By Ikechukwu Amaechi
There seems
to be some quiet in the South East after the national uproar that greeted the
massacring of over 50 indigenes of Ukpabi Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani Local
Government Area of Enugu State by Fulani herdsmen.
A lot of steps in the right direction also seem to have been taken since then.
Enugu State
Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who was summoned to Abuja by President Muhammadu Buhari, has
since returned to address the highly traumatised people, indicting the security
agencies for ignoring security report that an attack on the community was
imminent.
A lot of steps in the right direction also seem to have been taken since then.
*President Buhari and Gov Ugwuanyi |
He has
constituted a judicial commission of inquiry “to investigate the immediate and
remote causes of all the violent occurrences in the state associated with
Fulani herdsmen and recommend appropriate measures that will be put in place to
prevent future occurrence.”
Traditional rulers and town union leaders from over 400 communities also met with Ugwuanyi and resolved to reactivate vigilante groups in all communities.
Traditional rulers and town union leaders from over 400 communities also met with Ugwuanyi and resolved to reactivate vigilante groups in all communities.
To
underscore the importance of this initiative, Ugwuanyi pledged to provide an
initial seed money of N100 million to support the security efforts.
The meeting
urged him to prevail on the state House of Assembly to amend the law
establishing vigilante groups to strengthen them and possibly enable them bear
arms, while the communities were mandated to pay security levies as counterpart
funding.
But there are also some missteps.