The Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, Arch Bishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Province, on Thursday, January14, described the agitation by the pro-Biafra groups as misguided.
Lately, there have been several protests by the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) led by Nnamdi Kanu.
Addressing newsmen in Enugu, Bishop Chukwuma said that the agitators would have been more thoughtful about the way they were calling for the actualization of an independent Biafra state if they had witnessed the devastation Igbos went through during the civil war between 1967 and 1970.
“Our people have invested in other parts of Nigeria. The agitation for Biafra is a grievance being shown in a wrong way because of frustration. The youths are frustrated because many of them have been used and dumped by politicians. Most of these politicians have failed them. The appointment of an Igbo in President Buhari’s cabinet does not translate to infrastructure development.
“All that we need now is the empowerment of our youths. Federal Government should ensure constant power supply so that industries will be established to create jobs to curb restiveness. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop. The Igbo is in support of the President’s anti-corruption fight. The people who have stolen our wealth should be brought to book and the funds recovered plunged in the development of our area,” Chukwuma said.
“We are aggrieved over the state of our roads. There is no federal presence in the South-East. Our prisons are congested among others. Although we did not vote for Buhari, we now know where his administration is going and we have embraced it. Buhari should temper justice with mercy over Biafra agitation and release Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally.” the Arch Bishop appealed.
By Dike Onwuamaeze