Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Bruce sacked as Sunderland Boss

Steve Bruce has become the first Premier League manager to be sacked this season when Sunderland announced they had parted company with the former Manchester United player.
Sunderland have sacked manager Steve Bruce after a disappointing start to the season.
The Black Cats have won just one of their last eight matches and currently sit 16th in the Barclays Premier League, just two points clear of the relegation zone.
Former Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill - a boyhood Sunderland fan - is the early favourite to replace Bruce, ahead of the likes of Mark Hughes and Rafael Benitez.

News of the People: Mercy Johnson goes Blind

According to the information,Mercy Johnson was said to have engaged in a combat on a movie location in Asaba Delta State,with a colleague whose name has not been revealed to us.The brawl,we gathered,made her to lose one of her eye balls in the ensuing brouhaha.
Information from other sources however claimed that ever since the unfortunate incident,newly wedded Mercy Johnson has found herself pitiable in the unbelievable situation,as her family members have been running helter-skelter to ensure a surgical operation for her in London,so that the eye can at least return to a manageable state as the damage done to the right eye is very gory.
On the heels of this,we placed repeated and anxious calls to Mercy to know the truth of the matter before going to press,but our efforts proved abortive as her phone kept ringing without response.
But before the temper of you lovers of Mercy begin to palpitate,let's quickly tell you that the flick we are referring to was written by Micheal Jaja,continuity by Prince Apex,costuming by Chioma Okafor,props/set by David Aginwa(Ghana) make-up by Gabazzini,managed by Boniface Ogbonnaya,produced by Magic Movies,and finally directed by Micheal Jaja.
What a great combination of talented hands to give out such a great piece of work.
For the title,watchout.

Ex-Ivory Coast president charged with murder and rape

Former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo has today been charged with murder, rape, persecution and inhuman acts by the International Criminal Court.
The crimes were allegedly committed as his backers fought to keep him in power last year.
Gbagbo is the first former head of state taken into custody by the court in The Hague, Netherlands, since it was established in 2002.
'Mr Gbagbo is brought to account for his individual responsibility in the attacks against civilians committed by forces acting on his behalf,' prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said in a statement.
'He is presumed innocent until proven guilty and will be given full rights and the opportunity to defend himself.'
Mr Moreno-Ocampo stressed that both sides of the political divide in Ivory Coast committed crimes in the post-election chaos and that his investigation was continuing
'We will collect evidence impartially and independently, and bring further cases before the judges, irrespective of political affiliation,' he said.

Kourtney Kardashian is pregnant with baby No. 2

Kourtney Kardashian is pregnant with baby number two.The 32-year-old reality star has revealed that she is just nine weeks into her second pregnancy.Kourtney and partner Scott Disick, 28, already have a son Mason, who turns two on December 14
In a statement to E! Kardashian said: 'Scott and I are so excited to announce that we are expecting our second child and are thrilled to be expanding the love in our family.'Kourtney first revealed the news to this week's issue of Us Weekly.

Nneoma - I did not marry Aki, I married Chinedu Ikedieze

The Mass Communication graduate of Enugu State University spoke briefly to Uche Olehi of  Encomium mag during her wedding ceremony last weekend. Excerpts: 

How did you two meet?
Nneoma: We met in Lagos. We worked in a production together. I was a costumier. I have always been seeing him, I just like his lifestyle. So we became friends and from there the journey began.
How did you know he was your man?
Nneoma: I am not a friend keeping type, but when I meet my friend, I know. We have been friends and I think I saw what I like in a man in him.



What are the qualities you saw in him?
Nneoma: Chinedu is very intelligent and smart.
What was your parents reaction when you told them you are getting married to Aki?
Nneoma: They were not surprised. My dad was like 'waoo, you go ahead if he is your choice.
Would you say you it is a natural love you have for Chinedu?
Nneoma: Yes. I just love him naturally.
What do you really want changed in Chinedu?
Nneoma: Nothing to be changed. He is okay for me.
Many people believe you are going for his money and celebrity status?
Nneoma: That is cheap talk. They can say whatever they want to say. I married Chinedu Ikedieze, I did not marry Aki.

