The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Wednesday, rejected the naming of the second Niger Bridge after President Muhammadu Buhari.
IPOB said the bridge should be named Achuzie or other accomplished Igbo patriots, and not Buhari.
Buhari’s Personal Assistant on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, had disclosed that the Second Niger Bridge was named after the President.
A statement by IPOB’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, said: “The attention of the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the command and leadership of our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been drawn to the laughable plan by the Federal Government of Nigeria to name the second Niger Bridge after President Muhammadu Buhari .
“We wish to restate our position on this and reject naming the second Niger bridge after the name of a man who came to power and completely sidelined our people.
“IPOB is vehemently opposed to naming the second Niger Bridge after Buhari. The bridge should rather be called ACHUZIE BRIDGE or other accomplished Igbo patriots. No Igboman has been named after any big project in the north.”
The separatist group also dismissed claims by the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola that its members tried to disrupt the construction of the bridge.
IPOB described the claim credited to Fashola as a lie.
He added: “Again, we want to debunk the allegation by Fashola that IPOB disturbed the construction of second Niger Bridge. This is another lie from the pit of hell. We want to challenge Fashola to substantiate his claims. Did IPOB in any way physical interfere with the construction of the bridge by either directly or indirectly hindering any worker either foreign or local handling the project? Fashola should know that we don’t have his time. He should face his job and not dare us because he is too little to dance to our music.
“South East has more credible names and more important persons who the federal government can name the second Niger bridge after. We have a galaxy of accomplished Africans like Chief Chinua Achebe the writer of (THINGS FALL APART), late Chu Okongwu the renowned economics and a simple man of his time, late Cyprian Ekwensi the author of African Night Entertainment, late Alexander Ekwueme former Vice President of Nigeria, late Chief Michael Okpara former premier of Eastern Region, late Dr Akanu Ibiam, late Mbonu Ojike, late Chief Kenneth Dike the first Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, late Professor Eni Njoku the first Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, late Dora Akunyili, late Dee Sam. O Mbakwe, late Achuzie, late Phillips Efiong and the living legend Chief Amaechi Mbazuruike.
All these names mentioned above are eminently qualified for the second Niger Bridge be named after them.
