Matters raised by IPOB are valid, should be attended to –Ikpeazu

Okezie Ikpeazu, the governor of Abia State, has stated that some of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) grievances are legitimate and should be answered.

However, the governor said that he could not support the separatist group’s plan for achieving their goals, and he highlighted some of their issues that affect the South-East region.

While speaking on Arise TV on Tuesday, Ikpeazu listed inequality and marginalization as some of the issues posed by the IPOB.

He claims that elected officials will only be given solid ground to preach the gospel of Nigerian unity until those concerns are recognized.

“I have taken the time to listen to some of the issues posed by IPOB, including issues of inequality, marginalization, and confidence deficits within the polity known as Nigeria, as they pertain to people from the south-eastern part of the country.

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“And I think some of those are valid issues and they should be addressed and spoken to; they should be addressed squarely. So that everybody and those of us that are in government today can have a foothold within the South-East region to continue to promote the unity of Nigeria.

“I do not subscribe to the strategy of IPOB in pursuing their goals. And the reason is because I’m yet to see the end of the tunnel from where I’m standing and I do not like to take a plunge in the dark. We must engage and discuss the issue which is bothering them and everybody and we can’t continue to pretend as if these issues are not valid.

“Equal rights and justice are inalienable rights to all citizens, and if we encourage a group of people to feel as if they aren’t properly served within the polity by impunity and carelessness, it creates a gap where people lose faith in the government to protect them and look after their interests within the polity. There will undoubtedly be agitation of some form or another. Some of these reactions may extrapolate to levels that may undermine national convention and unity,” Ikpeazu said.