We’ve No Hand In The Emergence Of RE-IPOB – OHANAEZE YOUTHS
OHANEZE Youth Council, OYC was reportedly said to have washed its hands off the crisis rocking the pro-Biafra group, Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, which led to the emergence of a splinter group, RE-IPOB.
This came at a time the chancellor of the Eastern Mandate Union, EMU, Dr Arthur Nwankwo, also dissociated himself from the Reformed Indigenous People of Biafra, RE-IPOB, the breakaway faction of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB and his nomination as one of the old Eastern Region eminent persons to negotiate with the Federal Government on Biafra. OYC said that neither the entire body nor its President General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro has any hand in the crisis rocking the pro-Biafra group.
The Indigenous People of Biafra on a Peaceful Protest over the Arrest of the Director of Radio Biafra yesterday along Ikwerre road in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke The Indigenous People of Biafra on a Peaceful Protest over the Arrest of the Director of Radio Biafra yesterday along Ikwerre road in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke
“The attention of the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth council worldwide is drawn to a publication in some media which claimed that the National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth council worldwide, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro is behind the break away faction of IPOB called TRIPOB.
“This is a naked lie. Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth council worldwide has nothing to do with TRIPOB neither is it involved in the crisis rocking IPOB. We warned one Elliot Uko and the spokesperson of IPOB Clifford Iroanya to stop blackmailing the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth council worldwide or we will declare them enemies of Igbo.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth council worldwide is the apex Igbo Youth body and does not involve itself in any pro-Biafra agitation and is not mobilizing for anybody including President Buhari on October 1, 2016, but will be at the forefront of calling for the release of all Biafran detainees. “We believe in restructuring of the country according to 2014 Constitutional conference and call on President Buhari to look into it. We advise IPOB to please, not involve Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth council worldwide in their propaganda”,
OYC said in a statement signed by Mazi Okemiri Alex, chairman of all the chairmen of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth wing.” Count me out of RE-IPOB—Nwankwo In a four-paragraph statement, Dr Nwankwo, who restated his clamour for the restructuring of the country, said the association of his name to RE-IPOB is scandalous and unacceptable.
Reacting to media reports in which RE-IPOB mentioned him as one of the eminent Igbo personalities to negotiate with the Federal Government, he said: ‘’The statement credited to an amorphous breakaway group from the IPOB called RE-IPOB, gave the impression that I am in league with it.” I consider the association of my name to this type of self-serving group absolutely scandalous, ridiculous and totally unacceptable.
I have nothing whatsoever to do with the group or any other group for that matter. ‘’My position on the state of Nigeria is not ambiguous. I have relentlessly canvassed a thorough-going restructuring of this country; where all the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria would come to a round table to negotiate their existence. ‘’The Igbo nation has not mandated any person or group to negotiate for it. I therefore dissociate myself completely from RE-IPOB and demand an immediate retraction of my name from their press release to avoid unpleasant consequences.’’
