A member of the House of Representatives, representing Ideato North/South federal constituency of Imo State, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, has urged leaders from South-East region to emulate the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, in seeking political solution for the release of detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Recall that over the months, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Kalu, through his Peace in South-East Project, has been making frantic efforts to secure the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from detention.
LEADERSHIP reports that Kanu is standing trial before a Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged charges bordering on terrorism, preferred against him by the Federal Government.
On Monday, speaking virtually at the special edition of “The Ben Kalu’s Mandate”, a radio programme of FLO FM, Umuahia, Abia State, Kalu said that while the court processes were ongoing, political solutions were being worked out.
He had said: “The Peace in South-East Project (PISE-P) has reconciliation in the mix of what we are trying to achieve. We recognise the importance of our brother, Nnamdi Kanu in the peace agenda we are pushing. That’s the truth. And I have been very vocal about it. I am not hiding it. I have always told people that I will never deny Nnamdi Kanu. He’s my brother. We come from the same place and I will never be happy having him incarcerated when we can have him out and increase our pursuit towards peace. But we may not advance all the things we are doing backdoor but I can assure you that all the powers-that-be in this country know that people like us are not sitting on the fence. I don’t know about the next person but I am talking about Benjamin Okezie Kalu. I am not sitting on the fence about it. I am lobbying. We cannot go about this before the court. I am more interested in using a political solution towards resolving this. So, I am asking for one or two things from the federal government.”
However, lauding the Deputy Speaker’s efforts and describing it as worthy of emulation, Hon. Ugochinyere urged South-East leaders to put aside party affiliation and sentiments and to toe the line.
According to him, the leaders should forge a common front to ensure that Kanu is released as that can help immensely to bring calm, sanity and subsequently development in the region.
He expressed optimism that with this togetherness, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will show fatherly introspection by intervening for discontinuation of the case.
