RELEASE NNAMDI KANU TO SAVE SOUTHEAST, TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONS, EZE AGUBUZU TELLS TINUBU
Dr. Lawrence Agubuzu, the Eze Ogbunechendo of Ezema Olo Kingdom, has issued a passionate plea to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, warning that traditional rulers in the Southeast are increasingly being viewed as “sellouts” by agitated youths.
Speaking at a high-profile health summit in Abuja, the monarch expressed concern over the growing disconnect between the traditional institution and the younger generation. He noted that while royal fathers are urged to support government health and development initiatives, the volatile atmosphere in the Southeast, fueled by Kanu’s incarceration, makes their task nearly impossible.
“The young people in the Southeast are so agitated they can even beat us,” Eze Agubuzu lamented. “They see us as sellouts who come to Abuja to collect money and keep quiet. We cannot make progress in this country if we don’t tell ourselves the truth.”
The monarch also highlighted what he perceived as a double standard in the treatment of regional figures. He pointed to the honors being prepared for Yoruba activist Sunday Igboho, describing him as a counterpart to Kanu.
“The ball stops in your court,” the Eze told the President. “Bring this man out. If we don’t want him in Nigeria, return him to Kenya or London, where they took him from.”
Beyond the security situation, Eze Agubuzu aimed at the administrative structure of traditional councils. He challenged the existence of a “Southern Traditional Rulers Council,” arguing that the South is not a monolith like the North and requires a “unity in diversity” approach.
He cautioned the federal government against disbursing resources through self-appointed representatives who do not truly speak for their respective regions. “The South is not the North. We have our system,” he asserted. “Anybody who presents himself without his people is neither democratic nor traditional.”
Despite his grievances, the monarch reaffirmed his commitment to the health and well-being of his people, promising that traditional rulers would continue to work hard on the ground provided the government addresses the underlying cries for justice and proper representation.
