South East governors ban all IPOB activities in the region
The South East Governors’ Forum has banned all activities by the Indigenous People of Biafra movement led by Nnamdi Kanu. The move comes after days of tense relations between IPOB members and the Nigerian Army which was mobilized to Abia State.
Rising from its emergency meeting, the chairman of the forum, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi requested the group and other similar ones to articulate their grievances and send to the forum.
“All activities of IPOB are, hereby, proscribed. IPOB and all other aggrieved groups are advised to articulate their position on all national issues,” Governor Umahi said.
“Such should be submitted to the committee of governors, Ohaneze Ndi Igbo and National Assembly members from the South East zone through the chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum,” he said.
Umahi appealed to all governors in the zone to ensure compliance with the directive in their various states and for the Federal Government to withdraw the troops in the zone.
The Ebonyi governor said that the forum believed in the unity and indivisibility of the country and reinforced their desire for the restructuring of the country.
“We reinforce our desire for the restructuring of Nigeria where all national issues will be discussed and amicably settled to achieve justice and fairness to every Nigerian.
“Accordingly, we appeal to President Muhammad Buhari to, please, withdraw the military in the South East zone, while police perform their traditional role of maintaining law and order,” he said.
Umahi said that the forum was in touch with their northern counterparts “who have assured us of the safety of our people living in the north and we have also planned for exchange of visits to reinforce confidence.
“We wish to assure Nigerians that full investigation is ongoing on all allegations of killings, maiming and other unlawful conduct in the zone within this period,” he said.
He said that appropriate actions would be taken against those found culpable.
