Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife has disapproved the proscription of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, the leading self-determination group operating in South East Nigeria.
The monarch said this on Friday, October 6, 2017 in Abia State when he paid a courtesy visit to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.
He also urged the federal government not to ignore “the people who are legitimately protesting for what is their right” and that the members of IPOB should not be seen as terrorists because they were only seeking justice and equity.
“There is something that is bothering them; there is something that is making them to cry,” the Yoruba monarch is quoted as saying by Daily Post.
“We should not throw them away; we should draw them closer because the youth of this country are the future, the energy, they are the heartbeat of this country.”
“We must chart the course of doing things with positive energy. I want to let you know that you are not alone in this, we stand by you positively in a very progressive manner.
“We stand by you that we all must come together to build a united Nigeria. We don’t want any war; we don’t want any disintegration,” Oba Ogunwusi told the governor.
The Ooni also renamed IPOB, and called it the Indigenous People of Brighter Nigeria (IPOBN).
