condemns rising insecurity, lawlessness in Igboland
…backs IPOB on cessation of stay-at-home orders
The South East Caucus of the National Assembly, yesterday, offered to intervene in the ordeal of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, hinting that it would explore a political solution towards resolving the issues surrounding his incarceration and the crisis trailing it.
The caucus, made up of all members of the Senate and House of Representatives from the South East geopolitical zone, took the decision yesterday in Abuja after it held an extraordinary session to review developments in the South East, particularly the detention of Kanu, stay-at-home orders and the security situation in the region. Kanu, who has had a running battle with the Federal Government in the last six years, is currently in detention and facing treasonable felony charges after his arrest in Kenya and repatriation to Nigeria.
In a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the caucus resolved to set up a committee to “constructively interface” with relevant stakeholders, particularly the Federal Government and its relevant agencies towards finding a political solution to the crisis. The caucus expressed solidarity with the people of the South East over the perceived marginalisation of the region in the scheme of things within the Nigerian commonwealth and resolved to join hands with other patriotic Nigerians across regional, religious, political, and ethnic divides to reconstruct a federal system where the rights, happiness, and prosperity of citizens are guaranteed.
The Caucus also identified with the people over their quest for equity, justice, and protection of their lives and property in every part of the country. The lawmakers equally condemned in strongest terms, the incessant killings in the South East and demanded an immediate end to the incessant bloodletting. They urged the security agencies to unravel the culprits behind these violent acts and ensure that they are brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others. T he caucus noted with delight that IPOB had called off the Monday stayat- home order and resolved to ensure that nobody uses them as façades to bring ruination on Igbo land.
“The Caucus, therefore, resolved to continue to fight for a level-playing ground and an enabling federal system where Ndigbo are able to develop their homeland at their own pace and equally pursue their happiness and actaulise their enormous potentials in every part of the country, unmolested. “We reviewed the stay-athome orders by the IPOB and the mayhem some nefarious elements have seized the opportunity to visit on the lives, properties, and psyche of our people. The Caucus equally reviewed and rued the incalculable economic losses and hardships these have brought upon our region.
We resolved to condemn in strongest terms the disruption of the ongoing Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination in some parts of the South East, particularly the incident at Comprehensive Secondary School, Nkume, Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State, where the English examination organised by the West Africa Examination Council, WAEC, on Monday, September 13, 2021, was ruthlessly scuttled by armed men, who chased away the students, teachers, and examiners before setting ablaze motorcycles belonging to the teachers.
“This is certainly not who we are as a people. On the contrary, we are a people, who have always cherished and encouraged learning from the ages. We are a people that fully appreciate the place of education in the liberation and enlightenment of the human mind and the socio- economic and political emancipation of a people,” they said. The caucus appealed to the people of the South East not to allow anyone to destroy the region, stressing that the post-war South East was not built through government patronage, but largely by the sheer determination and sacrifices of the people, who refused to resign to fate or bow their heads in defeat. “