Imo State governorship aspirant, Robert Okpara, has reacted to the proscription of the Indigenous People of Biafra and its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as terrorists by the Nigerian government.
The Nigerian military as well as South East governors, on Thursday declared IPOB and Kanu as terrorists, warning parents to caution their wards against being part of the alleged illegal organization.
Reacting, however, to the 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 Southeast, 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.’’
He said ‘’Tagging IPOB as a terrorist organization for reasons of ‘claimed formation of Biafran National Guard, unauthorized public access roads and extortion from innocent civilians at illegal checkpoints, militants procession and use of weapons (stones, molotov cocktails, machetes and broken bottles on a military patrol sounds like tales by moonlight story and an attempt to call a dog a bad name to hang it.
‘’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).
‘’I guess this sounds like an ample opportunity to subdue the zone where APC won only Imo state and on the verge of losing the state through Rochas executive rascality and miscalculated misuse of power.
Comparing the activities of the Nigeria police and others to those of IPOB, he said, ‘’Some of the above reasons for qualification as a terrorist organization ascribed to IPOB perhaps makes them Angels compared to the Nigerian police that brazenly extorts money openly from citizens on local roads and highways, Fulani Herdsmen that conduct their nomadic criminal operations with AK44 rifles where poor Nigerians, farmers, unsuspecting citizens in cities are shot dead rampantly and kidnapped, with their means of livelihoods destroyed with no response from the federal government.
‘’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. This war of attrition against the Southeast is ridiculously contemptuous. The actions of the Arewa Youths supported by the northern governors and their co-travelers is great threat to the unity of the country. Except that was the hand of Isaw and voice of Jacob? The organization and the Herdsmen should be tagged terrorist organizations.
‘’There’s no other solution to what’s happening around the country other than painstaking and patient dialogue similar to the same way the federal government opted for strategic dialogue with the Boko Haram sect, MEND, militants that witnessed the partial release of the Chibok girls and the ongoing continual training of militants across the world in exchange for peace in the Niger Nelta in support of oil exploratory activities. This dialogue must be all inclusive with credible people from the Southeast. Any other violent solution may escalate IPOB issue to unpredictable arms struggle,’’ Okpara advised.
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 humiliated. Men and women of honor and goodwill must intervene on this matter.’’
