ABUJA, Nigeria — Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, has made a public statement declaring that people in the southeast obey the sit-at-home order by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, primarily out of fear rather than allegiance to the group.
Uzodinma made this assertion on Thursday, July 13, 2023, following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The governor requested this meeting on behalf of the southeast region’s leaders to address pressing security concerns.
Uzodinma underlined the fact that IPOB, as a non-state actor, lacks legitimate authority to issue such orders.
However, residents comply because of widespread violence and insecurity in the region. “People are scared. People are afraid because of what they’ve seen in the past. And nobody wants to die. Neither me nor anybody,” he said.
He continued, “So, that is why the federal government comes in to step up very high-security measures to manage the situation. The sense of security will come back to the citizenry and they will be able to go about their businesses.”
According to the governor, the purpose of his villa visit was twofold. Firstly, to discuss the ongoing security situation in the country, and secondly, as a follow-up to a decision made by the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo to seek an audience with the president.
“My visit has to do with the security situation in the country… We had a meeting of the leadership of the southeast, political and non-political leaders in conjunction with the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo, and among the resolutions from that meeting was to visit Mr. President to support and intervene in our resolve in addressing the issue of insecurities,” he said.
He further outlined the distressing state of security in the southeast, including rampant banditry and kidnapping, which continue to plague the region despite the considerable resources and community efforts devoted to combating them.
Uzodinma emphasized that the country’s unity is of great importance to the people of the southeast, stating, “The people of the southeast believe in the unity of the country. And that’s an integral part of the Nigerian project also needs serious attention regarding providing security for our people to go about their businesses.”
Finally, he highlighted the necessity of President Tinubu’s administration’s attention to resolving the unique challenges faced in the southeast, stating that their visit aimed to “renew the request and also draw his attention to some peculiarities in the southeast that will require federal government attention to resolve.”
