The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; has faulted the conviction and life imprisonment handed to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Bianca, a former Ambassador to Spain, described the judgment as a painful blow to the South-East.
Recall that Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja found Kanu guilty on Thursday of all seven terrorism-related charges brought against him by the Federal Government, sentencing him to life imprisonment.
However, in a statement released on Friday, Bianca expressed disappointment over the judgment, stating that it was not the outcome Ndigbo anticipated nor prayed for.
Calling for calm, the former envoy cautioned that any inflammatory reaction could heighten tension both within Nigeria and among its diaspora.
“There comes a time in the history of a people when calm is needed. That period is now”, she said, urging that all actions likely to provoke unrest or intensify the situation should be avoided.
Bianca, the widow of the late Biafran leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, appealed to residents of the South-East and Nigerians at large to refrain from responding with anger or violence, stressing that only a united front among Igbo leaders could open the doors to a political resolution.
She advocated a comprehensive dialogue involving South-East Governors, Lawmakers, traditional leaders, the clergy, political figures, and business stakeholders to engage with the Federal Government in addressing the crisis.
“Beating the drums of fury will only lead to diminishing returns and, in the worst case, more wastelands”, she warned, emphasizing that “the
most effective path toward resolving this crisis is dialogue”.
Bianca stressed that peaceful coexistence in Nigeria would only be possible “when the Igbos are treated with fairness and dignity”.
SOURCE: The Guardian
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