Featured

Benin Control, president’s company running our revenues – Opposition

Published

6 years ago

June 30, 2019

The Alliance for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (ASDA) says the `Benin Control’ a company belonging to the current president of Benin Republic, President Patrice Talon runs the country’s revenue.

Dr Prosper Agbesi, the Chairman and Presidential candidate of ASDA said this in a News Conference in Abuja on Saturday.

“ We have a president whose company runs our ports, the cotton(industry); our Customs does not run the revenue but his company, his company is called `Benin Control’.

“Can you have something like that in Nigeria where President Buhari’s company is running the revenue?

“The cotton is him, the hotel(industry) is him, there is no job for our people, now they are killing our people in the country, we don’t have any help,’’ he said.

Agbesi also called for President Talon’s resignation as he has lost the trust of the people of Benin.

“This man has lost the trust of our people, there is no more trust between us and him.

“He just needs to resign and we are going to put in place a government of unity. We don’t want violence, we don’t want confrontation, we just want him to resign.

“We also want a re-election of the parliament, and we want all our people in exile to come home”.

According to him, ‘more than half of our people are out of the country in exile in the neighbouring countries, I had to go and help some of them the last time’.

He said that the people of Benin are mourning as we speak and that there is no hope for the people.

“Our people are mourning because we have an illegal parliament, we have someone who has taken over every institution in our country.

“Benin has transformed into a one party state, the over ten political parties in opposition have no single representation at all in the country’s 83-member legislature.

“The national assembly members were barred from contesting the most recent parliamentary elections held in march, through the sudden and unconstitutional changes to the electoral code introduced a month to the elections’’.

He said that right now, Talon is ruling without any legislative checks and balances whatsoever.

“It is instructive that the new legislature, comprising entirely members of the president’s party and his closest political allies, was elected into office by just 27 per cent of the registered electorate which translates into less than 10 per cent of the country’s entire population’’.

He therefore thanked President Buhari for his intervention so far in the country and asked for more help to restore democracy in Benin.

“The step that Buhari has taken is noble. we must thank him for putting his foot down for the former president to be released from prison, he was sick.

“A former president was kept under house arrest for 54 days without telling us the charges. We thank President Buhari for what he is doing in Benin, but it is not enough.

“We are very honorable people as Benin people and yet you have from 18 to 40 years old people filling all the prisons in Benin, and this is the first time it is happening.

Agbesi said that if given the opportunity to rule Benin, he will work together with Nigeria for the benefit of the two countries.

“I must use this opportunity to tell the leadership of Nigeria that Benin and Nigeria constitute an integral economy.

“If I take over(leadership), I’m telling Nigeria that this is your place, let us do business together. Gone are those days when small countries insist on autonomy in every area of life.

“I want to be called the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Benin, because we have to integrate our economy by first of all growing our country’s GDP: what we care about is the health care of our people, the education of our people and the infrastructure’’.

He alleged that Talon and his cabal are making open their bid for autocratic, unchallenged power in Benin.

“Democracy is being forcibly discarded and replaced with autocracy, right before our very eyes, and this has been on for several years now but over the past few months, it has exploded into an open agenda.

“The overwhelming majority of the people who are actively protesting are being met with armed force, getting injured, maimed and even killed on the streets of their own country by agents of the very government which claims it is in office through the mandate these people gave it.

“This is why, we, the political opposition have come together to save our country, to avert a physical showdown between unarmed civilians and armed agents of a repressive government led by a proven unethical leader”.

He said that fundamental human rights, such as freedom of expression and association have, to all intents and purposes been revoked.

“As human history has vividly shown time after time, this situation presents the likelihood of an impending blood bath, while the people of Benin only have the moral arms and ammunition, the forces they are opposing have all the physical weapons and the will to use them without restraint.

“The only way to avert Talon’s bid for autocratic power and restore Benin to normalcy without sacrificing the precious lives of countless innocent Beninoise is to apply non-violent pressure.

“This means a combination of passive civil disobedience at home and international pressure in the form of sanctions from abroad,’’ he added.

He also called on The Kingdom of Morocco to leave Benin alone and stop supporting president Talon.

“We have many people who have been killed after the illegal election, I want you people to send message to Morocco to keep away from us.

“Morocco must stay away, we have strong information that the people who are backing the dictator of Benin are from Morocco: people are dying over there and they are sitting at the same table with them’’.

