By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
ELDER statesman and leader of the Ijaw nation, Chief Edwin Clark, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to obey the Appeal Court’s order and free the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), Nnamdi Kanu, just as President Olusegun Obasanjo allowed that of Asari Dokubo to be determined.
Stonix News reports that the Igbo separatist leader was, on Friday, left off the hook of charges levelled against him by the Federal Government, directing that he be freed.
Beside the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who kicked against Kanu’s release, the National Security Council, represented by the Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi, said it was “considering the appropriate action to be taken” in the release.
Malami, a Senior Advocate for Nigeria (SAN) and Dingyadi, had argued that Kanu’s discharge was not equivalent to an acquittal.
But Chief Clark, in a press statement personally signed by him and made available to Stonix News on Monday, called on Buhari to obey the court order as he had promised when elders from the South East paid him a visit on account of Kanu’s trial.
The former Minister of Information, who also re-echoed the need to restructure the country, chided Malami for exhibiting what he called ‘executive rascality’ in the case of Kanu.
“I have deemed it necessary to issue this statement following reports on the stance of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and the subsequent concurrence by the National Security Council at its meeting last Friday that the judgement of the Court of Appeal only discharged leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, but did not acquit him of the charges for which he was facing trial.
“I consider this stance of the Federal Government as rather imperious and needless.
“I, therefore, earnestly call on President Muhammadu Buhari to obey the judgement of the Court of Appeal and order the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu in the interest of peace in the country, the South East Zone, in particular,” the nonagenarian and leader of the South South pleaded.
He added: “Most Nigerians greeted the judgement of the Court of Appeal with elation, mainly in the South East, where there were reports of widespread jubilations across cities in the Zone.
“It would, therefore, be detrimental for the Federal Government to still keep Kanu in detention and provide any pretext for malefactors to continue to take advantage of the situation in perpetrating all sorts of atrocities in the zone.”
While acknowledging that certain activities of Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB followers have constituted a nuisance, the Federal Government, however, stretched its luck too far, by going “all the way to Kenya to abduct him on the ground that he jumped bail.”
The convener of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) particularly decried the stance of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami of sectionism in his discharge of his duties to the nation.
“The Attorney-General of the Federation, Mallam Abubakar Malami, SAN, needs to appreciate the fact that he is the Chief Law Officer of the Federation as provided in Section 150 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).
“He is expected to play a neutral role at all times and in all matters. He is not the Chief Law Officer of a section of the country, a group, or even the president.
“But, I have, sadly, observed that the Attorney General has, no doubt, abandoned part of his job and is now involved in “executive rascality”, to the chagrin and dismay of patriotic Nigerians at home and abroad.
“The issue as to whether Nnamdi Kanu was only discharged and not acquitted by the Court of Appeal has been decided by the Supreme Court to the extent that sometimes a discharge is the end of a case whereas at other times it may not be so regarded,” he opined.
The Ijaw leader further averred that the obvious marginalisation of the Igbos and the South East in the scheme of governance especially in the Buhari regime was partly responsible for reason IPoB gained prominence.
He, therefore, called Buhari to apply the carrot and stick approach in handling the IPoB debacle as well as find ways to appease other aggrieved groups across the country.
“It is important to further underscore that every zone in the country has six states, except the South East, which has five states and the North West has seven. If one may ask, on what basis was this allocation made and why the marginalization of the South East?
“The disparity has resulted in the shortchanging of the South-East zone, over the years, in revenue distribution, ministerial appointments, representation in the National Assembly, etcetera.
“The zone receives one share less than the other zones in almost every aspect while the North West receives one share more than others.
“This particular situation prompts serious questions about issues of fairness, equity and justice in Nigeria.
“And this is where IPOB has fashioned a place for itself in the hearts and minds of the young people in the southeast with its demand for self-determination.
“I have physically seen these IPOB boys in action, at the Ekwueme Square in Akwa, Anambra State, when I attended a meeting of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum there.
“It is indeed a movement of youths who are justifiably angry with the way and manner the affairs of the country are being conducted and particularly the marginalization of the Igbos but are misguided.
“None of these youths witnessed the civil war and is, definitely, not abreast with the history of the war and its full ramifications.
“I advise, therefore, that rather than the use of military force which has already proved counter-productive, they should be carefully treated with the “carrot and stick approach”, in the interest of the peace, stability and progress of Nigeria as a whole and the South East zone in particular.
“Furthermore, to properly address the feelings of alienation and exclusion, the Federal Government needs to negotiate and dialogue with the Igbo groups and other disaffected groups in the country, including Sunday Igboho and his group in the South West, and provide them with the assurance that they belong to this country and are on equal footing with the others, in all facets; not as second class citizens.
“That’s the major task the government should undertake and not look for ways to further humiliate and estrange the people.
“Finally, Nigeria must be restructured to correct the imbalances and make every state equal in the country. That was why the 2014 National Conference recommended the creation of more states, where the southeast was given four additional states and three for all other zones except the North-West, which was allotted two because it already has seven states.
“That would have made the six geopolitical zones of the country to be at par with nine states. This was regarded as one of the most important recommendations of the conference because it affected every zone of the federation, but, unfortunately, the report is lying fallow in the archives.
“The unity of Nigeria can only be achieved and sustained if every part of the country is treated equally with the other parts, in all ramifications.
“No one can play God over Nigeria and no section owns this country more than any other section. We want Mr. President to reassure Nigerians of our oneness.
“A situation where everybody at a meeting of the National Security Council of the country is almost of the same stock, Hausa/Fulani, is not only unfair but outrageous.
“We need to sit down and have frank discussions about the peace and future of Nigeria, notwithstanding that the general elections are close by because the country is not on the right path,” he warned.
Drawing similarity between the case of Asari-Dokubo under the Yar’Adua government and that of Kanu, the South South leader said “I recall that when I led Elders of the Niger Delta to plead with then President Olusegun Obasanjo on behalf of Asari Dokubo, Obasanjo said the same thing as Buhari told the Igbo leaders that the matter was in the hand of the Court.
“And that the government would allow the Court to decide on the matter.
“In response to a follow-up letter I wrote to him on the matter and other issues, Yar’Adua said and I quote, ON ASARI DOKUBO, I WILL REITERATE THAT THE QUESTION OF HIS RELEASE IS NOT AN EXECUTIVE ISSUE BUT ONE WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE JUDICIARY. I ADVISE THAT YOU PURSUE THE ISSUE OF HIS RELEASE THROUGH THE COURT PROCESS.
“And that was how Asari Dokubo’s case was determined,” while urging President Buhari to do the same.
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