Biafra: Igbo elders to meet Buhari

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By Our Reporter on November 23, 2015 COVER

• South-East govs, IPOB, MASSOB, Ohanaeze, others in crucial meetings

From Chidi Nnadi, Petrus Obi, Enugu and George Onyejiuwa, Owerri

IGBO leaders, made up of governors, top politicians and traditional rulers have resolved to send a delega­tion of elders to meet with President Muhammadu Bu­hari on the protests by the Indigenous People of Bi­afra (IPOB) and the Move­ment for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Bi­afra (MASSOB) and also the state of infrastructure in South-East, among others.

This was the highlight of separate meetings convened by South-East governors, top politicians, traditional rulers, IPOB, MASSOB, Ohanaeze and South-East/ South-South Professionals in Enugu, yesterday.

IPOB and MASSOB have locked down the South-East and South- South for the release of the Director of Radio Biafra and IPOB Leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who the court had ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to be brought to court today.

While South East gov­ernors, traditional rulers and some prominent Igbo leaders met at Enugu Gov­ernment House, Ohanaeze Ndigbo met with the MAS­SOB faction, led by Uchen­na Madu, representatives of IPOB and members of Ohanaeze youth wing.

At the governors’ meet­ing, they resolved to set up a committee to dialogue with MASSOB/IPOB as well as the Federal Government with a view to finding a last­ing solution to the recent protests and agitation for Biafra. But the IPOB and MASSOB members, who met with Ohanaeze, said they would only recognise the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation to speak and act on their behalf.

However, the South-East leaders who met with the governors, said they de­cided to set up a commit­tee after a compassionate review of the recent MAS­SOB/IPOB agitations in the country.

In a communiqué read by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, Igbo elders said they also examined other issues, including poor state of infrastructure in the South-East, marginalisation in federal appointments and other socio-economic issues which impact on the zone.

The governors, who did not invite Ohanaeze leader­ship to their meeting, set up a committee to immediately resolve the crisis which has factionalised its leadership.

On the part of Ohanaeze, which met with the leader­ship of South East, South- South Professionals and representatives of MAS­SOB/IPOB, resolved that the organisation would con­vene an emergency meeting of the “Ime-Obi,” the high­est decision-making body of the group, to discuss the current situation in Igbo­land.

Those who attended the governors/leaders meeting include Okorocha, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Deputy Governor Anambra State, Nkem Okeke and Deputy Governor Abia State, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu.

Others were Deputy Sen­ate President, Ike Ekwer­emadu, former Ministers, Nnia Nwodo, Frank Og­buewu, Sylvester Ogbaga and former deputy governor of Ebonyi State, Prof. Ch­igozie Ogbu, among others. Traditional rulers from the zone were also in atten­dance.

Those who attended the Ohanaeze meeting in­clude President General of Ohanaeze, Enwo Igari­wey, Secretary General Ohanaeze, Dr. Joe Nwaor­gu, President South-East/ South-South Professionals, Emeka Ugwu-Oju, faction­al Director of Information, MASSOB, Uchenna Madu and two representatives of IPOB.