Soludo, Fr. Kukah call for restricting of Nigeria

The call for restructuring of the Nigerian federation re-echoed, in Abuja, on Thursday, as the former Governor of Central Bank, Prof. Charles Soludo, joined by Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah advocated a process for Nigerians to sit in a round table to discuss the future of their country.

Soludo, backed by Father Kukah, said Nigeria, at this point requires a new constitution which will contain inputs from Nigerians on their desire to strake a  balanced federation.

The former CBN governor was the first to kick start a debate on restructuring during a book launch in Abuja, just as Father Kuka expressed support for his argument.

Soludo was the reviewer of the book titled, ‘The Politics of Biafra and the Future of Nigeria,’ as the launch took place at the Yar’Adua Center in Abuja.

He described Biafra as a metaphor for agitation by those he described as the oppressed people of the south-east, stating that a balanced federation being frequently canvased by different ethnic groups in the country would have provide an answer to such a struggle.

He said the government of President Buhari should never overlook the import of agitation for Biafra by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), contending that the more the government attempts to down play it, the more it would gain attention.

Soludo, alluded to the arrest and continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu by the Federal government as an error which, according to him, has continued to give traction to the struggle for Biafra by IPOB.

He said the government has invariably made Kanu a hero of the Biafran struggle which he noted is already being mainstreamed both locally and internationally

He however, canvassed for the release of Kanu as, according to him, attempt by the government to keep him in detention will not serve the government any good.

He said already the detain Kanu has become a phenomenon in Igboland today such that his issue vis-a-vis the Biafran struggle would be used as a major point of campaign in the south-east Nigeria by 2019.

The book launch was attended by prominent Igbo leaders including the former Vice President of Nigeria, Chief Alex Ekweme, former Senate President Chief Ken Nnamani, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha and former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu

Also in attendance are former Minister of Health, Professor ABC Nwosu, Former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, a governorship aspirant in Anambra State, Senator Uche Ekwunife, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Umar Ghali Na’Abba, and Chairman Capital Oil, Chief Ifeanyi Uba and others.

The book; “Politics of Biafra and The Future of Nigeria is authored by a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon Chudi Offodile.