Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, the apex Igbo-socio-cultural group and the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB have separately slammed President Muhammadu Buhari over his calls on the international community to designate the separatist group as a terrorist organisation.
Buhari had in an interview with an American newspaper Bloomberg accused IPOB of pipeline vandalism and terrorism which has caused a decline in Nigeria’s oil production output.
He further called on the international community to designate the group as a terrorist group.
But reacting in a statement on Wednesday titled, “IPOB as a product of injustice”, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, the publicity secretary of Ohanaeze said what IPOB was asking for is simply “treat us as partners in the Nigerian project or allow us to go.”
“It is most expedient to enlighten the general public that what IPOB is asking for is the parting words of a Nigerian titan, the Maitama Sule imperatives, to President Buhari when he led the Northern Leaders Forum to congratulate him shortly after his victory in the 2015 general elections,” the statement read in part
“What I think IPOB is asking for is very clear: treat us as partners in the Nigerian project or allow us to go.
“On the other hand, how can one explain the obvious lopsidedness in the appointment of military and paramilitary personnel to head the following organisations with little or no consideration for the people of the South-East region; Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Security, National Intelligence Agency, Nigeria Correctional Service, Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigeria Customs Service; and several others.
“On the other hand, as Maitama Sule predicted the orchestrated alienation of the South-East region from the centre of power was the cause of the agitation in the region.
“The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, led by Ambassador Professor George Obiozor, has repeatedly stated that a people denied justice may not have interest in peace.
“The request by Mr President to the West is almost unachievable because the West watches with keen interest and utter resignation the pathetic governance paradigm in the country. For the avoidance of doubt, democracy all over the world requires justice, equity, mutual toleration and institutional forbearance, all of which are in short supply in the country today.”
Also reacting to the interview, IPOB lashed out at the President for alleging that the group was responsible for pipelines and public facilities’ vandalism in the country.
IPOB said that Buhari has further shown the world his ignorance when he stated that oil facilities, located on the coast of the Niger Delta, were vandalised by IPOB.
IPOB’s Director of Media and Publicity, Emma Powerful, in a statement, described the allegation as laughable and childish.
“The President should tell America and other Western countries the locations of pipelines IPOB vandalised. The allegation against IPOB by Buhari is childish because everybody knows that IPOB does not engage in pipeline vandalism. Even the international community knows that IPOB is not involved in such acts.
“Going to Bloomberg news and parroting falsehoods against IPOB won’t save him and his co-travellers from being prosecuted in the International Criminal Court at the appropriate time.”
