TRACKING >>As the controversies surrounding the alleged proposal by the Miyetti Alah to organise local vigilante groups in the South East to curtail crime, the South East Governors Forum has denied that it supported such proposal.
The chairman of the South East Governors Forum and governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi in a statement released by his chief press secretary, Chief Emmanuel Uzor and made available to LEADERSHIP, described the allegation of the governors allowing MACBAN to form vigilante groups as strange and unthinkable.
He said that it was extremely strange for anybody to think that none locals in any part of the country including South East could be allowed to form vigilante outfit. “The Miyetti Allah group may have made that suggestion which I believe will never mean to form a vigilante in South East which ever is the meaning, no governor will allow that,” he said.
The statement reads in part, “South East governors have their local vigilantes working with security agencies. Any such demand by Miyetti group is a joke and not acceptable. Governors of South East are doing their best and we have no problems receiving insults from our people. Is the price for leadership.
“The important thing to us is the safety and well-being of our people. OPC and other pressure groups may not have found it fashionable to be insulting their leaders even when their leaders may not be saints.”
Governor Umahi further disclosed that his task is to develop Ebonyi State and contribute in rebuilding South East and Nigeria.
He reiterated that there would be no Miyetti vigilante in South East or cattle ranch or colony “but we must live peacefully with herdsmen that do not destroy our farm land especially those that were born here and have lived peacefully with us. All South East governors are together in this position”.
