Warns Ohanaeze against Greek gift
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has rolled out conditions for any partnership between Ndigbo and the British Government.
IPOB which was responding to a recent statement credited to the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, said it was the height of hypocrisy for Britain to do nothing about Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, a British citizen who has been illegally detained for over two years, only to seek business partnership with South-East.
The pro-Biafra movement which stoutly opposed any form of partnership with Britain, insisted that Kanu should be freed first before any deals with the United Kingdom.
“If the British government is sincere in their quest for partnership with Ndigbo, the following demands should be met:
“They should ensure the unconditional and prompt release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by using their edge in diplomatic relationship with Nigeria.
“Biafrans need British diplomatic support for the restoration of the Independent and Sovereign State of Biafra through a United Nations supervised referendum.
“As much as Ndigbo are not opposed to foreign partnerships, the most important partnerships that Ndigbo need at this time are Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s unconditional release and a referendum as enshrined in the United Nations charter for Human Rights.
“Anything short of the above-mentioned partnership engagement is dead on arrival. Biafrans, particularly Ndigbo, are more than capable of developing our own land when we become free from the British amalgamation yoke.
“We want Britain to know that Ndigbo are not happy in Nigeria, and to prevent another civil war, they should allow Biafrans to leave Nigeria peacefully.
“If Britain can exit peacefully from the Europe Union, why is Britain forcing Nigerians to remain in a bloody and irreconcilable union? “What is good for the goose is also good for the gander.”
The statement further read: “Pertinent questions for the British High Commissioner in Nigeria are:
1. Dr. Richards Montgomery, are you aware that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, a Biafran-British citizen, traveled to Kenya with his British passport?
“2. Are you aware that he was kidnapped, tortured, and renditioned to Nigeria like a criminal for having different political opinions?
“3. Are you aware that two courts of competent jurisdictions have discharged and acquitted him, yet he is still being held by the Nigeria government in DSS solitary confinement?
“4. Are you aware of his deteriorating health conditions inside the DSS dungeon?
“5. Did Britain abandon Mazi Nnamdi Kanu because he is demanding for Biafra exit from Nigeria or because he is a black Igbo man who happened to have British citizenship?
“6. Why is Britain insisting on Nigeria unity even when the amalgamation treaty has expired?
“Dear British High Commissioner, kindly inform your government that this generation of Biafrans is not ignorant about what we want. We wouldn’t allow those who deceived our forefathers to deceive us also.
“All the predicaments Ndigbo are facing in Nigeria today emanated from British colonisation and continued duplicity.”
IPOB cautioned Ohanaeze leadership against any hasty deal with Britain that would hurt Igbo interest.
” We are warning Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide to desist from any partnership with the British government until Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is released unconditionally and Biafra Referendum date is scheduled.
“The British government has the capability and diplomatic clout to make the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and Biafra Referendum possible, but have chosen otherwise. Whether Britain exercises its diplomatic clout on Nigeria or not, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and Biafra will still be free in due time.
“Neither Ohanaeze Ndigbo nor any other Igbo organisation is permitted to have any form of partnership with the British government until our request is met. Anyone or group that goes ahead to fraternise with the British government or her affiliates on whatever string gift called partnership will be considered a traitor and will be treated as such.”
The statement made available to Ikengaonline further read : “It it true that the British government considers Ndigbo and all of Biafra to be stupid, ignorant, and gullible to have forgotten our history so quickly.
“We particularly cannot imagine their hypocrisy in the continuous illegal detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his extraordinary rendition from Kenya to Nigeria that is being swept under the rug while the British Government pretends that “all is well.” We are here to declare to them and the rest of the world that all is not well at all.
“The British High Commissioner, Dr. Richard Montgomery recently visited Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide, promising to partner with Ndigbo in business and development. Meanwhile, the British High Commissioner has not made any notable effort for the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, a Biafran, and British citizen who is illegally detained in violation of Nigeria Court Orders in the worst place in the world, the Nigeria DSS dungeon in solitary confinement.
“When has the Nigerian Government, who is a baby of Britain become powerful as to override the influence of Britain in the case of a British citizen, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu? Does Britain think that Ndigbo are stupid and gullible to trade our freedom and that of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu with this British Greek gift?
“Therefore, IPOB and the entire Biafra nation reject any partnership with the British Government or her affiliates until Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is released and Biafra is restored as an Independent Sovereign Nation.”
IPOB claimed that “Britain from the precolonial era till now has never had the interest of Ndigbo in mind.”
“Britain fraudulently amalgamated Biafra with other unwilling Nations for their own administrative and economic convenience and benefit. Britain enslaved our people and has continued looting our resources to date.
“They deceitfully and dubiously structured Nigeria to strangulate Biafrans’ enterprising spirit while favouring the corrupt and indolent Fulani tribe.
“Britain was the one that advised General Yakubu Gowon, the then Military Head of State of Nigeria, to reject the Aburi Accord, which led to the 1967-1970 brutal genocidal war against Biafrans when more than 4 million unarmed civilian Biafrans were massacred.
“During that unfortunate genocidal war, Britain supplied Nigeria arms and logistics to wipe out Biafrans, particularly Ndigbo, out of the surface of the earth.
“Britain and Nigeria have never apologised for the genocide against Biafrans, nor have they initiated any policy of inclusion for Ndigbo. Instead, the duo have continued with their policy of political and economic exclusion and marginalisation against Biafrans.
“One will ask, why is Britain showing interest in Ndigbo at this perilous time in the political history of Nigeria?”
IPOB said that the people of the South-East had moved on with life despite the actions of the British Government considered injurious to be Igbo nation.
“Biafrans have consoled ourselves and have decided to confront the decades of colonisation impacts such as ethnic rivalries, economic and human rights violations that colonisation and amalgamation brought to us.
“We have decided to remove the yoke of colonisation and slavery called Nigeria and to return to our homogeneous state before the fraudulent amalgamation was forced upon us. We have resolved to pursue our own political future through legal and peaceful self-determination as championed by IPOB under the leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”
