Monarch unhappy over Obiano,Obi, Jonathan squabble

Former Press Secretary to the military government of Olusegun Obasanjo and now a monarch, Igwe Alex
Nwokedi, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to look into the complaints resulting from selective justice in the pardon by former President Goodluck Jonathan over the phartom coup of 1997.

The monarch’s appeal came against the backdrop of publication of gazette authenticating the March 12, 2013 presidential pardon granted Chief Diepriye Alamieyeseigha and officers involved in the General Oladipo Diya-led phartom coup in 1997.

The gazette, it was reported, saw Alamieyeseigha, the former Bayelsa State governor convicted for corruption, now a free man, and the pardon was extended to only three of the six officers convicted for the phartom coup.

Among those pardoned were former Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant-General Oladipo Diya, former Minister of Works and Housing and military Governor of old Oyo State, late Major-General AbdulKarim Adisa and Major Bello Fadipe and one other.

Those left out included former Minister of Communications and one time General Officer Commanding, GOC, Third Armoured Division, Jos, Major-General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, Col. Jando and late Lieutenant-Colonel A.A. Akiyode.

Igwe Nwokedi, Uthoko na Eze and paramount ruler of Achala Kingdom, Anambra State, also showed his concern about the crisis rocking the National Assembly, saying the best thing the political class needed to do at the moment was to close ranks for Muhammadu Buhari’s adminis- tration to effectively take off.

Nwokedi, who was also former chairman, Eastern Nigerian Traditional Rulers Forum, warned that whoever had a hand in actions capable of truncating the electoral process that Nigerians had struggled for would never be forgotten nor be forgiven by history.

On the relocation of Boko Haram prisoners to Anambra State, which had generated criticisms by some Anambra people, Igwe Nwokedi, said the noise had to do with issues between the former governor of the state, Dr. Peter Obi, and the incumbent, Chief Willie Obiano.

He urged the two leaders to sheathe their swords and work together for the development of the state.

He said: “In a society where I belong, a current leader depends on his immediate past predecessor for guidance and when the current leader comes to him for guidance, his confidence should not be taken for granted.

‘’My appeal is that Governor Obiano should approach Obi and dialogue, both should dialogue to sort out things and thereafter call the council of traditional rulers and presidents-general of various unions and educate them on the issues, consult and see their supports.
‘’You govern people, not machines and when you govern people, they should be regularly informed about policies of the government for them to reason and come along with you.

“The Federal Government has not told us why they transferred Boko Haram prisoners to Anambra State because the Aguata prison where they are transferred, I learned, is equally congested. They should have also humanized the Boko Haram prisoners to make them think like human beings.

On Buhari’s 30 days in office, the monarch said: “So far so good. Governance is a continuous process; they don’t complete all the projects in one day.

“All I am appealing to Federal and Anambra State governments is to thoroughly research into our needs, especially our bad roads, our electricity is not in good state in parts of Anambra State and our water system is very bad.

‘’They should look into all these and fix them up. Generally, around the country, yes, the report we get is that power system is being improved under 30 days of Buhari in office. So, so far so good.