Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has appealed to the British government for leniency for jailed former deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.
Ohaneze Ndigbo said it accepts the pronouncement of the trial court that pronounced over 10 years jail term for the ex-lawmaker in the matter of organ harvesting against him, his wife and another.
The group spoke when its leadership received the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery at its national secretariat in Enugu State. Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma who spoke on the behalf of the organisation said Ndigbo would be happy should Ekweremadu’s jail term be reduced.
Bishop Chukwuma said, “There is a very important issue that we have to bring to your attention. You’re aware of the case of Nigeria’s former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who was convicted and is in jail in your country. He’s from this state and we all know the circumstance he got entangled in that unfortunate incident because he wanted to save his daughter
“He is already serving a jail term. It’s unfortunate; but it has happened. I testified for him during the trial and in fact, the judge mentioned my name two times while delivering his judgment.
“But we’re using the opportunity of your visit to ask for leniency for him so that he doesn’t spend the number of years in jail. We have accepted the judgment, but are saying if there’s anything that could be done to reduce the jail term. He’s from this area and if we don’t bring this thing up as Ohanaeze or from us here, concerning this important son of Igboland, it wouldn’t be nice of us. We are quite overwhelmed.”
In his speech, the president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, appealed for the setting up of a British visa office in the southeast region.
He stated that the zone accounts for over sixty percent of Nigerians traveling to the United Kingdom, stressing that it was unfair that they were subjected to travelling to Abuja and Lagos to procure their Visa.
Iwuanyanwu, who recalled the long relationship between Nigeria and the British government, also appealed for bilateral collaboration to grow and develop the economy of the southeast region.
He identified insecurity that has now culminated to Monday sit at home as part of the challenge threatening the economy of the region, explaining that the new leadership of Ndigbo was working hard to overcome it.
Iwuanyanwu said Ohanaeze Ndigbo would soon set up a business council of prominent businessmen and assured that it would like to collaborate with the office of the commission for mutual economic benefits.
He said that the Ohanaeze Ndigbo has placed premium on education and agriculture to engage her teeming youths and reduce social malaise in the region.
Earlier, Montgomery, who said he was on tour of the southeast, added that the visit would afford him the opportunity to interact on areas of mutual collaboration with the British government.
He said that the British government would continue to advocate for peace in the country, stressing that it was delighted with the efforts by the Igbo in the development of Nigeria.
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