IPOB ONE MILLION PHONE CALLS CAMPAIGN… HAPPENING 1ST FEBRUARY, 2016

IPOB ONE MILLION PHONE CALLS CAMPAIGN…  HAPPENING 1ST FEBRUARY, 2016


Biafrans, Friends of Biafra and lovers of Freedom, You can all see that the whole world has gone BLIND, DEAF AND DUMB over the atrocities being meted to Biafrans. The United Nations has gone blind, deaf and dumb. The United states of America and her Congress have gone blind, deaf and dumb. The Bitish government and and its Parliament have also gone blind, deaf, dumb and lame. None of them wants to see, hear or talk about the evil the British edifice of the Devil called Nigeria is perpetrating against Biafra and Biafrans. Now the Biafrans are going to drum it into the ears of the governments of the whole world. To this end, The Directorate of State of the Indigenous People of Biafra have directed all Biafrans all over the world to RECHARGE THEIR PHONES FOR A ONE MILLION PHONE CALL CAMPAIGN COME 1ST OF FEBRUARY 2016.

From February 1st 2016, IPOB members world wide, Biafrans at large, and friends of Biafra will be calling the government of the world to let them know what Buhari and his murderous agents are doing to Biafrans. This is to make it known that we have towed the path of peace to achieve our goal which is restoration of the sovereign state of Biafra. Biafrans should not be held responsible in any act of violence that may erupt in the course of our self defence. THE NUMBERS TO CALL WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE SHORTLY.

BREAKING!!! Pipeline explosion rocks Bayelsa state

– Explosion rocked a pipeline in Brass local government area of Bayelsa state
– ‎Preliminary investigations showed that it was

an act of sabotage carried out to hurt the economic interests of the state
– Isreal Sunny-Igoli, a member representing Brass constituency 1 in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, called on security agencies to probe the attack

A few days after an attack on oil and gas pipelines in the Gbaramatu kingdom in Delta state, another explosion rocked a major pipeline in the region.

The Nation reports that the attack occurred on a pipeline owned by the Nigeria Agip Oil Company in Brass local government area of Bayelsa state on Thursday, January 28.

Panic was said to have gripped local resident after suspected militants attacked the pipeline located along Orukari, Golubokiri and Kpongbokiri communities in Brass.

Confirming the incident, Isreal Sunny-Igoli, a member representing Brass constituency 1 in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, said that ‎preliminary investigations showed that it was an act of sabotage carried out to hurt the economic interests of the state and the whole country.

Sunny-Igoli expressed concern that the explosion and the recent bombing of pipelines are capable of forcing oil companies out of operation and negatively affecting the economy.

I want to condemn the latest attack on Agip pipeline at Kpongbokiri. This is a clear sabotage by economic saboteurs. Recently they blasted pipeline at Orukari and Golubokiri.
 
“I condemned this latest attack on Agip pipeline at Kpongbokiri in its entirety. It is sabotage against Nigeria in a bid to cripple the economy at a time the Nation is struggling with decline in revenue due to the fall in oil prices.

“It is common knowledge that because of the low price of oil which is our main source of revenue, many states can hardly pay workers salaries. This sabotage is capable of crippling the economy if not urgently curbed.

“If these attacks are not checked and the perpetrators brought to book and Agip decides to pull out of Bayelsa state it would be disastrous for us as a people.

“Bayelsa state is an oil producing state and our revenue from the federal government is based on our quota of production but this would be reduced if Agip decides to pull out because incessant attacks on its facilities are not stopped,” he said.

Sunny-Goli called on security agencies to probe the attack on the pipeline and bring perpetrators to book. He also urged Bayelsans to be vigilant and report any suspicious movement to security agencies to prevent further attacks.

Meanwhile, the federal government has displayed its commitment to wipe out pipeline vandalism in the country by launching a military operation code named “Operation AWATSU”.

Operatives of AWATSU have already arrested 25 members of the gang of vandals operating at the Arepo in Ogun state and parts of Lagos.

Kelechi Nwakali and Samuel Chukwueze pictured at Arsenal with Wenger and Kanu (Photos)

Kelechi Nwakali and Samuel Chukwueze pictured at Arsenal with Wenger and Kanu (Photos)

The footballer met with his former Arsenal coach, Arsene Wenger in London during the signing of two new players, Kelechi Nwakali and Samuel Chukwueze, to the UK club. The two youngsters were part of the Nigerian team that won the Under-17 World Cup in November last year. If I am correct, they will be the first Nigerians, since Kanu, to sign with Arsenal. Congrats to them.

