From Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki
Chairman of the South-east Governors Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi, yesterday explained the rationale behind the proscription of the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB) in the geo-political zone.
He said the decision was mainly targeted at easing the rapidly mounting tension in the zone.
Umahi, who addressed a press conference in his office in Abakaliki with security chiefs in attendance, before departing to Abuja where he is expected to accompany President Muhammadu Buhari to the UN conference, said IPOB has lost its original ideal by causing unnecessary tension and killings in the South-east, which according to him, has affected investment drive in the region.
He lamented that the activities of the Biafra agitators in Abia State, which sparked off the clash with the military, went out of the control of the group’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Umahi said the governors of the zone had set up an investigative panel to look into the alleged killings arising from the clash between IPOB members and the military in Abia State.
“When you put a small fire, the far it can go cannot be controlled. The IPOB activities were gradually going out of control of Nnamdi Kanu. Soldiers were passing on the way when IPOB members started throwing stones and other objects on them and it sparked off the clash between the group and the military. These are people that never experienced any war in their lives.
“Our focus is how to save lives of every Nigerian and we believe in a united Nigeria. Lives of people are involved and we must not play politics with that,” he said.
Umahi urged security agents to ensure safety of non-indigenes in Ebonyi State and the entire South-east.
“Anybody that wants to foment troubles must be crushed and I want security agencies to beef up security around all the non-indigenes in the state and to report to me of any problem because we must maintain the peace,” he added.
The Governor called on youths to stop insulting President Muhammadu
Buhari and leaders of the country, saying that such attitude does not present the country and her citizens in good light among the comity of nations.
He, however, urged the people of the South-east not to panic about the Operation Python Dance II as it was not intended to intimidate anybody.