Whose cause is IPOB really fighting in the South East?

For some months now, tension has heightened in the South-East and parts of the South-South geo-political zones. The tension is owing to the activities of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its security outfit, Eastern Security Network (ESN). The groups were accused by the Federal Government of being responsible for the burning down of government facilities, killing of police and other security officials in the area.

That is in addition to the burning of some private residences, including that of Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma in his Awo Omuma country home. The allegation by the Federal Government and its agencies in alliance with some of the state governments led to the killing of many Igbo youths in the melee that followed.

Several youths branded members of IPOB or ESN have been mowed down by security officials in rather controversial circumstances. While the government claimed to have killed IPOB members and commanders of ESN, allegations of extrajudicial killings are rife, with many saying that the security officers are killing, maiming and destroying at their whim. We had expected that the detention of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, by the government would have brought some sanity to the zone.

But it appears things are not improving. The number of soldiers and police and others on the roads, searching, frisking and harassing innocent citizens in the name of looking for IPOB/ESN members has not abated. On the stretch of Aba-Owerri road alone, there are no fewer than 30 checkpoints manned by soldiers and police, as well as officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Federal Road Safety Corps.

Incidentally, while some are on the road to search for criminals, others are on a bazaar, extorting money from commercial drivers and other motorists. While we acknowledge that there is a need to curtail the activities of the separatists, we do not think that stopping ordinary citizens from moving freely is good for the zone. Already, businesses and other concerns in the area are suffering collateral damage as a result of the face-off between the government and the group.

Just on Monday, a number of people were killed, vehicles damaged and business and other activities grounded once again, owing to a stay-at-home order by IPOB to South Easterners over the continued detention of Kanu. This has been a recurring event in the zone, leaving us to wonder who is in charge of the states –IPOB or the governors? We have no doubt that governments in the region have lost control of their states to Kanu and his supporters. Otherwise, how could the people obey Kanu and IPOB against the directives of the government and even Ohanaeze Ndigbo? We believe that it is a very worrying sign that needs to be addressed. That would also exonerate the governors and leaders of the area from blame that might follow the activities of the group.

Can we say for sure that governors do not control what happens in their states? Is it safe to say that IPOB has become more powerful than state governments such that their words supersede those of the elected chief executives? We are worried that South-East governors have become lame ducks in the unfolding scenario. We recall that around 2006, when Nigeria held its last population census, the Ralph Uwazurike-led Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) played the same role IPOB is playing now. MASSOB actively discouraged South Easterners from participating in the exercise.

The result is still showing today as the region has turned out to be the least populous of the six regions in the country. Sadly, after Kanu toppled him for lack of transparency and formed IPOB, Uwazurike appears to have seen the light and is back to Nigeria. But the damage he did to the South-East is still hurting the zone till date. It was a similar scenario with registration of voters in the region then. We have no doubt that many people in the zone are disenchanted with the Muhammadu Buhari administration. That is ostensibly because of the lopsided appointments of the administration, its actions and inactions against the zone.

But we can conveniently state that Buhari has a fixed tenure that would end on May 29, 2023. On that day, the administration would become history like others that came before it. That is the beauty of democracy. But can we say that the havoc being wreaked on the South-East by IPOB will stop with Buhari? The answer is a big no!

That is because the economic loss, the figures and facts that are being accumulated now, will haunt the region, even after Buhari has left office. Talk of self-destruction. That is why we strongly believe that by whatever means possible, governors and leaders of the zone have a serious job on their hands to stop the secessionist group and re-orientate their people towards working for the greater good of all. We do not believe that there are no leaders that can talk to the activists in the region.

We know for sure that some other regions achieved ascendancy to the presidency by agitations but we point out that the IPOB/ESN agitations are doing the South-East more harm than good in the scheme of things in the country. The Igbo have become suspicious elements in the political equation of the country since after the civil war. IPOB is not helping their cause. Rather, it is opening old wounds. That is why it is now incumbent on the governors to stem the tide against their region.

(Adapted from New Telegraph)