The Chairman of the World Igbo Congress, Festus Okere, has urged President Bola Tinubu to free the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Okere argued that such a step would strengthen Tinubu’s legacy as a defender of democracy and also reassure the Igbo people of their place in the Nigerian project.
He made this call during the World Igbo Congress in Boston, Massachusetts, as highlighted in a statement he released.
In his words: “Your Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, World Igbo Congress, the Organization of and for all Igbos in Diaspora, once again, join the World to appeal to you to release our son, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“Courts, at home and abroad, have found him innocent and unlawfully renditioned. Your history as a freedom fighter and for democracy is well known. Releasing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu would cement that history for the Igbos. HE Sir, please free Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as other similarly situated non- Igbos have been freed.
“For Nigeria to survive, tribes must die. Equity, Justice, and Fairness should prevail. Let true peace reign all over the country and let everyone have a genuine sense of inclusion.”
Okere also described the convention theme as a powerful reminder of the urgency facing the Igbo nation.
“This is not just the cry of a cock. It is the call of history. It is not merely a sound that announces the dawn. It is a summons to consciousness; a cultural code engraved in our bones. It is daybreak-wake up.
“And to this, I say to all Umu Igbo, at home and in the diaspora: Wake up! Time is running out.
“Our ideal, generational politicians and leaders of blessed memories, including, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Dr. M.I. Okpara, Sir Francis Ibiam, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Dr. Sam Mbakwe, General Emeka Ojukwu, and General Phillip Effiong, did not kowtow in their political behaviorism. The story and history of who we are, including our identity, history, culture, and values, should not and will not vanish in our generation,” he stated.
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The WIC Chairman stressed that the resilience of the Igbo people is both ancient and enduring.
“From ancient and modern, the chains could not hold the Igbos: Not then; not now; and never will be (Billy Gram. N.A.). Our journey may be interrupted but must not be erased.
“Those who distant themselves from who we are, culturally and otherwise, including induced name changes, are detaching themselves from our ancestors with dishonor.
“There is no superior or inferior Igbo. There is ONLY one Igbo! However, those of us who sell us out, betray us, or have become willing tools to destroy us, should always remember that, ultimately, they are still Igbos and are seen and treated as Igbos by their new friends-masters.”
He condemned the marginalisation of the Igbo since the Biafran civil war, insisting that the group has continued to play a critical role in Nigeria’s unity and development despite being sidelined.
“Once again, let me repeat: Our collective survival, as Ndi Igbo in Nigeria, is under siege. Igbos must resolutely unite to own their destiny in the continued threats facing the Igbos in the Nigerian polity.
“The continued, deliberate exclusion of Ndi Igbo in the governance of Nigeria, since after the Biafran-Nigerian War, has remained a contemptuous and disrespectful disregard for the Igbos who continue to contribute more than others to Nigeria’s existence and development,” he said.