The senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has expressed optimism that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will work towards the release of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Abaribe, who addressed reporters after visiting Governor Alex Otti, described President Tinubu as a listening leader. He hoped the President would heed the advice of the Attorney General of the Federation and others who have called for Nnamdi Kanu’s release.
“I expect that the President will listen to both his Attorney General and everyone of us who have been agitating about the issues in the Southeast. First of all, the insurgency, the sit-at-home on Mondays, and every other thing we have noticed in the Southeast.
“What we now know in the Southeast is that criminals and other people who advocate violence have taken over and are using the name of Nnamdi Kanu to perpetrate all these despicable acts.
“We know that the President, being a listening man, will also look at all the issues involved, which we have presented to him through various mediums. We believe that he will do the needful and release Nnamdi Kanu so that it will put a stop to all these things happening in the Southeast and bring back the Southeast as the hub of production in Nigeria.”
Abaribe also shared his thoughts on the ongoing discussions about the Tax Reform Bills currently before the National Assembly.
He said, “The President wants to pass a Tax Bill that pertains to production. You cannot tax people who don’t produce. So, he needs Nnamdi Kanu out so that all those things holding us down in the Southeast—things that have prevented us from producing as much as we should—will no longer be an issue.
“So, we continue to call on President Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu. We are ready and willing to be the guarantors for his release so that life can return to the Southeast and take it away from the criminals, kidnappers, cultists, and dangerous elements that surround us—those who have made it their mission to perpetrate violence, engage in criminal activities, and use Nnamdi Kanu’s name as their reason,” he added.
Explaining why he visited Governor Otti, who is not a member of his political party, Abaribe, the Chairman of the Southeast Senators’ Forum, said he and the governor discussed issues of governance in the state.
The Abia South senator said his discussion with Otti included how he and other National Assembly lawmakers from the state could assist the governor in achieving more for the state.
“Even though my party is the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and his party is Labour (LP), we feel that we have gone beyond party, and we are now at the point of governance. So, I came to encourage him. He’s done so well, and we wanted to ensure that we continue to inspire him to do much more for the people of Abia State.
“Let me say this: I come from Aba; he has done tremendously well in infrastructure, particularly in Aba. I have driven around and seen everything.
“All I want to do is continue to encourage him to stay on the path that he has chosen. We also agreed that we are going to come around to commission some of the projects he has completed in and around my senatorial zone.
“I think a second term is still very far away, but I do not see any stumbling blocks on the way if we go by what he has done,” Abaribe said.
He also praised President Tinubu for promising to improve rail lines and other infrastructure across the Southeast during his visit to Enugu State over the weekend.
Commenting on President Tinubu’s Tax Reform Bill, Abaribe said, “The Southeast has a position that we must continue to negotiate and debate. We do not want this bill passed in a hurry because it is something that will affect future generations.
“The Southeast Senators’ Forum has taken a position, just like the governors and others, to engage in further negotiations. So, we believe that we will continue our negotiations.”
