Proscription of IPOB in 2017 marked beginning of mistrust, violence, alienation — Ejiofor

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

ONITSHA — Human rights lawyer, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, KSC, has said that the 2017 proscription of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a question helium described arsenic peaceful astatine the time, marked the opening of an unending rhythm of mistrust, violence, and alienation successful Nigeria.

In a property connection issued connected Sunday, Ejiofor, who besides serves arsenic pb counsel to IPOB, observed that alternatively of addressing underlying grievances, the concern was met with suppression that heightened tensions wherever dialog was needed.

He argued that the clampdown created a vacuum that aboriginal gave emergence to elements whose actions departed from the archetypal ideals of the movement.

“These actors neither stock the ideals nor the motivation compass of the earlier movement. They emerged from the lack of structured engagement,” Ejiofor stated.

“The information remains that nary federation ever silenced a outcry for justness done the tube of a gun. Sustainable bid is achieved lone done honorable dialogue, empathy, and a deliberate effort to abstracted morganatic grievances from acts of opportunism.”

Citing Bishop Hassan Kukah’s caller remarks astatine the motorboat of General Lucky Irabor’s publication successful Abuja, Ejiofor noted that names and labels often signifier cognition and dictate responses, informing that mishandling them could worsen divisions.

“Nigeria’s aboriginal bid lies not successful the proliferation of labels but successful our corporate quality to perceive beyond them, to recognize the pains and aspirations down those names, and to physique a federation that heals alternatively than hurts,” helium said.

He urged the Federal Government to see dialog and re-engagement, stressing:

“The authorities indispensable summon the courageousness to sift the wheat from the chaff, to separate genuine aspirations from criminality, and to reconstruct spot wherever disillusionment present reigns. A federation that refuses to speech to its children volition 1 time beryllium compelled to negociate with their ghosts.”

Ejiofor recalled that betwixt 2015 and 2017, thousands of young men and women from the South-East staged peaceful marches to item perceived marginalisation. He said the state’s effect during that play near heavy scars connected the region’s corporate psyche.

The station Proscription of IPOB successful 2017 marked opening of mistrust, violence, alienation — Ejiofor appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.