Simon Ekpa, the prime minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE), says the government has backed the call by the Nigerian government on a non-kinetic solution to end agitation in the southeast.

He, however, made fresh demands from the federal government in a bid to restore lasting peace in the region.

The Finland-based lawyer and separatist disclosed this on Thursday in a statement reacting to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval of a political blueprint for the southeast.

Abdullahi Ganduje, Chairman of the All Progressives Party on Wednesday disclosed Tinubu’s stance when governor Hope Uzodinma and other stakeholders from southeast paid him a visit in Abuja.

Reacting to Tinubu’s position, Ekpa demanded that the release of leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, acknowledging the map presented by BRGIE by declaring referendum for the region, demilitarization of the zone and including the removal of all checks points are sine qua non to restoring peace in the southeast.

He added that the Nigeria government should acknowledge the 40 states that BRGIE curled from southeast by granting liberation to the region.

“We demand the withdrawal of all military and other Nigerian forces from Biafra territory.

“The Nigeria government must acknowledge that the Biafra government in Exile is presenting 40 states from old south south and south east and these states will be called United States of Biafra in line with the demand of Northern Elders Forum; to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally”, he said.

”Officially, Biafra is presenting its 40 United States of Biafra.”

”The Nigeria government must recognise these Biafra 40 states, release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and withdraw all Nigeria forces from these 40 states to restore peace.

39 STATES PLUS EBUBE (FCT)
1. IKEMBA STATE.
2. OMAMBALA STATE.
3. ODUMEGWU STATE.
4. EBONYI STATE.
5. EDDA STATE.
6. UHAUKWU STATE.
7. ENUGU STATE.
8. ALANSO STATE.
9. OHABUENYI STATE.
EZEALA STATE.
10. LOWER BENUE STATE.
11. ORLU STATE.
12. OWERRI STATE.
13. OKIGWE STATE.
14 . ABA STATE.
15. IKWUMESIA STATE.
16. ALAUDO STATE.
17. IGBANI STATE.
18. AHUDA STATE.
19. IWHUNROHA STATE.
20. KOKO STATE.
21. AGBOR STATE.
22. UGHELI STATE.
23. ANIOMA STATE.
24. SOUTHERN ATLANTIC STATE.
25. OGBIA STATE.
26. OGUAN STATE.
27. BRENEM STATE.
28. ESAN STATE
29. AFEMAI STATE.
30. IDEN STATE.
31. ORO UKPABANG STATE.
32. QUA STATE.
33. ITTAI ANANG STATE.
34. IDUNG IBOM STATE
35. CALABAR STATE.
37. IKOM STATE.
38. OGOJA STATE.
39. IZOM AMA STATE
40. EBUBE (FCT)

Also, the Vice President, Kashim Shettima has pledged support to the new peace initiative in the south east region of the country.

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu made this known when he led a delegation of members of the organization to interact with Shettima on the initiative.

The new peace deal is birthed by an Organization known as Peace in the South East Project ( PISE-P) and has gained the endorsement of national assembly leadership and many other notable Nigerians across the country.

The project is essentially craving for a non kinetic means of resolving the security and other sociological challenges in the south east, improving infrastructure and achieving political inclusion of the zone.

He added that the Vice President gave his nod for non kinetic measures to ensure that the challenges will be well tackled.

The Deputy Speaker noted that security and national cohesion were well factored into the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stressing that the south east would benefit immensely from the initiative.

Kalu therefore urged all hands to be on deck to achieving the set objectives.

He said: “We want to change the narrative. We want to have a paradigm shift from what it used to be to what it ought to be.

“We did the same when it was South-south, we are doing the same in the North-east at the moment. And South-south, as you know, has remained a business heaven now.

“What is happening in the South-east now needs an intervention beyond what the government can do.

“And that is why we came up with an organisation called Peace in South-east Project to be able to drive this organisation which is based on using non-kinetic means towards resolving the problem of the South-east.

“This will enable us to do a sociological analysis of the causative factors that had given birth to these challenges that we are faced with.”