From Magnus Eze, Enugu
The continued detention of leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has placed a moral burden on the Federal Government, the new President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Nze Ozichukwu Chukwu, has said.
He declared that there was no sufficient reason for the continued detention of Kanu by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The IPOB leader has been in detention since June 2021 when he was intercepted and renditioned from Kenya by the Nigerian Government. Different courts had faulted his incarceration including the Court of Appeal which discharged the self-determination activist.
Daily Sun reliably gathered that Chukwu had at the maiden National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting which he presided last weekend, hinted that he will collaborate with some Igbo leaders in government for a collective effort towards Kanu’s release.
There have been allegations that South East governors were not disposed to pushing for the release of the detained IPOB leader.
However, both Professor George Obiozor and his successor, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, now late, as leaders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, worked tirelessly for Kanu to be freed. In fact, Iwuanyanwu’s last assignment before his demise on July 25, 2024, was a visit to Kanu at the DSS facility in Abuja.
Though, his days in office are numbered, Chukwu was quoted to have expressed the determination to leave an impressive legacy behind.
The Igbo leader also acknowledged the existential threat on the Igbo from diverse quarters but assured that with a good leadership, the Igbo will become the envy of Africa, citing “the audaciousness, resilience, inventiveness, and capaciousness of places such as Bavaria, Scotland, California, Catalonia, amongst others who looked beyond their countries to achieve sustainable economic growth.”
Chukwu added that one of the indices of backwardness was the indolent culture of subscribing to God the very endowments that God had already availed people.
He further lamented that while Harvard in the USA is curious about the Igbo successes through the Igba Boy, Igba oso ahia, etc, the present crop of Igbo is losing grip of that fascinating Igbo heritage.
“For instance, part of the restiveness among the youths is traced to the dereliction of those vital values for which the Igbo are known. He therefore posited that youth empowerment should be uppermost in the Ohanaeze policy framework,” he stated.