By Lawrence Enyoghasu
An Igbo group, Anya-Ndi-Igbo, has advised the Federal Government and the five South-East governors on how to tackle insecurity challenges in the region, adding that there must be co-operation between the two for the challenges to be tackled successfully.
The group stated this in a press statement made available to Saturday Sun and signed by some of its executive members including Elder Uma Eleazu, Chairman of the Board of Trustee, President, Chris Okoye; Chairman, and the Media & Strategic Communications, Ikechukwu Amaechi. The group further implored the Federal Government to open doors for engagement and dialogue with all agitation groups as a way of understanding what the issues are and to know how resolve contending issues.
The statement reads: “We request the Federal Government to put all relevant measures in place to ensure that there is peace and that Nigerians are protected as they come out to vote in 2023. All hands must be on deck to ensure that the right things are done. We appeal to the federal government to collaborate with other state actors to work in synergy to maintain law and order. An insecure nation is a threat to all. It affects our general well-being and scares away our financially strong diaspora community as well as genuine investors.
“Governors in the South East should use their membership of the Nigeria Police Council to demand changes to increase the operational efficiency of the Police. A situation where the Commissioner of Police in a state can be posted out, without the input of the state governor, the State Attorney General, and the State Ministry of Justice is unacceptable. South-East governors should enlarge their Ministries of Justice by adding internal security to their mandate. The Internal Security desk would cooperate with the police and other security agencies to agree on approaches to solving the security problems in the region. Coroners should be appointed and properly equipped, in every Magisterial District, in the South East. The Coroners should take up all cases of unlawful killings, especially, those ‘unknown’ persons killed by security forces.”