January 30, 2017
Press Statement
PUNCH NEWSPAPER AND THEIR DESCENT INTO BROWN-ENVELOPE JOURNALISM
The
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have noticed that the Punch
Newspaper excels in and derives its funding from brown envelope
journalism. We conclude that the Punch Newspaper is now partially owned
by both the State Security Services (SSS) and Raphael Lebeanya
Uwazuruike. We are not surprised, therefore, that the Punch Newspaper is
doing the bidding of the SSS and Uwazuruike who is also popularly known
as the modern-day “IFEAJUNA“ in Biafra. For quite some time now, we
have keenly noticed the outright lies reported on the pages of Punch
Newspaper regarding the activities of IPOB. We overlooked these baseless
and unverifiable lies until we saw the publication of January 29, 2017,
in which the Punch Newspaper was forced by the SSS and Uwazuruike
a.k.a. IFEAJUNA to report that IPOB is being sponsored by politicians.
To
set the records straight, one of the cardinal rules in IPOB is that we
don’t mingle with politicians nor do we accept any monetary gift or
inducement from any politician. This is one of the greatest frustrations
of certain governors who have tried everything within their powers to
induce IPOB with money, but were roundly rebuffed. We call upon the
public to contact their aides for confirmation of our claims. IPOB is a
global mass-movement that no single individual is capable of funding
because we are in over 100 countries and territories all over this
earth. Who in their right mind in Nigerian politics can afford what it
takes to fund IPOB we ask? IPOB depends on monthly contributions of
dedicated family members all over the world for its sustenance. We do
not have moneybags nor do we have politicians among us with bags of
money to sponsor our activities and never will. It will constitute an
insult to the memory of our fallen heroes and departure from our
principled stance should IPOB seek to accept the engagement of
politicians in our activities.
It
is appalling therefore that Punch Newspaper with its decades of
existence has now descended so low to the point of joining forces with a
known criminal and fake lawyer, who forged a law certificate and never
went to law school like Raphael Uwazuruike a.k.a. IFEAJUNA did and with
the lawless murderous outfit SSS, which has violated the very laws it’s
answerable to. The unconstitutional (DSS) which is now notorious all
over the world for their flagrant disobedience to court orders and
disdain for the rule of law is not an organisation any reputable media
house should be doing business with. We know times are hard economically
and media houses are looking, like the rest society, to maximise
income. Such pursuit of monetary inflow should not be at the expense of
proper investigative journalism. A newspaper like the Punch should not
be in the business of peddling lies and gossip for discredited criminals
like Uwazuruike who every Biafran knows is a traitor and the reason why
the restoration of Biafra has taken so long. The Punch Newspaper has
fallen so low that the bribe money it received from SSS and Uwazuruike
a.k.a. IFEAJUNA made it impossible to differentiate between a protest
and a rally. For the avoidance of doubts, IPOB held a rally, and not a
protest, at Igweocha (PortHarcourt) in support of the 45th President of
the USA, Mr. Donald J. Trump. From 2016 to date, IPOB has had only one
protest, and it was a sit-at-home protest which held on Friday,
September 23, 2016.
Before
the rally of January 20th, 2017, we wrote a letter to the Rivers State
Police Command and the SSS intimating them of our plans to hold a rally
in support of President Trump. All media houses in Nigeria were sent a
copy of the letter including Punch Newspaper. But because of monetary
inducements from the SSS and Uwazuruike a.k.a. IFEAJUNA, the Punch
Newspaper has suddenly developed selective amnesia and inability to tell
between a protest and a rally. It is also alarming that the Punch
Newspaper will report that mere holding of the American flag is now a
violent act or a way of provoking the Nigerian security to shoot live
bullets at unarmed and peaceful Biafrans. In essence, the Punch
Newspaper is telling the entire world that Nigeria is at war with
America, hence anyone holding American flag is an enemy combatant and
must be mowed down with bullets.
We
reiterate that IPOB under the leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has no
dealings with any politician. We throw a challenge via this press
statement that if there is any politician who claims that he or she has
donated a dime to IPOB funds, let that person come out and provide the
evidence in secret to Punch Newspaper. We are aware that there are
mushroom organizations who append IPOB to their name in order to get
gratifications from politicians. Some of them have even signified their
intention to abandon the quest for Biafra restoration and venture into
Nigerian politics, using the upcoming Gubernatorial election in Anambra
state as a launch pad. In IPOB, we are cognizant of the fact that
Schedule-7 of the General Abdulsalami-written Constitution is a
show-stopper for any Biafran who engages in Nigerian politics. It is
practically impossible to continue with Biafra restoration process with
Schedule-7 still in existence in Nigerian Constitution.
The reason is
that every Nigerian politician must subscribe to Schedule-7 of the
Constitution before assuming any office. We therefore warn the public to
note that our name is simply Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), no
additions, no subtractions. Any organisation with any alphabet before or
after IPOB in their name is not the same mighty IPOB led by Nnamdi Kanu
that the whole world is talking about.
Uwazuruike
a.k.a IFEAJUNA instead was the person that collected money from
politicians to fund MASSOB. Had Punch Newspapers ever bothered to
research the drivel Uwazuruike paid them to publish, they would have
discovered this YouTube video of the eternally hungry Uwazuruike
accepting money from an Igbo governor, that MASSOB may campaign for this
PDP candidate.
Click on the YouTube link to see for yourself-
https://youtu.be/0cffUdSBYOY
how Uwazuruike is the person collecting money from politicians but
turns around to maliciously accuse IPOB of doing what he has been doing
for years. IPOB is not MASSOB, the same way the great Mazi Nnamdi Kanu
can never be another hungry, insatiable Ifeajuna Raphael “Lebeanya”
Uwazuruike. There is a clear difference between light and darkness.
The
Punch Newspaper is at this moment warned to desist from this contract
of attempting to taint the clean image of IPOB because of monetary
inducements from the SSS and Raphael Lebeanya Uwazuruike a.k.a. IFEAJUNA
the hotelier cum property developer. We are aware of the shame and
dishonour Uwazuruike has brought to the effort to restore Biafra because
of his poverty stricken childhood and need to accumulate wealth using
the sacred name of Biafra. IPOB led by Nnamdi Kanu is here to lead
Biafrans to freedom regardless of the human and material cost. That is
the reason why we must continue to march until we are free men or we all
die trying.
The fact that Uwazuruike was born poor and grew up
surrounded by hardship, which led him to abandon Biafra in search of
wealth, does not mean others are like him. It’s on record throughout
history that those brought up in abject poverty like Uwazuruike has
never and can never lead a successful revolution. Freedom fighting
everywhere in history is led by educated men from middle class
background by the standards of that very society, not by those who are
motivated by the need to escape the psychological damage caused by
childhood poverty.
That is the reason why we know, with every degree of
certainty, that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will lead Biafrans to freedom. We
therefore assert that IPOB is impregnable by Nigerian politicians and we
shall never accept any money from them. Collectively, we (IPOB) shall
fund the Biafra restoration process until our goal is achieved. The
restoration of the nation of Biafra can never be derailed by the
brown-envelope journalism of Punch Newspaper. Biafra restoration is a
divine project whose time has come, and Chukwu Okike Abiama has ordained
that it must come to pass.
For us it remains, Biafra or Death!!!
Signed
Barrister Emma Nmezu
Dr. Clifford Chukwuemeka Iroanya
Spokespersons for IPOB
The very day IPOB will deside to carry Arms! That day will mark the end of Nigeria
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