FG must listen to MASSOB, IPOB, others –OPC

NATIONAL President of Oodua People’s Con­gress, Chief Gani Adams, said at the weekend that the Federal Government must hold talks with the Movement for the Actual­isation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), In­digenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and others agitat­ing for a Biafra republic.

Adams said it was only through dialogue that the agitators could be per­suaded to drop the idea of a Biafra state, saying the use of force cannot guar­antee Nigeria’s unity.

The OPC leader spoke about the agitation and the clash between the Nige­rian Army and the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) in Osogbo after he was honoured as a culture ambassador by the Nigeria Union of Journalists Cor­respondents Chapel, Osun State at the weekend.

“I will just say that they (Biafra agitators) are entitled to self-determina­tion. Look, there is a law in Africa, which recognis­es right to self-determina­tion. Also, there is a law in the United Nations, which recognises right to self-determination. There is a country in the United Na­tions that has a population of not up to 50,000 and their flag is at the United Nations.

“You cannot use force to co-opt people for the unity of Nigeria; you have to listen to their agi­tation. If we cannot give you secession, should we give you statism or regionalism? That is a negotiation process. The British did not use force against Scotland when it seceded from Britain, and there is Catalona in Spain that wants to pull out, they didn’t use force against them.”

He warned that killing of Biafra supporters, who celebrated the Federal High Court ruling order­ing the unconditional re­lease of Radio Biafra di­rector, Nnamdi Kanu, last week, was a very serious problem.

Adams also condemned the killing of members of IMN by soldiers in Zaria.