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Tag: agitation

  • Southeast governors, others reject agitation for Biafra

    Southeast governors, others reject agitation for Biafra

    Igbo leaders seek restructuring

    Arewa Youths to reconsider quit notice

    Political leaders in the Southeast have disowned the campaign for secession being championed by the Nnamdi Kanu-led Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

    The secession calls gained momentum after Kanu, who is standing trial for alleged treason, was released from prison on bail.

    The leaders were accused of keeping silent while the separatist group, joined by a faction of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Soverign State of Biafra (MASSOB), shut down commercial activities in the Southeast on May 30.

    Following this, a group of youths in the North gave the Igbo an October deadline to leave the region.

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo held series of meetings with political and religious leaders as well as traditional rulers from the North and the Southeast. He declared at the end of the meetings that there was a consensus that Nigera would remain indivisible. He said all grievances would be addressed.

    The Igbo leaders who met in Enugu yesterday said they resolved in favour of a united Nigeria “where peace, love, fairness, justice, equity and equal opportunity are paramount, regardless of creed, ethnicity, gender or political affiliation”.

    They rejected the claim by MASSOB and IPOB that they speak for the zone.

    At the meeting were the five Southeast governors, National Assembly members, led by Deputy Senatre President Ike Ekweremadu, apex Igbo socio-cultural Igbo organisation Ohanaeze Ndigbo, religious leaders and other others.

    The meeting ended in the wee hours of yesterday with a communique read by Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi, chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum. It condemned hate speeches and conducts emanating from any segment of Nigeria.

    The Igbo leaders supported the restructuring of Nigeria on the basis of fairness and equity.

    The communique states: ”We therefore call on the Federal Government and all Nigerian leaders to commence a process of dialogue among Nigerians on the modalities of achieving this pressing question within a reasonable time frame.

    “Ndigbo support the report of the National Conference of 2014 and urge the Federal government to set up structures that will enable the implementation of same within a reasonable time.

    “That the South East governors, members of the National Assembly from the South East and the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo should henceforth constitute the official organs that will speak on behalf of Ndigbo on political matters.

    “That the South East leaders in consultation with leaders from other parts of the country, will engage the Federal government on all areas of concerns to Ndigbo and to Nigeria as a whole.”

    The leaders assured Ndigbo residing in other parts of the country of protection. Besides, they promised to ensure the safety of non-Igbo in the Southeast.

    Also at the meeting were the Ohanaeze leadership, led by its President John Nwodo, former Senate Presidents Ken Nnamani and Adolphus Wabara, former Chief of General staff Commodore  Ebitu Ukiwe, former Ebonyi State Governor Sam Egwu; Minister of Science and Technology Ogbonnaya Onu; former Inspector General of Police Ogbonnaya Onovo and former Ohanaeze President Gary Enwo Igariwey.

    There were also traditional rulers, including Obi of Onitsha Alfred Achebe; National Chairman of United Peoples Party (UPP), Chekwas Okorie, Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, Bishop Maxwell Anikwenwa; Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe, Gilbert Nnaji, Chukwuka Utazi,  and Ben Obi as well as members of the House of Reps, among others.

  • Fed Govt to address agitation, says Osinbajo

    Fed Govt to address agitation, says Osinbajo

    There is a ray of hope for agitators as the federal government assured Nigerians last night that it would immediately address their grievances.

    But it will be within the confines of the constitution, which the government swore to uphold.

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo engaged in a series of consultations between June 13 and 22 with leaders of thought, traditional rulers and political leaders in the North and the Southeast. He also met with governors.

    This followed the continuous agitation for secession by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the East and the October 1 quit order given to Igbo resident in the North by a coalition of youth groups.

    A statement yesterday by Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity Laolu Akande on the highlights of the meetings, emphasised the affirmation of “the necessity of confronting all grievances and frustrations head-on, however uncomfortable that might seem now; instead of ignoring issues and allowing them to fester.”

    The acting president urged that such grievances be expressed with grace. He condemned hate speeches.

    The meeting “affirmed the need to draw a line between the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution and the degeneration of such expression into hateful rhetoric, prejudice and hatred.

    “Under no circumstances will Government condone or tolerate hate speech in any way or form.”

