By Cajetan Mmuta
The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has said that the Governors of the five states in the Southeast geo-political zone of the country need the collaboration of President Muhammadu Buhari to tackle the ongoing civil disobedience and insecurity in the zone.
The body stated this against the backdrop of the frequent challenge posed by the Sit-At-Home order frequently slammed on citizens and residents in states of the geo-political zone by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
There have been inconsistencies in the Socioeconomic and political activities among people of the Southeast arising from the persistent directive by IPOB for a Sit-At-Home over the detention and trial of the leader of the proscribed group Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who is being detained in an underground facility of the Department of State Services (DSS) Abuja.
Kanu is facing trial at the Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) over a suit filed by the federal government bordering on terrorism, treasonable felony, and other charges brought against him.
The court has fixed Tuesday for final judgment in the case involving Kanu and IPOB.
The Director of Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Comrade Emma Powerful had on Saturday in a statement said that there would be no Sit-At-Home order across states in the Southeast but speculations are high that the directive will hold following what is seen as a hijack of activities of the group by a splinter group.
Several innocent lives have been wasted through wanton killings and destruction of public properties including burning of vehicles during past sit-at-home orders.
However, Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro in a statement on Sunday noted that activities of IPOB have hindered economic, social and academic frameworks across the geo-political zone.
Isiguzoro pointed out that IPOB through its incessant pronouncements has lost control of the sit-at-home adherence and therefore needs help in the affected states.
According to the statement “The Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide has paid attention to the outcry and heightening yearnings of the people of the southeast to end up the Sit at Home(s)observations which have hindered economic, social and academic activities in the zone, it’s clear that IPOB through their pronouncements has lost control of the exercise of Sit at Home adherence in the southeast and they need help to end it.”
He said “Tthere is evidence that criminals had hijacked the Mondays Sit At Home to perpetrate heinous crimes against humanity and people of southeast, with the random shootings in Enugu and Anambra last week with the continuous denial of IPOB, with warnings about dealing with the criminals enforcing Sit at Home is enough proof that southeast needs the attention of Federal Government in collaboration with the Southeast Governors to quell the activities of these criminals”.
The Igbo apex body stated that “The nightmares and sufferings of the southeast residents deserve to be treated as a priority by President Buhari, as Federal Government should solicit the Southeast Governors’ guidance on how to unravel the issue especially in some states, ” there are some Governors who had managed the situation and few others are helpless, Abia and Ebonyi have been peaceful and had thwarted the adherence to the Sit at Home orders,”.
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“We are asking proponents of Sit at Home, that the enslavement of Igbos are over, in fact, we are sympathetic to the pains of the leader of IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, we have decided to take advantage of the fact that God controls the affairs of men in power and influence, he will be released at the appropriate time but there are undergoing pains of the people of the southeast, and this must end up.
“Federal Government in collaboration with the Southeast Governors should end up the Sit at Home, as this is the avenues criminals hides to perpetrate violent crime, burning of public and private properties and killings of innocent people,” this is the heart desires of the people of the southeast who are helpless and now at the mercy of these criminals,” it added.
