Former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu has accused the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of running the interest of some politicians and despising good counsel.
Kalu while reacting to statements by the Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful and lawyer to the IPOB leader, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, said he acted in the interest of the safety of Igbo people living in the North, noting that it was laughable when people tried to link his actions with corruption charges levelled against him since 2007.
According to Kalu, Nigerians knew him before the charges, the genesis of the allegations and how they were targeted to destroy him politically.
He, however, said since the case was before a court of competent jurisdiction, he would refrain from making further statements on it.
But on the diatribe by the proscribed group, Kalu said: “I had wished the IPOB were more civil to monitor their utterances, and not take up a duty of attacking my personality and leaving the issue I raised.”
He added: “I believe everyone has right priorities and knows what really matter. For instance, our Igbo brothers are safe in the North and our minds are settled over their property, and that’s what matters. Dancing to the beats of a popular drum isn’t top of my list. These boys hurling abuses and insults on everyone that stands against division are simply ignorant. I forgive them,” Kalu stated
To buttress the fact that his various interventions were in the interest of Igbo, Kalu added that Biafra’s agitation was an issue that concerned a lot of people and keeping silent in the face of its dangerous consequence would amount to wickedness and disregard for safety of lives of the Igbo people.
Reflecting on how he had in the past helped the interest of IPOB and its members, Kalu recalled that during Nnamdi Kanu’s long detention, he was the first Igbo leader to pay him a visit in Kuje. In addition, he facilitated the release of the members and also intervened in their interest with the authorities.
Kalu advised IPOB not to forget their lines so quickly, revealing that through his intervention in the past, many detained IPOB members were bailed.
“I wonder how IPOB easily forgot their lines. They have had many of their detained members bailed through my intervention. Would it be appropriate for even somebody like Emma Powerful to heap unprintable insults and accusations on me? I bailed him out when he was detained.
“When Nnamdi was in prison, I was the first to visit him, opening doors for others to do same. I did that because he is my brother. Although he showed a lot of appreciations during the visit but he still maintained his grounds on Biafra. For the sake of posterity, I have made my stand clear. In a restructured Nigeria, Igbo people would be better off. We got it wrong in 1967 and we need to get it right now, else we get it wrong again,” Kalu warned in the statement.
He said the activities of IPOB should be carried out with civility and respect, adding that the lives of Igbo people should be made a priority.
IPOB’s statement on Kanu’s whereabouts was an offshoot of an interview he granted a national newspaper.
But the former governor said it was pathetic that most Nigerians were interested in sensational headlines and care less about details.