South east leaders, FG criticized for alleged exclusion of agitators in security meeting

 

Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the Secretary-General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has berated the recent security meeting of southeast leaders with representatives of the federal government held in Enugu during the weekend.

 reports that leaders of the southeast geopolitical zone, had met with federal government delegation led by the Minister of Defense, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi(rtd.), as part of measures towards addressing the insecurity and other challenges facing the southeast region.

The meeting was held inside Enugu Government House with the southeast leaders reaffirming their commitment to the sustenance of a united Nigeria where there is justice, equity and equality of all Nigerians.

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The leaders also stated that the people of the southeast region are not disposed to the call for secession from Nigeria.

However, the Ohanaeze Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro while reacting during a telephone interview with  on Monday, said the purported security meeting fell short of the expectations of the people as it failed to proffer the needed solutions to the economic, infrastructural and security problems facing the southeast.

He regretted that the security parley excluded critical stakeholders and the agitators, declaring that with the alleged exclusion, all resolutions adopted in the purported southeast security meeting is null and void.

Isiguzoro opined, “southeast leaders are playing to the gallery. There are trying to impress President Muhammadu Buhari who they have cordial relationship with. We don’t have problem with that. But, the most important thing is that, a meeting that tends to bring solutions to the challenges, without the component of those who are the real cause of the insecurity in the southeast or those who are being labelled, to get involve in the meeting.

“The meeting was just a tea party and jamboree of those who are trying to use cosmetic approach to address the real problems we are facing in the southeast. Because, irrespective that we have so much confidence in the southeast governors led by the Governor of Ebonyi State, the absence of real people, the agitators not being part of that meeting nullified the primary objective to achieve the reality it suppose to achieve. So, the gathering is a tea party meeting, it is not something that will bring necessary steps to enforce peace back to southeast.

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“The southeast leaders should as a matter of urgency, consult with the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo ably led by Engr. Chidi Ibe to assist them in ensuring that the agitators are being brought in for genuine discussion towards ending the insecurity in the zone”.

The Igbo chieftain insisted that only a geniune dialogue involving major actors would assist in coming up with far reaching remedy to the insecurity and other challenges ravaging the southeast.

According to him, “government should call for geniune dialogue including all agitating groups and critical stakeholders. They should come to a roundtable and review the coexistence of the country called Nigeria, and as well fine-tuning best approach to solve problems bedeviling the region and the country as a whole”.