The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, yesterday, kicked against the one-week sit-at-home declared by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The pro-Biafra group had threatened a one-week sit-at-home if their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, was not released forthwith.
The declaration, targeted at the November 6 Anambra election, has been attracting wild condemnation.
In a statement by the Secretary-General of the Chidi Ibeh-led faction of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, he said Ndigbo should not obey the order this time.
He said, “Any declaration that unleashes untold hardship, leads to the collapse of commercial and industrial activities, boycott of Anambra elections, and interrupts the academic calendar in the Southeastern states is nonsensical, absurd, and anti-Igbo agenda, for the enemy’s amusement.”
While describing the order as the enslavement of Ndigbo, Isiguzoro said it was time “for the Igbo to rise to the occasion and end being trampled with orders from overseas by those without any investments in the South-East”.
He added that “IPOB should discern that there was self-determination struggle in Africa before now. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in jail and never in the history of the movement against Apartheid was starvation, anguish, and catastrophe unleashed on Black South Africans by ANC.
“It is impulsive and reckless to order Ndigbo to observe one-week sit-at-home when it’s obvious that Nnamdi Kanu will not be released without the approval of courts.
“IPOB should revisit and nullify the one-week sit-at-home or they will likely lose the support of the Ndigbo henceforth, Ndigbo must participate in Anambra election and nothing should stop it”.
He cautioned that such orders if implemented would give a particular political party an edge in the election.