Soludo, ABC Nwosu, Fr. Kukah, others to review Biafra agitation
The struggle for the actualisation of Biafra, spanning 49 years now will be on review on Thursday, as the former Governor of Central Bank, Professor Charles Soludo, Reverend Father Hassan Mathew Kukah, Mallam Nasir el’Rufai lead talks on how to reposition the politics of the South-East now and for the future, at a book Launch in Abuja.
The book launch scheduled to hold at the Yar’Adua Center, Abuja will have in attendance a mixed crowd of academic egg-heads and politicians assigned to review the Biafran struggles and the Igbo politics with focus on the future.
The book being launched titled “The Politics of Biafra and the Future of Nigeria” is authored by a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon Chudi Offodile.
The event is also expected to draw participants from the private and public sectors while members of the National Assembly are expected to be part of the talk.
Professor Ikechukwu Maduibike, Festus Odimegwu, Professor ABC Nwosu, former Minister of Health, Chief Osita Chidoka, former Aviation Minister and other prominent Igbo in the academic world are to assist in dissecting the politics of Igbo vis-à-vis the clamour for Biafra.
The struggle for actualisation of Biafra has intensified over the past one year amid efforts to main stream the agitation and internationalised it with the formation of Independent People of Biafra (IPOB).
IPOB members had staged protests in some states of the south-east and south-south most recently on alleged marginalisation of the Igbo in national politics most especially under the present government of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Offodile, the author, said he got the inspiration to write the book against the backdrop of erroneous impressions by many in and outside Nigeria that the entire Igbo nation has inclination for secession.
He said contrary to a general impression, Igbo are nationalistic by nature and have always been eager to ensure the survival of Nigeria more than any other ethnic groups in Nigeria.
He said the spread of the Igbo to all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria is an attestation that majority of them believe in the unity and oneness of Nigeria and hence would never seek for break-up of the country as generally believed.
Offodile, a graduate of Law from the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus got elected into the House of Representatives in 1999 and had served as the Chairman House Committees on Joint Ventures Oil Operations and Public Petitions between 2001-2005.
He was also a Member of Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) between 2002 and 2005.
