The Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) has said that first president of Nigeria, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe caused the problem of Igbo land by being “patriotic to a fault”.
This was made known in a statement released by the spokesman, Emma Powerful, on Thursday.
According to him, the policies of the late Azikiwe “brought untold shame, misery and consumed over three million Biafran lives and still doing so till today.”
IPOB said that Azikiwe should have behaved like his contemporaries, saying that Igboland would have been an independent nation if Azikiwe had done so.
The group also apologised for an attack on Igbo leaders in a rally it held in Enugu on Tuesday.
The statement read in part, “The leadership and family members of the Indigenous People of Biafra worldwide wish to clarify the events that took place at Eastern Consultative Assembly gathering in Enugu on Tuesday.
“It’s is regrettable and unfortunate under the circumstance because it happened in the presence of the two most distinguished and respected elder statesmen we have in Prof. Ben Nwabueze and Chief Mbazuluike Amechi.
“For this, we respectfully and unreservedly apologise to both elders and the leadership of ECA for how the ceremony came to an end.
“Regardless of who was involved, we are all indigenous persons from Biafra. So, we view and have always viewed our highly regarded elders like Prof. Ben Nwabueze and Chief Mbazuluike Amechi as our own.
” What transpired at the said gathering was not a protest against them or ECA, but an indication of the level of loathing, anger and resentment against everything Nigeria among right thinking indigenous persons from the East.
“It should not be forgotten that the said event was going smoothly but for the occasional boos that accompanied any mention of Nigeria.
“Chief Mbazuluike Amechi was cheered to the rafters after his speech, though this aspect has received little or no press coverage.
“What precipitated the collapse of the event was the announcement of an award for Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, who is seen by all as the sole architect of the monstrous One Nigeria project that have brought untold shame, misery and consumed over three million Biafran lives and still doing so till today.”