Ekweremadu blames Northern Elders, others of blackmail over insecurity in S’East

Obinwannem News Ekweremadu blames Northern Elders, others of blackmail over insecurity in S'East

Former deputy senate president Ike Ekweremadu has accused Northern elders for playing politics with the deteriorating state of insecurity in the Southeast, and putting the blame on Southeast leaders for not speaking out to condemn the uprisings.

Ekweremadu accused the said elders of playing politics, with serious matter, in order to destroy the opposition in the Southeast, ahead of the 2023 general elections.

He outlined efforts made by past and present Southeast leaders to restore peace in the region and the country.

The efforts, according to him, included meeting with the presidency as far back 2016.

This was in reaction to the comments made by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF). The latter had called Igbo leaders to prevail on agitators in the Southeast, to “sheath their sword in order to avert another war in the country”.

Meanwhile, Ekweremadu in a statement made available to reporters in Abuja, stressed that records showed that the Southeast leaders had at various times; individually, and collectively stated their positions on the challenges in the region, the concerns and demands of the people.

He said, “I have come to the realization that those making and inducing the statement, are only playing politics.

“The objective is to lay the foundation for the harassment and possible destruction of the opposition in the Southeast ahead of the 2023 elections. Southeast leaders reiterated their opposition to the use of violence to resolve problems.

“The position of the Southeast in Nigeria is encapsulated in the Awka declaration of 2018, and I am not aware that, it has changed. Ohaneze Ndigbo has also consistently reiterated this.

” I have personally reached out to President Muhammadu Buhari, both privately and publicly to advise on the treatment of the Southeast restivenees in the region and the need to address the concerns”.

While, enumerating the efforts he made to tackle insecurity, Ekweremadu, noted that when he was a deputy president of the senate, he led a Southeast senate caucus, headed by Senator Enyinanya, to meet Mr president, November 9, 2016, and to have discussed the rising insecurity, growing agitation. However, he was said not to have been given appropriate attention.

Ijeoma Njoku reporting, Obinwannem News | June 10, 2021

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