By Ayodele Oni
In what could be described as an about-turn or change in tactics, detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has warned against insulting Governors and Leaders in the South-East.
Long before now, the tough-talking Kanu did not seem to respect any of the Governors and most of the Leaders. They were loosely dismissed as “efulefus” or “Fulani slaves.”
But in an order passed on to Simon Ekpa, an estranged member of IPOB, who proclaimed himself Nnamdi Kanu’s disciple, and who, from Finland where he lives, imposes a sit-at-home order on the South-east Zone, through his Special Counsel, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu told Ekpa ordered a halt to any insults directed at the Governors or Leaders of the Zone.
The IPOB, also, in the letter released on Friday, also disowned Simon Ekpa over his continued sit-at-home order on the people of the South-east, and emphasised that anybody who gives such order is not his disciple.
Kanu in a hand-written letter, circulated on the social media,declared an end to all sit-at-home order in the South-East and any other proposed means aimed by the group at forcing government to release him from detention.
Kanu, in the letter he authorized to be read out by his Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, during a world press conference held in Enugu on Friday said any such things should be stopped forthwith.
The letter by the IPOB leader, dated July 24, 2023, followed the refusal of a factional leader of the group, Simon Ekpa, to announce the cancellation and further declaration through his media platforms.
Kanu, warned Ekpa to “desist from calling for any sit-at-home henceforth” and “to make a public announcement to the effect that he (Ekpa) is in receipt of a direct order from him (Kanu) to cancel any pending sit-at-home in place at the moment.
“Simon, this is a direct order from me. I hereby instruct you to desist from calling for any sit-at-home henceforth. Equally, refrain from antagonizing governors or persons in political positions because you are not in a position to know what they are doing on my behalf.
“I am ordering you to make a public announcement to the effect that you are in receipt of a direct order from me to cancel any pending sit-at-home in place at the moment.
“I embarked on this movement to liberate our people not to enslave them. I despise and will despise any person or entity that wishes to inflict unnecessary hardship on our people. I have authorized Alloy to issue a press statement if you fail to make this announcement on your platform.
“Anybody still engaging in sit-at-home is not my disciple. Haters of Biafra and mindless murderers in uniform are hiding under the cover of combating enforcers of sit-at-home to unleash mayhem against the same people we swore to defend.
“I have sent countless messages to those purportedly enforcing sit-at-home that they are not doing so in my name. I am not begging anybody to release me just that Nigeria should have the decency to obey their own laws.
“The main issue which our people should address their minds to is the unconscionable delays in hearing the government’s appeal at the Supreme Court, which is a situation not amenable to any sit-at-home. Therefore, sit-at-home is a waste of time, resources and energy.
“Those who may not understand the genesis of the sit-at-home should refer to my younger brother’s press statement on the eve of the commencement of the original order issued by the IPOB family.
“My brother made it clear to the DOS that I was against the order for people to stay at home under whatever guise. This caused a rift between my siblings and DOS till date.
“Aloy should use the above contributions to form the main body of the press statement. I want our people to know how this whole sit-at-home brouhaha started.
“Had DOS obeyed my direct instructions to cancel the first Monday sit-at-home, opportunistic scavengers would not have jumped on the bandwagon to wreak havoc on our people.
“You (Aloy) must release the press statement tomorrow with the screenshot of the handwritten note I gave to you unfailingly.”
