Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker, has pleaded with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to use his prerogative of mercy and tamper justice with mercy in order to free Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), from prison.
Kalu made the appeal while addressing reporters after the inaugural meeting of the House of Representatives committee on the South East Development Commission (SEDC) at the National Assembly complex in Abuja on Wednesday.
The Deputy Speaker applauded the President for his continuous and tremendous support and commitment towards peace, development, and stability in the Southeast region.
According to him, since assuming office, President Tinubu has proven his love for the South-Easterners through his speedy assent to the South East Development Commission Bill, which failed in previous assemblies.
The Deputy Speaker suggested the adoption of a political approach in resolving the crisis in the region rather than the current legal option, adding that the people of the region will be eternally grateful to the President if that becomes a reality.
While expressing optimism that the President will heed to their appeal, he said that when Kanu is released, insecurity in the region will be reduced, as well as the development that the SEDC is going to bring.
He said, “Only President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was able to put his feet down to say that the South East remains parts and parcel of Nigeria. It failed in previous assemblies, but when it got to him, he agreed to it.
“We are very happy because we know that certain areas of our problems in the region will be prioritized, such as agriculture, energy, power, infrastructure, and technology. We are very innovative people.
“All we need is the support of the government to project the innovative mindedness of the young folks in that region to benefit the entire federation. The next one is the creative industry; how do we look at that, sports, entertainment, to take it from where it is to where it ought to be?
“In agriculture, the whole nine yards, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda on Food Security, that’s what we are looking at. What’s happening with these talents? Can’t we have something like Silicon Valley in the east? We can call it the Eastern Valley, a hub where your creative minds will come together.
“These are areas we are looking at; with a lot of technology in place, development will spring up. We are thankful to Mr. President for doing this for the Southeast. You know, insecurity is a major concern in the area. You can’t have development in the midst of insecurity.
“That’s why we started what we call the Peace in the Southeast project, supported by the parliament. But in doing so, we noticed that the insecurity there will be reduced if Nnamdi Kanu is released. We want Nnamdi Kanu to be released because we know it will give our people more security.
“Those who are using him as excuses to perpetrate all these criminal actions around our area will have no other reason to be on the street. Then the police and security agencies will catch anyone who claims Nnamdi Kanu is the reason for causing harm to the people of the Southeast.
“So, we are begging; you can’t coarse the President; he’s the Commander in Chief. All we are saying is use the political approach, not the legal approach. We are appealing to him to temper justice with mercy and release Nnamdi Kanu to the southeast people. It will ensure more security for our people and spring up development that this SEDC is going to bring.”