Anne Frank's Stepsister: 'Donald Trump is Acting Like Hitler'

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event in Iowa on January 26, 2016. Anne Frank's stepsister has criticized his stance on the refugee crisis. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Eva Schloss, 86, is an Auschwitz survivor and the stepsister of Anne Frank. Both Frank and Schloss were Jewish refugees in Amsterdam together and the pair played together as children until their families were forced into hiding in 1942. After the war, Otto Frank (Anne’s father) married Fritzi (Eva’s mother). Eva Schloss is the co-founder of the Anne Frank Trust UK and the author of several books about her experiences during the Holocaust.

The theme of this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day is “Don’t stand by”. This is particularly important now with the refugee crisis going on as more people than ever are being bystanders. We haven't really learnt anything—I’m depressed by the current situation. The experience of the Syrian refugees is similar to what we went through.

I was 11 years old when my family first immigrated to Belgium [after Hitler annexed Austria in 1938]. We were treated as if we had come from the moon. I felt as if I wasn’t wanted and that I was different to everybody. It is even harder for today’s Syrian refugees who have a very different culture. We were Europeans as well as Jews—we were assimilated. I was shocked that I wasn’t accepted like an ordinary person. I am very upset that today again so many countries are closing their borders. Fewer people would have died in the Holocaust if the world had accepted more Jewish refugees.

Britain is not taking many refugees from Syria and it’s a problem. Now, David Cameron’s government say they might take in 3,000 unaccompanied children who have arrived in Europe. It sounds similar to the Kindertransport [the informal name of a series of refugee efforts which brought thousands of refugee Jewish children to Britain from Nazi Germany between 1938 and 1940]. The Kindertransport was wonderful in one way but on the other hand, most of the children never saw their parents again. It was a terrible thing to separate those parents from their children.

Germany has so far taken in over a million refugees and the country has not gone under. Their government has organised their response very well every area gets allocated a certain number of refugees based on their population and they get an appropriate amount of money from the federal government. Recently, I visited a refugee centre in the German town of Weimar where there was a lovely community atmosphere. Schoolchildren came to give language lessons and people in the town brought food.

This is not just a European problem, it’s a global problem. If countries as big as the U.S. and Canada would take in more people, then we would get much closer to a solution. If Donald Trump becomes the next president of the U.S. it would be a complete disaster. I think he is acting like another Hitler by inciting racism. During his U.S. presidential campaign he has suggested the “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States," as well as pledging to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico to keep illegal immigrants out.

I travelled to America last year to speak at screenings of  the documentary film, No Asylum, which reveals an  unknown chapter of Anne Frank’s life, and details how her father, Otto, struggled to obtain visas to the U.S. in 1940. He tried everything to save his family from the Holocaust. He knew someone who worked in Roosevelt’s administration and begged him to do anything possible, but in the end his request  was rejected. America didn’t want to take any more refugees in the 1940s.

The situation today is worse than it was under Hitler because at that time all the Allies—the U.S., Russia and Britain—worked together to combat the terrible threat of Nazisim. If we don't work together, the world will never be able to resolve the threats it faces today. I don’t think getting rid of the Schengen Agreement is the correct response. I remember how upset the world was when the Berlin Wall was erected in 1961 and now everybody is building walls again to keep people out. It’s absurd.
As told to Serena Kutchinsky

Anne Frank

Watch: Michael Jackson Never Wanted to Be Played by a White Actor

Michael Jackson talks with Oprah Winfrey in this interview recorded on October 2, 1993. Jackson told Oprah that he was "horrified" at the suggestion that he ever wanted a white actor to play him on film.Sam Emerson/Reuters

As surprised as Joseph Fiennes was to learn he is to play Michael Jackson in the one-off Sky Arts comedy Elizabeth, Michael & Marlon, it’s safe to say the late king of pop would have been even more shocked.
In an 1993 interview with Oprah, Jackson made it clear he had too much pride in his identity as a black man to ever sanction the casting of a white actor to depict him on film.

The sit-down at the singer’s Neverland Ranch was an opportunity to clarify a range of bizarre rumors that had plagued the star for years. Questions ranged from his alleged attempts at eternal youth by sleeping in an oxygen chamber to his purchase of the Elephant Man’s corpse.

For much of the clip, Jackson remains calm, carefully laughing off every absurd claim. However, the mood changes when Oprah asks whether he had ever requested the casting of a white boy to play him in a ‘90s pepsi commercial.

“That is so stupid, that is the most ridiculous, horrifying story I have ever heard,” Jackson replied, growing visibly angry. “I am a black American. I am proud to be a black American. I am proud of my race, I am proud of who I am. I have a lot of pride and dignity in who I am.”

