Ohanaeze Calls For Unconditional Release Of Biafran Separatist Leader, Nnamdi Kanu

 

The apex Igbo organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday, rose from its Imeobi (highest decision organ) meeting in Enugu and called on the Federal Government to release Nnamdi Kanu, the detained Director of Radio Biafra and leader of IPOB, unconditionally.

 

However, the meeting, which was billed to hold with representatives of MASSOB and IPOB was boycotted by the pro-Biafra groups.

 

Ohanaeze‘s directive was contained in a communique jointly signed by the National President of Ohanaeze, Chief Gary Enwo-Igariwey and the Secretary General, Dr. Joe Nworgu, adding that agitations and public protests over Biafra had been exacerbated by the detention of Mr. Kanu, the director of Radio Biafra.

 

At the meeting attended by representatives of both the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, and the Independent People of Biafra, IPOB, in Enugu yesterday, Ohanaeze further expressed displeasure over the continued incarceration of Kanu, saying that it was gravely concerned over current wide-spread public Biafra agitations in states of the South-East and some other states of Nigeria for the actualization of Biafra.

 

The communique reads in part……………

 

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex socio-cultural organization of Ndigbo in Nigeria and the Diaspora, is gravely concerned by current wide-spread and public Biafra agitations in states of the South-East and some other states of Nigeria.

 

“These agitations and public protests have become exacerbated by the detention of Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, the promoter/proprietor/director of Radio Biafra by Department of State Services, DSS.”

 

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo fears that these developments may threaten the security and peaceful co-existence of Nigerians wherever they may be domiciled, and consequently, decided to summon an emergency meeting of Imeobi Ohanaeze Ndigbo to discuss the situation.

 

“This emergency meeting was held in Enugu at the National Secretariat of Ohanaeze Ndigbo on Sunday, (yesterday), November 29, 2015. Representatives of the various organizations and associations involved in the current public protest also attended the meeting.

 

“The Imeobi Ohanaeze Ndigbo, after extensive candid discussions and analysis of the situation is of the view that the current agitations are the direct result of the excruciating pain of severe injustice, marginalization and exclusion of Ndigbo from decision making structures in Nigeria as currently configured.

 

“The Imeobi Ohanaeze Ndigbo strongly avers that the exclusion of Ndigbo in decision making structure presents danger to the unity and well-being of the country, not only now, but also in future, and should be redressed urgently.

 

 Meantime, Governor  David Umahi of Ebonyi State, weekend, revealed that the governors of the South East geo-political zone had taken a decision to discuss issues revolving around the recent agitation by  IPOB in the country.

 

Speaking in Umahi when he received a delegation of the leadership of the Abakpa Main Market Traders Association at the Government House in Abakaliki the South-East governors had listened to the complaints of the agitators and had decided to discuss the issues with the President.

 

“We have listened to the complaints of the boys. There is no way anybody would say that what they are saying is completely outside the truth, but just like husband and wife, you must have a way of getting along through dialogue.

 

“The governors of the  South-East have taken up the matter with Mr. President and I believe that we don’t need another war in this country. I want to plead with you to encourage whoever is involved that we have taken up the matter and we will do everything possible to make sure that their feelings are addressed.

 

“We should not support secession. We should not  support demonstrations; we should not support the castigation of our leaders.”