‘Umahi Doesn’t Represent Igbos’ – Pan-Igbo Groups Criticize Minister

Minister of Works Dave Umahi has come under fire from a group of pan-Igbo self-determination campaigners for his recent assertion that Biafra agitation is no longer required.

Speaking during a tour of ongoing government projects in the South-East, Umahi stated that President Bola Tinubu’s integration of the region into Nigeria’s mainstream eliminated the need for Biafra movement.

In a joint statement on Saturday, the American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), Ambassadors for Self-Determination (ASD), and Rising Sun Foundation (RSF) asserted that the minister lacks the authority to speak on behalf of Ndigbo.

Ben Nwankwo, for Ambassadors for Self Determination, Maxwell Dede, for the Rising Sun Foundation, and Sylvester Onyia, AVID, signed a declaration headlined “David Umahi lacks the powers to speak for Ndigbo.”

The pan-Igbo rights organizations responded to Umahi’s remarks by cautioning the minister against giving himself authority that he does not possess.

Senator David Umahi made an unguarded statement that caught our attention: “Ndigbo should forget about Biafra agitation because the Federal Government has addressed all of their challenges.” We thus want to remind him that he is not authorized to speak on behalf of Ndigbo. He shouldn’t give himself more power than he already possesses. Given that he stated that he does not believe in Biafra, Biafrans do not believe in traitors such as himself. He doesn’t have the authority to speak for the people or put an end to the movement, but no one is forcing him to join the fights.

We have witnessed serial betrayers like him who, after being exploited and abandoned by their slave owners, are now living in regret. Dave Umahi does not represent Ndi Igbo. Alaigbo is not represented by him. Biafraland is not represented by him. He doesn’t even speak for everyone in Ebonyi State; he only talks for himself.

The activists said that Umahi’s assertion that Ndigbo are no longer marginalized is offensive to Ndigbo sensibilities.

What has been done for Alaigbo by Tinubu’s government or the federal government?
What has Alaigbo benefited from Tinubu’s presidency? The Lagos-Kano and Katsina-Niger Republic sections are operational, so why is the Umuahia-Enugu railway still dormant? Why does one state in the South-West have four ministers but the South-East still has just five, including two junior ministers?

“Is Umahi unaware that the South-East lacks a harbor despite the fact that our people are the nation’s top importers? Is there a cargo airport on Igbo land that is operational? Are there any significant federal industries or maritime initiatives? There are similar things in other areas. According to the statement, Alaigbo does not.

“So when someone like Umahi tries to speak for Ndigbo, we must ask: what exactly is he defending?” the pan-Igbo activists questioned, further denouncing the minister’s remarks. Why is Mazi Nnamdi Kanu imprisoned for life but the actual terrorists and mass mothers are allowed to roam freely and receive lighthearted treatment?

The activists claimed that the British government and “a few Nigerian politicians like Umahi” supported Kanu’s imprisonment because they prioritized their own comfort over justice.

This explains why people are upset. For this reason, individuals feel deceived. Anyone who contributes to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s incarceration is working against the Igbo people. Umahi needs to understand that saboteurs will always be on the losing side of history.

In order to protect themselves throughout the persecution in Europe, some Jews denied being Jewish, but this did not end the suffering, “and it did not stop the creation of Israel in 1948,” according to the statement.

Therefore, it is not new for Umahi to deny Biafra today. Locals have previously betrayed one another. History hasn’t stopped because of it. Compared to Umahi, Biafra is larger.
The fight for Biafra is not about Umahi. It’s not about scheduling. It’s not about winning over Abuja. Justice, decency, and self-respect are at the center of it. It might be sabotaged by some. They will not succeed, the campaigners emphasized.

Similarly, the Rising Sun Foundation, American Veterans of Igbo Descent, and Ambassadors for Self-Determination reiterated their call for Nnamdi Kanu’s prompt release.

They also insisted that Umahi be held responsible for the South-East’s violence.

“Umahi should not give us cause to believe that he is among those who are impeding the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. He was one of the guys that caused chaos to our people by creating Ebube Agu. The statement went on, “Those who founded Ebube Agu should be held responsible for the crimes in Igbo territory that are frequently mistakenly attributed to IPOB and ESN.”