The Apex youth body in South-South, the ijaw Youth Council, IYC, worldwide, has taken a swipe at the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State Of Biafra (MASSOB) for claiming that the South South region is part of the Biafra territory.
In a statement made available to the newsmen and signed by the Spokesman for Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide, Barr. Henry Iyalla, said the region is separate from Biafra.
The statement reads thus: “The attention of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide has been drawn to a statement credited to one MASSOB leader, Solomon Chukwu published in the Vanguard and other newspapers of Tuesday June 6, 2017 declaring that the south-south region is included in the territory of Biafra which MASSOB, IPOB and other self-determination movements are agitating for. This comment has been made by other Biafra leaders in different forums. For the records, the IYC wishes to state as follows:
- That the Ijaw and Niger Delta people identifies with the Biafra struggle for self-determination.
- However, we wish to state clearly that the Ijaw and Niger Delta struggle for self-determination predates the Biafra agitations. It is on record that even before the Biafra declaration of independence in 1967, Major Jasper Adaka Boro during the twelve days revolution declared a Niger- Delta Republic in 1966. This was before the advent and struggle for the actualization of Biafra.
- The Ijaw and Niger Delta people had always maintained separate and distinct identity from our Igbo brothers of the South East.
- While we share in the Biafra agitation for self-determination which is not in any way different from our agitation; we wish to clearly state that the Ijaw areas are not part and parcel of the territory of Biafra.
- We will collaborate with our south eastern, middle belt and any other minority groups in the quest for self-determination based on mutual respect and common understanding. In the coming days, we will start the constructive engagement on these terms”, the statement was quoted as saying.
