IPOB sit at home order in South Eastern Nigeria: Its perlocutionary effect for peacebuilding and sustainability.

Abstract

Biafra has been a crying nation since 1967. Researchers have done a lot of studies on the evils and neglect done to the people of Biafra. Biafra had previously existed as an Independent Multi-ethnic Republic consisting of the Igbo, Ijaw, Efik and Ibibio people and was declared by Lieutenant Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu for three years, 1967 through 1970. Since the creation of Biafra, the government of Nigeria has never been at peace with Biafran ideology. This has resulted to war, conflict, marginalization and negligence. Many protest groups from the South-East have emerged to defend the faith of the Biafrans in all of these. IPOB being one of these groups has indulged in peaceful protest to reclaim the Biafrans’ positions in Nigeria. Sit-at-home order is one of their strategies to state their plights. People of South East have been reacting to this order differently. The order has positive and negative effect on the masses. But the IPOB believes that adherence to this order will help in bringing and sustaining peace among the Nigerian Nation either by Biafran sessession or by giving Ndigbo the sense of belonging in Nigeria. This research intends to study IPOB Sit-At-Home Order in South Eastern Nigeria: Its Perlocutionary effect for Peacebuilding and Sustainability within the ambit of Austin’s Speech Act in Pragmatics.