The apex Igbo youth body, Ohanaeze Youth Council(OYC), has commended Dave Umahi-led South East Governor’s Forum for its courage and plans to establish a South East Regional Security outfit aimed at curbing the spate of killings in the country.
Recall that the Chairman of the South-East Governors Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi, last Wednesday, said governors and stakeholders of the zone had concluded arrangements to kick- start a regional security outfit in the south-east zone.
Umahi made this known while addressing the General Officer commanding 82 Army Division Enugu, GOC, Lasisi Adegboye, during a familiarization visit at the government house, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
According to Umahi, every region has its own peculiarities and the Southeast has formed its own security according to its needs.
“We have written to the federal government and we are putting things together because we had a joint meeting with all the service chiefs and the then GOC.
‘‘So, we discussed and agreed on what we need to do to continue to give safety to our people in the South- East’’.
“No one will say that he will not be part of joint security because when people are kidnapped for example in Anambra State, they could be found in Ebonyi. So, we need that synergy to work together to give protection to everybody and here in Ebonyi, we are among the first in the federation to start our law on internal security and that is the Neighbourhood Watch and they have fantastically done very well”.
In agreement, Ohanaeze Youths, through a press statement signed by its President-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro and made available to DAILY POST said the governor’s move was well-conceived, pointing out that the idea was the best measure to quell the myriad of security challenges besetting the region.
The statement reads, “The idea is timely. It is a right peg in the right hole. Igbo youths went agog, received the cheering news as the best measures to get rid of insecurity challenges emanating from nefarious activities of herdsmen thriving in the absence of joint coordination of Security Outfit for the South East.
“Individual state-owned security outfits was restricted by State boundaries and made it difficult to curb inter and Intra State Crimes committed by miscreants, kidnappers, bandits and herdsmen. The incessant crimes committed during farming seasons especially, rape of mothers will be reduced drastically’’.
“OYC advocates the inclusion of Igbo militia agencies, Ebonyi Neighborhood Watch, Enugu Forest Guards, Abia Homeland Security outfit, dreaded Bakassi Boys, with the Cordial relationship existing between President Muhammadu Buhari and South-East Governors. South East Regional Security outfit will be a smooth sail, to get presidential endorsement of the project which is only intelligence gathering for the Federal Security Agents to curb crime’’.
