moody’s obsessions, as it affords him the opportunity to watch foreign channels and test his understanding of the languages he is learning.  He says: “I like Japanese TV a lot, especially their interviews. I don’t only learn the language, I also learn their culture. Respect is an integral part of Japanese culture. So, learning other people’s language also helps you learn about their cultures.”
Learning other people’s culture is not Moody’s only reason for studying languages. He believes that knowledge of foreign languages “opens you to the world because language is the vehicle of the feelings, the culture and the traditions of a people.”
He also admits that his thinking is more international because “I feel like a citizen of the world. I even sing Asian songs.”

Moody’s ultimate ambition is to work with the United Nations and its agencies and impact the world from an international standpoint.  He argues: “In medicine and every field of endeavour, ideas come from various parts of the world. No region has a monopoly of knowledge. I study language more than my school books, but it has not affected me because language adds richness and international appeal to your knowledge as long as you can read many languages.”

The young polyglot, who hopes to add 11 new languages, which include Swahili, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Chinese and Finnish, to his vocal kitty, is interested in learning Nigerian Languages, but according to him, “Nigerian language literature are in short supply. They are not available online and their dictionaries have very few words, some of them less than 650 words. Besides, hard copy materials are tasking.”
When a lot of people find it difficult to learn languages, even in the best language schools, Moody finds it very easy, learning by himself, “because right from when I was a child, I liked teaching myself. I refused to be taught the time by my parents. I did it myself.”

Explaining his self-teaching magic, he says: “To me it’s very simple. I like my laptop, so it is my teacher. All I do is download e-books and dictionaries in those languages. I also visit their websites and read stuff on them. I read medical books and newsletters in foreign languages.”
Websites are not his only source of knowledge and inspiration. The soft spoken gentleman said the Gideon’s Bible, which has been translated to over 1,500 languages is one of his major inspirations.
“I started learning other languages apart from French, by reading the various translations of John chapter 3 verse 16, in the Gideon’s New Testament Bible,” he said.

For those who want to take the initiative, to start learning new languages, like Moody, he has this advice: “It takes determination and discipline, because you’ll get discouraged and frustrated at the beginning. Then start with the verbs of the language because the verb is the most important part of a language.”
The multi-talented doctor, whose first novel is due to be published in December, also believes that “a language that is not spoken will remain buried inside.” He also wants the prospective readers of his novel not to entertain any fear as his novel would be in English but “with an international feel.”

ISRAEL TEST-FIRES NEW BALLISTIC MISSILE

Israel has test-fired a ballistic missile capable of reaching Iran from the Palmachim base, according to a report on Israeli radio.

The test of a rocket propulsion system on Wednesday comes amid increased debate around the likelihood of an Israeli attack against Iran's nuclear programme.

Speculation around the basis for the first missile test since 2008 was heightened after a newspaper commentator had suggested over the weekend that Benyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, and Ehud Barak, the defence minister, may have decided without cabinet approval to launch an attack against Iranian nuclear facilities.

A defence ministry statement said that the test-firing "had been planned by the defence establishment a long time ago and has been carried out as scheduled".

Wednesday's test-fire, the first in three years, was declared a success.

Although defence officials would not elaborate on the type of missile tested, the military affairs correspondent at Israel Radio, regularly briefed by officials, said a ballistic missile had been launched.

In an address at parliament's opening session on Monday, Netanyahu repeated that a nuclear-armed Iranian state would prove a serious threat to Israel and the world.

Israel is believed to have a sizeable and the Middle East's sole atomic arsenal, along with a technologically superior air force.

However, it lacks long-range bombers which could deliver lasting damage to Iran's distant, dispersed and fortified facilities.

Israel considers Iran its most dangerous threat, citing the Islamic republic's nuclear programme, its ballistic missile development, repeated references by Iran's leader to Israel's destruction, and Iran's support for armed groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.

Iran denies the allegations that it aims to produce a bomb, saying its nuclear programme is meant only to produce energy for the oil-rich country.

Iran has blamed Israel for disruptions in its nuclear programme, including the mysterious assassinations of a number of Iranian nuclear scientists and a computer virus that wiped out some of its nuclear centrifuges.

Israel has repeatedly called for tougher economic sanctions on Iran by the international community.

