By Millicent Onaga, Enugu
In response to the worsening Insecurity in the South-East Zone, the governors together with political, religious, traditional and other leaders from the region, on Saturday, held a closed-door meeting at the Government House, Enugu.
That followed the last security meeting of the South-East Governors with stakeholders and a presidential team, last week, at the Government House, Enugu.
The Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, who is also the chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum, stated after the indoor meeting held at Government House, Enugu, said, “The meeting is enable us discuss as brothers and sisters and articulate our position to enable us not only engaging the presidential team, but to also engage our people for our own coordination.
“And after the meeting we have arrived with the following resolutions: Our position is to further meet among ourselves, and thereafter, meet with the presidential team. We Igbos, do reaffirm our commitment to united Nigeria under a platform of justice, equality, fairness, love and respect for one another.
“We fairly promise to protect everyone either from other region or other regions living in our places. We plead with the leaders of other region to please note the treats to our people to please address the treat to our people and protect them
“We condemn the killing of security agencies, the burning of some strategic infrastructures and killing of civilians in South-East and even in other regions. We request our security agencies to please discharge their duties within the rules of engagement and the law.
“We request our national assembly member from south east to please support the state creation of state police on the going constitutional amendments to support police.
We condemned in totality the activities of violence successionist group in south east, we firmly proposed that we do not support them, they do not speak for south east, the impression that Southeast leaders are silent over some of our youths’ agitation for successionist are not correct.
South east governors, Ohanaeze president and our leadership, national assembly members and our leadership from south east notable leaders from southeast had come out publicly many times in the past including ministers as from south east to speak against such agitations.
“In order not to mismanage the fortunate situation we found ourselves, south east leaders have set up a committee to engage such youths to stop and allow the elders of south east address the affairs.
“Meeting directed our governors and Ohanaeze Ndigbo to liaise with indigens from northern part of Nigeria and other indigens of other regions that are living in the South-East to come out openly to assure their people and of course, the nation, Nigeria, that they are very safe and well protected while living in the South-East.
“The meeting endorsed our South-East choice of security outfit, ‘Ebube Agu’ and asked all the personnel of ‘Ebube Agu’ to work with security agencies to respect the right and privileges of all those living in South-East and their visitors,” he stated.