By Austin Ogwuda
Talks are ongoing behind the scene to see that the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is released from detention soonest.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu who dropped this hint however counselled that the current sit-at home exercise observed in the South East and armed violent attacks should cease forthwith to further pave way for the political solution presently being sought.
This was contained in a press statement by his chief press Secretary Levinus Nwabughiogu in Abuja Nigeria, Tuesday which has gone viral.
Kalu spoke virtually on the “South East political Roundtable”, a current affairs radio programme on FLO FM in Umuahia today (Tuesday) and harped on the gains of the recently unveiled Peace In South East Project (PISE-P) in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State.
His words, “We can’t put all our programs and plans on social media. He’s my brother. Is he in the mix of what we are trying to do? Yes! It’s one of our agendas to ensure he’s released. Who wants their brother to be in jail?
“We are working underground. There’s a detailed strategy. It’s not by violence, you can’t coerce the government through violence. It has never worked and won’t work. Let’s be wiser. The wisdom is in peace. Let’s quench the violence.
“If it’s chaotic, it won’t work. Let’s cool down. Let the man see that you’ve recognised he didn’t contribute to locking him up and that he has not done anything to the south east. We should support him and his government and not attack him. I’m standing firmly against the voice of violence, preaching peace. That is what I’m here for, this voice of peace will echo through the Villa and he will come out. Mr President was happy with what happened in Bende. That the whole country can gather together and support this project.
“Our strength”, he went on, “does not lie in how many guns we carry, on how many people we threaten not to come out on Monday, that is not the display of the strength of an Igbo man. Igbo men are not lazy people who like sitting at home from Saturday to Sunday to Monday and go to work only Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, that is not us; we are hard working, we are rebuilders, we are never down and when we are down, we find a way to stand on our feet and raise our shoulders and rebuild again, that is my call to our people.
“We can bring you in to the rebuilding that we are doing. We can bring you in to the reconciliation. We can bring you in for rehabilitation and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is interested in the Igbos. Look at what he has done by giving us the Chief of Naval Staff which we never got in the last eight years. Did I just mentioned the Naval Chief, what about the minister of works, Senator Dave Umahi, my good friend?
“Mr President gave the minister of works to an Igbo son that proves himself in Ebonyi and he said, come and build what you did in Ebonyi in the entire Nigeria starting from the five states of the South East and the only way we pay the president back is to say there will be no work on Monday?
“Look at what happened for the very first time, 15 billionaires of Igbo extraction gathered in Bende. That is to tell you that they are ready to bring their industry here, they are ready to build factories that will employ you, so why do you scare them away? Government cannot do everything for you. Our brothers who have money want to bring it back home. Some of them want to do it but you are scaring them away. How long are we going to sell fear to our people?
“This is a new year. This is a new era. This is a new dawn and I urge you come and join hands with us. We will make you the leaders of this project. Don’t lead those carrying guns, come and lead those who will call the peace marshals, let’s give you responsibility, let’s give you a task”, he stated.
credit: Nigerian Tribune