The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Sunday, cleared the air on setting up a Government in exile.
GBETU had reported that Simon Ekpa, self-acclaimed discipline of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the IPOB leader, announced the setting up of Biafrian Government from exile. But IPOB has distanced Kanu from the said Government in exile.
A statement by IPOB’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, said: “We the global movement and noble family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under Mazi Nnamdi Kanu wish to reiterate once again to Biafrans, friends of Biafra and lovers of freedom across the globe that IPOB led by Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu has not set up any Government In Exile (GIE). We, therefore, dissociate ourselves completely from the purported Government in Exile.
“IPOB has legitimate and well established institutions and well-structured administrative hierarchy that oversees the day- to-day running of Biafra affairs. Already, all Diplomatic Missions and countries of the world know about Biafra agitation and they communicate with IPOB as the responsible authority that overseas the affairs of the Biafran people be it Nationally or Internationally.
“IPOB has international contacts and connections not through any worthless Government In Exile but through our established Institutions and Structures . So, anybody or group peddling or claiming to have set up Government In Exile has again embarked on a jamboree like those who came before them claiming to have formed a government in Exile at one point in time. They simple do not deserve to be given any attention because this is the avenue that the Nigerian government wants to us to water down our agitation for total freedom.”
The group recalled how a former deputy leader suggested such a government to Kanu, but he refused such a move.
“We are not unaware that some dissidents expelled from IPOB, including a former Deputy to our Leader had once suggested this Government In Exile to our Leader, Kanu, but he did not buy into it knowing fully how needless it is at this stage of our struggle.
“But unfortunately, now that our Leader is in detention, these same elements saw it as an opportunity to actualise their selfish ambition by quickly claiming to have set up the non-existent GIE. We know that their ultimate aim is to use it to sell the Biafra struggle to our enemies but they have failed woefully,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the IPOB has announced Chika Edoziem as its new leader on acting capacity.
IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, announced this in a statement on Sunday, stating that Edoziem would be acting pending when its substantive leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who is currently in detention in the Department of State Services facility in Abuja, would regain his freedom.
Kanu was arrested in Kenya by President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government and extraordinarily renditioned to Nigeria over a year ago.
Announcing Edoziem as the interim leader, Powerful said;
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Directorate of State of the Indigenous People of Biafra (DOS) headed by Mazi Chika Edoziem is at the helm of affairs of the Biafra movement. Whenever our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu comes out, he hands over the IPOB structure back to him.
“The DOS gives letters to our people for asylum and every government in the world accepts them and grants asylum to such asylum seekers, and they communicate with IPOB. There is no other government more than that.”
