Stephen Ukandu, News & Features Editor
Elder statesman, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, has said that the only solution to the festering insecurity in the South-East geo-political zone, is not on militarization of the zone but the unconditional release of the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The former Speaker, House of Representatives, who spoke ahead of his 94th birthday coming up Thursday, June 16, said that the best birthday gift he expected from President Muhammadu Buhari, “is the release and handover of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu” to him.
He noted that Buhari might not be averse to the release of Kanu but accused some selfish and tribalistic aides around the President of misleading him.
According to him, “there is only one key solution to killings in Igbo land now, and that is the release of Nnamdi Kanu. If that young man is released, you will see all these criminals who spring up claiming to be agitating for the release of Nnamdi Kanu while their real intention is to rob innocent and unsuspecting people, will go into hiding because they will have nothing as reason to come out.
“IPOB has disowned them and have even taken measures to apprehend them but as you know, criminals will have their ways of operating and claiming one fake thing or the other, but they are simple criminals operating one way or the other.
“So, the only way the government can help me and a few of us who are really interested and who are nationalistic enough to be looking for real peace in Igboland and Nigeria is to release that young man.
“I have asked the Federal Government to release and hand him over to me. At my age, I will be 94 on Thursday this week. So, at 94, if he misbehaves, let the government arrest me, even if I am 98, let them arrest me, let me go and die in prison but the government has refused to listen to me.
“President Muhammadu Buhari by my association with him is a good man and prepared to respect me but there are so many terrible people around him, who mislead him on this matter and other matters of national interest, and they are not helping in the tomorrow of this country. Their plan is to wipe away the Igbo, but it is not possible.
“So, I use this opportunity of my birthday coming up on Thursday to appeal to Mr. President to release Nnamdi Kanu, in trust for me, and watch him for a year while in my trust. If he misbehaves, let the government take me. In what way else can the President of the country know that the oldest nationalist they have in this country has made this pledge? In what way again can I assure him on this matter?
“The security challenge in the South-East is the result of government refusal to do what I have asked them to do to help stop the killings in the South-East and Igboland in general.
“Maybe the insecurity in Igbo land suits them and their political purposes, otherwise they would have listened to my advice and those of other South-East and South-South and even South-West leaders.”
