Biafra not Igbo affair, IPOB replies former Governor Victor Attah

The Indigenous Peoples of Biafra ( IPOB), has chided former Governor Victor Attah of Akwa Ibom State, over his media remarks where he allegedly described  the agitation for Biafra autonomy as Igbo affair.

IPOB , in a press statement issued  by its Media and Publicity Officer, Emma Powerful, strongly condemned the former Governor for the comment, insisting that Biafra  is never an Igbo affair but the collective will of different ethnic nationalities in the South East and South South regions.

According to IPOB, Attah " is either being  economical with the truth or is ignorant of the history of Biafra", hence the "unfortunate remarks".

It read in part: "This statement shows that the former governor is not properly informed and he doesn't  know the history of the word Biafra and how it came about.

 "This man did not know that the last President of Biafra late Major Gen. Philip Effiong came from the present Akwa Ibom State and was second in command to late Gen. Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the  first President of Biafra.

"Again, he did not understand that the word bight of Biafra which is in Bonny Ireland in Rivers State was changed to bight of Bonny in 1972 after the genocidal war against the people of Eastern region of Nigeria in 1970.

"More so, we reiterate that on 27th day of May 1967 during the meeting of Easter region consultative assembly held in Enugu which comprised the 555 members of the consultative assembly from the present South East  and South South  geo political zones, 300 members came from the present South South.

"  In that meeting, the man who brought the name Biafra was late Chief Frank Opigo from Ishekiri in Izon land. If the fomer governor of Akwa Ibom Obong Victor Atta were properly informed and educated on the issue concerning  Biafra he wouldn't have been coming out to make this type of statement against the people of Biafra."

IPOB further explained that Igbo are just like any other tribe in Biafra, adding that anyone " branding the struggle for Biafra as Igbo affair is doing so at his own detriment.

" We want to let the people of Biafra and the general public that Igbo is a tribe in Biafraland and the tribes comprise Ijaw (Izon), Isobo, Ibibio, Igala, Igbanke (Igboakiri), Idoma, Igede, Urhobo, Ikwere, Ogoni, Kalabari, and others, even to the land of Bakassi Peninsula."