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IPOB faults British envoy on indivisible Nigeria comment

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IPOB faults British envoy on indivisible Nigeria comment

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has criticised the comment allegedly made by the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Paul Arkwright that the United Kingdom would continue to support one indivisible Nigeria.

The High Commissioner was said to have made the statement at the Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State, when he delivered a public lecture entitled, “Brexit: Lessons, Challenges and Opportunities for Nigeria.”

But IPOB reacting to the comment in a statement on Wednesday through its spokespersons, Dr. Ikenna Chinaka and Mrs. Grace Ukpai, wondered how a seasoned diplomat like Mr. Arkwright’s, would make such statement.

It said that the High Commissioner should have been knowledgeable enough to understand the position of international law and protocol concerning the right of people to self-determination.

Part of the statement read, “The point IPOB is making is to the effect that, in the exercise of the sovereign powers bestowed on it, an artificial creation like the Nigerian state or indeed any other country, can limit its own sovereignty or surrender a part of same.

“The truth as it stands is that the Nigerian state has, out of its own volition, already surrendered Nigerian sovereignty over Bakassi Peninsula, which therefore enables any part of Nigeria or section thereof to secede when they so decide, contrary to the wishes and ambitions of the neo-colonialists like Mr. Arkwright. This is equally true and remains same for even Great Britain whom Mr. Arkwright represents in Nigeria.

“Article 20 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Right most lucidly proclaims in clear language that: All peoples shall have the right to existence. They shall have the unquestionable and inalienable right to self-determination. They shall freely determine their political status and shall pursue their economic and social development according to the policy they have freely chosen.

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“The British High Commissioner should acknowledge that Nigerian, as presently constituted, has voluntarily, by domesticating Article 20 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Right, accepted to give fillip to any section of the country wishing to secede by facilitating the exercise of that undeniable right through referendum, as was recently done in the United Kingdom regarding Scotland.

“Arkwright should impress upon the Nigerian government the imperative of discharging its obligation under the UN Declaration and African Charter, to facilitate a referendum for a peaceful Biafra exit from Nigeria.

“It is our hope that Arkwright appreciates this new reality, otherwise we would be forced to draw the alternative inference that he set out to test the will and resolve of IPOB. This would be most unfortunate if it were to be so since the pervasive consequences of such an action will not spare anyone trying to subvert the will of the Biafran people.”

IPOB is one of the groups from the eastern part of the country demanding for the independent of the region from Nigeria.

 

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