IPOB hails S'South, S'East govs for forging common front

www.odogwublog.com reports that the Indigenous People of Biafra ( IPOB) , has  hailed the Governors from South East and South South over their meeting weekend in Enugu where they, for the first time,  agreed to  forge a common economic front as one people.

IPOB in a statement yesterday, commended the Governors for agreeing to work together to advance  the cause of the Old Eastern region that gave birth to their respective states.

According to IPOB, the Enugu meeting was an indication that the Governors had woken from their slumber to pursue regional integration and economic well being of the people of the former Eastern region.

  IPOB commended the Governors for their courage and urged them to sustain the tempo until the people get their fair share in the country's patrimony.

 The statement read in part: " We the Indigenous People of Biafra  wishes to congratulate the governors of South East and South South for summoning the courage to sit together as one family for the first time in nearly 50 years.

"This  is a clear demonstration that political office holders are beginning to respond appropriately to the age long divide and conquer strategies of the North, which is responsible for the absence of strategic regional planning across states in the old Eastern region.

 "This effort by the governors  proves that IPOB is a divine movement and eye opener to every ethnic group in this amorphous expression named Nigeria by British in 1914".

IPOB said the meeting had sent a strong signal to the North that the people of the states in the Old Eastern region are one and cannot be separated for whatever reason.

"Together as one block, South East and South South can stand up and defeat the Hausa Fulani intimidation and political terrorism.

" For making this bold move, which we gather was vehemently opposed by the born to rule Hausa Fulani core North, they have individually and collectively earned the respect of IPOB in this specific regard.

"We pray and hope they continue this process of strengthening and deepening the ancient brotherhood and relationships which sustained us as independent nations bound together by common culture and value systems for over 5000 years before the divisive tendencies of British colonialism destroyed it.

"God has given the governors the wisdom to begin the process of uprooting the seeds of discord planted in the minds of the people of  the former Eastern Region; to recognise their common enemy and work diligently towards harmonising the needs and concerns of the people of Biafra with the view to finding a lasting solution to the misery and hopelessness of the masses."

IPOB further said that the coming together of the political leaders from the zones had disproved the erroneous assumption in  some quarters that Biafra territory does not go beyond the five states in the South East.

"We blame those who restricted Biafra restoration project and IPOB activities to only the five Igbo speaking South East States for the misconception that Biafra restoration is an all Igbo affair when Bayelsa is more devoted to the Biafra cause than Imo State.

"Biafra comprises both South East and South South excluding Benin. However, Bini and every other ethnic nationality wishing to become part of Biafra must demonstrate their willingness via the ballot box.

"Biafra is a coalition of willing ethnic nationalities as nobody or group will be forced to join without the people willingly voting in a referendum to join the union."

IPOB also hailed the choice of Enugu for the meeting saying it is symbolic being the former capital of the defunct Biafra republic.

" If the governors and politicians in South South and South East including Mid Western governors and their politicians could come together to discuss about Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and Biafra restoration in Enugu where the former president of Biafra Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Chief Philip Effiong, Chief Frank Opigo, Elders and other members of Eastern Conservative Assembly stayed and deliberated  together during the horrific period of our history to declare Biafra, then who is Arewa to divide us again.