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Blame Governors, Others, Not IPOB Over Sit-at-home Order – HURIWA

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Not IPOB

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has urged the Igbo to blame South East States’ governors and some rogue officers in the security forces for the continuous violence trailing the alleged enforcement of sit- at-home orders which the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) has since denounced.

Besides, HURIWA says that it is becoming clearer that certain forces working against the economic advancement of the South East region are behind the continuous deployment of crude violence against innocent Igbo citizens under the guise of enforcement of the sit-at-home on Mondays.

According to a statement by the national coordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the secret police, the DSS and the military have continued to accuse the IPOB of all sorts of atrocities but have failed to support their accusations with empirical evidence.

To the rights group, it is in the character of the security institutions to resort to self-help, subterfuge and blackmail such as the sponsorship of armed hoodlums so as to try to find any kind of support for their weird and phantom allegations against the already banned IPOB.

The group has therefore asked Nigerians to be vigilant and rational and never to be hoodwinked into accepting the lies bandied about by the security forces against IPOB.

HURIWA said: “We invite all rational thinking Nigerians and especially the over 60 million citizens of Igbo extraction to take special note that some members of the deep state embedded in some of the security forces are funded with stupendous budgets to continue to kill innocent Igbo citizens under the guise of enforcement of the so- called sit- at- home order which the authorities of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) have through their recognized spokesperson has denied that IPOB is behind this economically strangulating and idiotic order.”

HURIWA lamented that because the political leadership of the South East is already infiltrated by fifth columnists working against the interets of the Igbo, the South East governors are bereft of any sort of collective bargaining measures to bring about lasting peace in the region.

READ ALSO: Abia Threatens To Seal Markets, Others Observing IPOB’s Sit-at-home Order

It said that “it is likely that one or two of the Southeast governors are actively conniving with the members of the deep state and the security forces to destabilise Igbo region so they can blame IPOB.

“HURIWA is therefore asking the Igbo citizens of Nigeria to unite and investigate their governors some of whom have displayed open hatred for the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and are well known to have procured policemen to kill at will alleged members of the peaceful Eastern Security Network.

“It is possible that officials of the Security Forces are behind the sabotage against the economy of the South East Nigeria by funding violent street urchins and hoodlums to unleash violence and bloodletting just so the security forces can find the justification to then blame IPOB or ESN for terrorism.”

HURIWA cited “the example of the Anambra State governor Mr. Willie Obiano who refused to fund these destabilization plots against IPOB and ESN and who has used official resources to successfully stop hoodlums from unleashing violence on Monday in the name of IPOB whereas it is clear that the violence is totally unrelated to the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).

“We are asking Ohanaeze Ndigbo headed by Professor George Obiazor and all credible Igbo groups to unite and set up independent and privately conducted forensic investigation so as to ascertain the undesirable elements causing havoc and chaos and blaming their devilish acts on IPOB which has since dissociated itself from the illegal sit-at-home order and the violence.”

HURIWA recalled that “for the umpteenth time the IPOB has denied involvement in the enforcement of a sit-at-home exercise in the South East, saying it will deal with those behind it.

READ ALSO: Buhari Has Treated Bandits Worse Than IPOB – Presidency

“The group in a press release by its publicity secretary, Emma Powerful said it had no hand in the enforcement of the exercise, saying it has long suspended it.

“We the global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, wish to reiterate once again, that we have no other sit-at-home order after 14th September.

“Any other purported sit-at-home including the suspended weekly sit-at-home on Mondays does not exist in the dairy of IPOB. In fact, after September 14, there is no other sit-at-home this week. Any contrary news or speculations to this effect should be ignored’, he said.

“He said anybody trying to enforce any sit-at-home order using the name of IPOB is a saboteur, and does so at his peril.

“If we catch anybody disturbing the peace of Biafrans or residents in Biafra land under the guise of enforcing non-existent sit-at-home order, such a person will regret his actions because he will receive the reward of traitors.

