The original founders of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have issued a statement addressing General Yakubu Gowon, the leader of Nigeria’s former military junta who oversaw the country during the civil war.
They accused Gowon of being the originator and catalyst of the unrest that resulted in the deaths of more than three million Biafrans.
In a recent interview commemorating his 90th birthday, General Yakubu Gowon attributed the attempts by the Southeast to secede from Nigeria as a key factor leading to the tragic events he oversaw during the civil war.
He stated that this bid for independence was a significant contributor to the massacre of over three million people from Eastern Nigeria between 1967 and 1970.
Gowon’s comments reflect his perspective on the historical conflict and its devastating consequences for the region.
Responding to Gowon’s interview, the original founder and vision bearer of the original IPOB, before it was hijacked, Dr. Emeka Emekesiri said, “I have always said that if there’s no secession, there wouldn’t be a breakout and there wouldn’t be a question of civil war because it got to the stage that the situation was getting pretty clear that a part of the country, the South-east wanted to secede.
“I read General Gowon’s speech where he decided to hide the truth about the real cause of the war between Nigeria and Biafra. He is labouring in vain to wash and launder his image dainted by the atrocities he and his Nigerian soldiers committed against the Biafrans. He has told us that he was sick after the meeting at Aburi in Ghana and could not make announcement of the Agreement reached between Nigeria and Biafra about confederation or regional autonomy so that every region would govern itself and develop at its own pace.
“Gowon said he did not prepare very well for the meeting and did not go with his secretary. He came back from Ghana and became sick because Odumegwu Ojukwu went to the meeting fully prepared and presented a superior argument on Regional Government. It is General Gowon’s failure to implement this agreement for confederation that caused the war.
“General Gowon, with due respect, I want to address you as an Elder. You are 90 and do not know when you will depart from this world to face your maker. We expect you to say the truth.
“Confederation is not secession. The East accepted the Confederation Agreement but you turned around and violated the Agreement.
“Confederation is not secession but a union of self-governing regions just like we have in the UK with four nations in one country.
“If Britain could become a Great Britain with four nations called Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales, Nigeria can also become a Great Nigeria with six nations created from the existing six geopolitical Regions. This is what the Nigerians want now.
“This is why MOBIN (Movement of Biafrans In Nigeria) submitted the Memorandum to the National Assembly to restructure Nigeria into six Regional Governments so that every region will govern itself and develop at its own pace. You confirmed what Ken Saro Wiwa said in his book that he and Chief Biriye and other Chiefs visited you and said they would not go with the Igbo people in the same Region. Therefore, you created Rivers State and Cross River State for them to stop Biafra.
“We applaud your master stroke to divide the Eastern Region with political weapon of state creation. Well, now Rivers State and Cross River State are in a different region called South South Region which goes by the name of Niger Delta Region.
“They are also suffering injustice, maltreatment, and marginalization just like the South East. They want to be free in their own land to control their resources.
“For peace to reign in Nigeria, the country must be restructured to Regional Government.”
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