The proscribed Igbo separatist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused governors and politicians in the South-East of benefiting from the sit-at-home order, and the continued closure of markets and banks in the region.
The group claimed the order was being implemented by miscreants, with the intention of tarnishing the name of IPOB and painting a bad picture of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement on Tuesday made available to Ripples Nigeria, IPOB said the South-East governors and some Igbo politicians working against IPOB and the Biafran Republic agitation, would do anything against the region to get political favour and patronage from the powers that be in Abuja.
“And because of the favours they get from the Fulani Janjaweed Nigerian government, they have supported the annihilation and gradual extermination of the Igbos as long as they are doing the biddings of the powers at Aso Rock,” part of the statement signed by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, said.
The group which expressed its happiness that normal vehicular and human movements had returned to the South-East every Monday and the desire of the group for full return of commercial and business operations in the zone, alleged that only the governors can explain why markets and banks have not returned to business on Mondays despite the cancellation of the sit-at-home order.
The statement reads:
“We told you people that South-East governors have hands in stopping our people from going back to their businesses because they want to use the opportunity to blackmail IPOB and Nnamdi Kanu.
“Some South-East governors arranged unknown gunmen and cultists to intimidate our people thinking they will destroy IPOB, but we are smarter than them and we know some of their acts to destroy IPOB.
“They have never hidden their activities to destroy IPOB and impress their ‘slave masters’ in Abuja.
“IPOB cancelled Monday sit-at-home when we realized it will not be in the interest of our people and we even mobilized to deal with the criminals allegedly enforcing it.
“But some of our governors are using the order to destroy economic activities in the region because that was the agreement they had with their paymasters in Abuja.
“We, therefore, commend our people for coming out on Mondays, to go about their businesses. We want the banks and other businesses to start coming out because the Monday sit-at-home is not sanctioned by IPOB.
“IPOB authorities have suspended it after the first week of its observance in August last year. Anybody enforcing it is an enemy of our people.
“We wonder why South
-East governors refused to order for the opening of markets and banks in the region. They know what to do to any bank that disobeys their directive to commence operations, but they will not do the needful because they feel they can bring down IPOB and Nnamdi Kanu with blackmail- oriented sit-at-home.”
