During a courtesy visit to President Tinubu on Thursday, the Imo State Governor who is the chairman of the forum, Hope Uzodinma, told journalists that they were at the Presidential Villa in Abuja to formally present the requests of the region to the President.
The Southeast Governors Forum and a group of political and sociocultural leaders from the region have called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and assist in tackling the security challenges in the region.
During a courtesy visit to President Tinubu on Thursday, the Imo State Governor who is the chairman of the forum, Hope Uzodinma, told journalists that they were at the Presidential Villa in Abuja to formally present the requests of the region to the President.
Uzodinma said the “visit has to do with the security situation in the country,” adding that it followed “a meeting of the leadership of Southeast, political and non-political leaders in conjunction with the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo, and among the resolutions from that meeting was to visit Mr. President to support and intervene in our resolve in addressing the issue of insecurity”.
Governor Uzodinma said the problems were beyond the governors as their efforts to curb the security challenges and the menace of sit-at-home had so far failed.
He said, “The Southeastern part of the country, of course, you are aware has been bedevilled with this high level of security ranging from banditry, kidnapping activities of unknown gunmen.
“To the extent that in most of the states, five states in the Southeastern part of the country, a lot of resources has been spent, community efforts have been invested yet the problems seem not to be abetting.
“So the leadership of the zone met and agreed that working with the forum of governors from the southeast that we will come to Mr. President to formally request his intervention and additional support from federal government to ensure that there is peace in the southeastern part of the country.”
“People of southeast believe in the unity of the country and as an integral part of the Nigerian project also needs serious attention in terms of provision of security for our people to go about their businesses.”
He described the problem in the region as complex, saying, “The situation in the southeast is not as simple as some people think. There is no government directive for sit-at-home neither local government directive nor any state nor the zone.
“But the situation is that because of the indiscriminate killing of people and high level of insecurity, our people are so afraid to come out not only because there is any sit-at-home order.
“It is perception management that we are trying to do. So there is too much fear in the people. Otherwise, how can non-state actors give sit-at-home order and it will be obeyed?
“People are scared, people are afraid because of what they have seen in the past and nobody wants to die, neither me nor anybody.”