Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has said that there are other ways to achieve an independent Biafran nation other than violence.
Recalling his experience during the civil war as he appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, the Governor waved off the sit-at-home order issued by IPOB and also stated that while there is nothing like IPOB in Abia state, it is however difficult to proscribe the ideology.
While advocating for justice and equity in the nation, Ikpeazu argued that some of the agitations from Nigerians are germane and should be addressed.
Ikpeazu said;
“I don’t believe in Biafra through the barrels of the gun because I saw a little bit of the Civil War and I don’t want that kind of thing and I don’t see the prospects of that venture and I don’t want anything that will be suicidal.
“As far as we are concerned in Abia, there is nothing like IPOB, it is difficult to proscribe an ideology.
“If Biafra is a metaphor for agitation against injustice in any way, then there is Biafra in the heart of every Nigerian.”
The Governor who noted that the late women’s rights activist Margaret Ekpo was a councilor in Abia State, and that someone from Kano State was once a mayor in Enugu State, lamented the rising level of disunity in Nigeria.
He added;
“Why are we not taking steps to build bridges? Rather we are emphasizing things that divide us – ethnicity, religion – all those things that divide us.”
