Owerri — The Igbo-Biafra Nationalists on Wednesday called on the Southeast leaders to run a responsible leadership.

Convener of IBN, Mazi Uche Mefor, made this call in a statement to newsmen in Owerri while speaking about issue of governance in the South East geo-political zone.

According to him,"The Igbo-Biafra Nationalists and the Indigenous People of Igbo Nation for Self-Determination commend you, the South-East political leaders/representatives and other stakeholders like the Ohaneze Ndigbo for adopting our proposal to engage the Nigerian state in discussions concerning the future of the Igbo Nation, a region predominantly and currently referred to in political terms as the South-East.

"We also applaud you for responding to our call for taking a firm stand in speaking up in defence of the South-East region in the area of the creation of additional state(s) in the South-East region to bring it at par with the other regions that have 6 and 7 states, aiming to positively impact the lives of its inhabitants. However, we warn you, the South-East region representatives that you must co-ordinate yourselves and co-operate amongst you and eschew the sponsorship of bills for the creation of more states that would lead to further balkanization of the South-East region. We therefore urge you to prioritise and support the bill calling for the creation of Anioma state as part of the South-East region or any other state that would comprise of and bring back the uprooted and transferred Igbo communities gerrymandered into south-south and the Middlebelt/North Central regions back to the South-East region."

"Furthermore, we caution you to address the remaining aspects of our agenda for the South-East. These include the prompt payment of salaries and pensions, provision of social amenities, the sponsorship of additional bills to address other instances of the marginalisation and injustices against the South-East region by the Nigerian state, and the taking of legal action against the Nigerian state through the offices of your various state attorneys general. Conversely, you must assume control over the security of the South-East region or risk being overrun by criminal elements," he said.