By Judith Ufford
Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers has signed an executive order to reinforce the ban on the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and its activities in the State.
He made this known in a statement by Mr. Kelvin Ebiri, Special Assistant (Media) to the Governor.
Ebiri stated that the governor, in a broadcast on Wednesday night in Port Harcourt, maintained that Rivers remains the home to all tribes and ethnic nationalities.
He said that the government acknowledges and appreciates the enormous contributions from non-indigenes to the political, social and economic development of the State.
According to the statement, the State Government will neither accept nor allow any individual or group from within and outside to violate the peace, endanger lives and property under any guise.
It stated: “the State government is opposed to the presence and activities of the legally-proscribed and anarchic IPOB and whatever it stands for in Rivers State.
“And so, let it be understood that we have nothing against all or any specific tribe and will continue to live in peace with people of all other tribal extractions residing or doing business in Rivers State.
“But we have everything against the presence and activities of the legally-proscribed IPOB and whatever that group stands for in Rivers State,” the governor warned.
“This is clearly a terrorist group which existence, creed, mission and activities are strongly denounced even by the Government and peoples of South-Eastern States of the country.
“I have, therefore, signed the executive order to reinforce the total ban on IPOB and its activities in Rivers State or any part thereof and nothing will stop us from enforcing this ban in its entirety,’’ he said.
The statement also added that Wike also “directed security agencies and the Chairmen of Local Government Areas to fish out and resolutely deal with any member of IPOB found in any community following the executive order and other legal instruments’’.