About 52 groups from the South East and South South geopolitical zones have threatened to merge with the indigenouspeople of Biafra (IPOB), if Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not released unconditionally, in obedience to a high court ruling in December 2015
ordering his unconditional release.
The groups met in Enugu yesterday, under the chairmanship of Bishop Micheal Ibeneme met at the residence of Chief (Mrs) Maria Okwor in Independence Layout Enugu. This would be their third meeting in recent months.
The groups comprising of Christian religious bodies, students associations, Town unions, Age grades, Traders Associations, Women’s groups, youth organizations and Elders council deliberated for several hours over the weekend on the state of the nation and concluded that “the .G is steadily making it difficult for the country to remain one, through its brazen, oppressive and determined effort to strike fear into the hearts of citizens in order to foist a fascist reign of ethnic, regional and religious dominance of one region over another, and vowed to resist such unholy agenda, as “Capitulation to the agenda would mean sentencing our progeny to a permanent status of serfs, everything is being done to rub in that we are not part of Nigeria. Buhari is deliberately pushing us out of Nigeria”.
The meeting which also had in attendance over a dozen groups from the Niger Delta insisted that the delay to redesign Nigeria to six regions was the source of 99% of the problems afflicting the nation.
In a two point communiqué, the groups declared that six regional structure remained the only formula to salvage, and rebuild Nigeria, noting that those opposed to six regional structure were only working towards the eventual disintegration of the country.
They said that all political, economic and social indicators pointed to the self-evident truth that only an early reversal to the six-regional structure will save the country now.
The groups also condemned in strong terms the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu after two courts of the land granted him unconditional release, maintaining that “the over-ruling of the courts, by Mr. President in a television chat with journalists pointed to an unacceptable travesty, where the presidency takes final decision on matters properly handled by the judiciary.”
Therefore, continued the groups “we are giving notice to the world, that if the unjust, provocative and very divisive detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not specially looked into for the sake of peace, equity and justice, we may no longer restrain our members, affiliates, friends and sisters groups who have indicated their resolve to join and merge
with the IPOB in solidarity with their persecution and unjust detention of their leader.
Pursuit of self-determination is the inalienable right of all oppressed people the world over as endorsed by the United Nations Chatter on freedom.
“We are being forced and pressured by the uncompromising attitude of the oppressor to defend and protect the future of our progeny.
“The current master/servant relationship as typified by the unworkable, military constitution is suffocating us. Enough is Enough”.
Speaking to reporters after the meetings, Comrade Chimezie Ubani, President of Igbo Student Union said “We pleaded for restructure they refused, we pleaded for a referendum they said no, they treat us like slaves, Fulani herdsmen raping our women, killing our farmers, abducting our priests, all the 54 tertiary institution in the east have resolved to join the IPOB to turn it to the largest mass movement in the world. We have come to the point where Mr President must know that he just cannot continue detaining an innocent man.
We have already printed our ID Cards, from now henceforth we are all IPOB”.
