The book is a clear and in-depth look at the power dynamics of contemporary African societies. Though the plot is located within the Anieze community, it is not difficult for the politically conscious peoples of Africa to see, identity with, and appropriate as their own, the geo-political entity in which the events unfold. Power, greed, impunity, subversion of the law, sit-tightism, institutional weaknesses, poverty and lack of political consciousness and docility of the people, all combine to make for a combustible reading of the novel.

The Gathering of The Tribes goes beyond the presentation of the daunting realities of our times and continent, and proffers that the solution to the myriads of socio-political abnormalities in our society must be indigenous, springing from the very people who are always either the beneficiaries or victims of good or bad governments.

The people of Anieze have cast their luck with Chief Onyeonu in an election in which Onyeonu`s political rival had inexplicably been murdered. Four years after the elections and on the way to a second term, the people are left wondering about the essence of their votes in the first place without visible changes in their social and economic circumstances. Poverty has continued unabatedly while propaganda has now been perfected as an act of government. Not even the presence of the multinational corporation has brought about any meaningful transformation in their lives.

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But all hope is not completely lost as a group of the villagers rally their fellow tribesmen for a showdown with the decadent political class led by Chief Onyeonu. Ike and Puze lead the way as the younger generation of Nze, Chiedozie, Nduka, et al, inspired by their older ones, are willing to take the battle to the next level—which is the change of government through electoral participation.

Evans Ufeli.

Confrontation becomes inevitable as all manners of intrigues, monetary inducements as well as incarcerations on trumped up charges, and military styled attacks are used by the status quo to remain in power. As in every revolutionary struggle, there are bound to be casualties: Amaka, Nze`s sister is one of such victims as well as the leadership of the tribesmen. The push back is initiated by the anti-establishment forces and degenerates into open confrontation. In this battle there can only be one winner. The people of Anieze understand this, and are determined to ensure that when the dust settles down, they will be the only ones left standing.

Evans Ufeli has shown in this book, just how much conscious he is of his environment. He shows how much, in spite of modernity, he cherishes positive cultural values of his people as captured in the various cultural activities of Anieze. He has written a novel that touches at the core of communal living and highlights what eventually happens to those who have willfully chosen to live on the fringes of societal expectations. 

Evans Ufeli is just beginning with us. He can only get better!

- Achike Chude is social/political activist, novelist, and a public affairs commentator.  

Gov. Ayodele Fayose accused the police of teargassing and beating him up. 

Some prominent PDP members have turned their anger against the ruling APC in Nigeria over Wednesday’s alleged tear-gassing of a sitting Governor of one of the Southwestern States, Ayodele Fayose.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the PDP in the 2019 presidential polls did not mince words as he berated the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government for what he sees as its high handedness in the ongoing electioneering campaigns in Ekiti State. He said he was appalled at the images coming out of the state, and asked the Federal Government to ensure that everything was done to preserve Nigeria’s hard-earned democracy, which he said he believed was being threatened by campaign violence in Ekiti State, a development that has continued to raise security concern over pockets of violence currently being witnessed in the state.

“I am appalled at the images coming out of Ekiti. The Federal Government should ensure that everything is done to preserve our hard-earned democracy,” Atiku said in a statement.

It will be recall that the election to decide who succeeds Gov Fayose who is not eligible for another tenure having served the mandatory eight  years of two terms, comes up on 14^th July in the State.

On his part, the Executive Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Hassan Ibrahim Dankwambo, sees the alleged attack on Gov Fayose by the police as an attempt by the ruling party to subvert the will of the people in the gubernatorial election to elect a new governor on Saturday 14^th July, 2018. He declared that such a move by the government or its agents would be resisted, referring to it as shameful and undemocratic.

“The attempt by the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress to subvert the will of the people on Saturday in Ekiti will be resisted. I just got off the phone with my brother, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State. He has briefed me of the ongoing harassment by security operatives. What is happening in Ekiti state is shameful and undemocratic,” he said.

READ ALSO: ATIKU REVEALS PLANS TO TURN NIGERIA AROUND IF ELECTED PRESIDENT IN 2019

Meanwhile, he is full of confidence that the election would swing victory the way of his party, the PDP, which has Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka (PDP candidate) and Dr. Kayode Fayemi (a former Federal Minister of Solid Minerals who just resigned his political appointment to run for the governorship position on the platform of the ruling APC).

“I was at the Mega rally of our great party, the People’s Democratic Party in Ekiti to support our governorship candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka. We know those we are contesting against, they are our regular customers. We will defeat them on the 14th of July, 2018,” he boasted.

