Prof Ukemenam, President Ohanaeze UK: Why British govt has not secured Kanu’s release

Prof. Joe Ukemenam, President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in the United Kingdom and Ireland, has explained why it has been difficult for the British Government to facilitate the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

In an interview with LAWRENCE ENYOGHASU, he also dismissed insinuations that Ohanaeze Ndigbo did not do enough in securing the buy-in of other regions for an Igbo presidency in 2023.

Some have said that the Igbo have been sabotaged with the non-election of South-East candidates as presidential candidates of both the APC and PDP. Do you agree?

To confirm such statement, we require better and quality detailed information to substantiate it. One of the problems in Nigeria is that such a statement could be true, but proving it to a quality international standard is the challenge. Looking at the way news and events have played out, it is easy to conclude that the Igbo have been sabotaged during the primaries, especially looking at the departure of Peter Obi from PDP and the inability of any Igbo to win at the APC primary. But there could be and there are other factors and reasons why the Igbo were not making it to the top. Such obvious ones refer to money politics which I understand was key in Peter Obi’s departure. Others refer to the inability of the Igbo to come together to sponsor an Igbo candidate, although, in APC, Amaechi came a respectable second. This could imply that if more was done and done collectively by the Igbo, that they could have tipped the balance. Amaechi even beat the Vice President and that should be seen for what it is.

Is the FG right to still hold Nnamdi Kanu in detention?

Kanu is charged with a criminal offence, not just a political offence. I hear people argue that he is not the only person who has committed an alleged crime, but that is the nature of the ‘beast’ – the authorities have a range of options and a range of reasons to behave the way they select to do. It is extremely difficult to wish Kanu’s alleged crimes away as essentially political, as he has never stood for any election conducted anywhere in the world. Right, he could claim to be a freedom fighter, but there are better ways rather than act with impunity. It is the perception of impunity that makes it difficult to argue his case. I had a personal experience when I admitted the IPOB members to the House of Commons where I was hosting some African luminaries. The idea was to give them visibility and access to the political corridors. Halfway through the session, IPOB members pulled flags from under their jackets and started shouting abuses at everyone and every establishment. The British responded with arms drawn, thinking there was a terrorist attack on the building. I received a warning from the British authorities as a result.

FG accused Kanu of money laundering in the UK. How true is that?

The FG has support around the world on this matter and that shows you the difference between Kalu and Mandela. So even if FG is treating him as a political prisoner or prisoner of conscience, it will be hard for the FG, as pressure from external countries may not support that. On the issue of money laundering, external countries, including Britain, are assisting the FG by providing documentary evidence. Kalu’s house in London is worth over £10 million and there is no documentary trail to demonstrate where the fund came from or the business he was conducting that generated such income. No evidence of tax returns or National Insurance contributions etc. All these frustrated our efforts in the UK to get Members of Parliament to intervene. They could not also find him on the electoral register in any constituency; at least that is what they told us as reasons and challenges in intervening. With these and others, the FG is under no real push to hasten consideration for his early release. Instead, President Buhari insists that he must face the full weight of the process. The comparisons people make with other agitators in custody or otherwise are not the same if you look at the details, which is what the law does in situations like this. Even if the courts order his release today, President Buhari may still hold him back under his powers. That is the nature of the situation.

What’s your view on the weekly lockdowns in the South-East? Who suffers more from it?

Clearly, the Monday lockdown is an own goal scored against the Igbo. The Igbo are losing more than N27 billion each day they sit at home, and it is the grassroots that are affected most. Whilst the rest of the country is working and developing themselves, the Igbos are busy victimising themselves. Sit at home does not improve anything; it instead created opportunities for crime and entrenched poverty. The worse part of it is that people are turning it into something else that is again negative to themselves. And the worst is that it is becoming impossible to reverse. That is what happens when you do not understand the dynamics and systems of making policy and governance and you jump into it. The hope is that one day, people would realise, which many have started to realise that the practice is not taking us anywhere.

Do you think Ohanaeze failed the Igbos by not persuading other regions to select Igbo men and women as presidential candidates?

With the benefit of hindsight, anybody can always do things differently. The key to this remains the absence of a plan or an agreement to achieve the selection of an Igbo as a Presidential candidate. It is even arguable that Ohanaeze has such a mandate to do so. These things are not done in a whimsical fashion, so unless you can establish that Ohanaeze has such a mandate, it is difficult to see how anyone can score them a ‘pass or failure.’ That does not stop people from thinking that they should have this and that. That is people for you. I am the President of Ohanaeze UK, and I have not seen in Ohanaeze constitution something there compelling them to undertake such a mission, although people may be right to expect it amongst other expectations.

The issue of PVC not circulating in the East has been of concern to many. What do you think?

I understand that things are getting better with time. You can also understand and explain the situation in the context of the Nigeria factor, where people ensure that things do not work as planned. We complain and say that Nigeria has bad leaders, but also Nigeria has worse followership.

On insecurity, do you think this government failed Nigerians?

Clearly, it is a failure based on what I have just said above. Nigeria has bad leaders, but also Nigeria has worse followership. Security is the business of everybody. It is a collective effort; it is so important that it cannot, should not be left in the hands of the government agencies. Let us have a security summit in Nigeria, to begin with. We cannot continue to blame others for our failures.