Ezekwesili, Fani-Kayode clash over anti-Igbo articles.
A former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has called on the government to arrest her ex-colleague, Femi Fani-Kayode, over opinion articles targeted at the Igbo ethnic group published by the later.
“If we had a functioning nation state with credible institutions they should by today take him in to restrain events,” Mrs Ezekwesili said.
She added, “The relevant agency of the FG must take in Femi Fani-Kayode and restrain him from making further hateful speeches against the Igbos.”
Mr. Fani-Kayode had written a controversial opinion piece entitled “The Bitter Truth About The Igbo” in what appears a reaction to the heated debate that followed Lagos’ repatriation of some destitute people believed to be of Anambra origin to Onitsha, a popular market town in the state.
In the “thoroughly candid and brutally frank” piece, Mr. Fani-Kayode touched on Nigeria’s turbulent history and what he considered the place of the Igbo in it all.
The article generated mixed reactions across the country, with some Igbo intellectuals publishing several counter articles lampooning the former minister.
The former minister followed up Tuesday with another piece which now appears to have triggered another round of controversy.
Mrs. Ezekwesili, also a former vice president at the World Bank, has now called on authorities to move against Mr. Fani-Kayode over the articles which she considers hateful and divisive.
Both Mr. Fani-kayode and Mrs. Ezekwesili served under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration as ministers.
A vicious tweet-fight

Femi Fani-Kayode
The verbal altercation between the two prominent citizens began after Mrs. Ezekwesili tweeted Tuesday demanding that “appropriate agency of state must call in Fani-Kayode now and demand he stops forthwith any more hateful speeches that expressly target Igbos.”
Mrs. Ezekwesili, a respected opinion leader, and an Igbo herself, said Mr. Fani-Kayode’s opinion piece, published on PREMIUM TIMES was “hateful” and potentially destabilising.
“The current slippery slope of our country cannot be allowed to worsen with the kind of hateful speeches Fani-Kayode has been releasing,” she said.
“FG must stop this stoking of hate-flame for an ethnic group that had once been tragically massacred in an avoidable civil war. Do it NOW!”
Mr. Fani-Kayode quickly hit back via his twitter handle, saying he has freedom of speech to comment on national issues.
In a series of tweets, he argued that his article should be used to correct “the wrong things done by our past leaders” instead of criticising him.
“Oby Ezekwesili should learn that we have the right to freedom of expression in Nigeria,” he said. “She should provide evidence of my “hate’ speech.”
But Mrs. Ezekwesili quickly countered. “Freedom of speech is not to be confused for Freedom to stoke hatred for people of different ethnic, religious or ideological persuasion,” she replied.
Mr. Fani-Kayode then declared that he was ready for a fight.
“When supposedly educated people run away from facing the truth they should be called to order. If Oby Ezekwezile wants a fight I am ready,” he said.
The former World Bank executive shot back. “I have no intentions of engaging Fani Kayode,” she said. “His hateful language is far gone from normal. In decent societies Governments respond to such.”http://premiumtimesng.com/news/142683-obyezeks-wants-realffk-arrested-realffk-draws-battle-line.html

The dude always has conji over issues relating to igbos..his jealousy is becoming abnormal

Nigerian Women should shutdown Lagos and Abuja in protest if they really understood the content of what FFK wrote in his second article.

East is East
West is West

we dont need any economic appendage from the east.

Ngwakwe: Nigerian Women should shutdown Lagos and Abuja in protest if they really understood the content of what FFK wrote in his second article.

So which Nigerian women? those self respecting ones that never have anything to do with married men or the w.hores that opens their legs for money and influence? Pls tell us!

Ibos are funny.....so na women you want to turn to now?

GEJ.....voice mail

Ooni of Ife.... Voice mail...

Naija women.....dialing...



Whose next? ICJ....UN or Obama?

Una don enter one chance with FFK on this one....

What a stunning woman!

Ngwakwe: Nigerian Women should shutdown Lagos and Abuja in protest if they really understood the content of what FFK wrote in his second article.

see common sense.

Some people can sacrifice a cow for a needle. Little wonder 2million plus were sacrificed for few thousands.

I think the time to start advocating for Biafra is ripe.

There is nothing to benefit from both of them.

Don't cry my brothers,kindly tell obi or d next gov.ngige to develop upper iweka or onitsha,so dat more beggar wil not be dump there again.

kunlekunle: East is East
West is West

we dont need any economic appendage from the east.

Perhaps Nigeria's leaders who drum One Nigeria do not even know the level of damage Femi-Fani Kayode is doing to the fabrics of Nigeria, else they would have called the man in for questioning.