South-east Governors Converge on Abia, Explore Solutions for Insecurity in Zone

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

Traditional rulers across the South East geopolitical zone converged in Umuahia Tuesday in their search for peace and tranquility in the zone.

The royal fathers, comprising zonal leaders and delegates from each of the five states of the South East, said that their major agenda for the meeting revolves around finding workable solution for the security problems in the zone.

Governor Alex Otti addressed the opening session of the royals’ meeting, urging the traditional institution to rise up to its role as a stabilisation agent in the communities.

He frowned at the crisis often sparked by the selection of traditional rulers in some communities, saying that such ugly developments erode the capacity of the royal fathers to bring peace in their domains.

According to him, “there is a lot of in-fighting, war, destruction of property” that accompany the emergence of some traditional rulers, warning that “it should not be that way”.

“Every community should have a peaceful process of selecting its traditional ruler,” Otti said.

He advised that possession of wealth, government support and other mundane criteria should have no place in the selection of traditional rulers.

Otti urged the royal fathers to emulate Abia State in their attitudes to leadership, saying that “here in Abia we regard leadership as stewardship”.

He said that “every leader is answerable to the people” hence his government works for the interest of the people, adding that a leader should also be a good listener.

Earlier in a chat with journalists, the Chairman of Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRM Eze Linus Mba Nto, explained the agenda of the meeting, saying that the royal fathers want peace in the South East.

He said that the traditional rulers of South East would not relent in their quest for peace and stability not only in their zone but throughout Nigeria “because without peace there will be no development”.

Eze Nto appealed to the federal government to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu in order to untie the knotty security issues in the South East.

He said that with Kanu still in detention, it would continue to be difficult to segregate Biafra agitators from pure criminal elements that hide under the separatist umbrella to fuel insecurity.

The leader of the Abia royal fathers council stated that if the IPOB leader is set free it would make the business of restoring peace in the South East easier both for government and the traditional institution.

According to him, once the agitation cover is removed from the criminals, they would be picked out and dealt with as the law stipulates thereby resolving the security problems.