Joseph Fiennes told Entertainment Tonight on Thursday that Jackson’s “pigmentation issue” was a mitigating factor in his casting, a topic Jackson also tackled with Oprah.

“I have a skin disorder that destroys the pigmentation of my skin. It is something that I cannot help.”
Holding back tears, Jackson added: “When people make up stories that I don’t want to be who I am, it hurts me.”

Since the news of Fiennes’s casting in Elizabeth, Michael & Marlon was greeted with the expected mix of confusion and consternation, Sky Arts has been quick to stress the “light-hearted” nature of the show.

Oduah, Uba not sacked

 Sen. Stella Oduah said that her sack rumors were “mere interpretations” of the Supreme Court’s rulings. 

– A solicitor to the nine lawmakers that were allegedly sacked have written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

– The Supreme Court did not order the withdrawal of the Certificates of Return issued by the Commission

The senator representing Anambra North, Stella Oduah (PDP) on Friday, January 29 said that her sack rumors were “mere interpretations” of the Supreme Court’s rulings.

 

In a statement by Cynthia Ferdinand, Press Secretary to the Senator, Oduah therefore stressed that she and all the other lawmakers from Anambra state have not been sacked by the Supreme Court contrary to media reports.

 

The statement read: “Adverse to the rumours that the Lawmaker Representing the good people of Anambra North Senator Stella Oduah of the Peoples Democratic Party has been sacked by the Supreme Court .

 

“It is however pertinent to note that this is a mere misinterpretation of the Supreme Court rulings and‎ should be disregarded in all entirety‎.

 

“The Supreme Court did not order the withdrawal of the Certificates of Return issued by the Commission.It did not hold that the faction of the PDP had the right to sponsor candidates for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

 

“It did not equally authorize the Commission to substitute our clients with the individuals whose names were on the list improperly allowed by the Commission. Series of judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria states that that it is only the National Executive of the party that has the vires to sponsor candidates,” she said.

 

However, the solicitor to the nine lawmakers that were allegedly sacked have written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to be misled by the court ruling.

 

It read in parts: “This correspondence is aimed at setting the record straight so that your good self will not again be misled by your legal department into unjustifiably occasioning an unnecessary confusion in the process.

 

“May I draw your attention to the most pertinent segment of the Judgment for the purpose of the status of the legislators sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at pages 46, 47 and 48 of the Judgment where their lordships of the Supreme Court held as follows:-

 

“The Court below, however, veered from the course set by the trial court and took the matter to another level which clearly failed to take into consideration the main issue before the trial court.

 

“It is established beyond peradventure that it is the National Executive Committee of the appellant which has the power to conduct a valid primary for the nomination or selection of candidates for a general election.

 

“Accordingly, I hold that there was no feature in the case submitted by the Appellants that warranted the court below to apply the cases of OKADIGBO v. EMEKA & Ors (Supra) and EMENIKE v. PDP (supra).

 

“The two authorities decided on which organ of a Political Party has power to conduct primaries. This is not the issue in this case. Thus, this issue is yet again resolved in favour of the Appellants.”  It read.

 

OUR CORREPONDENCE recalls that in December 2014, the Federal High Court had ruled that the Ejike Oguebego-led executive was the only constitutionally recognized leadership of the party in Anambra state that could conduct the PDP primaries.

 

Despite that ruling, the parallel state executive of the PDP led by Chief Chukwudi Okasa went ahead to conduct parallel primaries.

However, by this judgment, the apex court reaffirmed the verdict of the Federal High Court declaring that the Oguebego-led executive had the sole right to conduct the primaries in that state.

Kidnappers abduct another Delta monarch, HRM Aghaza I

*24 days after Ubulu-Uku monarch, HRM Ofulue III was abducted, killed
*Tension in Olomoro Kingdom, kidnappers abandon car at Agbarha-Otor

GUNMEN shooting sporadically on Friday abducted the 96-year-old Odio-ologobo (traditional ruler) of Olomoro Kingdom in Isoko South Local Government Area, Delta State, HRM Josiah Umukoro Aghaza I, 24 days after Fulani herdsmen kidnapped and murdered the Obi of Ubulu-Uku Kingdom in Aniocha South Local Government Area of the state.

We ve mobilized our men – PPRO Authoritative sources told Saturday Vanguard that the royal father was going to his palace at about 10.00 am after departing the residence of his wife when the armed men suspected to be kidnappers, numbering four, ambushed him, dragged him out of his car and took him hostage.

“There is tension in the whole town over the incident. The men, who came in a CRV Honda Jeep sped away with the monarch and commercial motorcyclists pursued them as far as Ughelli, but because they were driving a motor vehicle, they succeeded in escaping,” a villager said.

