Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu has accused the Indigenous
People of Biafra (IPOB) of running the interest of some politicians and
despising good counsel.
Kalu while reacting to statements by the
Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful and lawyer to the IPOB
leader, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, said he acted in
the interest of the safety of
Igbo people living in the North, noting that it was laughable when
people tried to link his actions with corruption charges levelled
against him since 2007.
According to Kalu, Nigerians knew him
before the charges, the genesis of the allegations and how they were
targeted to destroy him politically.
He, however, said since the case was
before a court of competent jurisdiction, he would refrain from making
further statements on it.
But on the diatribe by the proscribed
group, Kalu said: “I had wished the IPOB were more civil to monitor
their utterances, and not take up a duty of attacking my personality and
leaving the issue I raised.”
He added: “I believe everyone has right
priorities and knows what really matter. For instance, our Igbo brothers
are safe in the North and our minds are settled over their property,
and that’s what matters. Dancing to the beats of a popular drum isn’t
top of my list. These boys hurling abuses and insults on everyone that
stands against division are simply ignorant. I forgive them,” Kalu
stated
To buttress the fact that his various
interventions were in the interest of Igbo, Kalu added that Biafra’s
agitation was an issue that concerned a lot of people and keeping silent
in the face of its dangerous consequence would amount to wickedness and
disregard for safety of lives of the Igbo people.
Reflecting on how he had in the past
helped the interest of IPOB and its members, Kalu recalled that during
Nnamdi Kanu’s long detention, he was the first Igbo leader to pay him a
visit in Kuje. In addition, he facilitated the release of the members
and also intervened in their interest with the authorities.
Kalu advised IPOB not to forget their
lines so quickly, revealing that through his intervention in the past,
many detained IPOB members were bailed.
“I wonder how IPOB easily forgot their
lines. They have had many of their detained members bailed through my
intervention. Would it be appropriate for even somebody like Emma
Powerful to heap unprintable insults and accusations on me? I bailed him
out when he was detained.
“When Nnamdi was in prison, I was the
first to visit him, opening doors for others to do same. I did that
because he is my brother. Although he showed a lot of appreciations
during the visit but he still maintained his grounds on Biafra. For the
sake of posterity, I have made my stand clear. In a restructured
Nigeria, Igbo people would be better off. We got it wrong in 1967 and we
need to get it right now, else we get it wrong again,” Kalu warned in
the statement.
(The Sun NG)
Post a Comment