The leadership of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) Tuesday condemned the several publications credited to the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) on the concession of the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex recently revoked by the Federal Government.

The group is particularly piqued by the boasts of the DG of BPE that Professor Nick Ezeh, the Chairman of Aulic Nigeria Limited, whose company is the management concessionaire of Trade Fair Complex, was arrested and detained following a petition to the EFCC by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

A statement made available to journalists in Awka by the MASSOB Director of Publicity, Comrade Samuel Edeson, said that MASSOB as a stakeholder and a factor in the affairs of Ndigbo will continue to defend, uphold and protect the integrity, honour and good image of Igbo people in Nigeria and the Diaspora.

The statement reads: “It appears that the services of the EFCC were engaged by the Federal ministry who could not stand the superior presentations at the Federal High Court on the litigation of a civil matter involving a private company and the BPE over the concession.

“MASSOB describes this illegality as a clear act of impunity and oppression against Igbo people who are major stakeholders in the complex and we will not allow Igbo leaders to be humiliated using the EFCC as an agent of intimidation and harassment.

“While we shall support genuine fight against corruption in the system, we will resist any attempt to deprive good people their right, mostly the selfless philanthropists whose goodwill has been affected by the citizens.”

MASSOB urged the Federal Government to set up an independent investigation on what it described as the illegal detention of an erudite scholar who, on invitation by the EFCC, presented himself, but was illegally detained for some 25 days without any court order.

Continuing, the statement said: “We also call on the Buhari Administration to investigate the high-level corruption and connivance of the BPE, the old Trade Fair Management Board (TMB) and the officials of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment with a view to unraveling the mystery behind the non-implementation of the concession agreement signed since 2007.

“This is a case of economic sabotage that must be tackled squarely to deter further illegal encroachment as there cannot exist two concessions and dual management for the complex.

“We are following the development with keen interest. We enjoin the Federal government to resist all acts of coercion and follow due process in resolving conflicts associated with the concession agreement.”

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