Emmanuel Chukwuma, Archbishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Province Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), says pro-Biafra groups’ ‘ghost Monday’ will destroy the South-East economy and impoverish Igbos.

Mr Chukwuma stated this while speaking to journalists on Monday about the proposed plan by pro-Biafra groups to ensure that Igbos in the South-East, Delta and Rivers observe a lockdown every Monday.

The total lockdown every Monday tagged ‘ghost Monday’ is expected to continue until President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime releases IPOB Nnamdi Kanu.

”I personally call on all pro-Biafra groups to have a rethink on the proposed lockdown, since it will further impoverish the people, who are mostly traders, and create more hunger in the land,” Mr Chukwuma said.

He added that Igbos in the South-East “just struggle each day to make a living and have something to put bread on their tables.”

The Anglican archbishop further stated, “The move will be unfair to us, Ndigbo, who are engaged in various businesses. If carried out, it is wrong. Since when you are locking up your zone or region, other zones will be engaging in their businesses and daily human activities meant for their growth and progress.

“It is a way of destroying the economy of our brothers. We must be very careful in the way we are going about it. I also do not totally support it as many of our traders are in trouble already due to the COVID-19 lockdown and what they lost.”

The cleric urged the pro-Biafra elements to review locking down the region every Monday from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. “They should do a proper introspect and rethink about it,’’ he said.

Continuing, he noted, “We should find a better way of improving the economy and checking lack and hunger in the land.’’

Mr Chukwuma called on Ndigbo and pro-Biafra elements to pray more instead of locking down the region every Monday.

“Our people should be considerate to all, especially the downtrodden that must go out of their homes before they feed for the day,’’ he further stated.

Meanwhile, Mr Chukwuma has distanced himself from the repatriation of Mr Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria.

“I was stunned by a recent report credited to the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) published by an online media on July 26,” he explained. “In the said report, it was alleged that I was part of the conspiracy that led to the abduction and repatriation of the leader of IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to Nigeria.”

He insisted that as a religious leader, he had “vehemently maintained a stoic and dignified position on justice and fair play in governance at all levels.”

(NAN)