South East Governors and leaders, on Saturday affirmed their commitment to stand for an indivisible and united Nigeria.
This was stated in a communique issued at the end of the meeting with a presidential delegation in Enugu on 7th November, 2020
The communiqué was read at the end of the meeting by Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State who is the chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum.
The south-East leaders appreciated president Muhammadu Buhari for sending a “powerful delegation” as well as for the projects being carried out in the region.
They also applauded the president for his efforts in ensuring Okonjo Iweala becomes the DG of the World Trade Organisation.
The communiqué read in part “. We thank Mr. President for sending this powerful delegation to visit our people and hear from us.
“We thank Mr. President for all the great works he is doing at the second Niger Bridge, the Akanu Ibiam International Airport,dualized road of Enugu to Port Harcourt and some other projects in the South East.
“Mr. President, we thank you so much for all your kind commitment in the struggle of our sister, Prof. Okonjo lweala to become the DG of the World Trade Organization. We are particularly grateful with the way you have engaged the world leaders to see her through the process. May God crown your efforts with success- Amen.”
The southeast leaders also requested for a joint operation into all our forests to ”flush out criminals and killer herdsmen with AK47, while pledging our commitment to continuous co-existence with herdsmen who have been living peacefully with us for years.”
They thanked the president for the “speed and the restraint with which he handled the demand of peaceful EndSars protesters, especially his commitment to drive police reform and mainstream youth empowerment.”
They also applauded the president for his courage to deal with hoodlums, criminals and those who hijacked the peaceful protest to kill and maim innocent citizens and security agents and to loot public and private property.
“Southeast governors have set up panels of enquiry to deal with all infractions of human rights of our people and security agencies, compensation funds for all civil servants and security men who lost their lives during the protests.
“We pledge to continue to protect all the various groups living in the Southeast. We enjoin them to go about their businesses peacefully.
“We thank Mr President, governors and traditional rulers in other parts of Nigeria for their commitment to protect our people, especially during and after the protests. We must continue to live in peace,” they said.
They also urged president Buhari to listen to the demand of the people and to give them his full support.
They said “We request Mr. President to commit the various presentations of all of us - Traditional Rulers, Religious leaders, the women group, the Ohaneze leadership and the youth groups, and give full support to actualizing these genuine demands.”
The presidential delegation was led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari.
Members of the delegation include the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, all ministers from the South-east and the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.
Governors of Enugu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and Imo, Hope Uzodinma, as well as the deputy governors of Abia and Anambra states attended the meeting.
Others are traditional rulers, religious leaders, National Assembly members from the region, and Ohanézè Ndígbo led by its president, Nnia Nwodo, and representatives of youth groups in the region.
