IPOB attacks Mbaka for saying ‘elites’ should lead Biafra agitation

Chidi Samuel
The Pro Biafran Group, Indigenous People of Biafra on Thursday condemned  the call by Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, a Catholic priest and founder of the Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Nigeria, suggesting that the agitation for Biafra should be led by prominent Igbo personalities.
In a video clip posted online earlier in the week, the fiery catholic priest was heard saying youths should not be leading the struggle, as is the case at the moment, noting that the agitation for Biafra would be more effective if prominent Igbo personalities are at the forefront of the struggle.
 The cleric’s comment didn’t seem to have gone down well with the Leadership of IPOB as they condemned the cleric’s statements, referring him as ‘Usman Mbaka in apparent reference to his support for President Mohammadu Buhari.
IPOB’S position was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Enugu on Thursday, signed by its spokesman, Emma Powerful.
The statement reads, “The indigenous People of Biafra and its leadership worldwide condemn the statement credited to Rev. Ejike Mbaka.
“From what Usman Mbaka said in his video about IPOB, you would have thought that the same Jesus he worships, sells olive oil and pure water in his name, was 1000 years old when he started his ministry that changed the course of human history.”
Referring to various times in the Bible when young persons were tapped for leadership, the group insisted that God can raise young persons to leadership positions.
  “The same Bible Mbaka is supposedly reading everyday is replete with instances where God raised children, from Joseph, Moses, Samuel, David, Samson, Jephthah etc, to do His will in the lives of his children.
“Why didn’t God use Reuben who was the eldest son of Jacob instead of Joseph who is second to the last? Why did God choose baby Moses, even as he was in a basket, to lead his people out of Egypt instead of Moses’ father or another elder from the Hebrew community in Goshen, Egypt?,” the statement queried.
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