Bianca Ojukwu’s appointment will facilitate Kanu’s release –Okoye

•FG must bring Nigerian prisoners back from Ethiopia urgently

 

Abumchukwu N. Okoye, National Coordinator, Take Back Nigeria Initiative (TBNI) said the appointment of Iyom Bianca Odimegwu Ojukwu’ as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is an honour to the Igbo nation, saying this singular act has shown that the Tinubu led administration is running an inclusive government.

Okoye noted that with Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu in Tinubu’s cabinet, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu would soon be freed from incarceration.

He spoke with DICKSON OKAFOR

    

What’s your opinion on the appointment of Iyom Bianca Odimegwu Ojukwu as Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, considering that she’s coming from an opposition party?

The recent appointment of Iyom Bianca Odimegwu Ojukewu as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs by President Bola Tinubu is to showcase the quality of Tinubu as a good politician. This is what is called inclusive governance. Igbos are crying out against being marginalised, against oppression, against unwarranted dehumanisation and against pogrom. And if you define pogrom, you will see that it is to stagnate the progress of a people or when you want to destroy their means of livelihood, their culture and what they stand for. So, it is not only when you kill or destroy a people unjustly that you say there is a pogrom. In this particular instance, this is one of the best decisions that the government has ever taken by picking Bianca Ojukwu to serve Nigeria as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. I knew her since 1988 and 1989 when I was in the University of Nigeria, Enugu campus. She is independent and opinionated. Bianca has such quality and she can take decisions which you may not see its benefits immediately, but you will see it in the long run. Bianca, like her father, Chief C.C. Onoh is a grassroots politician and so rooted that there are certain things politicians would neglect but she won’t neglect such. This is a bold step by President Tinubu to honour late Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu and Chief C. C .Onoh and indeed the entire Igbo land. These are the two big names, two big respected persons not only in South-East, but also in Nigeria. Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojikwu happened to be our father, who made us to be alive today, whom everybody knows in Nigeria. Whatever anybody says doesn’t concern me because this was a man that had the interest of Igbos at heart. So, his wife, Bianca, deserves the appointment to serve Nigeria at a higher level.

Some have said the appointment is geared towards 2027, perhaps to court the Igbo Nation. What are your views? 

It was one of the African leaders that said: “I was not born to fight my nation forever.” There are several approaches to issues. There might be real approach, there might be political approach, social approach or whatever. One thing is so clear, that intentions as expressed in actions matter so much. It is now a matter of an insider and not an external person. For example, I know some of the human rights lawyers and vanguards that were appointed by the Presidency to serve. They will be to able observe the practical nature of issues that becloud the nation more than an outsider who is just criticising and saying government is going the wrong way. But when you are inside, you will understand better and will be able to see the clear nature of things. It is better that Bianca is there who is more of our own. We will be able to talk to her about the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu that is causing a lot of destruction in Igbo land. It is diminishing our economy and scattering our sense of responsibility by causing a lot of uncertainty in the South-East. But if Nnamdi Kanu is released, we can now know the group or persons who are criminals or not. More so, it is very important that this matter, like I have been saying, must involve a handshake across the Niger because political matters must be solved in a political way. That President Tinubu, even though he is a member of APC, did not initiate the incarceration of Kanu, but having inherited that government, we are looking at him to solve the problem by releasing Nnamdi Kanu. Anyway the problem is solved. It is our own view that having Bianca in the ruling government will help us to present this matter in the clear form. There are a lot of criminals in Igbo land who are claiming to be ESN, IPOB and other groups. While I don’t work in DSS, police or any of the security agencies and I don’t know the information they have, but I’m thinking like every other Igbo man that the release of Nnamdi Kanu will bring down and cut the level of insecurity in the South-East. Whether we want to become a republic or not, it can be negotiated. So, anybody who is thinking that Nigeria’s unity is not negotiable is making a big mistake. Because every nation can negotiate their future, destiny and welfare. I don’t have to be in subjugation forever when you say Nigeria’s unity is not negotiable. The military drafted a constitution and gave to us and from the look if things the constitution should be amended or a new one drafted to the desire of Nigerians.

Do you think that all you have highlighted is possible for Tinubu to implement? Can he also release Nnamdi Kanu since he’ll soon be seeking a second term?

