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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Abia State chapter, has called on President Bola Tinubu to pardon the jailed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, for peace to reign in the South East.
The apex Igbo socio-cultural group also said it was working in synergy with the traditional institution in Igbo land for total unity of purpose in the South East.
President of the Abia chapter, Dr. Chukwuemeka Okwuonu made the call while addressing newsmen in Umuahia after the expanded state exco meeting. Dr. Okwuonu said before Kanu was convicted, the national body of Ohanaeze made spirited efforts to ensure that a political solution was worked out and Kanu freed.
He said now that Kanu had been convicted, it was still the thinking of Ohanaeze that President Tinubu should pardon the IPOB leader and assured that they were working for his freedom.
“Before Kanu was convicted, Ohanaeze at the national level had engaged those at the helm of affairs in the country for a political solution to the problem and for the leader of the IPOB to be released.
“Since it didn’t work out then, now that he has been convicted, the Abia State Chapter and equally the national body are not relenting in our efforts to ensure President Bola Tinubu pardons and gets him released.”
Meanwhile, Okwuonu said that Ohanaeze Ndigbo was synergising with traditional rulers in the South East for unity in Igbo land.
He said to actualise this, the state chapter of the apex Igbo body had mandated the Ohanaeze chairmen in the 17 local government areas, who were also at the meeting to be in constant touch with traditional rulers from their area.
He commended the national body of Ohanaeze for championing Igbo interest, singling out the efforts it made at finding a truce when the Igbo in Ghana had issues with their hosts.
