…as Chima Anyanso’s Director of Media and Publicity gets a free law lecture
… Emperor Ogbonna goes personal with Ememanka
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday hailed the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Benjamin Kalu, for sponsoring the legislative initiative that led to the establishment of the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Bende, and the Federal College of Education, Item, all in Bende LGA of Abia State.
Akpabio made the comment on Tuesday, shortly after the Senate passed two amendment bills seeking to distinguish the host communities of the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences and the Federal College of Education in Bende, Abia State, in a move aimed at preventing potential communal disputes over the locations of the institutions.
Under the amendments, the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences will be domiciled in Bende town, while the Federal College of Education will be located in Item Bende.
The bills, transmitted by the House of Representatives for concurrence, seek to amend the establishment laws of the two federal institutions to remove ambiguity over their respective locations and host communities.
The bills are the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Item Bende (Establishment) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (HB.2775), and the Federal College of Education, Bende (Establishment) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (HB.2776).
Akpabio described the amendments as minor but important legal corrections that could prevent misunderstandings and communal disagreements between the affected communities.
He commended the House of Representatives for identifying the need to address the ambiguity surrounding the host communities of the two institutions.
Akpabio expressed hope that presidential assent to the amended laws would eliminate potential sources of friction and promote peaceful coexistence among the communities. “I congratulate the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, for sponsoring the legislative initiative,” he said.
The Senate President also praised both chambers of the National Assembly for addressing what he described as a seemingly minor issue with significant implications for peaceful relations between the communities.
Leading the debate, the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Monguno, representing Borno North, said the amendments were necessary to clearly define the locations of the institutions and their respective host communities.
He said, “While the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences would be domiciled in Bende town, the Federal College of Education would be located in Item Bende.
According to Monguno, “The bills had already passed the necessary legislative stages in the House of Representatives and were before the Senate for concurrence.”
Monguno urged his colleagues to support the bills, noting that the clarification would ensure that each institution had a clearly defined host community.
The bills passed second reading before being referred to the Committee of the Whole for clause-by-clause consideration. Following their consideration, the Senate adopted both bills and passed them through third reading.
DrumAfricanews reports that the two institutions are located in Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, where the amendments seek to establish a clear distinction between their respective host communities.
Meanwhile, prior to the Senate passing the two amendment bills, Director General of the Abia State Strategic Communications Bureau Sir Onyebuchi Ememanka has described the suit by Barr. Emperor Ogbonna seeking to stop the amendment by the National Assembly as nothing more than a publicity stunt with absolutely no foundation in law.
Recall that Aba-based, item-born lawyer, Emperor Ogbonna, in suit no: FHC/UM/CS/176/2026, dated and filed on the 23rd day of October, 2026, on his own behalf as an indigene of Item and on behalf of other indigenes and residents of Item, against the National Assembly, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the House of Representatives, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Hon. Julius Ihonvbere, who allegedly sponsored the amendment bill, for taking steps to amend the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Item (Establishment) Act, 2025, with the view of swapping the official location of the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, located in Item, with the Federal College of Education, located in the Bende community.
According to Ememanka, “If that matter goes to court eventually, the court will not hesitate to throw away the suit. That suit in its entirety is a direct affront to the doctrine of separation of powers, which is one of the pillars of our constitutional democracy.
“To be clear, except in very rare circumstances, no Court of Law has the power to interfere in the legislative process or the legislative powers of the National Assembly or any other legislative body recognised by our Constitution.”
“So, my brother Emperor, your action cannot fly. It will actually end up in the judicial dustbin. But in the interim, please enjoy your accolades as the Saviour of the People of Item. After all, are you not the Onunaekwuruoha of Item? Ikwuola naa! You don try.”
Meanwhile, Promise Uzoma Okoro, Director, Media and Publicity, Chima Anyanso Campaign Organisation, was publicly lectured by Ememanka and other lawyers on Facebook while he was trying to defend Barr. Emperor Ogbonna’s suit.
