By Ibe Pascal Arogorn
“May we think of freedom not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right.
For, to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
Over the years, Emma Powerful has been Nnamdi Kanu’s figurehead as far as the group’s image handling is concerned. In fact Emma Powerful IPOB’s official mouthpiece.
The burden of the spokesperson; the spokesperson is the whipping child. He is the patsy and chopping-block for all of the group’s missteps. He takes buffeting but not plaudits. I think it takes a bit of reflection to understand the knotty position spokespersons find themselves. Some of us will do much worse if we are in that stead.
Powerful, one of the personalities who has taken IPOB to great height today has suddenly gone dark. Suddenly, he has been missing in action since his last press statement on August 28.
The suspension of the weekly sit-at-home order in the South-East by the Indigenous People of Biafra has led to a crisis of confidence among its members.
This is as some of the members accused the IPOB leadership of sabotage.
It was learnt that some aggrieved members have expressed disbelief that their leader Nnamdi Kanu knew about the suspension of the order.
Some news outlets had hinted that there was confusion over the recent sit-at-home order by IPOB.
Contrary to an earlier statement by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, that its sit-at-home directive to the people of South East and South-South states was sacrosanct, another statement by the IPOB leader’s younger brother, Kanu-nta Kanu, said the planned sit-at-home order had been suspended.
Later, Ejiofor issued a statement confirming that Kanu approved the suspension of the sit-at-home.
On his part, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the counsel to the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu alleged that the confusion among some IPOB members was caused because of the presence of some “marauder” in IPOB, who are not loyalists of Nnamdi Kanu.
The IPOB statement read in part, “The Indigenous People of Biafra ably led by our great leader Nnamdi Kanu, has told those criticising and insulting the lead counsel of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, to stop and see reason with us for suspending the Monday weekly sit-at-home.
“Some uninformed fellows and mischief makers have been insulting, criticizing and attacking Ifeanyi Ejiofor for giving his nod to the suspension of the Monday weekly sit-at-home. IPOB is also disappointed that despite our earlier explanations on the rationale behind our decision to suspend the Monday sit-at-home order, some fellows are still disparaging our lead counsel and our leadership over the decisions.
“We therefore, wish to advise all those playing the devil’s advocate to desist in their own interest and stop giving our enemies room to mock us. IPOB is a well structured and organised movement with clear cut hierarchical structure as well.
“Henceforth, IPOB will no longer take lightly any act of insubordination from anybody or from any quarter irrespective of one’s status, on our leader’s lawyers. They have not taken any action inimical to the struggle to warrant the embarrassing and undeserved insults from some uninformed folks.
On August 21, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) said Simon Ekpa, the self-acclaimed Finland-based disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, is not a member of the group.
In a statement dated August 21, 2021 and signed by Anthony Obasi and Chika Madu, National Coordinator and National Secretary of IPOB Finland respectively, the group disclosed that Ekpa is not a registered member of the group in Finland.
Ekpa has been in the news for seemingly opposing the modus operandi of the group since the recent arrest and detention of Kanu.
He was sacked as a broadcaster of Radio Biafra for allegedly flouting the rules and regulations guiding the operation of the station.
The Nigerian-Finnish had after his sacking declared that the: “Biafra struggle has entered the autopilot phase, a very dangerous phase that we have no control of what happens. To your tent oh Israel.
“I am Simon Ekpa, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s disciple on Biafra restoration. Changing the narrative of yesterday.”
The group, however, countered his statement saying, “We also wish to clarify that in IPOB we have nothing or nobody known as autopilot. Anybody going by such a title is not IPOB, and is flouting our rules. Anybody claiming to be such should immediately disengage before he is embarrassed.”
In furtherance of the move by the secessionist group to dissociate from Ekpa, according to the statement issued by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, and obtained by Sahara Reporters on Sunday, IPOB said those who deal with Ekpa as a member of IPOB do so to their detriment.
The statement reads, “This is to inform the IPOB family members worldwide over the raging issues as to whether Mazi Simon Ekpa is a registered member of IPOB Finland or not, where he is resident.
“We the IPOB Finland family under the command and leadership of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu wish to make it categorically clear to whom it may concern, that Mazi Simon Ekpa is not a member of IPOB Finland. He has never been part of IPOB before now, and till date he is still not a registered IPOB member, according to our records.
“This memo has been issued to set the records straight before all and sundry, that henceforth, anybody that is dealing with Mazi Ekpa on issues concerning IPOB worldwide will consequently, have him or herself to blame.”
In a WhatsApp message, Simon Ekpa denied his intentions of taking over radio Biafra.
Replying to Maazi Chika Edoziem, he said, “Listening to your broadcasting this evening, it is unbelievable you publicly lied against me”.
“You ( Maazi Chika) said that I told you people to “hand me over Radio Biafra. This is a fat lie and for your information, I recorded that because I knew this will come up”.
The true mark of a leader is the willingness to stick with a bold course of action — an unconventional business strategy, a unique product-development roadmap, a controversial marketing campaign — even as the rest of the world wonders why you’re not marching in step with the status quo. In other words, real leaders are happy to zig while others zag. They understand that in an era of hyper-competition and non-stop disruption, the only way to stand out from the crowd is to stand for something special.
This is not the case in IPOB now, rather chaos, greed and selfish interests are in tussle for the spokesmanship of the group.
Powerful’s last press release was on the 28th of August before he went dark.
Orders and counter orders in IPOB since the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu has exposed yawning gaps in the structure of the organization. It has revealed the level of indiscipline and politics among the people who claim to be fighting for freedom or the fact the organization has been infiltrated by fifth columnists.
No doubt, the continuous Sit-at-home orders in the South-East now, even one observed in Imo over President Buhari’s visit to the state on Thursday, are said to have been contrived by Simon Ekpa, the self-acclaimed disciple of Kanu, as there was no single press release from Emma Powerful before, during or after Buhari’s visit to the state.
Trust can be lost within seconds, takes a lifetime to regain, and is never as strong afterward.
The knives of betrayal and drama cut deep and hurt… but they also trim away the nonsense and reveal your true friends.
Powerful has done much for IPOB to suddenly disappear from the scene. If he has been redeployed, a press statement should announce and introduce the new IPOB spokesman so the public can know which information and communication is validly released by the group.
A scenario of multiple spokespersons in one organization portrays deep-seated chaos in the group.
The question keen observers are asking today is: where is Emma Powerful?
Ibe Pascal Arogorn, journalist and public affairs analyst, writes from Imo state.
Email: Ibepascal858@gmail.com
