Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi, have made U-turn on the proposed joint-security out for the zone.
This comes barely three weeks after the Governors ended a virtual meeting and announced that they would name and unveil the joint security outfit in their next meeting.
However, Umahi, who dropped a hint yesterday in Abakaliki, said each state in the zone will now set up its own security outfit.
According to him, there would be collaboration in information sharing at the regional level.
This is just as the Governor strongly rejected the inclusion of Ebonyi State in the newly formed zone 13 police formation, Ukpo in Anambra State. He said the state prefers to be in the Zone 9, Umuahia.
Speaking during the inauguration of the Ebonyi State Community Policing Advisory Committee which held at the State Ecumenical Centre in Abakaliki, the Governor said that the much touted joint-security outfit for the zone was no longer feasible as it was nothing but politics.
He noted that every state in the zone is independent, stressing that each state in the region will have separate security outfit while cooperating and sharing information for the overall security of the zone.
He said: ‘’I continue to tell you that there is nothing like joint regional security. There is nothing like that.
“We can only work together in terms of sharing information. Every state is sovereign. So, let nobody deceive you. If there is robbery in Enugu, through our cooperation they will let us know. And there is certain things we cooperate; our CCTV information, like our tracking system, and training etc. But if you think that there will be one recruitment centre to recruit people for the region’s security outfit, you are lying. It is all deceit and politics. But I don’t play politics because I am not a politician. I tell our people the truth.’’
Giving more reasons why the state does not want to be part of the new zone 13 police formation in UKpo, Umahi said the place will be difficult for the state to access.
He pointed out that the roads leading to Ukpo were in bad shape, noting that it would be difficult for people from the state to access the police formation.
He appealed to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to return the state to zone 9 Umuhia, because of its proximity to the state.
Meanwhile, in a swift response, The IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, described Gov Umahi as a man who speak from both side of his mouth.
Kanu in a social media post said; “Two headlines that tells you all you need to know about the morally bankrupt political leadership our people are forced to endure. Dave Umahi have sent his clearest signal yet to his Fulani masters that our land is open for them to conquer at will.
“A clear invitation to Fulani terrorists Miyetti Allah that our states can be taken one after the other. This is the height of cowardice and Efulefuism. Those that didn’t know the level of mess we are in with these men can now see clearly that we are doomed under these Fulani servants.
“Fulani Miyetti Allah set up a nationwide vigilante network comprising of Fulani Army and Police, Oduduwa set up Amotekun to cover all of Western Region but in the East our politicians are saying we don’t need to be secured against marauding terrorists. Who did this to our people?
