Calling IPOB Terrorists Is Enslavery – APC Chieftain, Utomi Condemns
The popular Nigerian economist and politician from the ruling All Progressive Congress, Prof. Pat Utomi has kicked against the label of terrorists placed on the Nnamdi Kanu-led Indigenous People of Biafra by the Nigerian Government.
Shortly after the Ooni of Ife, Enitan Ogunwusi gave his own version of what IPOB is instead of blacklisting them terrorist organization as ‘Indigenous People of Brighter Nigerians (IPOBN)’, Pat Utomi has also buttressed on that with his similar standpoint.
Speaking at the Holy Cross Cathedral in Lagos, the former Presidential candidate maintained that IPOB has the undeniable rights to agitate when they feel not satisfied by the running government. He stated that it is however slavery to hinder them from doing so.
“People have the right to say they’ve been unjustly treated. To take away that right from them is to say you want to enslave them. When you talk about modern slavery, it’s the most grievous violation of human rights in the 21st century.
“I’ve not seen what terror they (IPOB) have committed. They are not, I repeat, quote me anywhere, any day, they are not a terrorist organisation”, Utomi established.
“That’s just a political thing. It doesn’t make sense which way you look at it. It’s just a political thing. You can carve any name, you can be IPOB or ITOT, it’s just a name.
“Nigeria is going through a necessary and interesting phase of its evolution as a country. I am not one of those unduly worried about the things going on in the country. They are part of the thesis and anti-thesis that will produce synthesis that is a nation’’, he ended.
