The National Publicity Secretary
of the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, has
claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari made the leader of the Indigenous
People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, popular.
He urged the government to
address the issues by restructuring Nigeria.
“Two years ago, who knew Nnamdi
Kanu? Maybe he was just on the Internet or Radio Biafra. But when he was
arrested and detained for over a year he became popular.
You realise today that
when he is addressing crowds in the South-East, thousands gather and follow
(him). They (government) made him popular. If they rearrest him, they are going
to further popularise him and bring into focus the issues he is fighting for.
Why don’t they deal with the issues, solve the nationality question and render
his achievements ineffective? His arrest will not resolve the matter. Even if
they sentence Kanu to death today, another person will rise — once they refuse
to resolve the matter.
“On the other hand, when you talk
about the rule of law, that lady that symbolises justice is blindfolded.
The
essence of that is, she is no respecter of persons — she delivers justice to
whomever offends the law. But then, you begin to go after Kanu and some people
get up in Arewa land to say leave our land. The Kaduna governor says, ‘Go and
arrest them.’ The vice president says, ‘Arrest them.’ The minister of interior
then says, ‘No, they said they were misquoted.’ The thing the minister said
they were misquoted on, they sat with governors from the North to say they were
suspending the order (notice to quit given to Igbo in the North), and they were
holding a press conference in Sheraton.
“In fact, one of the (Arewa)
youths, when they were looking for them, said, ‘If I’m declared wanted, I will
give myself up.’ Even (for security agents) to invite them for a 30-minute chat
and let them go, they didn’t do that. When you refuse to do that, you create
problems for the rule of law; you show that there’s a double standard.
That is
not how to build an inclusive country. Not that we endorse everything that Kanu
is doing, but we are saying in order not to overheat the polity, what we need
now is (for the Federal Government) to address the issues that have given rise
to agitations. If we begin the process of restructuring this country, the
separatist groups will be at bay. But if we don’t address these issues, you’re
giving them, added energy,” Odumakin said.
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AFENIFERE AM PROUD OF YOU FOR STANDING ON THE TRUTH
ReplyDeleteMay God bless afenifere
ReplyDeleteGod bless you for this truth. The problem is that they will never hear, untill this trouble consumes them. When it is too late, that is the time you will see them running for solution.
ReplyDeleteOn Oduduwa Republic we stand.
ReplyDelete