Referendum For Biafra Is Non-Negotiable – Simon Ekpa

The self-acclaimed leader of the Biafra Republic Govern­ment in Exile, Mazi Simon Ekpa has accused the Nigerian govern­ment of decades-long injustice, unfairness and marginalisation against Igbos.

He declared that once the Biafra referendum was implemented, there was no turning back.

Ekpa, who doubles as the Prime Minister of BRGIE and a Finland-based lawyer, disclosed this on Friday at a two-day ex­traordinary Biafra referendum convention in Helsinki, Finland.

He explained that the Biafra agitation, which started due to the marginalisation of Igbos in Nigeria, has degenerated into self-preservation.

Speaking at the convention now known as the ‘Biafra Hel­sinki Declaration October 20-21, 2023’, Ekpa stated that the Nigeri­an government is yet to tackle the root of Biafra agitation.

He accused the Nigerian gov­ernment of continued injustice and unfairness against the peo­ple of Biafra.

Ekpa insisted that without equity and fairness, the idea of ‘one Nigeria’ is not sustainable.

Read Also: How Misgovernance Pushed Us Into Biafra Agitation – Ekpa

He added that Biafra should be allowed to have its indepen­dence and liberation.

‘It is as though there is an international conspiracy not to talk about the ongoing conflict in Nigeria.

“For over a decade now, Bi­afrans are again been agitating for freedom. What was initially motivated by agitation against marginalisation has transformed into agitation for self-preserva­tion.

“Agitation for Biafra that re-emerged again more than a decade ago to protest exclusion from governance and margin­alisation regarding resource sharing and infrastructure de­velopment has since turned to agitation for self-preservation.

‘They are yet to make any concessions regarding the funda­mental causes of the agitation in the first place.

‘Citizens of the world have a right to express their displea­sure with their governments, and most reasonable countries respond with dialogue and en­gagement. But in Nigeria, the story is different.

‘Yet people talk about ‘one Nigeria’ No country will be one without inclusion, equity, and justice.

‘Terror against Biafra contin­ued instead of engaging in dia­logue and making a sustained ef­fort to address grievances, which has the opposite effect.

‘You cannot claim one Nige­ria while at the same time exclud­ing segments of the country from the benefits of belonging to the same country.

The Eastern Updates