The wind of terror and insecurity subsists in the South East, but the leaders on the saddle are largely missing in action. Interestingly, it is said in Igbo land that, it is an abomination for a she-goat to deliver her young while tied to a stake, especially where there are elders. Unfortunately, the current reality in the Eastern heartland is an atmosphere where the so-called elders have instituted this abomination by watching the proverbial she-goat continue to deliver her young while tied to a stake. There appears to be a lull in the wanton attack by unknown gunmen, but there is a marked increase in kidnapping, and security agencies have been fingered in most of the high-profile cases, particularly in that of the Methodist Prelate, His Eminence, Samuel Kanu Uche in May, where N100 million was paid as ransom, and recently in Enugu.

The recent high-profile kidnappings in late October, involving the former secretary to the Enugu State Government, Dan Shere, along Ugwogo-Opi-Nsukka road, an official of Enugu state government, Mr. Foster Ugwuoke, and a number of students returning to the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) after the eight-month ASUU strike were also packed into the bush along the road and report has it that the kidnappers demanded N300 million ransom, while the relatives pleaded to pay N500, 000. A cleric who escaped from the kidnappers along Ugwogo-Opi-Nsukka road, alleged the complicity of the security agents who were in charge of a checkpoint before the Maduka Onyishi University in Ekwegbe. These are only a few cases. One may ask where the Elders, and the Igbo leaders of thought are. But the most critical question is, what happened to Ebubeagu? Or, who are those that stopped the Lion of the East from roaring? In April 2021, the Governors of the South East agreed to establish a regional security outfit, which they called Ebubeagu.

The news was a welcomed development for most South Easterners; however, it was viewed with suspicion by the IPOB, and the Igbo National Council (INC). The IPOB accused the governors of creating Ebubeagu to fight their militant wing, while the INC saw the whole effort as merely doing the bid of their Fulani master. Actually, the fact that only Imo and Ebonyi states got the outfit off the ground gives currency to the INC’s position. Since April 2021, the governors of the East have shown a lack of seriousness to work for the security and safety of their people. For instance, the Chairman of the security committee Major General Obi Umahi (rtd.), resigned from his position for lack of commitment on the side of the governors.

In his resignation letter, he bemoaned the fact that after his appointment, he was never given anything to work with. He said, “The SE Security Committee thoroughly prepared and submitted the modalities, including the structure, for the take-off of Ebube Agu to the Governors’ Forum during the security of South-East Governors’ Forum, attended by the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide and some other Igbo leaders, a request that Ebube Agu should be jointly rolled out as a matter of urgency and also funded by the governments of the five South-East states.

From inception to date, SE Security Committee was never funded at all in any capacity and not even an office space was provided. Apparently, none of the governors was patriotic enough to champion the development of the security outfit for the benefit of the region, It is now almost 18 months since the governors did a follow up in Imo State to announce the establishment of Ebubeagu, but instead of moving forward, or going back to the drawing board to correct their mistake, they have announced the formation of a 24-hour Joint Patrol team to improve security during the festive season.

In the communiqué announced by the Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Engineer David Nweze Umahi at the end of their recent security meeting at the Lion House, Enugu, Sunday, the South East Governors called on the Federal Government to come to the aid of the people of South East in beefing up security in the zone bearing in mind that elections are also around the corner and there are heightened activities within this period. Governor Umahi said, “we deliberated on the best way to help our people and also restore their confidence to go about their businesses and we all agreed definitely and totally to start a joint security patrol in all our major highways in South East and this will commence before December first, so we are going to put funds together to purchase vehicles to ensure that we have twenty-four-hour joint patrol of security people in most of our highways in South East.”

The flip-flopping of the South Eastern governors deserves interrogation. It might appear as though there is a calculated attempt at destabilising the South-East by external forces, all the while working under the cover of the Federal Government, and the acquiescence of weak political leaders. It is very sad that in the whole of the South East, we are unable to find a governor with the heart, and mettle of Governor Rotimi Akeredulo of Ondo State. His patriotism and love for his people are unmatched, even in the face of terrorist attacks, and hectoring from members of his party. The South Western Security Network, Amotekun is alive and fulfilling the purpose for its establishment because it has a champion in the person of Governor Akeredulo. It has become a major addition to the security architecture of Western Nigeria because the Governors were alive to their primary responsibility which is to protect lives, property, and their way of life from intruders. No governor in the south-East has been attacked like the Governor of Ondo State.

In fact, his state has been the target of major acts of terrorism in the South-West, and his bid for a second tenure was threatened by no less than members of his party, the APC. Some of his party members from the North took turns vilifying and intimidating him. But, he remained resolute, because the safety, prosperity, and preservation of his people’s way of life were paramount. Sadly, the quest for self-preservation has reduced most political leaders in the South East to beggars.For instance, the governors of the South West needed no one’s permission to establish the Amotekun, all they did was to develop the framework, announced its establishment, and ratified it in their various houses of assemblies. Whereas, in the establishment of Ebubeagu, all the security agencies in the South East were overtly, and covertly involved, even though no security agency in the South East as of April 2021 was headed by an Igbo.

The South-East lacks nothing in terms of human capacity to solve its internal problems but has the ill fortune of being led by unpatriotic and weak leaders at all levels. Expediency and self-preservation among political leaders, Ohaneze, and other leaders of thought have given rise to an orchestra of discordant tunes. The political leanings and the insatiable appetite of a few bigwigs inebriated its capacity to adequately manage the issue of IPOB and the festering Monday sit-at-home. In my opinion, until at least one governor in the South East takes a stand like Governor Rotimi Akeredulo of Ondo State, to honestly champion any security outfit set up by the region, nothing will change; instead, the kidnapping syndicate currently operating in the zone would only grow stronger.

By: Raphael Pepple