Biafra: ‘Igbo are better off in Nigeria if there is restructuring’

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.