Stakeholders in Niger Delta region have distanced themselves from the recent declaration of Biafra by ex-agitator Alhaji Asari Dokubo.
Dokubo had on Sunday announced a construction of a Biafran government and declared himself as the leader of the new Biafra defacto Customary Government (BCG),
But many group in Delta State have disowned the claim by the former warlord, saying that they are not of the new Biafra.
In its response, a River State group under the auspices of the Ikwerre Peoples Congress (IPC), said that Dokubo has abused his fundamental human rights, adding that Ikwere and the Niger Delta are not part of Biafra.
The leader of the group, Livingstone Wechie, said: “For the records, Ikwerre is an independent ethnic nation in Nigeria with a global spread and Ikwerre are not subservient to any other ethnic block whatsoever and under any guise. This is in respecting the status of Ikwerre as one of the largest ethnic nationalities in Nigeria on record undisputed.
“Therefore, Ikwerre People’s Congress in its right along with other credible socio-cultural organisations in Ikwerre nation are the only bodies with the legitimate authority to make representations and speak on behalf of the Ikwerre nation and her people on issues that affect our interest.
“On this note, we state categorically that although Asari’s forebearers owe their ancestry to Ikwerre nation, and whereas Asari is a Niger Delta son with his fundamental rights to his identity and affinities, he does not have the right, authority, permission and or legitimacy to speak on behalf of the Ikwerre nation or to speak solely for the Niger Delta under any guise either by himself or through his cronies or agents.
“No doubt we have disputation and aspirations in pursuit of the respect and demand for self-determination over our lands and resources including political rights as a people in the Lower Niger and the Niger Delta in particular, which aspirations we share with our neighbours and ethnic counterparts, no position, negotiation or consultations will be made over the Ikwerre nation without our voluntary consent and mandate.
“Ikwerre is too big for that foul play and this is trite knowledge. This view is sacred and undoubtedly includes the rest of the Niger Delta because nobody including Asari Dokubo can impose his personal will or agenda on any ethnic block in our region. Therefore we ask that the Ikwerre nation be left out of Asari’s diatribe”.
Likewise, the South-South Elders’ Forum (SEF) said the zone would not be part of Dokubo’s claim.
Its Coordinator, Sarah Igbe, said the Niger Delta, including the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), were not part of any secessionist agenda
He said: “Asari has the right to his opinion. But so far as I know the Southsouth region believes in Nigeria. We believe in one Nigeria and we don’t think we should talk of Biafra despite all the injustices against the former Eastern Region.
“We are talking about restructuring. The Southsouth and PANDEF and the elders’ forum believe in the restructuring of this country in such a manner that every part of the country will be committed to the development of the country. That is where we stand.
“We don’t believe in breaking from Nigeria. We should go back to the 1960 Constitution where we had our resources and we could talk of fiscal federalism. That is what we are interested in. We are not interested in anything less. We need fiscal federalism as applied in the United States of America and other democratic society.”
The Ibibio Youth Council (IYC), on its part said they are not part of Biafra.
The President of the IYC, Mr. Imoh Okoko, declared as unfortunate and misguided the statement credited to Dokubo that Akwa Ibom was a Biafran entity.
He said: ‘’We are not part of Biafra and will never be. Anybody is free to declare a Biafra Republic but in Akwa Ibom are not part of it. But I must advise that no matter how bad the country is it is not right to declare a Biafra Republic.
‘’We will not support the cause of Biafra. I want to state very clearly and assuredly that the Biafra dream will never be actualized. It is not possible.
‘’The people fighting for Biafra are not genuine. There are so many groups apart from IPOB and MASSOB which agitating for Biafra. They have a divided house so can’t achieve their aim.’’
An Ijaw cultural and religious group, the Order of Egbesu Brotherhood, also said the Ijaws were not Biafrans.
The Coordinator of the group, Apostle Bodmas Prince Kemepadei, said though the Ijaws were not against Biafra agitations, they were not Biafrans.
According to him, “As a traditional religious body of Ijaw nation, we owe our ancestors and the entire Ijaw people a duty to protect its territory.
“We would not allow any of our lands to be annexed into Biafra territory or allow our people to be subjugated to second slavery.
“We respect Asari Dokubo as a leader, but his purported declaration of Ijaw land into his proposed Biafra is his mere opinion that exists only on the faces of newspapers and not the resolve of our people.”