“IPOB is a responsible organization with reasoning and empathy. We cannot be part of the problem we are trying to solve. We cannot join the enemies to compound the woes of our people we are fighting to liberate,’ he added.

“It said the ‘every Monday’ sit-at-home was suspended because of the economic implications it has on the people, and that it listened to appeals by the people and reviewed their stance on the matter then.

“That was why we reduced the sit-at-home protests to the days our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will be making appearances in court. That is enough for now and we stand by it. Anybody trying to impose another sit-at-home order on our people or enforce illegal or imaginary sit-at-home is not IPOB, and must be dealt with. Such a person(s) are working with the enemies to disrepute IPOB, and we won’t tolerate such stupidity.

“On this note, IPOB strongly condemned the barbaric act by hoodlums and mentally deranged fellows who disrupted a WAEC exam in a school in Imo State on Monday. What a stupid madness! Whoever was behind such barbarity must be made to pay for their actions.

“IPOB leadership is hereby promising to replace those motorbikes burnt in the school to their owners and rebuild school blocks burnt by hoodlums in the name of ESN and IPOB volunteers, this is not to portray or indicate that IPOB committed the heinous crimes against our people and promise to set up a task force to checkmate those parading themselves as IPOB volunteers and those committing this crime against humanity and our people,’ ” the group declared.

HURIWA therefore insists that IPOB is not behind the violence in the South East of Nigeria.

 

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For The Record

Acceptance Speech For Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award By Canadian Association Of African Studies

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By Toyin Falola

I am grateful to Mr. President, the Vice-President, the Past President, the Director, the Board Members, and all the members of the Canadian Association of African Studies (CAAS). Having been conferred with the Distinguished Africanist Award by the African Studies Association in 2011, I never expected that another one would follow by yet another global preeminent academic association.

I stand before you at this honorable time, emotionally touched by your generosity towards me and greatly inspired by your rare gesture of recognizing the little I have contributed to knowledge production and the rejuvenation of African epistemic traditions. The decision to acknowledge me, perhaps unknown to you, rekindles in me the spirit of continued dedication, for it reveals that the ability to make changes is unrestricted by age or location, especially when the soul is involved. Meanwhile, change is necessary for sustainable and transcendental transformation; without change, ideas would die of exhaustion, creativity would cease to be itself, and productivity would be sabotaged in the process. 

Mr. President, it was within the foundational philosophy of this noble Association to promote the study of Africa in Canada and the world. Over the years, CAAS has done so as a moral and ideological responsibility, thereby contributing to African-Canada relations. That philosophy has yielded substantial results and that we are here today to produce rounds of knowledge affirms the sanctity of this togetherness. When I contributed my tiny quota to your goals by way of once organizing a conference for you, giving two Keynote Addresses, serving on the Joel Gregory Book Prize, and evaluating manuscripts for your preeminent journal, I never knew that a day like this would come. I feel most humbled and grateful, and with limitless appreciation for the confidence you have reposed in me and an unalloyed dedication to honor your belief in me, I accept the Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award from CAAS. 

Distinguished scholars and members of the audience, I am now in the circle of remarkable intellectuals whom you have acknowledged for similar outstanding contributions and performances in their various fields, and I feel the burden of greater responsibility on me. Of a truth, I am an individual culturally reified in a philosophical paradigm of the Yorùbá whose axiomatic saying “Yin’ni, yin’ni, kẹ́ni ó ṣe òmíràn,” which loosely translates as a repeated shower of gratitude is a clarion call to do more, or to whom much is given, much is expected. This has often placed on me the moral burden to expand whatever it is I am recognized for doing. I am aware that it is not within the moral circumference of any culture in the world to publicly award evil, and that presupposes that my contributions to knowledge, which have been recognized, are expected to be multiplied. By virtue of my age, such consistency may be conflicted by nature, but that does undermine the reality that the manifestation of knowledge contribution is fluid and flexible. This means that even if creating a network of knowledge transmission through my books, lectures, listservs, and workshops experiences would decline, age cannot take away from me mentorship to our coming generations of Africans, assisting the academic fledglings to grow, and providing a friendly atmosphere to intending academics. 