Actor Jim Iyke taking anger management class

As scandal seems to be synonymous with fame, large section of the growing fans of star actor James Ikechukwu Esomugha, popularly called Jim Iyke, are begin to get upset with controversies rocking the sexy dude.
Many people have gotten the wrong impression about this talented actor that is arrogant and violent, but from the look of things, it seems he’s trying to redeem his image and bring his reputation back.
In a recent chat with a celebrity blog, Jim was quoted:
“I will not disrespect you by lying about the fact that I do get into one or two brushes with people here and there. I will not give any excuse that I have never been that kind of person. I am taking a Anger Management Session now, it was advised not only by my fiancĂ©e, but also by my agent. It is a very interesting session for my well being. One thing about our society is that we have not accepted celebrities with their whims and caprices. An actor is allowed to be eccentric. There is a thin line between the person you see on stage and the real actor. A lot of people do not understand that. I’m not perfect and I’m taking steps to deal with my imperfections”
For Jim to have the courage to say these, I think he deserves a second chance because I believe only the great achievers will accept mistakes, failures, problems and imperfections, as part of being human.

Biafra is dead! Rot in Hell Ojukwu - Kemi Omololu- Olunloyo

Culled from Nollywoodgossip

As Nigerians home and abroad mourn the death of Nigerian hero Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, one person who’s clearly not mourning is US Pharmacist Kemi Omololu-Olunloyo.
Nollywoodgossip has learned that shortly after Ojukwu’s death was made public, Omololu-Olunloyo, a powerful Nigerian woman in Canada, took to her facebook wall and wrote: “Biafra is dead! Rot in Hell Ojukwu for killing those children.”
Immediately after the post, her 5000 facebook friends went on acidic attack calling her all sorts of name. One called her “arrogant and disgusting”.

Omololu-Olunloyo, who says she’ll be running as a female Presidential candidate in Nigeria’s 2015 elections, is the daughter of the former Governor of Old Oyo state Chief Dr Omololu Olunloyo.
When world famous music legend Carol Jiani called Omololu-Olunloyo to order and asked her to immediately remove the offensive post about Ojukwu and Igbo people in general, Omololu-Olunloyo quickly replied calling Jiani a “transvestite looking wannabe singer.”
Omololu-Olunloyo, who is also known as the Editor and creator of Canada’s leading music blog HipHossip.com, went on to blog a story about Carol revealing that sources say she too has been sleeping with the Ikemba.
One wonders how a woman who wants to rule Nigeria would start off her campaign by offending an important section of the country.

later noticed the page in facebook has been closed down and opened a new page where she said that her anger on Ojukwu was because he refused the nephew from marrying her which the page too has been shut down,if you want to read peoples comments/attacks on this,do go to
http://www.nollywoodgossip.net/2011/11/26/biafra-is-dead-rot-in-hell-ojukwu-kemi-omololu-olunloyo

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Woman reveals horrific damage to her face after it was injected with cement and tyre sealant

An alleged victim of 'fake doctor' Oneal Ron Morris has come forward to show the horrific state of her face after it was injected with a toxic mixture of cement and tyre sealant.
Rajee Narinesingh, 48, from Miami, Florida, says her face was ruined by Morris, who had just been released from custody after she was accused of administering the potentially lethal shots to another victim.
Ms Narinesingh, who, like Morris, 30, was born a man, but lives as a woman, said she suffered acutely lumpy cheeks, misshapen chin and ballooning upper lip after the back room beauty treatment.
She admitted that she initially turned to Morris because she did not have the money to pay a licensed plastic surgeon. She says she learned of him by word-of-mouth in the transsexual community

Victoria Beckham wins design award

Victoria Beckham was so nervous at the British Fashion Awards in London last night she broke down three times. Bless! She was weeping tears of joy, though, as she picked up the Designer Brand Award.
The starry event attracted an amazing A-list crowd, from Kate Moss and Kate Hudson to Alexa Chung, who also won a gong; the British Style Award.
Victoria apologised for her tears and said: "I'm so sorry for crying. This is really rubbish of me.
"I am so nervous, this means so much to me."

