Politics
THE United Kingdom has blamed Nigeria for the continued operation of pirate Radio Biafra which the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, uses to make its broadcast against the country.
The radio station domiciled in the UK was established by the Movement for the Actualisation of the Soverign State of Biafra, MASSOB, with Nnamdi Kanu as director.
Kanu, also a British citizen, operated the radio on behalf of MASSOB and later took over the radio as a megaphone of IPOB.
The British government seems not happy with reports credited to Lai Mohammed, Nigerian information and culture minister, who said that the UK refused to shut the radio station.
A terse statement released on Thursday, September 21, by Joe Abuku, press and public affairs officer, British High Commission in Nigeria, said the “The UK is not aware of any representation from Nigerian government about Radio Biafra.’’
“Were we to receive any such request, we would, of course, consider it carefully on the basis of the available evidence, recognising that freedom of speech and expression carries responsibilities.’’
The minister recently accused France of being the financial headquarters of IPOB and United Kingdom of refusing to shut down the radio station belonging to IPOB which the federal government proscribed on Wednesday. –Vanguard
Tags: British High Commission in Nigeria Indigenous People of Biafra Joe Abuku Lai Mohammed MASSOB Movement for the Actualisation of the Soverign State of Biafra Nnamdi Kanu press and public affairs officer
We know the position of the Vanguard newspaper in Buhari’s govt, so its use of words in reporting events can be understood where the paper stands. The paper said the British High Commission said Lai Mohammed accused the Britidh govt of refusing to shut down radio biafra. Did Lai Mohammed say govt had requested the British govt to shut the radio down? Vaguard in its charateristic disposition also said the High Commission issued a terse statement. What is terse in the statement when it said that the British govt has not done so because the Nigerian govt has not made such request to it and that when it receives such request it will consider the request on the basis of available evidence. What is terse in such statement? It is certain that the Buhari govt has no issues with British govt. It is not the ranting of Kanu and IPOB that will bring about such. At the appropriate time Nigeria will surely make such request and that radio will be shut for the good of all Nigerians, including the Vanguard newspaper.