News Investigators/ Leaders of the South East geo-political zone, have expressed grave concern over the rising wave of insecurity in the region and have vowed to table their worry with President Bola Tinubu.
The leaders comprising governors, lawmakers as well as the Igbo socio-cultural organization, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, resolved to send a delegation to Mr. Tinubu to intervene in stemming the wave of insecurity in the zone.
The stakeholders took the decision after an emergency meeting held on Monday at the Imo State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja. The meeting was presided over by president general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.
The South East region has been besieged by members of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples Of Biafra (IPOB) which has imposed and violently enforced a sit-at-home order in the region every Monday in the past eight years.
The group has called for the release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu who is in detention.
However, the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, who hosted the meeting which lasted for over 4-hours, said insecurity remains the greatest challenge facing the region.
“We have identified insecurity as the problem of the South East for now and it is at the front burner and must be addressed.
“The federal government in the past has supported us but we think that the federal government can do more. So among other resolutions, we resolved, today, to make a representation to the President for his intervention to be able to bring insecurity in the region to an end. So any moment from now, we’ll be putting together an arrangement to visit the president and discuss with him.
“There are certain things we cannot do very well without the federal government. Security is in the Exclusive List and only the federal government can deploy as appropriate.”
On his part, Ohanaeze Ndigbo president general, Mr. Iwuanyanwu, said the five governors of the South East are working together with lawmakers from the zone to find lasting solutions to challenges facing the people in the geo-political zone.
He said: “Frankly speaking, I am not going to give you the details of what we want to do. The problem of insecurity is one that cannot be solved by the Southeast governors alone. We have resolved that the leadership of Ohanaeze, the governors and lawmakers to get in touch with the President. The problem in the South East is too much, is too big for the governors alone. It is a Nigerian problem and the president will give support to the governors”.
Speaking to journalists, the immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said “the new President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and members of his cabinet came to meet with us, the governors, National Assembly members, former ministers and stakeholders in the Southeast.
“In the main, we were discussing the issue of security of our region. Security and the economy. It is the first maiden visit and we have taken some important resolutions,” he said.
