Minister of Works Senator David Umahi is facing backlash from various Igbo groups in the diaspora for his remarks suggesting that the agitation for Biafra should be abandoned. Umahi claimed that the Federal Government, under President Bola Tinubu, has resolved all issues related to the marginalization of the Igbo people.
In a statement issued yesterday, groups such as the American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), Rising Sun Foundation, and Ambassadors for Self Determination condemned Umahi’s comments as disrespectful to the Igbo community. They stated that he lacks the authority to represent the interests of the Ndigbo and conveyed that his remarks were seen as a betrayal.
The statement, signed by Dr. Sylvester Onyia, Ben Nwankwo, and Maxwell Dede, reads in part: “We wish to remind Umahi that he does not have the mandate to speak for Ndigbo, and he should not allocate to himself the powers he does not have.”
The groups challenged Umahi to substantiate his claims of improvement in the situation of the Igbo. They noted inconsistencies, such as the ongoing neglect of key infrastructure projects in the South-East, like the Umuahia–Enugu railway, while other regions receive better treatment.
“Is Umahi not aware that there’s no seaport in the South-East while our people are the highest importers in the country? Do we have any functional cargo airport in Igbo land? Do we have federal industries or maritime projects? Other regions have these things. Alaigbo does not,” they asserted.
The statement went on to question the fairness of the imprisonment of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, for alleged terrorism while real terrorists are treated leniently.
These remarks highlight the ongoing tensions surrounding the Biafran agitation and the grievances of the Igbo community regarding perceived inequities and lack of representation.
