By Uche Amunike
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, Thursday, rejected the amended motion seeking to release leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, from the den of the State Security Services (SSS).
This was after member representing Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area of Abia State, under the aegis of the Labour Party, Hon. Ginger Onwusibe, followed a motion by Hon. Eze Nwachukwu Eze, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ebonyi, in Abuja during plenary.
Hon. Eze Nwachukwu moved a motion titled: ‘Need to Forestall Further Killings in Ebonyi Local Government Area and the Rising Insecurity in Ebonyi/Ohaukwu Federal Constituency, Ebonyi State’.
Onwusibe, who represents Isiala Ngwa North of Abia State demanded that the house should amend the motion to ensure the release of Nnamdi Kanu, so as to put a stop to the disturbing cases of killings in the southeastern part of Nigeria.
Recall that Nnamdi Kanu had been in the custody of the SSS, even though a court ruling had since ordered his released.
In his motion, Eze pleaded with the Bola Tinubu’s administration to dialogue with political, traditional and religious leaders in Ebonyi State and the Southeast, in order to find a lasting solution to the insecurity in the region. He also pleaded with the acting Inspector-General of Police to mobilize armored personnel carriers in all strategic areas across the state, in order to forestall future attacks.
He submitted that the Nigerian police force and other important security agencies should make sure that there is effective policing of Ebonyi/Ohaukwu Federal Constituency of Ebonyi and other states in the southeast and indeed, Nigeria.
According to him, it was expedient that the Nigerian Police Force should engage in training the vigilante group for intelligence gathering and effective community policing. He also demanded that, when constituted, the House should mandate the Committee on Police Affairs to make budgetary provisions for the Nigerian Police Force, so that they will be able to acquire more combat helicopters in order to ensure proper surveillance of the southeastern states and the entire Nigeria.
An amendment to the motion was, however, made to include the release of Nnamdi Kanu, but it was rejected and deferred by the speaker, who argued that the subject matter should not come under the motion on Ebonyi killings.
Hon. Onwusibe insisted that the insecurity was caused by the prolonged detention of Nnamdi Kanu and pleaded that the government should consider a way of releasing him in order to restore peace to the South East.
The deputy leader of the house, Ibrahim Halims, rejected the amendment and stated that matters like that were always determined by the court and not a parliamentary decision.
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, in his contribution, stated that the motion moved by Onwusibe was to find a peaceful way of resolving the issue concerning Nnamdi Kanu and added that what the prayer of the amendments should read was to urge President Bola Tinubu to find other diplomatic or political means to find a lasting solution to this issue. He concluded by saying that people from the eastern region knew where the shoe pinched them.
Speaker Abbas ruled thus: ‘This is a topical issue. My ruling on this is that I will defer ruling on this at this particular time and I will invite both the minority and majority leaders.’
He explained that he would consult and see what the point of law supported before making his own position known.
‘So while I rule on other motions and amendments that have been proposed, that particular one is suspended for ruling next week after due consultation’, he concluded.
