Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and his Anambra State counterpart, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, have been warned to desist from utterances capable of escalating the already volatile situation in the two States.
The Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF) in a statement recently after their meeting in Enugu cautioned both Governors to refrain from heating up the already tensed up security situations in the two States with their ” reckless and unguarded statements which led to the renewed killings of some security operatives and burning down government facilities recently”.
The group condemned what they described as “despicable killings of unarmed two Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the injuring and burning of government property by Unknown Gunmen.
They however said this escalation of violence could be traced to the unguarded statement about the Monday’s Sit- at- home which they said has been abolished and asked Federal Government to deploy more security men in the State to deal with unknown gunmen.
The group said in the statement signed by Dede Uzor A Uzor :”NUF has after her general meeting in Enugu State yesterday comdemned the atrocious and despicable killings in the South East and advised our leaders to stop making an unrguraded remarks that provoke these boys to anger as this would risk the lives of security operatives and jeopardise and fragile security in the South East”.
In the statement NUF warned that instead our leaders should meet with Aso Rock officials, seek a political solution on how to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and other political detainees who have been languishing in respective government security facilities across the country.
The Federal Government, said the group, should provide compensation to Igbo youths killed and victims including security operatives killed during the ongoing atrocious incidents.
But they said this should come after setting up a Judicial Commission of enquiry to look into the circumstances and remote cause or causes of the ongoing security challenges with a view to addressing it as soon as possible.
NUF urged Uzodimma and Soludo to adopt diplomatic strategy of an elder Statesman, Chief Mbazuruike Amechi and other Igbo leaders who had intervened with the president Muhammadu Buhari to seek for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally.
The group called on all our leaders to immediately convoke an All Inclusive South East Security Summit (ASESM) within 14 days which would involve all the stakeholders, including non -state actors to thoroughly address the ongoing security challenges in the zone as well as restore peace in Ala Igbo.
“Our youth which constitute the greater part of our population have no job, efforts should be made on how to engage about 5 million youth ( one million in each 5 South East State) with a startup salary of fifty thousand naira (N50.000) each person per month”.
They said most of these youths have no source of income, making them vulnerable and prone to be used by dubious political godfathers.
NUF advised Governors of South East zone to channel their bogus and exploitative monthly security votes amounting to billions of naira in engaging the youth in their respective states
Alternately, said NUF, they can engage one million youths each in projects on their respective States which should be immediate because of the urgency of the situation.
NUF warned that any Governor who refused to adopt this project would be marked as an enemy of the Igbo youths, Dede Uzor cautioned
