Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano has condemned the recent
killings in the South East zone and other parts of the country.
The governor’s action came on the heels of allegations that he
supported the killings of members of the Movement for the Actualisation
of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Indigenous Peoples of
Biafra (IPOB) by the police and soldiers during the May 30 celebration
of Biafra Day.
But yesterday, Obiano condemned the growing circle of violence across
the country and sued for peace among the various ethnic nationalities in
the country.
At a special Mass to mark this year’s edition of the World Environment
Day at the St Patrick’s Cathedral in Awka, Governor Obiano frowned at
the ease with which life was being snuffed out of Nigerians at the
slightest pretext in recent times and called for caution.
He said there was a strong need for wisdom, calmness, patience and prayers in this period of the country’s history.
Governor Obiano said: “It is important to reiterate that nobody should
lose his or her life under any circumstance and I condemn that very act
in the strongest terms.”
Addressing the recent faceoff between the police and some youths who
filed out to mark the Igbo Day in Nkpor, Idemili Local Government Area
of the State, Governor Obiano reiterated his regret over the alleged
loss of lives and declared that as the chief security officer of the
state, his priority is to secure life and property.
He said it is great idea to celebrate Igbo Day, but the method adopted
by the youths to mark it ought to be reappraised to avoid unnecessary
conflict with the constituted authorities as that would defeat the aim
of the event which is to draw attention to the developmental challenges
of the South East zone.
“You may remember that we solved the challenge created by the transfer
of Boko Haram prisoners to Ekwulobia Prisons last year without a single
loss of life. Also, remember that I am the only governor that has
formally accorded our people who died during the war a proper burial.
We did that when we held the programme, Ozoemezina,” Obiano said.
He therefore condemned the recent killing of an Igbo woman by a
religious mob in Kano, declaring that human life is sacrosanct and that
“nobody should lose his or her life under any circumstance. I therefore
use this opportunity to call on all parents and guardians to ensure
that their wards are not part of any act that might lead to the
disruption of peace.”
He advised that the challenges facing Nigeria called for more
strategic thinking and warned against the embrace of any action that
might threaten the existence of Ndigbo.
And irked by the continued killing of Igbo in the northern part of
Nigeria, MASSOB has said it will no longer treat such issues with
levity.
“Biafrans are not happy and can no longer watch the heartless killing
of our people. MASSOB warns Igbo traditional, religious, political and
opinion leaders to stop sympathising with the Hausa/ Fulani. If it was
Hausa/Fulani that were killed in Igboland, some Igbo governors will
openly sympathise with them,” its leader, Comrade Uchenna Madu said in
Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
In a statement he issued, Madu warned that further killing of Igbo is
no longer acceptable, adding that the murder of Bridget Agbahime can
never be wished away or treated insensitively as usual.
“The open gruesome murder of an Igbo mother in Arewaland is a
conscious provocation of the conscience of Ndigbo. Why must the blood
of Biafrans continue to be split in the North on the guise of Islamic
fundamentalism and extremism?”
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