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The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)’s plan to hold talks with the Federal Government about a referendum has been criticised by several Igbo leaders.
Recall that IPOB had stated its desire to talk with the Bola Tinubu administration regarding the peaceful secession of Biafra from Nigeria through a UN-monitored referendum.
According to IPOB, the nonviolent and lawful campaign for Biafra independence began in 2012.
However, the group asserted that the federal government has kept harassing its members.
IPOB Members Should Get Their Voters Card For Referendum In The Future – Ohanaeze
“IPOB is ready to meet with the Nigeria government any day they are ready for negotiations on the Biafra referendum,” Emma Powerful, the group’s spokesperson, had said.
Though leaders said that no sane Igbo would want the Southeast to leave Nigeria, they pushed on political discussion to quell the agitations of various Southeast groups, notably IPOB.
Among the leaders are Chief Abia Onyike, a former information commissioner for the Ebonyi State, and Goodluck Ibem, president-general of the Coalition of Southeast Youth Leaders (COSEYL). Williams Iheakolam, an elder statesman and representative of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, is a political analyst.
The Federal Government must immediately engage in discourse with all ethnic nationalities in the nation to build a path ahead, according to Chief Onyike, the Alaigbo Development Foundation’s (ADF) acting secretary-general.
Nnamdi Kanu to Buhari: Allow Peaceful Referendum Now or…
He said: “That (referendum) has always been the view of IPOB, but does the Nigerian Government believe in such (referendum)? The answer is no.
“The problem now is that the right-wing coalition ruling Nigeria does not believe in negotiating with groups agitating for self-determination.
“Nigerian rulers should engage the Igbo and others seeking self-actualisation in dialogue since they have continued to show them that they are second-class citizens in the Nigerian federation.
”There should be a reconstitution of the Nigerian state. We should go away from this monolithic federation for regional autonomy, as was the case in 1960-1966. The present situation is too oppressive and suffocating.”
COSEYL President Ibem said that “it is the way Igbo are maltreated that gave rise to agitation.
”If the resources and political positions in the country are evenly spread, nobody sane person would wish to exit Nigeria.
”It is because of injustice and unfair treatment that is the bane of separatist struggle all over the world. If things are done well everybody will be happy and feel part of the nation.”
