By Kenneth Onuoha
South-east governors and major stakeholders in the region, on Tuesday, December 5, 2021, shunned a supposed bi-partisan meeting held in Abia state.
The meeting notice, was purportedly signed by South east national assembly caucus led by the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and the five governors of the region.
The notice said the meeting would hold at Camp Neya, Igbere country home of Senator Kalu.
The conveners said the gathering was a bipartisan meeting that included members of All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and other political parties.
But chairman of the region’s governors forum and governor of Ebonyi state, Dave Umahi, told Journalists that they were not involved in the meeting.
Umahi, who briefed the media after a virtual meeting with the governors, said the organisers used the names of the governors as conveners without their permission.
“Today 5th January, 2021, the South east governors had their meeting and all the governors were in attendance and the meeting resolved as follows:
“There was a bi-partisan meeting called today and the initiator went ahead to use the names of governors without consulting them as part of the conveners of such a meeting.
“The governors of South east frown at such attitude and would want to disassociate themselves from such a meeting”, he said.
Umahi disclosed that all the five South east governors attended the virtual meeting which held almost at the same time the bi-partisan meeting was slated to start, adding that the governors stayed away from the Igbere meeting.
“If there should be such a meeting which they feel is very necessary, the governors ought to be informed and be part and parcel of the mobilization for such a meeting.”
On security, the governors expressed concern over killings and kidnappings which took place in the zone in recent times.
The governors recalled that few days ago, two policemen were killed in Imo state with their riffles stolen.
He further revealed that there was a kidnap case along Enugu and Ebonyi border.
“We are very much worried that it is not those outside the region that are committing these crimes, it is our own people that are responsible.
“They want to cause panic, they want to cause disunity in this country. We want the leaders of South east to rise above political sentiments to speak out and condemn these crimes.
The governors also condemned a viral video from Ebonyi state that claimed that herdsmen residing in the state were being attacked and chased out of the state by their host communities.
They described the video as falsehood and an attempt to cause panic and disunity in the country.
“We are so much worried about the killings and kidnappings that are going on by our people in the South east; killing our own people and then killing security agents,; and the situation is being heightened by the activities of very desperate politicians.”
He said that the governors of the zone will do everything possible to ensure that everybody residing in the region, irrespective of ethnic affiliations, were protected.