Igbo Elders’ Council To Convene Stakeholders’ Meeting On Southeast Insecurity
A group, the Southeast Elders Council, has described the growing insecurity in the Southeastern party of the country as unacceptable and a matter of urgent attention.
The Elders’ Council which announced after its meeting in Onitsha, the commercial capital of Anambra said it would convene a stakeholders meeting with the aim of finding a lasting solution.
The Communique from the meeting which was made available to Journalists in Awka on Sunday was signed by its chairman, Justice Anthony Iguh, a former. Justice of the Supreme Court and Chief Judge of Anambra and Prof. Donald Okoli, its secretary.
It said the security challenges in the Southeast including killings and destruction of property was no longer tolerable as it was inhibiting economic progress.
The group said meeting which would hold in July this year would include elder statesmen, the traditional institution, religious leaders, security experts and the intelligentsia from the Southeast.
According to them, the National Executive Council emphasised the need for an urgent meeting of all, inclusive of Igbo Elder Statesmen, Critical/Major Stakeholders and National Advisory Council.
“This will Bridge the cultural, religious and economic gaps in Leadership and Governance in Igbo land and deliberate on current Security Challenges bedeviling the region and other parts of the country.
“The meeting will proffer solutions on how best to solve the problem by way of revamping sustainable economic development,” it stated.
The Elders’ Council backed the call for a president from Southeast to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023 and urged the major political parties in the country to produce candidates from the zone.
It expressed surprise at the decision of political parties to jettison their rotational arrangement in choosing their flag bearers noting that .
“It is the turn of Igbos to produce the next President of Nigeria based on their contributions to the Sustainable Development of key sectors of the Nigerian economy, and having been denied this position since the end of civil war in 1970.
“Call on the major political parties to field their presidential candidates from Igbo extraction in the forthcoming presidential election based on equity, justice and fairness.
“We call on all people from Igbo descent to unite for the purpose of achieving the presidency in 2023,” it stated.
