“These agitations are nonsensical and I condemn it in its entirety. We should not be talking about another state within a sovereign state, all we need to do instead of talking about Biafra and MASSOB is to push for the economic emancipation of the Southeast. I know what they will expect me to do as a Governor, is to encourage the Biafra agitation and ask our people to prepare for war. But I will never do such thing. I will never support any call to divide Nigeria.
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Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has advised Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to desist from agitating for secession, saying the Igbos were not ready for another civil war.
Okorocha gave the advice at a news briefing at the Government House in Owerri on Tuesday.
He also urged the Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and other Nigerians in diaspora,drumming support for the actualisation of Biafra, to stop.
Okorocha called on Igbo youths to calm down and redirect their agitation toward the actualisation of economic advancement of Igbos rather than asking for a new sovereign nation.
On the recent sit-at-home ordered by IPOB and MASSOB, he said the exercise succeeded because the people, especially traders wanted to avoid trouble.
“These agitations are nonsensical and I condemn it in its entirety. We should not be talking about another state within a sovereign state, all we need to do instead of talking about Biafra and MASSOB is to push for the economic emancipation of the Southeast. I know what they will expect me to do as a Governor, is to encourage the Biafra agitation and ask our people to prepare for war. But I will never do such thing. I will never support any call to divide Nigeria.
“What we should not forget is that the Igbo paid the greatest sacrifice for the unity of this country. The Igbo has the highest investments across the country. The Igbo developed Lagos and other parts of the country and that makes them the highest investors in the Nigeria project”.
He described the statement by the Arewa youths directing Igbos to leave the North as “nonsensical and inciting’’.
The governor said that Igbos were peaceful people, who had come a long way in contributing to the economic development of the country, adding that no other ethnic group had contributed as much.
He called for reorientation of youths to repair the broken political relations between the North and the East and end the existing hatred and division between them.“We have failed as leaders hence the campaign of hate for one another; we need to take responsibility and end it.“We need to rise and take steps to end it and get rid of the inherent hatred and division we inherited from the colonial masters,” he said.
Okorocha also said that agitation over the leadership of the country by the different geo-political zones in the country was an ill-wind which had not done something good to the country.
He, therefore, called on all Nigerians to guard against hatred and unite to fix broken relationships.
