The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called for dialogue with the Federal Government to resolve the crisis in the Southeast region of Nigeria. The group says it is ready for peaceful negotiations and dialogue for a peaceful exit of Biafra from Nigeria through a United Nations supervised referendum.
Stakeholders from the Southeast region have urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to embrace the call for dialogue, noting that the crisis can only be addressed through a political solution. They say that a genuine dialogue between the Tinubu-led Federal Government and the IPOB will amount to victory for both parties.
Some stakeholders have expressed reservations about the sincerity of IPOB’s call for dialogue, while others have urged the Federal Government to accept the offer.
One analyst, Dr. Onyeukwu Nworie, noted that dialogues and discussions are essential ingredients of democracy, and that the Federal Government should not be tired of engaging any group to chart acceptable ways of impacting society. He added that with the level of insecurity and destruction in the Southeast, the government should be willing to engage in meaningful discussions that could bring a permanent solution to it.
Nworie further allayed fears that the IPOB may begin another round of attacks should the call be disregarded, stressing: “From what I have seen about the group, they are not the violent type. It is the criminal elements that infiltrated the society that are creating unrest in the zone.”