By Musa Baba Adamu
Former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has enjoined the South East Governors and Ohanaeze, to summon an emergency security summit of South East leaders, to genuinely dialogue how to douse the tension and stop the ongoing killings in the South East and also offer solutions to the security situation nationwide.
In a statement he issued yesterday titled ‘Playing extreme and dangerous politics with south east insecurity’, Ekweremadu said he has been in touch with the Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide on the issues in the South East region.
“I have personally spoken with the governors of the South East, impressing on them the need to call meetings of all stakeholders in their states and engage everyone, irrespective of their political persuasions, to find solutions to the security challenges in their respective states in particular and the South East in general.
“I have personally spoken with Governor Hope Uzodinma on the need for a meeting of political stakeholders and leaders in Imo State to collectively proffer solutions to the turbulence in that state”, he said.
While decrying as sheer blackmail the insinuation by some political leaders that Igbo leaders have not spoken out against the security crisis in the zone, the Senator said “it is unfortunate that some people prefer to blame everyone else, except themselves, believing that their brothers and sisters on opposing political divides will be profiled and taken out for them by federal might ahead of 2023 to make it easier for them to kidnap political positions in the South East. This is extreme and dangerous politics.
“Nevertheless, it is imperative to underscore the fact that the rising insecurity and agitations in the South East are not peculiar to the region. It sadly has become a national new normal. From the North West to North Central, North East, South West, South East, and South South, there is a conflagration of insecurity, crises, and all forms of restiveness and separatist agitations.”
He therefore reiterated that it is extreme and dangerous to play national or regional politics with serious matters such as in Nigeria today rather than solving the challenges before it is too late.
He cautioned that pragmatic leadership and patriotism is needed at this time, pointing out the need to rally Nigerians, and come together as leaders to provide solutions and not trade blames or seek to make political capital out of what is clearly capable of consuming the entire nation, including any political ambitions by anyone.
