Traders
from the South-East geo-political zone have disowned the Director of
Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu and his cohorts in the pro-Biafran agitation.
The
traders under the auspices of ‘South East Markets Amalgamated Traders
Association, in a statement made available to journalists in Awka on
Tuesday, said traders in the area had nothing to do with the Movement
for the Actualisation of Biafra and the Indigenous People of Biafra,
headed by Kanu.
The IPOB is a splinter group from MASSOB.
The traders’ statement was signed by their President and the Secretary, Okwudili Ezenwankwo and Temple Udeh respectively.
They
said that their position on the issue had become necessary because of
frequent calls by the secessionist groups for closure of markets in the
area, stressing that the public could be deceived by such calls into
believing that traders were involved in the lawless struggle.
The
statement read, “We are constrained to react to the continuous calls for
close of businesses in the zone in protest and solidarity for Biafra.
“Traders
in the South-East wish to dissociate ourselves from MASSOB and IPOB. We
have nothing to do whatsoever with these lawless groups.
“The
difficulties and hardship, which traders and residents in general suffer
during these protests, had made the traders to react to the situation
and the development and make its position very clear and unambiguous.
“The
invasion of markets and other business outfits and the destruction of
property of individuals like shops and vehicles in the name of
pro-Biafra protest is not only condemnable but unacceptable.
“We are
yet to understand the wisdom in the protest where the properties and
other valuables and belongings of the Igbo are either vandalised or
destroyed by fellow Igbo in the name of Pro-Biafra protest.
“The
hardship, which the Igbo that relocated from the North-East in the wake
of Boko Haram insurgency are passing through, is still staring every
right thinking Igbo man in the face, yet the Pro-Biafra groups are
calling other Igbo doing their businesses in other parts of Nigeria to
relocate to the South-East. This doesn’t make any sense.
“No particular zone in this country is an island and none can successfully develop without inter-relationship with the others.
.“Times
are hard and the traders condemn, in strong terms, any action, by any
group or individual, that will further aggravate the already very
difficult times experienced by traders in this area.
“The traders are totally not in support of any protest that will further adversely affect the people of the South-East.
“We want
to state clearly that traders in the South East are solidly in support
of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.”
The
statement stressed that “traders in the zone shall not support any
action that will aggravate the hardship already being experienced by
Nigerians.
source punch.
No comments:
Post a Comment