By: Tony Adibe, Enugu
The leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) headed by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu yesterday rejected the plea of the governors of the Southeast zone of Nigeria during a meeting between the pro-Biafra group and the politicians.
Daily Trust was reliably informed by an insider that after long hours of the closed door meeting at the Enugu Government House, the governors were unable to convince Kanu to drop his agitation for Biafra.
Also, the meeting failed to stop his threat against the November 18 governorship election in Anambra state, our reporter gathered.
The governors were said to have invited Kanu to discuss issues concerning the alleged violation of his bail conditions for which the Federal Government had asked an Abuja High court to issue an order to re-arrest him
”They called him and pleaded he talks to his supporters to relapse on IPOB pursuit; he brought out his phone and showed them a picture of the crowd in one of the IPOB rallies saying:
“These are the people that sent me. I didn’t send myself. If you leaders genuinely love this land and her people, you will not call these people my supporters but our supporters.
They are pursuing the most sacred cause in life. That is freedom!
You don’t kill people who are begging for breathe and life. It is sacrilegious but you have done such.
Biafrans want freedom which is life”..
Another issue of concern to the governors was the Biafra Secret Service (BSS), which Kanu reportedly inaugurated at Umuahia, Abia state, an act the police described as unlawful.
During the meeting which was attended by constitutional lawyer, Prof Ben Nwabueze and Deputy Secretary General, Igbo Leaders of Thought (ILT), Evangelist Elliot Uko, Kanu was said to have remained adamant on restoration of Biafra.
“They begged him to drop Biafra agitation but he shook his head. That’s why they decided to have further discussions with him and his group,” the insider said.
But Ebonyi State Governor and Chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum, Dave Umahi had assured that the governors would continue to have further dialogue with the leadership of IPOB.
At the meeting were Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Deputy Governor of Anambra state, Dr Nkem Okeke. Governors Rochas Okorocha (Imo) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) were said to be out of the country.
