The South-East Caucus in the Senate has met with leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, and members of the secession group over what it termed as the rising tension in the country.
The Chairman of the Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia-South), in a statement on Wednesday, said the meeting was held in his Ohuru, Obingwa country home in Abia State on Tuesday.
The statement quoted Abaribe as telling journalists after the meeting that IPOB and other agitators in the country should let their actions conform with the Nigeria’s laws and avoid any form of violence and abuse the rights of other Nigerians.
The lawmaker said while the consensus was to have a united and peaceful Nigeria where equity and fairness would be entrenched and no group or region was treated as second-class citizens, the caucus would always support and work for a united Nigeria.
Abaribe added that the caucus demanded total restructuring of the country and devolution of powers in such a manner that would assuage the feeling of despondency, injustice and near rejection within the Nigerian state, “which to us is the way to go and we think is the crux of the rising agitation in the land.”
He said, “I thank Kanu for assuring (the caucus) to conduct his members in a peaceful manner and within the ambit of the law. This engagement is a continuous process that will lead us to finding a lasting solution to whatever grievances that necessitated the agitation in Nigeria.
“The caucus will accordingly meet as soon as we resume from recess to continue the engagement for the good of our people and our dear country. All of us desire equality, equity, fairness in a peaceful and united Nigeria.”
The IPOB leader was quoted as assuring the lawmakers that his group would remain non-violent in its agitation.
Kanu, however, insisted that the group remained resolute in its demand for a fair and just society which, according to him, is the spirit behind the agitation for Biafra through a referendum.
“We are not afraid in our quest but what I promise my elder brother (Abaribe) is that we shall never fail them by resorting to violence. We can’t and it has never been our approach,” he said.
