Southeast Governors, Ohanaeze, CAN, Others Back Ebubeagu, Seek Peace

Governors of the Southeast geo-political zone, Sunday, rose from a closed-door meeting with the leadership of religious, political and traditional institutions in the zone, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Joint Security Committee at the Government House, Enugu, and reiterated their adoption of Ebubeagu as the common joint security outfit for the region.

In a communiqué read by the chairman of the Southeast Governors’ Forum (SEGF) and governor of Ebonyi State, Engr David Umahi, the leaders stated that Ebubeagu would work with the police and other security agencies in her operations to protect lives and property in Southeast.

The meeting agreed on the structure and operational modalities of Ebubeagu and to set up an advisory board for the security outfit.

It directed attorney- general and commissioners for justice of the Southeast states to work with the Joint Security Committee to come up with the amendment of the existing state laws to reflect the new security outfit.

On the issues of restructuring, state police and #EndSARS, Umahi said, “The meeting is in support of restructuring, the setting up of state police and other national issues as discussed in the last NEC meeting. Southeast governors agreed on the implementation of various ENDSARS Youth Empowerment Programmes in the Southeast states as soon as possible.”

The Southeast leaders also reiterated their commitment to state laws banning open grazing in the zone, and urged the security agencies and the local vigilantes to enforce the ban in all the states of the region.

The meeting also directed Ohanaeze Ndigbo’s president general to immediately form a Southeast Peace and Reconciliation Committee to engage the people of the zone ‘for the peace and security of our people and her visitors, and to engage and protect our people, especially those who are being unfairly treated’.

“These committees must become functional within the next ten days from date,” the communiqué stressed.

Throwing their weight behind the communiqué, leaders of the religious institution in the Southeast said they stood in solidarity with the governors and support Ebubeagu security outfit.

The chairman of CAN in the Southeast, Bishop Godwin Okafor, said they would partner Ohanaeze Ndigbo to ensure that there was peace in the zone.

Quoting him, “We believe in peace; we preach peace and reconciliation and we will do our best to reconcile our people who have been offended to move Alaigbo forward.”

In attendance were Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State; Abia State governor Okezie Ikpeazu; Deputy Governor of Imo State Prof Placid Njoku; Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development Uchechukwu Ogah; President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo George Obiozor; Obi of Onitsha HRM Igwe Alfred Achebe; Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyawu, Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, and Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Southeast, Bishop Goddy Okafor.