Alexandra Nwokedi wins face of Sleek 2011

A young Nigerian model Alexandra Nwokedi has emerged winner face of sleek 2011. The event took place at Harbour Point near Silverbird galleria, Victoria Island Lagos.

Dr Conrad Murray sentence: Four years in jail

Dr Conrad Murray has been sentenced to four years in prison for the involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson.The physician was found guilty of killing Michael Jackson at a Los Angeles court on 7 November with the jury reaching their verdict unanimously.

Dr Murray, who is considered a danger to the public, will serve his time at the Los Angeles County Jail, where he has already spent 22 nights.The court denied Dr Murray probation.

Lady Gaga covers Vanity Fair again

Gaga was just on the cover of Vanity Fair a little more than a year ago – and in that time, she’s appeared on multiple covers of Harper’s Bazaar, Rolling Stone, Vogue, etc. It’s too much. Oh, and Gaga isn’t just on the cover of the January Vanity Fair – she’s also on the cover of Elle UK.

6-year-old girl, killed by in-law for rituals, dumped into well

A six years old girl, Adijat Salawu has been allegedly killed for ritual purpose and dumped inside well by her mother’s brother-in-law in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

Adijat, a primary two pupil of AUD Primary School, Oke-Ila in Ado-Ekiti, was sent on an errand last Wednesday by her mother’s elder sister to go and collect her handset being charged in her husband’s room.

After about 30 minutes of waiting without her return, Adijat’s elder sister was sent to retrieve the same phone, but since then, the family began searching for her from around 4:30pm all to no avail till 3:00am before they slept off.
According to her father, Mr. Lasisi Salawu, who spoke to Daily Sun yesterday, her wife’s brother,( names withheld), was responsible for his daughter’s death.

Narrating the incident, Salawu said his brother-in-law must have killed Adijat for ritual because after they started searching for the girl and couldn’t see her, he was the one who called him on phone the following day, asking him to go and check her inside a well.

According to him, while searching for the girl, the suspect, who was said to be a driver, had collected N2, 000 from them for fuel and taken them reluctantly to a herbalist at Omu Ijebu who could reveal the killer to them.
At Omu Ijebu, the herbalist reportedly told them “the person behind the girl’s disappearance was an insider and he was with them, even taking care of the girl’s parent, but that he doesn’t want crisis in the family there and they should go and continue searching.”

He said when they heard that and returned home, they reported the incident at the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti’s palace and a chief was sent to follow them home and instruct people in that vicinity to lock their wells. They said this was because when those callous people do such wicked act, they do dump their victims in a well or bore hole around their house to create impression that the victim fell in a well.

Speaking further, the deceased father, who is in his 50s said the chief then locked the well at the back of their house with a padlock and left, but the following day, “Olajide just called him to inform him of how he can get the body of his daughter.” Mr. Salawu disclosed that when he asked him where he was calling from, he said he was not at home but outside.

They went there and found out that the padlock on the well had been forcefully removed and on opening the well they saw the corpse inside.

Lagos Tax Boss painted Dubai red with daughters wedding

Boss of Lagos Inland Revenue Services (LIRS) Tunde Fowler,showed class penultimate week in Dubai,the United Arab Emirates when he hosted friends,associates and relations to a superlative wedding for his daughter.Those who attended say no expense was spared to make the event a grand one.

Indeed, Tunde Fowler's men all flew business class to Dubai and brought their girlfriends and mistresses with them.It was also said they were lodged in the best hotels

Monday, November 28, 2011

Meet the singer who hasnt cut her nails for 18years

 Singer Chris Walton is better known by her stage name 'The Dutchess' in U.S states Nevada and California.
But her voice is far from the first thing you would notice if you bumped into her in the street.
The 45-year-old grandmother has the world's longest fingernails. She stopped cutting them 18 years ago, and now her nails have now reached an incredible 20 feet

Film Director Ken Russell dies age 84

Oscar-winning British film director Ken Russell has died aged 84.
Russell had been battling illness for many years but died “peacefully” in his sleep with a smile on his face, friends and family said,died in hospital on Sunday following a series of strokes, his son Alex Verney-Elliott said
Russell's widow Elize said she was "devastated" by her husband's death, which had been "completely unexpected". She said: "It is with great sadness that I can confirm that Ken Russell passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday afternoon.RIP

Toddler forced into washing machine dies!

