The South East is in continuous decline from self-inflicted injuries, claims the BNP founder
Nigeria`s South East, a region predominated by the Igbos and the larger chunk of the Biafran territory is seriously in deep decline and crime is the major cause of this decline. The pain of this decline is far greater when you realize the undeniable fact that this whole problem is self-inflicted.
These were the views of Barrister Williams Ukonu in a virtual seminar organized by the Biafran National Party (BNP) on Saturday, which was monitored by our correspondent. He made this comments in his address to the attendees, which was made through what seemed like a recorded video.
Barr Ukonu claimed that “most of the gains of the struggle for the realization of the sovereign state of Biafra have largely been eroded by some missteps by some people who also contributed to the successes already recorded in the struggle so far.”
He lamented on what he referred to as “lack of direction and credible plan” by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which he said was mostly his reason for championing “BNP, which is a new wing of the struggle, but not essentially different from IPOB.”
He said that decadence in IPOB and some strategic blunders from the IPOB leadership has been largely responsible for the trouble in the South East today. This blunders according to him has become worse, especially since the abduction and detention of the IPOB leader – Mazi nnamdi Kanu by the Nigerian government.
He said that IPOB leadership have for a while been acting in ways that contradicts its set objectives for the restoration of Biafra. He said that most of the Actions of IPOB lately are upending any possibility of defeating those whose primary objective is to sow chaos and confusion in Igbo land for their own political gains.
The BNP founder who refused to disclose his present location however, enjoined the participants to prevail on all factions of IPOB and sister liberation movements to shun all manner of violence against the federal government agencies. He also pleaded for the support of all stakeholders to cancel the sit at home policy as it is “doing more harm than good to the freedom struggle”.
KEY FACTS
- The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is a Nigerian separatist movement founded by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu for the restoration of an independent Biafran Nation.
- The Biafran National Party (BNP) is a sister organization fighting for the same objective, but sometimes with a more subtle message than IPOB, and seems more willing to participate in the existing Nigerian political system.
- A message on its website says that “The BNP is founded as a political rallying point to effectively galvanise the Biafran people even within the existing political and legal system in Nigeria to take actions that are in the best interest of and towards the easier and faster actualisation of an independent Biafran Republic.”
NOTABLE QUOTES
“Most of the gains of the struggle for the realization of the sovereign state of Biafra have largely been eroded by some missteps by some people who also contributed to the success already recorded in the struggle so far.”
“We have seen over time that there is clearly lack of direction and credible plan in IPOB, which is why I championed for the establishment of BNP as a new wing of the struggle, but not essentially different from IPOB on what our clear objectives are for Biafra and her people”
“Can you imagine what some of these factional leaders are doing in our land in the name of sit at home order? Can we not see clearly that we are harming our own people?
“Do we not see that most of these missteps and errors in judgement by IPOB has laid the foundation for the crimes and criminalities leading to fast decline of our motherland.
“My people, we must prevail on all IPOB factions to desist further from all forms of violence against government agencies and against anyone everywhere in the South East. We are doing more harm than good to the freedom struggle”, said Barr Ukonu.
