We’ll never forget Biafra, Ikedife tells Buhari

Former President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Dr. Dozie Ikedife, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to perish the thought if he thinks that the Igbo will forget Biafra in a hurry.

Ikedife who spoke with journalists, on Tiesday, in Nnewi, said that nothing will make Igbos to forget what they went through during the 30 months war in the hands of the Nigerian government.

The Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, said efforts to reintegrate Igbos into the country has since after the war been neglected by successive government, despite the declaration of no victor, no vanquished by the federal government.

His words, “How can we forget Biafra when the life of every Igbo man was reduced to be worth only 20 pounds, and some of us recused to collect out own till date. How can we forget Biafra when the reconciliation, rehabilitation and reintegration was declared after the war and the forth step was to go to Lagos and rebuild the third mainland bridge.

“How can we forget Biafra when uptill this day the Onitsha bridge has not been constructed. How can we forget Biafra when for 30months our territory was landlocked and we watched our children die of starvation. Tell us how we can forget Biafra? Tell President Buhari that we will never forget Biafra. Never!”. Ikedife cried.

He added that even if all the people that experienced the war died, Biafra will never be forgoten as the story will always be told from generation to generation. He said the comment credited to President Buhari for igbos to forget Biafra was a rather unfortunate one.

Speaking on last Saturday’s sit-at-home other declared by the IPOB youth wing, Ikedife described it as a huge success, saying that the people of the area obeyed the order, not for fear of being molested, but to express their genuine quest and demand for self determination.

Clearing the Air on the accusations continually levelled against the elders council of IPOB as having received bribe from the Buhari administration to jettison the struggle and also abandon Nnamdi Kanu in prison, Ikedife said, “bribe me with what? What can the federal government bribe me with at this age; is it money, appointment, what?”

He insisted that having personally experienced the civil war, he is determined not to witness it again, and has consistently advised the youth wing of the IPOB against preaching war or using vulgar language in addressing the president, and that it is the reason he and his fellow elders have been labelled as sellouts.

Ikedife insisted that the Igbo people of Nigeria has a right to self determination and will continue to push for it, using non violent means for its actualisation.