Indigenous People of "Niger Delta" calls for the release of Nnamdi Kanu and convoking of a Sovereign National Conference

Indigenous People of "Niger Delta" calls for the release of Nnamdi Kanu and convoking of a Sovereign National Conference 

IPND Bill of Rights: Declaration 08 - Position on the Call for the the Restoration of Biafra Republic

The Indigenous People of Niger Delta (IPND) has over the past 18 months watched the unfolding identity crisis befalling Nigeria as it affects the basis of continuous coexistence and the call for restoration of Biafra Republic. We have watched closely with keen interest and have made far reaching consultations with our leaders, youths and women on state of the Nigerian union and the way forward:

Firstly we must state here that the Indigenous People of Niger Delta worked so hard in the founding of Nigeria but the Nigeria we have today is definitely not the dream Nigeria of our forefathers. This is not the Nigeria of dream of our most visionary and highly idealistic monarch of blessed memory; H.R.M. Esezi II, The Orodje of Okpe; who was amongst delegates of Kings that attended the 1957 Lyttelton Conference held in London in order to seek the Nigerian independence from the indirect government of the colonial master. The Nigeria we have today is not the Nigeria of dream of Late Pa. Anthony Anahoro who was the first to move for the independence of Nigeria which was eventually granted in 1960 after several political setbacks and defeats in parliament. As IPND we are proud of the fact that our Late Father, Pa Anthony Enahoro has been regarded by academics and many Nigerians as the "Father of Nigeria State". However, we recall in history that his motion for Nigeria's Independence suffered setbacks in parliament on several occasions with the northern members of parliament staging a walkout as a consequence of the motion. Instead of nationalizing through continuous dialogue and agreement between the different indigenous people in Nigeria, what we have today is a state based on unity by force.

For the avoidance of doubt, we have to clearly state here that the Indigenous People of Niger Delta (IPND) hold and share solid cultural affinity, ideology and religious beliefs with our Igbo brothers (Ndi-Igbo) of south easterner Nigeria. As a fact, we have Igbos from Delta, Imo, Abia and Rivers State who are from the Niger Delta Region, hence we cannot sit down and fold our hands with our mouths closed as the Nigerian Government continue to use the military to massacre our armless brothers who are only calling for restoration of Biafra Republic which form part of their fundamental human rights. We must state here that the Indigenous People of Niger Delta have good knowledge about the history of Biafra and also the impact of the Biafran War in Niger Delta Region. Therefore for the avoidance of repeating the mistakes of the past we hereby call on the Government of Nigeria in strong terms to unconditionally and forthwith set free the current icon of the Biafra struggle, Nnamdi Kanu as he is only agitating for self-determination as stipulated in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of 2007. It is our strong belief that Nigeria Government cannot achieve peaceful coexistence between the different indigenous people and nations that make up the Nigerian State by force as there is no such a thing as unity by force. Thus, we hereby call on the Government of the Federal Republic Nigeria and the United Nations to as a matter of National and Global emergency convoke a Sovereign National Conference for the different ethnic nationalities in Nigeria to discuss modalities of continuous coexistence.

Finally; we commend IPOB for the peaceful manner they have been going about the agitation for the restoration of Biafra Republic and we hereby urge them to continue to explore the non-violence approach in the pursue of their course until the Government of Nigeria and the UN shall convoke a Sovereign National Conference for the different ethnic nationalities in Nigeria to discuss modalities of continuous coexistence.

- Office of the Publicity Secretary, IPND