Spiritual leader urges Buhari to release Kanu, conduct referendum

From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia

Emerging Spiritual Leader of the new Eastern Nation, the High Prince Ugochnyerenwa Amadioha Nsirimo, Dr Charles Amanze, has urged President Buhari to immediately release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and discontinue the trail of the freedom fighter.

Amanze said that continued detention and trial of Kanu for terrorism amounts to offending the sensibilities of the Igbo nation, adding that the federal government should call for referendum to resolve the self-determination quest by the Igbo in Nigeria. He also demanded that the the present administration in imo State should vacate office for peace to return to the state.

According to Amanze, who refers to the nation of the East as Biafra land, said the federal government was incarcerating Kanu against the rule of law “while holding and claiming unprecedented point of no evidence.”

Speaking at a ceremony to mark the one year anniversary of his ascension to the throne of the High Prince of Issi Imo Ancient Kingdom for which he claimed his ancestors gave him the brass plate staff representing the seal of his authority, Amanze maintatned that it was wrong for the federal government to continue with Kanu’s trial after his illegal rendition to Nigeria by government agents or those they sponsored. The even took at his Palace in Nsirimo, Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State.

Amanze who is also the President/Convener of Eastern Youth Network (EYN), asserted many have failed to understand that Kanu was on a divine mission to restore Biafra, stressing that no amount of intimidation would stop the achievement of that goal.

The Philosopher and author had, shortly after the rendition of Kanu in June last year, predicted that Kanu would emerge from his present ordeal with the realization of Biafra.

“The Public Office holders should understand the importance of the mission of Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB as the intelligence of Heaven and the gods towards the freedom of the people of Biafra,” he said.

“The EYN,” he said, “stands with IPOB as ‘unproscribed’ Group,” and demanded Kanu’s immediate release and withdrawal of the charges slammed against the IPOB leader, withdrawal of all the military and other security operatives deployed to the South East on task force mission, which he said, have brought unwarranted killing of innocent people, as well as conducting a referendum to determine if Ndigbo want to remain in Nigeria or go their separate way.

Alternatively, he advocated for the election of three presidents for fairness, equity and justice to prevail in the polity.

On the crisis in Imo State, Amanze said that until present administration which, he said, came to power by “fraud and manipulation of the caliphate” resigns, there would continue to be bloodshed.

“We can recall that the sitting Imo Governor has become a clear and present danger to the health, integrity and reputation of the people and our nation’s restoration.

“His continued stay as Governor will further destroy investors’ confidence in our nation. Mr Governor’s involvement in partisan politics from fourth position underpins the impunity, lawlessness and recklessness” of the federal government, he added.

 The EYN leader said that the Buhari-led federal government has failed to fix the economy, but has introduced economic and fiscal policies that have brought untold hardship on Nigerians.

“The economic and fiscal policies of the government under Buhair brought untold hardship to the productive and service sectors of our nation’s economy with consequential negative effects on the lives of citizens,” he said.

Under Buhari, he noted that the economy has collapsed as the naira was now lesser in value to Ghana’s Cedi; with the productive sector crippled; Nigeria experiencing multiple economic recessions; increased poverty, inflation and high rate of unemployment,  with the attendant high cost of living and excruciating hardship.

He expressed disappointment that under Buhari who promised zero-tolerance for corruption, ill-defined intervention programmes and nebulous subsidies were being used to plunder the nation’s treasury.

Highlights of the occasion included blowing of the cultural trumpet to usher in the High Prince, the 21 cannon gun salute, hoisting of the cultural flag which, Amanze said  “is for the memory of our God, cultural religion, and for the peace and freedom of our wives and children.”

On May 29, 2021, during his proclamations, Amanze said that the gods “have sent him on a mission to build a glorious nation never seen on earth before.”