Insecurity: FG played into hands of restive youths – Umahi

Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi on Wednesday said Nigeria as a nation played into the hands of restive youths having failed to address their demands and agitations, which they hitherto made.

Umahi who spoke on Wednesday when the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 9, Umuahia, AIG Ene Okon, paid him a courtesy call at Old Government House, Abakaliki; said when the youths were making demands and agitation about the South-East region, was being marginalized, the Federal Government failed to address their concerns, and the impression had been bought by other people in the region.

He said the impression, had even been made worst by the fact that the people of the South-East region were not given opportunity at the security hierarchy of the nation.

According to Umahi, the impression here is that we are not welcomed here in Nigeria.

He noted that the situation, had given the Governors in the region, a very serious task, even as he alleged that those who were aggrieved with government in the region,were tactically supporting the restive youths to cause mayhem.

He, however, maintained that the Governors in the South-East region, believed in one Nigeria, where fairness, equity, justice and fairplay would be guaranteed.

“Let me say AIG that the nation Nigeria played into the hands of our restive youths; because, there were a number of demands they were making, there were agitations about the way the South-East is being treated at the national level.

“And when these are repeated, our people bought the impression that they are fighting for the welfare of our people; they are fighting for our security especially when people are few from this side to be promoted at the national level and are not promoted rightly or wrongly; and when we are not giving the opportunity at the security hierarchy of the nation.