By Baron Ike
Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu had sent a personal letter to President Muhammadu Buhari over the deployment of military troops to the South East, particularly in Abia State, drawing the attention of the President to the negative implication such decision would be having on Nigeria now.
Ekweremadu is not the only eminent Nigeria who had condemned the military siege in the South East, mainly in Abia due to the alleged activities of the members of the Independent Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) government believes threaten the unity of the country.
The Deputy Senate President, sources told Armadanews.com advised Buhari in his letter not to gloss over the tension which the military presence had created in the region and by implication, what the international community would say based on the behaviour of some of the soldiers that has gone viral.
It was not possible to confirm if his letter informed the position of the military high command to pull out of Abia State on Friday, September 15 as governor Okezie Ikpeazu hinted on Thursday, September 14, but feelers from those who ought to know in Aso Rock said Buhari had reached out to the military on the need to approach their duty with every sense of responsibility and based on known military best practices and rule of engagement
President Buhari
Meanwhile, in a statement signed by his media aide, Uche Anichukwu, Ekweremadu condemned in strong terms the military siege to the South East geopolitical zone, noting that dialogue and inclusion were best options in resolving the agitation in the region.
He, however, called on the people of the South East to remain calm as he and other leaders of the region were engaging the Federal Government in meaningful discussions to ensure that the South East Operation Python Dance was called off soonest.
He said: “The military siege to the South East is uncalled for because there is no prevailing situation in the region to warrant it in the first place. Instead, it is the Python Dance that appears to be creating problems and raising tension in the region. The agitation in the South East at the moment is best resolved by way of dialogue and a sense of inclusion.
“I want to assure our people that I have been engaging the Presidency and security agencies meaningfully on the issue. It is my hope that the Operation Egwu Eke will be called off.
“Until then, however, I call on the military to respect the rights of the citizens. The various videos and reports of gross human rights abuse making the rounds in the social and traditional media are nevertheless very disgusting and disheartening. They should be thoroughly investigated by the relevant authorities with a view to establishing the truth and ensuring that no human rights violator goes unpunished.”
Ends