Ohanaeze Hosts British Envoy, Makes Case For Ekweremadu’s Pardon

By Ayodele Oni

Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Tuesday hosted the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery during which the conviction of former deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu was discussed with him.

Ohanaeze, which justified the conviction, as pronounced by the British Court, however pleaded with the British government for leniency for him.

The Group, led by its president, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu,  stated that it accepted the pronouncement of the trial court which clamped 10 years jail term on the ex-lawmaker in the matter of organ harvesting, his wife and doctor.

The British envoy was received by the Igbo Group leadership at the National Secretariat of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Enugu.

A leader of the group, Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, said that Ndigbo would be happy should Ekweremadu’s jail term be reduced.

“There is a very important issue that we have to bring to your attention. You’re aware of the case of Nigeria’s former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who was convicted and is in jail in your country.

“He’s from this state and we all know the circumstance he got entangled in that unfortunate incident because he wanted to save his daughter.

“He is already serving a jail term. It’s unfortunate but it has happened. I testified for him during the trial and in fact, the judge mentioned my name two times while delivering his judgment.

“But we’re using the opportunity of your visit to ask for leniency for him so that he doesn’t spend the number of years in jail.

“We have accepted the judgment, but are saying if there’s anything that could be done to reduce the jail term. He’s from this area and if we don’t bring this thing up as Ohanaeze or from us here, concerning this important son of Igboland, it wouldn’t be nice of us. We are quite overwhelmed.”

President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, appealed for the setting up of a British Visa office in the southeast region.

He stated that the zone accounts for over 60 percent of Nigerians traveling to the United Kingdom, stressing that it was unfair that they were subjected to travelling to Abuja and Lagos to procure their visas.