South east crises: IPOB is an internal threat, Boko Haram is an international threat - Goeffrey Onyeama

- Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama has stated that IPOB is as of now an internal threat, while Boko Haram is an international terrorist group affiliated with ISIS

- Onyeama stated that the Buhari government is working towards revamping the economy in a bid to curtail the restlessness of young people in Nigeria, so as to end most of the country’s problems, including the agitation in the south east

- The foreign minister stated that Nigeria does not need the international community to intervene as it handles the IPOB group

- According to Onyeama, the Buhari’s administration has an agenda for the country, and does not want to be distracted from achieving that agenda

Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, says the country does not require any international help to curtail any threats posed by the Independent Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), NAN reports.

Onyeama, at a news conference at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday evening, said the threat from the self-agitation group would be handled.

READ ALSO: South east crisis: GEJ appeals for calm and restraint

“IPOB is as of now an internal threat and Nigeria does not need international assistance to resolve it,” the minister said.

According to him, IPOB is different from the Boko Harm terrorists whose main aim was to capture territory and to kill innocent people.

He stated: “The President is prepared to tell world leaders that the ingredients for a happy, peaceful country are good governance and a strong economy.

“If we can get the economy right and we can get the good governance to our people, we believe that most of our problems would be taken care of.

“We are a country of young people; the majority of our population is under the age of 35 and a lot of them are restless.

“They are restless because of economic opportunities and that is why we have the migration issue.

“A lot of the youths are the product of very bad governance over the years and that has deprived the young people of educational opportunities and job opportunities.

“So Mr. President is trying to restructure the country to put in place the bases for good governance.

“Because once you have good governance and your resources are being channeled to where they are supposed to be, which is on development, then you begin to address a lot of issues.”

He said unlike IPOB, Boko Haram was not an internal threat but international, pointing out its allegiance to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The foreign affairs minister said the position of President Muhammadu Buhari was that the Constitution of the country should be respected.

He cautioned that the country’s democracy was still growing and needed to mature and become stronger to handle some of the democratic challenges.

“The important thing we should be focusing on is nation-building using the existing democratic structures,” the minister said.

According to him, the Buhari’s administration of has an agenda for the country and does not want to be distracted from achieving that agenda.

In his words: “I think that Mr. President came and had an agenda for the country and you really just don’t want to be distracted from that agenda.

“The economy was in a terrible state when this government came in, we went into recession for the first time in decades and we’re just coming out of that recession.

“We want to keep on that path and we believe that a lot of these issues and challenges in the country have their bases in the economics.

“If we can provide a good living standard and quality of life for our people, all these issues (Biafra agitation) will fall by the way side.

“That is why we must not be distracted from transforming the economy of our country. What I’m saying is that we want to focus on the economy.

“We believe if we can get the economy right, a lot of the young people who feel that Nigeria as presently constituted is not addressing their problems, is not giving them the hope, will change their perspective.”

He said government would continue to respect free speech, human right and the Rule of Law; and that the Nigerian military respects the ‘rule of engagement’ in carrying out its duties.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the chairman/founder of Nigerian Young Professionals Forum (NYPF), Moses Siloko Siasia, revealed that the United Nations was interested in the Nigerian military's Operation Python Dance II in the southeast.

Siasia who is also the chairman of Mosilo Group, a wholly indigenous company, claimed to have received a call from the United Nations office in New York on the Army’s activities in the south east.

Watch this Legit.ng TV video asking if Operation Python Dance should be canceled

Source: Legit.ng