The apex Igbo socio–cultural organization, Ohaneze Ndigbo, has dissociated itself from the activities of the Biafra agitators.
The group said that Biafra died in 1970 with the surrender by General Philip Effiong, to the Nigerian troops.
Ohaneze Ndigbo called on the youths of the South East and South South involved in pro-Biafra protests to take their frustration to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The group added that Buhari was not responsible for the problems and infrastructural decay of the region, while also declaring support for the All Progressives Congress-led federal government.
Chairman of the forum of Ohaneze state presidents of Ohaneze in all Igbo-speaking states, Elder Chris Eluemunoh, on Friday, said Igbo leaders were against the Biafra agitations, hence, they will never support secession.
Ohaneze Ndigbo called on the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) to embrace dialogue with the government.
“Anybody that has any issue with the federal government should go for dialogue with the president and that is why we went for national conference, Nigeria is a one united country and we do not want any other.
“I believe what the youths are doing is to call the attention of the president to see the infrastructural decay in the zone, this region has been abandoned and neglected and not by Buhari, but by previous administrations started by Olusegun Obasanjo which Goodluck Jonathan also tried to bring back.
“Ohaneze is calling on the federal government to declare state of emergency in the zone on roads for purposes of infrastructural development and that is what the youths are saying, we believe and not secession.
“Our president should forget what happened in the last election and Ohaneze is going to give him full support through prayers and other means and in making sure that Nigeria stays as one indivisible entity.
“Therefore, the youths should stop such agitations for Biafra because Biafra died in 1970 and we are saying it again that Ohaneze will never support it.”
“What they call agitation for Biafra is not in the dictionary of Ohaneze Ndigbo and we will never give it a look in, what Ohaneze is saying is that president Buhari’s administration should be supported to move this country forward,” Eluemunoh said.
