- Call on Buhari to de-proscribe IPOB, de-escalate military presence in Southeast, release Nnamdi Kanu from detention
- Urge IPOB and its affiliate units, other protest groups in Alaigbo to immediately stop all provocative rhetoric and actions
By Emma Ogbuehi
Traditional rulers from the five states of the Southeast geopolitical zone indicated on Tuesday that they will send a delegation to the Abuja Court when Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is arraigned on Thursday, October 21, on an amended seven-count terrorism charge.
They made their intention known in a statement issued by the South East Council of Traditional Rulers (SECTR).
The statement which was jointly signed by the Traditional Rulers Council Chairmen in four South East states, Joseph N. Nwabeke (Abia), L. O. C. Agubuzu (Enugu), Nnaemeka Achebe (Anambra), and E. C. Okeke (Imo), also touched on various issues, including marginalisation, youth restiveness, and the need for a fair vote in the Anambra governorship election on November 6.
“As a father would do for his child in difficulty, we will send a delegation to attend the court hearing in Abuja on 21 October, 2021 when Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will be arraigned,” the statement said.
The Royal Fathers also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to show sagacity, pragmatism, statesmanship, and fatherliness by causing IPOB to be de-proscribed as a terrorist organisation, and Nnamdi Kanu to be released from detention into the hands of Igbo traditional and religious leaders.
But while urging Buhari to de-escalate the military presence in the South East as normalcy returns, they called on “IPOB and its affiliate units, and other protest organisations in Alaigbo, to immediately stop all provocative rhetoric and actions that tend to promote violence, fear, or other unlawful acts by their affiliates, sympathisers, and miscreants in the name of such organisations.”
The Federal Government amended the previous five-count charge against Nnamdi Kalu to seven counts on Monday.
The trial has elicited global attention and created tension in the South East region.
To restore genuine peace and normalcy in the South East based on justice, equity, fairness, love, and mutual understanding and respect, the traditional fathers called on all stakeholders in the entire region to sheath their swords and rally together for mutual forgiveness and healing to reset their strategic agenda for engaging meaningfully with fellow citizens in other parts of the country.
Decrying what it call the penchant of “cutting our nose to spite our face,” which they insisted does not help the present situation of Ndigbo, the monarchs said, “It is senseless to destroy our homeland, or be an accessory to its destruction, in order to prove our marginalisation.”
“As part of creating the enabling environment for reconciliation and peace building, the on-going sit at home on Mondays or any other days in the South East States to end forthwith and normal economic activities resumed without intimidation or molestation by any persons or groups,” the statement further said.
“The traditional and religious leaders, and statesmen of Alaigbo to urgently convoke a forum for serious dialogue and consultation involving all stakeholder groups in our homeland, including IPOB and other protest groups.
“Such search for genuine peace, mutual forgiveness and healing, and love should be without preconditions, and geared to restoring our collective strength and self-esteem and re-shaping our strategic position in Nigeria.”