From Obinna Odogwu, Ekwulobia
National Chairman, United Progressive Party (UPP), Chief Chekwas Okorie, yesterday threw his weight behind the Biifran struggle, pointing out that both the Nigerian constitution and relevant international laws recognise the concept of self determination.
He urged Nigerians not to panic whenever the issue of Biafra is brought to the table as according to him, its promoters are law-abiding citizens guarded by both Nigerian constitution and International law.
Okorie gave the assurance during his party’s 2017 national convention held in Awka, the Anambra State capital. He explained that the United Nations charter recognises indigenous people and the Nigerian constitution does the same, adding that before the contraption of Nigeria, the country was made up of mainly indigenous people and empires.
He said that it was in recognition of this that UPP upgraded its aims and objectives in Article 6 of the party’s constitution, while chapter two of the party manifesto emphasises that “our main policy thrust is self determination, true federalism, devolution of powers, resource control, referendum, state police/community policing, citizenship rights, unconditional release of prisoners of conscience etc.”
Speaking further, Okorie said that “Nigeria is in dire need of genuine change having been politically defrauded by a political party which canvassed true federalism while it sought for votes from Nigerians in a very unscrupulous and unconscionable manner jettisoned its avowed article of faith, and foisted on hapless Nigerians the worst form of nepotism, reductionism, lethargy, cluelessness and retrogression.”