A coalition of pro-Biafra groups has thrown its weight behind the order by the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, for an end to sit-at-home in the Southeast.
The coalition, Enugu Leaders of Pro-Biafra Organizations (ELPBO), charged the five Southeast governors to go after the enforcers of the sit-at-home, whom it described as criminals.
Separatist agitator, Simon Ekpa, is known to be behind the recent Monday sit-at-home directives in the zone.
A fresh order by Ekpa, a Nigerian-born Finland citizen, which will last 14 days, is billed to commence in the zone today.
Kanu who met yesterday with his personal physician outside the Department of State Services facility where he is being detained in Abuja, insisted that “the infamous sit-at-home…must be stopped.”.
Also in Abuja, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA), made a “save-our-soul” appeal to the Supreme Court to save the Southeast from implosion by hearing Kanu’s case tomorrow instead of September 14.
The ELPBO confirmed at a news conference in Enugu, Enugu State, a letter by Kanu ordering Ekpa to end sit-at-home in the Southeast with immediate effect.
It explained that the IPOB leader reaffirmed his position on the need to stop sit-at-home because of its negative implications on Southeast’s economy.
The news conference addressed by ex-Nigerian Coordinator and African IPOB, Rita Anigbogu was attended by Salvation People Biafra, Leader, Osita Chukwuagbanarinam; Director of Education, De Biafra Mobilisers Initiative, Stella Chukwuma; and Founding Secretary- General, Eastern Peoples Congress, Ikechukwu Oji.
Anigbogu, a former chief of staff to the detained IPOB Leader, said: ”Mazi Nnamdi Kanu understands and rightly pointed out in that letter that Sit-at-Home has been counterproductive, a waste of time, resources and energy, and indeed a self-enslavement that inflicts unnecessary hardships on our people and will continue to be so. We can’t continue to drink poison and expect the enemies of our motherland to die.
“Sit-at-Home only helps to pillage our place; will make us kill one another, and destroy our economy to the benefit of our neighbours.
“When Scotland talks about Brexit, the world listens and Britain quakes because Scotland has built herself into a formidable economic power. When Catalonia sneezes, the world listens and Spain catches cold because Catalonia is an economic superpower in that European country.
“The political leaders, even governors with the best intentions cannot do anything, our GDP will continue to be decimated if we continue to throw away our Mondays to sit -at —home. You can imagine a group of people that throw away their Mondays. What about our brothers and sisters who are business people?
“We have our parents, who depend on daily proceeds to feed their children. What about pregnant women who will go into labour on Mondays? They cannot be attended to in the hospitals because we are sitting at home. What about our brothers and sisters who may have health emergencies maybe on Sunday night or on Monday and they cannot access hospitals? What if you have a life-and-death need for money, and you cannot go to the bank? What about our children, who may be writing examinations?
“It beats our imagination that anyone with Biafra blood running in his veins would contemplate a continuation of the Monday sit-at-home and worse still asking a region to sit -at- home for two full weeks. Who is that person really working for?
“So, we, the pro—Biafra groups of Enugu State extraction stand with Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as we collectively reject the Sit-at-Home. Let it end now.
“The government should go after sit-at-home enforcers, who we know to be criminals, with every might and every resource at its disposal.”
Earlier yesterday, Kanu enjoined people and groups in the Southeast to desist from joining those whose primary intention is to ensure the destruction of the zone and have him remain in perpetual captivity.
His lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, made this known through a tweet.
Ejiofor, who also revealed that the IPOB leader’s meeting with his doctor was “seamless and productive,” described Ekpa as a “serial fraudster.”
He said: “ We are pleased to inform you that Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu met with his choice of personal physician yesterday in a hospital in Abuja, outside the facility of the DSS.
“As was part of the protocol, I witnessed the consultation. The medical examination was seamless and productive, and he will be progressing to the next stage soon.
“As the entire world has always been informed, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has consistently made his position on the infamous sit-at-home known, and his directive is that this must be stopped.
“Onyendu’s legal team, under the able leadership of Prof. Mike Ozekhome (SAN), and the leadership of IPOB, have been the lone voice conveying this important message on all media platforms available to us, as well as condemning in unequivocal terms, the heinous criminal activities of the serial fraudster in Finland.
“To this end, we urge all Ezigbo UmuChineke and indeed, the members of the public to respect and carry out the wishes of Onyendu and accordingly, desist from any further engagement with those whose primary intention is to ensure that Onyendu is kept in perpetual captivity, and consequently, destroy the entire Southeast through unauthorized sit-at-home and its enforcement.
“Interestingly, the bad news for these enemies of our people is that they have failed and failed woefully, and the long arm of the law will surely catch up with them.”
Meanwhile, HURIWA has accused the Federal Government of being insensitive to the killings in the Southeast as a result of Kanu’s long detention, it behoved the Supreme Court to salvage the situation.
HURIWA made the appeal in a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko.
The statement reads in part: ”The Supreme Court of Nigeria should reverse the long adjournment it gave for definitive hearing of the Federal Government’s appeal against Nnamdi Kanu’s and hear the matter even on Tuesday this Week to save the South East from total implosion and destruction.
“The delay in deciding the time-wasting appeal against the well-considered verdict of the Appellate Court is one of the fundamental factors for the gradual crumbling of Southeast’s economic life and security of lives and property for two years now.
“HURIWA conducted an opinion poll in the five Southeast states and the majority of respondents are of the opinion that deciding the matter at the Supreme Court expeditious and the eventual freeing of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has the highest possibility to checkmate and minimise if not totally eliminate the threats of illegal sit-at-home orders which armed groups and individuals are enforcing in a bloody way and the members of the security forces are also quelling the enforcement by summarily executing the enforcers of sit-at-home orders and even completely innocent Igbo youths.
“We warn against the use of coercion on traders and businesses to reopen and disobey the illegal Monday sit-at-home order but Southeastern states should mount pressure on President Bola Tinubu to adopt diplomatic means including severance of ties to force Finland to stop their citizen and the Nigerian born Simon Ekpa from dishing out the instructions which lead to bloody enforcement by his armed loyalists in the South East.
“Southeast governors should persuade the people of Southeast to reject the orders whilst security forces should use intelligence to deter forceful enforcement and killings rather than resort to outright extrajudicial execution of people under the guise of stopping the sit-at-home enforcement.
The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has, however, called on the Federal Government to take more steps in disbanding militia groups in the Southeast, especially in Imo State..
The coalition also advised all Northerners in either Imo State or other troubled parts of the Southeast to leave immediately for their own safety.
CNG, in a statement by its spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, said: ”We call on the Federal Government to take immediate steps to disband all militias and armed groups in Imo and other parts of the Southeast by resort to the use of force if need be to ensure that no group has the capacity to challenge the state.
“We reiterate the call on Northerners living in Imo State and all unfriendly parts of the Southeast to consider leaving the region for the sake of their lives and properties.”
The Nation
