The Leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu says the Igbo are the reason Nigeria has survived till date.
He stated this in a Sunday broadcast on Radio Biafra. IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful provided the text of the broadcast to journalists.
Kanu said that contrary to beliefs, the agitation for Biafra is not to control the oil in the Niger Delta or dominate any other ethnic nationality.
“Contrary to unfounded misconceptions in some quarters, Ndigbo are not greedy or domineering but very accommodating and forbearing.
“They are easy-going and enterprising people whose successes in life have rather earned them envy and jealousy instead of the admiration and applause of their neighbours.
“The fact remains that Igbo are loving, accommodating, peaceful and enterprising people. They are the reason Nigeria has survived till date.
“The thinking therefore, that we are after Biafra so that the Igbo can dominate other ethnic nationalities in the new Republic and ultimately claim their oil deposits is uncalled for.
“Such unnecessary fear and warped opinion should be discarded as they are unfounded and only a propaganda tool of those who want to perpetually pin us down in the British bondage called Nigeria.
“Igbo have enough crude oil and other mineral deposits to sustain her people as a country but the quest for Biafra is for the freedom and overall interest of all the ethnic nationalities involved,” Kanu stated.
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The IPOB leader added, “There are those who out of ignorance or mischief, or both, constantly and divisively refer to a portion of Biafraland as oil-rich Niger Delta to be excised from the rest of Biafra for the benefit of One Nigeria.
“Some of these people with such warped mentality especially newscasters, commentators, newspaper columnists or opinion writers, as well as some pipeline guards from the lugubrious region.
“They often claim the yearning for Biafra has something to do with Igbos taking over their oil or “Oyel” as they prefer to call it. What a shame! How ignorant people who share such unfounded opinion could be!
“These propagandists and mischief makers tend to forget that every square inch of Igboland is full of oil, gas and highly -sought- after precious minerals including rare earth.
“Igboland is the only place on the planet where coal, oil, gas and highly- sought-after minerals occur side by side, but has the largest oil field in West Africa located in Nsukka, in Enugu State.”