Our Parents’ Death Won’t Stop Biafra Struggle — Nnamdi Kanu Family

Spokesman for the Kanu family, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, has said that the sudden demise of their parents, Eze and Ugoeze Isaac Okwu Kanu, will not dampen the spirit of the struggle for the actualisation of Biafra by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)

Emmanuel stated this when Sunday Sun visited the home of the leader of the IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, at Afaraukwu, Umuahia to find out about the burial  preparations for their late parents.

In this interview, Prince Emmanuel Kanu revealed that the burial will be coming up any moment from now.

He also spoke on other related issues.

Since the death of your parents, how has it been with the family?

Nothing is as painful as what we’ve been through regarding my parents’ death. It came to us as a shock, that’s a very big one for that matter, but we are doing everything humanly possible to absolve that shock. We fully understand that it is what everyone has to go through directly or indirectly, but this is a very challenging and difficult time for us, very difficult time indeed. In everything, we give God praises, He said when good happens, we should praise Him, so is evil.

It hasn’t been easy, but we are doing all we can to make sure that what we believe in is achieved.

What are you, their children going to miss most in them?

We’ll miss everything there is, parental advice, the way they make us laugh all the time. You need to see my mother and my father disagree with each other, when you see them sit down to iron out their differences, of course, it makes us laugh. They agree in everything, sometimes they disagree as well, we’ll miss that. We are equally going to miss my mother’s food, her caring and her outspokenness because my mother in particular is one without fear. She said things the way they are without fear or favour, so, I think that’s what we are going to miss as well. What you may not want to say about any situation, my mother will stand bold to say it without giving a damn to whatever happens. She was a fearless woman, very fearless.

Your parents wholly supported the Biafra struggle when they were alive, with their death, are you not going to miss that support?

We are going to miss not just their support, but prayers as well, but I know wherever they are today, their wish will be to see Biafra realized, we know that dream is alive and Biafrans are doing whatever they can vigorously to see that dream is achieved.

Your parents were like pillars to the Biafra struggle, now they are dead, won’t it affect the struggle?

No, what their death has done knowing full well the reason they died was because of Biafra, they died because of what they believed in.

What happened to them, the trauma, so to speak, happened after Operation Python Dance; now they have passed on, it’s not going to deter us rather it’s going to waken us as a people. We’ve grown stronger than ever before and considering the legacy they left behind, I think that alone is enough to strengthen the struggle, so, their death will not deter us, but what we have to do is to pursue that dream and by so doing, we can immortalize them.

Since you said they died as a result of the trauma they had when soldiers invaded your home, is the family considering taking the Federal Government to court?

Well, I may not be in a position to say that until we all sit down together and look at it from different angles as well. But I make it clear to the whole world that the reason my parents died was as a result of Operation Python Dance of 2017; they lived with that trauma until the day they passed on.

Your parents appeared strong willed in their support for Biafra, but when they met a force, the trauma sort of caused their death. Will it be an over-statement for one to say they had chickens’ heart, the will wasn’t strong after all?

It’s not a matter of having chicken’s heart or the will wasn’t strong, there’s no way anybody can come with that judgment. One thing is certain, it’s always good for one to die for something he believes in, knowing full well he has died a fulfilled life. The pressure that came from the Federal Government not just to this family, but to other various families whose loved ones have passed on who believed in this struggle was high. What is very painful is that when you’ve done nothing wrong, all you have done is to cry for your freedom and you get killed, that’s where it hurts than any other thing. But that is the situation today, a lot of people have died and perhaps more will still die, but at the end, Biafra must stand.

The Abia State government has commiserated with your family over the death of your dad, what’s your reaction?

No, of course, even now enemies as well will do same; anybody can commiserate with us, both our friends, both our enemies, that’s life.

Are you not happy the state government commiserated with the family?

There is nothing to be happy about, not at all, well I think they have done the needful, but there is nothing to be happy about it. Now, let me put this to you, look at our road, look at the Government House, two minutes away from here, what has the government done, absolutely nothing. While he (his father) was alive what did you do? Absolutely nothing.

With your parents dead, is the family going to remain the same again?

It’s not going to be the same because they’ve passed on; we will not see them again. But we do know they still live on whatever happened, what they left behind, their legacies, we will pursue them to the end, their dreams we’ll pursue to the end. That’s the only way we can be happy living a fulfilled live and also wherever they are, they will also be happy, that’s all.

What are we expecting in terms of their burial and when is it coming up?

I think that would come up anytime from now, so, we are not sure at the moment when it’s going to be, but I can assure you it will be anytime this period. As what to expect whether the burial will be low-keyed or otherwise, we do not know for now, we are still making consultations to know how the burial will go, we are not sure at the moment. So, after our meeting then we will be able to know precisely what we are going to do and how we are going to do it.

Will your brother Nnamdi come home for the burial?

Well, like I have said before, we’ve not talked about that at this moment in time whether he will be coming back or not. Whatever will be his position we will support it. If IPOB says he is coming back, he will definitely come back and nobody is going to stop him.

What’s the advice to your siblings at this trying moment in the family?

As a family we have always been, we need to be stronger than ever before, we need to keep on working together more than we have done and make sure nobody stops us.

Your father’s death has created a vacuum in Afaraukwu community as their traditional ruler. As a Prince, if you are called upon to step into the throne, would you oblige?

This one will not come from me; it should come from the kingmakers here. But first of all, make no mistakes, I have two senior brothers, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is the first followed by Kingsley, they’ll decide. If that comes to happen, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is there to lead, not me.

(Sunday Sun)

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