By Ishola Adeleke, YeyeNews.com, October 16, 2021
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has told ex-Biafran soldiers to reject the offer of the Nigerian government to pay them gratuities. This admonition was contained in a statement signed by the spokesman of the proscribed group. “Remember you are Biafrans. Don’t betray the memories of the three million of your compatriots that died. Reject any payment from this government”, the statement partly reads.
YeyeNews.com learned that the government is making preparations to pay the gratuity of 102 ex-Biafran soldiers still alive. However, IPOB has continued to reject the offer, describing it as an attempt to bribe the people of the region.
Meanwhile, the Ex-Biafran soldiers under the auspices of Legion of Biafra Veterans (LBV) has assured IPOB that they would only accept the gratuity if it would be paid to them if in Biafran Pound, the currency of Biafra 1967 – 1970. An IPOB insider told YeyeNews.com that the veterans have assured IPOB that they would not accept any gratuity payments from Nigeria.
“We are using this medium to plead with the IPOB leadership to look into the possibility of paying us the gratuity now that we have officially rejected the offer by the Nigeria government”, the LBV secretary wrote in their letter to IPOB. “We know that IPOB does not accept Nigeria currency so we are suggesting to the leadership that they can pay us using foodstuffs. Our members will be very grateful as this will go a long way to ameliorate the hardship we are facing”.
Just before going to press a credible source told YeyeNews.com that some politicians in Anambra State have already started donated foodstuffs to LBV in an effort to gain favour of IPOB in the coming election. The source however declined to mention any name to YeyeNews.com reporters.
