Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has urged Federal Government to seek the assistance of the authorities in Finland to extradite the self-acclaimed Biafra Prime Minister, Simon Ekpa through diplomatic means.
This was as Ekpa imposed sit-at-home order that is crippling the economy of the people of southeastern Nigeria in particular and Nigeria in general.
This was made known by the Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Amb. Okey Emuchay during a chat with newsmen in his Azumini Ndoki in Ukwa West Local Government Area of country home.
He said, “very sad and unfortunate” the situation the Igbo Nation is passing through presently, lamenting, “The people who suffered three years of untold hardship during the civil war, in the last two years, have been subjected to an unnecessary sit-at-home that has crippled to a very large extent the economy of the south-east and has invited regrettably, unnecessary insecurity challenges as a consequence and has serious implications for the people of the south-east geo-political zone and beyond.”
“It is painful to observe that we have groups, both within the southeast and beyond and in fact, outside the shores of Nigeria that are waging war against the people of the south east and the Igbo Nation in general. They have their sponsors, both within and outside and the time has come for us to say, enough is enough. The pains of three years of civil war, and the efforts at our recovery, are being slowly and systematically shredded.”
“We have of late, a video that is trending of armed groups led by Asari Dokubo which is very close to the Igbo Nation. The time has now come for the Federal Government of Nigeria to take immediate steps to send emissaries to the authorities in Finland in respect of Simon Ekpa and then, to properly investigate the activities of Asari Dokubo who is training an army, which we don’t know for what purpose, but the videos we have seen and the location from where they are appears to be very close to the Igbo Nation.”
“More than a year ago, I was detailed by the then President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo to be part of a five-man delegation that visited Nnamdi Kanu in detention; Myself, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, Bishop Godfrey Onah (the Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese) and then, the Methodist Bishop, Sunday Onuoha. We spent three hours with Kanu in the DSS detention in Abuja.”
“We covered every issue that was of concern to him, the Igbo Nation and Nigeria. During our interaction with him, Kanu never mentioned Simon Ekpa. Ekpa is doing his own private business.
‘He has nothing to do with the release of Kanu. At no point was there a meeting where the Igbo Nation decided to assign Ekpa with any duties that concern the release of Kanu.
“It is important for the world to hear that people who have no pedigree, who lack autonomous identity, who have no idea whatsoever, about the sufferings the Igbo have passed through and are passing through, who have now on their own, with their sponsors, have converted issues that concern the Igbo nation into a cottage industry. I want to say, without fear of contradiction, that they would fail. The Igbo Nation is beyond them.”
“Two years ago, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu asked that the issue of sit-at-home should be stopped. So, the people who are going about sit-at-home in the southeast, the enforcers of sit-at-home in the southeast are enemies of the Igbo Nation and Nigeria.”
“Our people are suffering. Ninety per cent of our people are into commerce, trade and private businesses. If you force them not to open their shops and businesses, to whose benefit is it? People are dying, businesses are being ruined and others are leaving the southeast because of this perennial problem of sit-at-home.”
Speaking on the release of Kanu, the Ohanaeze chieftain said, “I am in a very vintage position to confirm that Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has been in the forefront for the release of our brother, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The late President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Amb Prof. George Obiozor, together with our elder statesman, Dara Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, never ceased until they died, calling publicly and privately for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”
“It is important to underline that the Court of Appeal had ruled that Kanu should be released and Dara Mabazulike Amaechi, Amb. Prof. George Obiozor, the current President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide and Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu have all, publicly and privately asked that Kanu should be released.”
He added that, “Ohanaeze did not place any bounty on any person. That is not part of the job of Ohanaeze. If you check, whoever issued that statement, is not part of us.”
While noting that Amb. Emuchay urged the federal government to extradite Ekpa through diplomatic means, Amb. Emuchay said, “We cannot have somebody from Ebonyi State as he claims, who stays in Finland and be waging war against his people in Nigeria. It is not acceptable.”
“It is the duty of the federal government to call authorities in Finland to order. Nobody gave Simon Ekpa any assignments.”
He further urged the federal government to release Kanu first, “and then we will get into whatever else that needs to be discussed” adding, “Kanu is open to that. You have Kanu incarcerated while there are people brandishing AK 47 and nothing has happened to those people”.
