Abia State Deputy Governor, Engineer Emetu has stressed the need for a joint collaboration of the Hausa/ Fulani communities and their host community of Umuchieze in Umunneochi LGA in flushing and eradicating criminal elements that have made the LGA and State unsafe and a flashpoint.
Engineer Emetu stated this during a meeting with the Umuchieze Clan Development Union and the Hausa Community on fashioning a way for peaceful coexistence and putting a permanent end to series of kidnappings, killings, rapes and armed robbery taking place in Umuchieze Community and environs noted that no meaningful development can take place in such atmosphere.
The Deputy Governor while calling for a peaceful coexistence between the host Community of Umuchieze and the Hausa Community Cattle traders, describing as criminal the signing of a memorandum of understanding by seven landlords on behalf of the Community with the Hausa Community without the knowledge of the custodians of the traditional institutions and mandated the Hausa Community to come forward with the MOU, receipt of payments made to the seven landlords and tax clearance over the years in the next meeting which will be communicated to them in due time.
Engineer Emetu lamented that the Governor Alex Otti’s led administration that was left with backlog of liabilities from past administrations will not tolerate any form of criminality from any group of persons, pointing out that security is a collective effort and no city has ever developed by indigenes alone, hence the need to live in peace as brothers and sisters, while no revenue can be collected without the backing of Govt.
Earlier in his address, the President General, Umuchieze Clan Development Union, Chief Victor Peters Ogbukwe appealed for Government’s urgent intervention on security crisis, inclusion of Umuchieze in sharing of revenue, alleged havoc perpetrated by herdsmen and criminals living in the Cattle Market through killing, kidnapping of their people and ravaging their farmlands among others.
Also speaking, the Leader of the Hausa Community, Alhaji Yaro Danladi said they have never failed in their obligations to their Umuchieze host Community assured that they are willing to join in the fight against insecurity and every form of criminality in their Cattle Market.
