South East senators hold secret meeting with Buhari

*Demand for Kanu release, inclusion of Igbos to Security Council

 South East Senators on Tuesday held a secret meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Aso Rock Villa requesting for the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

The South East caucus at the meeting also complained about exclusion of ‎ South East extraction into the National Security Council.

According to the Reliable, the delegation from South East was led by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and one senator from each south Eastern states.

The source told our correspondent that ‎the delegation urged Mr. President to take immediate steps to redress the “glaring non appointment of people of South East into the National Security Council of the Federation.”

According to the source, the delegation requested for a way forward for the release of Kanu, enhanced security to deal with the issue of kidnapping in the zone.

The issue of herdsmen was raised at the meeting and how put an end to the crisis.‎

The source said the delegation complained about deplorable state of infrastructure in the region and poor funding of projects.

The delegation told Buhari that at the meeting that ‎

not up to 10 percent of appropriated funds is released annually for the past 10 years leading to worsening of the situation in the South East, according to source who privy to the meeting.

The Source said‎ that they begged President Buhari to “accommodate funding of the roads in the 2017 budget.”

He said that they also requested for Standard Gauge Spur from Agbor to Onitsha to meet up with the standard gauge of Warri to Lokoja rail.

Part of the issue of concern to the lawmakers during the meeting the dilapidated and worsen situation ‎ of the Airport runway in Enugu Airport which is as a result of wrong design, which is affecting the international status of the Airport.

He said that they also requested the President to give effect to the dry port approved for Abia State as well as to establish two more in Onitsha and Enugu possibly to start in 2017 budget.

He said that the requested President Buhari to direct the Minister of Transportation to take necessary action.

The source said that they told President Buhari that the South East should be considered in concessioning Federal roads and Airport, building of extra River Basin Development Authority for the South East.

He said that they reminded the President that the South East is the only geopolitical zone with only one River Basin Development Authority in the country.

The President, the source said, was requested to sign a private member bill on the issue pending at the National Assembly if passed.

He said that the delegation stressed the need for sustained communication with the South East leader.

In his response, according to the source at the meeting, ‎ Buhari thanked the delegation for coming to raise the issue of the South East and promised to take appropriate action on the issues raised.

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