Senator Ben Murray-Bruce wondered why police would decide to detain accredited election observers in a country that is governed by democracy and the rule of law. He noted that what such actions do not speak well of the government.

“When police officers start detaining duly accredited observers, you know tough days lie ahead. Two observers were arrested, intimidated and detained in Ado-Ekiti,” he lamented.

Mr. Reno Omokri, ex President Goodluck Jonathan’s spokesman accused the APC of intimidation and shooting innocent persons, wondering if why elections should become war. He said the government should have emulated the Goodluck Jonathan government by PDP by deploying soldiers to the state for the purpose of upholding law and order.

“Watch with your own eyes what the APC is doing in Ekiti State to intimidate the PDP. Yes, President Goodluck Jonathan sent soldiers there in 2014, but it was to uphold law and order. There was no shooting at innocent persons. This is meant to be an election, not a war!” Omokri said.

Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose (on the ground), "teargassed" by the police.

Indications have emerged on what led to the teargassing of the Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Southwestern Nigeria, Ayodele Fayose.

Sources hinted us that what led to the incident was as a result of the threat to public peace when commercial vehicles drivers hired by the Governor to park their vehicles at the entrance to the Government House in the State Capital were protesting that they were not paid for the service rendered.

"If you wish to know exactly what sparked off  the use of teargas, there was a rally going on at the state pavilion close to the Governor's Office's entrance and the drivers came there to protest that they were shortchanged in the payment agreed with the Governor. The Governor's supporters decided to respond to their protest by manhandling them. And in the process, the police was called in who then used forced to disperse them," the source told us.

Our source who disclosed this from his base at Ado Ekiti, the State Capital, also explained that the photograph of the Governor seen on the ground as an effect of being teargassed is sheer propaganda.

"Though I'm not in support of the use of force by security agencies, but that someone is twisting facts to whip up public sympathy is wrong. I am on ground and not relying on social media updates," he said.

READ ALSO: FG FUELING BOKO HARAM HAVOC, CLAIMS FAYOSE

Corroborating the above account, another source who didn't want his identity revealed, said  one of the drivers union leaders, Kamoru Ojuolape, stormed the Government House Wednesday morning to demand for the money promised them. When he was not receiving the desired response, he flew into a rage, and confusion ensued.

"One of the drivers union leaders, Kamoru Ojuolape, stormed the Government House this morning (Wednesday) to demand for the N10,000 (about US$29) that the Governor promised each of them to park their vehicles overnight in order to disrupt transportation system to hurt APC rally.

"The drivers became unruly when they discovered that some parts of their vehicles had been vandalised.  But their requests to see the Governor were turned down while some of the aides of the Governor blasted the drivers who responded by throwing punches.

"Some of the Governor's aides joined the fray, which further drew the anger of other drivers. In the orgy of violence that ensued, policemen were called in to quell the riot with tear gas.

"Meanwhile, minutes later, the picture of the Governor, who was nowhere near the scene at the time of the incident, appeared on social media that he was teargassed by the police," the second source narrated.

As at the time of filing this report, the police were said to have invited the leaders of the drivers to the State Police Headquarters to settle the dispute. 

 “An individual has not started living until

he can rise above the narrow confines

of his individualistic demands

to the broader concern of humanity.”

- Martin Luther King Jr.

There is no better time for this inspired and deeply researched series than now. My late Dad, Chris Nwaokobia Snr. taught me that without peace, progress and prosperity is distant. And he emphasized that the primary task imposed on government by the Constitution is the protection of lives and property, as peace, progress and prosperity will remain elusive without Security.

I was chiefly against the past administration because it failed to guarantee the safety of the citizenry. And I was DG of the CHANGE AMBASSADORS OF NIGERIA CAN, one of the major campaign groups that berthed the Buhari Presidency.

As a concerned citizen, I sent several direct messages to the leadership of the APC and indeed to the President and his Vice before and after the 2015 inauguration. Haply the President, his Vice, the former Chairman of the APC, amongst other leaders, were humble enough to respond to them.

On one occasion, Mr. President sent a reply, 'Noted, thanks my fellow Patriot'. The message that elicited that response is the trust of this series, and by God's infinite Grace, it is one of the reasons I shall defeat President Muhammadu Buhari at the polls come 2019.

Considering how divisive and cantankerous the 2014/2015 electioneering process was, I suggest we hasten to heal the wounds of the campaign by running an inclusive government. I suggest we make equity, fairness and justice our minimum. And I pray we uphold the call for restructuring enshrined in the Party manifesto', I opined. 3 years on, Buhari knows HIS OWN, as Nigeria bleeds. But all hope is not lost.

