Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, has told the Mohammadu Buhari led government that the solution to Biafra agitation in southeast championed by the Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB) is for the creation of additional state in the zone and giving the region autonomy.
The Chidi-Ibeh led Ohaneze, stated this in a statement signed by the Secretary-General of the Igbo group, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital.
Ohaneze noted that the release of Nnamdi Kanu and Igboho from incarceration without addressing the causes of the agitations will worsen the situation at hand.
The group urged the federal government to expedite action that will lead to additional state creation for the southeast and granting of full autonomy of federating units of all the regions in the country.
The group accused political Igbo leaders from the zone of being responsible for the problem southeast was facing, even as it urged government to call for meeting with neutral stakeholders from the zone not political office holders.
The statement reads: “The best political solutions for the Biafra agitation in the southeast are to provide platforms for genuine dialogue, and to initiate the process to interface with neutral Igbo leaders by strictly prohibiting Igbo politicians from the dialogue because they are part of the problems in the southeast.
“We are aware of the International pressures on the federal government presently and FG should not miss the opportunity to seek for genuine dialogue with neutral Igbo patriots and elder statesmen who will genuinely communicate the plights of IGBO without the usual manipulative infusions of southeast politicians”.
“The International pressures on the Federal Government in respect to the extraordinary detention of Nnamdi Kanu, after the Kenyan Government confirmed that there was no official extradition proceedings of Kanu before he was sent to Nigeria, have opened up extraordinary circumstances that must be explored by both the Federal Government and non-political Igbo leaders.
“The first step expected from the Federal Government is to set in motion mechanism for peaceful dialogue with Igbo religious leaders, Igbo Traditional rulers and selected few elder statesmen like Pa Mbazulike Amaechi, Elder Kuk Kalu and others.
“It’s obvious that FG can’t shy away from peace talks with IGBO before the next court appearance of Nnamdi Kanu on 19th January 2022, with the exclusion of Igbo Governors, Igbo National Assembly members, Igbo Federal Executive Council members, Igbo APC and PDP members in attendance “.
“The federal government should expedite actions that will lead to additional state creation for the southeast and granting of full autonomy of federating units of all the regions in the country. These are the two best options and political solutions to addressing the activities of Biafra groups and their arrowheads”.