Ngige pleads with Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu

—Expresses regrets that Buhari didn’t release IPOB leader

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA — Former governor of Anambra State and immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.

Senator Ngige has also expressed his regret that former President Muhammadu Buhari did not order the release of Kanu despite leading prominent leaders of the Igbo extraction to him for the release of the IPOB leader.

Speaking in an interview in Abuja, Wednesday, the former Minister noted that the continuous incarceration of Kanu has worsened both the security and economic situations in the South East.

He said that what was required in the IPOB leader’s case was a political solution, and urged the President to show magnanimity in that direction.

The former Anambra State governor said that the continuous detention of Kanu and the sit-at-home on Mondays in the South East has crippled the economy of the zone.

On whether he was disappointed that former President Buhari did not order Kanu’s release despite his closeness to the late ex-leader, Ngige said: “Yes, I was disappointed and I told him because in 2022, I organized for him to meet with Igbo leaders. The late Chief Mbazulike Amaechi. The boy is good, led a delegation of late Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Bishop Onuoha, myself, Chief Uwazurike, who was a past President of Aka Ikenga like me and Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu had to join us as a minister from South East.

“We went. If you go and look at the tape again, when Mbazulike Amaechi said that Nnamdi Kanu should be handed back to us, Buhari said that it was a very difficult request that had been made to him.

“And when he was saying it, you can see pain in his face when he was replying to us. So I knew that he was in a difficult situation. But at least we got his approval for access to Nnamdi Kanu by the members of the delegation.”

He said from then access was given to more people, unlike before, adding that after that, he still went back to the President.

“So I went back to the President, he listened to me because I don’t deceive people, I talk frankly like my father, we talk frankly and leave the rest to God. So I went back and told him that that difficult request and difficult answer, he had not answered.

“He said, yes but that I should realise that this thing involves judiciary and security. Of course, I said yes, I know, that’s why we came. He said honestly that I should tell him what I wanted him to do. I said what I want you to do is to invoke the Constitution on the prerogative of mercy which permits a sitting President to pardon somebody who had committed an offence and have been jailed or have been fined, you will use pardon and wash everything out or somebody who is on trial for a criminal offence.

“So even till today I believe that the issue of Nnamdi Kanu needs a political situation. And the President of the country should be seen to have tried to show magnanimity because right now as we speak, the economy of the South East of Nigeria is being threatened by the sit-at-home.

“And I don’t know whether people know that removing of Monday of the working days and business days of the South East is part of the things that lead to poverty for a large number of persons especially those who are self-employed called the informal sector.

“So I am appealing to Mr. President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to do that, give us a gift so that we can allow the young men in South East to start their lives afresh.

“A lot of them are not doing anything now, they will tell you that their leader is jailed in Abuja and they will quote for you that there was a court ruling that said that he was unjustly apprehended and sent back to Nigeria. They will even quote for you the Kenyan high court that also said so,” Ngige stated.

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