Civil Rights Group drops comment on IPOB, MASSOB

A civil rights organization, the Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has described secessionist groups in the country, particularly those agitating for the realization of Biafra as ‘aggressors’ who are out to intimidate Nigerians.

The Executive Director of the group, Joyce Adamu, said this in Abuja, while commending the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Denys Gauer, for his recent comments on the Biafran agitation.

According to her, Gauer’s proclamation that the French government will not support the succession of any part of Nigeria is commendable.
While stressing that most individuals calling for the secession of Nigeria know nothing about Nigeria’s civil war, she urged other world leaders to recommit to Nigeria’s unity.

She said, “It is fifty years now and France’s most senior diplomat to Nigeria in the person of Ambassador Denys Gauer has made an assertion that is a pathway to correcting the error his nation made five decades ago. France that we know takes it time to analyze options before striking for the one that best satisfies its strategic national interests.

“That these interests have morphed in the intervening years to recognize that the future lies in the unity of Nigeria deserves recognition and commendation.

“Our expectations are that countries that formally recognized Biafra in those dark days – Gabon, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Tanzania and Zambia and the ones that like

France provided support and assistance to Biafra like Israel, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), South Africa and the Vatican City to all toe the French example and repudiate any form of support for partitioning of the contemporary Nigeria.

“CESJET further called on other world powers to rally behind the bold statement stance of the US, UK and now France to disown all insurgent or separatist groups or organizations that commit criminality against the Nigerian state under the guise of campaigning for self rule.

“We are aware that these groups go out to call the Queen of England, the President of the US, with the French Ambassador being a new addition, all manners of unprintable names. Such belligerent attitude is proof that members of these groups are the aggressors while the majority of Nigerians are victims of their extremism.”