Mr. President, if we have collectively learned anything from the beautiful development experienced recently as a human family, it would be that the place of knowledge cannot be overemphasized in transforming and sustaining human society. Although this understanding should not elude anyone, we should not be ignorant that knowledge production, distribution, use, and reformation can never be as innocent as we have been made to understand it. This deduction finds its strength in the fact that if it is true that knowledge production is devoid of strange politics, this distinguished body, the Canadian Association of African Studies, would not have been birthed in the first place. However, the awareness that knowledge engagements available in the diasporic environment, especially in Canada, are potentially hostile and hegemonic necessitated an association such as this. CAAS is irrevocably committed to the advancement and upsurge of knowledge so that the epistemic traditions and foundations of Africans here would escape the compromise that the environment proposes. We have both a moral and ideological responsibility to rescue African Studies epistemically because this place has a glistering history that must never be undermined―glistering because the strength and struggles of the displaced Indigenous people have produced stellar results that today’s reality of Africans here has drawn from. Essentially, you and I owe ourselves the right to develop and build a civilization that reflects our thinking. 

Ladies and gentlemen, have you not established methodologies in developing and nurturing this Association with which information is sourced and education transferred? Have you failed to raise intellectually vibrant Africans leading in several areas of their careers with excellent and exceptional impact? Have you not created a healthy academic atmosphere where knowledge about critical issues related to Africa has been consistently shared? Mr. President, within the time of establishment, you have, as a collective, harmonized the ideas of outstanding contributors to this project to drive policies and services of immense significance to the various areas of existence. Through the persistent insistence of CAAS, the Canadian Journal of African Studies (CJAS) was created. Who among us here would deny the overwhelming contributions of the journal to African academics? Is it not a journal that provides the platform and motivation for academia who have showcased brilliance and excellence in their research engagements? Have you not also created an opportunity for government representatives, leaders, non-governmental organizations, activists, and non-state actors, among others, to draw on knowledge for policies that drive critical development?

Distinguished scholars, colleagues, and friends, you have, in good dispositions, facilitated the meteoric growth of intellectualism from the beginning of our engagement, and that tradition has continued regardless of different challenges, which your dedication has helped you to overcome. How else can we reiterate the importance of CAAS to the survival of the African identity in the diaspora environment if not through the enumeration of the great things you have done as a people and as an Association? CAAS has stood up for numerous Africans who have witnessed various forms of dreadful challenges because of the color of their skin. The Association has committed itself to issues of development within the Federation to emphasize how its members are concerned about rapid progress for the generality of Canadians. The number of conferences organized by CAAS continues to grow admirably, through which they offer fresh opportunities for scholars across the globe who have brilliant ideas to share with the world, especially by looking at issues from the lens of Africa and Africans. CAAS has always taken on fundamental matters that require urgent attention, and in the spirit of humanitarian compassion, you have executed projects that bring invaluable additions to the human world. That underscores your values as a people and your commitment to making meaningful changes in the global environment. You have enlarged our desire to promote ideas that would bring rapid changes to the human world through the programs, events, and platforms you have created within the time of your existence as an association for scholarship and human flourishing. 

Mr. President, your decision to honor me with the Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award is a form of affirmation by you and the members of the Association to ensure that individuals like me have a continued focus on enhancing a brighter future for the African diaspora. Although I am the recipient of that award, the inspiration it would encourage will not fall on my shoulders alone, for I am confident that those who are available here today will feel that sense of commitment and seriousness, as I do, to issues that would benefit Africa and the world generally. Therefore, this honor is for us all! I am inclined to think this way because I know that the human spirit wants to be triggered by the external motivation to perform the magic already wired in them or that they are naturally capable of.

