‘500 ex-Biafran soldiers died in penury’ not long ago - National Patron

Following what he termed neglect by successive governments, the National Patron of the Ex-Biafran Soldiers Association (EBSA), Dr Ramas Asuzu, said yesterday that over 500 former Biafran soldiers died in penury not long ago.

Biafra Soldiers

Asuzu, who disclosed this to newsmen at his country home, Nri, in Anaocha Council Area of Anambra State, blamed past governments in the former Eastern region for abandoning war veterans to their fate after the civil war of 1967-1970.

He attributed the alleged political problems of the Igbo to the neglect of war veterans who sacrificed their youthful age to defend the people of the area during the war.

He said: “For the Igbo to come out from their political calamity in the country, the souls and spirits of such people must be appeased. Ndigbo will suffer for 200 years in Nigeria if the spirits of these veterans and others who sacrificed their lives to defend the people are not appeased.

What governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, and others did sometime this year and called it the burial of those who died during the war was a mockery of such great patriots.

“Ndigbo have a tradition on how to bury their loved ones and not that thing they did in Awka, which they called funeral of our fallen heroes.”

The National patron recalled that the Federal Government had last year announced the commencement of payment of monthly pensions to soldiers of the Nigerian Army who defected to fight on the side of Biafra during the Nigerian Civil War from 1967 to 1970.

According to him, the Federal Government stated that those to benefit in the arrangement would be ex-Biafran soldiers, who were of the Nigerian Army but defected to Biafra and were granted Presidential pardon by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in 2000.

Asuzu, however, described the government’s pronouncement as a paper approval, and called for more commitment.

‘500 ex-Biafran soldiers died in penury’ not long ago - National Patron

Governors who sleep without paying workers salaries irresponsible - Obiano

Anambra State Governor, Mr. Willie Obiano, on Wednesday described as irresponsible governors who “sleep” without paying the salaries of workers in their state.

Obiano stated this at the Jerome Udoji secretariat,  Awka, the state capital, during the 2015 civil service day celebration, where he reassured the state workers of regular salaries despite the prevailing economic difficulties.

The governor, who described the civil service as the cornerstone of his administration, said, “No responsible government goes to sleep when its workforce is having sleepless nights.”

He said in the past one year, his administration had demonstrated a great deal of sensitivity to the plight of workers. .

He added, “A few weeks after I was sworn in as your governor, we took bold steps to look into the difficulties workers were having in transporting themselves to Awka from various parts of the state.

“Consequently, we provided four buses to convey workers from Onitsha, Otuocha, Nnewi and Ekwulobia to and from Awka. We also donated three buses to NLC, NUC and JNC.

“Similarly, less than one year into my administration, we increased workers’ salaries by 15 per cent.

“I also assured you  that I would do more if our Internally Generated Revenue grows.  Interestingly, we increased salaries at a time when oil prices were crashing and governments were looking for bailouts.

“In spite of the prevailing difficulties, we have kept our promise to always pay your salaries regularly.”

Governors who sleep without paying workers salaries irresponsible - Obiano

Appeal Court upholds Obiano’s election

The Appeal court in Enugu on Saturday dismissed all the four appeals against the judgment of Anambra Election Tribunal which upheld the election of Willie Obiano as duly elected governor of Anambra State as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Willie Obiano

The presiding Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, leading four others, while pronouncing the lead judgement on the appeal filed by All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Sen. Chris Ngige, resolved the 11 issues sought against the appellant and subsequently dismissed the appeal for incompetence and lack of merit and awarded N50, 000 cost against the appellant.

On the second appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate, Tony Nwoye against INEC and Governor Willie Obiano, another member of the panel, Justice Ejembi Eko who the lead judgement, dismissed the appeal for lack of. Merit and awarded N50, 000 cost in favour of the respondent.

The third appeal filed by PDP suffered the same fate of dismissal as Justice Akeju I. O in his lead judgement awarded N30, 000 cost against appellant.

On appeal number four filed by Chike Obidigbo of All Progressives Grand Alliance, Justice Tijani Abubakar in his lead judgement dismissed the petition for not being meritorious and awarded N50, 000 cost against the appellant.

The five man panel were unanimous in the four judgements, thereby affirming the ruling of Justice Ishaq Bello led Anambra Election Petition Tribunal, delivered on 24th June, 2014.

In a quick reaction, the National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh expressed happiness and praised the judiciary, saying over 95 percent of judicial officers have decided to uphold the principle of the law, which the ruling represents.

“We were not in any doubt that the petitions will be dismissed because our candidate, Chief Willie Obiano won that election with landslide. We also said during the announcement of the result that the election was peaceful and fair,” he said.

