Military, IPOB Faceoff: Fayose urges caution, calls for dialogue

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has once again called on the

federal government to handle the agitation of the Indigenous People of

Biafra (IPOB) with caution and allow leaders of the Southeast region

to apply political solutions as against the use of force, which has

created tension in Abia State and the entire Southeast since the

military embarked on its Operation Python Dance II.

Special Assistant to the governor on Public Communications and New

Media, Lere Olayinka, said in a statement on Saturday, that Governor

Fayose also called the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu and his followers to

desist from any act capable of threatening the peaceful co-existence

of Nigerians and allow dialogue to resolve their agitations.

The governor said the federal government should be reminded of how

late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua handled the Niger-Delta militancy

with dialogue and consultations, adding that the same approach should

be used to address IPOB agitations and those of others rather than

military option.
The governor said; “For whatever reasons, the federal government

should avoid being seen as becoming trigger happy because in every

union, there will always be agitations and leaders must listen to such

agitations and address them.
“I was particularly happy when Governors of the South-East states met

with Nnamdi Kanu, 16 days ago and I commended the governors then and

said that the federal government should allow the governors and other

leaders of the region to intervene just as governors from the Northern

States were allowed to peacefully address the Arewa Youths threat

against Igbos living in the north.
“The federal government should therefore withdraw the military from

the Southeast and encourag the peace effort of the Southeast

governors so as to prevent further bloodshed and tension as being

witnessed in Abia State now.”
Maintaining that Nigerians will always agitate for the restructuring

of the country, Governor Fayose said; “The moment it becomes necessary

for Nigerians living outside their states of origin to be assured of

their safety where they reside, it should be obvious to all discerning

minds that all is not well.
“For instance, here in Ekiti, we do not need to begin to assure other

tribes living in the State of their safety because as a government,

our actions never threatened the peaceful co-existence of Nigerians

living in Ekiti State.
“Therefore, instead of trying to suppress agitations, the federal

government should accede to calls for the restructuring of the country

so that we can have a country that we can all call our own.”