 Welcome back to The Breakfast Here on Plus TV Africa. Our next conversation moves to the southeast where there is some confusion with regards to seat at home order by the IPOB. Of course, the latest news show that the governors of the southeast have spoken against it, same as Arnaz and Dibu. Brother to Nambi Kanno also was in the news saying that the seat at home order should be canceled because of the NECO examinations. The foundation, of course, of this conversation is with the IPOB declaring a seat at home order every Monday in the southeast until the federal government releases Nambi Kanno, well, their leader of the IPOB Nambi Kanno. We're going to be speaking this morning with the public affairs analyst, Victor Okhai, who's joining us with our phone. Good morning, Ms. Okhai. Thanks for joining us. Good morning. Alright, so let's quickly get your first of all your reaction to the seat at home order, you know, and of course those who are for and against it. You know, what are your thoughts concerning it? Well, the seat at home order, I mean, for me, sometimes, especially in the southeast, it's like cutting your nose to spite your face. Why do I say so? It can only hurt the economy of the southeast. Even the idea is to make the federal government listen and take note of what it is agitated for. And that obviously is not a question to go about. It can only hurt the southeast and the economy of the southeast. And as you can see from what I just saw, what it looks like in the absence of Kanno, a new leadership is, I mean, it's a bit more conscious and aware of this. Although they are still doing a seat at home, but they are aware now that, you know, if you do that, especially this is the future of the southeast, which is the people of the southeast who are now sitting for their neck. So I think there's going to be a better way of dealing with this. I don't think that a lot has been suggested completely. I also think that they can approach to the leadership of the southeast who is not also prepared to get caught as well to make the government listen. Okay, let's expand more on the point you mentioned earlier, cutting your nose to spite your face. How do you see this playing out regarding, you know, these IPOB members going ahead to threaten violators of a seat at home order, telling them that they have to stay inside or they'll be met with violence? And how that really might affect, you know, activities in the state economically and otherwise? Well, they'll lose their support base because the able man, if I may use that, which was my way down, is, I mean, he's a businessman and he's already made their incomes on a daily basis. And so if you want the support of everyone, they must get the buying of everyone. If you must call us people to sit at home and threaten them and their livelihoods, then obviously you don't have the full support of everyone. And you'll be losing more of your sympathizers because there are some people who, if they don't want to get paid, they're not earned. And so I think that in the backfire, they'll work against the cost rather than help the cost. Yeah, and of course, you know, there's people who still say that the IPOB still really needs the sympathy and the goodwill of the people of the southeast. But I want you to share your thoughts on how significant it is if we see today go by and the people of the southeast actually comply, for those who comply without having to be co-assed into doing it. Because I've spoken to a few people yesterday in the southeast who said that they were going to be sitting at home, not necessarily because they were scared of being attacked or being co-assed, but because they were sympathetic to the cause of the IPOB and they will of course go ahead and stay at home today. So how significant are those people? Well, I would say this, why not be sympathizers of IPOB? Every Igbo man is a different attack. Do you understand? Yeah. They may not necessarily be sympathizers of IPOB or its methods, but every Igbo man is a different attack, I guess. So they do have a support base because they're just impacting for the cause. You know, many of them feel that they have been offended and cheated in this in the state called Nigeria. Many of them feel that, you know, there's no equity. Since after the Civil War, they have not been fairly cheated. There is that. But I've probably the message here about it, not every Igbo man agrees. So why yes, they have sympathizers to the cause. Not everyone agrees with the methodology or the approach. Okay. Let's talk about enforcement. The enforcement mechanism of the IPOB, you know, to go ahead and make sure that this city at home order is a reality as they plan. You know, we know about the Eastern Security Network, ESN, and the Abia State Police Commissioner, C.P. Geneth, has said that, you know, the IPOB is likely to use the instrument of the ESN to enforce that sit at home order. And the police on the other hand, you know, has warned that anyone who dares to threaten the peace and unity of the Southeast would be dealt with. So we've seen situations of clashes between the people and the security officials many times before. Is this something you might maybe expect? Maybe when the NECO exams are over and they want to go back to their sit at home order? I can assure you it's not going to be a lot of fighting. But the reason is that you cannot have a government in the country. And then in our constitution, they try to fill up a movement to fill up a situation, which means that nobody should curtail anyone's movement or right to go out and mix feelings with anyone they want. And so if anyone wants to curtail that freedom, it's a violation of the constitution. So there's bound to be a conflict between this body that is trying to constitute the government and the government of the day. And that's not taking away the reason for the agitation or whatever their cause is. But I say that their point of methodology may not be outrightly and it is confrontational obviously. You know, it's confrontational and it's bound to create problems. Yeah, you know, so there is those angles, you know, but there is also, you know... I mean, I've been in the