Biafra: The British Government Recognises The Original IPOB
IPOB
…Accepts Its Memorandum To Resolve The Dispute Between Biafra And Nigeria
1. Introduction:
Pursuant to the action instituted by the original IPOB in the Suit No FHC/EN/CS/103/2019 against the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Attorney General of the Federation, Gen Yakubu Gowon and Gen Olusegun Obasanjo, we have received numerous messages from Biafrans and lovers of Biafra all over the world expressing joy that the original IPOB of the Elders is still alive and pursuing the original vision of self-determination with the judicial, political and diplomatic strategies devoid of false propaganda.
Their only regret is that the media failed to promote the activities of the original IPOB which would have helped our people to understand the movement properly and to know that the Nnamdi Kanu’s faction of IPOB is not the original IPOB. The reason for this lack of information is that the media people wanted sensational and confrontational news that would create market for their newspapers. The Federal Government knows the truth and respects the original IPOB of the Elders because the Government sent its Officers to interview the members of the Supreme Council of Elders of Indigenous People of Biafra.
2. We are happy to reveal and announce that by a letter dated 04 May 2018 with Reference No. MIN/118568/2018, signed by the Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP (who is now the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain), the British Government accepted the Memorandum submitted by the original IPOB to solve the problem between Biafra and Nigeria. In Paragraph 3 of the said letter, Boris Johnson MP stated as follows: “The UK welcomes the determination expressed in the Memorandum from the Indigenous People of Biafra to work to resolve any grievances peacefully. We continue to underline the importance of acting in accordance with the rule of law with all parties, including the Nigerian Government”.
The weight of this response lies in the first line, “THE UK WELCOMES THE DETERMINATION EXPRESSED IN THE MEMORANDUM FROM THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF BIAFRA”. From the legal point of view, the British Government by this letter has recognised and accepted not only the Memorandum but also the Indigenous People of Biafra who submitted it as a party in the dispute and the Nigerian Government as the other party. Discussion continues on the implementation of the contents of the Memorandum.
3. In our previous message, we made it clear that the original IPOB founded under the Elders is not proscribed by the Federal Government of Nigeria and has been in Court with Nigeria since 2012. A proscribed organization lacks the legal capacity to sue or be sued because it does not exist in the eyes of law. We confirm that what is proscribed by the Nigerian Government is the faction of IPOB led by Mr Nnamdi Kanu who was ostracised and excommunicated by the Supreme Council of Elders of Indigenous People of Biafra in 2014 for the offences he committed against the Biafran Elders and against the Biafran Struggle.
We are laying this emphasis to make the difference clear following the statement made recently by the Abia State Commissioner of Police, CP Ene Okon, that they would treat anyone associated with IPOB as a terrorist. He made this statement because the Proscription Order against Nnamdi Kanu’s faction of IPOB has not been revoked or set aside by any Court.
4. We want to allay the fears of all the Biafran activists who belong to the original IPOB of the Elders. They are the claimants in the ongoing case between Biafra and Nigeria in the Suit No FHC/EN/CS/103/2019. They are not affected by the Police Order or the Proscription Order. The members of the original IPOB operate under the Nigerian Legal System and run their Customary Government under Customary Law as recognised by the Nigerian Constituiton.
Their Customary Government is created and activated by the Legal Instrument, Deed Poll of Customary Governance, registered as No SDR/4720/ABSG under the Nigerian Law. All the Biafran activists under the original IPOB being the claimants in this case are protected by judicial immunity and cannot be arrested, molested, detained, harassed or intimidated by the Police. The next date for the hearing of the case between Biafra and Nigeria is 2nd October 2019 at the Federal High Court Enugu.
5. We consider it necessary now to reveal that the original IPOB has been communicating and interacting with the Governments of various countries in the international community since 2013 and has received many good responses. We have been in communication with the United Nations, the African Union, and Governments of the USA, Britain, Israel, France, Germany, Australia, etc. We have a human rights organization called Bilie Human Rights Initiative by which we obtained the United Nations ECOSOC status in 2015 and granted three seats in New York, Geneva and Vienna. We have sent some of our members to the UN meetings on various issues. We also have our political movement called Movement of Biafrans in Nigeria (MOBIN) which plays politics in the interest of Biafra. MOBIN is well known in the Nigerian politics. All the Governments of the countries of the world including the Nigerian Government know the difference between the original IPOB of the Elders and Nnamdi Kanu’s faction. They are not deceived by the false propaganda on the social media. They have well trained Intelligence Network of experts.
