Prof. Ben Nwabueze
Constitutional lawyer and Chairman Igbo Leaders of Thought, Prof Ben Nwabueze, could not hide his anger over the killings in the South East when he spoke with reporters shortly after a meeting of the body.
Nwabueze alleged that the inability to fight insecurity in the zone was as a result of the fact that most of the state police Commissioners were from the North and did not understand the terrain, adding that some of them have compromised their duties as the chief law enforcers in their respective states.
He, on that day, urged the Federal Government to transfer senior police officers of Igbo extraction to their respective states in order to checkmate the killings in the five states of the South East.
While leaders of Ndigbo were still nursing the concept of a joint security outfit in Igbo land, the governors of the South West took up the initiative by launching what the Amotekun, which is currently jolting the country’s landscape.
Founding National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and National Chairman of the United Progressive Party (UPP) Chief Chekwas Okorie told this reporter that the development is an indication that the West has made a strong statement about the killings in their homes, adding that the West have declared war on all manner of brigandage being perpetrated by herdsmen and their co-travellers.
He challenged the leaders of the South East to show capacity by putting in place a foul proof plan towards guaranteeing security of life and prosperity in the geopolitical zone.
In what appears to be a pilot to the need for a regional security apparatus in the area, Present General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, told reporters in Enugu that the body would no longer watch their kit and kin being slaughtered by blood tasty bandits and that the body is more determined than ever to tackle the matter head long.
Nwodo urged Igbo elders to meet with them and fashion out ways of fighting violent crime in the area and that the Ohanaeze Ndigbo would give them every assistance they needed.
Consequent, the South East Governor’s Forum led by Ebonyi State Governor, Engr David Umahi had announced the formation of a Joint Task Force (JTF) on security in the area.
According to the resolution by the five governors, it has become imperative to put up a security outfit jointly sponsored by the respective governments in Igbo land.
That the South East Governors had formed their South East Joint Security on July 28, 2019 and inaugurated her Committee on Joint Security on the August 31, 2019.
The forum took briefing from the Chairman of South East Joint Security Committee and are satisfied with all the arrangement that will lead to South East State Houses of Assembly to enact a law to back up the South East Security Programme with a name to the outfit.
“Forum had written the Federal Government in this respect and at an appropriate time, we shall be inviting the Federal Government to note the details of our Joint Security Programme.
“We wish to assure our people that we have our State Vigilante and the Forest Guards in all the South East States, who work with security agencies daily in our various communities for protection of lives and property. We, again, assure our people that the protection of their lives and property is paramount to us and we are committed to just doing that.”
Ever since the pronouncement, there have been reactions and counter reactions on the subject matter as was shown by first Republic Minister for Aviation, Chief Mbazuluike Amaechi.
“Is it now that they are coming home to the issue at stake? All the same, it is morning yet on creation day and better lait than never.
“This should not be the type of lip service that we pay to highly challenging issues.
“They should draw references and ensure that the enabling law is put in place to give it the bite that it needed and we should not begin to play politics with the security of lives and prosperity.
This is not a political party thing but a turning point in the bid to protect our people and guarantee their safety at all times.”
Former Governor of Anambra State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, noted that it was not about setting up a joint task force but the execution.
“We don’t have anything against the security initiative of our governors but how they intend to carry out this task. The West took their time to assemble the concept and thoughts together before the launching and what we saw on that day shows that they mean business.
“I hope that our own will not be more of grandstanding and so much fanfare without substance and they must be seen to be doing their job effectively and efficiently.”
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