Sufuyan Ojeifo
5 November 2009
Abuja — Senate President, Senator David Mark yesterday described as a hoax the threat by the former Biafran warlord, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, that there would be another civil war if the Appeal Court in Enugu declares Andy Uba as governor of Anambra State.
Mark's position at Senate plenary was not a direct reaction to Ojukwu but to Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange (PDP, Bayelsa East) who wanted to move a motion to urge the Upper House to consider the threat.
Barigha-Amange had come under Orders 42 and 52 of the Senate Standing Rules (2007 as Amended) on matter of urgent public importance and dispensing with notice respectively to lodge a complaint to the Senate.
He complained that some newspapers last Monday credited Ojukwu with a statement threatening that there would be civil war if the Appeal Court, Enugu, ruled in favour of Uba in his suit seeking to revalidate his governorship election victory.
Mark interjected, saying the nation would not be dragged into another civil war simply because some people have failed to properly organise themselves in Anambra State.
He stated, "To be honest with you, this is Anambra internal crisis; and the nation will not be dragged into civil war just because people have not organized themselves properly in Anambra. "When you came to me, I said there was no problem moving it (motion).
But I think I only gave that consent on the ground that elder statesmen should not make careless statement.
"That's all. But it is not that the nation will be dragged in any way into civil war because people have not agreed among themselves in Anambra.
"Suppose it was happening in Abia? Then will people be dragged into civil war? I don't think so. If it was happening in Adamawa, will that crisis in Adamawa drag the nation to civil war?"
Without allowing senators to debate it, Mark put the proposed motion to question and the Senate overwhelmingly voted against it.
Also reacting to the statement from Ojukwu, Anambra True Democrats (ATD), a group of progressives from across the various political parties in the state, said that it was unfotunate that such could come from the APGA leader.
In a statement signed by its National Co-ordinator, Chief Bernard Odenigbo, the group said it was surprised by the chants of war from the man who allowed his ego and personal ambition to rule his head and in the process dragged the Igbo people to war against a country their sons and daughters laboured so hard to build.
The group also warned those who predicted that victory for Andy Uba would create constitutional crisis to have a rethink, stressing that Nigerians should start imbibing the virtue of respecting judgements of courts even when it hurts them.
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odenigbo and co,i have a question for you ? if you said igbo sons and dauthers laboured for developing nigeria were is their own share of benefit? govt. thief their wealth and God's giving resources to shift to developed their own part of the nation.if i were you i would have simply believed my greatman CHIEF ODUMEGWU OJUKWU ''ONYE NDI IGBO JI EMEONU''and stop insulting the great man of igbo land.infact you are a sabotour like others.