The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has begged the British government for clemency on behalf of former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu recently jailed in the United Kingdom.
Ohanaeze made the appeal on Tuesday when it received the British Higher Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery at the National Secretariat of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Enugu.
The apex Igbo body said it accepted the pronouncement of the trial court that approved over 10 years jail term for the ex-lawmaker in the matter of organ harvesting against him, his wife and a medical doctor.
During the meeting, one of the leaders of the pro-Igbo organisation, Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, said that Ndigbo would be happy should Ekweremadu's jail term be reduced.
He said: "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 we 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," he added.
Ohanaeze President General, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, appealed for the setting up of a British visa office in the Southeast region.
Iwuanyanwu explained that the South-East accounts for over 60 per cent of Nigerians travelling to the UK.
He said it was unfair for them to be subjected to travelling to Abuja and Lagos to procure their visas.
Iwuanyanwu, who recalled the enduring relationship between Nigerian and British governments, also appealed for bilateral collaboration to grow and develop the economy of the region.
He identified insecurity that has now culminated in a sit-at-home exercise on Mondays as part of the challenges threatening the economy of the region, explaining that the new leadership of Ndigbo was working hard to overcome it.
Iwuanyanwu said the Ohanaeze Ndigbo would soon set up a business council of prominent businessmen.
He said Ohanaeze Ndigbo would like to collaborate with the office of the commission for mutual economic benefits.
He said that the Ohanaeze Ndigbo had placed a premium on education and agriculture to engage the teeming youths in the region and reduce social malaise there.
Earlier, Montgomery commended the leadership of the region for its efforts in maintaining peace in the country.
He said his tour of the Southeast region would afford him the opportunity to interact with the people of the area in areas of mutual collaboration with the British government.