Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu spoke to newsmen on his senatorial ambition, his expectations from the 2023 general elections and how to tackle violent agitations in the Southeast. MUYIWA ADEYEMI was there.
How are South East governors handling this issue of sit-at-home that’s threatening peaceful election in the zone?
It is a very unfortunate thing. Let me start by saying that I don’t know anything about this Simon Ekpa. I understand the philosophy behind what Nnamdi Kanu is doing and he is very reasonable in his argument, but what I don’t agree with, is his style. He is also available for discussion because if the Federal Government had agreed to talk with him, assured and reassured him of steps that were being taken to ensure that things didn’t escalate we probably wouldn’t be here. But Ekpa is a total embarrassment.
I saw video clips of about five young boys who were shut as they came to burn down a police station in Anambra State. So, we keep destroying our youths, we keep killing them and showing them to a road that leads nowhere. Very soon somebody will say he is supporting Ekpa as Igbo agenda that is not what we need now. On your question about what the governors are doing, I’m not the chairman of the South East Governors Forum. However, our position initially was to set up Ebubeagu on the one hand and said we are going to engage. What we meant by engagement at that time was to talk with the Federal Government because it had Nnamdi Kanu in custody. But I think it is also hypocritical for the Federal Government to think that the solution to this problem will come from the state government alone. For me, I have advised my citizens not to listen to Ekpa.
We have respect for Nnamdi Kanu even as we don’t agree with his style. We think that if he is engaged properly, we can get something with the IPOB issue. But I’ve told everybody not to listen to Ekpa, because he has no point. He is in Finland and I expect that we should use a two-pronged approach. While we try to hold down our citizens here to ignore him, the Federal Government should engage the diplomatic gear to make sure he is brought home.
The Finnish government cannot be in Nigeria and their Ambassador is listening to broadcasts and post on the Internet that creates tension, and disaffection, leading to murder and arson and we still maintain such relationships. So, we don’t have to wait until it gets too serious. I think that the IGP should engage Interpol and the Minister of Foreign Affairs should engage the Ambassador. Nigeria should launch a report to the Finnish government and the international community to officially say that Ekpa is a nuisance who stays in Finland to launch attacks and missiles that are killing our people, destroying businesses and livelihoods and threatening our democracy. We need to escalate this and this is not what the state government alone can do.
