Ndigbo to FG: Biafran agitators no threat to national security — 31st October 2016

Ndigbo to FG: Biafran agitators no threat to national security — 31st October 2016

Ndigbo to FG: Biafran agitators no threat to national security

— 31st October 2016

From Aloysius Attah, Uturu, Chuks Onuoha, Umuahia, and  Okey Sampson, Aba

Prominent Igbo leaders yesterday rose from a three- day World Summit and declared categorically that Biafran agitators constitute no threat to national security.

In a 10-point communiqué presented at Igbo Renaissance Centre, Gregory University, Uturu in Abia State, and  signed by Gen. Ike Nwachukwu, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Col. Joe Achuzie, Dr. Greg Ibeh, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu , Prof. George Obiozor and two others, the Igbo leaders said Igbo people have made the biggest sacrifice and contribution to the building of modern Nigeria.

The Igbo leaders called on the Federal Government to promptly release Nnamdi Kanu and other prisoners of conscience in line with the rule of law.

They insisted that henceforth, the Igbo will work for a nation where they are allowed to live and operate as equal citizens without discrimination or intimidation.

While calling for a regional autonomy, the Igbo leaders demanded the repealing of the 1999 Constitution and enacting of a new one that will recognise the inalienable right of each constituent group to self- determination and regional autonomy as enshrined in the 1960 Independence and 1963 Republican Constitutions.

The summit described the herdsmen’ menace as “present and imminent danger to peace and security in Igboland” and called on Igbo governors and state Assemblies to immediately legislate against any form of grazing in Igboland.

The summit also  resolved that henceforth, Igbo political leadership, both elected and appointed must act in the best interest of Ndigbo and be prepared to be held accountable by the people for all their actions and inactions.

Earlier, during  the opening of the World Igbo Summit, the Director General, Dr. Ifedi Okwenna said the summit was organised to bring together great minds of  Igbo land from across the globe to dialogue and present a strategic roadmap for growth and development going forward to herald the 50-year visioning project for the Igbo nation.

Prof George Obiozor, in a remark noted:  “Over 40 years of mourning in the Nigerian wilderness is over. We must stop begging to belong to Nigeria, a country our leaders and our people built. Let us learn from the lessons of history that those neglected cannot and should not neglect themselves.”

General Ike Nwachukwu (retd) in his comment said Ndigbo can no longer accept any form of subjugation or becoming a footstool for anybody or region.

Other prominent Igbo that attended the summit included Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, Prof. Pat Utomi, Prof Ephipany Azinge, Joe Irukwu , Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, Iyom Josephine Anenih among others.

Meanwhile, youths from the core Niger Delta states under the aegis of Afra Descendants Movement (ADM) have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to, as a matter of urgency release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally. They said the president has a moral burden in continuing to incarcerate Kanu.

Speaking after a one day meeting at Ikot Abasi in Akwa Ibom State, the leader of ADM, Apostle Lanada M. Jene said it was morally wrong for anybody who had participated in a coup or was a beneficiary of a coup plot which is a treasonable offence to continue to incarcerate Kanu over a purported treasonable felony.

The ADM leader said whether the Federal Government releases the IPOB leader or not, the greatest thing they could hand over to Kanu was to continue to fight until Biafra was actualised.

He stressed that for this to be done, his members have decided to be mentally prepared for the victimisation that would come from the Nigerian government, stating that in so doing, it would be illogical for him to start speculating on what to do next if Nnamdi was not released, but emphasised on the commitment to ensuring that Biafra was actualised.

IPOB condemns Mark Zuckerberg as it shuts down Radio Biafra London Facebook group

                   …IPOB condemns Zuckerberg

From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha

THE Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has condemned the action of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Facebook satellite, Mr Mark Zucherberg, in shutting down the Radio Biafra Facebook London group account from Facebook.
The Radio Biafra London Facebook group wºas before its shutdown the most vibrant discussion forum on Facebook with nearly one million members.

In a statement yesterday, the Director of Media and Publicity of IPOB, Mr. Emma Powerful, wondered why Zucherberg, a Jew, whose family benefited from the freedoms and opportunities the land of the free United States of America had to offer, can turn around to brutally suppress freedom of speech and expression.

Stressing that the action was beyond human understanding, Powerful said “Mark Zuckerberg must know that the day he cut the deal with President Buhari at Aso Roc,k his Facebook satellite was destroyed at the launch pad. That was a sign from the Most High that he should stay out of this battle between good and evil.”

