Bishop Sunday Onuoha has explained that he never called for the extradition of the Finland -based Biafra agitator, Mazi Simon Ekpa.
The cleric who has severally advocated political solution to the continued detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, said his opinion was that the federal government should rather engage Ekpa with a view to addressing the issues fueling the agitation for Biafra.
Bishop Onuoha who was with late Paa Mbazulike Amechi to plead with former President Muhammadu Buhari for peaceful and political solution to Nnamdi Kanuās case, advised that the issues of agitation for Biafra should not be mishandled.
He asked:āHow can you begin another extradition when the first has not been resolved and the South East is in crisis? We must be careful not to pour kerosene in the house that is already on fire?ā
The former Presidential Assistant on Privatisation further explained that his position remained that peaceful engagement and not use of force, would bring about a lasting solution to the grievances of Biafra agitators.
Bishop Onuoha who is the Co-chair of Peace and Dialogue Forum, advised the Federal Government to rather explore peace options and engage Ekpa through the Finnish Authorities or those close to him, for negotiations on how to amicably resolve all the issues causing the agitation for self-rule.
He insisted that the use of force has never won peace anywhere, adding that South East needs peaceful atmosphere to thrive.
The cleric argued that contrary to opinion held by some persons, extraditing Ekpa without addressing the root cause of the growing agitation for self-determination and feeling of exclusion by many Igbo youths, the needed solution might not come.
Bishop Onuoha urged the Federal Government to consider peaceful engagement with the necessary stakeholders for the restoration of peace to the South East.
Similarly, former Chairman Traditional Rulers Council, Umuahia North Local Government Area, HRH Eze Philp Ajomuiwe, has said that Ekpaās extradition without the release of Kanu from detention, would not proffer the needed solution.
The monarch urged South East Governors to courageously exert more pressure on the Federal Government to release him.
He expressed hope that Kanuās release would help restore peace to South East faster than Ekpaās extradition.
He said:āIs the extradition of Simon Ekpa from Finland the problem we have here? We have been clamouring for the release of Nnamdi Kanu. All these problems will fizzle out if Kanu is released from detention.
ā Extraction of Ekpa from Finland without Kanuās release wonāt solve our problem. The Federal Government should release Kanu and all other freedom fighters. Thatās the first step towards restoring peace in the South East.
ā There is hunger and starvation in the land. Is Ekpa also the cause? Our Governors should be courageous enough to demand from the Federal Government, the release of Kanu. I believe there will be relative peace if Kanu is freedā.
Peoplesmind
