News
Biafra: IPOB sacks Nnmadi Kanu, gives reasons
The Director of Strategy and Documentation of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Olisa Mbakwe on Monday announced that its leader, Nnamdi Kanu has been sacked from the group.
Mbakwe said Kanu was fired for placing more value on his dog than those murdered in the struggle for the realisation of Biafra.
Speaking during Sunday’s broadcast from his base in Israel, Kanu mourned his dog and “a few other people” in his compound, who lost their lives when military men invaded the place in September 2017.
Kanu had said during the broadcast, “The Army of the zoo killed my dog Jack and a few other people in my compound. I am sorry for what my sureties are passing through, but I want to assure them that they will have a special place in Biafra. I shall not be honouring the court.”
Reacting, Mbakwe described Kanu as an “insensitive and callous leader that has no value for his own followers but rather his dog, Jack whom he paid tributes to after his long disappearance from the struggle”.
In a statement he personally signed, Mbakwe, of IPOB, also insisted that Kanu was a “traitor not worthy of any leadership position anywhere in the world”.
He stated that Kanu was removed for reasons which included, “personalisation of the Biafran struggle and derailing from the core objectives of IPOB as a grassroots movement”.
The statement read: “On Sunday, October 21, 2018, an individual, Mazi Nnamdi Nwanekaenyi Kanu, claiming to be the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Director General of Radio Biafra made a live broadcast that has left us perplexed, because it is unthinkable that someone will impersonate IPOB to the point of plotting to abuse the organization to hurt the interest of Biafra.
“The strength of the Republic of Biafra that we are struggling to actualize, is in its human resources as embodied in our versatile youths that dominate the fields of play across sectors of human endeavor; the country we have set our vision on creating is therefore not to be made up of tombstones but of people fulfilling their life missions as ordained by God.
“Nnamdi Kanu relinquished his position as the leader of IPOB struggle the day he deserted our members to die, when they had mobilized to stand for our belief in Biafra at his residence in Afaraukwu. Several of our members were injured and some died in that encounter and even after emerging from hiding more than one year later all Kanu could do was to desecrate their memory with his radio broadcast. Nnamdi Kanu vividly, specifically and particularly recalled his family dog, Jack, by name while he dismissed our members that died as mere statistics — he only recalled them as 28 IPOB members.
“Even if Kanu had not deserted, there is no way we would have continued under the leadership of a man that values his family dog more than Biafrans.
“We are not unmindful of how Kanu struck the deal that granted him bail in the first place while abandoning our members, Benjamin Madubugwu, David Nwawusi, Bright Chimezie Ishinwa and Chidiebere Onwudiwe to languish in jail. Instead of using his freedom to accelerate the freedom of these authentic freedom fighters, he rather went about Biafra land receiving obeisance from Biafrans like a monarch, when our dear land is completely republican. The travails of these our brothers are not over yet and might have been worsened by Kanu’s live broadcast, which has totally upset us.
“In line with the decisions earlier announced on Radio Biafra on November 17, 2017 that Mazi Ezenwachukwu Sampson Okwudili is the new director for the radio, we reaffirm that Mazi Nnamdi Nwanekaenyi Kanu remains sacked as the Director of Radio Biafra and has also been removed as the leader of IPOB since he has proven he is not a worthy leader that respects the sanctity of the lives of our members.
“Following interventions by our leaders, considerations were being made to reverse the earlier announcement but after studying the Kanu’s live broadcast from Israel we came to the painful conclusion that we cannot make progress with our vision of Biafra, when one man has completely personalized and commercialized the struggle. The decision to drop Nnamdi Kanu from playing leading roles in IPOB affairs is hereby upheld. We shall announce replacements after consultations with the various stakeholders.”
The headquarters of Heritage Bank at Victoria Island, Lagos, was besieged on Thursday by members of the labour union, protesting the recent dismissal of 1,000 support workers.
The National President of the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees, Comrade Anthony Abakpa, led the demonstration, condemning the bank’s management for what he deemed a lack of adherence to due process in the termination of employment contracts.
Speaking during the protest, Comrade Abakpa asserted that the leadership of Heritage Bank failed to follow established protocols before executing the mass layoffs.
He emphasised the union’s commitment to pursuing justice for the affected workers, vowing to escalate their demands until the bank’s management rectifies the situation.
“We will intensify our demands for justice,” declared Comrade Abakpa, urging the bank’s management to take corrective action to address the grievances of the dismissed workers.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, clarified that Nigeria is not utilising its foreign reserves to bolster the naira, despite recent fluctuations in reserve levels.
Speaking from Washington DC, where he is attending the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Spring Meetings, Cardoso highlighted the influx of $600 million into Nigeria’s reserves account within the past two days.
While the naira has experienced a notable appreciation against the dollar in recent weeks, climbing over 40% from approximately N1,900/$ to about N1,000/$1, Nigeria’s foreign reserves have been dwindling. As of April 15, reserves dropped to approximately $32.29 billion, marking the lowest level in over six years.
Cardoso emphasised that the shifts in reserves are typical for any country, where various financial obligations, such as debt repayments, necessitate withdrawals.
He stated, “What you’ve seen with respect to the shift in our reserves is normal in any country’s reserves where, for example, debts are due and certain payments need to be made. They are made because that is also part of keeping your credibility.”
Continuing, Cardoso underscored the dynamic nature of the market, advocating for a system driven by willing buyers, willing sellers, and price discovery.
He emphasised, “The shift in our reserves has really little or nothing to do with defending the naira, and that is certainly not our objective.”
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has made headlines by announcing a further reduction in the price of diesel, dropping it from ₦1200 to ₦1000 naira per litre.
The refinery’s decision comes on the heels of its recent supply at a significantly reduced price of ₦1200 per litre, which was introduced three weeks ago, signifying a remarkable 30 per cent decrease from the previous market price of approximately ₦1600 per litre.
This substantial reduction in diesel prices at Dangote Petroleum Refinery is expected to reiterate positively throughout various sectors of the economy, potentially serving as a catalyst in alleviating the persistently high inflation rate in the country.
In a statement last week, Aliko Dangote, Africa’s wealthiest individual and the owner of the refinery, expressed his optimism regarding the potential impact of the price reduction on inflation in Nigeria.
“I believe that we are on the right track. I believe Nigerians have been patient, and I also believe that a lot of goodies will now come through. There’s quite a lot of improvement because if you look at it, one of the major issues that we’ve had was the naira devaluation that has gone very aggressively up to about ₦1900,” he remarked.
As anticipation builds around the implications of this move by Dangote Petroleum Refinery, stakeholders and consumers alike remain hopeful for the positive effects it could bring to the Nigerian economy in the coming months.
-
Opinion3 days agoTinubu’s Naira Miracle: Abracadabra or Economic Wizardry? | By Adeniyi Olowofela
-
Politics3 days ago
Why Oyo State cannot afford another 3 years of Makinde’s mismanagement of council funds
-
News1 week ago
FERMA House C’ttee Chair, Oseni Consoles Sen. Buhari over mum’s death
-
Politics1 week ago
APC Urges Fairness in Oyo LG Election
