Dr. Monday Ubani, the immediate past chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law, NBA-SPIDEL, has pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to help the Southeast region heal by freeing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, or IPOB, and improving the region’s terrible roads.
Ubani urged that comparable efforts be made to address the insecurity and bad infrastructure issues in the Southeast in a letter dated July 10, 2023, in which he praised the President for his recent extreme measures to address the nation’s many difficulties.
Ubani pointed out that in order to promote a true sense of belonging, all parts of the country must be brought along in order for the current administration to carry out its many excellent projects.
An end to Nnamdi Kanu’s indefinite detention, according to the human rights attorney, would be the first step toward guaranteeing peace in the Southeast. He suggested that the President release Kanu to the regional governors.
Ubani’s letter to the President read in part: “There are two issues that deserve urgent attention, Mr President. I crave your indulgence that you handle them fast.
“One is the indefinite detention of Nnamdi Kanu in DSS custody and the attendant bloodbath in the Eastern Region as a result of that long incineration , and the second is the state of bad roads in the Eastern Region especially the Ikwuano/Ikot Ekpene Road, Aba/Ikot Ekpene Road, Aba/Port Harcourt Road etc.
“Your Excellency, Nnamdi Nkanu’s continued detention on ground of an appeal filed by the outgone Minister of Justice/Attorney General of the Federation that on perusal does not disclose recondite grounds of law gives me serious cause for concern.
It is quite disappointing that the issue is not being further considered right now. My concern is that some criminal elements in the area may have seized on this to maintain a severe threat of insecurity, life loss, and criminal activity throughout the entire region.
By deciding which days people should go out and engage in their regular economic activities, they have further ruined the region’s economic prospects.
As the president As the nation’s father, I implore you to use politics to resolve Kanu’s case and put an end to the ongoing bloodbath and all forms of criminality that currently dominate life in the Eastern Region as a whole.
With the understanding that he maintains peace for the benefit of the region he claims to love, Mazi Kanu should be released to the region’s governors and leaders.
A number of regional governors and leaders are prepared for a settlement like this one, which would bring peace back to the formerly tense region and, by extension, the entire nation.
“Mr. President, it is now up to you to begin the healing process in the Eastern Region by releasing Kanu from custody and delivering him to the Region’s leaders.
Southeast Road is a terrible road.
On the issue of deplorable Federal Roads in the Southeast, Ubani appealed to the President to come to the rescue of the region.
He said: ” Economic activities have been grounded in the Region due to the terrible road network everywhere. Some of the roads like Ikwuano/Ikot Ekpene were awarded to one Hartland Company by the last administration but unfortunately the people that pass through that road daily have not witnessed any improvement whatsoever on the state of the road despite that it was awarded since 2019.
” It is a fact that the contractor has been on the road in the guise of executing the contract but no significant job has been done by them. In fact the bad portions on the Ikwuano axis have become worse. Strident efforts made by patriotic stakeholders in Ikwuano LGA to find out what is causing delay in executing the contract have not yielded proper explanation as to what is the problem.
” In one instance we were told by the Ministry of Works officials that funding the project was problematic as certificates submitted are not backed with immediate cash payments from NNPC that is funding the project.
“In another we are told that the Federal Contract never made a provision for paying those whose properties are to be pulled down to enable the work to progress as mapped out. In another instance we are told that rain is the cause of the delay. All these stories are illogical, unbelievable and not cogent enough to explain what is the cause of delaying the contract that was awarded in 2019 with a tenure of 4 years.
“As I write this letter Mr President, the contractors have abandoned the road as no work is presently going on the road. The Ministry of Work officials are not offering any tangible explanation to the people why the contractor is not on the road.
“Your Excellency, I plead that you direct a neutral body to review the state of this road and give an update to your office on what is delaying the expeditious completion of the road in question in the Region. Is this delay, pure act of sabotage against the people in the region or is it a funding issue?
“If it is just a clear sign of incompetence on the part of the contractor and the Ministry of Works that awarded the contract, Your Excellency will be able to find out after an independent review is carried out. “
“It is very unfortunate that not up to 20 percent of work has been done on the road by the contractor despite the number of years they have been on the road and the amount of money so far disbursed to them”.
