The member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, Abia State, Hon. Uko Nkole has sympathized with the Isu community in Arochukwu LGA on the recent attack by their Cross River neighbours.
He described the attack as sad and disheartening and reiterated his commitments to use every available legislative input to bring the unfortunate and senseless carnage to the attention of the Federal Government.
“What is going on in Isu is sad and disheartening. I will continue to use every available legislative input to bring this unfortunate and senseless carnage to the attention of the Federal Government.
“I sympathise with our people in Isu and I am strongly with them in this moment of unwarranted escalated attacks and wanton destructions of lives and property” Rt. Hon. Nkole said.
According to the federal lawmaker, the Isu issues has been in the front burner and a major concern to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of the state.
He said the Governor has personally taken the matter before his counterpart in Cross Rivers State so also the Deputy Governor of Abia State who’s constitutionally responsible to see to the amicable resolution of the impasse.
“These efforts have not yielded the desired result to the singular reason of the constitutional limitations imposed on Governors over security issues.
“Yes, constitutionally, the Governors are the Chief Security Officers of their respective states but they also lack the power to even deploy a Constable to their gates without express approval from the Police Authority that is appointed by the President in like manner the Armed forces.
“I have since in April, 2018 following similar the attack on Isu by her Biase neighbours in Cross Rivers State moved a motion of urgent National Importance on the floor of the House of Representatives where I drew the attention of the President on this perennial crises and prayed among other things for the President and Commander in-Chief that has the SOLE CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY to order the respective Service Chiefs as a matter of urgency to deploy soldiers to the trouble areas” he added.
He urged the National Boundary Commission to delineate the boundary between Isu and the Invading Biase people.
He emphasized that all the prayers regarding the lingering crisis at the floor of the House were agreed to by the House and the resolutions communicated to the Mr President and the respective agencies.
He expressed regret that only one of the prayer was implemented that saw National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA visit the Internally displaced persons from Isu while the key issues of deployment of soldiers and boundary delineation were yet to be implemented.
Further to this, he said the Governor on a request by the Arochukwu Council of Ndi Ezeogo personally had an interaction with the Ezeogos of Arochukwu LGA with Isu Ezeogos in attendance in his country Home, Ozu Abam, late November, 2018 where a lot of issues were discussed and agreed on how to protect Isu communities within the armbit of the laws of Nigeria.
“Tony, you will agree with me all the Issues were implemented including seeing your humble self personally taking delivery of the brand new Hilux from Government House Umuahia meant to enhance security patrols by the military up to this moment, the Hilux has not been delivered to the military authority for that purpose.
“Again, the Governor through The Abia State Commissioner of Police and the Police Authority ensured the deployment of a detachment of Mobile Police force that is on ground till date to Isu. It is important I remind us that the Police remains the lead Agency in internal security matters in Nigeria.
“This is apparently not the time for blame games but to agree with you that more push is required. It becomes imperative then to state clearly by the constitutional responsibility expected of the Governor of a state to his people that Governor without bias has discharged them and has also put his personal touch to it that I am largely aware and witness there of.
“While you are going to United Nations this morning, please kindly carry along the message on the need for your hosts to lend their voice on the need to unbundled the security architecture of the Nation by the President to enable respective state Governors become relevant and have a say in the matters of deployment of soldiers and other security personnel in their different states.
This is the sad truth and that until this is done, the State Governors shall continue to remain logistics officers quoting His Excellency, the current Governor of Rivers State.
“Today, my motion on Urgent National Importance on the Issue is ready for Mr .Speakers consent and also ready to be discussed again in the Green chamber.
“We shall not relent. Please, to y brothers and sisters in Isu, accept my deepest condolences again” he said.
