Chief Simon Okeke the former Police service commission boss has stepped up the call for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, saying that it's long overdue. In this interview with select Journalists at his Akatar Lodge Country home in Amichi over the weekend. The elder statesman who bared his mind on national issues, however maintained that the release of Nnamdi Kanu is long overdue.
Excerpts
Ques: Sir, the sit at home in the South East which has caused untold hardship on the people is as a result of the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, what is your take on that?
Ans: My own view is that the release of Nnamdi Kanu is long overdue. He has been granted bail, by a court of competent jurisdiction, why do you still hold him? There is no point at all holding him, and it is anarchy when you don't respect the decision of the courts. That is anarchy. So it's long overdue for Nnamdi Kanu to be released. Then, regarding Ekpa, who is 6000 miles away causing havoc in Nigeria and especially in the south east. It's also long overdue for that man to be extradited and punished for intransigence. Yes, It's long overdue, I have since been advocating for him to be extradited. I lead a delegation of high powered Ambassadors and elders of Nigeria to the embassy of Finland, and demanded that action should be taken to shut that man up, before the election took place. Good enough, the Finnish Ambassador respected our request and acted immediately, and the man was arrested, temporarily and released thereafter. Now, he is still waxing strong, it's long overdue, he should be charged for sedition, yes there are cases of people who have attempted something like that and they were jailed. That man is causing a lot of havoc here and to Nigeria. He deserves nothing short of imprisonment with hard labour.
Ques: In this instance, what again do you expect the Finnish government to do in this circumstance?
Ans: The man should be arrested and imprisoned in Finland if they can't extradite him to Nigeria, as he has committed a grave and serious international offence, against a soveriegn country, it's punishable with imprisonment with hard labour. It's an offence against the Nigerian government. Nigerian government should also call for his extradition, not just myself and some concerned people from the south east. It should be taken seriously by the Nigerian Government. He is commiting a very serious international offence which is punishable by imprisonment.
Ques: Recently, the Senate played down the motion sponsored by Senator Osita Izunaso for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to be released, what is your take on that sir.
Ans: I don't know why they should have vested interest in that, but the truth is that since he has been granted bail by a court of competent jurisdiction, I see no reason why he should waste one minute extra in detention, especially because of human rights issue. It shouldn't be allowed.
Ques: The governor of Anambra state celebrated his 63rd Birthday, what are your wishes for him?
Ans: Well, I wish him a very sound health in body, mind and soul. I also wish good health to be able to deliver good governance of the state. So that under him, more result orientated adminstration of Anambra state will be achieved. I wish him also more collaborative efforts with other governor's in the south east especially to make sure the south east is safe, especially from uknown gunmen, even though they are known. South East deserves the best, and it's not something one state can do in isolation, as it requires collaboration from other states to work in unison, to ensure peace and stability which should be a way forward for the deleveoment of the south east and not for cross purposes. I commend him for coming to Abuja to meet with Anambra people, as I happened to be one of those that attended the function. In my speech, I demanded that he should learn to work in collaboration with other south east governor's without which, Ebubeagu and others will not achieve much, because I have not seen the ebube, talk more of the agu. This is so, because at the moment there is no collaboration amongst them. Because, if there is collaboration, it will work in the interest of all south easterners, so that peace will return to the South East and the days of unknown gunmen will be numbered. He is a very intelligent man and he is good friend too. So I wish him the best, good health, progress and whatever ambition he has in his heart other than being Governor, which he has attained now.
Ques: On the issue of road infrastructure especially in Nnewi North & South, what advise do you have for the government
Ans: I must agree with you, that the roads are nothing to write home about, because when I came into Anambra through the Anambra airport down to Amichi here, the roads I plyed was a disturbing site to see, with many uncomfortable potholes. All the same, i believe that the governor drives along those roads, and should not be told that they are bad as well. But to be honest with you, from what he showed us on the screen at the Abuja town hall meeting, he has done a lot of work , so many road contracts have been awarded and many under construction, but let me take that the road towards my home has not been done yet, maybe it's not yet our turn and with time he will do same everywhere in the state.
Ques: On the issue of this sit at home by Ekpa, do you think Nnamdi Kanu is in support of this?
Ans: I think Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has absolved himself from the activities of Simon Ekpa,as they are not working together anymore. So I am told. So if Nnamdi Kanu is released, he will join the crusade to keep our homeland safe.
Ques: On the Presidential case pending in court how do you rate INEC
It's unfortunate that INEC after coming out in the glare of the world and after promising us a free and fair election did otherwise. It's also quite unfortunate. The country has voted on the 25th of February 2023 and certainly something went wrong. We know, something went wrong. All the promise and hope and guarantee given by INEC collapsed. When the INEC chairman and Festus Okoye repeatedly emphasized that it was going to be a free and fair election. That the 25th February election will be the best in Nigeria, and if he is given what he requested for, especially the expensive BVAS, which he said will be a game changer. The country spent over N300b and behold, the BVAS could not work, for the transmission of presidential votes, we were told it was a glitch and which has never happened with Amazon the manufacturers of the BVAS. During the court proceedings, Amazon came and cried out that it's a insult to them that there equipment which has never developed any fault, all of sudden developed fault in Nigeria. So your guess is as good as mine. Something went wrong as you and I know who the winner is, and I believe that the judiciary should do something because there's is a winner, as that election was not inclusive.
Nigerians, spoke their mind with there votes and everybody is waiting for the court to tell the world who the winner of that election is. But should there be equivocation on the side of the judiciary, it means that Institution will cease to be the hope for the ordinary man, and I hope the judiciary will come out and have the courage to tell the world what happened. And someone who was least given the chance came out and was wildly won the heart of everyone in the country.