Join the redemptive cause on www.countryfirstng.org LET'S HEAL NIGERIA.

OUR OWN, THEIR OWN, AND WE ALL LOSE II

"True compassion is more than flinging

a coin to a beggar; it comes to see that

an edifice which produces beggars

needs restructuring."

- MLK JR.

Some have argued that you cannot sacrifice excellence at the altar of inclusiveness. Some have defended Mr President's appointments, seeing every critic from the religious and the regional prism, as competency suffers. And partisans see nothing wrong, insisting that this Govt will yet deliver. How?

The truth is that Buhari like the 'rulers' before him, cares more about THEIR OWN, their ethnicity, their religion, their region and their political party, as Nigeria suffers, Buhari's may just be more evident, but such is reason we are where we are.

The dearth of equity, fairness and justice breeds distrust, and the result is the troubled nation we have. Our 'rulers' since the collapse of the 1st Republic are guilty, so drop the IBB, OBJ, GEJ & PMB narrative, or the Military & the PDP/APC comparative, and raise bar.

READ ALSO: GIVE ME CREDIT FOR JUNE 12 SUCCESS, NOT BUHARI, BABANGIDA WAILS

The Federal Character normative is like tossing a coin at a beggar, when this edifice can be restructured to lift him out of poverty. And why do you think that those the President should appoint to Head the Security Architecture of the nation must be HIS OWN, his men and those he can trust? Don't jump like you know you are right. 85% of us have been fatally wrong on this. And that is why our national security architecture have been comatose and mediocre.

Across the civilized world, and this includes all nations that seek peace, progress and prosperity, key security appointments are determined by competency and loyalty to nation, not to the President. Do you see why successive 'rulership' has failed to protect us?

OUR OWN, THEIR OWN, AND WE ALL LOSE III.

“Where the prejudice of partisanship,

ethnicity, region and religion prevail,

the 'we' and the 'they' narrative festers,

as the bar of excellence and competency

is lowered to the detriment of the society,

no one person or tendency loses,

we all lose.” - CMN JNR.

Since the 1st Republic, we have wrestled with a system at war with itself. We call for growth and prosperity but are unwilling to walk the talk. How can a nation that lowers her moral, intellectual, and professional bar to accommodate OUR OWN at the expense of THEIR OWN, grow?

When we lower the bar in favour of candidate “A” who scores 20% at the expense of candidate B who scores 60%, we all lose, because choosing mediocrity over excellence is the greatest disservice anyone can do to nature. And the price we pay is evident in the mediocre civil service, uninspiring institutions, comatose Medicare, poor infrastructure, lack of quality education, poverty, lethargic leadership, docile followership, and the comedic manifestoes of political operators.

Compatriots we must raise the BAR. We must overhaul our values, and rework the ethical compass of leadership.

I BELIEVE in Wealth Redistribution, Resource Control, True Fiscal Federalism, Compulsory Primary and Secondary Education, and in deepening the frontiers of national security and the war against corruption through Commitment to Professionalism and Patriotism, as well as investment in Human Capital Development, and Infrastructure, such is THE NEW DEAL. And we must RAISE THE BAR for we know that A NEW, A BETTER AND A PROSPEROUS NIGERIA IS POSSIBLE.

- Chris Mustapha Nwaokobia Jnr., is a presidential aspirant of the 2019 Presidential elections in Nigeria.

Not real photo.

It is often said that there is no limit to the wonders of this present world. After Lazarus and then Jesus Christ there have been stories of people resurrecting from the death after doctors have pronounced them dead.

It was the turn of South Africa to witness the resurrection from the dead of a woman now undergoing treatment in hospital after being found alive inside a mortuary fridge!

The woman, reports say, was taken to Carletonville morgue in Gauteng Province after being declared dead by paramedics from an ambulance company Distress Live, which told newsmen that she had shown "no form of life".

A mortuary further disclosed that a colleague had raised the alarm when he realised the woman was still alive when he checked on bodies in the mortuary fridges.

“When he pulled out the woman's body, he saw that she was breathing," the source disclosed.

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A family member of the woman, who has not been named, told the BBC they were in shock.

"As a family we won't talk about this unless the police, paramedics and the mortuary officials who were involved are present," the man said. Adding, "The issue is that we need answers, that's all we want and we don't have any clarity now."

The ambulance company’s Operations Manager Gerrit Bradnick said their paramedics had followed all protocols to check for life, including looking for signs of a pulse and breathing.

"This did not happen because our paramedics are not properly trained. There is no proof of any negligence by our crew," he said.

The misdeclaration is being investigated by the Gauteng health department, just as the woman is being treated in a hospital east of Johannesburg.