Umahi, where do you stand: Community Policing or Regional Security Network?
First of all, during a regional summit on security at the instance of the Inspector general of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, the Chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum (SEGF) and Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Dave Umahi clearly distanced self from regional security network and noted that the governors have aligned with the IGP to drive Community Policing.
In what looked like betrayal from the governors that did not go down well with south east traditional rulers at the summit, who instantly staged a walkout at the summit even though thereafter, truce was reached.
The truce did not make it clear that Ndigbo will be setting up own security network like the South West either, rather Umahi maintained that the IGP alliance remains on Community Policing.
However, less than few days after the Enugu summit with the IGP, Fulani herdsmen struck in Anambra with AK 47 and created havoc which prompted Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by its President General, Chief John Nnia Nwodo to write a letter to the same IGP, warning that the Ndigbo will not fold their arms and allow Fulani herdsmen to continue to harass, rape and kill her people in their land.
In the open letter, titled, ‘The road to anarchy,’ he averred that Ndigbo were ready and capable of defending themselves from any aggression.
According to him, “We are law-abiding, hospitable and always ready to coexist with others as friends and brothers but not as foes and at a supreme price. Enough is enough.”
In deep pains, he was very passionate narrating how two identified Fulani boys openly wielded AK-47 rifles in an Anambra community and the State Commissioner of Police in the state refused to arrest those boys, “because they came from a particular section of the country.”
Whereas he queried the IGP if “the bearing of unlicensed firearms no longer illegal and therefore punishable in breach in the laws of this country, he was quick to add that “The behaviour of the police probably explains why it is only police commissioners from a particular part of the country that are posted to Igbo land.
Ohanaeze President further noted that “This also tends to lay credence to the fears being harboured by our people that even the military laying siege to Igbo land are here to protect the interest of an ethnic group. Not only have Ndigbo been marginalised in this country, they are even being pushed to the brink. It is always said that no country survives a second civil war.”
As the whole world awaits the official reply of Ohanaeze’s letter/telegram to the IGP, it is certain that the remaining three states in the South West region may before the end of this week, passed their South West Security Network (Amotekun) bills into law for their governors to the needful so that lasting peace, rather than letter writing will take pre-eminence.
Already, Lagos, Oyo, Osun States and others have passed their Amotekun Bills and transmitted same to their governors for assent.
However, there seems to be U-Turn by the SEGF as the Chairman and Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, on Thursday last week told visiting Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo that governors of the zone would soon unveil a security outfit for the zone, the way the South-West governors did in their zone.
According to the governor, the South-East already had its own ‘Amotekun’, which would soon be launched for adequate security of lives and property.
Umahi stated this in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, during the commencement of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Clinics for viable enterprises in the state by the Vice-President.
He said, “We have been challenged so much in the South-East because of security problems. I want to assure you that we are doing everything possible together with you and Mr President to secure our people. We will not break the constitution to satisfy our people.
“We have our own Amotekun with us and we will soon unveil it within the limit of the constitution of the Federal Republic,” he said.
Now, a lot of people and Ndigbo in general are querying Chief Umahi on his exact stand considering the fact that what he told the IGP in Enugu is now different from what he told the Vice President.
