Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has said leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu should be separated from his father, who is a traditional ruler in the state.

He said this on Tuesday while speaking with State House Correspondents after a meeting with Vice-president, Yemi Osinbajo.

What happened:

Some youth in the state had asked Ikpeazu to dethrone Kanu’s father for failing to call his son to order.

Ikpeazu’s response:

• Nnamdi Kanu is clearly different from his son who is the leader of IPOB.
• The process of handling traditional institutions is enshrined in the laws of the land.

“I clearly separate Kanu from his father. The processes of handling traditional institutions are enshrined in the laws of our land,” he said.

“And traditional rulers who are members of our constituency have the leadership they will do the needful at the appropriate time. But for me, I think there is a clear division between Nnamdi Kanu and his father.”

• The economy of Abia State will suffer if the violence is not total quenched.

“Nigerians know that for some time now that this group called IPOB was agitating for a separate nation called Biafra and that the home state of the leader of that group happens to be Abia state,” he said.

“As expected, when such things happen there is an interface between some members of that group and the military, and the theater was Abia state. And some people attempted to hijack that event to conflagrate our country. To the glory of God the rest is history, we are still working to stabilise the fragile peace in the region. I thank God also for the instruments he used to be able to keep our country as one. We are humbled by the privileges.

“I will continue to protect the lives and property of my brothers and sisters irrespective of where they come from. You know that the mainstay of our economy in Abia state is trade and commerce and I do not think it will augur well for our economy.”

Azeez