As United States Congressmen Set to Discuss Biafra Cause, IPOB Rejects Ohanaeze Ndigbo Move

As United States Congressmen Set to Discuss Biafra Cause, IPOB Rejects Ohanaeze Ndigbo Move

The Independent Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) today annouce the  rejection of  Ohanaeze Ndigbo to speak on its behalf because "the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation was not qualified to represent pro-Biafra groups."

IPOB explained in an emailed statement made available to journalists that it needed to make the clarification because Ohanaeze was already positioning itself to represent IPOB in talks with a fact-finding team of United States Congressmen.

“Once again, we have been reliably informed that Ohanaeze Ndigbo have again hijacked the proposed visit of US Congressmen to ‘Biafraland’ thereby positioning itself as the mouthpiece of IPOB which is blatantly false. We have not mandated this group called Ohanaeze to represent IPOB in any capacity,” the statement said.

The separatist group added that it would not allow “selfish individuals who deliberately misconstrue our genuine intentions towards the restoration of Biafra” to parade themselves as elders or custodians of “our present agitation.”

IPOB noted that it was the campaign of group that has attracted global attention that actually made the US Congressmen to  come to ‘Biafraland’, adding that it would not condone any individual or group hijacking the process by engaging in discussions with foreign groups without the knowledge of IPOB leadership.

“If anyone is concerned about the plight of Ndigbo, they should initiate an action plan with the intention of addressing them, not waiting for the blood of Biafrans to be shed so they can emerge to pontificate on the way forward,” IPOB said.

The group said there was need for the world to know that there are credible traditional rulers, elder statesmen and respectable Biafrans capable of representing IPOB at these talks with the Americans hence “we do not deal with nor condone the idea of washed out political contractors and compromised merchants of misery speaking for Biafrans.”

IPOB therefore announced that it “has chosen Dr. Arthur Nwankwo, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Archbishop Anthony Obinna, Gen. Alex Maduebo, Prof Ben Nwabueze, and Chief Emeka Anyaoku to speak on its behalf because they are “credible elders who will speak the truth without being easily compromised.

“We value our reputation as IPOB and would like to warn that anybody dealing with any group that is not Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the supreme command of Nnamdi Kanu, our detained leader, is engaging in an exercise in futility.