Biafra: IPOB threatens Ohanaeze, says it will attack group if it holds meeting in Igboland

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.

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.

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.”