The South-East Governors Forum, leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Igbo leaders of thought will meet the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), within the first quarter of the year over Biafra agitation and detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, The PUNCH learnt on Sunday.
It was further gathered that the reports of five committees set up by the South East governors and Ohanaeze Ndigbo after a presidential delegation to the South East in June 11, 2021 following agitation for self-determination in the region would be presented and discussed with the President.
The National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Alex Ogbonnia, confirmed the development to our correspondent in an interview on Sunday.
Ogbonnia said the Igbo leaders would explain to the President the need to resolve the issues of Kanu and IPOB through political solution and dialogue.
He said, “Ohanaeze Ndigbo, South East governors and prominent Igbo leaders will meet with the President within the first quarter of this year.
“We in Ohanaeze, having looked at the issues of Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB and so on, believe that they require a political solution because they represent phenomena of a kind.
“What they represent is like – when you talk of marginalisation, alienation, injustice, inequity, unemployment and inability of the authority to listen. On the other hand, the gap between the government and the people, all these things are encapsulated into what is called IPOB. So I want people to understand that IPOB/Nnamdi Kanu is more like an outcome, an effect, it is a reaction but the cause is somewhere else.
“That reaction is pervasive and the effect is affecting everybody. Everybody is worried about the number of checkpoints we have on the road. From here to my community is supposed to be 30 minutes but it will take you two hours or more. The road is so bad and unemployment is high.
“If you look at the number of local governments and states in Nigeria, it is lopsided against the South East. If you look at the structure of the security architecture in Nigeria, it is lopsided against the South East. If you look at every other aspect of political life in Nigeria, it appears to be a conspiracy against the South East. All these things are obvious. These things are encapsulated in what you call IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu etc.”
Ogbonnia expressed the belief that by the time all the issues are explained to the President, he will have a change of mind on Kanu. (The PUNCH)
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