Don’t Lockdown South East, Von DG Tells IPOB

The director general of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr Osita Okechukwu, Monday, called on the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) not to lockdown the South East part of the country as it threatened to do.

THE WHISTLER reported that IPOB vowed to gradually lockdown the region from the middle of August 2021 unless their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, was freed by the federal government. Kanu is in the custody of the Department of State Security after he was arrested in Kenya. He is facing charges of treasonable felony, among others.

Sequel to this, the VON DG, in a statement made available to our correspondent in Enugu, urged Kanu’s faithful “to sheathe their sword.”

According to him, “Let me for the umpteenth time appeal to my brothers in IPOB to sheathe their sword, for to lockdown the southeast is simply waging atrocious war against Ndigbo.

“For our elders admonish us that, ‘don’t cut off your nose to spite your face’.

“I sincerely share IPOB griefs over Ndigbo’s marginalisation, especially in appointments. It is a big challenge, but I sincerely differ with their strategy.

“Appointments for me are transient and what we got in infrastructure development compensates, as infrastructure is more enduring than appointments.

“I have gone round our dear country and could finger palpable hunger, insecurity, anguish and despondency in the land; therefore for anybody to think anguish is limited to Ndigbo is a farce and blatant lie.

“Truth is bitter, but I owe my brothers the truth. It will be a very big error for IPOB to lockdown the southeast and think they are tough, strategic; and will achieve any meaningful result.

“IPOB should not cut off Ndigbo’s nose to spite Buhari’s face, for Buhari is compensating with infrastructure.

“Hence, IPOB should be aware that to lockdown southeast is nothing but to punish Ndigbo; to degrade Ndigbo, southeast economy, to starve Ndigbo and akin to the obnoxious civil war doctrine of hunger as the best weapon.

“My brothers of IPOB clan, put on your thinking cap and be pragmatic, introspective and remember our brothers and sisters who are living in all the towns and villages nationwide, doing well and investing happily and prospering with other ethnic nationalities.”