The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Monday declared that it wants an independent nation of Biafra and not additional states in the Southeast.

There have been moves to create an additional 31 new states in Nigeria, including five states from the Southeast.

The proposed states are Etiti State, Adada State, Urashi State, Orlu State, and Aba State.

However, IPOB’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, said the current states are bankrupt and not functioning properly.

In a statement he signed, Powerful said:

“Following the rumours that the Nigerian Government and the National Assembly proposed to create an additional 31 new states in Nigeria, we, the global family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) worldwide, wish to categorically state that Biafrans do not want the creation of new states. Instead of multiplying economically bankrupt states, the unworkable Nigerian unity should be dissolved.

“The IPOB movement is against the creation of new states because the existing states are bankrupt and not functioning properly. Creating more states is tantamount to creating more confusion, disunity, and insecurity. Nigerians are suffering because of the faulty foundations of the Nigerian state and the insurmountable corruption in the Nigerian government.

“Nigerian politicians are deep to their necks in corruption. Corruption has eaten into every fabric of Nigerian society. Hence, no amount of multiplication of states and security agencies will solve Nigerians’ monumental corruption, insecurity, and other problems. Nigeria is a country founded on fraud, sustained in fraud, and incapable of sustaining human and capital development. Any society built on fraud cannot stand. That is why IPOB and other rational indigenous minds in Nigeria are calling for the dissolution of Nigeria.

“At their flag independence given to them by the British in 1960, Nigeria had three major regions. Later, the Mid-Western Region was created after a referendum, making it the fourth region. These regions were progressive and competitive because they enjoyed constitutionally granted autonomy. However, Nigeria’s woes started when a genocidist, ‘Jack’ Gowon, and his clueless Supreme Military Council created 12 states in order to divide Biafrans and prevent them from fighting the war of 1967-1970 in unison. Gowon’s decision to divide and carve out some ethnic groups from one region to another was the beginning of ethnic tensions in Nigeria today. Such an ethnically bigoted decision destroyed the autonomy of the regions, leading to this useless federal system that has resulted in the country’s economic and security woes.

“To add salt to injury, a heartless murderer, Murtala Muhammad, created more states and increased Nigeria to 19 states, favoring the Northern Region with more states than the South. In the same way, Fulani military heads of state like Ibrahim Babangida and Abacha created even more states to continue favoring the Northern region. Today, the incessant state creation, inspired by the born-to-rule mentality of the Fulanis, has destroyed the progressive regions and resulted in useless states that depend on Abuja handouts in the name of allocation sharing to survive. Even if Tinubu’s government creates an additional 100 states, the political equation between the North, West, and East (previous regions) will never be balanced. The previous ethnically bigoted Northern military leaders have already created unfavorable political equations that are inimical to the unity of Nigeria. Postponing the division of Nigeria is embracing the evil days, which are already upon us.

“IPOB says NO to the new state creation proposal that will include the Biafra region. Our position is clear: we don’t want our region to be balkanized or broken down any further. Instead, Ndigbo need our Igbo brothers and sisters, villages, clans, and whole regions carved into Kogi, Benue, and Edo states back into Alaigbo. The Nigerian government can create more states to suit them in their Nigeria, while Ndigbo establish an independent state of Biafra. What Ndigbo want is an exit from Nigeria in a peaceful and democratic way. That is why IPOB is calling for a referendum date from the Nigerian government so that Biafrans can decide their fate—whether to remain in one delusional united Nigeria or to exit into an independent state of Biafra.”