Edwin Clark: IPOB is dreaming if they think south-south will be part of Biafra

Edwin Clark, an Ijaw leader, says the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is dreaming if they think states in the south-south will be included in the proposed Republic of Biafra.

Speaking with BBC Pidgin on Friday, Clark described IPOB as being “unrealistic”, adding that he does not agree with the way the group is fighting their cause.

“How can Delta be part of Biafra? In what way? Is Biafra older than or bigger than Delta?” he asked.

“How can Rivers state or Akwa Ibom become part of Biafra? They are dreaming thinking about the eastern region of those days.

“They are very unrealistic boys. To me, IPOB is not pursuing the right thing.

“When this war was fought, I told the IPOB leader he was not born at the time. I’ve never met him, but I have challenged him and he has also challenged me that I was the slave of the north — that was how he branded me.

“I told him he has a good fight, that the people of the east are being neglected. They have only five states, whereas other regions have six. One, in fact, has seven. Based on what? Nobody knows.

“For every appointment that is being made in this country, the Igbo are shortchanged. If they are distributing universities per state, they will have five. South-south and south-west will have six, north-west will have seven, but the Igbos formed the third leg of this country when it was created.

“So, they have a good complaint, but not the way they are going about it.”

He added that he hopes the federal government gives the IPOB leader a fair trial, adding that the Kenyan government needs to address the claim on their alleged involvement in Kanu’s repatriation to Nigeria.