The newly sworn-in Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, has called for the release of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
It has been reported that the governor made the call on Thursday, after presiding over a Security Council meeting at the Government House, in Enugu, the state capital.
Speaking with reporters after the meeting, Mbah said the release of the IPOB leader is necessary for peace to reign in the South East and will expedite the healing process Nigeria needs.
The governor, therefore, urged Tinubu to work towards the release of Kanu which will be a pointer to his administration’s extension of brotherly hands of fellowship to the Igbo.
He said: “We believe that his release will expedite the healing process Nigeria needs at this time. It will also be a pointer to his administration’s extension of brotherly hands of fellowship to Ndigbo.”
The governor said no sit-at-home would take place in any nook and cranny of the state effective from June 6, stressing that the illegal sit-at-home restricts creativity, entrepreneurship, and productivity in the state.
Mbah stated that the government would “dialogue with people who have genuine grievances towards bringing lasting peace and security” to the state.
He said: “The creativity and sense of industry of Ndi Igbo are remarkable. Our DNA is wired with commercial and entrepreneurial prowess.
If this is what we are known by, then it becomes inconsistent with reality that the spirit of entrepreneurship, commerce and creativity are killed every Monday in our land. Our restless spirit of industry abhors laxity and indolence.
The idea behind sitting at home on Monday, the first working and business day of the week, is abominable and antithetical to greatness and the spirit of the industry we profess to have inherited from our forebears. This cannot be us. It does colossal damage to us.”
He said for the government to transition from a public service economy to a private sector-driven one, the state must be “free from the shackles of restriction to commerce”.
“Therefore, those that strike on Mondays, putting restrictions in the way of our Igbo spirit of creativity, cannot be our true representatives. They kill our spirit,” he said.
