Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last general election, Peter Obi has declared that they want a better Nigeria where our children will not have regrets.
This is even as human rights activist, Chief
Mike Ozekhome, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to order the immediate
release of the incarcerated leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB),
Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
They spoke at the Handshake Across The Niger
2, a project of Nzuko Umunna in Enugu on Friday.
Ozekhone expressed sadness that a Nigerian
court ordered the release of Kanu but the federal government filed for a stay
of that.
Ozekhome, who is the lead counsel for the
IPOB leader,. insisted that Kanu never jumped bail as was erroneously bandied
by the federal government.
He said, Kanu rather escaped to save his
life, which was heavily under threat during the invasion of his home by the
armed soldiers.
He said, “We are telling the federal
government that this is not proper. Set this man free. Nnamdi Kanu is not well.
He has ear pains. The DSS doctors have confirmed that he is not doing well,
health-wise.
“But they would still not allow him access to
his own private doctor.
“We have told the Supreme Court to do the
needful. The case has been adjourned till the 11th of May.
“Please sir, on my bended knees, you can
order the release of Nnamdi Kanu today. You can do it through the Attorney
General of the Federation, who has the power to discontinue the case.
“You don’t have to wait for the Supreme Court
decision before you do the right thing.
“For the information of those harbouring the
thought that it was an illegality or unconstitutionality, his self-determination agitation is in line with the Article 20 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (1948); African Charter of Human and People’s
Rights; Articles 3&4 of United Nations Declaration of the Rights of
Indigenous People (2007) among others”.
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in
the last general elections, Peter Obi, commended the Nzuko Umunna headed by
former minister of power, Prof. Chinedum Nebo, for their initiative in trying to
engineer good governance and ensure peaceful and harmonious coexist between the
Igbo and other Nigerians.
“All we want is a better Nigeria, where our
children will live without regrets, where son of nobody will rise to any
position he worked for on merits.
“We must continue to work until Nigeria
becomes what all of us want if not, if we don’t do something, it will consume
all of us. Anarchy knows no class. Once it sets in, it will consume everybody”,
Obi said.
The Tor Tiv and chairman of the Benue State
Council of Traditional Rulers, His Royal Majesty, Orchivirigh Prof. James
Ortese Iorzua Ayatse said the Handshake Across The Niger by Nzuko Umunna is
what Nigeria everywhere needs to do.
He said, “The challenge of Nigeria is the
failure to build bridges. Nzuko Umunna is drawing us to something very
important that we have failed to do over time”.
He called for self-examination, justice,
equity, and fairness in trying to build bridges of peace across the country,
calling upon all people of goodwill to support what the group is doing because
Nigeria needs it.
Newly inaugurated president of Nzuko Umunna,
Prof Nebo explained that the group’s major focus will be the Economic
Integration of the Southeast and Igbo-speaking areas.
“We will work with Ohanaeze Ndigbo to provide
channels for cohesive engagement. We will do our best to do the heavy lifting in
areas of Economic Integration, Health and Education advocacy, and sustaining
National alliance with our partners
“Handshakes Across Nigeria is a channel for
the continuous engagement of our partners in the New Nigeria project and we
shall continue to oil this vehicle”, he said
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