Few days ago, I published an article titled: “Ebubeagu: An Afterthought,” where I opined that the southeast governors were unserious with Ebubeagu for the following reasons. Firstly, that the inauguration was not proactive and obviously belated. I drew the attention of the reading public to the fact that the leader of IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu (MNK) had for long raised alarm on the plan by Fulani herdsmen and armed bandits to invade the southern region through the forests.
He also informed southerners that these criminal elements had occupied most of the forests in the region. He called for proactive steps to be taken to form security outfits to curb the security threat. Although MNK is an easterner, yet the governors of the southwest heeded to his warning and formed the Western Nigeria Security Network (Amotekun).
Before the inauguration of Amotekun, the governors demonstrated seriousness by first securing the passage of a resolution for the establishment of the outfit in all the House of Assemblies in the southwest. That obviously was to give the outfit legal backing. Thereafter, they took necessary steps to provide adequate logistics and funding for the outfit. During the inauguration of Amotekun, each of the five governors of the southwest contributed 20 vehicles each, while Oyo State contributed 33 for the operation.
Also each of the governors donated 100 motorcycles each making it a total of 600. In addition, about 1,320 operatives were recruited and commissioned on the said date to commence operation. Today, the security situation in the southwest region is far better than what is obtainable in the east. However, it beats the imagination of any sane mind why governors of the southeast, which is Nnamdi Kanu’s constituency, were busy doing nothing over his timely warning.
Whereas their counterparts in the west timeously adhered to his advise and took necessary steps to that effect. The southeast governors were only jolted from their anastatic slumber when the insecurity in the region escalated beyond their control. So, in order to apparently douse public angst and the accompanying tension arising from the situation, the governors hastily inaugurated Ebubeagu only on the pages of newspapers, with virtually nothing on ground to show for it.
Political watchers were quick to spot the insincerity and unseriosness of the governors over the formation of Ebubeagu. Many advised the governors to liase with the Eastern Security Network (ESN) to no avail. In all, several observers concluded that Ebubeagu was yet another shenanigan by the southeast governors geared towards diverting the attention of the people from their inability to play their constitutional role of providing security of lives and property.
Surprisingly, the melodrama that accompanied the theatrical inauguration of Ebubeagu Security Outfit by the governors of the southeast has been taken to another level by Gov Hope Uzodinma. The governor apparently reacting to the barrage of criticisms that accompanied the inauguration of Ebubeagu, and in his usual style of shooting himself on the feet, had said that the group was formed just to gather information.
In trying to defend the indefensible and justify the unjustifiable, Gov Uzodinma has inadvertently confirmed the views of critiques that the belated formation of Ebubeagu was indeed an afterthought and another political gimmick by the southeast governors. Nevertheless, it is an assault on the sensibilities of Igbos, particularly those whose loved ones have been victimized by the Fulani herdsmen and bandits, to say that Ebubeagu is just a sort of intelligence unit created to assist the security agencies.
If the southwest governors could equip and arm Amotekun with light arms to support the security agencies, why can’t the southeast counterparts do the same thing? Or was Gov Uzodinma trying to say that the well trained intelligence agencies such as the Police Intelligence Unit, Department of State Service (DSS), Military Intelligence, National Security Agency and so on, have become incapacitated?
For this to come from a sitting governor, who by virtue of his position, has access to critical intelligence report, calls for concern. Conclusively, it then means that the government may have become helpless and now has turned to the people that needs it’s help for help. It also indicates that in actual fact, Ebubeagu was not a reality after all, but another movie script played out for the unsuspecting and long-suffering public to watch.
And I ask, what will the southeast governors gain from continuously gambling with the lives of the citizens? While playing dangerous politics with the security situation in the region, the southeast governors should also avert their mind to the Igbo adage that says, “imi be wa, anya ebe wa”, meaning that the nose will always cry along with the eyes. A word is enough for the wise.
Ekene Bob-Ekechukwu Esq.
Public Affairs Analyst
23/04/2021
