The Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, has reacted to Saturday’s condemnation of and dissociation by Southeast governors from the secessionist agitation by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
The Group announced its stand in a statement by its spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman made available to ASHENEWS on Sunday.
According CNG, while the South East leaders were pretending to denounce IPOB on one hand, they were working to give legitimacy to the IPOB militant wing, the Eastern Security Network by renaming it Egbuebu.
The group further posited that “the North will no longer be deceived by the antics of the proteges of those who assassinated its forefathers and threw the entire country into a ruinous civil war that has set the stage for the current confusion and national decadence.
“We categorically hold the refutal by the South East leaders unacceptable and insist that a referendum must be conducted to prepare the stage for the final exit of the Igbo from the rest of Nigeria that has never engaged in such violent agitations for breakup at anytime.
Read the statement below:
The Coalition of Northern Groups which demanded for a referendum for the actualization of the independent state of Biafra for the Igbo as the only guarantee for a peaceful future and alerted on the dangers of the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is addressing you once again, on the ensuing situation in Nigeria since then.
In our earlier submission, we highlighted the conceivable implications of the uttered threats and practical steps being taken by the Igbo under the cover of IPOB.
We note that following our demand for a referendum as the only option, some South East militant IPOB members continue to ferment hateful violence against other ethnicities and the Nigerian state, a handful of South East leaders began a frantic move to cover their complicity in the atrocities by denouncing IPOB and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
We note also that while on hand, these South East leaders pretend to denounce IPOB, on another hand, they are working to give legitimacy to the IPOB militant wing, the Eastern Security Network which they rename Egbuebu.
The extent of deception also becomes apparent in the way these South East leaders give the appearance of dissociating themselves from the Biafran violent agitation and at the same time vehemently attempt to support and justify IPOB’s brand of self-determination bid premised on false claims of marginalization.
OBSERVATIONS
Despite the desperation for cover up by the South East leaders, the CNG ultimately arrived at the following inevitable observations:
- That the refutal is a belated desperation to run away from a raging fire they fanned with their own hands by several years of indoctrinating their youth with the hate of the North in particular and the whole of Nigeria in general
- That the desperation amounts to yet another attempt to buy time to restrategise for another onslaught by deceiving the rest of Nigerians into believing them.
- That the rest of Nigeria particularly the North, must not allow themselves to fall into another trap of believing the lies, deceit and falsehood of the Igbo leaders that cannot be supported by the prevailing reality.
- That in reality, despite the South East leaders caught in this web of desperate refutal are mere paper tigers whose collective might is clearly subdue able by Kanu who can order the shutdown of all activities in the entire five states of the South East.
OUR STAND
- For the avoidance of doubt, the Coalition of Northern Groups states here that the North will no longer be deceived by the antics of the proteges of those who assassinated its forefathers and threw the entire country into a ruinous civil war that has set the stage for the current confusion and national decadence.
- We categorically hold the refutal by the South East leaders unacceptable and insist that a referendum must be conducted to prepare the stage for the final exit of the Igbo from the rest of Nigeria that has never engaged in such violent agitations for breakup at anytime.
- That since the bulk of the active support for the violent Igbo secession is from those within the 50 year age bracket with a dangerous mindset developed by wrong teachings over a long period, it is inconceivable for the rest of Nigerians, particularly the North, to accept to continue coexisting with them at the risk of major conflicts that could lead to another civil war.
