By James Orji
President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to descend heavily on troublemakers in the country has received backing from a familiar quarter, Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Labour and Employment, who said the president must go ahead to deal with secessionists groups with iron fist.
The minister, who is an ardent supporter of the president made the comment amidst fear of bloodshed if security agencies went ahead to carry out Buhari’s order to deal with secessionist Indegenous People of Biafra,IPOB and it’s militant group the Eastern Security Network, ESN which has been accused of unwarranted killings and destruction of public infrastructure, such as police stations and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC offices in the zone.
Some policemen have also been killed by suspected IPOB/ ESN members, even though the group denied involvement in the spate of wanton killings now going on the the zone.
The president’s comments, on Monday, to deal with secessionist elements the same way the federal government fought the Civil War against Biafra in the late 60s, has elicited outrage from the opposition PDP and other Nigerians who urged the president to handle the matter with caution.
But while speaking on the issue on Tuesday , Keyamo said the president cannot continue to watch the country fall into anarchy, when some leaders have failed to speak up to condemn the destructive acts of secessionist groups.
Buhari who promised to meet fire with fire, following the killing of former Special Adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak last Sunday, promised to descend heavily on troublemakers, and bring Gulak’s killers to book.
Keyamo blamed south east leaders for the ongoing carnage saying “I hope some elites who couldn’t find their voices to rein in their wards when their region burnt, will not suddenly find their voices against Mr. President! Those who screamed that it’s Mr. The President’s duty to maintain law & order should NOT try to teach him how to do his job now.
“The anger some are displaying against the President’s resolve to be decisive in dealing with these scoundrels is an indication of their support for the destruction of public infrastructure because they want to cripple Govt. A pure case of cutting your nose to spite your face!
“A very unfortunate reasoning you read is that because insurgency is still prevalent in some other parts of the country, the President should just allow some villains destroy another region. It’s like a competition to bring the insecurity in one region at par with other regions!
“The President has vowed to deal with the scoundrels destroying public infrastructure & killing people to instigate insurrection & some dimwits really interpret this to mean he is threatening INNOCENT citizens! This reasoning is so ABSURD that I don’t know whether to laugh or cry,” Keyamo said in his tweets on Tuesday.
