The South – East Governors’ Forum on Sunday made its intention known to launch its own security outfit for the region in April.
The chairman of the forum and Governor of Ebonyi state David Umahi made this known at the convocation of the Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki.
Umahi stated this while reacting to call by the former governor of the old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo, who charged the governors to set up without further delay a regional security outfit that would be completely under their control.
Nwobodo, who was conferred with an award of Doctor of Law on Saturday at the Convocation urged the South- East governors to adopt the South-West model of regional security outfit code named Operation Amotekun for the zone.
“I charge all the South-East governors to take the issue of security seriously. Today, as I was coming here, I saw empty land unused; people can no longer go to their farms because of fear and it is your first task as governors to ensure that your people are protected; that people will be free and can go to their farms.
“I don’t care how you will do it but you must do that because that is the most important thing,” he said.
He added, “If you want to call it ‘Onye Akpakwa Nwagu Aka n’odu’ (meaning don’ t touch the lion’s tale), but you must call it a name that will make everybody frightened.”
But Umahi assured that the security outfit for the South-East region would be launched in April. He said it would be adaptable to the peculiarities of the zone.
He said, “A General is also heading our security outfit ; if you like , call it Amotekun but we are coming up with something that is very wonderful and adaptable to our zone. When we roll out in the month of April , our people will be very proud of us as their governors.”
If the South East achieves it’s plans, it would join the South West region that established Operation Amotekun to combat security challenges within the zone.
