Former secretary of Goodluck's regime Pius Anyim denies sponsoring pro-Biafran protests

FORMER secretary to the federal government Senator Pius Anyim has disassociated himself from claims that he is the one funding the ongoing agitations for the creation of a breakaway republic of Biafra.

 

Over the last month, there have been protests up and down Igboland calling for the recreation of the short-lived republic that existed between July 1967 and January 1970. These demonstrations were sparked by the arrest of the radio Biafra director Nnamdi Kanu was apprehended by security men in Lagos following his arrival in the country from the UK.

 

Leading Igbo figures have disassociated themselves from the protests and yesterday senator Anyim was accused of being the one funding the agitation. Several leading government figures have accused Igbo-speaking members of former president Dr Goodluck Jonathan's regime of being behind the protests.

 

However, Senator Anyim has denied sponsoring the protests‎, saying any assertion to the contrary is the handiwork of his detractors. Sam Nwaobasi, the former senator's spokesman, added that his boss is neither under house arrest nor any form of investigation as has been reported in some quarters.

 

Mr Nwaobasi said: “We find it despicable that some people have taken it upon themselves to disparage, embarrass, ridicule, insult and indeed incite the public against Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, since he left office as secretary to the government of the federation, through publication of bare-faced lies, the fabrication of baseless stories and peddling of rumours on phantom issues that make no meaning or sense. We have resisted the temptation to join issues with these gangs of debased characters but there is a limit to what can be ignored.

 

“Senator Anyim is not sponsoring, has not sponsored and will never sponsor any protest by any group against the government or our dear country Nigeria. They must bear in mind that those who rise up against an innocent person are only setting themselves up for a fatal fall.”

 

Yesterday, it was reported that Senator Anyim took huge sums from the coffers of the Niger Delta Development Commission while in office, which he now allegedly uses to fund the pro-Biafra agitation. It was also suggested that Senator Anyim is currently under investigation for sponsoring activities of Radio Biafra as well as the pro-Biafra protests.