1st March, 2017
Soludo who made this demand in Abuja said the nation is drifting to a failed state having been in the ‘Red Alert’ position in the global failed state index, adding that Nigeria has never been more divided than now.
Daily Trust reports that Soludo spoke at the end of a meeting of some Igbo leaders under the auspices of ‘Nzuko Umunna’ condemned the planned secret trial of leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB) Nnamdi Kanu and demanded his immediate and unconditional release.
He said the continued detention of Kanu is unacceptable and an abuse of his right to legitimate agitation.
Soludo said the meeting was part of the outcome of a visit to Kanu and his associates currently in detention at the Kuje prison as part of a worldwide consultation process on the peace and development of Alaigbo/Nigeria.
Others who signed the communique of the meeting read by Soludo are Prof. Pat Utomi, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, Chief Law Mefor, Rev. Fr. Jude C, Dr. Udenta Udenta, Ebere Onwudiwe, Chief Emeka Ugwu-Oju, Dr. Ferdinand Agu, Chief Tony Nnadi, Dr. Sam Amadi, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, Collins Ugwu and Chief Andy Wabali.
“Nigeria has never been more divided than now, with the agitations for self-determination becoming more strident and desperate. Most discerning patriots have come to the conclusion that Nigeria as currently structured and governed is unsustainable and drifting to a failed state status. Since 2005, Nigeria has drifted from a rank of 54th position in the global Failed/Fragile State Index to 17th position in 2014 and now to a dangerous 13th position in 2016 (under the ‘Red Alert’ category of countries),” Soludo said.
He quoted Elder statesman, Prof. Ango Abdullahi as saying that “Nigeria’s project is not working, after 50 to 60 years the Nigerian project is not working despite everything we went through, constitutional conferences, the country is at a standstill… It is unfortunate we are still where we were more than 50 years after independence and have not been able to move away from where our colonial masters left us”.
Soludo urged government to obey court order that granted bail to Kanu, saying “A situation where the state refuses to obey clear and legitimate court orders for his release and holds him until it gets a favourable order; moves the goalposts endlessly through endless amendment of the charges against him; and now seeks to try him in secret clearly constitutes circumstances that would fall well short of the constitutional guarantees of due process.”