-Panic Grips South East Governors 

-It’s Shameful- FG

By Jude Opara, Abuja with Agency reports

Anger and outrage have trailed Saturday’s attack on immediate past Deputy Senate President,  Ike Ekweremadu in Nuremberg, Germany, by alleged members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), while participating in Iri Iji Festival of Igbo in the Diaspora.

While Leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu on Sunday, described the attack as a ‘courageous act’ and ‘polite warning’, the Federal Government has condemned the attack, saying it was shameful and pathetic.

Reacting in his official Twitter page, Kanu said: “the courageous act by IPOB at Nürnberg Germany is a polite warning to those engaged in selling our collective interest to Fulani caliphate. Nwodo, Igbo governors are warned.”

Meanwhile, panic has gripped south-east governors and other politicians over the attack with some reportedly cancelling scheduled foreign trips.

In a statement in Abuja the Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the incident was an embarrassment to the country.

She said: “It is also shamefully pathetic that an event, which was nobly put together by the Ndi-Igbo community whose members make up the majority of Nigerians living in Germany, ended up in such a disgraceful manner.”

Dabiri-Erewa noted that the event was to provide a forum for the Diasporans and various stakeholders to network and facilitate a better cooperation between German and Nigerian businesses.

She disclosed that some of the culprits who perpetrated the act had been apprehended.

She also appealed to Nigerians to be of good behavior wherever they find themselves as such unruly incidents tarnish the image of the country.

Also the House of Representatives says it will probe the attack when it resumes from vacation.

The Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub made the disclosure in a statement he personally signed on Sunday on the heels of the attack.

Condemning in strong terms the assault, Yakub said that there were other civilized ways within a democratic setting to show grievances by any individuals or groups.

The federal lawmakers hinted the House upon resumption in September would thoroughly investigate the matter, urging the Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, Yusuf Maitama Tugger to immediately probe the issue with a view to bringing the perpetrators to book.

Attackers Must Face Justice – Buba

Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Yusuf Buba, said the attackers must face justice.

In a statement on Sunday in Abuja, Buba urged Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany, Ambassador Yusuf Tugga, to ensure the attackers are made to face justice.

Buba said given the high personality profile and the public service record which Ekweremadu parades, it was unthinkable for any individual or group anywhere in the world to attack him in such a manner.

According to Buba, his very own people in the Diaspora who ought to know better to contemplate carried out the despicable public act of shame that was brought upon a well-respected national leader.

Buba described Ekweremadu as an accomplished scholar in the legal profession and a political leader of high standing in society.

Attack unjustified – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said Saturday’s attack is unjustified.

The PDP in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in Abuja  on Sunday, said the attack was uncalled for, unprovoked and unjustified.

It said such assault on a leader was “completely unacceptable and does not portray our nation in proper light”.

Ologbondiyan urged the Nigerian Ambassador to Germany and the German Government to take appropriate decisive action on the matter.

“The party also urges the Federal Government, particularly, the National

Assembly, to take urgent comprehensive step to address issues leading to acts of resentment and agitations by Nigerians within and outside the country.”

Also, Chief Austin Umahi, the National Vice-Chairman, PDP South East zone, called for the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators to serve as deterrent to others.

Umahi advised any individual or group with any genuine reason to agitate to do so through the South-East Governors Forum, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and other legitimate means within the Nigerian federation; rather than resort to self-help.

IPOB threats empty – Umahi

Reacting to the incident on Sunday in Abakaliki, the Chairman of the forum, Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi, said that the attack was unnecessary.

In a statement issued by Mr. Emmanuel Uzor, his Chief Press Secretary, Umahi said that the issue of insecurity in the southeast, cited by the group as its reason, was not peculiar to the zone.

He stated that insecurity was a national issue, which rested squarely on the Federal Government’s control.

He further stated that the governors of the southeast had no issues with IPOB to warrant the group’s threat to attack them anywhere abroad.

