Ohaneze Ndigbo Youth Council urges southeast residents to ignore sit-at-home order

OHANAEZE Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has urged residents of the southeast geo-political zone to ignore calls by the self-declared leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra  (Ipob) Simon Ekpa to spend the next week sitting at home.

Mr Ekpa, who lives in Finland, had announced a one week sit-at-home commencing from today, July 3. He has continued to spearhead regular Monday sit-at-home protests across the southeast despite the mainstream leadership of Ipob suspending the exercise after several groups, individuals and state governments condemned the action due to its economic implications on the zone.

Condemning Mr Ekpa, Mazi Okwu Nnabuikem, the national president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, urged all southeast residents to ignore his directive. He described Mr Ekpa’s order as dictatorial, saying there was no justification for someone to relax in his comfortable abode in Finland and then issue orders that others should not seek their daily bread for one week.

Mazi Nnabuikem said: “We have always made it clear that Simon Ekpa is not fighting for Biafra, he is only using the name of Biafra to enrich himself. He is also not interested in having Mazi Nnamdi Kanu released because he knows any day Kanu is released, his business will end.

“So, he goes ahead taking decisions, issuing orders that would lead to the prolonged detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. One of such is his senseless and unjustified sit-at-home orders. How could you ask the breadwinner of a home to sit-at-home for one week and watch himself and his family members starve to death? It is utterly senseless.

“It is even more deceitful considering that the person issuing the order is in far away Finland enjoying himself. Ndigbo should, therefore, not take him seriously. Come out and go about your normal business. There is no sit-at-home anywhere.”

He added that even the Ipob leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has also condemned the sit-at-home, stating clearly that it was not in the best interest of the people. According to Mazi Nnabuikem, for Simon Ekpa to be promoting the sit-at-home against the directive of the Ipob leader shows that he is on a personal mission and should be ignored.