By Harris Emanuel, Uyo
President of Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association, Dr. Uma Ukpai has stated that the agitation for Biafra is beyond Igbo presidency, as the struggle started even before the Nigerian civil war in the 60s.
He urged those agitating for or against the creation of an Independent State of Biafra to go about it responsibly, stressing that no agitation should result in loss of life. The renowned clergy refuted media publications which tended to portray him as anti- Biafra or anti- Nigeria since he is both a Nigerian and a Biafran.
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He said, “Rev. Ukpai is a Nigerian; he is also a Biafran. He is one man in three places. I said that the Biafran boys agitating are Nigerians. But when you think of harming your brother, then it is crazy. Every Biafran as of today is a Nigerian until they are handed the flag of their independence. Every man who calls himself a Biafran today is a Nigerian.
“We should agitate for whatever we want without killing anybody. I had said it that before and I’m saying it again that Nigerians love each other; it is only the leaders that are spoiling for war. So don’t destroy a life you cannot replace because of agitation.”
He condemned the recent attack on the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pst. Enoch Adeboye by the presidency over his comment on the need to restructure Nigeria, stressing that the Redeemed pastor is entitled to express his reservations.
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“Adeboye like every other person should be allowed to say his mind. I don’t think he is not entitled to his opinion, he is a man of God and not a small boy, he must have seen the civil war and these things made him make the deductions,” he said.
Commenting on the Company and Allied Matters Act, CAMA, which empowers the federal or the State government to take over the leadership of a church that has a crisis, then Dr. Ukpai simply queried: “You mean for governments to take over the trustees of the church if there occurs a problem in the church, then who will take over governments when there is a crisis among them?”
