IPOB South East Governors Ban Biafra Group

The South East Governors’ Forum has
announced the proscription of activities of
the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).



Arising from its emergency meeting on
Friday in Enugu, Chairman of the forum,
Gov. Dave Umahi of Ebonyi requested the
group and other of such groups to
articulate their grievances and send to the
forum.



Umahi appealed to all governors in the
zone to ensure compliance with the
directive in their various states and for the
Federal Government to withdraw the
troops in the zone.



Umahi said: “All activities of IPOB are,
hereby, proscribed. IPOB and all other
aggrieved groups are advised to articulate
their position on all national issues.



“Such should be submitted to the
committee of governors, Ohaneze Ndi
Igbo and National Assembly members
from the South East zone through the
chairman of the South East Governors’
Forum,” he said.



The Ebonyi governor said that the forum
believed in the unity and indivisibility of
the country and reinforced their desire for
the restructuring of the country.



“We reinforce our desire for the
restructuring of Nigeria where all national
issues will be discussed and amicably
settled to achieve justice and fairness to
every Nigerian.



“Accordingly, we appeal to President
Muhammad Buhari to, please, withdraw
the military in the South East zone, while
police perform their traditional role of
maintaining law and order,” he said.



Umahi said that the forum was in touch
with their northern counterparts “who
have assured us of the safety of our
people living in the north and we have
also planned for exchange of visits to
reinforce confidence.



“We wish to assure Nigerians that full
investigation is ongoing on all allegations
of killings, maiming and other unlawful
conduct in the zone within this period,”
he said.



He said that appropriate actions would be
taken against those found culpable.




Umahi said that governors in the zone
had taken adequate measures to protect
the lives and property of indigenes and
non-indigenes and urged northern
governors to do same in their respective
states.



“We advise all residents of the zone to go
about their normal businesses as
governments of each state is committed
to protecting everybody,“ he said.



The governor said that all those invited for
the meeting were present except the
leadership of IPOB that sent in their
apologies.



The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports
that at the meeting were governors of
Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu while
Imo was represented by the deputy
governor.



Other notable personalities that attended
the meeting were the Deputy Senate
President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, the
General Officer Commanding 82 Division,
Maj.-Gen. Adamu Abubakar and the
President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo,
Chief Nnia Nwodo.