ABUJA-Discordant tunes greeted the agitation for the Sovereign State of Biafra Thursday following the disagreements among eminent Igbo personalities on the contentious issue at a book launch in Abuja.

The book “The Audacity of Power and the Nigeria Presidency-Exclusion of the South East in Nigeria’s Power Politics and the Spectre of Biafra” written by Godwin Ifeanyi Udibe and Law Mefor brought together the likes of former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, Senator Ben Obi, Enyinnaya Abaribe and Udenta Udenta.


Chairman of the occasion and former Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo represented by Senator Obi lauded the efforts of the authors, stressing that for a truth, the marginalization of the Igbo people is real.

“The book is a narrative of what has been happening to a group of people from the South-East. It is about how a people have been systematically harassed and denied,” Obi stated in his opening remarks.


For Senator Nnamani, what the Igbo needs is the restructuring of the Nigerian State to pave way for each of the federating units to grow at their own pace.

“Our people stand to gain from restructuring rather than agitation. By July 6th, it would be 50 years we went to war. I participated in Biafra war. Some other places that didn’t go to war are not doing better than us. If you take a look at Abuja, particularly hotels, about two-thirds of them are owned by people of the South-East or the South in general. The Yoruba are talking about restructuring, not exiting the union.

I am here to encourage our people that the idea of having our young ones who ought to be in the classrooms, parade the streets, demonstrating and trying to kill themselves or get shot at, will not help us.

The Igbo can still do it; we are known for our ingenuity, our industry…We have to be at the place where decisions are being made. Igbo are better off in Nigeria if there is restructuring and we are not afraid to compete. We are asking for a level playing field and we are prepared to compete. This is better than agitation. Go and read and get good certificates,” he said.


The book reviewer, Udenta Udenta also spoke in like manner, calling on those pushing for agitation to shelve the idea. “We cannot solve any problem without being able to influence the National Assembly to make laws that would work for the people.

The new Biafra is a broken memorization of a lost hope; it is utopian… In creating a new Biafra for example, I, a hard working intellectual who may want to contest election in my own local setting within the new Republic must contend with the billionaire class that may not have abolished the monetization of politics. If politics is still monetized, if you have wage labourers and wage employers, and gender issues; how do you create a nation if you suppress all these other identity issues and expect everybody to answer only one name?”

However, a former Commissioner of Information in Imo State, Nze Elvis Agukwe took Senator Nnamani to the cleaners, asking what has become of the education of the Igbo people in the political power game.


“We must continue to agitate for if the North is using Boko Haram to press home their interest, we will use agitation to press for power. Despite the level of our education, we have been left empty-handed,” said the ex-commissioner in a veiled response to Nnamani’s charge that Igbo youth should pick up their books and read their way to a brighter future.

Expectedlly, the former Senate President exited the venue of the book launch, visibly angry at the Agukwe’s choice of words and the manner of his expression.

GavelSlam:
They keep thinking the north use Boko Haram.

Is this also the case in Cameroun and other countries with insurgency?

Nigerians love conspiracies so much that after they invent them they believe them like a religion.

GavelSlam:
They keep thinking the north use Boko Haram.

Is this also the case in Cameroun and other countries with insurgency?

Nigerians love conspiracies so much that after they invent them they believe them like a religion.

Go and read and get good certificates.

...our young ones who ought to be in classrooms, parade the streets, demonstrating and trying to kill themselves or get shot at...

Mynd44:

When I hear people say the North used terrorism for political advantage I always say perhaps a few did but that few does not represent a double figure percential because who has lost more due to boko haram?

Same way when people try to tie it to Islam. I ask then to count how many Muslims have died as a result of boko haram compared to every other religion combined

Pierocash:
Like i keep saying, agitation and seccession won't solve the igbo problem.Restrucructuring the nation is the best bet,only two category of people are in support of breakup (1)The corrupt southerners who want to use breakup to evade judgement (2)The gullibles and illiterates who knws nothing abt governance.
The Igbos are better off in Nigeria

Mynd44:

When I hear people say the North used terrorism for political advantage I always say perhaps a few did but that few does not represent a double figure percential because who has lost more due to boko haram?

Same way when people try to tie it to Islam. I ask then to count how many Muslims have died as a result of boko haram compared to every other religion combined

fernandoc:
Why won't he walk out. After eating money with hopes that his opinion matters.

Mynd44:

When I hear people say the North used terrorism for political advantage I always say perhaps a few did but that few does not represent a double figure percential because who has lost more due to boko haram?

Same way when people try to tie it to Islam. I ask then to count how many Muslims have died as a result of boko haram compared to every other religion combined

raker300:
Ken nnamani is a crook..tried to destroy enugu because he had issues with chimaroke nnamani the then governor of enugu.

Ken is the reason chimaroke left pdp.. now the punk has joined apc. He's so politically irrevalant in the east...can't even point to a zinc he mounted in his name in enugu. Nonsense

Vicolan:
We can't reason in one direction together!!!! It bound to happen.

EternalTruths:
Nnamani the educated idiot who couldn't achieve Restructuring as Senate President should go and die

He can join Buhari at the other side of life

Bloody traitor

Biafrans should take note of these men

They and their families must be exiled

ISKANDER8TH:



THAT NNAMDI OF A PUNK IS A 'FOOLS' & WILL D DISGRACED... INSTEAD OF RIDING ON THE CREST OF NNAMDI KALU'S ACHIEVEMENT TO CONSOLIDATE THE GAIN, D ZOMBIE IS DRAGING US BAC because OF HIS SELFISH AMBITION POSSIBLY HOPING FOR (VP)

EternalTruths:


What are you saying

" An attack on the Boko Haram is an attack on the North. " Buhari

Buhari became the President of Nigeria.? True or False

Adminisher:
I have always admired this Ken Nnamani

kitaatita:
Nnamani is one of the most respected politicians in Nigeria. He is of course the most respected in the South East. I'm proud to share his opinion. I'm proud that he was my Senator