The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Monday lambasted veteran politician and business man, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, for accusing IPOB of endangering $12 trillion investments of Igbos in Nigeria, saying that the elder statesman was speaking from a position of ignorance.
In a statement issued by its Spokesperson, Comrade Emma Powerful, IPOB said its attention has been drawn to “the shameful and cowardly statement credited” Chief Iwuanyanwu that “IPOB is endangering Ndigbo and their investment in Nigeria.”
Iwuanyanwu, who is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said when the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) conferred on him an award as its grand patron in Owerri, Imo state capital, that IPOB is endangering the lives, investments, and properties of Igbos across Nigeria.
The elder statesman noted that the unguarded and provocative comments and actions of the group make Igbos across the country vulnerable to attacks.
But IPOB said in a statement that “such a reckless statement simply smacks of his ignorance of the real genesis of the danger to Igbo investments in Nigeria. Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu should be reminded that he is one of the reasons Aligbo is underdeveloped.
“How many federal contracts were awarded to him for execution in South East especially road projects? How many of them did he faithfully execute? This is the kind of traitor masquerading today as Igbo elder as if he truly cares for Igbo interest.
“In case he doesn’t know, the current crop of Igbo youths are wise enough to identify true Igbo elders, and Iwuanyanwu is not anywhere close on the list. His chameleonic tricks can no longer work under the current dispensation.
“We are not surprised at such loose and careless remark coming from a supposed elder like Iwuanyanwu who has always taken political advantage of every matter”, IPOB said.
Fuming further, IPOB advised Iwuanyanwu “to stop advertising his ignorance of global economics by giving fake analysis of Igbo investments in Nigeria. We are aware, and it’s a public knowledge that the economic power of 54 African countries will come to $26 trillion by the year 2056.
“With this verifiable statistics, one then wonders where ‘Elder’ Iwuanyanwu is getting his fake claims that Igbo investments in Nigeria is already worth over $12 trillion? Therefore, Emmanuel Iwuanyawu must get his records straight before coming out in public to make unverified analysis about Igbo economic power.
“Besides, no matter the amount of investment Ndigbo have in Nigeria, nothing guarantees its safety under the current political structure of the country. In case Iwuanyanwu and his likes do not know, Ndigbo have remained the most endangered species in Nigeria. Their business interests and investment have remained the target of every evil policy in the country.,
Going into history, the statement recalled that the “torrents of barbaric and unprovoked attacks against Igbo, their investments and business interests in different parts of Nigeria predate IPOB. Who then will Iwuanyanwu say exposed Igbo investments to those attacks?
“Was it Kanu or IPOB that caused the genocidal attacks on Igbo that led to the civil war in 1967?, IPOB queried asking people like Iwuanyanwu should to “know that before IPOB came on board, Ndigbo have been marked out for extinction by the oppressors.
“Kanu and his IPOB are only putting their lives at risk to safeguard what remains of Igbo investments and forestall future dangers. Our advice to self-overrated elders like Iwuanyanwu is to travel to Yoruba land and learn how real elders comport themselves. Let them see how Yoruba elite, intellectuals and elders alike have all rallied round their activist, Sunday Ighoho, in his on-going face-off with Fulani herdsmen.”