A foremost
Niger Delta leader and convener of Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin
Clark, has called for the arrest of the leader of the Indigenous People of
Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
The foremost
Ijaw leader, while admitting and outlining areas where Igbos are being
marginalised by the current administration, called for the arrest and detention
of the IPOB leader for declaring that there will be no election in Anambra
state.
The
governorship election in Anambra State has been scheduled for November 18.
But Kanu has
insisted that no election would take place in the state until the government
holds a referendum to determine if the south-east wants to remain a part of
Nigeria.
However, in
an interview with Vanguard, the elder statesman said Kanu did not know the
implications of his demand for an independent state of Biafra.
His words:
“I think Nigeria is one country, we cannot break up. My advice to those beating
the drum of secession is to take it easy. The war of 1967 to 1970 claimed so
many lives and property, made some Nigerians to almost become second class
citizens in their own country.”
“These boys
who are going around, and led by Nnamdi Kanu, some of them were not born at
that time, and if they were born, they were very little children. I agree that
President Buhari’s government has marginalised them.
“Okay. What
of former President Jonathan’s government? I think the Igbo played a leading
role in former President Jonathan’s government; they had every chance, every
opportunity to develop their area. But some of them were selfish. The secretary
to the government was an Igbo man.
“At a time,
the chief of army staff was an Igbo man; the Igbo occupied very important
positions in former President Jonathan’s government, so they couldn’t have said
they were marginalised. Rather it was the Yoruba who were crying that they were
being marginalised. And towards the end of Jonathan’s government, he decided to
give them so many posts because we all belong to one country called Nigeria.
“So, these
boys should be told the history of Nigeria from independence to let them know
that the Igbo were not marginalised in the past, especially in the First
Republic and, in fact, their kinsman, Ironsi, was head of state.
“Rather we
the minorities have always cried of marginalisation and not the three major
ethnic groups until 1966 when the coup of the young majors changed the face of
Nigeria and the Igbo suffered in the war that followed, but the era is gone.
“And they
won’t say that during Shagari’s time in the second republic the Igbo suffered
because an Igbo man, Dr Alex Ekwueme, was the vice president. If the Igbo are
marginalised, they are being marginalised by the present administration and I
am one of those who support them in their cries against marginalisation, but
secession is not the answer.
“There is
nowhere that youths will take over the administration of a place and it is very
irresponsible for Kanu to say there will be no election in Anambra state in
November. He should be arrested and detained. There is a limit to their
agitation and I am happy that the president-general of Ohaneze Ndigbo has
condemned them.”
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