•Calls for calm and ‘constructive dialogue’

By CHARLES IWUOHA

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odimegwu Ojukwu, has lamented the life imprisonment handed down on Thursday to the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

The minister described the court decision as “sad news,” adding: “This is not the outcome we anticipated.”

She, however, called on the people of the Southeast and Nigerians at large to show “restraint” and make conscious effort not inflame emotions, reiterating that “the most effective path toward resolution of this crisis is dialogue.”

In a statement she personally signed on Friday, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu called on Igbo leaders both at home and abroad to use this period to galvanise a united front for engagement with the authorities in interest of peace and justice for the region.

Part of the statement reads: “I have just returned from Zanzibar, Tanzania, where I have been for the past five days on NTAC monitoring exercise to the sad news of the conviction and sentencing of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu on terrorism charges. This is not the outcome we anticipated, nor prayed for, but a reality that is now upon us.

“There comes a time in the history of a people when there is need for calm.

I therefore advise Ndigbo, and Nigerians as a whole, that such a period is now! There is utmost need to exercise restraint in response to this situation.

All actions which could be deemed incendiary, and which might escalate the situation at home or in the diaspora should be curtailed. A word is enough for the wise.

“This situation requires careful reflection and constructive dialogue involving all Igbo stakeholders, Governors, Senators, Members of the House of Representatives, clergy, traditional rulers, politicians and business people to engage with the government.

Beating the drums of fury and sabre rattling will only generate diminishing returns, and in the worst case scenario, yet another wasteland.

“The most effective path toward resolution of this crisis is dialogue. The quest for mutual coexistence of Ndigbo in Nigeria with justice, equity and dignity is a commitment which requires our collective resolve, and maintaining peace and order is essential to ensuring the security of all citizens, regardless of tribe or creed.

“I would like to reassure Ndigbo, Nigerians and our foreign partners that there are still prospects of resolving this impasse in a manner that reduces national anxiety and societal trauma. I oblige everyone to remain calm and patient. Over the years I have continued to engage on these issues with several stakeholders.

“Now is the time for us all in Ala Igbo to put all hands on deck, and to have a joint engagement , sincerely, involving all the South Eastern States, to seek a political resolution to this matter.”