Jeff Amexhi Agbodo, Onitsha
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has congratulated the people of Biafra for the successful sit-at-home exercise it declared to honour the fallen heroes of civil war and those who died in the cause of the struggle for the restoration of Biafra state.
The group expressed gratitude to all Biafrans said it observed that this year’s event had resounding success across Biafraland and all over the world despite all odds and machinations of the enemy.
A statement by the Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful, said it would go down in annals of history as confirmation that IPOB under the leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was exceptionally indefatigable and the dominant force across the entire East not just Igboland.
Powerful said that was a confirmation that the vast majorities of the people were with IPOB and remain committed to its collective pursuit of self determination for all.
“It read in part: ” So, as Asaba, Owerri, Enugu, Igweocha, Aba, Onitsha, and all Biafraland sat at home this 30th May 2018, we are emboldened that, like in South Africa and Kenya, it is only a matter of time before IPOB prevail and lead our people to freedom. It is a duty we owe to the dead, ourselves and to posterity”.
“These were the very first words that, in 1967, brought into being that great nation of Biafra, inspired by the indomitable will of a people to resist evil, to resist genocide, and in defense of liberty.
“It was an epoch in the lives of Biafrans of that generation and like no other place in history, they stood shoulder to shoulder to defend their lives, their land and their freedom. Many paid the supreme sacrifice. So, it lies within our rights and conscience to never forget”.
“Decades after that dark episode in our history, the same evil has again reared its head – maiming, killing and persecuting many Biafrans since 2015.
“So, it is with a solemn commitment to the memory of our fallen heroes; to freedom and self-determination, that we Indigenous People of Biafra ordered this year’s ‘Sit At Home’ in keeping with the edict handed to us by our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“He charged us to always remember the 30th of May each year and to keep it holy by sitting at home in perpetual remembrance of all that fought and died for us”.
“It is pertinent to note that great nationalist struggles throughout human history suffered one setback or the other. So, just as in our own case, we are very much aware of all the attempts from within and without to break the will of our people.
“There were threats, blackmail, military reinforcements, threatened arrests, and a media blitz by the happy slaves among us to scuttle this year’s ‘Sit At Home’.
“But like Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu once said ‘Biafra is of the mind’, so no one can kill or suppress it. How could anyone ever believe that it is possible to prevent us from remembering and honoring our dead, our maimed, our persecuted?
“We appreciate the fact that some governors such as Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Rochas Okorocha, Nyesom Wike, Ifeanyi Okowa, Siriake Dickson, Udom Emmanuel and Ben Ayade did not belittle their office by coming out to act as attack dogs for Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) as Umahi and Obiano did”.
“Buhari’ should take lessons from apartheid-era South Africa which also proscribed and declared the African National Congress of Nelson Mandela a terrorist organisation. He should also remember Jomo Kenyatta’s MAU MAU which the colonial authorities proscribed and declared a terrorist organisation.
“In both countries, freedom and self determination triumphed in the end when both Mandela and Kenyatta emerged from prison and tribulations to lead their countries and people,” Powerful stated.