South East Forum has asked the Federal Government to release the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu to it for the elders to talk to him.
This was one of the issues the forum discussed in its meeting in Enugu a couple of days ago, according to its convener, Dr. Dozie Ikedife who made the disclosure to our correspondent in Nnewi, Anambra State.
Ikedife said the elders resolved that if the Federal Government could release Nnamdi Kanu and others held under the same circumstance to them, they would take up the responsibility to talk to Biafra agitators and advise them as elders. He insisted that the elders saw it as justice denied to continue to hold Kanu and others in detention without either releasing them or giving them speedy trial. He said there was nothing wrong for somebody to ask for his rights.
“The forum is of the view that nothing happens without nothing. They have the view that the agitators have the right to protest because of relative exclusion in the decision-making circle of Nigeria. For instance, in the Council of States, there is no single representation from the South East. And the agitators feel that if you look at the allocation of patronages, amenities and development, they are getting shares not equal to what others in the country are getting or commensurate with their contributions to national development.
“For example, in the federal allocation for road maintenance in the nation, the South East and South South are the least, yet, the federal roads in these areas are among the worst. These roads are not maintained, not to talk of constructing or opening up a new one. People of these zones are not comfortable about it and we have the feeling that, if you reject somebody in a dance group, you should allow him go away with his dancing paraphernalia. You cannot beat a child and ask him not to cry,” Ikedife said.
