Igbo leaders and traders in Lagos have warned the director of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, not to
come to Lagos state to stage any of his rallies. Kanu last month, disclosed his plans to come to Lagos.
Speaking with Sunday Telegraph, Chief
Chiemeka Ibeh of Alaba Amalgamated
Traders Association, said the IPOB leader
should leave Igbos in Lagos alone because
his visit will create the impression that Igbos
in Lagos are supporting Kanu and IPOB
activities.
“He should keep his Biafra in the East where
our unemployed youths are following him all
over the place, not knowing what they are
dabbling into. Most of these youth do not
understand what Biafra is about and what it
has cost Igbo people. Since his actions led to
the quit notice by the Arewa youths, I
expected Kanu to have paid upfront all
transport companies on the northern route
to be conveying Igbo people who might be
interested in coming back to the East, but he
has not paid a kobo to anybody. Is he
bothered about the economic wellbeing of
the people whom his actions could
dislocate?”
Also speaking, the leader in the Auto Spare
Parts & Machinery Dealers Association
(ASPAMDA), Chief Alex Ejiofor, asked Nnamdi
Kanu to desist from distracting struggling
Igbo people from concentrating on finding
their daily bread.
“If his father did not tell him my father told
me that we were reduced to the biblical
‘hewers of wood and drawers of water’ in
Nigeria at the end of the war in 1970. It is
true that we are still suffering from the
effects of that war till today, but Igbos in all
parts of Nigeria have made a lot of progress
and cannot afford to return to that stage
where an Igbo who left over a million British
Pounds in his account and ran home for
safety at the outbreak of the war, was given
20 Pounds in 1970 after the no victor, no
vanquished declaration. What is Kanu
thinking about that? And if I may ask, what
is the volume of Kanu’s investment either in
the South-East or in other parts of the
country? Does he not know that he is
putting those investments at risk and
endangering the source of livelihood of
other people? He should perish the thought
of coming to Lagos, and if I may advise, he
should change strategy or join forces with
Ohanaeze. He has done well by bringing the
marginalisation of the South-East to the
front burner again, but should sustain the
discussion without causing his people
harm” he said
