|
Listen to article
|
A Federal Government delegation led by the Minister of Defence, Retired Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi, Governors of the five states of the South East and other leaders of political, religious, and traditional institutions in the zone rose from a closed-door meeting on the security challenges confronting the region, at the Government House, Enugu, reiterating their commitment to peace, unity and stability of the country.
Addressing newsmen after the meeting, the Defence Minister, Magashi, disclosed that the delegation will relay the commitment reached at the parley and other outcomes of the consultation to President Muhammadu Buhari.
He added that the meeting agreed that there were fundamental issues that need to be addressed in the South East region.
The Eastern Updates gathered that the leader of the Presidential delegation stated that one of the issues is the farmers/ herders conflict which, he said will ‘be given the necessary accord to stop this menace all over the country, from the perspective of national interest’.
Read Also: Nigerian Army Appoints Igbo Man Spokesman
Magashi revealed that the second issue they discussed was ‘the problem of marginalization’, stressing it ‘is well accepted and further discussion will continue after we have met with Mr. President to see their grievances and after the governors will articulate the grievances so that we can have further discussion on them’.
The Minister further disclosed that the delegation endorsed the Community Policing Model of the South East governors, adding that it ‘should be encouraged because we have set precedence in the Amotekun in the Western part of the country’.
His words: ‘We appreciate our discussions. We are most humbled and I think each one of us; the governors, the elders, the religious leaders were able to say one or two things.
‘We would put our heads together to see that peace and stability of this nation are brought back to normalcy in no distance time.
‘We are appealing to the media to report the positive side of government and encourage us to pursue legitimate ways in which we can bring peace and stability in this country’.
In an address at the meeting, the Governor of Ebonyi State and Chairman of South East Governors Forum, Engr. David Umahi, on behalf of the leaders of the zone, restated their commitment to national unity, saying that ‘this sincere commitment is a new dawn not only to South East but to entire Nigeria’.
Commenting on the ban on open grazing, Gov. Umahi said: “Just on a very minor specifics for the emphasis of our people, we discussed the issue of ban on open grazing and of course this delegation is in support of this ban on open grazing and we also informed the delegation that each of the South East states has laws in this respect”.
The South East Governors Forum Chairman noted that the commitment of the Federal Government towards addressing all the issues pertaining to herdsmen in the South East is very important.
THE EASTERN UPDATES
