By Peter Okutu
The South-East Governors’ Forum, National Assembly members and other leaders in the region, Friday called on all ethnic nationalities in the country to maintain peace and order not minding the current challenges occasioned by the ongoing protests across the country.
The Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Umahi, stated this in Abakaliki while briefing journalists after their virtual meeting.
The leaders condemned a video clip currently circulating on the social media, in which the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, was alleged to have made provocative statements regarding the ongoing protests in the country.
They observed that Kanu had already disowned the video and called on the State Governments of other tribes to ensure the safety of Igbos in their domain as much as they would protect theirs, in Igbo land.
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The leaders further condemned the unwarranted killing of protesting youths at the Lekki Tollgate, Lagos and urged the federal government to quicken investigation into the matter, so as to immediately bring the culprits to book in line with the laws of the land.
Umahi said: “While we are sympathising with the Lagos State Government and others who have lost their citizens in the protests, we appeal to the youths in the country to disembark from the protests, it has been hijacked by hoodlums.
“While we equally maintain that the demands of the #EndSARS protesters have been met by Governments of many States, we advise youths to constructively engage with government towards meeting other genuine demands of theirs.”
Governor Umahi further appealed to Nigerian youths to desist from destroying public facilities which were established for their benefits as leaders of tomorrow.
“We appeal to the youths to forgive their leaders wherever they have failed them because we will go back to the drawing board.”
The virtual meeting, according to Governor Umahi, had in attendance Governors of the zone, the traditional rulers, the clergy, the National Assembly members and other eminent leaders of the region.
Vanguard News Nigeria
