The govs should trust themselves, be united and emulate their colleagues in the South-West and help in making the South-East safe -Ahamba, SAN
…Sad that SE Govs are yet to meet to take collective decision on how to secure the region
…South-East Governors would meet and decide on the security strategies to safeguard the zone, a gov’s aide assures
…The Governors are always playing politics with security
By Anayo Okoli, Steve Oko, Ugochukwu Alaribe & Emmanuel Iheaka
ENUGU — Following the rising insecurity, especially the recent wave of mass abductions of people in church and schools, there is security tension across the country. Political and other leaders have been meeting to discuss ways out of the looming insecurity crisis. South-West governors have met and swiftly decided to set up a South-West Security Fund (SWSF) to be administered by the Forum of Special Advisers on Security of the six states that make up the South-West. The forum is mandated to be meeting monthly to monitor and appraise security situation in the region. This is different from the local security outfit, Amotekun each of the states maintain.
The governors also resolved to establish a live, digital intelligence-sharing platform among all six South-West states to exchange threat notifications, incident logs, traveller and cargo alerts, and coordinate state-to-state rapid response. The northern governors have also met to discuss the issue.
The South-East governors are yet to meet and think of how to safeguard the region. Although they have met at the level of Southern governors, there is need to meet at the micro level of South-East to see what could be done together to checkmate any possible enemy incursion from any part of the region.
Although each of the states of region has put up its internal security outfit and a lot of progress is being made security-wise, there is still need to harmonise their various outfits into a regional arrangement to work together and share intelligence, in view of the developing grave situation nationwide, especially now that neighbouring North-Central region is under siege by bandits and terrorists. This should not be joked with at all.
Political watchers in the region are, however, in doubt if this would happen looking at the lackluster leadership of the South-East Governors’ Forum that cannot boast of a functioning secretariat.
Simply put, the forum has no leadership so to say. The Chairman, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State is not helping matters. He is so engrossed with activities of his party, APC. He is the Chairman of APC Governors’ Forum which occupies his time and keeps him out of the region often. Now, he has been appointed the coordinator of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope programme, an added engagement. What time does he have to look at what is happening in the South-East, and without a functioning Secretariat to coordinate? It is the general opinion of residents of the region that Governor Uzodimma should relinquish the chairmanship of the South-East Governors’ Forum to one of his colleagues as his attention is more in APC matters. South-East region needs serious attention. A cross section of stakeholders in the region, however, reacted to the security issue and offered advice.
The govs should trust themselves; be united and emulate their colleagues in the South-West and make the South-East safe—Chief Ahamba, SAN
A renowned legal luminary, Chief Mike Ahamba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the governors of the South-East should first trust themselves and be united as the first step.
Ahamba noted that the governors of the South-West are more united than their South-East counterparts, a situation he identified as a major problem of the South-East region.
He therefore urged the governors to emulate their colleagues in the South-West and help in making the South-East safe.
“In our present circumstance, the best bet is to look inwards and see how we can help ourselves. We have to first trust ourselves and be united.
“The westerners are more united than we are. This is the problem we have in the South-East. But I think if the governors of the South-East have seen what has happened in the South-West, they should advise themselves properly and emulate them. They should help in making the South-East safe.
“Christmas is coming; there are many parts of the South-East that people cannot visit. So, it is a good idea to emulate the South-West governors if they can be united,” he submitted.
Otti convenes security council meeting, marshals out strategies
However, Abia State Government said it is not leaving anything to chances as Governor Alex Otti has convened Security Council meeting of all heads of security agencies and relevant officials in the wake of the new wave of insecurity in the country.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Navy Commander MacDonald Ubah, told SEV that the Governor had during the meeting, declared his expectations to the stakeholders.
He said that the right strategies had been designed and proactive measures put in place to contain any form of insecurity in the state.
The SA further explained that the Governor considers security paramount, and would stop at nothing to ensure that Abia is safe.
Assuring residents of their safety, Navy Commander Ubah, said Abia soil would not be ceded to criminals for their nefarious activities.
He, however, said that South-East Governors would meet and decide on the security strategies to safeguard the zone against security threats.
“When the South-East governors meet, they will make that decision but I know Dr Alex Otti convoked a Security Council meeting in response to the current wave of insecurity across the country where he marshaled out his expectations to the heads of the GSAs in the state. Be not in doubt that the Governor predicates development on security and does not joke with it.”
I’m committed to securing all residents — Gov. Otti
Receiving the General Officer Commanding, GOC, 82 Division, Enugu, Major Oluremi Fadairo, Gov. Otti noted that despite that security requires heavy investments, his administration has made it a priority to ensure safety of lives and property of all residents of the state.
According to Otti: “Security requires heavy investment, we will spare no effort in ensuring our people are safe. Anything done without prioritising security will amount to nothing. If people cannot sleep with both eyes closed, no investor will be attracted.”
He assured the GOC of the state government’s full cooperation with the Army and urged him to pay close attention to flash-point areas and military formations across the state
The Govs must think outside the box to create jobs to engage youths, provide security — Ozobu
An Igbo leader, Prince Richard Ozobu said that the inability of the governors of the South-East to develop the zone is aggravating insecurity in the area. Ozobu noted that holding political office holders accountable is the only way to return peace to the South-East zone.
According to him, the insecurity challenges in the zone is mostly caused by the inability of the South-East political office holders to use the resources accruing to the zone to develop the area.
“The political office holders are living in affluence while the people they represent wallow in abject poverty and lacking basic necessities of life. This is aggravating the insecurity problem in the zone.
“The governors are always playing politics with the security outfit.
“Lot of things have happened in the South-East. The problem is in us, not outsiders. I blame political office holders for the rising cases of insecurity in the South-East zone. They have failed to deploy the resources accruing to the zone to develop the area. Governors and members of the National Assembly enjoy salaries when the people live in abject poverty and the minimum wage can’t take workers home. How can you have the political class living in affluence when the masses are in abject poverty? There is no accountability in the system. What have we done with the allocations that came to the South-East? There is a high level of unemployment and how do you think there will be peace with this high level of unemployment ?
“We are always quick to blame others. We need to re-orientate our youths about the issue of accountability and political representation in the South-East.
“Even the Ebubeagu didn’t work because the governors never wanted it to work. You can’t just buy guns and give to untrained people and you don’t hook them up to the national security grid and expect peace in the land. This is certainly a recipe for insecurity.
The resultant effect will be insecurity because politicians may even hijack them for their selfish purposes. Lots of youths are idle, the Governors must think out initiatives that can create jobs for the people in different sectors.”
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