From Segun Amure, (The New Diplomat’s Abuja Bureau)
Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, a former Niger Delta militant has declared himself leader of the self-styled Biafra de-facto Customary Government.
The declaration is being considered as an overthrow of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group that has since been proscribed by the Nigerian government.
Before now, Dokubo and Kanu have been at war, exchanging fiery words in the past months.
Dokubo in a statement cited: “injustice and marginalisation” on the Igbo people found in various zones of the country as the reason for his aspiration for a “better life for his people”.
His Biafra declaration statement was issued by Uche Mefor, the Head of Information and Communication of his customary government.
Mefor announced George Onyibe as the Secretary of the group while Emeka Esiri would be in charge of the Legal Matters.
Stating the agenda of his self-styled Biafra de-facto government, Dokubo said that the security of lives would be prioritised.
He listed the group’s paramount agenda as comprising security by “securing the lives and properties of our people; we are going to invest everything we have in science and technology to increase the scientific and technological discoveries, fabrications and making life easier for our people through science and technology.”
His statement continued: “We are going to vigorously pursue the education of our people; we are going to make sure that we feed ourselves.
“You are all aware of the recent plot where they decided to stop food from the North. They failed woefully; they will continue to fail.
“The government of Biafra States will look to make sure that we only eat what we can produce.
“Nobody can stop us. Nobody can blockade us as they did in the first war.
“We’re not going to fight any war with anybody; we’re walking to freedom. We will not shoot any gun with them, they will prepare their weapon but they will have nobody to kill with their weapon.”
“We as people have resolved that as Biafra, it’s time for us to take our destiny in our hands and bring freedom to ourselves and our children and the generation of Biafrans yet unborn.
“I want to call on our brother, George Onyibe to come on board to join as the secretary of the de facto customary government of the State of Biafra. He will take care of the administrative, day to day administration of the Biafra State. I also call on our brother Emeka Esiri to take care of the legal needs of this nascent government.
“My brothers and sisters, the four of us will kick start the process, others will come on board. We want volunteers who are committed; we want volunteers because there is nothing anymore. We are the people who have volunteered to salvage ourselves and the rest of us.
“I also call on Biafrans in the various provinces of the Biafra nations in Aba, Abakiliki, Anang, Awka, Calabar, Degema, Eket, Nsuka, Ogoja, Oji River, Okigwe, Onitsha, Opobo, Orlu, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Umuahia, Uyo and Yenegoa.
“We are going to proceed to set up provincial structures of government starting with provincial assemblies and provincial governance and administrators. Let nobody be mistaking that a Biafra will be worse than Nigeria. There is nothing that will be worse than what we are facing today in Nigeria.”