6. Specifically, last year (2018), the original IPOB had several meetings with some MPs of the British Parliament who advised us to submit the Memorandum to the British Government showing details of our proposals and the best solutions to the Biafra-Nigeria conundrum. These meetings were held with some of the Members of the British Parliament without noise-making in which we submitted the Memorandum dated 13 February 2018 by the authority of the Supreme Council of Elders of Indigenous People of Biafra. For the sake of history and posterity, it is necessary for us to mention that we submitted the Biafran Memorandum through the Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP of the House of Commons in London. The British Government delayed in responding to us until after they had carried out due diligent enquiries and interviewed the Elders of Biafraland to confirm the authenticity of the Memorandum.
7. To understand the matter properly, you need to read and study the Biafran Memorandum dated 13 February 2018 which the British Prime Minister referred to. This document was published on many Biafran Social Media platforms and given to many Biafran leaders. In a nutshell, the Biafra Memorandum proffers a solution to the Biafra-Nigeria conundrum by restructuring Nigeria into six autonomous self-governing regions in accordance with the existing six geopolitical regions in Nigeria just like the United Kingdom is structured into four autonomous self-governing regions. This letter from the British Government signed by Boris Johnson MP is filed as Exhibit BF23 in the ongoing case between Biafra and Nigeria in Suit No FHC/EN/CS/103/2019 in the Federal High Court Enugu. We cannot say more about it to avoid violating the rule of subjudice.
8. We can however confirm that our Prayer No 7 in the Originating Summons is as follows: “An Order affirming the Memorandum of Ohanaeze Ndigbo dated 28th June 2012 submitted to the National Assembly for the restructuring of Nigeria into six autonomous self-governing regions, namely: South East, South West, South South, North East, North West and North Central, as a manifestation of the Will of the People in the exercise of their right to self-determination and compelling the Defendants to present an Executive Bill to the National Assembly for a law granting autonomy and self-governing status to the six geopolitical regions in Nigeria; OR IN THE ALTERNATIVE, in the role of the Judiciary as the last hope of the common man, an Order directing the Defendants to present an Executive Bill to the National Assembly for a law dissolving Nigeria in peace along the compatible ethnic groups instead of allowing the country to break up in bloodshed”. This is in line with the gospel of restructuring to regional autonomy being championed in Nigeria by the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Barr John Nnia Nwodo, who has led the leaders of four regions to the National Assembly to demand for regional autonomy.
9. We appreciate the hunger and desire of many Biafrans for outright independence from Nigeria instead of asking for autonomous regional government. Some have accused us and labelled us as “agents of the zoo” and “saboteurs” and “traitors” due to their ignorance. We assert that the Biafra Question is an international matter because many countries of the world have interests and investments in Nigeria and will certainly be concerned with whatever happens in Nigeria. They must be consulted and their positions ascertained. Also, the Biafrans living in the Northern and Western Nigeria with multi billion naira investments must be consulted and their positions ascertained. They have been advised to start moving and relocating their investments to the East under the “Aku Ruo Ulo” initiative but this will be done over a period of time. Strategic and long-term planning is required for outright independence.
10. We have carried out the Feasibility and Viability Studies of the Biafra Project and considered all the factors both at the national and international levels. I am not only a Lawyer but also a Project Appraiser and Valuation Scientist trained in the University of Nigeria Enugu Campus with 35 years’ experience. I speak with authority on this issue that the Biafra Independence Project can only be achieved in Phases. The feasible and viable option in this Phase is the Regional Autonomy. The details of the devolution of power shall be negotiated by the leaders of the various regions.
11. We request all the Biafran activists who believe in the due process of self-determination to visit the website of the Customary Government of Indigenous People of Biafra at www.ipobgovernment.org and register their names in the Biafra Database and join the Struggle. Those who are not able to access the website from Nigeria should send an email to [email protected] for assistance. We understand that the Nigerian Government mistook the website for Nnamdi Kanu’s group and blocked it from the Nigerian airspace in error. The problem shall soon be resolved.
12. We operate by the rule of law and political diplomacy. We want to make it clear to all new people in the Biafran struggle who have not known the truth about IPOB that the original IPOB is different from Nnamdi Kanu’s faction. We have been in court with Nigeria since 2012. We have judicial immunity and are respected by the Authorities. Our slogan is not Biafra or Death but Biafra and Life. We are not of them that make covenants of death sealed with oaths in their secret shrines under the Prince of the Power of the Air, the Archspirit of the occult kingdom that rules with lies and deception in the lives of rebellious and disobedient children (Ephesians 2:2). We are not of them that sacrifice the lives of Biafran youths to their occult grandmasters in order to achieve power. We shall not die but live to declare the works of God in Biafraland, Psalm 118:17. We do not use false propaganda and lies to win membership. Join us today because we know the way to Freedom for the Biafrans.
Emeka Emekesiri, Esq.
Chairman, IPOB CUSTOMARY GOVERNMENT
By the authority of the Supreme Council of Elders of Indigenous People of Biafra
