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Accuses Finland of ‘complicity
Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has accused the self-styled separatist, Simon Ekpa, of playing the script of enemies of Igboland, having allegedly collected huge sums of money to destabilise the region and undermine its progress.
Ohanaeze accused Finland-based Ekpa of using the pro-Biafra struggle and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s name to enrich himself at the expense of the lives, property, and wellbeing of Ndigbo.
It wondered why Finland has continued to harbour and allow Ekpa to use the European nation as a launchpad for what it described as deadly sit-at-home campaigns and destructive incitements.
These were contained in a statement issued by the National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, in Enugu on Sunday.
The group described Ekpa’s sit-at-home orders as part of a deal to destroy the economy and social life of the South East.
“We want to make it abundantly clear to Ndigbo, Nigerians, and the international community that Simon Ekpa is not fighting the cause of Biafra or the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“On the contrary, he has since sold all of us to our enemies, who are bent on destroying us economically, politically, and socially.
"He is also actively working against Kanu’s release in order to continue making money. He knows that the Federal Government will likely continue to detain Kanu so long as Igboland is restive”.
Okwu added, “In the same vein, because South East's loss is the gain of other parts of the country in a federal arrangement, it is obvious that Ekpa is being sponsored and encouraged by forces within and outside to destroy and hold the region down.
"We are already witnessing a high loss of investments and the migration of existing businesses to other parts of Nigeria”.
Ohanaeze also called out the government of Finland for alleged complicity in the bloodletting and havoc in the South East region.
“We put it to the Government of Finland that it cannot count itself innocent of all the atrocities and the killings by enforcers of Ekpa’s insane sit-at-homes in our otherwise peaceful region.
“We cannot stop wondering why such a European society renowned for its value for human life continues to harbour Ekpa and also allow him to freely incite disaster and direct wanton destruction of lives and property in Igboland from their nation. Will Finland also treat him with kid gloves should his utterance or action lead to the death of a single Finnish?” Okwu queried.
The apex body commended Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State for the ban on Monday sit-at-home, which it said had already been abolished by all genuine pro-Biafra groups.
It also threw its weight behind the Enugu State Government's decision to explore the International Criminal Court (ICC) option in ensuring that those behind the crimes against humanity in the state paid for their sins.
“We stand with the Enugu State Government’s position that nobody should be allowed to enjoy life and educate his children in another nation while causing deaths and destruction in another part of the world”, Mazi Okwu concluded.