Biafra Nations Youth League (BNYL) Faults Niger Delta Elders On South-South Presidency, Biafra
The Biafra Nations Youth League, BNYL, has described the agitation for South-South Presidency in 2023 as baseless. The Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF through its National Publicity Secretary Sara Igbe said today that the Presidency should be zoned to the South-South while the South-East continues to agitate for Biafra. Addressing newsmen in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Chief Press Secretary of BNYL, Comrade Richard Odung lambasted the PANDEF for making such claims that the South-East prefers Biafra while the South-South wants 2023 Presidency. "It is laughable for a reasonable elder to reason so low. When has the Biafra that Akwa Ibom fought for, the Biafra that Cross River fought for, or the Biafra that many Rivers people fought for become a South-East project? Does he know that it was the Ibibio that were in full control of the Eastern Government and then the Biafran Republic, apart from Ojukwu the rest top figures before and during the war were my people. We were in charge of Radio Biafra, we were in charge of the Biafra Military as Chief of General Staff, the Eastern and Biafra Government Secretary was an Ibibio man, others were Cross Riverians.
98% of our war veterans are former Biafran Soldiers." he said.
Odung stated that the PANDEF does not have the mandate of the entire tribes in the South-south to decide on what the people want "I see PANDEF as Edwin Clerk creation, it does not have our mandate, how many Cross Riverians are in the forum, how many Ibibio apart from Obong Attah who he lobbied to join him to demand for oil well in Abuja. How many Igbo speaking people of Rivers and Delta States are in PANDEF? How many Ogoni and Andoni are there? To me, I see an Ijaw interest group speaking for a multiethnic region. If that is so, the Ibibio was the most affected during the war and we deserve that Presidency because we suffered just as the Igbos suffered. We lost everything. We were also given £20 pounds along with the Igbos to start life afresh. We don't want anybody who pretends to speak for us in other to attract sympathy and bring his tribes man as Presidential candidate".
The group has also revealed that they will be holding a National Convention at Ikom LGA of Cross River State. Every 12th of April, the group marks their resolution known as "Ekukunela Declaration", a declaration made in the town of Ekukunela , in Ofutop 1, Ikom LGA, Cross River State on 12 april 2016.
The BNYL Chief Press Secretary said that the declaration contains their existing cooperation with the Southern Cameroons, a product of British conspiracy in splitting some Eastern tribes into Nigeria and Cameroon. Nemesis of the Biafran war over Bakassi Peninsula and the their mission statement of policy is a strong resolution of the group. He further stated that marking such historic declaration every year will keep the memories fresh in the minds of the members and supporters.