A father has been accused of killing his three-year-old son by locking him in a washing machine and starting a cold wash cycle in France.
Christophe Chempenois, 33, inflicted the "punishment" on the toddler for misbehaving at his nursery school, police said.
The child named Bastien had thrown a drawing by a classmate down a toilet earlier that day.
On Friday evening, Champenois allegedly forced the child naked into the washing machine and let it run for "several minutes", reports said.


Neighbour Alice told the French capital's newspaper Le Parisien the toddler's mother Charlene, 25, had rushed to her door carrying his body after the incident, claiming he had fallen down some stairs.
"I took him in my arms like a broken doll," Alice told the newspaper.
"I felt the last beat of his heart. Charlene didn't move. She was red all over. She didn't understand he was dead."
Bastien is said to have died within minutes of being taken out of the family's home, near the Paris suburb of Meaux.
A local police spokesman said: "A 33-year-old man has been arrested for murder of a minor.
"The man's wife has also been arrested for non-assistance of a person in danger.
"This man... will be held in custody until a date for his trial can be set."

Chinese Doctors help man grows fingertip from stomach

Chinese doctors have performed a first time operation meant to re-create a man’s broken finger through the process of temporarily attaching the hand to his stomach.
The process it is believed will lead to the finger’s tissue growing back into place up to full restoration once again before a future separation through cutting.

Furniture worker Wang Yongjun, 20, cut off the end of his middle finger(pictured) with an electric saw in an accident at work. Wang, of Liaoyang, Liaoning Province, was rushed to hospital where doctors had to think fast.


Dr Huang Xuesong said the muscle and skin had been cut away from the end of his finger leaving only the bone showing.

“We had to make a quick decision or he could have lost his finger. We decided to cultivate a new fingertip on his stomach,” he said.

Doctors operated and attached Wang’s finger to his stomach in the hope that new skin and muscle would grow around it. Dr Huang said the technique was a way of restoring blood circulation to the injured finger so that the body could repair itself.

He says the surgery was a complete success and that Wang would have a brand new fingertip – separated from his stomach – within a month

Ojukwu - How I want to be remembered


His last interview:
The following is the last interview Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu ever granted to any newspaper. Excerpts…

It may be difficult to determine which of these two Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu loves most: Ndigbo or his wife Bianca? If you speak with Ojukwu, you immediately come away with the impression of a man married, as it were, to both. However, with age taking its toll on the Igbo icon [he is in his late 70s], Bianca, his ageless wife, is like the guardian angel attending to his needs. That was why she stayed home on the appointed day for an interview with Daily Sun. She stood by her husband all through the interview to ensure that “he did not say anything volatile” and that he was “frugal” with his answers.

Ojukwu would naturally detest any bid to “cage” him. At a point he got angry and called off the interaction. Ironically, it took Bianca’s intervention to get him back on the “hot seat”. He then fielded questions within the ground rules, namely: that you do not drill him for more than an hour, and that you do not insist on all your questions being answered.
Age may have slowed him, but not his articulation and unflinching consistency over his beliefs.
Forty years after, Ikemba still believes he was right to have declared a war in defence of the Igbo people, but would flatly refuse to talk about the war. He believes that Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida has a ‘sense of humour’ and ‘may have something to offer’ should he decide to return to the seat of power at the Presidency. The interview is vintage Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. 

Your Excellency, why did you choose to pursue a career in the military? 


