The Ohanaeze Ndigbo has advised the leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to tender an apology to the residents of the South-East for its mistakes, naughtiness and initially issuing a sit-at-home order in the region.
The Secretary-General of the group, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, February 13.
The pan-Igbo group stated that even though IPOB has denied several times that its members are not the ones enforcing the sit-at-home order, there is a need to offer a public apology to residents who have been affected by this.
Ohanaeze is of the opinion that if IPOB had not initially ordered a sit-at-home in the South-East, criminals would not be taking advantage of the order after it had been called off.
The group also said that senators and some other South-East politicians who are trying to absolve IPOB of any blame for the sit-at-home declaration that has since taken a dangerous turn are doing so because of their “ambitions in 2023, not for the benefit of the people”.
The statement reads; “Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide has to call on the South-East governors to search for lasting solutions to the cessation and termination of the IPOB’s sit-at-home since they now blame the delinquents and criminals for hijacking the exercise of sit-at-home since it’s obvious that men of the underworld have taken advantage of IPOB’s miscalculations to unleash terrorist raids and onslaughts against Ndigbo.
“Drastic measures are needed to arrest this shameless activity that has paralysed the academic, economic and social activities in the South-East, the governors should know that posterity will be unkind and unfair to them if they concede to circumstances of sit-at-home and don’t confront the hyper-dreaded monster called IPOB’s sit-at-home squarely.
“No Igbo governor or senator deserves to seek election in 2023 if they lack the balls to stamp out the disgraceful activities that have ridiculed southeastern Nigerians, who are known as the best black entrepreneurs and business merchants across the globe.
“We are compelled by the evidence of insubordination before us, to advise that the South-East governors should sack and dismiss all major market leaders in their respective states or give them an ultimatum to quit adherence to the observation of sit-at-home.
“All markets in the South-East are instrumental in helping the governors to end the absurdity of madness called the IPOB’s sit-at-home because the structure of most influencers of sit-at-home is amongst the Market leadership in the South-East, and any day they pull out of the secessionist crusade, it will collapse like a pack of cards.
“Those senators trying to acquit and absolve IPOB from the sit-at-home declaration, are doing so because of their governorship ambitions in 2023 not for the benefit of the people.
“IPOB should accept the fact that they illegally instituted the sit-at-home without any consultative meetings with the Igbo leadership and political leaders, they should start by tendering public apology and ask for forgiveness from Ndigbo for their mistakes and naughtiness which had destroyed the economic and social activities in the South-East, and they will be forgiven.”