In a recent statement, Dr. Pogu, a respected member of the Nigerian group, the Patriots, expressed his worries about the rise of separatist movements within the country. He brought up the example of the Igbo people’s quest for independence during the Biafra war in the 1960s.
In an interview with The Sun, Dr. Pogu mentioned that the Igbo, an influential group, have long been treated like second-class citizens in Nigeria despite their contributions to the nation. He wondered if the country would allow a group to separate without consequences and stressed the importance of staying united for the nation’s progress.
Pogu said, ” When our Igbo brothers around the First Republic and all those coups decided to go their way, Nigeria fought vehemently to ensure that the country stayed together. It is unfortunate that somebody of his calibre would, for whatever reason, start beating the separatist drum.
“The truth remains, are we going to sit back and watch? When the Igbo were pushed to the wall and they decided to have Biafra and we went and messed them up. Up till today, the Igbo, a very progressive group known to everybody, are still being considered as second class citizens in their country. I don’t know how Nigerians will interpret what he has said. Time will tell whether a group can decide to walk away and we just sit down and watch or something else would happen.”
