Tinubu determined to end southeast reign of terror – Shettima

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Friday spoke of the determination of President Bola Tinubu to end the reign of terror in the South East.

Shettima called the brains behind the incessant security threats in the region as self-serving criminals and persons taking advantage of the security situation to foster their dangerous political agenda.

He spoke in Bende, Abia State, during the unveiling of the Peace in South East Project (PISE-P), ,an initiative of House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.

Tinubu, according to the Vice President, has “been concerned about the extensive economic devastation inflicted by non-state actors on this beautiful region since we took office.

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“He is acutely aware that our commitment to Nigeria’s future remains incomplete as long as we grapple with the sinister operations of economic saboteurs who masquerade as advocates for the Ndi-Igbo.”

Shettima’s spokesperson, Stanley Nkwocha further quoted him to have said: “”That’s why he’s determined to utilize all available resources to ensure that the peace we’re establishing in this region is not cosmetic, and we can’t guarantee it unless all of us see through the falsehoods and propaganda that have become weapons against our unity.”

Senator Shettima noted that the gory activities of the criminals holding the South East captive are self-serving and do not in any way represent the interests of Ndi-Igbo and the entire country. He said the terror groups are not a creation of the people of the region, or of Nigerians from other parts of the country.

“The problem we are here to solve as a community, as an Umunna, is a creation of self-serving criminals who do not represent the interests of the Ndi-Igbo and Nigerians. Mr. President knows this better than all of us, and that’s why he has never held any group accountable for the infractions of law-breaking individuals who identify as their members. This, I believe, is the democracy we have all chosen,” he said.

Pointing out that the criminals disrupting the peace in the South-East were doing so in connivance with “forces exploiting the situation for dangerous political agenda,” the Vice President said attempts to undo the hard work of the nation’s heroes past would fail.

He maintained, however, that the catastrophic situation would not be reversed unless the government involved the people.

“Today, we stand united to firmly declare: enough is enough,” VP Shettima stated, stressing the need for a coordinated intervention to tackle insecurity in the region head-on, even as he assured the South East people that the Tinubu administration “shall not rest until it fulfills its pledge to mitigate the crisis” it inherited.

Noting that no better visionary could save the nation from implosion than President Tinubu, he said the development agenda of the federal government in the South East would continue to elude the region if “the intricate web of security challenges” the Tinubu-led federal government inherited was not contained.