Simon Ekpa, a popular pro-Biafra agitator, has sent a powerful message to southeast governors, politicians, cultural, religious, and business elites, as well as the Ohaneze Ndigbo led by Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyawu.
In a statement issued on Monday, Ekpa, the Finland lawyer and Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile, reminded the leaders of the southeast region that President Muhammadu Buhari’s federal government is holding not only Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra but also the Igbo nation’s economic and political life.
See full statement:
“We wish to remind the Old Eastern Region (Biafra) elites that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra and a Prince of Igboland, is still in captivity against the ruling of all courts in Nigeria. Do you people think that only Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is in captivity? Have a rethink.
“Ninety – Five per cent (95%) of the resources that fuel Nigeria’s economy today comes from the Old Eastern Region, so why is it that the Old Eastern Region is the most impoverished and least developed of all the regions in Nigeria? Why are there no functional seaports in the entire Eastern Region?
“Easterners are systematically discriminated against all over Nigeria. Currently, their businesses are targets for sponsored terrorists, haters and political bandits. The elites have left the Eastern Region unattended. Being in the East and doing meaningful, profitable business is extremely difficult due to high overhead costs resulting from systemic discrimination. Easterners dominate import and export trade throughout Nigeria. However, their seaports are willfully shut down.
“Why are the Calabar, Port-Harcourt and Onne seaports closed? What stops the dredging of Azummiri, Oguta Lake, Urashi River, Oseakwa?
“River and the tributary rivers in Eastern Nigeria from being dredged and channeled to the Atlantic Ocean, thereby creating multiple seaports in Eastern Nigeria?
“Furthermore, none of the airports in the Old Eastern Region can be internationally connected directly. Who are the most international travellers from Nigeria? Easterners are the most internationally travelled people in Nigeria, many of whom are Eastern elites. Why are Eastern Elites turning a blind eye to this wanton discrimination? What are Eastern elites doing to the future of their children and future generations? Your present actions, or lack thereof, will determine your story for posterity.
“No good highways connect parts of the Eastern Region and the rest of Nigeria. The Eastern Region has neither running water, electricity, nor functional hospitals.
“One of Igbo’s illustrious sons recently received a jail sentence of ten (10) years in Britain after over two (2) decades in public service, supposedly representing his people in Nigeria. He was arrested in Britain, while seeking medical attention for his daughter, who needs a kidney transplant. Ironically, he never built or influenced the building of a standard hospital in his community to take care of his constituents. He is just an example of many elites who neglect their communities and/or constituents but travel abroad for medical treatment. However, their impoverished constituents suffer from a lack of medical attention.
“People of the Eastern Region are continuously suffering, taunted, traumatized and victimized inside One-Nigeria. What are the Eastern elites doing about it?
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu highlighted to you the need to fix the Old Eastern Region (Biafra) because we are one people. He said that if ‘the powers that be in Nigeria are the reason why you all seem powerless and clueless on how to improve the lives of your people, then the Eastern Region (Biafra) should exit from Nigeria through a peaceful and bloodless referendum, supervised by the United Nations. Your response was, “Onwe ka asi eme ya.” Eastern elites, kedu ka esi eme ya?
“Your Illustrious Son, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who did nothing wrong according to any law known to man, was kidnapped, extraordinarily renditioned to Nigeria, mocked and thrown into captivity. After several trials by Nigerian courts, he was vindicated and absolved of any wrongdoing. As I write, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is still in captivity, and you all continue to maintain a deafening conspiratory silence. Why?
“A case was made at the ECOWAS Court for the Biafra referendum and justice for the killing of your children by Nigerian forces in Operation Python Dance 1 & 2. We want to know the status of the case. A case was made at the same court for Fulani terrorist groups of different persuasion. The same ECOWAS court awarded them billions of naira to stop committing violence in Nigeria. What compensation did your children receive after being slaughtered in droves by the Nigerian State?
“Let this letter serve as a call and demand that you, the Old Eastern Region elites of all dispositions and persuasion, must rally round and organize yourselves for the immediate release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. It is incumbent on you to bring out the innocent illustrious son of Biafraland, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from captivity. It would help if you also freed all.
“Biafran activists are locked away in several dungeons in Nigeria. No Fulani terrorist is in jail in Nigeria, so why should your own children be perpetually detained without due process? Use your allocations, both state and federal, to address the infrastructural decay and lack so that your children can come back home and do their businesses with dignity and not be taunted, harassed and killed by people who are more intelligent and progressive than.
“We are extending an arm of cooperation to you to address these issues. We expect that you take this hand of cooperation extended to you and run with it to solve the above mentioned issues. If you do not, it will not be business as usual”.