Defence Minister, Service Chiefs, others meet South-East stakeholders in Enugu

 

A Federal Government delegation, on Friday, met with Southeast stakeholders over the prevailing security situation in the zone.

The delegation, led by the country’s Defence Minister, Retired Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi, had his Interior Ministry counterpart, H.E. Raul Adesoji Aregbesola, the Service Chiefs, Governors of the South-East geo-political zone and other leaders of political, religious and traditional institutions in the zone, at the Enugu Government House.

After the closed-door session, Magashi said that the issues raised at the meeting comprised the instability and criminality affecting the country in general.

According to him, “We are happy to have discussed the ones that are peculiar to this part of the country.

“We agreed that there are fundamental issues that need to be addressed.

“The herders conflict should be seen from the perspective of national interest to find solution that will stop the menace all over the country.”

The Minister noted that they also discussed community policing.

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“We have the opinion that the governors should be encouraged and we appreciate all our discussions,” Magashi said.

Speaking, the chairman, South-East Governors’ Forum, Chief David Umahi thanked the Federation Government the delegation for their concern towards addressing the insecurity in the zone.

According to him, “Our people are excited with this commitment and sacrifices and we thank you so much.”

He noted that that stakeholders discussed issues on open grazing and that the delegates were in support of it.

“We informed the delegates that each state of the region has laws in respect to the ban,” he said.

Umahi told the delegation that “Ebubeagu is the only recognised security outfit in the South East.”

He said that the South-East leaders condemned the killing of the security men, innocent citizens and the burning of government facilities.

“We are doing our best to ensure that normalcy returns to the region,” Umahi said.

Earlier, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, in his welcome address, described the Town Hall meeting as timely and apt, expressing optimism that the outcome of the meeting will engender the watershed to the security challenges in the South-East zone.

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Gov. Ugwuanyi, who stressed the need for all government structures to uphold the security and welfare of the people as the primary purpose of government (enshrined in the 1999 Constitution), said that the consultation with the Service Chiefs and critical stakeholders of the South-East zone, on the current security challenges, “underscores the centrality of this security responsibility in our consideration”, thanking President Muhammadu Buhari for this desirable and laudable development.