While sympathising with the petitioners, he advised them to congratulate Obiano and join hands with him in developing Anambra which he is already doing.

He expressed confidence that the party will still win should the appellants decide to approach Supreme court following favourable judgements by the two lower courts.

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Appeal Court upholds Obiano’s election

Anambra new governor, Willie Obiano Obiano"s profile

Obiano shocked members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Anambra people and Nigerians at large by moving from being regarded as a greenhorn in politics to winning the nomination of the party to stand for the governorship election of the state.

Willie Obiano

Though he was described by many as an unknown quantity as far as politics in the state is concerned, he struck a feat that is rare in politics.

Chief Willie Maduabuchi Obiano holds a B.Sc. Second Class Upper in Accounting from University of Lagos (1979) and an MBA in Marketing also from same university.

Obiano is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

Chief Willie Obiano was John F. Kennedy Essay Winner 1974 at CKC and holds a national Merit Certificate for outstanding service during his NYSC(National Youth Service Corps) in Benue State, Nigeria in the 1979/80 Service Year.

Chief Willie Obiano is the President AMP (Advance Management Programme) of Lagos Business School for Ten years running.

Chief Willie Obiano is also a 2006 BNV (Building New Ventures) CLASS member of Harvard Business School, Boston USA, also Standard University.

He is the Patron, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (Lagos Mainland District) and National Youth Council of Nigeria, Anambra East Chapter. He is also Patron of the following Catholic Groups: St. Anthony of Padua, Catholic Artistes and Entertainers Association of Nigeria, Catholic Women Organisation, Aguleri, Priests and Rev. Sisters of Aguleri Origin. Others are; Missionary of St. Paul’s Society, Catholic Women’s Organization, Our Lady Queen of Peace, Ifako, Gbagada, Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria, Onitsha Archdiocese and Grand Pillar ST Gerald Catholic Church.

His community, Aguleri, conferred on him and his wife in year 2000, separate chieftaincy titles for distinguished service.

Chief Willie Obiano is currently the president of Aguleri Council of Chiefs.

On January 2nd 2011, Chief Willie Obiano and his wife Chief Mrs. E V Obiano were adopted into the Igwe-in council of the Idigo dynasty of the ancient kingdom of Aguleri where he hails from. This high Chief investiture made Chief Mrs. E V Obiano, the only female in the hundred and twenty years Idigo dynasty, to be so honoured.

They were also conferred as The Otunba Atayese and Erelu Atayese by Oba David Adegboyega Oyewumi (Faseemi ll) Obadu of Ilemeso- Ekiti.

Chief Willie Obiano started his banking career as Officer in First Bank in 1981 from where he moved to Texaco Nigeria Plc as Accountant.

Chief Willie Obiano was promoted 4 times in his eight-and-half-year-service at Texaco to become Chief Internal Auditor.

Obiano is a specialist in Bunkering, Lube-blending and Refinery Audits.

He was part of the team that audited Texaco Refinery in Rotterdam, Netherlands in 1989.

He joined Fidelity Bank from Texaco in 1991 as Deputy Manager and head of Audit and was promoted Manager in 1991, Assistant General Manager in 1993, Deputy General Manager in 2000 and General Manager in 2002 and Executive Director in October, 2003.

Between 1991 and 2002, Chief Willie Obiano headed the following Groups, Divisions, at one point or another: Inspection and Audit; Operations and Information Technology; Division Head, Commercial & Consumer Banking; Division Head, Eastern Market. Other areas include Financial Control, Risk Management and Transaction Support, Corporate Finance, and Non Bank Financial Institutions.

Obiano was part of the great team that saw Fidelity Bank through the Bank’s Consolidation process.

He is a no nonsense tactician that you cannot miss in a crowd.

As Executive Director of the Mega Fidelity Bank (and No. 2 man), Chief Willie Obiano is in charge of Business Banking (Corporate Banking, Non Bank Financial Institutions, Treasury, (Naira and Foreign Exchange, Oil & Gas, Telecom & Food and Beverages, Transport and Aviation). All the Regional Managers of the bank report through him to the MD/CEO.

Chief Willie Obiano has attended numerous banking courses including the following:

Credit & Trade Services Course – Citi Bank, New York (1994) Treasury and Money Market – NatWest, London (1996) Correspondent/Trade Services/ Emerging Market Course – FIM Bank, Malta (2002) Managing Integration Process – Houston Texas 2006.

A gentleman, whose trademark hair style stands out in a crowd, he is married and dlessed with a daughter and a son.

His Aguleri people and the entire Anambra North are still celebrating their luck for producing the Governor of the state. (0)

Anambra new governor, Willie Obiano Obiano"s profile