April 02, (THEWILL) – Outlawed separatist group, The Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), has cancelled the sit-at-home directive in the southeastern part of Nigeria.
The development followed the appeal by the Anambra Government and Traditional rulers of the zone, asking IPOB to halt the incessant sit-at-home directives in the South East.
The Chairman, Anambra Traditional Rulers Council, who is also the Igwe of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, made this known on Saturday during a one-day peacebuilding and security meeting held in Awka, the Anambra state capital.
The monarch, said stakeholders have continually held meetings on the way forward to lasting resolutions of the impasse with the agitators; adding that after its meeting with the group on Friday, April 1, it was agreed that a call to release the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, would be a step to dousing the tension in the state.
He said that after the meeting, the group placed a call to all its members to sheathe their swords, put down their guns and go the way of dialogue.
“We call on all who had taken the way of gun to put down their guns and take up the olive leaf from the government to better themselves”, Achebe said.
He said that the state government has set April 4 for prayers aimed at seeking God’s face to restore lasting peace in Anambra and South East as a whole.
Achebe said, the meeting agreed that on April 4, all churches in Igboland and South East will join in prayers to seek God’s forgiveness and to restore peace in the area.
“Igboland has lost so much in the economic and social development of the zone and we are tired of the situation and want peace.
“It is agreed that on Sunday, April 3, all churches will announce the IPOB decision to their faith to come out on Monday 11am to their various churches to offer prayers to God for the restoration of peace and economic development”, he said.
Other speakers at the meeting, including Uche Okafor, Anambra Speaker, who assured that the legislators would partner with the state government to enthrone lasting peace and economic development of the state and the zone, spoke in line with the decision.
Chief Damin Ogene-Okeke, the National Vice President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, urged the public to embrace the decision to establish peacebuilding amongst “ourselves and work towards improving security sanity in the state.”
He called on the governors of the South East States to represent their people well and speak the minds of the citizens who elected them into office.
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