    There was also the affirmation on “the need for all leaders and elders, regardless of political or ideological persuasion, to speak out more forcefully to counter divisive and hate speech and any form of warmongering”.

    The meetings were convened “to provide a platform for frank and open discussions between the concerned stakeholders and by extension the Nigerian public on issues relating to the unity, peace and security of country.”

    The Presidency said it would continue to actively engage with various segments of the population.

    Other common grounds established at the meetings according to the statement are:  • condemnnation of hateful and divisive rhetoric by the concerned groups of Northern and Southeastern youths; and

    • affirmation of the primacy of the Constitution, the ultimate basis for the unity of Nigeria. That Constitution guarantees freedom of residence and of movement for all Nigerians anywhere in the country, without fear of discrimination or prejudice.
    • The Acting President thanked all the leaders for their time and commitment to the unity, peace and progress of Nigeria. He also assured the people of the resolve of the Buhari administration to ensure their well-being and security at all times.

     

  • Niger Delta won’t back agitation to split Nigeria, says Wike

    Niger Delta won’t back agitation to split Nigeria, says Wike

    Leaders and people of Niger Delta will defend Nigeria’s unity because they believe the country should remain as one indivisible entity, River State Governor Nyesom Wike has said.

    Speaking during a visit to Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Saad Abubakar at his palace, Wike said Nigeria’s unity is ‘non-negotiable’ and of paramount importance.

    He added that the interest of Nigerians and Africans would be better served with Nigeria remaining as one “strong and united nation”.

    He said: “Let me first of all sincerely thank you, our father the Sultan, for what you are doing for this country, working tirelessly to ring peace and to bring unity to the people. So, for all of us, this is what is meant by one Nigeria.

    “We cannot run away from this country. The unity of this country is very, very paramount. The unity of this country is non-negotiable. I am from the Niger Delta, from Rivers State to be specific. So, I cannot see us in a divided country. No way. We stand for the unity of this country,” Wike added.

    According to the governor, his administration has put a lot of time, resources and energy to protect national assets, especially the ones in Rivers State.

    “In Rivers, you hardly find pipeline vandalisation. We are working at all times to protect national assets in our state. In my state, I am governor for all the people living in the state. I am not a governor of a particular political party, but a governor for all the people of Rivers State.”

    He hailed the Sultan for his leadership of the Muslim community in Nigeria, adding that he was in Sokoto to felicitate with his colleague, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who gave out his daughter in marriage on Saturday.

    He equally dispelled the notion that his relationship with Tambuwal had political connotation, saying the Sokoto governor had been his friend for a long time, “long before politics defined who we are now.”

    “Tambuwal is my friend for a long time. If anything affects him, it affects me also. If he gives out his daughter in marriage, I have to be here to support him. If any problem happens to him, it affects me as well.

    “Your Eminence, I am here to seek your royal blessing. You have blessed me before, that is why I am growing. So, let me wish you a prosperous new year ahead,” he added.

    Both the host governor and Sultan implored Nigerians to live in peace with one another, and wished their countrymen and women a year full of happiness and blessings.

    The governor has also restated his administration’s commitment to promoting peace and growth in the state.

    In a New Year message broadcast in Port Harcourt yesterday, Wike said his administration had enormous political will to embark on projects that would trigger growth across the state.

    He urged Rivers people to work together to ensure that the state enjoyed peace and development in 2017.

    “We cannot thank you enough for your consistent prayers, understanding, sacrifices and unconditional support and encouragement throughout 2016.

  • Why agitation for restructuring is mounting, by Amosun

    Why agitation for restructuring is mounting, by Amosun

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun yesterday blamed what he termed as lack of fair distribution of the country’s resources and disrespect for laws for the agitation for restructuring.

    Amosun, who addressed participants of Course Nine of the Executive Intelligence Course of the Institute of Security Studies in Abuja, backed the country’s restructuring to allow for equal distribution of projects, dividends of democracy and a review of the revenue allocation formula.

    He said he was not in support of any restructuring that would affect the nation’s unity, saying great nations of the world drew their strength from diversity.

    Amosun said while Ogun State has the highest number of industries in the country, the state is placed 25th in terms of revenue sharing based on indices generated several years ago and not based on what you contribute to the Federation Account.

