By Peter Okutu

After many weeks of speculations and castigation against the alleged silence of the South East Governors’ Forum concerning the agitation for Biafran state as well as the release of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, the forum, Friday broke its silence about the agitation and other sundry issues surrounding Biafra.

In a statement issued in Abakaliki, the Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi called for calm and wisdom in the ongoing agitation for Biafran state, adding that Nigeria could still be one.

Governor Umahi, contrary to allegation that the Governors’  Forum did not play any role towards the release of Nnamdi Kanu disclosed that the South East Governors made various moves and met with relevant authorities to secure the release of the IPOB leader.

He called for caution on the planned sit at home by the IPOB, saying “the South East governors are fully aware of the saturation of various information with the call by the leaders of movements known as IPOB agitation for secession from the Federal Republic of Nigeria and formation of Sovereign state of Biafra. It would be a tragic dereliction of our collective responsibility as leaders, if we fail to take a clear and definitive stand at this potentially explosive movement in history of Ndigbo.”

He said the forum was not unaware or unmindful of the historical and contemporary issues that have served as incitement and stimulation for the apparent crisis in the  Nigerian system by the Igbo

youths and appealed to members of IPOB and other groups to stop actions that might plunge the zone into irredeemable crisis.

Governor Umahi further disclosed that South East zone cannot afford to take action that will do nothing but slowpoke progress of the zone. He also called on all security agencies in the zone to liaise with the South East Governors’ Forum and South South to find amicable resolution to the matter and maintained that 30th May will come and like any other day people should conduct themselves in a peaceful manner.

Vanguardngr