There was tension and confusion in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital on Saturday when the scheduled Town Hall meeting of the Customary Government of Biafra of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) was scuttled by yet to be determined orders from above.
Delegates who arrived Akwa Ibom State from across the country yesterday evening were shocked when they were told that the meeting had been cancelled.
No official of the IPOB Customary Government wanted to speak with The AUTHORITY on Sunday at the event venue but a notice to that effect stated: “The public is hereby notified that the IPOB Customary Government meeting scheduled to hold in Akwa Ibom tomorrow (today) has been rescheduled to a date to be announced later”.
As at the time of filing this report, no official reason was given for the cancellation.
The Media Representative of the IPOB Customary Government, Comrade Chinedu Asuzu, told The AUTHORITY on Sunday that “the public will be notified of the new date. Our operation is lawful and for that, we have nothing to fear”.
However, some members of the IPOB Customary Government who spoke to The AUTHORITY on Sunday on condition of anonymity suspected the rising insecurity in Niger Delta as the cause of the postponement.
Meanwhile, Chinedu has denied a report by The AUTHORITY linking Dr Ikedife to the splinter groups – TRIPOB and REIPOB.
According to him, “for record purpose, nobody from any of these groups has ever contacted our revered Elder in respect of surrendering Biafra flag to Nigeria come January 15,2017.
“The public is hereby advised to disregard such fictitious report. It should be noted that Ikenga Nnewi is among the few courageous Elders of Biafra land who authorized Bilie Human Rights Initiative to sue FGN on behalf of Biafra on the case of self-determination for the indigenous people of Biafra still living in Nigeria.
The court action against Nigeria started from 2012 and the next hearing is September 22.
“Dr. Dozie Ikedife has remained focused and consistent with the legal and diplomatic pursuit to achieve Biafra.
The Supreme Council of Elders of Indigenous People of Biafra shall continue to play a fatherly role to every Indigenous person of Biafra or groups agitating for Biafra lawfully and will be ready to welcome any Biafra group that shares the same legal and diplomatic methodology IPOB Customary Government has adopted.
“The Customary Government of Biafra wishes to reiterate that nobody or group will be allowed to distract or sabotage the collective decision to set our people free from Nigeria through the instrumentality of both local and international laws’’.
