Leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu yesterday said he hired another lobbying group in the United States to facilitate the recognition of Biafra independence.
He said the agitation would continue peacefully, despite what he called provocations.
Kanu, through IPOB spokesman Emma Powerful, said he engaged the firm to help secure the support of the U.S. government and those of Britain, France, China, Russia, Israel, Germany, Australia and the European Union.
He told our reporter: “Yes, it’s true we hired another lobbying group in the USA to facilitate the coming and recognition of Biafra independence.
“We engaged them with the wholesome amount of N300 million to lobby for Biafra freedom in America and the whole world.”
The one-year deal, he said, will run for 12 months.
The contract papers were signed between Kanu and the BW Global Group (BWGG LLC), in February, according to Premium Times.
The firm, co-owned by Jeffrey Birrel and Alan White, is registered in Washington D.C, the U.S. capital, which has a high concentration of top government officials, lawmakers, policymakers, and opinion leaders, who IPOB is trying to engage on the rightfulness and necessity of its cause.
The agreement, which took effect from March 1, 2021, came months after an earlier one struck by Kanu with another U.S.-based lobbying entity, Mercury Public Affairs LLC, expired.
Under the old contract, IPOB, through Kanu, paid $85,000 per month beginning September 23, 2019, in addition to a $5,000 one-time compliance fee.
Kanu told The Nation that IPOB supporters raised the funds.
“Our people both home and abroad contributed money for the project. That is why our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu said that nobody can change our resolve towards the fight for Biafra freedom and independence.
“IPOB has been spending huge amounts of money for this project to ensure that Biafra is restored without another war but those traitors and saboteurs in Biafraland and elsewhere are bent to support terrorists to attack us from within and outside so that IPOB can engage them prematurely.”
“The Federal Government wants us to declare an unprepared war for Biafra freedom, but we maintain our peace till we get what we want.”