Governor of the Ebonyi State and Chairman South-East Governors’ Forum, David Umahi, on Monday, said governors in the zone have banned open grazing and movement of cows by foot into the zone.
Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, had at the weekend given the Governors in the region seven days to join their South West counterparts in banning open grazing.
Speaking during an APC stakeholder meeting held at the Christian Ecumenical Centre Abakaliki, Umahi disclosed that the Governors did not just stop at banning open grazing but also restricted the movement of cattle by foot.
“The governors of the southeast had banned not only open grazing, but we have also banned the movement of cows by foot into the southeast,” he said.
“In each of the five states of the southeast, we are managing ourselves very well. We have also stopped the movement of cows across communities.
“What we discussed in the southeast with the herdsmen, with the farmers is the method that has been in place for a long time before now.”
He went on to enjoin leaders to exhibit patriotism in their conduct to guarantee the unity of the region rather than playing politics with the security of the zone and nation.
According to him: “What our people must know is that security is not political, what is demanded of the leaders is to put up programs that favour the people and foster national unity.
“There is a new dimension that is taking place in the southeast which is very dangerous. It is when the communities use the name of IPOB, the video and upload it to the social media and say it is IPOB that is burning the houses of herdsmen.
“It is not IPOB, it is the communities that are doing this and this is very dangerous for the Igbo man. I am talking to us as leaders,” he added.
