Chief Elias Mbam, Chairman, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has urged South- East leaders to find solutions to the current security challenges in the region.
Mbam spoke at Nwofe, Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi during the traditional wedding ceremony of his daughter, Dr Chinenye Mbam who got married to Mr Polycap Ori.
The RMAFC chairman expressed sadness over the deteriorating security situation in the region, stressing that time had come for leaders to put aside differences to find lasting solution to the problem.
He said the Federal Government was doing all it could to address security challenges plaguing most parts of the country.
Mbam who insisted that there could be no genuine development and economic progress in the South-East in the absence of peace.
He said: “It is painful and saddening that this type of thing is happening in a once very peaceful region; I’m worried and I feel we should not allow this to continue.
“Our leaders should come together and find a solution to this festering security challenges.
” Government is doing its best in trying to contain the menace; but government should ensure that perpetrators of these violent acts are not allowed to go free.
“Security agencies should go all out to arrest and punish in line with the law, all who have been found to be part of these dastardly criminal acts.
Mbam, who is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state further charged security agencies not to be deterred in carrying out their constitutional mandate of securing lives and property of every citizen.
“It is most regrettable that South-East of all places is embroiled in such security menace and so, I call on everybody to be part of plans to restore security in the region.”
“We need to inform security men of those around us who are not part of the peace we are preaching so that their activities can be nipped in the bud.
“Security men should be up and doing in their work so that anywhere they have signs or receive information of security breaches, they should immediately go there and take action,” Mbam added.
On the recent killing of Ebonyi people of Izzi extraction at the border between Ebonyi and Benue by gunmen, Mbam charged security agencies not to leave any stone unturned in fishing out the culprits.
“I went to the hospital to see surviving victims of the attack, it was very sad and embarrassing that human beings can be so criminally minded as to use knife to cut one-year old baby.
“I strongly condemn it and I strongly call on security agencies to go all out to arrest those involved in this criminal act.
“We should learn to live together in peace as brothers and sisters and I believe we all need peace because it’s only when there is peace that progress can be achieved,” he said. (NAN)
