Our Correspondent
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has assured the Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo of its support.
The group said this in a statement by its Media and Publicity, Emma Powerful on Sunday.
It assured Soludo its readiness to secure Anambra State and its environs
The secessionist group’s solidarity came some days after Soludo solicited the cooperation of all and sundry in the area for a better Anambra and South-East in general during his inauguration on March 17.
Soludo had in his Inauguration said,””To IPOB/ESN, the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), as well as the disparate armed groups in the forests, it is time to interrogate both the purpose and means of your campaign. To the politicians playing politics with the insecurity, you are riding a tiger. The current trajectory is a road to desolation.
” Let us get around the table and talk. Let the elite in the closet come out, and let’s debate our future and forge a consensus. The conspiracy of silence by the elite and some community leaders must end. If you see something, say or do something! Securing Igboland and Nigeria must be our collective responsibility. Let those in the forests come out, surrender their guns and let’s work together to rehabilitate and empower you to contribute positively to the peace and prosperity of our homeland
“For me, this issue is personal and emotional. My mother died during the civil war; our last born, Chukwuemeka died during the war; my father bore a bullet inside him for years; my elder brother – at 16, was in the ‘Boys Company’. At 8, I became the “man of the house”, with all the men at the war front. My uncles, cousins, etc, died during the war. This is 2022, and there are certainly far better ways to protest than shedding the blood of the innocent or resorting to criminality.
“That is why I call on all of us today to join hands with me to execute the real agenda—a livable and prosperous homeland of opportunities and jobs for our youth while maximizing the benefits of a united Nigeria/Africa. With Ohanaeze’s estimate that some 11.6 million Igbos live in the North and over 7 million in Lagos state and over 70% of our non-land assets scattered all over Nigeria and the world, we need Nigeria and Nigeria needs us. We need Africa and the world and they need us.
” I will engage all parties to the breakdown of peace and order in Anambra from a point of determination to solve problems and resolve disagreements with openness, integrity, equity and justice. I will absolutely invest my political capital within our state, our South East and with the Presidency, Federal Government and its establishments as a matter of topmost priority. With good faith and hard work by all parties, I am convinced that justice, peace and order will return to Anambra and the South East within the shortest possible horizon.
Describing Soludo’s address soothing, IPOB said, “Our attention has been drawn to an encouraging statement by the new Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Soludo during his inuaguration.
“We commend him for reasoning the way he did, but at the same time we admonish him to be weary of wicked, selfish and evil politicians who never mean well for our people so as not to deceive him.
“We hope he will keep to his promises and serve our people selflessly and wholeheartedly which in turn will help to promote the peace and security of our ancestral land. Anambra being (Diokpara) the first Son must show leadership in the much awaited renaissance.
“We, therefore, assure him of the full cooperation of Biafran youths in his efforts to secure Anambra State. IPOB will give him every support he needs to make Anambra the envy of the black race.
“Soludo in order to succeed must not take seriously those or anyone whether part of his government or not that will advice him to arrest, imprison, and kill IPOB family members in Anambra State because if he listens to those criminal political harlots, that will be the beginning of his failure as a governor.
“We therefore, advise him to remain focused on his vision and mission and shun distractions and bad advice from evil politicians. He should not repeat the mistakes of his predecessor Willie Obiano, who allowed himself to be used by Fulani people to persecute our people.
“They killed our people at Nkpor in 2016 during our annual remembrance of our fallen heroes and heroines who paid the ultimate price for our freedom between 1967 and 1970, yet the Governor never asked questions.
“Soludo is a seasoned technocrat, and an accomplished Igbo who should use his wealth of knowledge to develop our land.
“We are willing to support him as long as he will not turn to be a willing instrument in the hands of our oppressors to persecute our people especially BIAFRA agitators. We wish him success in office.
The statement added, “We wish to assure South East and South South governors that IPOB members are human beings with an unwavering interest of Biafrans at heart.
“Our work is geared towards pursuing the happiness, wellbeing and security of the Biafran people and of Biafraland. We’re ready and open to cooperate with any of them seeking our support for the common good of our people.
“We also state that any governor that makes himself a willing fulani tool to either criminalise our just agitation for freedom will without a doubt be paid in the same coin.
“IPOB will fully support any Governor in Biafra land who shows he has the understanding of the times, and the precarious condition of our people in Nigeria. If any Governor does not conspire with our oppressors to perpetuate our woes, he/she will enjoy the full support of our people.
“IPOB is a peaceful movement working hard to restore Biafra independence. We will never give up on our agitation until we are given a date for referendum to decide our fate as a people.
“We are ready to work with anyone in Government who works for the interest and liberty of our people.”
