By Emeka Alex Duru
Obviously rattled by the rising security challenge in the South East, apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the leadership of the zone comprising the governors, political, religious and other leaders in the zone are scheduled for emergency meeting in Enugu on Tuesday, October 5, by 12. PM. Topmost on the agenda, our Correspondent gathered, is strategy to arrest the spiraling insecurity in the region.
The notice of the meeting was signed by Ebonyi state governor and chairman of South East Governors Forum, Dave Umahi. He wrote: “Your Excellencies and our highly esteemed leaders, in consultation with our Governors and President of Ohanaeze Worldwide, where a decision for an urgent meeting to be called was reached, may I therefore invite you for an emergency meeting of Southeast Governors, some leaders of Ohanaeze, some of our political leaders, some of our religious leaders and some of our traditional leaders”.
He requested all governors of zone to be present at the time and not on representative capacity so that they can reach some decisions to salvage the region that is presently battling with high rate of insecurity. Umahi asked his colleagues to endeavour to attend the meeting for the sake of Ndigbo.
The security situation in the south east has reached alarming proportion, lately, with even Policemen and other security personnel attacked and killed at check-points and in their stations. Civilians are equally attacked and killed by rampaging gunmen. Consultant surgeon, Dr. Chike Akunyili, husband of the erstwhile Director-General of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), late Prof Dora Akunyili and his colleague, Dr. Lawrence Ezenwa, were among high profile killings in two separate attacks by gunmen recently.
Moved by the frightening situation, Ohanaeze has called for immediate cessation of crisis in the region. The group particularly frowned at the destruction of life and property in the zone by armed gangs. President-General of Ohanaeze, Prof George Obiozor, who raised the alarm, described the violence in the area as a systematic destruction of the geo-political zone.
Ohanaeze also faulted Southeast governors for failing to put the regional security organisation Ebube Agu into operation months after it was given birth to. It warned that Ndigbo must avoid being a race that has voluntarily chosen to perish in violence and insecurity.
“Today, what we are seeing in Igbo land is not liberation but Igbo destruction and devastation. It is a national tragedy for Igbos. The liberty and freedom of Ndigbo are threatened internally and externally. I call on IPOB leaders to reassert the authority and control of the organisation”, Obiozor noted in a statement.