ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – The Council of Elders of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has announced plans to organize a peace summit to discuss ways of addressing insecurity in the country, especially the South-East.
The Igbo elders disclosed this in a communiqué issued by its Chairman, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, at the end of its meeting in Abuja yesterday.
Among the decisions taken by the Council of Elders yesterday was a call on the Federal Government to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB), unconditionally.
“The council took a decision on the need to have a peace summit. It goes with the desire that Nnamdi Kanu should be released. We want to dialogue with his participation in order to have an enduring peace in Nigeria, particularly in the South East.
“The council therefore called on the Federal Government and all persons concerned to release Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally. He cannot be in the prison while such crucial summit is being held,” Iwuanyanwu said.
He said that the security situation in the country called for concern, adding that the council was particularly worried about how the situation had worsened in the South-East.
Iwuanyanwu noted further that lives were being lost, innocent blood was being shed while properties and government institutions were being destroyed.
“Moreover both state and federal governments are deploying huge financial resources in fighting a meaningless war instead of providing infrastructure, education and healthcare,” he added.