Nnamdi Kanu warns southeastern governors that anyone owing salaries must not travel abroad

INDIGENOUS People of Biafra (Ipob) leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has warned governors from the five states of Nigeria's southeast geo-political zone that they should not travel abroad if they owe workers salaries or they face being attacked.

On Saturday August 17, Senator Ekweremadu, the lawmaker representing Enugu West Senatorial District, was due to be the guest speaker at the New Yam Festival of the Igbo community in Nuremburg in Germany.  However, Senator Ekweremadu, the former deputy senate president, was physically assaulted by Ipob members, with his top torn to shreds at the event.

Members of the separatist group vented their anger on him for not supporting the Biafra cause, forcing the senator to flee the venue. Since then, Ipob has warned other Igbo leaders who are opposed to their secessionist agenda, especially the governors, that they face similar treatment whenever they travel abroad.

Raising the stakes higher, Mazi Kanu said that governors who owe salaries would be questioned on the rationale behind their attitude to workers and pensioners. Although he added that they may not necessarily be physically assaulted, it is expected that Ipob will be unlikely to control its members in such a scenario.

Mazi Kanu said: “Very soon, any governor who has not paid salaries will not come abroad anymore. If you are owing salaries you’re not allowed to go abroad anymore.

"We’ll not attack them, we’ll just ask them questions, it is called picketing and is allowed within the ambit of democratic rules. If we see you, we’ll ask you what you’ve been doing with teachers’ salaries, nurses’ salaries and why you’ve not been paying people and what are you doing here?

"Any governor owing workers, once we catch you abroad you’ll tell us what you’ve being doing with the salaries you’re supposed to pay. It doesn’t matter the state you come from, but once we catch you, you must explain why you’ve not paid for four months, six months and nine months."