Igbo group flays IPOB’s sit-at-home order

Igbo National Movement (INM) has described the sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as ill-conceived, counter-productive and self-destructive to the general wellbeing of the Igbo.

In a statement issued by its National Director, Anthony Okolo, in Owerri, yesterday, the group advised IPOB to change its modus operandi, if it wants to succeed in its quest for self-determination for the Igbo nation.

The group, which equally urged IPOB to collaborate and seek advice from other stakeholders in their decisions concerning the Igbo, also advised that the sit-at-home order be completely discarded in the overall interest of the people.

Okolo said: “For an entity claiming to be interested in the welfare and wellbeing of Ndigbo to embark on activities geared towards reducing the number of days during which a self-employed may work, and following up with not just threats of violence for those who do not agree with such irrational decisions, is most worrisome.

“Following up with actual destruction of private properties, harms to the individuals and in some instances, killing fellow Ndigbo whose sole wrong is the desire to provide for themselves and their families call for sober reflection and outright condemnation by those with the overall best interest of Ndigbo at heart.”

According to the group, the losses suffered by Ndigbo in the first forced observance of this sit-at-home on Monday, August 9, run into several millions of dollars, beside the disruption of academic opportunities for children in secondary schools, who missed out on crucial examinations.

“Must this path of folly be continued? Certainly, no! Continuing will only lead to more deaths, harm on Ndigbo, losses and destructions all within Igboland with no impact, whatsoever, either on other parts of the Nigeria, where no sit-at-home is observed/enforced or on the cause for Igbo self-determination,” Okolo added.

INM called on the proponents of the weekly sit-at-home campaigns to re-strategise, retrace their steps and eventually be part of a wider Igbo effort at actualising self-determination.