By Lukman Olabiyi
Former chairman, Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law, NBA-SPIDEL, Dr. Monday Ubani, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to kickstart the healing process in the South East by releasing the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and fixing the deplorable roads in the region.
Ubani in a letter to President Tinubu commended the recent drastic measures taken by the President to tackle the numerous challenges in the country and pleaded that similar efforts should also be extended to tackling the insecurity and poor infrastructure problems in the South East.
The rights lawyer said the first step towards ensuring peace in the South East was a political solution to the endless incarceration of Kanu and advised the President to release him to the governors of the region.
He tasked the Tinubu-led government to carry all regions of the country along on projects to foster a true sense of belonging.
Part of the letter read: “There are two issues that deserve urgent attention, Mr President. I crave your indulgence that you handle them fast.
“One is the indefinite detention of Nnamdi Kanu in DSS custody and the attendant blood bath in the Eastern Region as a result of that long inceration , and the second is the state of bad roads in the Eastern Region especially the Ikwuano/Ikot Ekpene Road, Aba/Ikot Ekpene Road, Aba/Port Harcourt Road etc.Economic activities have been grounded in the region due to terrible road network everywhere. Some of the roads like Ikwuano/Ikot Ekpene were awarded to one Hartland Company by the last administration but unfortunately the people that pass through that road daily have not witnessed any improvement whatsoever on the state of the road despite that it was awarded since 2019.
“Your Excellency, Nnamdi Nkanu’s continued detention on ground of an appeal filed by the outgone Minister of Justice/Attorney General of the Federation that on perusal does not disclose recondite grounds of law gives me serious cause for concern. That the matter is not being given expeditious consideration further is very depressing. My worry is that some criminal elements in the region have latched on this to keep the entire region under serious threat of insecurity, loss of lives and all forms of criminality…
“Kanu should be released to the governors and leaders of the region with understanding that he keeps the peace for the sake of the region he professes to love. Several governors and Leaders of the region are ready for such a deal that will see the restoration of peace to the once bubbling region and by extension, to the country.”