Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, Governor of Anambra State has given the assurance that he will lead his brother governors in the Southeast region to engage the Federal Government in dialogue to handle the insecurity situation in the zone.
Soludo stated that an expeditious release of the leader of proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, would resolve the insecurity impasse in the zone.
He said this during a one-day Peace building and Security Dialogue, held on Saturday in Awka, in response to the deteriorating security challenges in the zone, NAN reports.
Soludo endorsed the Communique of a joint body of traditional rulers and clergy to declare Monday as a Day of Prayer at every church and place of prayers for forgiveness and reconciliation.
The governor said Kanu should be tried expeditiously, according to the law, and be convicted or freed instead of being kept under indefinite detention, adding that justice delayed is justice denied.
Soludo said, “We need more engagement than force in solving the problems, we need peace and security in our land to make progress, we can’t continue to cut our nose to spite our face.”
Meanwhile, in their eight-point Communique, the body of traditional ruler and Clergy in the Southeast urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to free Kanu unconditionally to douse the tension in the region.
The Communique which was read by the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, condemned the Monday sit-at-home order which started on August 9 last year, describing it as self destructive and inimical to progress of the region.
The Communique was signed by Achebe, His Grace Archbishop Valerian Okeke of Onitsha Catholic Archdiocese, His Grace, Most Rev. Chibuzo Okpoko for Bishop and Archbishop, Prof Solo Chukwulobelu for the Anambra government and Igwe Lawrence Agbuzu, Chairman, Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council.
“We, therefore, share the genuine concern over the political and economic marginalisation of the Southeast Geo-Political Zone of Nigeria, a major plank of the agitation by the IPOB.
“We join our voices to the call for the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by the Federal Government in order to douse the current tensions across the Southeast.
“We call on all criminal elements masquerading as working under the instruction of IPOB or ESN to cease and desist from further acts of violence and criminality or face ‘theism’ placeable force of law and order,” the Communique read in part.
