Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife is a former governor of Anambra State. In this interview monitored on Arise Television, he speaks on the judgement of the Court of Appeal that discharged the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, why the Federal Government should release him and efforts of Igbo elders to ensure he regains his freedom. ANAYO EZUGWU reports

What do you make of the Court of Appeal’s ruling that discharged the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu?

The hearts of kings are the in the hands of God, so I pray to God to move President Muhammadu Buhari to do justice and respect the court. Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have gone back to school in obedience to the court order even though they are not happy with it.

Now, let our government lead by example by complying with the court order. What I heard was that Nnamdi Kanu was discharged and acquitted. Government cannot put words into court decisions by saying that he was only discharged. If he is discharged of the claims he is accused of, he should be released unconditionally; in fact, not even unconditionally but by the decision of the court.

So, I don’t think what is happening is good for the society in general. The separation of powers between the judiciary, executive and legislature should be respected in a democracy but impunity seems to be the name of the game, especially with respect to the government. We went to the President and we got a very good response from him about release of Nnamdi Kanu.

In November last year, I got information that the President wanted to release both Sunday Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu, setting them free from the charges against them. Eventually, I heard it was only Igboho that would be set free of all the charges against him and Nnamdi Kanu is still there. The President should look at the mood of the nation and release Nnamdi Kanu. We human beings should try and read the hands of God, where it is going and try to cooperate because God wants to liberate Nigeria.

God wants His desire for Nigeria to be completed, matured and materialized. God seems to want us to come together now and forget the past. In fact, God has created a situation in Nigeria, where all eyes are now open, where no one can say my religion or my tribe because God has given us a glimpse of a new Nigeria, which I can see the young men and even the old men among the Fulani, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and every group of Nigeria seem to be looking for. We want a new Nigeria, where everybody preis free because if we are united, we will make stupendous progress.

Coming back to answer our fathers’ names as the leader of all blacks and giving blacks a reason to be happy in world affairs, and making the whole world realize that the first human creation of God is black. Very soon and it will not be more than five years, the rest of the world will see what the black man is made of. Once we are free here and we have followed the will of God, I believe it is done. What God cannot do does not exist anywhere. So, all we owe ourselves and God is our knees to pray to God to save us; save Fulani, save Igbo, save Hausa, save Yoruba and save all the groups in Nigeria, and all of us will be happy.

What will happen if the Federal Government takes the case to the Supreme Court, what will it mean to you?

Going to the Supreme Court is a waste of time and I think the government should face the fact and the situation as it is. What do you gain from going to the Supreme Court? Unless the Supreme Court is somehow dictated to by the government; there is nothing else left for it to do.

The judgement of the Appeal Court is very clear and total unless the Supreme Court would be told what to say by the government and it says so. But we have a new Chief Justice and I don’t believe that the man is going to succumb to Abubakar Malami’s kind of impunity going on in the country. In fact, I don’t blame anybody and I don’t blame Malami because our God in Heaven is preparing Nigeria.

For the Nnamdi Kanu’s case; very soon he would be released because we Igbo elders are planning to visit the President. If the President wants me to kneel down on behalf of everybody else, I will kneel down for him. If he wants me to prostrate for him, I will prostrate provided he releases Nnamdi Kanu and let us silence some of the people who are fighting against the resurgence of Nigeria and blacks.

Some people are given money to say that there will be no election in the South-East. That is nonsense because there will be an election, and anybody who can see, will see that things are calming down as a result of some movements. So, it is better we do it earlier than later and let the Federal Government not go to Supreme Court because it gives a wrong impression to ordinary Nigerians like me. There is not much to say except to beg the Federal Government to see reason to release Nnamdi Kanu, not to be kind but to see reason and do justice to the matter.

The National Security Council also met on this matter and upheld the position of the Attorney General of the Federation. With this development, will the Igbo elders consider having an audience with President Buhari again on this particular matter?

I must tell you that our leader, Prof. George Obiozor, the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo called me the same day the issue came up and he said he is preisparing for us to go to the President and persuade him to do the right thing. And I told him that I’m ready and very soon he will organize, get an appointment, and we will go to the President.

