Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu has called for calm in the South-East following what she described as the ‘sad’ life sentencing of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
The minister, who is the widow of Biafra originator Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, made this plea in a statement on Friday reacting to the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court’s decision to condemn Mr Kanu to life imprisonment for terrorism charges.
Mrs Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who disclosed she just returned from Tanzania after an NTAC monitoring exercise, noted that the outcome of the case against Mr Kanu was unexpected.
“This is not the outcome we anticipated, nor prayed for, but a reality that is now upon us,” Mrs Odumegwu-Ojukwu said.
The minister, however, urged supporters of the convict to avoid escalation in response to the verdict.
“There comes a time in the history of a people when there is a need for calm,” she stated. “I therefore advise Ndigbo, and Nigerians as a whole, that such a period is now! There is an utmost need to exercise restraint in response to this situation.“
“All actions that could be deemed incendiary and that might escalate the situation at home or in the diaspora should be curtailed. A word is enough for the wise,” she warned.
Mrs Odumegwu-Ojukwu stressed that the current situation requires consultation with stakeholders in the South-East, including governors, lawmakers, and traditional rulers, to engage the Nigerian government in finding a political solution in the aftermath of Thursday’s judgment.
“Beating the drums of fury and sabre rattling will only generate diminishing returns, and in the worst-case scenario, yet another wasteland.
“The most effective path toward resolution of this crisis is dialogue. The quest for mutual coexistence of Ndigbo in Nigeria with justice, equity, and dignity is a commitment that requires our collective resolve, and maintaining peace and order is essential to ensuring the security of all citizens, regardless of tribe or creed,” Mrs Odumegwu-Ojukwu stated.
Speaking further, Mrs Odumegwu-Ojukwu reassured that the Nigerian government is working with both local and foreign partners to reduce national trauma due to past experiences, while calling on “everyone to remain calm and patient.”
“Over the years, I have continued to engage on these issues with several stakeholders. Now is the time for us all in Ala Igbo to put all hands on deck and to have a joint engagement, sincerely, involving all the South-Eastern States, to seek a political resolution to this matter,” she added.