Southeast, you know, for a while. You know, I've spent about 10 years there before moving to Lagos, you know. And I've also gotten to see the reaction to some of these sit at home orders. A lot of times, you know, it's not necessarily because of fear of coercion. It's really just because people take that day off, you know, as some sort of holiday to, you know, just be at home, which of course will have some effect on the economy of the Southeast. But I want us to talk about leadership now and who really has the ears of the Southeasterners. Is it Ohanez Zendigbo? Is it the, you know, Southeast, you know, Govna's Forum or Southeast leadership? Or is it IPOB? You know, who would you say at this time really has the ears of the Southeasterners? Okay, now let me go back to the first thing you said about people sitting at home willingly. Of course, for civil service, they welcome the holiday. For workers who are not the ones paid salary, they welcome the holiday. So there's no doubt about that. There are a large number as well. That is the truth. But I don't think businessmen, let's just really call that the holiday. No, no Chinese businessmen, especially not the way it was stored, as far as I know, will be so happy to lose money. Of course, I mean, you know, for that, you know, there's a better way to prepare that. Now, as for who, who are the ears of the Southeast right now? There are neither the multicultural groups. Opportunities are not, are definitely not. They are not trusted by a majority of Nigerians, unfortunately. So, you know, they are less by threat. They, themselves, cannot uncomfortable threat to what they are expected to be, carried out. I feel that because of, not necessarily because of their methodology, but because of their ideology. Their ideology is what makes their education, you know, acceptable across the Southeast. Remember, I said to you that everybody, you know, so they believe, they believe in what IPOB is pushing, but not necessarily, not all necessarily believe in the method that IPOB is using. So, as far as their ideology is concerned, what IPOB is pushing is, I mean, we're carrying through with the majority of the Southeast. So you can see that they are the ears. You can see the numbers abroad, you know, from the diaspora. You can see the numbers among the people of the Southeast. And it is basically based on inequity in the Nigerian state. I see things of it. And the fact that they don't think that they fully integrated into the Nigerian state is after the civil war. And how would you also suggest that the, you know, Southeast leadership, political leadership, and of course the UNESCO, be able to win, you know, the hearts of the people and, you know, and of course stand stronger for the people? Because it seems like, you know, a lot of people in the Southeast, you know, see them as simply just, you know, tools. I believe that a leadership, I don't know, is not that it's more, you know, that we believe more in the use of great damper. If the event arises that works to deal with the political leadership, then it might, it might, there might be a synergy that can work. Don't forget that, you know, you know, somebody like, I don't mention names, you know, those are prominent senators who are, hopefully, in agreement with, with, with, I hope and his ideology. People like that, I mean, you can get them, you can get them, you know, on board, as you would see, a synergy across both, you know, and very easy to talk with governments and I think we see, you know, what the Southeast looks like, the roads seem to be deserted and many people seem to be in support of the sit at home order observing the day goes Monday. But what do you think, you know, the IPOB might achieve in trying to make sure that their leader is released and also this is at home order cancelled or not. What do you think this announcement, you know, might do to affect the stakeholders of the UK that are working to make sure he's out? Well, the, the suspicion is, I mean, I don't think, nobody was caught up with the suspension of this. It's for a good reason and no reasonable person would say that they're taking over that. But your first question, I think I get it. I'm saying that people are obeying the sit at home order right now. People are obeying the sit at home order from what I see on social media. But the essence of the sit at home order in the first place is to, you know, basically go ahead to protest for the release of Namdeekanu. But how does this sit at home order go ahead to make sure that that happens? And also how would it affect stakeholders involvement who are trying to make sure that Namdeekanu is out? Well, you join to the future by the past. If you saw what happened to Adzaki, you can be sure that Namdeekanu is going to be away for a very long time. Because there's no, there's no coercion, no illicit to the political class as yet. And the anti-OP, because the political class on the government say Namdeekanu has an opposition. Some say, some, you know, feel threatened by him. So some would rather that he remains in the gulag, as you may not know. So, but even when you come together as one, as the case is in the southwest with Igbo, then suddenly there you can be sure that some political negotiation can be reached. But from what happened to Namdeekanu, the last time when he was, I mean, he was released on bail, he went out, at first, he was fired in Bringson. It would be difficult, yeah, to know what to stand for him at the moment. It would also be difficult for people to speak their minds out for him. You have good lawyers, good lawyers. I don't know if the South East will be able to stop to hear that as well. Certainly those who want to do it are people who are threatened by his rising popularity, and I'm not sure they're willing to do that. Alright, and what would you advise the federal government at a time like this, and maybe also the state governments in the southeast? Well, the federal government, I would say to them, be very careful in handling the protocols, head or tail, for me, there's zero sum game. Let me put it that way. Because head or tail, you can't tail as a winner, a loser. If you release