    His words: “I believe that if our institutions had been strengthened, people will not need to call for restructuring of the country at all because we will abide by our constitution. But you have a scenario where people do what they like, even in project distribution and dividends of democracy, among others.

    “Look at fiscal federalism. If you had followed what is in the constitution, and everybody believes that the institution is greater than all of us, we will not be where we are today. So, for me, any restructuring that will affect the unity of the country, I am not for it.

    “But a restructuring that will say, ‘there are certain things that must be done differently’, I want that to happen. For example, in Nigeria today, Ogun State has the largest number of industries, but when the money is being distributed from the Federation Account, the state is placed about the 25th position.”

    “These are indices that have been taken several years back and probably not in relation with what you contribute to the federal purse.

    “For me, that is restructuring and maybe reforming the revenue allocation formula or people calling for state police. I have said I will support state police. But that does not mean we will not have federal police.

    “It is just about making amends in some areas, but not things that will uproot our existence as a nation and those things that divide us. We should talk more and dwell more on things that unite us as a nation. It is even in diversity that we have our strength.”

    On efforts to improve the state revenue, Amosun said: “When we came on board, we introduced cashless. We realised that anything that will make you come in contact with cash is subject to manipulation and so, we said we want cashless.

    “For example, in one of our institutions, the highest revenue they were collecting was a little over N300 million. We told them this is what we wanted to do. The next time, they were able to generate N1.4 billion and we ask ourselves, where has that money gone into in the past?

    “As a government, we introduced what is now known as Treasury Single Account (TSA) in August 2011, when the present Minister of Finance was our Commissioner for Finance. When we came, we had over 700 different accounts and I ask myself how do we monitor all those accounts?

    “So, I told all the banks that I need one account from them. But if you like, you can have different subheads in your banks and not that the government will have over 700 accounts. We also said we will partner with a maximum of three banks and today, we are happy for it. That is why I can look them in the face and challenge them to tell me the state that has performed like we have done”

    He boasted that he did not owe staff salaries.

    The governor said: “When they were giving out bailout funds, I said we are paying salaries and so we don’t owe salaries. But there are certain things, which workers must enjoy such as pensions and gratuity, which we are owing and have appealed to organised labour to be patient with us since we are paying salaries as at when due.

    “My salary bill is about N9.12 billion and sometimes, our proximity to Lagos comes with its own problems and challenges. Every month, we run round to make sure we pay salaries.”

     

     

  • Agitation for fuel attendants’ welfare ongoing, says NUPENG

    Agitation for fuel attendants’ welfare ongoing, says NUPENG

    The agitation for improved welfare package for over 300,000 petrol attendants in the country is ongoing, the Chairman, Southwest branch of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Mr. Tokunboh Korodo, has  said.

    He said the body is not resting on its oars in ensuring that fuel attendants get improved welfare package and live a good life, saying N18, 000 is being considered as the minimum salary for petrol attendants nationwide. He said the workers will be better for it if everything goes according to plans.

    He said inability of stakeholders to reach a compromise has slowed down discussions on the issue,  adding that efforts to get the dealers to understand the predicament of petrol attendants and further increase their salaries have proved difficult, but it is accomplishable.

    Korodo said: “Discussions are ongoing on the issue of increasing the emoluments of petrol attendants and others working at fuel retail outlets across the country. Several meetings have been held on the issue because we believe that the workers’ welfare must be improved.”

    The National Chairman, Petrol Tanker Drivers arm of NUPENG, Mr. Akanni Oladiti said efforts are being made to reposition the downstream sector of the oil and gas for growth. He said petrol tanker drivers are being trained to be more professional in their conduct, stressing that the training would be nationwide.

  • VON chief to MASSOB, IPOB: forget Biafra agitation

    The Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, at the weekend urged separatist groups to forget their self-actualisation agitation and support President Muhammadu Buhari to rid the country of corruption.

    Okechukwu said he supported the President’s position that if Nigerians failed to kill corruption, it would kill the nation.

    The VON chief noted that ethnic merchants and religious bigots hid under such fault lines to corruptly enrich themselves.

