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South East Governors, religious leaders, traditional rulers, the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, as well as prominent stakeholders and reoresetatives of Security agencies in the region, rose from a prolonged security meeting on Sunday, April 25, 2021 in Enugu, with a firm resolve to strengthen the structure of their newly formed security outfit EBUBEAGU, which they said will work with the Police and other security agencies in her operations to protect lives and property in South East.

They also threw their weight behind the widespread calls for restructuring and other key national issues, as discussed at the National Executive Council NEC, the establishment of State Police in order to address the widespread insecurity in the zone and the enforcenent of state laws on open grazing across the region.

The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Prof. George Obiozor was equally directed to immediately form two committees, to engage the people for the peace and security of lives of the people and visitors and to engage and protect the people, especially those who are being unfairly treated, even as the meeting directed Attorneys General and Commissioners for Justice of the South East States to work with the Joint Security Committee to come up with the amendments of the existing State Laws to reflect the new EBUBEAGU outfit, with her Regional Headquarters in Enugu.

The meeting had in attendance Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, Ebonyi state governor and Chairman, South East Governors Forum, Dave Umahi, Enugu state Governor and host, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by Ambassador George Obiozor, representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, South East elders council, traditional rulers, Archbishop of the Enugu Ecclesiastical province, Emmanuel Chukwuma and South East Joint Security committee.

Below is the full text of the Communique issued at the end of the meeting.

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RESOLUTIONS OF SOUTH EAST GOVERNORS SECURITY MEETING:
COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY THE SOUTHEAST GOVERNORS’ FORUM AT THE END OF ITS SECURITY MEETING WITH SOUTHEAST CLERGY, LEADERSHIP OF TRADITIONAL RULERS, OHANEZE NDIGBO AND SOUTH EAST JOINT SECURITY COMMITTEE HELD
ON SUNDAY, THE 25TH DAY OF APRIL, 2021, AT THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, LION BUILDING, GOVERNMENT HOUSE, ENUGU.

The Forum, at the end of its meeting, came up with the following resolutions:
1. South East Governors and Leaders re-stated the adoption of a common Joint Security outfit called EBUBEAGU with her Regional Headquarters in Enugu.
EBUBEAGU will work with the Police and other security agencies in her operations to protect lives and property in South East;
2. We agreed on the structure and operational modalities of EBUBEAGU and to set up an Advisory Board for the security outfit;
3. The Hon. Attorney Generals and Commissioners for Justice of the South East States have been directed to work with the Joint Security Committee to come
up with the amendment of the existing State Laws to reflect the new EBUBEAGU outfit;
4. The meeting directed Ohaneze Ndigbo President to immediately form two Committees:
(a) South East Peace and Reconciliation Committee to engage our people for
the peace and security of our people and her visitors;
(b) Strategy and Welfare Committee to engage and protect our people,
especially those who are being unfairly treated.
These Committees must become functional within the next 10 (ten) days from date;
5. The meeting is in support of restructuring, the setting up of State Police and other national issues as discussed in the last NEC meeting.
A Committee has been set up to work out acceptable modalities and submit them to NEC in its next meeting;
6. The meeting condemns the attacks on the country home of the Governor of Imo State, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma and other State
infrastructure. We sympathize with him and call on the Federal Government to fish out the perpetrators and ensure their prosecution;
7. South East leaders restate their commitments to our State laws banning open grazing in the South East and urge the security agencies and the local vigilantes to enforce the ban in all States of South East;
8. South East Governors agreed on the implementation of various END SARS Youth Empowerment Programmes in the South East States as soon as possible.

This 25th day of April 2021.

Engr. David Nweze Umahi, FNSE, FNATE

Chairman, Southeast Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State

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