The governor described the threat as “empty,” saying that the group lacked the power to track the governors around the globe.

“They have no spread and power to do so because they cannot see any governor to attack,” he said.

He opined that the group’s directive to its members to attack them would add no value toward the realisation of the agitation for Biafra.

“The IPOB members abroad should come home and settle any issues they hold against the governors, instead of doing so in a foreign land.

“Attacking governors in a foreign land is a wild goose chase. We love the IPOB members because they are our children,” he stated.

Umahi further noted that IPOB could not achieve Biafra alone except it collaborated with all the critical stakeholders, including the governors.

“They don’t need to attack the governors to achieve Biafra and we warn them not to allow political opportunists to use them to destroy the zone.

“They should unite and work with the governors and Ohaneze Ndigbo to achieve a president of Igbo extraction in 2023, instead of fighting the governors.

“We want them to be close to us, instead of taking the struggle to international arena,” the governor said.

We can’t achieve Biafra like this – MASSOB

Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) condemned the attack and said Biafra cannot be achieved in this way.

MASSOB spokesman, Samuel Edeson in statement on Sunday said it was disheartening that some groups have turned the non violent struggle for the actualization of Biafra state into an abusive and systematic gestapo against the citizens of Biafra.

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It described the physical attack on Ike Ekweremadu by IPOB as not commendable, noting that Igbo culture abhors disrespect of elders and persons in authority.

The group said that if actually Senator Ekweremadu was sabotaging or has sabotaged Biafra struggle as alleged by IPOB, the Nnamdi Kanu led IPOB did not take meaningful and acceptable steps to draw the attention of Ekweremadu to the alleged degradation.

Edeson said: “MASSOB as a leading figure of current Biafra agitation advice other pro Biafra groups including IPOB that Igbo political leaders are not the major obstacle of our chances of achieving independence from Nigeria state.

 “The major hurdle militating against the freedom of Biafra people from Nigeria is non cohesion and brotherhood among the leaders of leading pro Biafra groups.

“The tendency of superiority complex on ideology and the spirit of lordship over others are the detrimental tendencies grossly affecting the freedom of Biafrans.

“Ike Ekweremadu and other perceived and alleged enemies of Biafra are not our major obstacle against Biafra. IPOB can never actualize Biafra alone, neither MASSOB, LNC, BNC, BIM nor others operating individually can’t achieve Biafra alone.

“Biafra will be more achievable when a strong coalition of MASSOB, IPOB, Lower Niger Congress, BNC, BIM and others from Niger Delta regions are established under a collegiate leadership

“The tendency of grooming authoritarian leadership under any guise in Igbo land and Biafra in general will never be tolerated because the republican nature of Igbo man does not allow such authoritative and empirical rulership.

An embarrassment to Igbo nation – APC

The South-East APC Young Progressive Forum says such action was not in the character of the Igbo.

Leader of the group, Comrade Otimkpu Paschal said it was against Igbo’s core values and respect for elders for IPOB members to treat Ekweremadu that way.

He said: “This is barbaric and unacceptable. The incident was an embarrassment to the Igbo nation and the country at large.

“It is also shamefully pathetic that an event, which was nobly put together by the Igbo community whose members make up the majority of Nigerians living in Germany, ended up in such a disgraceful manner. Obviously, this is not how to repay a man, who has contributed his quota to the nation -building.

“Irrespective of political affiliation, Senator Elweremadu is an outstanding leader in Enugu and Nigeria and an unpretentious Igbo leader.

“We may not agree with him politically because of differences in parties, but this is the highest height of insult on Igbo leaders. Last time it was former Governor Rochas Okorocha at Chetham’s House London. Today, it is Senator Dr Ike Ekweremadu.

“It is most worrisome and even inconceivable that the attackers chose a great occasion where our people were celebrating and showcasing our rich cultural heritage (the New Year Festival) to exhibit such unbecoming and condemnable conduct in the name of agitation.”