“Take Insecurity In Region Very Serious”, Uzodimma Urges South-East Monarchs

The Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has advised the South East Traditional Rulers to take the problem of insecurity in their region seriously in every of their deliberations and day-to-day programmes in their States, Local Governments and Communities.

The Governor made the appeal Tuesday at the South East Council of Traditional Rulers Expanded Executive Council Meeting held at the Eze Imo Palace, Mbari Owerri, Imo State.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Chief Cosmas Iwu, the Governor urged the monarchs from the South East to also take seriously the problem of absentee Royal Fathers who live outside their domain in their Communities, creating a vacuum in leadership amidst internal crisis and general insecurity challenges that could have been handled by them and their President Generals.

The Governor emphasised that as the Chief Security Officers of their Autonomous Communities they are bound by law and tradition to look into the problems of insecurity in the South East that have gone viral and then do something to stem the tide.

The Governor said that Government on its part is doing a lot to check the surge on insecurity but noted that “without the Royal Fathers playing their role efficiently and effectively nothing substantial will be achieved.”

He noted that Government had given them a sense of belonging in the fight against insecurity by involving them as members of the State Security Council and members of the Local Government Security Committee.

Furthermore, Governor Uzodimma advised the Traditional Rulers to work in synergy with  their President Generals to improve the all round security situation, saying that is a sure way to restore and ensure there is development. Hence “no peace no development,” he said.

He further challenged the Royal Fathers to always come up with advice on how to better governance in the States and Local Governments of the South East “so that South East will be the envy of other  Geo-political zones in the Country.”

The Governor informed the audience that his government is doing tremendously well in the areas of infrastructure, health, education, agriculture and mostly on security control as can be attested to by the Imo State Traditional Rulers and the entire South East Traditional Rulers.

Governor Uzodimma congratulated the monarchs for coming together to discuss their welfare and the welfare of the entire South East they represent and seized the opportunity to declare the meeting open.

In his welcome address, the Chairman Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers who is also Chairman South East Council of Traditional Rulers, HRM Eze Dr. Emmanuel Okeke thanked God for the safe arrival of his colleagues to Imo State and acknowledged that the meeting offers them the opportunity to “come together and speak with one voice, to bring sanity to the administration of their States, South East zone and the Country in general.”

He said “the purpose of the Meeting is mainly focused on the State of the affairs in the South East and the Nation in general and the need to make progress,” and that they “gathered to state the obvious without sentiments but with sincerity of purpose in all the deliberations.”

He appreciated the South East Governor’s forum and its leadership and the National Legislature for the efforts they are making to secure additional States for the zone and the return of peace to Imo State in particular and the zone in general.

Concluding, Okeke acknowledged the good works Governor Uzodimma in the areas of security, social welfare and infrastructural development which he said “is second to none since the creation of Imo State in 1976.”

Apart from Iwu, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Barr. Nnamdi Anyaehie and some members of the State Expanded Executive Council also attended the meeting.

Prominent among the Traditional Rulers who attended the meeting include: Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe (the Obi of Onitsha), HRM Eze Samuel Asogu (Enugu), HRM Eze Joseph Ndubuisi Nwabeke among other Traditional Rulers and delegates from the five States of the South East.