them, you can't guarantee that you stop making trouble. If you don't release them, that's not a guarantee that trouble will stop. So, it's a very delicate matter. On the first page of weeks, what needs to be, let's go and negotiate a resolution to this matter in order to resolve this. How that will be done is there for the leaders of the South East, and the federal government. Alright, we're going to be joined by another guest. I don't know if you can hear us. Good morning. Can you hear us, sir? Okay, we'll take a short break. When we come back, we have someone else joining us, of course, along with Victor Okai, to share his thoughts on the IPOB Cit at Home Order in the South East. You're welcome back to the breakfast on Plus TV Africa. We're still bringing you updates regarding the Cit at Home Order from the South East. First of all, we have a report here. It's on the Vanga newspaper, and it's saying that the Indigenous people of Biafra has debunked the purported suspension of its Cit at Home Order on social media, saying if it didn't come from Radio Biafra, or the Spokesperson of IPOB, that's Emmanuel Powerful. That means it's not from the IPOB. But we'll have our Plus TV Africa correspondent in Emo Stage, Oliver, joining us to give us more details. Oliver Joseph, thanks for joining us. Thank you very much, Oliver. Alright, please tell us where you are right now and what's happening regarding the Cit at Home Order. Okay, as I speak, I've been to the popular Douglas Road in the world. The popular Douglas Road is a very busy place. And also, Word Row Road in the world. And normal activities are going on. People are going about their businesses. Commuters are going about their businesses. Basically, they are not obeying the Cit at Home Order anymore. You know, we're in, as you speak. Have you interacted with any of the residents and Indigenous there? Hello. Did you hear that, Mr. Joseph? Yes, but I thought I'd be able to talk to some of the residents with my report that will come later. You have left in one minute for this. We apologize for that break in transmission. But that was Oliver Joseph, Plus TV Africa correspondent in Emo Stage. Give us the details saying he's at a popular roundabout. But the Cit at Home Order has not been obeyed. That really conflicts with what I'm seeing online, empty streets. But if we're getting conflicting information regarding... Different states. Different states. Also, when I first saw this picture, the questions that came to mind is are these pictures that we're taking during the COVID-19 lockdowns that people are now putting on social media as a narrative that this Cit at Home Order has been obeyed? That's the first question that came to mind because as a journalist I need to be aware of the fact that people cook up fake stories and put them online. So that's the first question. Are people really complying with the Cit at Home Order? Or are those pictures from the lockdown that are being circulated to give any pressure? Inigo seems to be in compliance from reports that I have from Inigo Stage. It seems like everyone is at home this morning. So anyway, yes, there are some states in the southeast so maybe the response in different states are different. But in the most states, especially in the area, our correspondent was, the Cit at Home Order was not being obeyed. I think what's interesting is this information we're getting from the Vanguard newspaper that says that the statement that the Cit at Home Order was suspended is false. But this is unverified as of now as we get more details, we'll relay them to you. And it should of course bring back or bring up conversations about how effective or how relevant this would be. If you continue to stay home every Monday, how is that in any way going to make the federal government budge? That's the question I asked Mr. Al-Qaeda. What exactly is the effect of the Cit at Home Order? It's some of those questions that they need to ask themselves also. And who really will be on the receiving end of the Cit at Home Order if it's going to be in the southeast. Is it the peace home? Or is it the federal government? Because how much effect? It's not like the states aren't sending money into the government every month. It's a reverse. So it's not like when you frustrate businesses in the southeast for one day, the federal government will have less money. It doesn't necessarily work like that. So they probably need to have a rethink. I'm mostly concerned about the leadership of the southeast and who really has the ears and the voice in the southeast if it's the Hondas, Indigo, all the governors and who do the people really listen to generally and politically who would be the one to encourage people to go about their businesses lawfully or people to help themselves at home. Who's going to encourage people to go vote. Why aren't they taking advantage of these opportunities? Long ago we saw arguments about how the IPOB might have they might believe that they have a great cause that they're fighting for. But there's a different way that they could have been able to achieve what their plans are. Have been able to get the numbers that they have as followers to get involved with the electoral process, get more involved with the system in Nigeria and be able to change leadership if possible make a statement politically if possible. They don't seem to be taking that route in any way. So we'll see how it turns out. Anyway, this is where we will be wrapping up this morning. We of course had a very interesting conversation starting with the leadership of the APC and the crisis concerning main Malabunis leadership of the Ketika Committee and then we spoke about the citadome order here in the southeast. We spoke on today's history and shared with incidents that happened in South Africa in the 50s, I believe, and also in 2014 in the United States. If you missed out on any of these conversations remember where to find us. It's simply at PLOS TV Africa on Facebook, Instagram and same with our YouTube channel. At PLOS TV Africa and at PLOS TV Africa Lifestyle. I am Manetta Felix encouraging you to have a beautiful weekend. And I am Musaogi Ogbawam. Have a great Monday.