...Vows to Visit Ohaneze With Same Fate over Restructuring Campaign
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has apologised for disrupting an event in Enugu State, where a South-east based group, Eastern Consultative Assembly(ECA) had converged to speak on the restructuring of Nigeria.
The group said it is more pained that the event had in attendance respected elder statesmen from the region such as Prof Ben Nwabueze and first Republic Minister of Aviation, Dr Mbazuluike Amaechi.
The group however warned Ohaneze Ndigbo, the pan sociocultural Igbo organisation to be ready to receive the same treatment if it does not desist from organising events to discuss the restructuring of Nigeria, instead of referendum, which it said is most sought after by people of the south east.
It said that the disruption of the event was indicative of the wish of the people to leave Nigeria, insisting that the event proceeded smoothly and the likes of Amaechi and Nwabueze were openly hailed by the crowd, until the organisers of the event announced an award for Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe for championing 'one Nigeria'.
A statement by the Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Emma PowerfulM said: "We respectfully and unreservedly apologise to both elders and the leadership of ECA for how the ceremony came to an end.
"We view and have always viewed our highly regarded elders like Prof. Ben Nwabueze and Chief Mbazuluike Amechi as our own.
"What transpired is an indication of the level of loathing, anger and resentment against everything Nigeria amongst all right thinking indigenous persons from the East. We respect our honest elders like Prof. Nwabueze and Chief Amechi and will continue to do so.
"What happened was a protest against one Nigeria project not them. Nobody in tune with his or her senses will endorse the form of apartheid being visited on Biafrans by the current regime of Muhammadu Buhari. What ordinary Biafrans are witnessing in Nigeria today is worse than what blacks experienced in South Africa that gave birth to the anti apartheid movement the world over."
IPOB urged that the world should view the behavior of its members at Enugu as a sign of what is to come in the near future. It said majority of its people that wished to be referred to as Nigerians are all tired of the one Nigeria experiment and wish to go their separate ways.
IPOB further said, "It should not be forgotten that the said event was going smoothly, but for the occasional boos that accompanied any mention of Nigeria. Chief Mbazuluike Amechi was cheered to the rafters after his speech though this aspect has received little or no press coverage.
"What precipitated the collapse of the event was the announcement of an award for Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe who is seen by all as the sole architect of the monstrous one Nigeria project that have brought untold shame, misery and consumed over 3 Million Biafran lives and still doing so till today.
"What happened at Enugu should serve as a warning to any person or group promoting the continuation of this apartheid murderous one Nigeria project anywhere on Biafran territory.
"IPOB it must be said has made it very clear; we are not interested in a restructured Nigeria, all we want and prepared to settle for is outright independence, which can only be ascertained via a referendum.
"Anything that could be seen to endorse the continued existence of one Nigeria will be peacefully resisted. Ohaneze Ndigbo is hereby warned to reorganise their event to focus on referendum and not restructuring. If they insist on discussing restructuring within Nigeria, they will encounter a worse fate."
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