Former Imo State Governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha, has called on the Federal Government to release Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in a bid to honor the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.
Okorocha made this appeal during a tribute event held in Ubah’s memory on Monday at the Nigerian Air Force Conference & Suites in Abuja.
In his speech, Okorocha referenced a similar request made by the late President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, before his death. He noted that Ubah had also expressed a desire for Kanu’s release, which he believed would serve as a powerful gesture of reconciliation for the Igbo people. Okorocha urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio to relay this message to the federal government.
“The best way to honor these great young men is to release Nnamdi Kanu so that the Igbos can reunite,” Okorocha stated. He added that the division within the Igbo community must be healed, calling for peace and unity despite political differences.
Reflecting on the legacy of Igbo leaders, Okorocha lamented the fractured state of the community, emphasizing that figures like the late Ikemba Ojukwu, Vice President Alex Ekwueme, and others who had passed would now be urging reconciliation among the living. “What would these leaders be discussing now? They would be asking, ‘Why do the Igbos hate one another?’” he said, urging the people of the region to follow the example of leaders who had reconciled in the afterlife.
He went on to mention that even those who had once been at odds, such as Ojukwu and Ekwueme, had now come together in peace, suggesting that the living should do the same.
The tribute event, which celebrated Ubah’s life and contributions, was attended by prominent political figures, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, former Senate Presidents Anyim Pius Anyim and Bukola Saraki, as well as friends and family of the late senator.
Ubah, who was a senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District, passed away in London in July at the age of 52. He was set to turn 53 on September 3, 2024.
His funeral is scheduled for Friday, November 22, 2024.
