Standup9ja: Igala dissociate self from Biafra agitation
The Igala Social-Cultural Groups on Wednesday dissociated the
Igala nation of Kogi State from having any part with the Biafra agitators
calling for secession in the country.
Spokesman of the group, Mr Barry Moses Idakwo at a news
conference yesterday in Lokoja expressed anger over the inclusion of the Igala
nation in the map of the Republic of Biafra being agitated for by the
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and others.
The group lamented that it was an attempt to balkanise the
ancient Igala nation, stressing that Nigeria is a democratic country where any
Nigerian should be allowed to live peacefully and secured as prescribed by laws
without any fear of intimidation.
"The agitators for Biafra have marginalisation as the
main plan for their grievances. It is therefore unthinkable to annex the Igala
kingdom without consulting us. This is against the spirit of fairness,
sovereignty, equity, peaceful cohabitation and democracy to falsely claimed
that Igala kingdom which was never defeated in any war as part of Biafra,"
he said.
He said that the Igala ethnic nationality holds the unity,
oneness and indivisibility of Nigeria as sacrosanct.
"We urge our Igbo brothers to engage the Nigeria nation
more purposefully for quality governance rather than agitations for separatist
state,
"We, as a people in middle belt crave for peace at all
times because when war breaks out, we will be at the receiving end the theatre
of war. The last civil war holds wars very unpleasant testimonies," Idakwo
said.
The group decried the minimal federal presence in Igala
kingdom in terms of infrastructure and appealed to the federal government to
continue work on the construction of the Bagana-Guto bridge which link its
people the FCT, South-east and South-South.
Idakwo said there was urgent need to swear in Professor
Stephen Ikani Ocheni as a substantial Minister of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria having passed through screening at the National Assembly.
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