– Maintains Kanu use IPOB for personal, selfish gains
By Rapheal Izokpu
Some concerned Igbo Professionals have challenged the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to a public debate, maintaining that their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has changed the registration status of the proscribed group in the United Kingdom (UK).
The Igbo group under the auspices of Coalition of South East Professionals N
etwork in Nigeria and Diaspora (CSEPNND) said it is vindicating their consistent position that the fugitive was using the platform to achieve personal and selfish desires.
The group maintained that Kanu’s agitation for the realisation of the republic of Biafra was anything but altruistic.
The coalition therefore urged well-meaning Ndigbo in particular, and Nigerians in general, to disregard the “terrorist” group and their activities, which they insisted, were inimical to national security and progress.
CSEPNND said the clarification is in response to a statement on social media claiming otherwise.
They recalled that barely twenty-four hours ago, they had alerted the public on the development in the UK, wherein Kanu was reported to have registered IPOB as a “community interest company”.
To buttress their position, the South East professionals draw attention to the fact that Kanu has since “filed zero income in UK financial report”, ostensibly to pave the way for the personalisation of the group.
In their earlier statement, the concerned Nigerians had called on well-meaning Igbo sons and daughters to pull out of the group and openly identify with the Nigerian State as others are already doing,saying Ndigbo has so much to gain being in an indivisible Nigeria than Kanu’s acclaimed Biafra.
This was as they further charged them on the need to remain firm and resolute in their decision in showing unalloyed allegiance to the Nigerian State and not allow Kanu succeed to manipulating them into joining his secessionist group to promote his selfish agenda.
They had asked: “How can Kanu change the registration status of IPOB to his personal business if he truly means well for his followers? Kanu and his wife remain the sole signatories to IPOB’s main account in Germany, is this not clear that it’s a personal business?”.
They had contended further that, “This has completely vindicated our stand that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is just a common fraudsters who is only out to make money and other personal gains for himself and not representing the Igbo nation”.
In its he reaction, the proscribed IPOB had dismissed the position as false, describing CSEPNND as “faceless”.
In a statement by one pseudo Emma Powerful, who purports to be the publicity secretary, the proscribed group insisted that IPOB had not effected any change in its registration documents.
“The attention of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been drawn to the ridiculous and fallacious media report that our Leader has altered the registration documents of IPOB and converted same to his private estate with his wife, Mrs. Uchechi Okwu Kanu as one of the signatories.
“The stupid claims emanating from a faceless group and DSS-creation masquerading as Coalition of South East Professionals Network in Nigeria and Diaspora (CSEPNND), only exists in the imagination of those behind the trash.
“There is no iota of truth in the above gibberish which only confirms that the DSS has run out of ideas in its propaganda war against IPOB.
Assuming but not conceding to this tissue of lies, when and how has who owns and runs IPOB become the headache of these dulards?
“We thought they said IPOB is an organization of miscreants run by a lunatic? How come the Nigeria Government is suddenly beginning to lose sleep over the ownership of IPOB the assembly of miscreants?”, the statement read.
In a brief response to that, however, the Igbo professionals adopted their earlier position, saying they would not dignify a group that did not exist, in the eyes of the law with a response to some of their questions which is out of frustration.
“As a coalition of professionals, who have distinguished themselves in different fields of endeavours, we refuse to dissipate energy responding to a non-existent group, as doing so will amount to dignifying a ‘terrorist organisation’.
“Yes, IPOB, by its acts of violence against the good people of South East, as well as threat to national security, has since been designated a terrorist organisation, having been so proscribed”, the statement read in part.
It continued: “Nothing in our investigation showed that the aforesaid labelling, which was accorded consequential gazetting, was ever set aside in any competent court in Nigeria or anywhere in the world.
“It is on this basis, therefore, that we, for the umpteenth time, appeal to well-meaning Igbo sons and daughters – both home and in the diaspora – to denounce Kanu, IPOB and all their works.
“Finally, we Challenge them to a public debate on any National Television of their choice within the shortest period, we also invite the public to approach online platforms, with a view to confirming our alert and other former IPOB member’s that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has altered the registration status of his self-serving platform – IPOB”.
