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The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has distanced itself from the recent “second declaration of Biafra” in Finland, dismissing the event as a gathering of content creators aimed at discrediting the genuine struggle for an independent Biafran state.
In a statement released on Thursday by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the group described the event, organized by the so-called Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE), as a joke and a shameless act.
Emma Powerful also criticized statements from purported groups such as Igala factions and PANDEF (Pan Niger Delta Forum) disassociating themselves from Biafra.
He described these declarations as laughable and a distraction from the core agitation of IPOB.
IPoB’s statement read, “The noble family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, wishes to put the record straight about the second declaration in Biafra in Finland, following the shambolic gathering of content creators in Finland a few days ago, under the auspices of a phantom and ridiculous Biafra Government in Exile, where it was claimed Biafra was declared yet again.
“We the members of the great and noble IPoB worldwide under the leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, do wish to make the following clarifications: “Those leveraging on the disgraceful episode in Finland should be guided in their utterances because it has become apparent that the traducers and agents of oppression have gone into overdrive in their quest to ascribe unjustified importance to an event that was in essence a joke and a shameless attempt to discredit the genuine agitation of IPoB for an independent homeland for the people of Biafra.
“All those in positions of power in Nigeria that sponsored this joke called declaration in Finland in the hope of damaging the global standing of IPoB should cover their faces in shame. In their desperation to destroy IPoB by any and every means, and at all cost, they ended up according notoriety to themselves and the man that proclaimed himself Prime Minister from a one-bedroom flat on the 20th floor of a housing project somewhere in Finland.
“The myriad of statements purportedly emanating from some of these recruited faceless individuals on social media and belatedly from alleged Igala groups and PANDEF, disassociating themselves from Biafra is not only pathetic but laughable.
“For the thousandth time, we wish to make it abundantly clear that ancient Igboland spans 13 states of Nigeria. These are not areas occupied by Igbo speaking people, but are ancient Igbo land with Igbo people in them. Therefore the hate inspired, politically motivated gerrymandering of borders in Igboland to create the misleading impression that Igboland and Igbo people are confined to only 5 states of the Southeast is a lie this IPoB shall confront and will continue to confront until the truth is not only acknowledged, but acted upon via the instrumentality of a United Nations supervised referendum as was the case in Southern Sudan.
“Those is Igala and PANDEF that claim they don’t want anything to do with Biafra, must also know and accept that they were Igbos in Igboland and its that was ceded to the North, Mid-West and South South.
“They will eternally be Igboland and nothing will change this indisputable fact. When the Nigerian state balkanised ancient Igboland by carving these territories into their newly created ‘non-Igbo’ states, nobody complained because IPoB have not come into existence by then.
“Now that God has determined that we must come, we IPoB is here and we say without any fear of contradiction that Igboland is one and indivisible, from those carved into Kogi State, to Bayelsa and from those in Cross River to Edo States.
“Our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is on record as having said repeatedly that no ethnic group, tribe or clan will be forced to become part of Biafra. Biafra shall be a model nation founded along the principles of confederacy as obtains in Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates, with the consent of the people wilfully expressed in a UN supervised referendum.
“PANDEF and our brothers in Igalaland should wait for an opportunity to express their preference in a referendum before deciding where they wish to belong or not. We must also be guided by the fact that the wonderful people of Obosi in Anambra State, have within them those who are descended from the land of Igala in present day Kogi State. If in doubt ask the Attah of Igbala.
“We Biafrans are republican by nature and no single human being can arrogate powers unto himself without the consent of the people. Therefore, there can never be any government or Prime Minister without the consent of every Biafran, willfully expressed in a widely accepted democratic process.
“In other words, to be the Head of state, Prime Minister or any officer of state in Biafra, you must be voted for by the people. Biafra is a project ordained by our Almighty God himself and no amount of subterfuge, deceit, lies, murder, kidnapping or persecution will make us deviate from this peaceful path to freedom.”
