From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The family of detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has challenged South East Governors and Igbo leaders to disclose why they had suddenly kept mute over the restructuring of Nigeria after mounting intense pressure on Kanu in 2017 to drop agitation for Biafra and embrace restructuring along 1960 and 1963 Constitutions.
Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel, who spoke in Umuahia, expressed surprise that “nobody is talking of restructuring again after those leaders, although without success, wanted Kanu to drop agitation for self-determination and agree to a restructured Nigeria.
He said that at the peak of the agitation, the leaders lured Kanu to a meeting in Enugu where they put him under pressure to accept restructuring, a demand Kanu even agreed to oblige with a condition.
“Before the meeting with South East Governors in Enugu, some respected Igbo leaders including the late Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme; Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, as well as Professor Ben Nwabueze, had also made a similar proposal to the IPOB Leader.
“Precisely on August 30, 2017, Nnamdi Kanu met with South East Governors. In fact, before the meeting, he had met with the late Dr Alex Ekwueme who pressured him to agree on the restructuring of Nigeria along the 1960 and 1963 Constitutions.
“The late Chief Mbazulike Amaechi and Professor Ben Nwabueze told him the same thing. They put him under pressure to accept restructuring.
“I remember he told them including the South East Governors that if they start negotiations on restructuring, he would tone down agitation for 12 months, but shockingly the South East Governors never related these messages to the Federal Government. They swept it under the carpet and four days after the meeting, our house was invaded during the infamous Operation Python Dance ll”.
Prince Emmanuel cast doubts over the real motives of the South East Governors for the Enugu parley with his brother as they never raised the issue of restructuring even after his father’s compound was raided.
He also wondered why the world is keeping quiet over the continued detention of the IPOB leader even after several court judgements ordering his immediate and unconditional release.
“Why is everybody quiet even after the Umuahia Federal High Court and Abuja Court of Appeal ruling ordering the immediate release of my brother? Injustice to Kanu is injustice everywhere not just in Nigeria but all over the world!”
Kanu’s brother said that Nigerian leaders should be sincere and stop being hypocritical about the real national questions if truly they mean well for the country, adding that the truth will not be suppressed forever.
He wondered why the clamour for restructuring had died down since then.