The leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu has faulted the move by the Nigerian government to commence importation of fuel from Niger Republic, positing that “the ‘compatriot spirit’ the far North has with Niger Republic will never exist with the South”.
Afriupdate recalls that Mazi Kanu, the self-exiled leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leads the agitation for a sovereign nation for the people of Eastern Nigeria.
In a tweet on his known handle on Wednesday, the 53-year-old continued to demonstrate his aversion to the presidency.
“The @NGRPresident’s frenetic development strides into NIGER REPUBLIC illustrates a ‘compatriot spirit’ the far North has with Niger Republic that it will NEVER have with the South.
![[FILES] IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu in court](https://www.afriupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Nnamdi-Kanu-in-Court-120x86.jpg "IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu fails to regain freedom at Supreme Court 1")
“The sooner you understand that, the closer you get to the only solutions: #Biafra & #Oduduwa,” Kanu wrote.
The @NGRPresident’s frenetic development strides into NIGER REPUBLIC illustrates a ‘compatriot spirit’ the far North has with Niger Republic that it will NEVER have with the South. The sooner you understand that, the closer you get to the only solutions: #Biafra & #Oduduwa.
— Mazi Nnamdi Kanu (@MaziNnamdiKanu) November 25, 2020
Meanwhile, some Nigerians have criticised the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Niger Republic for the importation of fuel stands.
Recall that the Nigerian Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Silva, and his counterpart from Niger Republic, Foumakoye Gado had confirmed Nigeria’s interest to import fuel from the Soraz Refinery in Zinder in Niger Republic.
READ ALSO: Biafra Crisis: What Uche Mefor, Amaka Ekwo’s Exit Means For IPOB – OYC
But Sylva, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, said Nigerians should be proud that the Federal Government is set to resume the importation of petroleum products from neighbouring Niger Republic.
Sylva said contrary to comments by critics of the government, the plan by the Federal Government to resume fuel importation from its West African brother should not be seen as ‘an embarrassment’ but rather as a means of encouraging intra-regional trade.
Reacting on Monday evening while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, the minister said Nigeria is a big market that needs excess fuel products processed in other countries.
Sylva said, “I don’t see that as an embarrassment at all. As a country, Nigeria is a big market, we need products, even if all our refineries were functioning, we will still need extra products.
“Niger Republic produces oil and they are landlocked as a country. They have a refinery that produces in excess of what they require as a country and they offered to sell to us in Nigeria because this is a bigger market.
“In the spirit of regional cooperation, regional trade development, we decided to buy from them. I don’t see anything wrong with that. If your neighbour is producing something that is required in your country and you buy from him, why is that a big problem?
“So, we agreed with Niger to buy the excess of what they don’t require in Niger because this is a big market.”
“Nigerians should be proud that we are doing that to encourage sub-regional trade because we have been talking about sub-regional trade for a long time and this is how it should be between neighbouring countries. Niger should import from us what we have and we should be able to import from Niger what they have. Let us encourage intra-regional trade and this is one good example of trading within West Africa,” he added.
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