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Confusion as IPOB, Kanu’s brother counter each other

*Anambra threatens workers with forfeiture of salaries

*Abia bows to protect lawful citizens

*Ohaneze advises IPOB to change strategy

By Chesa Chesa

Anxiety and confusion seem to have enveloped the Southeast region of the country as the sit-at-home
ordered by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to protest the detention of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi
Kanu, begins today, whereas his younger brother, Kanunta, on Sunday, issued a counter-directive
suspending the group’s order.


The ‘Every Monday’ sit-at-home order was issued to Southeast residents by IPOB and was meant to last
until Kanu is freed.


Nnamdi Kanu, championing a separate country for the Southeast region, had been reportedly picked by
security men in Kenya last June and brought back to Nigeria in circumstances that his legal has declared
illegal, while the Nigerian authorities have remained mum about it.


Instead, the government has taken the IPOB leader back to court to continue his trial for treason, which
was truncated in 2017 after he fled the country following a bloody raid on his home in Umuahia, Abia
State.


An infuriated IPOB thereafter ordered all residents and business owners in the Southeast to observe a
sit-at-home every Monday beginning August 9, 2021 until Kanu is freed.

However, Kanunta, in a statement he released on Sunday, said the planned sit-at-home directive had
been suspended to allow the students in the Southeast geopolitical zone to participate in the ongoing
National Examination Council (NECO).


He said a new date for the commencement of the sit-at-home order would be announced later.
Kanunta said the group arrived at the latest decision after listening to pleas from well-meaning
individuals and groups within and outside the region.


According to him: “IPOB has listened to pleas from well-meaning individuals and groups within and
outside Biafra land that we consider the fate of our children who will be involved in the NECO Exam and
based on that, we decided to shift grounds over the sit-at-home order.


“IPOB on its part, having realized the academic deprivation the already marginalized Biafra students who
entered for this year’s NECO would suffer, decided to suspend the sit-at-home order to a later date, to
allow the students take their exams.


“Allowing the sit-at-home to go ahead as earlier announced, in the face of the NECO Exam would
amount to assisting enemies of Biafra to inflict more injuries on her children.


“As a group fighting for the liberation of her people from oppression from her enemies, we realized that
it would amount to assisting the said enemies to inflict more harm on our children if we do not suspend
the sit-at-home order to allow Biafra students take their exams.


“The sit-at-home order has not been cancelled, but only suspended for the sake of Biafra students
taking this year’s NECO Exam. IPOB global family members and Biafrans at large to await further
directives in this regard.”


In a dramatic reaction, IPOB however, dismissed Kanunta’s directive, saying that he does not speak for
the group and he should be ignored.


A statement from IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Mr. Emma Powerful, urged Southeast residents
to observe the sit-at-home order as defaulter will “get it hot”.


According to Powerful, “Kanu brother is not IPOB spokesperson and anybody who listens to that
deceptive statement and obligated to such statement by coming out tomorrow will get it hot.”

Hours before then, Powerful had declared that “the entire Biafra land will be locked down every
Monday from 6:00am to 6:00pm beginning from tomorrow, August 9, 2021until our leader, Nnamdi
Kanu who was abducted in Kenya and brought back to Nigeria and locked up in DSS dungeon in clear
violation of international laws is freed.


“Consequently, there will be no movement throughout Biafra land on Mondays until our leader who is
suffering for our freedom is released. This protest is peaceful but firm. Everybody is advised to stay
indoors in total compliance.


“We want his immediate release and our total freedom, and cannot hesitate to pay any sacrifice needed
to achieve this including locking down the entire Biafra land on Mondays.


“All residents and visitors in Biafra land are advised to comply with the order. Nobody should go out to
avoid any clash or intimidation by the wicked Nigeria security agents.”


These developments have heightened the anxiety and tension in the Southeast as some State
governments in the region as well as the Ohaneze Ndigbo had issued statements declaring that sit-at-
home order was uncalled for and counterproductive.


The Anambra State Government said on Sunday that it would not pay August salary to any worker who
abstains from duty in obedience to the sit-at-home directive.


A statement attributed to Head of Service of the state, Harry Udu, asked workers in the State to report
to their duty posts on Monday unfailingly or be sanctioned.


The announcement directed Commissioners and permanent secretaries to monitor the situation and
report accordingly.


The announcement read in part: “The Government of Anambra State has directed that all workers in the
state must attend to their duties on Monday 9th August 2021.


“Failure to do so will result in severe sanctions, including loss of salary for the month of August.
“All Honourable Commissioners and Permanent Secretaries are to monitor and report compliance,
please.”


On its part, the Abia State Government said it would not unduly dictate to citizens how to go about their
daily activities but advised residents to go about their businesses and other engagements as observing
the directive would not augur well for the economy and academic fate of students in the State.

A statement issued by the Abia State Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, said the State
Government was “actively monitoring the situation with Mazi Nnamdi Kanu”, who is an indigene of the
State and is currently under trial at a Federal High Court in Abuja, with a view to ensuring that his
fundamental human rights are respected.


According to Kalu: “We remain in touch with his family members, other relevant persons and
institutions, and receive regular updates through them on the situation.


“The Abia State Government is confident that the judiciary will ensure a free and manifestly fair trial for
him and others as they remain innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
“We therefore wish to call on all citizens and visitors to continue to be law abiding and avoid any act
that might lead to a breakdown of law and order.


“While Government will not compel anyone wishing to sit at home for any reason whatsoever not to do
so, as citizens have freedom of movement under the extant Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, we wish to strongly advice that nobody should also compel or enforce any sit at home order
from any non-state actor as doing so does not serve any known interests of the people of the state.


“Furthermore, compelling our children to stay away from school can only serve the interests of the yet
to be properly identified persons who may not want to see us make progress as a people.


“Similarly, our traders sitting at home at a time they need to work very hard to sustain their families and
create wealth especially in this era of COVID-19 impacted global economy will obviously not serve any
development interest of our hardworking citizens.


“All law abiding citizens and visitors are therefore called upon to go about their normal businesses
without fear of molestation as adequate security has been provided to ensure their safety.


“Parents and guardians are also called upon to ensure that they monitor the activities of their children
and wards with a view to ensuring that they do not engage in unlawful activities that will put them in
harm’s way.”


On Friday, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, had appealed to the Indigenous
People of Biafra, IPOB, to reconsider its sit-at-home protest.


In a statement by its Secretary-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the group while demanding the
unconditional release of the IPOB leader, however, said that the sit-at-home would have negative
economic consequences on the Southeast region.

“The sit-at-home declaration aimed at pressurizing the Nigerian Authorities to release Nnamdi Kanu will
destroy the backstage activities and efforts of Igbo leaders and politicians who are using diplomatic
means to get him released.


“There’s hunger and hardship in South-eastern Nigeria. In the past sit-at-home, there were economic
losses, destruction of properties, and hikes in prices of food and essential materials across South-eastern
Nigeria, and Igbos painstakingly endured untold hardship and this must not continue.


“IPOB should review their stance and unveil more strategic planning with Southern Nigeria Governors
and legislators to press for Nnamdi Kanu’s release without hurting or subjecting the people to sorrow,
affliction and despair,” the statement had said.


Police commands in the region had also vowed to maintain the peace and deal with anyone or group
that attempts to cause a breakdown of law and order.

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