    Okechukwu spoke in Enugu at a reception organised for him and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, by their kinsmen, under the aegis of Ekeh Progressives Forum (EPF).

    Among the groups clamouring to breakaway from Nigeria are: the Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Niger Delta Avengers and similar new movements.

    Delivering a speech, titled: True Federalism: Panacea or Placebo to Nigeria’s Paralysis? Eke Town as a Case Study, at a dinner part of the reception, the chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) blamed greed and corruption for the inequality in the country.

    Speaking before an audience, which included former Vice President Alex Ekwueme and former Senate President Ken Nnamani, the VON chief recalled that President Buhari, in his 2015 Chatham House speech, described the inequality in the country as the tiny island of the affluent in the ocean of misery.

    Okechukwu said: “Corruption, in all its ramifications, not just the fleecing of the state fund, includes petty human frailties, like jealousy, hate, stereotypes and prejudice. We shall presently return to these two opaque pages of the same epitaph of greed and corruption and commonly misunderstood theme.

    “These two opaque pages may help us to show that ethnicity and religion play less crucial roles in our dysfunction than greed and its grandson, corruption. Ethnicity and religion are more of the tools of scavengers and predators. It would amaze us to look closely at our communities, local council areas and zones. We are most likely to find that they are the victims of the cankerworm called corruption.

  • MASSOB berates NEF for comment on agitation

    MASSOB berates NEF for comment on agitation

    The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has berated the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) for calling Biafra agitators “frustrated losers who have no remedy for their woes”.

    A statement yesterday in Enugu by MASSOB Leader, Uchenna Madu, said no power could stop Biafra’s actualisation “because the undying spirit lives in every Igbo man, including those working with (President Muhammadu) Buhari”.

    The statement reads: “Since President Buhari didn’t succeed in crushing the old Biafra with the use of guns, how can he crush the new Biafra that is anchored on non-violence, more self-determination will of Ndigbo?”

    MASSOB described NEF as a group of elders with nothing to offer the present generation.

    The statement added: “No power on earth can crush Biafra actualisation because the undying spirit lives in every Igbo man, including those working with Buhari.

    “Biafra revolution is indestructible because God, history and humanity are on our side.

    “NEF’s cries that North is short-changed or cheated in this year’s budget are hypocritical and deceiving.

    “They want to divert attention given to the South on the political robbery against them on the budget.”

  • ‘Agitation for state of Biafra, a futile effort’

    ‘Agitation for state of Biafra, a futile effort’

    A chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Chief Livinus Okwara, has described the current agitation for a state of Biafra by a section of Igbo youths as an exercise in futility. He said the youths were misinformed and misguided about the whole project of Biafra.

    Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Nation, he said: “The present agitation is the handiwork of those who have not worked for the interest and progress of the Igbo nation. I do not support the move; they cannot survive on their own, their survival depends on their association with other tribes in Nigeria because the country has become a unit already. In fact, there are more Igbos outside the Igbo land than those inside. We should avoid the mistake of the past where the Igbo suffered monumental losses in human and material substances. Igbos lost most of the educated youths as they went to war unarmed and many women became widows prematurely.”

    He advised the Federal Government to invite the agitators for dialogue as he said: “MASOP has been unhappy that Niger Delta militants benefitted from their agitations and jealous of the gains of Oodua Peoples  Congress after struggle. He counseled the youth to be well focused and not be misled by propagators of old Biafra, an idea he alleged was cooked with wrong ingredients.

    On the emergence of APC at the centre, Okwara said: “I am happy to be alive when a progressive government is at the centre. It has the ingredients for development but the conservatives do not know. It is a historic change in the political history of Nigeria. We are happy we have it now. Buhari is in every inch a progressive because he has the interest of the poor at heart. Right from his time in the military, he never wanted the poor to suffer. It has been a dialectic struggle between the rich and the poor. A lot of time has been lost and much fund gone down the drain; but it has been a worthwhile effort. It is now a task for government to lift the poor.”

    He believes that the coming of the ministers of diverse intellectual background and working experiences is a welcome development, saying many have been governors who have come face to face with the problems of the people.

    Besides, they are major campaigners for change and I have no doubt that their tenure will be a major success especially in the area of employment generation.

