The Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, on Thursday, disclosed that he is working very hard to bring peace to the South-East region, and said that his strategies are beginning to yield results,
He assured the angry youths that the South-East Governors would join their agitation, if the reasons for such protest are not addressed after six months.
Governor Umahi gave this assurance while participating in the Presidential Ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team, at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, in Abuja.
He, however, requested that the youths against the region’s marginalisation, should forward their grievances.
The Governor urged them to give their Governors 6 months to discuss with the Federal Government.
His words: “I have done Stakeholders’ meetings in the 13 Local Government Areas; I have done 7-day prayers.
“I have deployed the widows to fast and pray; I have deployed the Elders Council to go round and talk to our people. I have deployed founding fathers to go and talk.
“All these talks are getting results. Some of the bad boys are pulling out and surrendering to us, and they are giving us information.
“But my position is that these people are our children. It does not please me. I am trying to let them know that what they are agitating for can be solved through dialogue. We are calling on our youths to submit their demands to us. We will come to the centre and submit them.
“If in the next 6 months, we have not substantially addressed them, we can join you in the agitation. But right now, we will not support you to insult the President, Leaders of the South-East, and other Leaders. That is not agitation; that is foolishness. Agitation is agitation.”
He noted that wisdom has to be applied, in addressing marginalisation and exclusion from the affairs of the nation.
The Ebonyi State Governor described IPOB as “a child of necessity”, adding that, the same organisation has now birthed the Eastern Security Network, ESN.
“You can see how this has multiplied. But the point remains that from the onset of matter, the past governments did not address the matter properly, because when your children cry for any reason, you have to find out what the problem is, what the reasons are and then fix it.”