The United States Military Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID) has urged for Nigeria’s return to its 1960/63 regional autonomy believing that this is the only way to mitigate Nigeria’s socio-economic and security problems.
In an open letter from Florida USA it addressed to Nigerians at home and in the diaspora dated August 16, 2024 captioned ” Return Nigeria to 1960/63 Regional Autonomy or Risk Total Collapse” the AVID posited that Nugeria risks total collapse if it fails to return to this 1960/63 regional autonomy.
The letter jointly signed by Chief Dr. Sylvester Onyia and Dr Godson Obiagwu as AVID President and Secretary respectively, also called for the release of the detained and prosecuted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra ( IPOB ), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
AVID recalled that In 2017, shortly after the IPOB leader was freed from illegal detention, he ( Mazi
Nnamdi Kanu ) , the late Prof. Ben Nwabueze, Evangelist Elliot U. Uko, and the South-East governors met
in Enugu state to discuss the demands of the Biafran people.
” On August 30, 2017, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu
made these demands before the South-East governors, who were chaired by Engr. Dave Umahi which demands they listed in the letter as;
– making Enugu a grade one international airport so that our people in different parts of the world can
easily fly in without having to stop over first in any part of Nigeria.
– dredging River Niger to reduce the heavy loss of importation which our
people who dominate the sector painfully bear, upgrading to a functional Cargo airport, the Owerri airport which their people contributed monies to build during the days of late Dr Sam Mbakwe as Imo state governor.
Others were making Port Harcourt Sea Ports to operate in full capacity to enable big Ships berth therein and the revival of all moribund industries in the South-East and South-South to
provide job opportunities for thousands of our youths and graduates from higher institutions.
AVID stated that it was sequel to the announcement of Kanu’s demands to the South-East,that he reiterated that if they fail to address these problems, Biafrans will demand a referendum on their status as foreigners in Nigeria.
And that it was at that point that Prof. Ben Nwabueze informed him ( Kanu ) that Nigeria was better off under the 1960s–1963 Constitution – a restructured Nigeria
Implying that it was due to Kanu’s respect for Prof. Ben Nwabueze as his father, that he ( Kanu ) consented to
restructuring along the 1960 to 1963 Constitution, up until two weeks later, when Nigerian government security agents broke into his home in Isiama Afaraukwu Ibeku, in Umuahia North Council, Abia state of Nigeria and killed twenty-eight persons.
AVID decried that some people today call Mazi Kanu names and even a terrorist because they didn’t know what he stood for.
” Many lives were lost when Biafrans imprisoned in all government detention facilities across Nigeria, some of them were shot and killed, but no account of their deaths was provided just because they were Biafrans. His parents died because they were unable to withstand the shock.
” In light of this fact that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is still being held without authorization, both the North and the South have agreed that Nigeria should be restructured.
” The South-East Development Commission is something that the East is proud of. It wasn’t accidental, rather, it was the outcome of the very change-agitation that the IPOB and its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, supported. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu defends humankind in battle”.
AVID concluded the letter with emphatic ” Release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu now!” call.
