Go About Biafra Agitation Responsibly -Uma Ukpai
The president of Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association, Dr Uma Ukpai, has appealed to those agitating for or against the creation of Independent State of Biafra to go about it responsibly, stressing that no agitation should result in loss of life.
Speaking with newsmen in Uyo recently, Dr Ukpai debunked media publications which tended to portray him as anti- Biafra or anti- Nigeria since he is both a Nigerian and a Biafran.
“Rev. Ukpai is a Nigerian; he is also a Biafran. He is one man in three places. I said that the Biafran boys agitating are Nigerians. But when you think of harming your brother, then it is crazy. Every Biafran as at today is a Nigerian until they are handed the flag of their independence. Every man who calls himself a Biafran today is a Nigerian,” he explained.
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According to him, the approach for the emergence of Biafra and the approach by the Federal Government to kick against the agitation were both wrong since each side was claiming right.
“We should agitate for whatever we want without killing anybody. I had said that before and I’m saying it again that Nigerians love one another; it is only the leaders that are spoiling for war. So don’t destroy a life you cannot replace because of agitation.
Rev Ukpai said the agitation for Biafra is beyond Igbo presidency, as the struggle started even before Nigerian Civil War in the 60s.
He condemned the recent attack by the Presidency on the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pst. Enoch Adeboye, over his comment on the need to restructure Nigeria, stressing that the Redeemed pastor is entitled to express his reservations.
“Adeboye, like every other person should be allowed to say his mind. I don’t think he is not entitled to his opinion. He is a man of God and not a small boy. He must have seen the civil war and these things made him make the deductions,” he said.
Commenting on the Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), which empowers the federal or the state government to take over the leadership of a church that has crisis, Dr Ukpai simply queried, “You mean for governments to take over the trustees of the church if there occurs problem in the church, then who will take over governments when there is crisis among them?”
