The Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) on Wednesday reviewed its gains and successes in the outgone year and vowed to conduct referendum this year.

In a statement signed by the media and publicity secretary of the group, Comrade Emma Powerful, it paid tribute to the fallen heroes as it ushers in the New Year.

The statement said they “died in honour and duty to Biafra, to justice, and to freedom” and condoled “those injured in limbs and body and those still detained”, saying the group is with them and shares in their plight.

It said the past few years have not been easy for most of the members and acknowledged that since 2015 and all through to end of 2017, the group has faced the worst persecutions and acts of state terror.

But all these, the statement said, rather than weaken or tear the group apart, brought them together as a people and have motivated them to dig ever deeper into their huge reserves of resilience to keep the restoration project forward.

IPOB insists that the only idea that would halt Nigeria’s spiral towards bloody implosion is to conduct a referendum on self-determination for Biafrans, and indeed any other organised and cohesive group that demands it.

“That is the only fair way; not ‘true federalism’ or ‘restructuring’”, it declared.

It added, “To drive home our demand, IPOB will ensure that the entire land of Biafra is paralysed on whatever date they chose to hold the presidential elections. This position is irreversible unless our simple demand is met”.

It said, “True federalism particularly is evidently unrealistic in a country where twelve states have already adopted Sharia as state religion and code of justice, which denies non-adherents of that religion certain freedoms guaranteed by the military-imposed Nigerian constitution. Conversely, restructuring has defied every sensible definition”.

It vows that in 2019, they will begin to take first tangible steps into nationhood by doing everything humanly possible to ensure its referendum is conducted.

According to the group, the process of extensive referendum consultation was not concluded in good time last year to enable it hold it as planned.

•Sourced from a Daily Independent report

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