“Look at Nigeria today and know that God’s anger is upon her and her leaders because they dared to arrest Nnamdi Kanu. Satlink Israel lost their satellite because Buhari persuaded them to remove Radio Biafra satellite radio broadcast from their services. Nobody comes against IPOB and survives it.  We urge you to retrace your steps and reinstall Radio Biafra London Facebook group,” Powerful stated.

Nnamdi Kanu, director of the Europe based Radio Biafra and leader of IPOB was arrested by the Department of State Services, when he came on a visit to Nigeria in 2015, and has since been in detention despite being granted bail by a Federal High Court, Abuja.
In the face of the subsisting defiance of the court orders, a pro-democracy group, Human Rights Writers Association, HURIWA, had asked President Muhammadu Buhari to end what it described as “persistent political persecution” of Kanu, the Director of the Europe based Radio Biafra and leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
The group urged the government to dialogue with the group and also address the issues fueling the agitation for the actualization of the state of Biafra.

In a statement issued by HURIWA, and jointly signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affaires Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, it was noted that successful observance of the stay-at-home order by IPOB, and its affiliates in the South East, was a “clear demonstration that it was now more than ever urgent that meaningful and that constructive dialogue towards a peaceful resolution to the groundswell of agitations for self-determination are started.”

It said the prolonged detention under dehumanizing conditions of the founder of the Radio Biafra by the president amounted to the use of psychological and physical torture against voices of dissent.
“The pattern of unduly overstretched detention and willful disrespect to the reported bail orders represents a serious breach of the human rights of the detained leader of IPOB and an abuse of power particularly since it is a notorious fact that twice, the government disobeyed binding bail orders granted in favor of Nnamdi Kanu by competent courts of law.”

REVEALED! Major Reasons South East Senators Visited AsoRock, Conditions Given To Buhari Is Unbelievable (MUST READ)

Saturday 12 November 2016

Indications have emerged that South East Senators, who recently visited President Muhammadu Buhari presented a list of demands as a condition for supporting the $29.9 billion external loan being sought by the President through the National Assembly, NASS.

The proposals, which Saturday Vanguard had knowledge of focused on poor state of infrastructure in the South East geopolitical zone, security and accommodation of the zone’s interest in the proposed loan, detention of leader of Independent People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu and construction of a rail Standard Gauge Spur from Agbor to Onitsha.

Others included a request to address the issues of kidnapping, herdsmen and IPOB, the establishment of a dry port in Abia State, Onitsha and Enugu, request for a place in the National Security Council, the inclusion of South East when concerning federal roads and airports and construction of extra River Basin Development Authority for the zone. 

A breakdown showed that the lawmakers demanded a better funding of federal projects and institutions in the region, arguing that less than 10 percent of appropriated funds were released annually in last past 10 years. 

They also observed that the Enugu Airport runway had a wrong design and was dilapidated for an airport of its status. 

Hence, they demanded the President should prevail on the Minister of Transport to commence rehabilitation of the facility. 

While making a case for sustainable communication with South East leaders, the legislators requested that a private member bill presently at NASS be signed by the President if passed. 

Beyond these, it was learnt that the legislators of South East extraction were irked by the belief that the zone was left out among beneficiaries of the proposed external loan. 

It was particularly against this backdrop, that they visited the President with the list of demands expected to be met in order to bring about equity. 

The delegation which was led by Deputy Senate President, Sen Ike Ekweremadu and Sen Eyinnaya Abaribe had said that the marginalisation of the South East largely informed their visit. 

Ekweremadu, who spoke to State House Correspondents at the end of the meeting, said: “For us from the South East, we believe that dialogue is better than any other form of engagement. So we decided to visit the President and present to him some of the concerns of the South East including the issues of roads and infrastructure. 

“We also discussed the issue of security with him and of course the issue of IPOB. We had a good conversation and he promised to look into the issues. This is the South East caucus in the Senate and we came to see the President because of the issues we have in the South East. 

“We had a fruitful discussion with the President. He has promised us that he is going to look into the problems of South East. We know that there are problems everywhere but we also believe that the South East is the zone that is far much short-changed at this time than other zones. 

“We also talked about the issue of appointments from the South East, especially with respect to the National Security Council. The President also told us that governors of the South East have also engaged him on the same problems. We were reassured by the response we got from the President and we look forward to further interaction with him in this manner.”

Posted by Authentic Info at 00:53