By AROGBONLO ISRAEL

The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB on Tuesday, says its agitation for referendum is “non-negotiable” following the positions adopted by the Southeast governors and other leaders of the region during their recent meeting in Enugu.

Recall the Southeast governors met on Saturday, June 19, to deliberate on ways to engage “agitators” in the region in order to address their fear.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the Chairman of the Southeast Governors’ Forum, Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi as telling reporters that the leaders from the region had set up a committee to that effect.

It is not clear if Mr Umahi specifically mentioned IPOB by name when he spoke with reporters.

Reacting, the IPOB in a statement signed by its media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, described moves by the Southeast governors to stop Biafra agitation as rather “unfortunate” insisting there is no going back to achieving its goal.

“Our attention has been drawn to the purported disowning and condemnation of IPOB and the Eastern Security Network, ESN, by the Southeast governors and few self-centered political leaders in the region. We are not however, surprised because they were the same people to proscribe us before the federal government tagged us terrorists.

“The purported statement by these political generals without foot soldiers has only further exposed them as Caliphate boot-leakers.

“The governors, Ohaneze Ndigbo and the handful traitors masquerading as the Igbo political elite should wake up to the realities that they have since lost the confidence of the people. We understand their worries: They are rattled by the unflinching support and loyalty of the masses to IPOB.

“It’s only unfortunate, shameful and disgraceful that the so-called Igbo leaders will be quick to disown and betray their own in their quest to appease their slave-masters. The Southeast governors again, in 2017 they sat together in Enugu to proscribe IPOB and federal government declared them terrorists with the support of former while they are not. To their shame, how many times have their Northern counterparts disowned the bloody terrorists, bandits and Fulani herdsmen rampaging the country….?” The statement partly read. (Vanguard)

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