ANAMBRA State governor Chukwuma Soludo has said the release of detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu is necessary for peace to return to the South-East region.
Soludo, who spoke on Channels Television on Sunday, has been campaigning to bring an end to the Monday sit-at-home in the South-East states.
Noting that IPOB ordered the weekly sit-at-home after Kanu was arrested and detained, the governor stressed that Kanu’s release was required to resolve the problem and restore peace to the region.
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The governor equally noted that Kanu’s supporters have insisted that they will continue with the sit-at-home until their leader is released.
Soludo blamed the deterioration of security in the South-East on the manner the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government was handling secessionist agitations in the region.
He said, “Why did we start the sit-at-home that the children of the South-East have to go to school four days in a week instead of five? How did we start sit-at-home that the woman selling pepper out there, those who depend on daily toil and sweat to earn a living, can no longer do that on Monday?
“Businesses are closing and so on and so forth.
“It is because of Nnamdi Kanu. No matter how you want to wish it away, it is essentially because of Nnamdi Kanu. So, he is a factor; no one can deny that. He is a factor, for anyone who wants to be realistic.
“Therefore, in a conversation about peace and stability in the South-East, if you discountenance that factor and wish it away, then the person must be living in the moon. It has become a factor.
“And, therefore, as part of that process of getting down to the fundamental long-term discussion on this matter, we need to get that matter over with.
“What started the sit-at-home was because Nnamdi Kanu was arrested. And what were his supporters saying? They were saying that they would keep this Monday sit-at-home until he is released.”
To achieve lasting peace, the governor said every organisation in the region must be brought to the table for dialogue.
“My understanding of the situation in the South-East is that every major organised group needs to be part of the conversation,” he said.
He said his administration has reached out to a faction of IPOB that has agreed to work with him to realise peace and stability in Anambra State.
The governor called for a fair trial and timely closure of the case against Kanu, warning that as long as it lingers, the situation in the region would remain tensed.
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