Nnamdi Kanu, S’East govs hold meeting over agitation issues

Governors of the South-East states, on Wednesday, held talks with leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, in Enugu, the Enugu State capital at the Enugu State Government House. It was the first time the governors are meeting Kanu, who is championing the pro-Biafran agitation in the South-East and parts of the South-South.

Issues surrounding the ongoing agitation, including IPOB’s call for a boycott of the November 18 governorship election in Anambra State and the group’s recent establishment of a ‘Biafra Secret Service’, topped the agenda of the meeting which had the Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; the Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi; Nkem Okeke, deputy governor of Anambra State, representing Governor Willie Obiano in attendance. Rochas Okorocha and Okezie Ikpeazu of Imo and Abia states respectively were absent and were not represented even as both governors were outside the country.

Kanu was accompanied to the meeting by elder statesman, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, and founder of the Igbo Youth Movement, Evangelist Elliot Uko. While the governors have maintained that restructuring is the solution to the perceived marginalisation of the Igbo in the country, Kanu and other pro-Biafran agitators are clamouring for outright secession, and the emergence of an independent Biafran nation.

A communique after the meeting, read by Umahi, who is the chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum, said the governors noted the concerns raised by the IPOB as well as the secessionists’ demands. According to the communique, the governors informed Nnamdi Kanu that the demands should not be absolute. Further meetings are to be held between Kanu and the governors towards an amicable resolution of the issues, according to the communique.

The governors it was learnt would persuade Nnamdi Kanu to drop the agitation for Biafra and embrace the campaign for restructuring.

Punch