… Bemoans economic impact of sit-at-home order
… Tasks South East Governors on confidence building
The South East Caucus of the National Assembly has resolved to intervene in the case of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who is currently held at the Department of State Service (DSS) custody in Abuja.
The Caucus in a communiqué issued at the end of its extraordinary meeting held yesterday at the Apo Legislative Quarters, Abuja, residence of the former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu resolved to set up a committee to constructively interface with relevant stakeholders, the federal government and its relevant agencies towards finding a political solution.
“We will keep Ndigbo abreast of developments in this regard”, the Caucus said.
It reviewed the sit-at-home orders by the IPOB and the mayhem some nefarious elements have seized the opportunity to visit on the lives, properties and psyche of our people even as it equally reviewed and rued the incalculable economic losses and hardships these had brought upon the region.
The Caucus condemned in strongest terms the disruption of the ongoing Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination in some parts of the South East, particularly the incident at Comprehensive Secondary School, Nkume, Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State, where the English examination organised by the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC), on Monday, September 13, 2021, was ruthlessly scuttled by armed men, who chased away the students, teachers and examiners before setting ablaze motorcycles belonging to the teachers.
“This is certainly not who we are as a people. On the contrary, we are a people, who have always cherished and encouraged learning from the ages. We are a people that fully appreciate the place of education in the liberation and enlightenment of the human mind and the socio-economic and political emancipation of a people”, the caucus stated.
It condemned in strongest terms the incessant killings in the South East and called on the security agencies to unravel the culprits behind those wicked acts and ensure that they were brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others.
The caucus, however, noted with delight that IPOB had called off the Monday sit-at-home order and resolved to ensure that nobody used them as façades to bring ruination on Igbo land while calling on the people to go about their lawful businesses and enjoined the governors and the security agencies to rebuild confidence in the people by not only ensuring the security of their lives and properties, but also ensuring that the people feel safe as they undertake their legitimate businesses.
While expressing solidarity with the people of the South East over the marginalisation of the region in the scheme of things within the Nigerian commonwealth, the Caucus felt the pains of the people of the South East and their quest for equity, justice and protection of their lives and property in every part of the country. “The Caucus, therefore, resolved to continue to fight for a level-playing ground and an enabling federal system where Ndigbo are able to develop their homeland at their own pace and equally pursue their happiness and actaulise their enormous potentials in every part of the country, unmolested”, added.
It appealed to the people not to allow anyone to destroy the South East region pointing out that the post-war South East was not built through government patronage, but largely by the sheer determination and sacrifices of her people, who refused to resign to fate or bow their heads in defeat.
“It is in Igbo land that you easily find hospitals, schools, roads, and other social amenities built by individual or communal efforts of the people, home and abroad, through the instruments of the town unions and other community organisations such as the age grades, Umuada, etc. The result is the comparative transformation witnessed in every nook and cranny of Igbo land post-civil war. Therefore, as a people, we cannot begin to undermine ourselves or become our own nemesis.
“Times like these call for introspection. We must also always bear in mind that our people thrive on industry, commerce, and the informal sector. Importantly, most of our people depend on daily income. Therefore, while we must fight for our rights and legitimately express our displeasure over every form of mistreatment, injustice, and inequity, we certainly cannot afford to be the proverbial lizard that ruined his mother’s funeral. Anything that threatens Igbo businesses, the peace, security, and stability of the South East threatens our very existence as a people. Consequently, bearing in mind that if we allow cracks in the wall, lizards will invade our home, we must all pull together as one people to discourage and resist any tendencies and actions, within or without, which pollute our business environments or encourages anarchy and instability in our region.
“Caucus finally resolved to join hands with other patriotic Nigerians across regional, religious, political, and ethnic divides to reconstruct a federal system where our rights, happiness, and prosperity and those of our unborn generations are guaranteed”, it concluded.
Send your news, press releases/articles to augustinenwadinamuo@yahoo.com. Also, follow us on Twitter @ptreporters and on Facebook on facebook.com/primetimereporters or call the editor on 07030661526, 08053908817.
