A close ally of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Dr Chukwuma Egemba, has described as arrant nonsense and sheer arrogance, the recent threat by the group to disrupt any function organised by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo in any part of Igboland.

IPOB in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Emma Powerful, last Wednesday, said that it had proscribed the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation and declared itself the actual representative of Ndigbo.

The group claimed that the alleged total compliance of South easterners to its sit-at-home order to mark the first anniversary of the military invasion of the Afara-Ukwu, Umuahia, Abia State country home of their leader was a clear manifestation that the people had conferred on them the mandate as their authentic representatives in the region.

But Egemba, a co-Director of Radio Biafra in a telephone interview from his London base yesterday distanced the Coalition of Pro-Biafra Groups from such affront on Ohanaeze; a body, he said, enjoys the legitimacy and support of the majority of Ndigbo.

He said that it was this kind of unguarded utterances and actions by the Kanu-led IPOB that had continuously aggravated the condition of the Igbo in Nigeria as an endangered species and which had led to loss of many innocent lives; while business opportunities were destroyed.

But, the National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide (OYC), Mr Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said that his group would rather wade into the matter by meeting with IPOB, parent body of Ohanaeze and the South East Governors Forum.

He disclosed that OYC has a cordial relationship with IPOB, MASSOB, and other pro-Biafra groups, and, therefore, would not support any action that would shatter the peace and tranquility being enjoyed in Igboland.

He said that if efforts to broker peace failed, OYC would not hesitate to protect its parent body.

Meanwhile, the Igbo Civil Society Coalition (ICSC) has urged Ohanaeze Ndigbo to reconcile with the IPOB.

The group said that Ohanaeze could do that by distancing itself from the governors of the five South-East states and demand the government to account for and stop the killings in Igboland.

•Excerpted from a Sunday Sun report

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