The Chairmen of South East Governors Forum and Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, Thursday slammed the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOD over “ travel ban” placed on politicians and Governors of South East
Umahi, while briefing State House Correspondents after meeting with President Muhammmadu Buhari at the State House, dismisses the ban as “ empty threats” adding that no responsible government would allow a proscribed group to promote lawlessness.
The Governor vows to inform the IPOB members any time he planned to travel out of Nigeria.
Umahi, while dismissing IPOB threats to humiliate or physically attack any of the Southeast governors if they travelled abroad for any function, pointed out that the group had no constitutional powers to bar governors from foreign trips.
“IPOB have no powers to place travel ban on governors or anyone.
“I will even tell IPOB any time I intend to travel”, he stated
He also dismissed the demand for an apology by IPOB, noting that it was not the governors who proscribed the group but the Federal Government
” We have no apology for IPOB because we did not proscribe them.
“Yes, are the leaders of the people and we had to speak against their activities.”
Umahi declared that it was premature for him and his colleagues to start talking of Presidential ambitions and successor to President Buhari ahead of 2023 presidential elections
According to him, “ Such would amount to insulting the occupier of that seat, who is not even up to a year in his second teem of office”
The governor spoke on other issues he discussed with Buhari during the meeting, revealing that he thanked the President for closure of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, for urgent repairs, but demanded that this be done with emergency funding intervention intervention, which will be it faster than relying on budgetary provisions.
Speaking on the closure of Enugu International airports for repairs, admitted that the alternative airport for the period of repairs, which is the Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri, would come with the security challenges, but assured the public that efforts would be made with
Federal Government to secure the adjourning roads to the airport across the region.
Umahi stressed that Southeast Governors had not been sleeping over the security challenges in the region, but had to be mature and circumspect in their utterances in other not to exacerbate the situation.
Noting that not all security measures are made public, he however, recalled the Southeast Governors ban on movement of cattle on foot across the region by herdsmen.
The governor said Buhari was happy with the meeting, and he (Umahi) asked his support for the reactivation and eventual passage of the Southeast Development Commission bill in the National Assembly.
He also sought presidential audience for another enlarged parley that will have in attendance all Southeast Governors, other Igbo leaders and groups across boards, including religious and traditional rulers, Ohaneze Ndigbo, and others.
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