I must confess you caught me pants down there, completely off guard. But I thought everybody knows why I went into the Army. I joined the Army to serve the nation. I also joined the Army because I liked the military. I also joined to prove a point to myself, the point being that, as many people said and thought, at that time, that I was not [speaking in Igbo] Onye aba aba nna [meaning a jolly good fellow spoilt by wealth]. I wanted to make that point to myself first and then to others. I needed to show that whatever needed to be done in my country, I would do my own part. I joined the Nigerian Army and I am proud to say that I continued to serve to the rank of General. I don’t know how many of us can boast of that. I am very proud of that. I have been seen in action in the barracks. I have been seen in war. That’s it.....

Muammar Gaddafi had on two occasions in one month called for the splitting of Nigeria. The Senate president described him as a mad man. What’s your take?
No, I would not go as far as calling him a mad man. He is a leader of his people and I respect that fact. If you look through my entire career, you would find that even with a country as close to us as Ghana, at no point have I suggested what type of government they should have, because it is not my business. Having said that, it is clear that whatever Gaddafi thinks, he has every right to his thoughts, but as a political leader, he should note that he has no right to decide for Nigeria what Nigeria should do. So, I say to him, my friend Gaddafi, please shut up. 

Forty years after the civil war, would you say the circumstances that led you to draw a line of defence for your people have abated?
I hesitate to answer that question, because I don’t like to be boxed into a corner. Quite a lot of the issues have been raised over the years. But whether they have abated, I would say yes, to a certain extent. However, that we are today still talking about the safety of our citizens is really sad. What are our leaders doing and why is our society so fragile? By now Nigeria should have grown beyond all these sectarian crisis and insecurity, which now makes people scared of travelling to or going to live in some parts of the country. I feel we should have gone far beyond that. But, more than anything, I want to make this very clear, namely: that it is for this kind of things that we have leaders. I call upon the leaders to guarantee the safety of our people. I hope I have made myself clear. Let me add here that I also speak as a General.

The Anambra State election has come and gone. One of the remarkable things about that election is that you stuck out your neck and your reputation for Governor Peter Obi. What did you see in him?
Every one is already talking about the outcome of that election. I was very proud of the campaign and I am still very proud that I made a call and despite all the rough things people say about Ndigbo, it appears very clearly that Ndigbo listened to what I said. And by that they obviously accepted me as their leader. They acted in accordance with my wishes. I am very proud of this. You are Igbo and you know how difficult it is to get Ndigbo together to accept one person. I am proud that I told them this was my last wish and they responded. But then, don’t laugh at the next thing I am about to say, but I am hoping that Ndigbo will still be available to do other ‘last wishes’ that I would have [general laughter], you understand?
I do, sir.
Yes, because I am still very much around and I will ask for more last wishes [more laughter].
You have not talked about Peter Obi.
Oh yes, Peter Obi. To start with, I like his modesty. No doubt about that. He is one leader who does not come here to see me as though he was attacking a fortress. He is very modest. Whenever we have to talk, he comes as Peter. He does not bring half a brigade as entourage as others would do. You notice also that whenever he talks he keeps to the point and does not elongate matters unnecessarily. I like Peter and I hope I would be more useful to him in his career. The truth, however, and Peter can claim this more than everyone else, is that while I can say that I have helped him in his career, he can also stand up and say he has also helped me in my own career. You can see there is some mutuality in our interaction. But having said all these, my advice for him is that he should try to be more of a politician than a businessman.

The country has waited 40 years to read your war memoirs and it has not come. Will it ever come?
Yes, it will come. From time to time I tell myself that I am just starting. Again, it is this question of the last wish. I say it is the last wish, but somehow the Almighty says no it cannot be the last wish yet. War memoirs you call it, well, it will come out in the course of my own memoirs. When you say war memoirs, I tell you straight away that I do not want to be remembered necessarily as a soldier. I want to be remembered as a patriot. I will write and I will explain whatever needs to be explained about the war time. I will do that because I want the truth to be available.

What time would that be?
[Long pause, then his wife Bianca says] He had only just started. So, it would be difficult to say when that would be. [Another long pause, then Ojukwu says] What I find amusing is that I am being asked to determine when what I have described as my final act would be. I have already said to you that there will be many other final acts and I pray to God that it would be so. But one thing I would tell you is that I made a promise to my wife, and you know how much I love her, I promised her that I would not leave her without my own testament.