    According to him, the N5, 000 stipend promised by the APC government for the unemployed will create invisible economic power that will improve people’s purchasing power with its economic multiplier effect. He urged the Federal Government to discountenance the call for devaluation of the naira, saying devaluation is only beneficial to the industrialised world. “You devalue when you are an industrial power because your products will be cheaper and accessible to other economies. Examples are India and China.

    Chief Okwara, who established the first indigenous computer training in Nigeria, Rimax Institute of Science Technology, urged the Federal Government to invest heavily in science and technology as the quickest way to scientific and economic advancement. He said when he returned from the United Kingdom in the 70s, computer education was almost non-existent, so for the love of the country, I had to establish Rimax Institute to expose people, particularly the young minds to computer education. The effort became an instant success as between 1970 and 1977 we were able to have our presence in 19 states of the federation .The number of states increased in subsequent years. “We were able to train an annual initial figure of 5000 experts in computer science. This figure grew astronomically in years following.   At a point, we were involved in training NNPC and NITDL members of staff. The initiative led us to offering scholarship to people as the programme became attractive to them.

    He spoke glowingly of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his wife, H.I.D Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo who departed recently. He said he was close to the family very early in life, describing Chief Awolowo as an exceptionally gifted personality who comes once in every one hundred years. ”For a man to achieve his feat, such must be of high discipline and hard work. I was close to Mama; she was a woman of impeccable character and high intelligence. She was an epitome of humility.  At any moment, she was always making you to understand that she would give account to ‘Baba’ (her husband) when she sees him. She said she had to live to help others as Baba did”.

    Okwara also spoke glowingly of some APC leaders, including President Muhammadu Buhari, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator Chris Ngige and Rotimi Amaechi. Describing them as achievers, he said all that is needed for the party and the government to succeed is for all, especially the youth, to give them the needed support.

  • Pro-Biafra agitation is all about National Question, says The Patriots

    Pro-Biafra agitation is all about National Question, says The Patriots

    The Patriots, the socio-political association of elderly Nigerians, said yesterday that the renewed  agitation for Biafra and other security challenges are signs   that Nigerian youths are yearning for a resolution of the National Question.

    It therefore asked the Buhari Administration to take the bull by the horn and deal with national question once and for all.

    “The biggest challenge, in our view, is the National Question, which is how to coalesce the 389 ethnic nationalities in Nigeria into one Nigerian nation. Three hundred and eighty-nine is a large number. How do you get them together to form one nation? We make the mistake of always talking about the Nigerian nation; we are not a nation yet; we‘re a state,” leader of the group, Professor Ben Nwabueze told reporters in Lagos.

    He said: “I don’t necessarily believe that the protesters want Biafra actualized. It is the general condition in the country. It involves unemployment and other serious issues. That has given rise to youth unrest and protests. It is the feeling of the youths. What do you expect from youths who spend three, four or more years after graduation in the unemployment market? That is the issue.

    “The second issue that has given rise to the protests is the issue of injustice. Some areas of the country feel that they have not been well treated. They feel that they are treated as if they do not belong to the country.

    “Consider the recent appointments in government by our President and the way they are slanted to favour a particular section of the country.”

    Nwabueze said the group is in full support of the war against corruption, provided it is done in a manner that does not give the impression that some groups and individuals are being specifically targeted.

    Nevertheless, he said corruption is not the biggest challenge facing the country.

    Reviewing the last National Conference organised by the Jonathan Administration,Nwabueze said the  organizers  “isolated the ethnic nationalities.

    The Patriots, in a  communique issued at the end of  its   meeting,  called for greater urgency in addressing the socio-economic and political challenges confronting the country.

    It said though it did  not expect a quick-fix to the enormous challenges, the Buhari administration should  have at the back of its mind that the elections that propelled it to power were won on a promise of ‘change’.

    The Patriots said government should pay attention to the fight against corruption; execution of priority projects/programmes; increasing resources allocated to education and human capital development; appropriate pricing of gas, to encourage provision of adequate gas to the power sector; renegotiation of fiscal arrangements with multi-national oil companies/joint venture partners of the Federal Government; and review of the conclusions and recommendations of the 2014 National Conference.

