Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, says some of the grievances of the proscribed Indigenous People Of Biafra are valid.
Lately, the secessionist group has been fingered in the attacks on security agencies and facilities in the South-Rast, including the recent attack on Owerri Federal Prisons and the State Police Command Headquarters.
Ikpeazu, who spoke on Arise TV on Tuesday, however, said some of the “issues raised” by IPOB should be addressed.
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The governor explained to that it’s only when those concerns are acknowledged that elected public office holders will have the solid ground to preach the gospel of Nigeria’s unity.
But he expressed opposition to IPOB’s strategy for making its demands, urging the group to table its grievances in a civil manner.
Ikpeazu said, “I have taken my time to listen to some of these issues raised by IPOB: issues about injustice, issues of marginalisation, issues of trust deficits within the polity called Nigeria as it concerns people from South-Eastern Nigeria. And I think some of those are valid issues and they should be addressed and spoken to; they should be addressed squarely. So that everybody and those of us that are in government today can have a foothold within the South-East region to continue to promote the unity of Nigeria.
“I do not subscribe to the strategy of IPOB in pursuing their goals. And the reason is because I’m yet to see the end of the tunnel from where I’m standing and I do not like to take a plunge in the dark. We must engage and discuss the issue which is bothering them and everybody and we can’t continue to pretend as if these issues are not valid
“Equal rights and justice is an indelible right of all citizens and if through impunity and carelessness we allow a group of people to begin to feel like they’re not rightly represented within the polity, it creates a lacuna where people are no longer confident in the government to protect them and take care of their interest within the polity. There’s bound to be agitation one way or another. Some of these reactions may extrapolate to levels that may undermine national convention and unity.”
To tackle the worsening insecurity in the region, South-East state governors, on Sunday, announced the establishment of Ebube Agu, a joint security outfit.