Dr. Monday Ubani, the immediate past chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law, NBA-SPIDEL, has urged President Bola Tinubu to begin the healing process in the Southeast region by releasing the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and repairing the region’s deplorable roads.
In a letter dated July 10, 2023, Ubani praised the President’s recent drastic measures to address the country’s numerous challenges and urged that similar efforts be extended to address the Southeast’s insecurity and poor infrastructure.
Ubani stated that in order for the current government to carry out its laudable projects, all regions of the country must be brought along to foster a true sense of belonging.
The human rights lawyer stated that the first step towards ensuring peace in the Southeast is a political solution to Nnamdi Kanu’s indefinite detention and advised the President to release him to the region’s governors.
“There are two issues that require urgent attention, Mr President,” Ubani wrote in his letter to the President. I crave your indulgence in handling them quickly.
“One is the indefinite detention of Nnamdi Kanu in DSS custody and the attendant blood bath in the Eastern Region as a result of that long inceration , 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 the ground of an appeal filed by the outgoing 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 very depressing that the issue is not being taken care of right away. My concern is that some criminal elements in the region will use this to keep the entire region under serious threat of insecurity, loss of life, and criminality in all forms.
They have further harmed the region’s economic prospects by determining when people will come out to conduct their daily economic activities.
Greetings, Mr. President. As a father of the nation, I implore you to find a political solution to Kanu’s case and to end the current bloodbath and criminality that characterises life in the entire Eastern Region.
Mazi Kanu should be released to the Region’s Governors and Leaders on the condition that he keep the peace for the sake of the region he professes to love.
Several governors and regional leaders are prepared to strike a deal that will bring peace to the once-raging region and, by extension, the country.
“Mr President, the ball is in your court to begin the healing process in the Eastern Region by releasing Kanu from detention and handing him over to the leaders here in the Region.”
Ubani Talks on Deplorable Southeast Road
On the issue of deplorable Federal Roads in the Southeast, Ubani pleaded with President Obama to come to the region’s aid.
“Economic activities in the Region have been grounded due to a terrible road network everywhere,” he explained. Some roads, such as Ikwuano/Ikot Ekpene, were awarded to Hartland Company by the previous administration; however, despite the fact that the road has been awarded since 2019, the people who use it daily have seen no improvement in its condition.
”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 a proper explanation as to what the problem is.
”In one instance, we were told by Ministry of Works officials that funding the project was problematic as certificates submitted are not backed with immediate cash payments from the 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 since 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 it. 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 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 the contractor has not completed up to 20% of the work on the road despite the number of years they have been on the road and the amount of money that has been disbursed to them.”