Well, I don’t know how independent the National Security Council is but whichever council; National Insecurity Council or National Security Council should look at the atmosphere and make a judgement based on realities. You don’t say that you are National Security Council and by the way, no Igbo man is in that council and this is one of the things that annoy the young men as if the Federal Government of Buhari is making all the efforts to push the South- East out of Nigeria.

They cannot push us out of Nigeria. We are here because we voted with our feet for one Nigeria and everywhere you go, if you remove the indigenes, we are the next people. Our money is developing everywhere just as our ancient adage goes that ‘where a person lives he develops.’ But we are even overdoing it because we are developing the rest of Nigeria without going to our home. And that is why my inaugural address to the Anambra people was ‘Think home, invest in Kaduna, Lagos and everywhere in Nigeria but invest also at home.’ The National Security Council should have done a little better than joining the government’s decision.

The longer you keep Kanu in detention the greater the problem you are putting us. For example, who is enjoying the fact that we are sitting at home on Mondays? People who live on the proceeds of their daily businesses are forced to sit at home on Mondays. Even the real Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has cancelled it but the criminals are still enforcing it. People are hungry and forcing them to sit at home is creating more insecurity. The earlier Kanu is released the better for Eastern Nigeria, the better for Nigeria and the better for the hope for all the blacks.

Why are there discordant tunes in the South-East and who is afraid of the release of Nnamdi Kanu?

You know that people say we are not united but I tell you today that we are more united than any other part of Nigeria. If something happens and we want to get together, you will see us get together but we are individualistic in thinking and anybody can say anything. We know what is happening in the country, where a number of people from the South-East talk differently from the majority of Nigerians. Until there is a decision, we don’t have anybody to say this is the way to go and everybody goes that way.

So, where are all these seeds of discord coming from going by the letter purportedly written by Emeka Ihedioha?

How do you know that the letter came from the South-East to begin with? I have read things that I know are not true and credited to somebody whom I know didn’t do it, and when I checked, it was true he didn’t do it. Satan is working and can see the bright light coming and is worried about our freedom, our unity and our coming together. Even in politics, you hear dissenting voices from the South-East, a reverend father made a dissenting statement but unfortunately, they took his adoration ground from him.

One big politician in Nigeria made another statement and ended up in prison in London. Some other people have been saying things and many of them are withdrawing what they have said. So, we should not doubt that the temptation is there but what is the logic of the letter that if Kanu is released it will cause problems in the election is the opposite of the truth. Nigerians should be thinking about the truth because if Kanu is released, protests in the South-East will die down, and the fake people, including unknown gunmen will go down.

The true IPOB are very reasonable in what they do and the untrue IPOB who are dictating to the criminals in the South-East, very soon their own will be over. But if he is retained there, there will be reason for continued protest. Let me say it; whether people like to hear it or not, the people of the South-East voted with their feet for one Nigeria and have been on it and still believe in it unless we are rejected or made slaves in our own country. But if we are free like other people and there is a level playing field, nobody is thinking of Biafra except in the mind and it becomes a concept. Releasing Kanu is the best step for Nigeria’s development.

Some people have suggested that the Federal Government should negotiate with Nnamdi Kanu to address this challenge of the 2023 general election.

Will Igbo leaders consider the possibility of meeting Kanu if government is willing to negotiate? This is a very constructive question that points in the correct direction and we can guarantee you that if Nnamdi Kanu is released, it will make the 2023 elections the most peaceful elections in the South-East.

There will be no problem because we will talk to our people, and once our people see a good reason, they will accept it. I’m sure you know what is going on in Nigeria; our people are marginalized, excluded and treated as if they don’t belong here.

That is why the boys are crying because you don’t beat somebody and say don’t cry and if he is crying, you make him cry more. I can give you the undertaken because I know our people; we can approach the situation and calm things down and make sure that the elections in 2023 is one to be talked about forever in Nigeria.