I must confess that I don’t believe that the North put Nnamdi Kanu in detention. Nnamdi Kanu was detained by special cabal and I’m very sure about that. Yes, Tinubu may not implement most things we expected from him because he is seeking a second term. And those who are behind Kanu’s detention are using every avenue to continue this incarceration of Kanu and they are few in number. Look at the way Northern and South-Western regions are collaborating. In politics, there is a permanent interest, hence you can’t say the North detained Nnamdi Kanu.

Your organisation, in conjunction with the Nigerian Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), is making effort to bring back Nigerian prisoners in Kailti prison in Ethiopia. Do you think Bianca Ojukwu can convince the Nigerian government to bring back these prisoners to Nigeria?

Bianca Ojukwu has an agenda which must be the agenda of this government, but there is something that is very necessary and that is the Ethiopian prisoners or detainees and when we talk of detainees or prisoners, there are different international treaties governing the minimum treatment to them. And whatever the ministries are saying is good because I’m not trying to go into argument with them, but I’m concentrating on the pronouncement by Nigerian Diaspora Commission and her Executive Chairperson who said that the kind of food given to Nigerian prisoners in Kailiti, Ethiopia cannot be given to rats. That was in a television broadcast and the Senate and the House of Representatives created a joint committee to investigate the matter and the outcome of the investigation showed that a request was made by the committee headed by the Senate Committee Chairman on Diaspora requesting that the budget of Nigerian Diaspora Commission be increased to enable them meet up their responsibility on Nigerians in the Diaspora. Nigerians in the Diaspora include those in prison and those outside and that would be the primary responsibility of the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. And it does not matter where the prisoners are because many of them are dying in their numbers and Take Back Nigeria Initiative (TBNI) has gone to certain sectors asking that the Federal Republic of Nigeria should help release them. The other nations whose prisoners were in Ethiopia have evacuated their citizens home, except Nigeria. Even if the Diaspora Commission doesn’t have the money, let it be presented to the National Assembly. The prisoners and their relatives are ready to sponsor and pay for their coming into Nigeria. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Interior in conjunction with Nigerian Diaspora Commission can come together with Take Back Nigeria Initiative and even on our own as an NGO can raise money to buy their flight tickets to come back. And even pay for their welfare in Nigeria. Allowing them to stay there and die by numbers is not the best. The Ethiopian Government has made it clear that they have no money for food, no money for firewood or to pay for medical care. And somebody comes up to say it is a social media frame up when the Chairman of The Nigerian Diaspora Commission has said so by herself and the Senate committee has also made a statement to that effect. The main problem is that the Nigerian Diaspora Commission has no money, they are poor. And the private sector and the external bodies, including some of our brothers and sisters in and outside the country, can raise money to fly them down here to Nigeria. But we need intervention from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and the police to profile them on their return.

Nowadays it is no longer a matter of I do not know what they did or how they were arrested because we are living in an age of computer and age of technology. It is a question of pressing your phone button. It will supply all the information you need. Allowing them to die there despite all the efforts been made by human rights groups is not right. I think that is what Bianca Ojukwu should concentrate on to clean up the image of Nigeria and should not allow us to be in this mess.

APC stakeholders in Anambra State have opposed Bianca Ojukwu’s appointment. They accused President Tinubu of anti-party activities for appointing a non-party member as a minister. What is your take?

President Tinubu is appointing persons that will help salvage Nigeria considering the circumstance in which we are now. So, it is a matter of emergency. It is a matter of necessity and we have been disturbing Mr. President that we need ministers who will perform and at this level of our critical situation we don’t need the issue of political parties. Because after the 2023 general election, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu became the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not President of APC. So, the party has fizzled out and remains relevant for the members. Nigerians are children of the same father who must get equal share from Mr. President. So, in doing so, just like what the Bible said, the Apostles appointed Deacons to make sure the sharing of food is based on equality. Not that it has not happened before – history will let you know that this thing has happened. It is ideal that President Tinubu must appoint people who will help him unite Nigeria, who will help him salvage the economy and to work for equality in the management of foreign and international trade because we don’t need any preferential treatment. If I’m working and you are working, if I’m sacrificing you are sacrificing, that is how we can make a headway. But in a situation where some people will buy dollars at the cost of N400 and sell to one tribe at the cost of N1000 or some people will buy fuel for N200 a litre and the Igbo man will buy it at N1000, that is the problem.