…As Soludo Confident Over Release of Kanu
By Okey Maduforo Awka
As Nigerians celebrate the life and times of the first Republic minister for Aviation and the last of the Nationalist Chief Mbazuruike Amaechi the Ohaneze Ndigbo has expressed it’s unhappiness over the failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to grant him his last wish of releasing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to him.
Loading ...This is coming as Gov Charles Soludo announced his confidence that Nnamdi Kanu would surely be released very soon contending that it is the only way to separate the criminals from those that are actually doing the job of freedom fighting.
At the Day Of Tribute in honor of late Amaechi the National Vice President of Ohaneze Ndigbo Chief Damian Okeke Ogene recalled how Buhari refused to grant the last request of the old man who fought for the unity and independence of Nigeria.
“Amaechi sees me as his adopted son and I accepted it and I have always been with him all through because I remember that he organized for the payment of pension for the wounded Biafran solders at some point ”
“But what is indeed disappointing was that on two occasions Mbazuruike Amaechi demanded for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu which was his last wish and the President turned him down and I wonder what other requests can we the living can grant to a father figure like Mbazuruike Amaechi that to release Nnamdi Kanu to him ?”he said
Soludo however expressed confidence that Nnamdi Kanu would soon be released adding that any discussion about insecurity in the South East cannot be meaningful without the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
” Our father Mbazuruike Amaechi made a passionate appeal to the federal government for the release of Nnamdi Kanu but he died without his request being granted and I shear in the same view with him that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu should be released”
“Yes not all agreed to it based on the means or where he should be but I want to make it clear here that the issue about Nigeria must be talked about and must be discussed”
*I led a team to visit Nnamdi Kanu when he was in Kuje prison and I visited him again at the DSS facility and he made it clear that it is an abomination for one to take another”s life and that it was against the ideology “behind the struggle”
“Now the entire South East is under insecurity and under siege because every criminal that you catch will tell you that he is a member of the liberation struggle”
“And 100 percent of those that had so far been arrested and those in the bush are Igbos and they had taken over the hometown of Mbazuruike Amaechi in Ukpor and the hoodlums had three camps and it took us about five hours to dislodge them ”
“That is why we want Nnamdi Kanu released so that we can distinguish the criminals from the real liberators and separating the wheat from the chaff”
“We know that is would not be an end to criminality but it would be far reaching and I want to reassure everyone that certainly Nnamdi Kanu would be released very soon and would be seen to have been released” he said.
Speaking earlier the Chairman of the occasion who also represented Engr Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu who is the Chairman of the Funeral Committee Sen Ben Obi described Amaechi as a great Zikist adding that he (Amaechi) is a symbol of a true Nigerian who with his colleagues laid their lives for the country.
First Nigerian female governor and former governor of Anambra state Dame Virgy Etiaba said that Igbos should hold their heads and shoulder high wherever they to had had a brother and father in Amaechi.
The Presidential candidate that was at the function Justice Peter Umeadi rtd of the All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA noted that Igbos should not be discouraged in the Nigerian politics noting that late Amaechi would be better honoured when come this year’s general election the South East would take their pride of place in the country.
Former Director General of Mass Mobilization For Social Reorientation Agency MAMSA Prof Elochukwu Amaucheazi admonished the Igbos to remain resolute in their struggle as he expressed hopes that following the steps of Mbazuruike Amaechi would take the race to it’s destination.
“He remains a father and when he gets there he would meet the likes of late Dr Michael Okpara and tell them the way we are in this country which is against what they fought for” he said.