So, it is sure to come?
Yes. It is coming.

What’s your comment on Goodluck Jonathan’s emergence as Acting President, and do you think he should run for the 2011 election?
Has there been any problem over his emergence? As far as I am concerned, he is a Nigerian citizen, and the most prominent one at that, for now. If he wants to continue, then he should run for election next year. It is not a North and South thing, and I noted that he is a Nigerian and he is free to run and should run if he wants to continue to be in charge of the country. From that point of view, yes, he can run for as long as the Constitution of Nigeria permits him.

The papers reported that you are backing Iwu’s reappointment and that you have endorsed his return as INEC boss, is it true?
Absolute nonsense! Why should I back him? He did a good job and I am proud that I stood up to say yes, you have done well. I will do that for any Nigerian who has done well, not only because he is an Igbo son who is producing for Nigeria a good result, which the whole world applauds. Iwu did a good job in Nigeria and Anambra, as far as I am concerned. People making comments about good elections are not just talking about Anambra; for a long time people have wondered whether we are capable of conducting elections. We have shown that we are capable of conducting elections and producing results the whole world will look at and acknowledge. We have successfully had a civilian to civilian hand-over. That is certainly a plus.

Should he be reappointed?
Oh, come off it. I am not his employer. The question of his reappointment is between himself and his employer, why should I dabble into his job? People said when he visited the other day that he asked for and got my support. No such thing happened. Let me use this opportunity to put it clearly that he came to visit me on his way to Abia where he had a job to conclude. At no time during the interaction on his visit did he seek my support, nor did I give to him the said support for elongating his tenure in INEC or for seeking another mandate. As I said in the opening of my response, that is a matter between him and his employer, which in this case, is the Federal Government. I was not even consulted when he was appointed, so how can I now be instrumental to his reappointment?

Why were you unable to win election into the Senate in 1983 even when the Igbo nation stood still on your return from exile in 1982, what happened?
It may be that the people did not want me. But there are records of what happened. And I don’t go beyond that actually because I felt that whatever happened to me then was a temporary set back. I want you to always remember that most leaders are not really idols where they come from. Anything could have gone wrong. One thing I have suffered in this sense is the fact that Ndigbo would seem not just happy that I am there, but they would like to claim every inch of my skin as theirs and they would like to control every bit of my blood, too. It is natural. 

In fact, instead of just rejoicing that I am useful to them, they seem to have cast themselves in a tug of war with Nigeria, whether Nigeria has a greater pull on me or they. You will always find that even in Nnewi I am at once their most popular son, yet I know that Nnewi people feel they have been cheated by the rest of Nigeria that did not father me, and are coming out now to claim a lot of me. These petty conflicts you can find anywhere. But let me put it very clearly, I have said this before and I will continue to say it: I came into politics for the Igbo cause. I came in to do what I can to rescue Ndigbo. I shall continue to do so and my focus remains that entity called Igbo. That’s all about that.
If you have the opportunity to present yourself for the Presidency, would you do that? 
[Long pause, then Bianca says] No.

You won’t allow him?
Binca: No.

Ojukwu: you heard her.
Yes.
That’s my answer.

You said in the past that you will not condemn MASSOB, neither would you support them, but right now their leader, Uwazurike, is being held…
[Cuts in] Most unjustly. Uwazurike, like anybody else, must have made mistakes, though I have not seen any yet, but why should he be detained for three months? What is worse is that even in court his accusers do not bring him forward to answer to the charges against him. I don’t want to be a scare-monger, but really, to be honest with you, I am not sure he is still alive. It is a terrible thing for an Igbo man to disappear like that before our very eyes. No, the Igbo race certainly has it as a bad mark against the Federal Government that locked him up for three months. We demand, I will demand on their behalf that we be told in clear terms where Uwazurike is. 

