Nigeria’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, has called on Igbos in the South-East to adopt dialogue and peaceful approaches in response to the conviction and imprisonment of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu. Her remarks came during the 14th Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Memorial Day Celebration at the Ojukwu Memorial Library, Owerri, on Wednesday.
Ojukwu acknowledged that while the court of first instance had sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment, hope remains for his release through peaceful engagement.
She said, “Nnamdi Kanu is in prison. We should not get angry, and this is not an issue to solve with knives, guns, or fighting. This coming Christmas, we should meet with our National Assembly members and governors to explore ways to secure his release. We must also plan how to meet President Bola Tinubu to amicably resolve this matter”.
Ojukwu urged the South-East to emulate other regions by addressing challenges through dialogue, stressing patience and peaceful means, especially among youths. She recalled how her late husband, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, was eventually granted an unconditional pardon by then-President Shehu Shagari after years in exile, through peaceful negotiation.
The minister also decried the low economic activity in the zone, blaming the Monday sit-at-home directive and rising insecurity for discouraging investors.
“Before, investors from Cameroon, Ghana, Togo, and other countries came to the South-East. But due to insecurity, including killings and kidnappings, many local and foreign investors have withdrawn”, she explained.
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