By Eunice Orike
Former Bayelsa State Governor and Chairman of the South-South Senate Caucus, Henry Seriake Dickson, has called on President Bola Tinubu to launch a broad political process to resolve separatist agitations led by detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The former governor in a statement titled “Nnamdi Kanu: The Imperative of a Political Solution,” said Nigeria must prioritise dialogue to end violence, restore normalcy and address long-standing grievances in the South East and other parts of the country.
He aligned himself with prominent leaders seeking a political settlement that could pave the way for Kanu’s release under conditions that guarantee peace and reintegration.
According to him, such a move should be seen as a national imperative and not merely a regional demand, noting that Nigerians committed to unity and justice support this approach.
Dickson condemned the violence in the South East as well as terrorist attacks across the North, expressing sympathy for all affected families.
As a former police officer and Attorney-General, he said the killing of security operatives deeply troubled him, stressing that violence and lawlessness must be rejected nationwide.
He noted that while the government has responded as many sovereign states would when confronted with threats, history shows that arrests, trials and even executions have never been enough to extinguish separatist movements.
According to him, “lasting solutions emerge when political leaders place national interest above personal or sectional considerations.”
Dickson cited both global and Nigerian examples, including the cases of Nelson Mandela in South Africa and Isaac Adaka Boro in Nigeria, whose convictions did not end their causes.
Peace, he said, only came when political engagement replaced punitive actions.
He also recalled the Niger Delta peace efforts under the administrations of Presidents Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, which led to the Presidential Amnesty Programme and restored stability in the region.
Highlighting former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon’s decision to pardon Boro and integrate him and others into federal forces during the civil war, Dickson described the move as an example of statesmanship.
He recalled hosting Gowon in Bayelsa as governor, when the former leader laid a wreath at the Ijaw Heroes Memorial Park where Boro was reburied.
The senator said the responsibility now rests on President Tinubu , not just as a politician but as a statesman to champion a peace initiative that tackles the root causes of separatist agitations.
He urged the President to pursue a process that would secure Kanu’s renunciation of violence while addressing historical injustices and structural imbalances in the country.
Dickson reminded Nigerians that Tinubu had long advocated restructuring during his days in NADECO and the Alliance for Democracy, adding that the President is well-positioned to lead meaningful reforms.
While legal proceedings continue, he urged the government to ensure Kanu’s safety and humane treatment, warning that the country cannot afford additional conflict zones at a time when security forces are already overstretched by terrorism and banditry.
Dickson also pledged support for a national mobilisation against terrorism, extremist attacks and ransom-driven banditry, which he described as efforts to weaken and destabilise the Nigerian state.
However, the senator appealed to residents of the South East, particularly the youth, to remain calm and engage constructively in political processes aimed at building a fairer and more inclusive Nigeria.