Police Public Relations Officer, Delta State Police Command, DSP Celestina Kalu, confirmed the abduction of the royal father when contacted by Saturday Vanguard.

She said: “We are aware; police are on top of the situation, we have mobilized our men in search of the suspects.”

Kidnappers abandon car – LG chair
Chair, Isoko South local government area, Mr. Malik Ikpokpo, told our reporter that the police, army were contacted and they had mounted search for the kidnappers, adding that the incident took place between 8.30 am to 10.00 am .

He said the local vigilance group in the area was also working, adding that the information at his disposal indicated that the kidnappers abandoned their getaway car at Agbarha Otor, near Ughelli, when they sensed that security operatives were hot on their heels.

Saturday Vanguard contacted the acting chair of the Delta State Council of Traditional Rulers, the Obi of Owa Kingdom, HRM Emmanuel Efeizemor on phone, but one of his aides, who picked the call, told our reporter that they would call him back in two hours time.
Olomoro turning into dangerous zone
Saturday Vanguard investigation showed that Olomoro is becoming another den for kidnappers. A former Commissioner in the defunct Bendel state and foremost educationist, Chief Idodo Umeh, was kidnapped inside the Baptist Church, Olomoro, on a Sunday, by a kidnap gang, which came shooting in a similar fashion, last month.


The octogenarian was, however, lucky as the the kidnapper, who bundled him in their car had accident twice. They abandoned him in the vehicle, snatched another Kia jeep with registration number LEH 339 SL and escaped.

While escaping with the Kia Jeep, the suspects had another accident and eventually abandoned the vehicle and fled into the bush.

Acting on a tip-off, a combined team of police on patrol and local vigilance group went after the hoodlums and rescued Umeh in the first vehicle.

Items recovered at the scene were a locally made single barrel gun and the two vehicles used by the hoodlums. Before the Idodo Umeh episode, a staff of the Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, gunmen also kidnapped Mrs. Charity Ekere, took her to a hideout at Enwe, a neighboring community.
Acting on a tip off, security agents stormed the house to rescue her.

At the time of this report, the kidnappers were yet to contact the family of the monarch for ransom.
A youth leader in the community said, “This is scandalous, it is a taboo to kidnap a king, I do not know what is going to happen but I can tell you that anxiety is mounting, there could be unrestrained protests by the people.”

“We have reported to the security agents and chair of the local government council, we are waiting to see what they will do before we take our next line of action,” he added.

Fish out perpetrators – Delta monarchs
Royal fathers in the state, who held an emergency meeting, Thursday, at Asaba, implored the Delta State Government to do everything probable to fish out the Fulani herdsmen and their accomplices, who abducted and killed their colleague, Obi of Ubulu-Uku Kingdom, Aniocha North Local Government Area of the state, late HRM Edward Akazue Ofulue III.

Unaware that one of them would barely 24 hours later, the royal fathers in a communiqué signed by HRM Emmanuel Efeizomor urged the state government to provide adequate protection for them to prevent the reoccurrence of the Ubulu-Uku tragedy in future.

They condemned the incident, which generated tension in the state as very strong terms, describing it as a taboo.

Deltans in US call for no-nonsense security measures
Meanwhile, Deltans in the United States of America have deplored the gruesome murder of Ofulue III and latest kidnap of Olomoro monarch, calling for aggressive security measures to forestall future occurrence.
Reacting to the incident in an online interactive session with reporters, Delta state-born Atlanta Georgia- based medical practitioner, Dr Isioma Okobah, described the kidnap and murder of Ofulue III as a despicable act, adding, “The Friday kidnap of HRM Aghaza I is even more worrisome, as the people are yet to come to terms with the Ubulu-Uku monarch tragedy.”

Dr Okobah called on security agencies to disentangle the remote and immediate circumstances surrounding the incident, adding that the state government should put in place security measures to safeguard citizens. She prayed God to give the Obi- in- council and the immediate family of the late king the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

Okowa in a dilemma
The state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, visited Ubulu-Uku few days after the news of the murder of the monarch broke out, last week, and assured that the state government would thoroughly investigate the abduction and killing of the monarch.

While he is contending with the murder of Ofulue III, kidnappers have abducted another monarch, putting him and security agencies in the state in a tight spot.

The governor had said, “It was sad that a reigning king was abducted but unheard of fact was his murder in the most dehumanizing circumstances by his abductors in the forest. I have directed an inquiry into this abominable act and call on all Deltans, particularly the kingdom and the security agencies to work harmoniously to unearth the culprits.”