IPOB: Igbos In Diaspora Urged To Meet With Simon Ekpa
Igbos in the diaspora should engage Mr Simon Ekpa towards finding a lasting solution to the sit-at-home orders in the South East.
Ekpa, a Finland-based immigration lawyer, is the acclaimed prime minister, Biafran Government in Exile. The former Nigerian athlete became prominent after the arrest of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB. IPOB is a pro-Biafra actualisation group championing the secesion of old Eastern Region from Nigeria’s structure.
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Ekpa was appointed leader of IPOB when Kanu was arrested and detained in 2021 over alleged running a proscribed group, jumping bail and treason. Though Ekpa was disowned by IPOB’s spokesman, Mr Emma Powerful, his orders for sit-at-home on Mondays have been substantially complied with across five South-East states of Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra and Imo.
Amb Marcel Ezenwoye, a diaspora returnee, said incessant sit-at-home orders in Igboland ‘are becoming counter-productive’. He called on Igbo stakeholders to close ranks towards ending the trend.
He told THE WHISTLER that, “Igbos in the diaspora have a huge role to play. Our politicians, religious leaders and traditional rulers, among other stakeholders, should show commitment so we can know where the rains began to beat us. Ekpa maintains that IPOB isn’t behind insecurity in South East. Let those in the diaspora hold a roundtable with him. Wars always ended on tables.
“If we allow this to continue, he will continue to run a government in Igbo land from outside. This is no longer a laughing stock. We thought that he was nobody, but he is somebody who can fight doggedly.”
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Ezenwoye, a professor, also called on the federal government to release Nnamdi Kanu ‘to enable us to know where this problem is coming from’.
In his words, “If FG continues to detain him despite court orders and against international conventions, it will look like a regional attack on Igbos. If Kanu is released, we can then know where all this is coming from, and then plan to handle it internally.”
