From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Igbo women under the aegis of Igbo Women Assembly (IWA) have urged President Bola Tinubu to release leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to curb insecurity in the South East.
The women who made the plea in Umuahia during the inauguration of the Abia State chapter of the organisation, traced the unabating tension and insecurity in the South East to Kanu’s continued detention.
The women challenged President Tinubu to release Kanu if truly he was committed to the restoration of peace to the South East region.
National President of IWA, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, who addressed a press conference in Umuahia, said the way the Federal Government could prove that it was truly interested in the return of peace and progress of the region, was to free Kanu in line with the overwhelming desires of the people.
IWA expressed dismay that instead of engaging Kanu and Igbo youths in a dialogue over their grievances, the Federal Government decided to clamp him into detention and use sledge hammer on the agitators who according to the women, “are mere protesters.”
“We request that you release Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally. We have done our investigations and found out that IPOB is a non arms-bearing organisation.
“Criminals are hiding under Kanu’s continued incarceration to wreak havoc in the South East. So, his release is needed to restore peace to the South East.”
IWA queried the alleged engagement of a former militant to guard South East, and challenged the Federal Government to come out clean on the allegation.
The women issued a 14-day ultimatum to a former presidential spokesman, Dr. Rueben Abati, to withdraw an alleged anti-Igbo comment or face court action.
IWA said his alleged claims that Igbo people do not sell their land to outsiders, was false and untenable.
IWA equally noted that “South East is militarised” and expressed worry that despite the heavy deployment of military on South East roads, insecurity has refused to abate.
“South East is under siege of sorts. Some villages have been sacked. Before now, South East was very peaceful. We the Igbo women are concerned and we want peace to return to Igbo land.”
IWA called for the dismantling of multiple checkpoints on South East roads which, according to it, have become “extortion and humiliation points” for motorists and commuters.
The group commended Enugu and Abia State Governors for their spirited efforts to improve security in their respective states, urging others to copy them.
On the forthcoming Ohanaeze Ndigbo election, IWA charged the apex Igbo sociocultural organization to get things right and regain the confidence of the people.
It advised against any disruption of the long standing policy of rotating the office of Ohaneze President General among the seven Igbo speaking states, adding said it was the turn of Rivers State to produce the next Ohanaeze PG.
A keynote speaker, Professor Nkechinyere Ohaike of the National Institute for Nigerian Languages Aba, urged Igbo women to proudly speak Igbo language to their children to avoid the language going into extinction.
The Professor of Translation Studies/Igbo, who spoke on:”Reviving Our Heritage:Strategies for Promoting Igbo Language and Culture in the Face of Extinction”, regretted that many Igbo mothers are shy to communicate with their children in their mother tongue.
The immediate past Executive Director of the National Roots Crop Research Institute, Umudike, Dr Godwin Asumugha, commended IWA for its spirited efforts to revive Igbo language and culture.
Other speakers including Pastor Nnenne Iroakasi, Mrs Ijeoma Umunna, among others, emphasized the need for the promotion of Igbo language and culture by the womenfolk.