THE Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has reacted to a statement by governors of the South-East in which they denounced and rejected secession calls by the group.
The governors had, shortly after a meeting with other socio-political leaders from the region on Saturday in Enugu, said that IPOB’s calls for secession did not represent the wish and interest of the people of the region.
Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi, on behalf of the governors, condemned the activities of the group in the South-East and elsewhere in the country
“We firmly proclaim that we do not support them, they do not speak for the people of the South-Eastern Nigeria,” Umahi said.
“The impression that South-East leaders are silent over some of our youths’ agitations for secession is not true.
“South-East governors, Ohanaeze President, National Assembly members, notable leaders had come out publicly many times in the past to speak against such agitations.
“In order not to mismanage the unfortunate situation, South-East leaders have set up a committee to engage such youths to stop and allow elders speak to address such fears.”
Reacting, IPOB’s Director of Media and Publicity Emma Powerful said the governors lacked the power to decide for the people of the region on issues concerning Biafra.
IPOB noted that the governors had already lost grip with the masses, owing to their desperation to regain the trust of their ‘paymasters.’
“The purported statement by these shameless political generals without foot soldiers has only further exposed them as Caliphate boot-leakers. They know too well that they have since lost grip and control of the masses, hence, their desperation to regain the trust of their paymasters,” IPOB said.
“They only publicly disowned IPOB, thinking that doing so will make them regain the trust and favour of the Caliphate. The governors, Ohaneze Ndigbo and the handful of traitors masquerading as the Igbo political elite should wake up to the realities that they have since lost the confidence of the people.”
The statement noted that it was unfortunate and shameful for the leaders to disown and betray their own. It cited how the governors connived with the Federal Government to proscribe IPOB in 2017.
“The South-East governors again, in 2017, sat together in Enugu State to proscribe IPOB and the Federal Government declared them terrorists with the support of South-East governors while they are not.
“To their shame, how many times have their northern counterparts disowned the bloody terrorists, bandits and Fulani herdsmen rampaging the country? So, the South-East self-acclaimed leaders are quick to disown IPOB and ESN, yet they are calling us to accept the calls for peaceful negotiations? What hypocrisy!”
You can reach out to me on Twitter via: vincent_ufuoma