Share on Facebook

Featured

Daughters of Dr. Charles Ononiwu, Chiamanda and Chiamaka, Launch Debut Books to Uplift Hearts Facing Life’s Struggles

Published

4 weeks ago

October 10, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

At just 18 and 20 years old, Chiamanda and Chiamaka Ononiwu — daughters of renowned Nigerian surgeon Dr. Charles Ononiwu — have achieved a remarkable milestone with the release of their debut inspirational books, Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls.

Their literary journey began six years ago, during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic. While the world was engulfed in fear and uncertainty, the then 13- and 15-year-old sisters turned inward, using writing as an outlet to process their emotions, express their faith, and reach out to others with messages of hope and resilience.

What began as a quiet act of creativity blossomed into two powerful books that now serve as beacons of light for readers navigating life’s storms.

Eighteen-year-old Chiamanda Ononiwu is the author of Do Not Be Afraid. A passionate Electrical Engineering student , she is also a proud alumna of Intellichild TLC and Valedictorian of Great Blessings School, Class of 2022.

In her book, she addresses the emotional challenges many young people face and draws from her personal faith to offer guidance and encouragement.

Her elder sister, Chiamaka Ononiwu, 20, is a final-year medical student at Babcock University in Nigeria. She penned Waterfalls, a heartfelt and deeply spiritual work she describes as divinely inspired. Chiamaka views her writing as a calling — a mission to uplift souls and bring hope to those struggling with life’s challenges.

“Personally, I would say it all started with the idea of inclusion, inspired by real human experiences,” Chiamaka shared. “We’ve had conversations with people who’ve gone through difficult situations — including issues and those stories helped shape what I write today.”

She added, “It’s all about encouraging people to face life with faith. We began this journey during a dark time in the world, and I felt called to create something that could offer comfort and hope — not just locally, but globally.”

The official book launch and signing ceremony took place on Wednesday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, and was attended by family, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers. It was a celebration of creativity, faith, and youthful brilliance, as the sisters presented their work to an inspired audience.

Speaking at the event, Chiamaka emphasized the core message of her book: “Waterfalls reminds readers that God is always watching over His people. He doesn’t bring fear — He brings peace, hope, and love. I want readers to find comfort and assurance in that truth.”

For Chiamanda, her book is a message to young people who may feel overwhelmed by life’s pressures: “Do Not Be Afraid is especially for youth navigating difficult times. No matter how hard life gets, you can always find strength and direction in God’s word.”

Writing came naturally to both sisters. Chiamaka recalled, “Even as a child, I loved writing short stories for my siblings. When the opportunity came to publish, I knew it was time to share my message with a wider audience.”

Despite their demanding academic paths, both young women balanced their studies with writing through perseverance and faith.

Chiamanda and Chiamaka are united by a shared dream — to inspire people across the world with their writing.

Chiamaka expressed Further; “Our biggest hope is that these books will reach people who need to know that God is real, that He’s always with them, and that through Him, anything is possible,” Chiamaka said.

With Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls, the Ononiwu sisters have not only created literary works — they’ve created lifelines. Their voices, grounded in faith and driven by purpose, remind readers everywhere that even in the darkest moments, God’s light never fades.

Their father, Dr. Charles Ononiwu — a distinguished surgeon and deeply devoted parent — also spoke at the event, sharing the journey from his perspective.

“For me, my number one priority has always been to care for children — not just medically, but also by encouraging them academically and in the basics of life,” he said.

He recounted a moving moment with Chiamanda, who approached him with the idea of sharing her story publicly to inspire others.

“She came to me and said she wanted to talk to her peers, to share how she had been comforted, and to help them see that everything would be okay,” he recalled. “As a father, my role was to guide her. I support both of them, help activate their strengths, and provide direction.”

Dr. Ononiwu made the decision to fund the publication of their books himself, believing in the power of their message.

“I told them, ‘You have something the world needs. You can make an impact in the lives of others,’” he said. “I believe every child has a gift. It is our responsibility as parents not to dismiss them, but to help them discover and nurture their talents.”

He encouraged all parents to support their children’s creative pursuits, noting, “Every person has something special inside them — no one is without talent. It’s just a matter of looking inward, discovering that gift, and sharing it with the world.”

Share on Facebook