Governors of four South-East states; Enugu, Imo, Anambra and Ebonyi, were on Thursday absent at the maiden South-East Regional Security Summit held in Umuahia, Abia State, to address the region’s worsening security challenges.
The governors were represented by their deputies, legislative leaders and senior security aides, leaving the host governor, Dr Alex Otti of Abia State, as the only governor physically present at the high-level meeting.
The summit, hosted by the Federal Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (South-East), was convened by the Minister of Defence, Major General Christopher Gwabin Musa (retd.), under the theme, “Collaborative Approaches to Strengthening Security and Regional Stability”.
Conceived as a platform to strengthen collaboration among the Federal Government, state governments, security agencies and host communities, the summit focused on tackling security threats that transcend state boundaries through intelligence sharing, coordinated operations and community engagement.
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State was represented by his deputy, Ifeanyi Ossai; Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State by his deputy, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim; Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Moses Ije Odunwa; while Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State was represented by his Special Adviser on Security, Brig.-Gen. Joseph Chima Ogbonna (rtd.).
The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, was represented by Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua, while the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, was represented by Maj. Hilary Nnabukwu. The Inspector-General of Police also sent a representative.
Other dignitaries in attendance included the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu; the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology; senior military and security officers; traditional rulers; and former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (retd.), who delivered the keynote address.
The summit comes amid growing concerns over kidnapping, attacks on security personnel, the violent enforcement of illegal sit-at-home orders, armed criminality and other security threats that continue to undermine economic activities and public safety across the South-East.
Declaring the summit open, the Minister of Defence and convener, Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa (retd.), said the gathering was designed to foster stronger collaboration among the Federal Government, state governments, security agencies and communities in developing coordinated strategies for restoring peace, improving intelligence sharing and enhancing regional stability.
Participants deliberated on practical strategies for strengthening inter-state security cooperation, intelligence gathering, community policing and other measures aimed at restoring lasting peace and stability across the South-East.
The maiden South-East Regional Security Summit brought together security chiefs, federal government officials, lawmakers, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to explore collaborative solutions to the persistent insecurity confronting the region.