Meet Onyeka Onwenu!

Now a permanent fixture on the Glo Naija SIngs judging panel, Onyeka Onwenu - affectionately known as "the Elegant Stallion" - has impeccable credentials.

Since her musical breakthrough with the track "One Love", Onyeka has won the admiration of many Nigerians - but she's way more than just a singer: she's also a journalist, broadcaster, actress, politician and activist, having once protested at the gates of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) about artiste royalty fees, being a vehement anti-HIV/AIDS campaigner and vying for the chairmanship of her local government in Imo State in 2003!

Following an early childhood education in Nigeria, she moved to the US where she studied at Wellesley College, Massachusetts. From 1977 to 1979 she worked in the public information division of the United Nations. Later in the 80s she actually worked for the institution she rallied against in 2000, the Nigerian Television Authority. And today she is a board member of the NTA!

Through her music, Onyeka has preached love, tolerance, tolerance and patriotism, and has earned plenty of awards for both this and her humanitarian work.

Her entertainment credentials were further boosted when she began acting in Nollywood, making memorable appearances in films like Conspiracy. She didn't dessert the music scene however, writing the song for the inauguration of President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999 and collaborating with several artists, including greats like King Sunny Ade - you can see that collab below!

President, Govs Finally Agree to Stop Subsidy Deductions

The crisis rocking the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) over the sharing of federal allocation for September was resolved early this morning at a marathon meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and the governors.

It was decided that the deductions being made by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) to finance fuel subsidy should be stopped henceforth following objections by the governors on transparency issues.

The states had refused to attend the September meeting of FAAC because of the deductions which invariably reduce what is available to be shared by the states.

In Lagos State, former governor and national leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, voiced his opposition to the operation of Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF), describing it as “illegal and fatally flawed”.

This morning’s decision to suspend the deductions was taken, according to sources, partly to prevent a public backlash in the event that salaries are not paid this week ahead of the Sallah celebrations.

Earlier yesterday, the governors had met at House 7 with Jonathan before adjourning to meet separately and take a common position on the issues at stake ahead of the evening meeting where requisite government agencies were in attendance with documents to help convince them.

The evening meeting was scheduled for 8pm but started shortly after with officials of the Petroleum Ministry, Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Austin Oniwon, and some officials gearing for power point presentations.

The meeting which held in the office of the First Lady where the President has been using temporarily pending the completion of the renovation of his office was filled to capacity.

State Accountant-Generals, prodded by their Governors, stormed out of the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee meeting insisting that deduction from source for petroleum subsidy and other deductions must be returned and shared according to the law.

Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, who is the vice-chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, told THISDAY that there are no issues over the SWF, maintaining that the governors gave the Federal Government the go-ahead to kick-start the savings with the $1 billion that had already been set aside.

“There will be no court action over it,” he said, disclosing that further savings in the future would be agreed upon by all before they are added to the account.

But Tinubu gave hard knocks on the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) yesterday, describing it as illegal, fatally flawed and a scandal in waiting “which should either be scrapped or modified”.
Tinubu, who made this position known through an article entitled “The Sovereign Wealth Fund: The Ends Do Not Justify the Means”, explained that the SWF because it violates constitutional provisions as regards the allocation of revenue to the three tiers of government.

According to him, the Fund gives the Federal Government unlawful ownership and control of funds belonging to states.
He added that the structures establishing it lack transparency which he said would promote misuse of funds as well as malfeasance.

Tinubu argued that the Fund was flawed because it was forced down the throat of state governments, saying the law establishing it should have made participation voluntary so that any state wishing to participate can do so at its own leisure and unwilling states given their full allocations without being pressured.

The former governor also remarked that structural flaws in the law provide “the administering authority” unrestrained powers to set up countless numbers of “shadow companies” across the world “to hire any number of outside consultants, to incur unlimited debt and to invest in all types of risky investments”.

While arguing that the Fund is a breach of the law and a deliberate attempt to undermine the states’ fiscal independence, Tinubu said the Federal Government had resorted to lobbying the governors to buy into the project because it knows that SWF Law lacks the potency to stand in the face of the law.

However, Tinubu said he was not totally opposed to the establishment of the Fund because it may be useful in the nearest future but added that the Federal Government should fund it from its own revenue and make participation by states voluntary.