South-East Governors and some stakeholders, including the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, on Tuesday, arrived at the Government House, Enugu, for a crucial meeting.
By Emma Ogbuehi
South-East Governors and some stakeholders, including the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, on Tuesday, arrived at the Government House, Enugu, for a crucial meeting.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that all the South East governors physically attended the meeting.
The governors are Alex Otti of Abia, Hope Uzodimma of Imo, Charles Soludo of Anambra, Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, and the host governor, Peter Mbah.
The reason for the meeting is not disclosed to the press, but it might not be unconnected to insecurity in the zone and Nnamdi Kanu’s issue as well as the state of the zone.
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Only recently, 50 members of the House of Representatives from different parts of Nigeria and political parties, known as Concerned Federal Lawmakers for Peace and Security in the South East, wrote to President Bola Tinubu to invoke Section 174 of the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Section 107(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 for the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, from detention.
The lawmakers made this appeal in a three-page letter signed by the lawmakers, dated June 19, 2024, and addressed to the President.
They urged the President to direct the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN, to invoke his powers of nolle prosequi under the provisions of Section 174(1) of the Constitution and Section 107(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, and cause the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from detention and discontinue his trial.
The action, the lawmakers argued, is long overdue and would be instrumental in opening the door for much-needed conversations surrounding peace restoration and inclusivity as well as addressing the issues that led to the agitations.
The signatories include Hon Obi Aguocha (Abia), Hon Ikenga Ugochinyere (Imo), Hon. Aliyu Mustapha (Kaduna), Hon Midala Balami (Borno), Hon Afam Ogene (Anambra), Hon. Abiante Awaji-Inombek (Rivers), Hon Dominic Okafor (Anambra), Hon Etanabene Benedict (Delta), Hon. Shehu Dalhatu (Katsina), Hon Chinedu Emeka Martins (Imo), Hon. Matthew Nwogu (Imo), Hon. Muhammed Buba Jagere (Yobe), Hon Peter Aniekwe (Anambra), Hon Koki Sagir (Kano), Hon Amobi Oga (Abia), Hon Gwacham Chinwe (Anambra), Hon Uchenna Okonkwo (Anambra), Hon. Abdulmaleek Danga (Kogi), Hon. Osi Nkemkama (Ebonyi), and others.
The demand by the House of Representatives members aligns with similar plea to the President by the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 election, Peter Obi and other well-meaning Nigerians. Apart from Kanu, Obi, former Anambra state governor, called for the release of other detainees with similar cases.
