The President of International Solidarity for Peace and Human Rights Initiative, Comrade Osmond Ugwu, has urged the Chairman of South East Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ebonyi state, Dave Umahi to fashion out ways to partner with the Eastern Security Network (ESN), with the view of containing the security challenges in the region.
Ugwu who also doubles as the leader of Mass Movement for True Democracy, Integral Development and Good Governance, made the appeal on Monday, against the backdrop of Umahi’s recent outbursts against the security network.
Umahi had described the ESN operatives as bandits and criminals committing a lot of crimes and evil in the region, adding that the South-East governors won’t allow illegality to thrive in the region.
Reacting, however, Ugwu who tasked Umahi to seek ways for the ESN to work in harmony with other groups, said “the statement of the governor is rather unfortunate and unguided.”
“In as far as there is no perfection in anything, one would have expected the governor who, as the chairman of South East governors and by implication, the leader of South East to fashion out ways of engaging the ESN with the view of partnering with them to contain the security challenges in the zone.
“The earlier the governments in the zone remove the mentality of seeing and treating the IPOB and others that are connected with them and engage them diplomatically and harness the best in them the better for all. I also wish to warn the governments or any group in the zone not to play any role that will sell any Igbo group to the enemies in the other climes.
“My candid submission is that the South East governors should work harmoniously with other social groups on security mission, including the ESN irrespective of the opinion of the federal government and other powers on the other divides to protect the zone without any sabotaging each other.
“The South East governors should also ensure that they give the Ebubeagu Security Network adequate empowerment in the areas of legislation, training and logistics to enable them work harmoniously with other organisations of similar objectives to protect and defend the persons, properties, lives and institutions in the zone,” he asserted.
