Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Minister of Works and former Governor of Ebonyi State, Senator David Nwaeze Umahi, has come under intense criticism over his recent claim that Ndigbo should abandon the agitation for Biafra because the Federal Government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has ended all forms of marginalisation against the Igbo.
However, Igbo groups in the diaspora, including the American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), Rising Sun Foundation, and Ambassadors for Self-Determination, have strongly disagreed with the minister’s position.
In a joint statement issued on Saturday, the groups described Umahi’s remarks as “unguarded” and an “insult to the sensibilities of Ndigbo,” insisting that he lacked the authority to speak on behalf of the Igbo nation.
The statement was signed by Dr Sylvester Onyia, President of American Veterans of Igbo Descent; Ben Nwankwo, representing Ambassadors for Self-Determination; and Maxwell Dede, for the Rising Sun Foundation.
“Our attention has been drawn to an unguarded statement by Senator David Umahi that Ndigbo should forget the Biafra agitation because the Federal Government has addressed all the challenges of Ndigbo,” the statement read.
“We wish to remind Senator Umahi that he does not have the mandate to speak for Ndigbo and should not arrogate to himself powers he does not have.”
The groups stressed that while Umahi was entitled to his personal views, he could neither speak for the Igbo people nor halt the Biafra movement.
“Since he has stated that he does not believe in Biafra, Biafrans equally do not subscribe to his views. Nobody is coercing him to join the struggle, but he lacks the power to speak for the people or stop the movement,” the statement added.
Challenging the minister to point to concrete benefits allegedly extended to the South-East under the Tinubu administration, the groups said it was misleading to claim that the region was no longer marginalised.
“It is an insult to the sensibility of Ndigbo for Umahi to claim that marginalisation has ended,” the statement said, noting that infrastructural deficits in the South-East remained largely unaddressed.
They questioned why critical projects such as the Umuahia–Enugu railway remained moribund while other rail lines, including Lagos–Kano and Katsina–Niger Republic routes, were functional.
The groups also queried the region’s representation at the federal level, pointing out that the South-East still has only five ministers, with two serving as ministers of state, while a single South-West state reportedly has four ministers.
“Is Senator Umahi not aware that there is no seaport in the South-East, despite our people being among the highest importers in the country? Do we have a functional cargo airport in Igboland? Are there federal industries or major maritime projects in the region?” the statement asked.
Turning to the continued detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the groups questioned what they described as selective justice.
“Why is Mazi Nnamdi Kanu jailed for alleged terrorism while individuals responsible for mass killings are freely roaming and treated with levity?” the statement queried, alleging that his ordeal was supported by “a few Nigerian politicians who chose personal comfort over justice.”
The groups warned that those involved in what they described as the persecution of Kanu would be judged harshly by history, adding that “saboteurs will always be on the wrong side of history.”
While acknowledging that internal betrayal was not new in liberation struggles, the groups maintained that the Biafra movement transcended individuals and political appointments.
“Biafra is bigger than Umahi. The struggle is not about him, appointments, or pleasing Abuja. It is about justice, dignity, and self-respect. Attempts to sabotage it will ultimately fail,” the statement concluded.
