A rights group, Save Nigeria Movement, has petitioned the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas to reconstitute and caution its Ad-hoc committee interfacing with relevant security agencies to reduce kidnapping, assassinations and banditry in Abia State communities over what it described as breach of House Rules and attempt to undermine national security.
The Civil Society Organisation which is famous for promoting national security, national conscience and good governance in a petition by its convener, Rev. Solomon Semaka, and sighted by our correspondent, accused Hon. Obbina Aguocha, the Committee Chairman of making unguarded utterances that stand against the resolutions of both Chambers of the 10th National Assembly with the possibility of jeopardising the peace and security of the region and Nigeria at large.
The petition reads in part, “His Excellency Sir, you are no doubt familiar with the decade long security situation in the South East region linked to the proscribed Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN), led by Mr. Nnamdi Kanu. While we commend the 10th National Assembly for its proactive steps taken so far to end insecurity in the region, we are dismayed by the unwholesome activities and unguarded statements of the Hon. Obinna Aguocha led Ad -hoc Committee including calling for the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu. This runs afoul with the resolutions of both Chambers on the security situation in the region and is therefore counter productive. In the interest of national security, the Chairman should be recused and the Committee reconstituted.”
The CSO went down memory lane to remind the Speaker of the role played by Nnamdi Kanu in destabilising the region starting with his illegal broadcasts in 2010 which incited and encouraged majority of criminal activities in the region.
This, the CSO maintained has “led to the recruitment of foot soldiers, indoctrination and widespread criminality which has directly threatened our national security.
“Over the years, Mr. Kanu and his lieutenants, starting with his illegal Radio Biafra, have misled, indoctrinated and recruited thousands of young people in a criminal secessionist enterprise resulting into thousands of deaths, destruction of infrastructure worth billions of naira, stampeding socio- economic growth in the region using the infamous sit -at -home charade. Anybody canvassing for his unconditional release without recourse to the earlier resolution of the 10th National Assembly that called for continued intervention, investigation and wider consultation is unpatriotic and treacherous.”
The CSO equally accused Kanu of hiding under the self actualisation of the peoples Republic of Biafa to run his personal entrepreneurship with a few criminal syndicates both within and outside the country and wondered why any lawmaker would contemplate the idea of unconditional release of Kanu without regard to the rule of law.
According to the statement, “except Hon. Obinna is desperately seeking political relevance and survival at the expense of the innocent victims of IPOB and ESN, he cannot be spared for his unguarded comments and so called resolutions. Contemplating the implementation of the resolution of the Obinna Aguocha led committee will only jeopardize national security and further destroy the region. As a group, we welcome every genuine attempt to restore peace in the region as long as it is clearly in the best interest of national security and the people of the region”.
In describing Hon. Obinna Aguocha’s comments as selfish with the intent of undermining the 10th National Assembly, the CSO called for disciplinary actions against the lawmaker to serve as a deterrent to others and prayed the Speaker to compel Hon. Obinna to “retract his statements and offer unreserved apologies to the house and the people of the region, order an investigation in the Committee’s activities and reaffirm its earlier position rejecting any unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu to save the integrity and image of the House”.
