The notorious, garrulous, and fugitive Finland based IPOB factional leader, Simon Ekpa, is at it again. Just like the last kick of a dying horse, Ekpa is desperately seeking relevance, having realised and observed that his Monday sit-at-home gimmick has lost followership and momentum in the Southeast region particularly in Enugu State.
The people have known his antics and motive, which is to continue to scare people with his propaganda, rantings, rhetorics, and empty threats on social media while living a hedonistic lifestyle in Finland.
People have openly and boldy called him out and challenged him to return to Nigeria and his home state, Ebonyi, and lead the campaign for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s release if he is sincere, altruistic and patriotic.
Oppositions and insouciance against Ekpa and his activities have grown tremendously and are still growing by leaps and bounds. This is because awareness is high and people including few of Ekpa's indoctrinated supporters are tired of his anti-people activities. Apart from the total ban on the Monday sit-at-home in Enugu State, massive campaigns and sensitisation about the consequences and evil of the sit-at-home are ongoing in various media.
The known and genuine IPOB group led by Nnamdi Kanu which has Emma Powerful as its spokesman, has issued a statement dissociating themselves from the useless one week sit-at-home being championed and canvassed by Ekpa.
In a statement issued on July 3, 2023, Powerful said: "IPOB is not part of such irresponsible order from government paid agents whose agenda is to ridicule the struggle to restore Biafra sovereignty Therefore, Biafrans should ignore the rabble rousers. There is NO sit-at-home scheduled
"The purported one week sit-at-home jingle on social media is NOT from IPOB.
We are not in the business of issuing irresponsible and non-existent sit-at-home orders. IPOB is a responsible movement and family. Our aims and objectives are to give peace and freedom to our people not to inflict more pain on Nigeria.
"Those who came from the back door are nothing but thieves. Thieves come to rob, kill, and destroy. The agent provocateurs are on the same mission as the Nigeria government and her security agents to keep Alaigbo under security and economic siege while disguising as fighting for the release of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi KANU. How can keeping our people indoors for one week at this harsh economic times in Nigeria liberate our leader or Biafrans from the shackle of this contraption? Our people should start reasoning."
Apart from the IPOB's condemnations and clarifications on the purported one week sit-at-home at home being declared by Simon Ekpa, a strong member of the IPOB with the name IKENGA URUAGU on social media platforms had given insights to and exposed the dirty secrets and shenanigans of Ekpa.
According to him, Ekpa was not a member of IPOB anywhere even in the Diaspora. Ekpa was first seen at the Igbo Yam Festival in Germany, where Senator Ike Ekweremadu was attacked by IPOB members.
"Ekpa was against the attack and tried to challenge it, but he was shouted down and chased away by IPOB members. He later came back to apologise through a strong woman member of IPOB who was close to Mazi Kanu.
"When he was asked to take oath of membership of IPOB with Nnamdi Kanu’s name, he refused and insisted that he will not be a member until Kanu’s name is erased."
Ikenga Uruagu, who described Ekpa as Ekperima meaning notorious deceiver of people, called on Igbos and the people of the southeast region to ignore his purported one week sit-at-home and go about their businesses. He also released all the secret voice notes by Ekpa and his cohorts, which they deploy on social media platforms to put non-existing fears and empty threats on people, especially market leaders across the Southeast region. He said that immediately Kanu was arrested, Ekpa capitalised on the situation to jump into the public arena and declared himself IPOB leader without Kanu’s backing or blessing. For more details and revelations about Ekpa, follow Ikenga Uruagu on his social media pages# Ikenga Uruagu#
Having seen and read that Nnamdi Kanu’s led IPOB members have debunked, dismissed and dissociated themselves from Ekpa's purported one week sit-at-home coupled with the exposition of Ekpa's modus operandus that is more of a deceit and personal aggrandisement , than IPOB's genuine liberation struggle, and government and security agents' readiness to clamp down on any of the enforcers of the order, why should any reasonable person comply with Ekpa's purported call for one week sit-at-home?
Who is Ekpa, and where is he? Who made him IPOB leader? Why is Ekpa not agitating or clamouring for Kanu’s unconditional release but has been busy opposing the ban of sit-at-home? Why did he wants sit-at-home to continue unabated and never wanted Kanu to be released? Why hasn't he joined forces with Igbo leaders, including Governor Mbah, who has been pushing for Kanu’s unconditional release?
Why the purported call for one week sit-at-home, when the Monday sit-at-home has been banned by government and complied with by the people? Why is Ekpa determined and desperate to cripple the socio-economic growth and well-being of the Southeast region with the illegal sit-at-home orders? It is obvious that Ekpa is an enemy of his people. That is why he places his relevance and interest above the interest of the entire Southeast people with continuous threats and calls for sit-at-home in the entire region.
This is time for the people of Southeast to rally round their political leaders and do away completely with anti- people's sit at home order that has not only crippled their economies, but wasted lives of many youths and properties worth billions in Southeast region.
Ezea writes from Lagos
