The proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) does not represent or have the mandate to speak for Ndigbo, Southeast governors have said.
Southeast Governors’ Forum Chairman Chief David Umahi stated this during a meeting with Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.
The Ebonyi State governor in his speech, when he led other Southeast governors to visit Wike at the Government House in Port Harcourt, questioned the group’s agitation.
He said IPOB cannot force any section of the country to join its agitation for Biafra.
Addressing Wike, he said: “We can claim here and show leaders back home that all we read in the social media from your own account are all lies. We did not come to verify your claims. You did not report to us.
“I lived in Rivers State for a very long time. My six children out of seven were all born here in Rivers State. We have never had any form of discrimination here. We must call a spade a spade.
“We have 11.5million Igbos living in the North. We have three million Igbos that are of voting age in Lagos State, not to talk about other parts of this country. And somebody wants to start a war for us so that the Igbos will be slaughtered.
“During the civil war, we lost three million Igbos. Most of them were killed when they were running away from the North back to the Southeast. Everywhere you go in this country, you see our infrastructure. Think about the percentage of the infrastructure of Ndigbo in Lagos and in Abuja. Who brings war upon itself?
“We, Ndigbo, we do not support criminality. Do not buy into any criminal that is from our side.
“I find it very funny when somebody is going to be claiming that part of Benue State must descend into his territory and part of Rivers State must descend into his territory. What sort of madness is that?
“Even if there is a referendum, people must freely say where they want to belong to. You can’t force them.