Where is he, why does he not attend court when he is under the care of the Federal Government in prison and in circumstances where the government want him to answer to charges preferred against him? Where is he? I have asked this question and I say to the Federal Government that I shall continue to ask; find my brother Uwazurike, tell me where he is. If what you say about him is right, I would feel better if he were permitted to come out and answer to your charges. It’s only fair. Keeping him away is culturally an abomination. 

How can a man just disappear and we cannot give him the rightful honours he deserves as a human being under our culture? Secondly, if you think as a government that he has committed certain offences, I now ask the government, has his wife committed the same offence? Why must his relations be punished? Bring him out. Tell us where he is, and above all, give the courts the opportunity of pronouncing him guilty or not. I hope I have made myself clear. Ralph Uwazurike cannot just disappear into thin air. Each time they come to court to say they have adjourned for one reason or the other, yet the man is in custody of the government that is adjourning. That is not right. It is this sort of thing that makes me often wonder whether it is not part of the suffering of Ndigbo, because I can’t see any other tribe or any other group being handled in this off-hand manner. If he has done wrong, let him go to court. Try him and let us hear the verdict.

Yes. But, it is for these kinds of things that Gaddafi called for the country to be split if certain people are going to be treated like second class citizens in their own country, isn’t it?
If I had said what Gaddafi said, I would stand by it. But I did not. And we have not reached a stage where we can now hire Gaddafi to come and be our advocate. He has his own problems. Please, Gaddafi, don’t mix your problems with ours and if you feel you have to talk, come and talk to me. I am the leader of Ndigbo. The name Gaddafi does not appear in our lexicography.

Biafrans refined oil during the war and thus had fuel they used. Forty years after Nigeria is importing fuel. How does that make you feel?
It makes me feel awful and there are many things that make me feel awful. I don’t expect every problem to be solved at the same time, but there are many things we could do better than we are doing now. These things were done, but the people who did them should come out and be counted. I have become notorious for waving the ethnic flag, but I am always proud of the opportunity because what I am after is equity for all citizens of the block I serve.
In 1966 when Nigeria experienced the first military intervention, did you think the circumstances at that time warranted a coup?

You will be surprised. As junior officers in the Army, practically every thing that happened got us thinking of the possibility of a coup de tat. So, when you ask do I think that circumstances warranted the coup, my answer is yes. As an Army officer, I thought Nigeria needed a shake-up at that time.

Do you think you were right to have declared a war in defence of Ndigbo in 1967, was it the right thing to do at that time?
Of course, I was right. Even now, I still believe I was right and I will even go further to say that if I am found exactly the same situation again, I would wish that I have the courage to be as right as I was then. Are you with me?
I am with you, sir. But some people did not think you were right even at that time and I understand that they advised you to use diplomacy rather than war. I wouldn’t know whether looking back you would say they were correct?
There is no situation you wouldn’t have some supporting and others not supporting. They have their right to support or not to support. But I should warn you that if you think you are leading me into a situation where I would review the war, I think it is better for you to recognise that before you stands a brick wall.

Why wouldn’t you want to talk about it?
[Flares up, eyes popping] Because I don’t want to.

Ok. Let’s go back to the beginning. You were said to be a pampered child. How true?
[Turns to Bianca] Darling, was I a pampered child?
Bianca: Well, I always tell you when you throw tantrums that we need to go and wake up your mother from the dead so she can come and take better care of you, because she may have spoilt you. Yes, you are a pampered child.
Ojukwu: My wife thinks I was pampered.

Was it true that as a child you lacked nothing as a young growing boy?
That’s how I saw it, but others might have seen it differently. But I certainly had everything that was necessary. I went to the best of schools, CMS Grammar School, Kings College, Lincoln College, Oxford, and so on. Yes, my father did the best he could to bring me up and I always say, and it doesn’t take anything off me at all, that the product which he finally got justified his efforts.

