Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Vice President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, has disclosed the reason the Federal Government of Nigeria has refused to release leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, despite advice from the United Nations.
The United Nations working group, in one of their opinions, had condemned the continued detention of Kanu and had called on the Nigerian government to release him unconditionally.
Despite the call by the international organization, the Nigeria Government has been adamant.
The development has also triggered reactions from Nigerians both at home and in the diaspora.
In a recent exclusive interview with Ikengaonline in Awka, the Anambra State capital, the Ohanaeze Vice President said the “Federal Government is deriving joy from his (Nnamdi Kanu) detention because it causes the Igbo man pain and suffering.”
According to him: “The Federal Government is enjoying detaining Nnamdi Kanu because they know that is the only thing that makes Igbo man feel bad.
“They are not interested in what will make us feel happy but only interested in what makes us feel bad.
“They know that the only thing that can pinch an Igbo man is detaining Nnamdi Kanu. That is why they have continued to ignore calls from elder statesmen in Igboland like Mbazuluike Amaechi, for his release.
“With all the delegations we have sent to the President for Kanu’s unconditionally release so that the tension in the South-East will reduce, the Presidency decided to detain him so that South-East will continue to lose lives on daily basis.
“The Federal Government has no feelings for the Igbo because if they do, they would have understood that to free Nnamdi Kanu is to end insecurity in South-East.”
On the recent order by IPOB banning Igbo politicians from entering the South-East region of the country, the Ohanaeze Chieftain blamed the South-East Governors for being insensitive to the issue of insecurity in the region.
He, however, disagreed with IPOB on the ban, arguing that everybody is important especially in the fight against the scourge of insecurity in the land.
He also said time had come for Ohanaeze Ndigbo, South-East Governors’ Forum and the traditional rulers to look inward and explore lasting solutions to insecurity in the entire region.
