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Saturday, December 25, 2010

PICTURES: Ojukwu flown to UK in German air ambulance


Ikemba Nnewi, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who is down with Cerebral Vascular Accident (stroke), was on Thursday flown to the United Kingdom on board a German air ambulance for further treatment.

The national leader of the All Progressives Grand Alliance was taken to the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu at 11.10 am in one of the three state of the art ambulances provided by the Anambra and Enugu state governments.

The ambulances, which were followed by other vehicles drove into the airport through the Air Force wing , apparently to avoid the prying eyes of anxious passers-by, sympathisers and journalists.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s wife, Bianca; the National Chairman of APGA , Chief Victor Umeh; the Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Linus Ilika; the leader of the Movement for the Survival of Sovereign State of Biafra, Chief Ralph Uwazurike; Prof. Augustine Nwabueze; Prof. Vincent Ike; Dr. C.C. Amah; and Dr. Paul Ufoegbunam, were in the convoy of vehicles that followed the ambulances.

Others were the children of the elder statesman, some of whom flew into the country from the United States and the UK. The convoy was received by the commander of the Airforce Wing, Air Commodore Jacob Gbamwuaw, and the Commander of the Flying School, A.B. Esuara.

The air ambulance marked D-CSIX arrived at the airport at about 11.30am and departed around 1. 52pm for the UK.

Before the convoy arrived, Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, had visited the airport where he conferred with the air ambulance crew.

Obi, who looked pensive, thanked Nigerians for their concern. He specifically mentioned President Goodluck Jonathan, whom he said called him on a daily basis to find out about the condition of the elder statesman.

Expressing confidence that Odumegwu-Ojukwu would return to Nigeria in good health, the governor enjoined Nigerians to continue to pray for him.

Asked what the ex-Biafran warlord’s ill-health was costing the state, Obi replied, “Who cares what it costs the state than our beloved father getting well?”

Umeh had earlier on Thursday visited UNTH where he coordinated the movement of the Ikemba to the airport .

“Dim (Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s other title) is being moved abroad for further treatment. We do not want interference in the movement,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted him as saying.

Umeh, who appeared agitated while chasing away journalists, officials of UNTH and other people, who trooped out to see what was happening, repeatedly said, “We are flying him abroad.’’

Odumegwu-Ojukwu was rushed to the Accident and Emergency Unit of the UNTH on Sunday morning but was later moved to the ICU in the afternoon after he was diagnosed with Cerebral Vascular Accident.

CVA, according to seniorhealth.about.com, is “another name for a stroke. It is damage to the brain caused by a disruption of the blood supply to a part of the brain.

“This disruption of blood supply can be caused by a blood clot, or by a ruptured artery.

The website also states that “symptoms of a CVA depend on which part of the brain is affected. Common symptoms may include paralysis of a part of the body, loss of all or part of the vision, or loss of the ability to speak or to understand speech.”

Odumegwu-Ojukwu was born on November 4, 1933 at Zungeru, Niger State, to Nigeria’s first millionaire businessman and pioneer President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Sir. Louis Phillippe Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

He began his educational career in Lagos.

At 13, his father sent him to the UK to study at Epsom College, England. He left Epsom at 18 for Lincoln College, Oxford.

At Oxford University, he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Modern History. He later earned a Master’s degree in history at Lincoln College, Oxford University, before he returned to the country in 1956.

At 11, Odumegwu-Ojukwu was briefly imprisoned for assaulting a white British colonial teacher, who was humiliating a black woman at King’s College, Lagos. The incident generated widespread coverage in local newspapers.

The ex-Biafran warlord joined the civil service in Eastern Nigeria as an Administrative Officer for Udi District in Enugu State on his return to the country in 1956.

In 1957, within months of working with the colonial civil service, he left and joined the military as one of the first and few university graduates to join the army as a recruit.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu rose to the rank of a Lt.-Col. in the Nigerian Army, before he was appointed the Military Governor of the then Eastern Region by the regime of the late Maj.-Gen. Johnson Aguyi-Ironsi.

He proclaimed the former Eastern Region as the Peoples Republic of Biafra on May 30, 1967 and became its Head of State and Commander-in-Chief. His action led to the outbreak of the Nigerian civil war the same year.


Patience Jonathan Secret Visits to T.B. Joshua Worries SSS


The church is ground and pillar of truth. Folks attend church services for different reasons; but a unique feature among all church goers is that they go there to meet a need. Nevertheless need vary from one individual to another, while some go to church to fellowship with God and satisfy their spiritual needs; others attend church services with the prospect of landing a husband or wife. For some others, church is place to network and display their latest wares.

Among these aforementioned, none, attend church services in disguise, which begs the question, why Nigeria`s first lady, Patience Goodluck Jonathan has to conceal her identity each time she visits T.B. Joshua`s Synagogue Church of All Nations.

The President’s wife, Patience, has met with T.B. Joshua three times, since she became first lady of the federal republic of Nigeria.

A highly placed source within the church who preferred to remain anonymous, said,

“Though the president had not met with Joshua for any reason since he became the first citizen of the country, his wife had visited the church three times”.

According to the source, the first lady’s interest in the man of God began when he accurately predicted the death of the former President, Umar Musa Yar’Adua, the week he was rushed from Nigeria to a hospital in Saudi Arabia.Prophet Joshua in his usual prayer session that afternoon told the congregation and Nigerians to pray for the soul of the President.

He also told them that the country needed prayers because he was saw darkness enveloping her as he was looking at a basket covered with the colours of the Nigeria flag.

Before the former President fell ill and when he was persuading the militants of the Niger Delta region of the country to accept his amnesty offer, TB Joshua had stated that the militants were only fighting because they were oblivious of God’s plan for them. According to him, somebody from the region would emerge on the seat of power unexpectedly.

“So as someone who was favored by the prophesy, the woman decided to sometimes visit the church whenever the need arose.

The source also confides that the second time the first lady visited the church was when her husband became the substantive president and the Prophet was said to have declared that Jonathan would later be interested in the presidency and that his decision to contest might pitch the southern part of the country against the north.

He therefore warned the president not to declare any intention till the after August this year.

“If you remember, the president was lukewarm to the issue of his ambition and he left Nigerians guessing his future moves.

“It was because of the prophesy that he delayed. And you could see what has been happening in the political environment even before he declared his willingness to contest for presidency,” the source said.

She visited not too long ago and has been in communicating with the Prophet. But is it a crime for a person to be religious in Nigeria?” The source asked.

However, the first lady’s visit had always been shrouded by her.It was learnt that she always visited the church with only two security operatives and this had been giving the Lagos state secret security service, SSS some concern.

The operatives, the source say, are concerned of her safety and as a result, they had asked the church to compile the list of both local and foreign politicians and political office holders who visit the church.

However, the list is still being prepared.