Governors elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, arrived Enugu State Tuesday afternoon to commiserate with the people over the recent attack on Ukpabi Nimbo by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
DAILY POST reports that the Governors were led by their chairman, Owelle Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum, Kashim Shettima.
They assured Nigerians that the Nimbo killings would mark the end of such criminality in the country.
Okorocha, who addressed Enugu State stakeholders at the Government House said the delegation was in the State to re-assure the residents that they were greatly touched by the incident.
Other Governors on the visit included Badaru Abubakar, Jigawa, Rauf Aregbesola, Osun, as well as deputy governors of Kogi and Yobe States.
According to Okorocha, “we are here because of the ugly incident that took place in Enugu State. Death is death but the most painful is the one that is man-made, most unexpected.
“This nation is one, irrespective of political affiliation; you (Governor Ugwuanyi) are in PDP; we are in APC, but in death, there is no party.
“We have come to sympathize with you on this moment of grief and great loss.”
He equally commended Governor Ugwuanyi “for the maturity with which he has handled the situation; it would have degenerated to something else if the people had retaliated.”
Okorocha added that “we see this as an act of criminality; a crime is a crime no matter where it was committed. We hereby condemn this criminal activity in its entirety.
“We shall join hands with the Federal Government to make sure that this is the last in our country.
“We must emphasize the unity of Nigeria; that is why we are here; all the APC governors would have been here but they decided to send representatives.
“We are with you in spirit and I want to inform all the people of the South-East that this matter is being handled and very soon, the culprits will be brought to book.”
In his speech, Governor Shettima, who likened the trauma being faced by Nimbo people and indeed the entire Enugu State to that of victims of Boko Haram insurgency in Borno State, lauded the people of Enugu State over their conduct in the face of such provocation.
He said, “in this kind of situation, it is easy to play to the gallery; it is easier to call for revenge, but Enugu people remained calm.
“We have to find these killers who should be treated as criminals; they are criminals; they need to be treated as such.
“The Igbos are very industrious, very accommodating, very enterprising; we must build this nation together; we must build this nation as brothers.”
In his reaction, Governor Ugwuanyi, who commended President Muhammadu Buhari as well as the governors over their concern, expressed hope that the commission of inquiry set up by the state “will lay all the relevant facts on the table and help bring justice to all concerned.”
He added that “we are already taking concrete measures to step up security in Enugu State especially through the reactivation and revitalization of neighbourhood watch associations in every community in the State.
“This is geared towards ensuring a holistic and concerted approach to security challenges in the state with all communities and relevant organizations being fully involved.”
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