S’East govs, Igbo leaders to meet over killings in the North

South-East-govs-23-1-12WORRIED by the spate of insecurity in the country, especially the upsurge in bombing and killings of Ndigbo in the north, governors of the southeast geopolitical zone rose from a meeting in Enugu yesterday and resolved to convoke a meeting of Igbo leaders to take a position on the matter.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, has expressed sadness at the multiple  blasts which  in Kano  left substantial destruction of lives and property in their wake.

Ihedioha extended his condolences to the families of the blasts’  victims, while regretting the resort to violence by aggrieved persons and groups instead of exploring peaceful means of seeking redress to whatever grievances they may harbour against the Nigerian State.

The meeting, according to the chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum, Mr. Peter Obi, would take place in Enugu in the next seven days and would be attended by political, traditional and religious leaders across the five states of the southeast.

“Yes, we have met and agreed that the security problem in the country has assumed a dimension that we must state our position and in that line, we have agreed to meet with Igbo leaders across the five states of the zone to take a definite stand on the matter.

“That meeting will be convened in the next seven days, after which the world will know the position of Ndigbo and our next line of action”, Obi said.

Although he refused to comment further, sources at the meeting said that the governors were no longer comfortable with the near break in the security situation of the country with the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, maiming and killing innocent people at will, especially the Igbo.

They were said to have viewed the development from the perspective that it is being targeted at Igbo and their property, wondering how many northerners have lost property and lives since the incident started.

Present at the meeting which lasted for over four hours included the five governors of the zone, Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State; Theodore Orji of Abia State; Rochas Okorocha of Imo State; Sullivan Chime of Enugu State and Peter Obi of Anambra State.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo had asked the governors to help evacuate Igbo from the northerner parts of the country following the incessant attacks by the Boko Haram sect.

The Deputy Speaker described as painful and irreplaceable the loss of innocent lives in the blasts, noting that targeted devastation of “our common humanity and needless violation of the right to life whereby fellow citizens are made into mere statistics of casualty figures is condemnable and must be utterly condemned by all people of goodwill.”

He expressed condolences to the family, management and staff of Channels Television over the death of Enenche Akogwu, who died in the course of duty in the unfortunate incident, describing him as a courageous journalist that will be sorely missed.