AfriPulse
Ned Nwoko, senator representing Delta North, says peace will
continue to elude the South-East until the federal government addresses the
region’s long-standing sense of marginalisation.
Speaking on ‘Sunday Politics’, a programme on Channels
Television, Nwoko said the unrest in the region stems from “perceived injustice
by successive governments”.
He said the creation of Anioma state and the release of
Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), would go a long
way in resolving the crisis.
“The problem in the south-east has to do with perceived
injustice by successive governments,” Nwoko said.
“So what needs to be done, and it’s one of the reasons I am
here today, is the creation of a new state to make up the number to six, and
then the release of Nnamdi Kanu.
“By the time you do these two things, I am almost certain
that peace will return to the south-east.”
The south-east currently has five states, one less than the other geopolitical zones in the country.
The region has faced repeated security challenges over the
years, largely linked to IPOB’s agitation for a separate Biafran nation.
‘KANU HELD UNJUSTLY’
Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State
Services (DSS) since his re-arrest in June 2021. He is facing terrorism-related
charges before the federal high court in Abuja.
Nwoko said the IPOB leader’s continued detention is unjust
and has become one of the main triggers of instability in the region.
He added that a political resolution to the matter would
help calm tensions and open the door for meaningful dialogue.
‘ANIOMA STATE BEST GIFT FOR IGBOS’
Nwoko, who is leading the campaign for the creation of
Anioma state from the present Delta state, said the process is progressing
positively.
He said the joint committee of the Senate and House of
Representatives on constitutional review has endorsed the idea of adding one
more state to the southeast.
“Now, what has happened is that the national assembly has
put together a committee to decide which state to choose. There are about seven
states from the southeast, and we are one of them,” he said.
“At the public hearing in Enugu, we also presented our case,
so I am almost certain that we will be chosen.”
The senator said he is confident that President Bola Tinubu
will approve the new state if recommended by the committee, describing the
potential creation as “the best gift” the president could offer to the Igbo
people.
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Source: NigerianEye | Read the Full Story…
