IPOB vows to continue with agitation

• IPOB lashed out at Alhaki Yakassai for insisting on One Nigeria
• The group vowed not to end its agitation even if it means loss of lives
• It said the break-up of Nigeria is inevitable

The Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) has lashed out at Alhaji Tanko Yakassai for speaking against the break-up of Nigeria and insisting the country has a lot to gain if it remains as one.

The elder statesman in an interview had said those calling for the break-up of the country were short-sighted.

His words: ''People who are thinking of dividing Nigeria are shortsighted, whether they are Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba. The greatest gifts to any nation are population and territory. That is the reason America is great.

''Three groups of Nigerians should be the first and foremost in trying to maintain the unity of this country – these are the Igbo, the Hausa and the Yoruba.

''The Igbo are the most hardworking people, not only in Nigeria, but in Africa. It is that hard work that made the Igbo, for example, when it comes to commuter transportation in Nigeria, everybody has surrendered to the Igbo, so also in the areas of building materials, electrical and electronics, vehicle spare parts, pharmaceuticals, stationery, etc.

''The most educated people in Nigeria are the Yoruba, they are in control of the activities both in the downstream and upstream sector of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.

''In the next 100 years, the Igbo through their hard work, would be a dominating force not only in the West Africa but in Africa, while the Yoruba would provide the skilled manpower, and the Hausa with their land will continue to produce food and cash crops both for local consumption and export, with good leadership – leadership with vision and plan, and one day God will give us such leadership.''

However, IPOB in a statement on Sunday, April 16 lashed at the elder statesman insisting Biafra would be achieve even if it means they giving up their lives.

The group said it would not allow itself to be used the same way the late Nnamdi Azikiwe was used and vowed to continue with the agitation.

The group said: “What we in IPOB are left pondering is: does it mean Nigeria and her collection of often inadequately prepared, poorly lettered people and public servants are so backward that they have not read nor heard of the very first article in the declaration that set up the United Nations in 1948?”

“Are these Nigerians such as Tanko Yakassai so ignorant that they are oblivious of the existence of another UN document entitled “United Nations Charter on the Rights of Indigenous People” which Nigeria domesticated into her laws through the “African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights”?

“Our question again is: are those elders in the north like Alhaji Yakassai not seeing the hand writing that Biafrans are going? How can somebody like Alhaji Yakassai not even remember international treaties his British created country called Nigeria put into their domestic law? The right to self determination is a universal law which millions of self-styled intellectuals in Nigeria have not bothered for one day to research on and find out what that law means.”

“What IPOB under the leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is doing is completely legal and backed 100% by Nigerian law. The fact that Buhari decided to launch what can be described as malicious persecution/prosecution of Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB does not make it illegal. Now the Nigeria Federal High court in Abuja on 6th February, 2017 declared IPOB a legal organization.”

“However, we are aware that the man in question, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai is perhaps misinformed or clueless about the situation on the ground concerning the moves going on towards the restoration of Biafra. He and his fellow Nigerians must know that IPOB is unstoppable because we are willing and will continue to die for Biafra until Biafra is restored”.

“It is pathetic that this Alhaji Tanko Yakassai did not see anything wrong with the amorphous geographical expression called Nigeria. The late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe allowed himself to be tricked and used by the then British government to keep this vacuum named Nigeria by Flora Shaw”.

“It is unfortunate that an elderly man like Alhaji Tanko Yakassai cannot explain the history for the young ones to be acquainted with, but rather deceive the gullible. Your divide and rule tactics on the people of Biafra has come and gone and no one can deceive the people with one value system, culture, tradition and religion again”.

“We reiterate again that no negotiation of any sorts unless the government releases our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and other members detained illegally in all the prisons and security cells across the country”.

“We want to use this opportunity to let Alhaji Tanko Yakassai and his cohorts know that we are not seceding from Nigerian rather we are restoring the ancient nation called Biafra which God (Almighty Chukwu Okike Abiama) has ordained”.

“We can still do business and interact as neighbours when Biafra is restored in no distant future”.

“He and his fellow politicians in Nigeria cannot stop the restoration of Biafra. Our parents were not born Nigerians for the information of this politician and others, therefore we cannot secede from something we were not part of”.

“Biafra existed before Nigeria in 1914, Frederic Luggard created Nigeria and as with every man made product it has an expiry date and must come to an end, while Biafra was created by God Almighty (Chukwu Okike Abiama).

“Alhaji Yakssai should know that what IPOB is doing is beyond the powers of man because it has been predicted over 400 years ago.”