Minister of Works, Dave Umahi has given reasons residents of the Southeast should abstain from participating in nationwide protests against the escalating cost of living in Nigeria.
Speaking to journalists at his Uburu residence in Ebonyi State over the weekend, Umahi emphasized that President Bola Tinubu has effectively tackled a significant issue in the region – the persistent clashes between farmers and herders.
Umahi, a former governor of Ebonyi State, argued that Tinubu’s interventions have substantially alleviated the historical tensions between farmers and herders in the Southeast.
He contended that the current challenges facing the region are largely self-inflicted, pointing to the activities of what he referred to as “unknown but known gunmen” as the primary contemporary issue in the Southeast.
“If you check very well, especially in the Southeast, you will know that we no longer have incessant farmers/herders clashes.
“So, why should we join the protest when the President has solved our major problem?
“The problem we now have in the Southeast is self-inflicted. That is the issue of unknown but known gunmen.
“So, if we are protesting, who are we protesting against? We are protesting against a President that has solved herders/farmers clashes.
“If you remove the issue of unknown gunmen, the Southeast will be completely safe and farmers can work. So, we can’t go and join anybody to protest.”
By characterizing the region’s predicaments as self-induced, Umahi appears to suggest that internal factors and dynamics within the Southeast contribute significantly to the challenges it faces.
His perspective highlights a shift in focus from external factors, such as national economic issues, to internal security concerns posed by the activities of these unidentified gunmen.
In making these statements, Umahi not only addresses the regional stance on protests but also provides insight into the perceived priorities and achievements in the Southeast, with an emphasis on the impact of Tinubu’s intervention in mitigating farmer-herder conflicts.