The continually evolving world, ladies and gentlemen, demands that we also reposition ourselves and understand more deeply the sense of responsibility we owe the generations of Africans to come. We must not forget that it is important that we continue to interrogate ideas produced by our forebears, for they can be more relevant in the modern world than we imagine. Ideas are the result of human mental energy put to use in the course of refining the thoughts in the mind. All we need is to intensify our research trade and ensure that we introduce ideas for the benefit of humankind. 

I am most grateful to you all for the well-intentioned recognition accorded to me, leading to this exemplary award. It is mind-blowing and, at the same time, humbling, to say the least. Africa will continue to find its footing, and we will never cease to take the world by surprise.

Thank you.

May 31, 2023.

 

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BREAKING: Tinubu Appoints Gbajabiamila Chief Of Staff

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Senator Withdraws Support For Tinubu Over Choice Of Muslim Running Mate
President Bola Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday announced outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, as his Chief of Staff.

Tinubu introduced Gbajabiamila as the new chief of staff at the meeting between the President and the nation’s security chiefs currently holding at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday morning.

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Toyin Falola Honoured In Canada For Contribution To African Studies

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Prof. Toyin Falola

The Canadian Association of African Studies (CAAS) has awarded United States-based Nigerian professor of history Toyin Falola the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for Contribution to African Studies .

In a letter announcing the award, CAAS told Prof. Falola that it recognized his exceptional contributions, unwavering dedication, and profound impact on the field of African Studies in Canada and beyond.

The CAAS Lifetime Achievement Award for Contribution to African Studies recognizes senior scholars who have been engaged actively as CAAS stalwarts and have retired or nearing retirement. The requirements are (1) a lifetime of sound scholarship; (2) accomplishments  (research, teaching and mentoring awards, etc.) and (3) involvement in the activities of CAAS.

The letter said: “Your achievements as a renowned historian and an esteemed member of the academic community meet all these criteria at an extremely high level.Throughout your illustrious career, you have made significant contributions to the advancement of African Studies, leaving an indelible mark on the discipline. Your pioneering research, insightful publications, and dedication to mentoring a new generation of scholars have significantly enriched our understanding of Africa’s history, culture, and society. Your  profound influence extends beyond research and publications. You have been actively engaged in the academic community, serving as a keynote speaker at CAAS conferences (as we can witness at this year’s conference) and co-organizing the successful CAAS conference at York University in 1991. Your tireless efforts in reviewing scholarly works for the Canadian Journal of African Studies and your longstanding role on the editorial board of the Harriet Tubman Series on the African Diaspora at York University further demonstrate your commitment to advancing the field.

“In addition to your invaluable contributions to CAAS, your impact on the Canadian academic landscape is remarkable. As an external examiner at esteemed Canadian universities, including the University of Toronto, York University, Dalhousie, Trent University, and Queens University, you have played an integral role in shaping the academic rigor and quality of African Studies programs across the country. Moreover, your mentoring of Africanist scholars based in Canada has nurtured and inspired a new generation of researchers and intellectuals. In that regard, you have supervised more than 100 Master’s and Doctoral dissertations in your areas of specialization. Your noteworthy achievements have garnered global recognition and acclaim. You have been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the 2011 Distinguished Africanist Award from the African Studies Association (ASA) and an impressive tally of over 40-lifetime awards from various countries. With 16 honorary doctorates  documented in your vita, you stand as a true luminary in the field. Recently, on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, at State House, Abuja, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari conferred on you, one of the nation’s oldest and highest merit honors, the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON). This is proof of the degree of recognition that you have enjoyed in your homeland.

“On behalf of the Canadian Association of African Studies, I extend our deep congratulations to you on this well-deserved honor. Your exceptional contributions, unwavering commitment, and outstanding achievements serve as an inspiration to all Africanists and scholars in related fields in Canada and globally.”

The letter added: “Please note that the award will be formally announced at the CAAS Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, at 5:00 pm. The venue for the meeting is Founders College, FC 152, York University, and the event will be in a Hybrid format. More information will be provided to enable you to invite family and friends to witness the award ceremony segment of the AGM.” The letter was signed by Nduka Otiono, PhD.

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