Okezie Ikpeazu, the governor of Abia State, has bemoaned the marginalization of the southeast area in Nigeria’s overall plans.
The Governor chastised the federal government for making unequal selections to crucial positions like the country’s armed forces and paramilitary organizations.
While arguing that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), led by Nnamdi Kanu, are not to blame for the attacks and violence in Umunneochi, Ikpeazu stated that problems need to be properly evaluated in order to avoid solving the incorrect problems.
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However, he refrained from completely excusing IPOB and instead argued that people should be free to express their opinions.
The Governor further asserted that he is not paying IPOB with his state’s security vote, stating that he is not in contact with the group.
Responding to the allegation during an interview with The Nation that he is using security vote money to pay IPOB, Ikpeazu replied: “In the first place, I don’t pay IPOB. Where will you see IPOB to pay them? It is not possible to pay IPOB. If that were the case, there won’t be insecurity anywhere, because how much money do I have that other states don’t have? Let me categorically say that I am not in contact with the IPOB.”
Ikpeazu stated that Nnamdi Kanu, the head of IPOB, is not far off the mark when it comes to his accusations of marginalization. But the governor of Abia said that he disagrees with the way people voice their complaints.
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“But I have said over time that I may not like his style, but if Nnamdi Kanu is saying that there is marginalisation and people are not allowed to speak their minds, is he telling lies? Do we need Nnamdi Kanu to tell us that there is no southeasterner in the military and paramilitary hierarchy in Nigeria?
“But, how have we managed to find peace in the state? This is a very critical input as far as security issues are concerned; it is about a proper diagnosis.
“For instance, one cannot link the security issues that we have around the Umunneochi to the IPOB. If you see an IPOB person and you arrest the person on account that IPOB is behind the Umunneochi security challenge that will be a wrong diagnosis.
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“I am not saying that the IPOB is completely free from anything, but I am saying that it is not true that the IPOB is behind what is happening at Umunneochi.”
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