REPORT OF PRESENTATION OF A PROTEST LETTER, AND MEETING OF THE PAN NIGERIA GROUP WITH THE AMBASSADOR TO FINLAND ON THE 16TH OF FEBUARY 2023.

Attendees:

1. Chief Simon Okeke
2. Elder Ken Emechebe
3. Ambassador Humphrey Orjiakor
4. Arc Ferdinand Agu
5. Prof Charles Nwokeaku
6. Tagbo Okeke

Meeting commenced at 4:01pm

The delegation was warmly received by Leena Pylvanainen, Ambassador to Finland and we were later joined by Johanna Antila, Deputy Head of Mission.

Leader of the delegation Chief Simon Okeke narrated the mission of the group which was essentially to express our concern over their citizen Mr Simon Ekpa, a self styled leader of the group IPOB, a dual national of Finland and Nigeria but residing in Finland, and who has been for a long time sponsoring a series of terrorist and hate motivated campaigns against the people of South-east Nigeria.

On his instructions many have been killed and maimed in the South east, as well as properties belonging to both private citizens, the State and the FG worth billions of naira destroyed. He has also recently directed a sit-at-home throughout the entire South-east region to commence before, during and after the general elections.

In her own address, the Ambassador thanked the delegation for coming and while accepting that Ekpa has fundamental human rights that have to be upheld, she accepted that there is a limit to those rights and that the government of Finland is doing “certain things” about this matter but noted that she just can’t mention those things publicly yet as they remain classified information.

She left no one in doubt that her office was doing all that is possible to get adequate information on Ekpa and though she confirmed having discussed this issue at length with our Foreign affairs minister of state, there are aspects of the matter that require a response from the FG and this hasn’t been done.

It could be observed from her countenance and expression, that she felt a deep sense of concern and sympathy towards the plight of the people of the SE and Nigeria in general, however she raised some fundamental questions;

1. How does Simon Ekpa give a directive from far away Finland and people of the region obey him e.g sit-at-home?
2. Whether the release of Nnamdi Kanu could be a solution in dealing with the violence and terrorism in the SE?
3. She expressed the desire of the Finnish authorities to have Simon Ekpa brought to book but for this to be successfully carried out, concrete evidence and not “social media” content alone has to be brought forwarded.

The highpoint of the meeting was after each member of the group had been called to speak, the leader of the delegation presented an official letter of protest from members of The PAN Nigeria group. Signatories ae namely:

1. Chief Simon Okeke on behalf of Amb Okey Emuchay (OHANEZE)
2. Chief Edwin Clarke (PANDEF)
3. Prof Ango Abdulahi (Northern Elders Forum)
4. Dr Emeka Ezeife (Igbo Elders Forum)
5. Chief Ayo Adebanjo (AFENIFERE)
6. Dr Bitrus Pogu (Middle Belt Forum)
7. Anthony Sani (NEF)

After the usual courtesies, the meeting ended at 5:40pm.