Former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe, has flayed the silence of the Presidency over the success of the sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
Mr Okupe said it was shocking that nothing happened before and after the sit-at-home order, issued by IPOB’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Ideally, he said the Presidency should be worried that Nnamdi Kanu came from nowhere, declared the sit-at-home order and it was complied with across the South East region.
He queried in a statement on Monday why the Presidency pretended as if nothing happened during the recent sit-at-home protest by IPOB.
“A young man, from virtually nowhere, issues a decree for a section of the country to stay at home. Surprisingly, there was maximum compliance even beyond his immediate natural constituency.
“Yet, the next day, the whole country pretends nothing has happened or at best, as if, it was an isolated event somewhere in Southern Cameroon.
“About the same time, there was and still is conflagration, confrontation and war-like proclamations from major sections of the country on the persistent and perplexing call for Restructuring of the federation,” he said.
Mr Okupe did not put the blame on the Nigeria Government alone, saying the whole country pretended nothing has happened when the Nnamdi Kanu called for the protest.
“Statesmen from the South threatened fire and brimstone that Nigeria will break up if restructuring is resisted by the North. Their colleagues from the North responded in similar vein, that if the country will break up because of their adamant position on Restructuring, then so be it.
“Yet, no word was issued from the official quarters on the very obvious and menacing threat to National unity and stability from all sides.
“Intriguingly, all Southerners are united in the clamour for restructuring while all Northerners are united in condemning and or rejecting it… The grave implication of this confounding development, appears to be a non issue in government circles. Neither does it constitute a matter of urgent national importance in any of our legislative chambers.
“An announcement was made that budget which is already over delayed will be signed on a particular day, only for this event to be cancelled unceremoniously and without any specific official explanation that same day. This is half way down the year and still life goes on without qualms. indeed what manner of a Nation is this?
“How do we get our GDP to rise and for us to get out of this crippling recession, if there is no government spending to propel the economy? How can the government spend without the validly signed legal document. Was this not how we got into recession in the first place,” he said.
