OWERRI/Nigeria: Imo State governorship aspirant, Robert Okpara has reacted to the proscription of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as terrorists by the Nigerian Government. Reacting to this development, Okpara who was a major actor in the last governorship election in Imo State and still warming up ahead of 2019 condemned the “hurried ill-advised declaration of IPOB as a terrorist organization when stakeholders in the south-east including the 5 governors, Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, traditional rulers, leaders of thoughts and the clergy have all scrambled for a peaceful negotiations on how to end the crisis”.
“Reading between the lines, the federal government speaking through different sources: APC, presidential spokespersons, the military seems to be pushing for clandestine attack on IPOB, classifying southeast zone as a conquered territory and the indigenes as Prisoners of war (POWs). The Arewa Youths that declared Ibos persona non-grata from the North from October 1ST and dared the Police to arrest the Leadership without any iota of reaction from the federal Government is ridiculously demeaning to our collective sense of perceived geopolitical balance…… The actions of the Arewa Youths supported by the Northern governors and their co-travellers is great threat to the unity of the country… the Arewa Youths organization and the Herdsmen should be tagged terrorist organizations.
He further warned that “Obliterating the IPOB members will be regarded as an act of war by the southeast. Boko Haram was pampered when they commenced their annihilation campaign in Maiduguri. They were not hoarded into inhuman dirty water pool and killed the way IPOB members are being killed and humiliated. Men and women of honor and goodwill must intervene in this matter”
