
IPOB warned that should any attempt is made at convening to discuss
one-Nigeria or restructuring “what happened at the end of ECA event will
be nothing compared to what shall become” of the apex Igbo
socio-political organisation. The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Wednesday warned the
leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo against organising any public event to
discuss the issue of restructuring and one-Nigeria in the South East.
Describing Ohanaeze leaders as “Abuja errand boys,” the pro-Biafra
group added that, “Any day these so-called Igbo leaders gather in
public, we will make sure we show them how upset we are.”
A statement by IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful maintained that leaders of the body have failed the region.
The statement reads reads, “We read with disdain the statement
credited to an Ohaneze Ndigbo spokesperson regarding the events that up
took place at the Eastern Consultative Assembly (ECA) event in Enugu
recently. What happened at the said event will be nothing compared to
what shall become of Ohaneze Ndigbo should they attempt to convene any
public meeting anywhere in Biafraland to discuss restructuring or how to
keep Nigeria one.
“The spontaneous disruption of the ECA event at Enugu, though
regrettable, is what shall become of any gathering where compromised,
washed-out politicians gather to sell out our people to their
Hausa-Fulani masters from the north. What we want and are being killed
for is referendum not restructuring; freedom not continued bondage in
Nigeria.
“It is unfortunate that very few individuals who arrogate the title
of elders and leaders to themselves cannot point to any legacy they
built or are presently building for the coming generation except
betrayal, treachery, back-stabbing, avarice and lust for power. All the
excellent work done by Dr. Michael Okpara and Chief Sam Mbakwe has been
laid to waste by a ravenous breed of caliphate appointed Igbo leadership
devoid of any sense of responsibility to the people.
“What is beyond belief is that these politicians and Aso Rock
informants claiming to be Igbo leaders would come out openly to say that
IPOB has no experience in the politics of Nigeria, whereas they that
claim to have all the experience in the world have done nothing with
their supposed wealth of experience to adequately address the issues
confronting the people today which is freedom.
“The impact of the failure of present Igbo leadership is a worse
trauma than losing the war. In their utterances, often devoid of logic,
they ignorantly equate the demand for freedom to mere youthful
exuberance or clamor for war. Does it therefore mean that every demand
for self determination automatically equates to war? Where did they get
such perverted idea from that a demand for referendum, which is a
democratic exercise, somehow translates into war. We are interested to
know which history or philosophy text teaches that or where they got the
absurd notion from. Such assertions are often made from a position of
ignorance, therefore we encourage them to study the history of
liberation movements around the world and stop equating our quest for
referendum to a declaration of war.
“IPOB is made up of elders from across all nationalities in
Biafraland that are older than almost every Ohaneze Ndigbo executive
member. These IPOB elders/leaders are visible and not hidden. Mothers
and grand-mothers openly identify with IPOB but Ohaneze Ndigbo feign
ignorance of this fact and have continued to peddle the lie that we are
exclusively a collection of angry, disgruntled youths. Rather than wake
up to the reality that IPOB is a global mass movement with every age
bracket adequately represented, they comfort themselves with the notion
that we are exclusively populated by inexperienced youths which is
clearly not the case.
“To any keen observer, it is evident that IPOB leadership has amongst
its ranks, experienced administrators and intellectuals that are
successfully piloting the affairs of the movement worldwide. It is
appalling that this present Ohaneze Ndigbo, its leadership and South
East governors have publicly reaffirmed their commitment to maintain the
one Nigeria state with or without restructuring.
“We believe there is something wrong with the mentality of a
leadership that will publicly state their desire to sabotage Biafra
restoration. These are the supposed leaders, fathers and elders who it
would appear enjoy watching their people suffer, perhaps because it
makes them feel valued by the oppressor.
“It is a well known fact that IPOB is made up of both the old and
young, with experienced public administrators all over the world that
pilot the affairs of the movement. So the tag of inexperience is both
misplaced and misconceived.
“We agree that IPOB lacks experience in certain areas like selling
out the collective interest of the people, sabotage and subservience to
Hausa-Fulani hegemony. We also don’t have experience in serving Arewa
core north slavishly or agreeing to whatever Arewa Consultative Forum
says. We don’t have experience of blissful existence in a slave master
relationship that obtains between the Fulani dominated north and
segments of Igbo leadership. We don’t have experience in treachery,
betrayal, lies and deception.
“IPOB is well organised movement and platform to restore Biafra and
with it the lost dignity of a once proud race. A few Abuja based errand
boys that call themselves politicians cannot understand why we have
roundly rejected their approach, which is nothing short of the
appeasement of an obnoxious, brutal, oppressive alien regime from the
Sahel.
“Any day these so-called Igbo leaders gather in public, we will make
sure we show them how upset we are. The era of selling the collective
interest of the masses to the highest bidder has come to an end. All we
want is referendum not restructuring; we want Biafra not Nigeria. We
have buried too many people, we have lost too many souls, we are pained
by the innocent who are still languishing in illegal detention all over
Nigeria and we are enraged by the betrayal of those we call
socio-political leaders. Only the total restoration of Biafra will
suffice, anything else is mere waste of time.”