Leadnaija
The Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) movement has again reiterated its position against moves to create additional states by the national assembly of Nigeria, insisting that the Biafra region (South-East, South-South)should not be included in the scheme rather the Nigeria state should be dissolved.
This was made known in a press statement issued by the movement’s media and publicity secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful on Monday, 24th February 2025, while reacting to the proposition by some members of the Nigerian national assembly to create an additional 31 more states in the federation.
According to the statement, the creation of more states as a solution to the endemic problems facing Nigeria is a flawed and unsustainable move, as it does not eliminate the corrupt foundation which Nigeria is currently anchored upon.
“Following the rumours that the Nigeria Government and the National Assembly proposed to create additional 31 new States in Nigeria, we the global family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)worldwide wish to categorically state that Biafrans do not want creation of new States. Instead of multiplying economically bankrupt states, the unworkable Nigerian unity should be dissolved.”
“IPOB movement is against the creation of new states because the existing states are bankrupt and not functioning properly.”
“Creating more states is tantamount to creating more confusion, disunity, and insecurity. Nigerians are suffering because of the faulty foundations of the Nigerian state and the unsurmountable corruption in the Nigerian government.”
The statement went on to recount the progressive historical antecedents of post-colonial Nigeria, during which regional autonomy was obtained, while in the same vein pointing out that the inconsiderate creation of states by Jack Gowon in 1967 heralded the socio-economic, sociopolitical woes bedevilling Nigeria and the various ethnic groups therein.
“At their flags Independence given to them by the British in 1960, Nigeria had three major regions. Later, the Mid-Western Region was created after a referendum, making it the fourth region. These Regions were progressive and competitive because they enjoyed constitutionally granted autonomy.”
“However, Nigerian’s woes started when a genocidist, “Jack” Gowon and his clueless supreme Military Council created 12 states in order to divide Biafrans and to stop the Biafrans from fighting the war of 1967-1970 in unison.”
“The decision by Gowon to divide and carve out some ethnic groups from one region to another was the beginning of ethnic tensions in Nigeria today. Such an ethnic bigoted decision destroyed the autonomy of the regions, leading to this useless Federal System that has led to the economic and security woes of the country.”
The statement went on to emphatically infer that the political advantage created by the successive northern elites during the military regime era in the Nigeria system cannot be unbalanced by the creation of states, thus urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to abandoned such plans, or at best exclude the old eastern region from the agenda and conduct a referendum to ascertain the people’s unanimous position over the Nigeria question.
“Even if the Tinubu’s government creates an additional 100 states, the political equation between the North, West, and East (previous regions) will never be balanced. The previous ethnic bigoted Northern Military leaders has already created unfavorable political equations that are enimical to the unity of Nigeria. Postponing the division of Nigeria is embracing the evil days, which are here now with us.”
“Thus, IPOB says NO to the new States creation proposal that will include the Biafra Region. Our position is clear: we don’t want our region to be balkanised or broken down any further, instead Ndigbo need our Igbo brothers and sisters, villages, clans, and whole regions carved into Kogi, Benue, and Edo ststes back into Alaigbo.”
“The Nigerian government can create more States to suit them in their Nigeria, while Ndigbo establishs an independent state of Biafra. What Ndigbo want is an exit from Nigeria in a peaceful and democratic way. That is why IPOB is calling for a referendum date from the Nigerian government so that Biafrans can decide their fate whether to remain in one delusional united Nigeria or to exit, into an Independent State of Biafra.” Read Full Details
Source: Family Writers Press International
