Aloysius Attah, Onitsha

Members of Movement of Biafrans in Nigeria (MOBIN) and the IPOB Biafra Project have paid deserving homage to the traditional ruler of Onitsha kingdom, Agbogidi Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe.

The pro-Biafra group who paid homage to the Obi of Onitsha along the sidelines of this year’s 17th Ofala festival of the traditional ruler said the 2018 Ofala was most remarkable to them because the Obi of Onitsha personally extended invitation to the their Leader, Emeka Emekesiri, a lawyer who is the Chairman of Movement of Biafrans in Nigeria and Chairman, IPOB Biafra Project.

Emekesiri, who resides in the UK, was represented by the Director-General of the MOBIN, Rita Anigbogu and the Administrator of the Customary Government of Biafra, Engr. Anthony Aniegbue, with many other delegates.

Igwe Achebe was excited to receive the Biafran delegation that paid him homage with an Igbo Cow among other gifts.   In honour of His Royal Majesty, Emeka Emekesiri through a paper presentation informed Achebe that the Biafra project is being handled by professionals and that His Majesty’s call for Regional Government is in line with the Biafra phase 2 project.

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He noted that Igwe Achebe has made the Igbo nation proud so far by his conducts and will always take a pride of place in history even by his boldness to also stand by the restructuring debacle going on in the country presently.

Their words, “We have gathered here today to celebrate and rejoice with a man, not just a man but a King, not just a King but a Treaty King in Africa, Obi of Onitsha, Agbogidi, a man bestowed with the national honour as Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR), who has impacted positively to the lives of millions in the society. We have gathered today at the Ancient Palace of the Obi of Onitsha, not only to celebrate with Agbogidi, but also to learn from him. There are many lessons we can learn from His Royal Majesty but there are two most important lessons I would like to draw our attention to.

“The first is the lesson of respect for our Traditional Institutions and restoring the dignity and honour of our Ancient Thrones. In this era when Royal Fathers in this part of the country are prostrating before politicians, speaking contradictions from the two sides of their mouths to win favour from the government, Obi of Onitsha, Agbogidi, made the Igbo Nation proud by upholding the sacredness and dignity of the Ancient Throne he occupies.

“It was in November 2017 when the Nigerian President,  Muhammadu Buhari visited Anambra State and expected the Obi of Onitsha to leave the Palace and come to the Airport to welcome him! Yet, the President of Nigeria visited the Emir of Kano and other Traditional Rulers in the North and paid homage to them at their Palaces!

“The Obi of Onitsha remained in his Palace waiting for the visitor to come and pay homage but the visitor left Anambra State disappointed that he could not ridicule the Ancient Throne of Igbo Land. Agbogidi has made us proud. All traditional rulers in the Igbo Nation should learn from him and stop disgracing the Igbo Traditional Institutions.

“The second lesson is the call by Obi of Onitsha for the Restructuring of Nigeria into Regional Governments in the exercise of our right to self-determination so that each region would govern itself, thrive independently and develop at its own pace.

“He said that RESTRUCTURING rather than IGBO PRESIDENCY was his concern. This is where I declare him my comrade in the struggle for self-determination by way of devolution of power. He is saying what we are saying in the Biafra Project by legal methodology and political diplomacy. This is the same message of Restructuring by Devolution of Power being preached by Chief  Nnia Nwodo, President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

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“ We are Biafrans by indigenous identity and  we have no intention to destroy Nigeria but to be free to govern ourselves and develop at our own pace just like Scotland governs itself within Britain. The four countries- England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, are autonomous nations governing themselves within Britain. Every REGION should be free within Nigeria to govern itself with its own Regional Parliament, control its resources, pay the agreed tax to the Federal Government and develop at its own pace. This is the best solution to the Nigeria-Biafra conundrum. If this political arrangement could work in Britain, why should it not work.

“This is the Biafra Project which my teammates and I represent and advocate for in the present dispensation. We have created the structures on the ground for self-determination by legal methodology. We have gathered the remnants of the Biafrans together by the use of Customary Law. We run our Customary Government under our Council of Elders and hold our Town Hall meetings every month in all parts of Biafraland.

“We participate fully in the Nigerian politics and have our political movement called Movement of Biafrans in Nigeria (MOBIN). We therefore use this SPECIAL occasion of Ofala Festival to invite all lovers of freedom to join our self-determination movement anchored upon the rule of law and political diplomacy

“I appreciate this Special Invitation by Agbogidi to participate in the Ofala Festival and do hereby present an Igbo Cow (EFI IGBO) with the condiments to His Royal Majesty, the Obi of Onitsha. The Igbo Cow is symbolic. The Igbo herdsmen rearing Igbo cows do not carry AK47. Let us patronize our own instead of contributing money to the Fulani herdsmen to buy more bullets. I pray the Almighty God who has placed Agbogidi on the Throne to continue to protect him, guide him, increase his wisdom, power, knowledge and understanding, and renew his strength and health from year to year. May the King live forever” The message concluded.