Senate President Ahmed Lawan
Senate President Ahmed Lawan
Senate President condemns attack on Senator Ike
Ekweremadu in Germany
The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has unreservedly
condemned the shameful assault on former Deputy President of the
Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on Saturday in Nuremberg,
Germany.
Senator Ekweremadu was to give a keynote address at the Second
Igbo Annual Cultural Festival and Convention organised by Ndi-Igbo
Germany in that city when a mob, which identified itself as members
of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), invaded the venue to
attack an illustrious son of Ndigbo who in his political career has
consistently identified with and defended the cause of his
people.
“It is incredibly absurd for anybody to blame the distinguished
Senator for the violent criminal activities in his home base, the
purported reason cited by the mob for the bewildering attack.
“Senator Ekweremadu, like all his distinguished colleagues in
the Ninth Assembly of the Senate, is concerned about the insecurity
and other challenges in that area and other parts of Nigeria.
Senator Ekweremadu has also been at the forefront of the patriotic
efforts to find lasting solutions to the challenges.
“The barbaric attack on Senator Ekweremadu at a forum to which
he was invited to contribute to charting a course for the progress
and happiness of Ndigbo debase our values as civilised people. It
is most reprehensible and should be condemned by all right-thinking
Nigerians,” Lawan said.
He urges the German authorities to identify those involved in
the despicable act so that the law can take its course against
them.
Lawan urges Nigerians to always reflect deeply and broadly
before embarking on a course of action and advises the youth to
ventilate whatever grievances they have along lines prescribed by
the law and recommended by reason and democratic ethos.
The Senate President also urges Senator Ekweremadu not to be
deterred by the incident from his path of service to his people and
Nigerians in general, but to take it as part of the sacrifice of
leadership.
Ola Awoniyi
Special Adviser on Media
to President of the Senate