‘Withdraw stay-at-home order or lose Igbo support,’ Group tells IPOB

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, a splinter group of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Sunday urged the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to cancel its proposed sit-at-home order in the South-East.

IPOB had on Saturday threatened to lock down the region from November 5 if the Federal Government fails to release its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who is standing trial for alleged treasonable felony at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

.However, in a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the Ohanaeze Worldwide warned IPOB that the lockdown would make the people of the South-East to withdraw their support for the group.

The statement read: “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has deciphered that any declaration that unleashes untold hardship, the collapse of commercial and industrial activities, a boycott of Anambra elections, and interrupts the academic calendar in South-East states is viewed as nonsensical, absurd, and anti-Igbo agenda for the enemies’ amusement.

“You can’t enslave Ndigbo for one week without backlash from them, it’s time for Igbo to rise to the occasion and end being trampled with orders from overseas by those without any investments in the South-East.

READ ALSO: IPOB demands Kanu’s unconditional release, threatens South-East lockdown from November 5

“Secondly had IPOB declined to learn from the blunders and mistakes of former MASSOB leader, Ralph Uwazurike, on the boycott of population census of 2001 which made Igbo the majority-minority in Nigeria, attempts to boycott Anambra elections evidently will favour the All Progressives Congress (APC) to win Anambra election.

“IPOB should revisit and nullify the one-week sit-at-home or they will likely lose the support of Igbo henceforth, Ndigbo must participate in Anambra and nothing should stop it.

“Ndigbo should ask anyone enforcing the one-week sit-at-home, if they know the plight of common people who are street vendors on perishable goods, artisans, motorists, market traders, furthermore Ndigbo should check out the investments of those calling for one-week sit-at-home, if proponents of the sit-at-home don’t have any visible investments in the South-East, then it’s time for Igbo to retreat from observation of the sit-at-home and defer it from henceforth.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now