The governor said the agitation for secession has been hijacked by criminal elements in the South East.

Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has called on the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to take another look at its sit-at-home order. 

The governor said the agitation for secession has been hijacked by criminal elements in the South East. 

The governor made these known on Tuesday, in Abakaliki while inaugurating the leadership of the South East traditional rulers’ council. 

The Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum explained that the insecurity in the region was caused by the agitation for self-determination and has led to “self-inflicted injury” by the people. 

He, however, condemned the declaration of the South-East as a “red zone” by the Federal Government, adding that the decision might deprive the region of federal projects. 

According to the governor, the government declared the South East as a red zone because of the high level of insecurity in the area. 

He charged the Southeast leaders and people to collectively say no to the killings in the zone because the real agenda of the agitations cannot be seen. 

He said: “The declaration of the South East as a red zone by these ministries means that what is due to us would be difficult to come.

“It is time for the zone’s leaders and people to collectively say no to the killings in the zone because we no longer see the real agenda of the agitations.

“The people should support governors from the zone and other leaders to permanently stop this bloodshed because we know the parents and communities of the perpetrators of the heinous acts.

“It is presently difficult for trucks with goods from other parts of the country to come to the zone as we did not harmonise adequately to determine areas of comparative advantage.”

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