Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, Umuahia
The Anglican Bishop of Umuahia Diocese Rt Rev Geoffrey Ibeabuchi, has called on the justices of the Court of Nigeria to rise to the occasion and restore hope of Nigerians in the judiciary by deciding on election cases on their merits rather than on technicalities.
The clergyman insisted that the judiciary was standing a trial before Nigerians and and international communities to uphold its integrity.
The clergyman who made the call in Umuahia the Abia State capital in a statement issued at the tenth Synod of the church, posited that Judiciary had abandoned her role of administering justice to the common man, to operate like a branch of the executive arm of government.
The Bishop also called on the federal government to seek a political solution to immediately release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra Mazi Nnamdi kanu, from detention to enable him attend to his health needs.
Bishop Ibeabuchi, equally called on the law enforcement agencies in Nigeria to stop the suppression, intimidation and harassment of Igbos residing outside their state of origin.
He condemned the attacked on Igbos who were stopped from voting candidates of their choice in a broad day light in Lagos and Abuja without the police arresting the perpetrators.
The statement read,” it is worrisome how markets and other properties were burnt down in broad daylight without anybody being arrested?
“How can hoodlums parade openly across Lagos, Abuja and other cities going after people for voting a candidate of the their choice, even to the point of intimidating people against voting for a particular candidate during the just concluded elections.
“The open and fearless threats of violence at some quarters in times like this and the helpless stand of those who should maintain peace and order in the society. Most worrisome is the use of state security outfit for the violation of our constitution”.