In defence of Emperor Ogbonna, Okoro said, “In summary, are you saying the university should be relocated or the people should take laws into their hands? His (Ogbonna’s) steps are very good; no suit is useless until it is determined by the Court itself. So he is in order as far as I am concerned.”
Responding to him, Ememanka cautioned against politicisation of constitution matters, stressing that his view on the matter is basically on what is legal and on what the constitution provides and not issue based on politics.
“Promise Uzoma Okoro Nwanne, first and foremost, I am a Labour Party member and spokesman of the Campaign Council. My desire is that our party will win every election in 2027, including the Bende Federal Constituency Election. This is true.
“My submission here is purely LEGAL. I simply gave the position of the law. A senior advocate of Nigeria has clicked LIKE on this post, and that tells you something. What we do here with things like this is to help educate the public. Let me be clear here – Item people have every right to protest the planned relocation of the university from their land.
“They even have a right to choose to protest with their votes, which I would like as a Labour Party man. Lol. If there is any way this planned relocation will help Ofuji win, I am 100% for it. But the law is the law. It’s not emotional. I hope you get my point.”
Meanwhile, a few hours after the Senate passed the amendment bill, Ememanka took to his social media handle to remind Barr. Emperor Ogbonna of what he initially told him about the baseless suit.
“Empero Gabriel Ogbonna, the Senate has passed the bill moving the Federal University of Medical Sciences from Item to Bende Town, while Bende got the Federal College of Education.
“If the House of Representatives concur, which is expected, and the President signs the bills into law, then from that point, you can now go to court to challenge them, but not before.”
In what looks like a complete satirical mimicking of Chima Anyanso’s Media Director, Ememanka said, “If Item is good enough for a College of Education, why is it not good for a University of Medical Sciences? You can push your arguments. Promise Uzoma Okoro, okwa nnoo?”
Meanwhile, Barr. Emperor Ogbonna, who could not hide his displeasure for Ememanka’s write-ups tagging him, went personal and even went as far as using a goat to create a caricature of Ememanka’s iconic red cap while expressing his anger.
In his words, “Onyebuchi Ememanka, stop tagging me and mentioning my name in those your useless posts. Keep your advice to yourself. You don’t know law more than me. You think I don’t know all these things?
“Do you know what a statement is? I spoke for the people of Item. I knew what the law is from the onset. I do not need legal advise from someone who has not entered a court hall for a very, very long time.
“I am a litigation lawyer. I have been a litigation lawyer even before you became a lawyer. I have been a litigation lawyer for close to 27 years. Today alone, my law firm handed 17 cases. The reason I have not become a SAN is that I have not put my mind to it.
“Show me a law firm in Abia State that can handle 17 cases just in a day. I have 9 lawyers under my employment. Show me any high-profile cases in court in Abia State in the last five years that I have not mentioned as counsel in the matter.
“Should I name them one by one? When was the last time you stepped into the court hall? I have tried to avoid you, but you seem to be out of yourself. You are not from Item; you are not from Bende.
“I wonder why you carry this lawsuit I filed for head. I do not need legal advice from a politician who cannot remember the last time he entered the court room. I think you should focus on your battered image from your own people and leave me alone.
“My own people of Alayi, Igbere and Item see me as a hero, someone who tried to do something, someone who stood up to the powers that be at this time. That one person is fixated on removing what has already been given to us.
“At least I tried to do something. But in your case, ask questions. Ask them what they think of you. Deal with that reputation. We are not of the same status when it comes to the eyes of our own people. Don’t take my word for it; ask people of Item what they think of me, and ask your Ngwa brothers what they think of you.
“In Osisioma they call you Oche Barber. When your people are uniting for a purpose, you are interested in what you will get. So, keep your legal advice to yourself. Item: People made a statement through that suit I filed. Whether we win or not is immaterial. Not all suits are meant to be won. Of course you don’t know this.
“Only practicing lawyers know it, not lawyers who follow politicians around, any politician, even those they condemned three years ago.”
The statement has been made by the people of Item. Leave us alone; deal with your battered image. Heal your image among your own people.”