    On the Kogi governorship election, Nwabueze called for fresh voting following the death of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Abubakar Audu, who was leading in the November 21 election declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Nwabueze, a constitutional lawyer, argued that whatever votes the late Audu scored during the election died with him and cannot be transferred to another man.

    His words: “Anybody saying that the votes of a dead man should be transferred to another does not make sense to me; I don’t understand it. When he died, the votes cast for him died with him and there should be fresh elections.

    “The mandate given by the people of Kogi State was for a dead man; nobody else can come and say he’s been given a mandate by the votes cast for the deceased Audu. That mandate died with the death of the man who the votes were cast for.”

    He said people do not understand the concept of a running mate under the Nigerian Constitution. “A running mate is a spare tyre; the votes are for the governorship candidate and it does not give any mandate to the running mate, who is there only to support his principal,” he said, adding that the constitution does not allocate specific powers to a deputy.

  • Biafra: Uwazuruike, Mustapha, Fasheun, Bianca seek non-violent agitation

    Biafra: Uwazuruike, Mustapha, Fasheun, Bianca seek non-violent agitation

    Chief Security Officer (CSO) to former Head of State Mohammed Abacha Hamza Al’Mustapha; leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) Ralph Uwazuruike; founder of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Chief Fredrick Fasheun and wife of the late Dim Emeka Odimegwu Ojukwu Bianca Ojukwu have called for a non-violent agitation.

    They spoke during the Odimegwu Ojukwu Anniversary at the Ojukwu Library in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

    According to them, the issues that led to the civil war were yet to be addressed by successive governments, thereby paving the way for agitation for self-determination.

    Fasheun observed that for Nigeria to continue as one, there was urgent need to convene a Sovereign National Conference, which will address mistrust and marginalisation of zones, and implement its report.

    He said: “I have come to give solidarity to MASSOB from the Southwest. The agitation for self-determination will not cease but I encourage MASSOB’s non-violent approach because if we had wanted to tear this country apart, we should have adopted what Ojukwu did.

    “I thank Uwazuruike for what he is doing. I love it that you have gone this far without shedding blood. I am urging Biafra to sustain the agitation because Ojukwu is part of the music of this country and whoever’s name is music never dies.”

    Mustapha, who was the special guest, noted that the marginalisation of the poor by the privileged few and inept leadership gave room for the agitation sweeping through the country.

    He said: “In Nigeria, there are people who have attained high places but are totally deformed, both in intellect and capacity. What is missing in Nigeria is the unity of purpose. We have not been able to come together as a people under one vision; no one has given thought about the future of our nation except thoughts about ourselves.

    “There are issues about the civil war that are yet to be addressed, such as the causes of the war, who incited it from within and outside the country, and who exploited the situation, and until this is done, the war will not be forgotten.

    “In the pursuit of the right of a man, there is no force that can stop him so I have solidarity for MASSOB, but the unity of the country is of essence because we are brought here by God for a purpose.”

    Uwazuruike vowed to continue with the agitation until the issues that gave rise to the civil war were addressed.

    He, however, said MASSOB would sustain its non-violent posture, adding that those calling for war want to drag the struggle into disrepute.

    “We started MASSOB in 1999 when no Igbo man had occupied any of these positions  since the civil war-President, Inspector General of Police, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Minister of Defense, Minister of Internal Affairs, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, among others. But 16 years after, through MASSOB’s non-violent agitation, Ndigbo have occupied these positions, except the Presidency.

    “Today, Ndigbo in their usual character, want to decimate MASSOB so that they can emerge as the new champions. They believe that they could achieve Biafra through violence and they are threatening brimstone and fire but they don’t even have the capacity to carry out their empty threats.

    “Notwithstanding, we urge the authorities to ignore their empty threats. If any group should be feared in Nigeria, it is MASSOB because we are knowledgeable and knowledge is power.

    “The so-called Radio Biafra, London, was opened by MASSOB to showcase the marginalisation of Ndigbo and Nnamdi Kanu was appointed director but he used the radio to propagate news against the ideals and objectives of the struggle and to attack the leadership.

    “We, therefore, urge the relevant authorities to release unconditionally all those held for propagating Biafra, both members of IPOB and the Zionist Movement. I believe they will never toe the line of violence again, if they are released.”