The President-General of the apex-Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, yesterday, averred that the organisation was yet to receive any formal notice of the Biafra Heroes Day being planned by the secessionist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The IPOB had declared that May 30 would be a sit-at-home day across the South-East region to honour the memories of those who died during the civil war of 1967 to 1970.
The secessionist group had also asked the West African Examination Council to postpone the exam they have on that day as all schools would be shut down.
They also asked Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) not to hold their convocation ceremony scheduled for the day.
Similarly, the group also announced restriction on movements and businesses across the region.
In a statement yesterday by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, IPOB reiterated that May 30 date remained sacrosanct.
In a chat with journalists, the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Iwuanyanwu maintained he had not seen IPOB’s statement, but someone had drawn his attention to it.
READ ALSO: Biafra Heroes Day: IPOB asks WAEC, UNIZIK to reschedule exam, convocation
“I have yet to see the statement, but somebody has drawn my attention to it and when I get it, I will study it, call me back in two days’ time to react.”
However, a chieftain of the organisation, who does not want his name mentioned asserted that the IPOB’s directive was counter-productive to the region.
He said: “We are not against the celebration of Biafran Day, but the truth is that the frequent sit-at-home is causing damage to the region in many ways. How will our children taking WASSCE move to their examination hall on that day?
“What it means is that two days have been knocked off from the people this week. On Monday, people were locked down, and now Thursday has been declared again.
“You know issues that have to do with IPOB are very sensitive to delve into, that is why prominent people have been silent on this issue of sit-at-home.
“Recently, we read the reports that the police operatives arrested some people carrying a bag of ammunition which they said were meant to enforce sit-at-home.
“This is not a good development. We can only urge the security agencies to fortify the security in public places and our children writing exams on that day should be protected; extra security should be provided at the examination halls to avoid hoodlums hijacking the situation to perpetrate any dastardly act.”
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