People generally say Ojukwu is a stubborn person. How do you see yourself?
I hope I remain stubborn. If this is stubbornness, yes. But the important thing is to get things right. If you look around in Nigeria, we tend to sweep things so much under the carpet only to come back and start picking them bit by bit. If the verdict is that I am stubborn, then I draw comfort from the fact that Winston Churchill was stubborn, Napoleon was stubborn. I draw consolation that today Mandela is stubborn. All around me the names that keep coming up are those of very stubborn people. If I am stubborn, then there is just one point I want to make about stubbornness, and it is this: I believe I am stubborn for the right reasons.

Your fellow soldiers, Olusegun Obasanjo, Muhammadu Buhari, IBB, have all had opportunities of leading this country at one time or the other. Now, some of them want to offer themselves again for the same position. People have said that soldiers are not really good administrators, should they be allowed to come back?

I don’t join the group that would casually say that soldiers are not good administrators, because I know that in the Army you are trained to administer. I know that in the Army you find great administrators who lead men to make the highest sacrifice known to this world. Soldiers are very good administrators. In fact, you cannot be a good soldier if are not a good administrator, because I know that in the Army you are trained to administer. I know that in the Army you find great administrators. It is only in the Army you would take a man and administer all his needs until his death. That is true administration.

Obasanjo ruled for eight years…
Did he?

Yes. He was there for two terms. Could you assess his tenure?
[Long pause] you are asking for trouble, but I would not succumb. Let other people decide whether he did well?

Why would you not want to talk about Obasanjo’s regime?
[Voice rising] Because he is too much of a colleague of mine, I do not want to get into this personal conflict.
No sir, it is not personal.

[Flares up] I am talking about Obasanjo, who you want me to talk about.
Yes, but we are talking about his regime, not his person.
Well, his regime and himself are the same, and I ask you to shut up.

Muhammadu Buhari wants to return as Head of State, do you agree?
Does he?
Yes.
Well, he has not told me. When I see him next time I shall ask him.

There is also IBB who ruled for eight years and now wants to return to office. What do you think?
I don’t know that he wants to come back. But Babangida happens to be the one I know a little bit about. If for nothing else, I like his sense of humour and I believe that a man endowed with such openness might have something to offer.

You think if he wants to come back he is welcome?
Oh yes, why not? In fact, anybody who wants to have a shot at the Presidency is welcome, provided they go the right way. Don’t come back to office through the wrong way such as a coup de’tat, then I will tell you that you are cheating. But if you are going to go through the elections, campaigns, and get people to vote for you and they say you are the man, then that’s okay by me.

After eight years, IBB and others who had had a shot before can come back if they wish?
I would even go further to say that if 16 years were possible, provided the man is healthy and his senses are still intact and his coordination still alright then, he should offer himself for the job, and if the people want him, so be it.

What are your general views on the recent ministerial nominees by Acting President Goodluck Jonathan?
Generally speaking, my attitude to the names is that there is too much recycling going on and I believe it is not a good thing to recycle people over and over again. Most of the problems that persist in Nigeria derive from this tendency to recycle. There are many people in Nigeria and my advice is that the authorities should look deeper and look round. They will find the men and women who can do the job.

What do you hope to see in next year’s elections?
We know the constitution. People should go through it and make sure they present themselves the best way. What do I hope to see? I have indicated, for example, that if INEC does what it did in Anambra recently then I look forward to their taking charge again. But if they cannot, then the leadership should move aside. They have done their bit. That’s the way I see it. I would like to see a transparent election. Now, don’t go and slay me on the pages of your newspaper, but I would also want to see an Igbo man emerging winner of that election.

Do you think that the Igbo are ready to take the Presidency?
Why not?

If they are going to take it, which party would provide the platform?
I must congratulate you for being persistent. Mark you, I did not say stubborn. What I say is let them have their chance. That’s all. I am certain they would be up to the task provided nobody puts obstacles on their way.

Will your party, which at the moment is not doing too well, work hard enough to be that coveted platform?
If they do not work hard enough, it would not be for my lack of trying. I will keep pushing that they work hard enough and produce what I expect.

People believe the party Ojukwu leads should have been the leading party in the South East. But that has not happened, why?
Is that what people think? Then, I say Amen.

But that has not happened, why?
Let’s wait till 2011 then.

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