Rising from its three-day expanded meeting in Umuahia, Abia State, the leadership of the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly (SNPA) has called for the immediate and unconditional release of detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and other prisoners of conscience.

The call is contained in an 11-point communique issued at the end of the Elders and Management, Committee of SNPA.

The Communique, presented to newsmen by Chief Mbazulike Amechi late Tuesday night at Michael Okpara Auditorium, venue of the meeting, also called for immediate restructuring of Nigeria and urged Southern governors to adopt the Ekiti model in curtailing the excesses of rampaging herdsmen while appealing to the National Assembly to throw out the National Grazing Bill before it.

The communique which was also endorsed by the Co-chairman and leader of the South South, Chief Edwin Clark and his South West counterpart, Rev. Emmanuel Bolanle Gbonigi, represented by Senator Femi Okurounmu, urged the elders from the North to refrain from creating divisions and suspicions in the polity while advising the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to resist the temptation of being selective and vindictive in its war against corruption.

After deliberating on the socio-political and economic situations in the country, the meeting also resolved: “That President Buhari should respect the rule of law, pronouncement and rulings of Courts of competent jurisdiction by ensuring the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu and all other prisoners of conscience which various courts have granted bail and who have subsequently met their bail conditions.”

According to the elders, “The principle of separation of power must be applied to advance our democracy and strict adherence to acceptable dignified tenets of investigation, arrest and prosecution be applied.”

However, they insisted that “the fight against corruption should be total and inclusive. Where prosecution, conviction and recovery of loot should be applied irrespective of status, political affiliation and ethnicity. Plea bargaining should be discontinued.”

With regard to resolving the agitations by southerners amicably, the Southern leaders “called on the Federal Government to negotiate with the Niger Delta agitators/Avengers and the agitators for Biafra to find a peaceful resolution of their grievances rather than the current use of force.”

The Southern leaders equally called on Buhari to “take positive steps to ensure the implementation of the resolutions of the 2014 National Conference without further delay” while, “as a matter of urgency,” the government should find solution to infrastructural deficit, particularly electricity supply and rehabilitation of federal roads" in Southern Nigeria.

Other resolutions include: “That Nigerians should support President Muhammadu Buhari administration in his effort to move our country forward especially in his anti-corruption efforts, war on the insurgency and his effort to revive our ailing economy. In doing this, we urge him to respect the rule of law, the protection of citizens fundamental rights and the pronouncements of the Courts of competent jurisdiction. The President should note that the war on corruption should neither be vindictive nor selective as selective justice amounts to injustice.

“That the National Assembly and State Assemblies should legislate the prohibition of nomadic grazing by herdsmen and the establishment of grazing reserves and ranches with public funds. We therefore call on the National Assembly to oppose the grazing bill in both chambers.

“That the Southern Governors and States Assemblies of in the South are advised to follow the Ekiti Model of handling the Herdsmen attack without rancour.

“That the Northern Elders desist from infusing in the present administration the ‘we versus them’ mentality which is responsible for creating division and suspicion in the polity. Therefore the government should consciously ensure equitable distribution of appointments and projects.”

For economic collaboration and cooperation among the southern states, the meeting urged the SNPA to organise a Southern Economic Summit in collaboration with Southern governors to enhance economic diversification.

“We oppose the present proposal for sale of public assets in any guise to avoid further abuse and misappropriation,” the communique added.

•Photo shows Nnamdi Kanu.

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