Ijaw youths brand South East govs cowards for proscribing IPOB

Ijaw Youths Council has expressed dismay over the recent proscription of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) by the South-East governors, describing the action of the leaders of the region as “more of cowardice”.

Insisting that the action was unjustifiable, the group also disagreed with the declaration of IPOB as a terrorist organisation by the military, and argued that the declaration was “unconstitutional as it is targeted to silence right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.”

Furthering its argument, IYC wondered how “herdsmen that have massacred thousands of unarmed Nigerians across the country have not been declared terrorists,” and warned that the Federal Government “should also jettison its plan to re-arrest Nnamdi Kanu.”

According to IYC, the only solution to the issue is engaging the agitating group in dialogue and not the present approach the government is employing.

IYC president, Roland Pereotubo, who stated this in a statement in Benin, Edo State on Sunday said the governors’ action was “more of cowardice as it cannot stop the agitation in the region.”

Part of the statement read, “Their (South-East governors) rash and brazen action is even at variance with international treaties empowering indigenous people to pursue self-determination through non-violence.

“IPOB members are only fighting for their rights through non-violence means. They felt marginalised, segregated and dejected. Oppression and injustice are the reasons why they are fighting for their freedom.

“The non-violence approach they took is within the ambit of international treaties, especially the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, which have empowered indigenous people in any of the member countries, who feel oppressed, to seek for freedom. These treaties are being codified in our domestic laws.

“The solution to IPOB, MASSOB and BIM’s separatists struggle in the South-East as well as the militants’ agitations in the Niger Delta region is through dialogue as no amount of proscription of these armless associations will cow the people into submitting their agitations to the oppressors.”

The IYC president therefore called on the South-East governors to live up to the expectations from them and ensure that the Federal Government addresses issues of lopsided appointments and political marginalisation of the region.

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