By Steve Oko
Igbo groups in the diaspora, including American Veterans of Igbo Descent AVID, Rising Sun Foundation and Ambassadors for Self Determination, have knocked the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, over his recent comments that the agitation for Biafra should be jettisoned, claiming that the Federal Government, under President Bola Tinubu, has ended every marginalisation against the Igbo.
The groups, in a statement yesterday, dismissed the comment as an insult to the sensibility of the Igbo, saying Umahi lacks the mandate to speak for Ndigbo.
The statement was signed by Dr Sylvester Onyia, President, American Veterans of Igbo Decent; Ben Nwankwo for Ambassadors for Self Determination; and Maxwell Dede for the Rising Sun.
The statement read in part:”Our attention has been drawn to an unguarded statement by Senator David Umahi that Ndigbo should forget Biafra agitation because the federal government has addressed all the challenges of Ndigbo.
“We wish to remind Umahi that he does not have the mandate to speak for Ndigbo, and he should not allocate to himself the powers he does not have.
“Since he said he does not believe in Biafra, Biafrans also do not believe in traitors like him. Nobody is coercing him to join the struggles but he lacks the powers to either speak for the people or stop the movement.
“We have seen serial betrayers who are now living in regrets after being used and dumped by their slave masters. Dave Umahi does not speak for Ndigbo. He speaks only for himself and not even for everyone in Ebonyi State.”
Challenging Umahi to show any special favour done to Ndigbo by the Tinubu administration, the statement said: “It is an insult on the sensibility of Ndigbo for Umahi to claim that Ndigbo are no longer marginalised. Why is Umuahia – Enugu railway still moribund when Lagos -Kano; and Katsina -Niger Republic tracks are functional? Why is the South-East still having only five Ministers with two of them junior Ministers while one state in South West has four Ministers?
“Is Umahi not aware that there’s no seaport in the South-East while our people are the highest importers in the country? Do we have any functional cargo airport in Igbo land? Do we have federal industries or maritime projects? Other regions have these things. Alaigbo does not.
“So, when someone like Umahi tries to speak for Ndigbo, we must ask:what exactly is he defending?”
The statement further queried the justice in jailing the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra Mazi Nnamdi Kanu for alleged terrorism while real terrorists are treated with levity.”
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