Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State, his Imo counterpart, Hope Uzodinma and chieftains of the Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, have declared that there is no crisis in the area over the security outfit for the geo-political zone despite delay in reaching an agreement on a common name for the organisation.

While the governors prefer ‘Operation Mkpocha’ meaning (clearance), Ohanaeze wants ‘Operation Ogbunigwe’ (mass killer).

The deputy spokesman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chuks Ibegbu, told The Nation that the only area that needs to be harmonised between the governors and the Igbo body is the name of the outfit.

But Governor Obiano is excited by the prospect of community policing at the grassroots.

He spoke with The Nation yesterday in Awka, through his Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. C Don Adinuba.

He said Anambra should be emulated by the other states in community policing.

Uzodinma, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser, Oguwike Nwachukwu, said there was no form of disagreement whatsoever over the security outfit to be adopted for the region.

Speaking in Owerri, he said the governors and the apex Igbo social cultural organisation were working in tandem for the progress of the region.

He said: “There is no disagreement. All I know is that they are working together for the progress of Ndigbo and the zone.”

Ibegbu said that the issue of name was not a problem and would be sorted out in due course.

The Anambra State Chairman of Ohanaeze, Chief Damian Okeke Ogene, debunked speculations of a crisis over the issue.

He maintained that the body and the Southeast governors were working in tandem to give Ndigbo the best security network like the Southwest.

Ogene said the two groups were working together in making sure lives and property of Igbo were adequately protected, while warning that people should disregard things that fly in the social media.

He said: “What they are doing is trying to cause disaffection between Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Southeast governors. It may not be Ogbunigwe, but we are working closely with our governors to give our people the best.”

Ogene’s counterpart in Imo State, Dr. Ezechi Chukwu said: “As a matter of fact, the NEC is yet to sit on the position of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Not until NEC meets, I will not be in a position to give an informed decision.”

Meanwhile, a top functionary of the Southeast Governors’ Forum, who spoke on the condition of anonymity with our correspondent in Enugu, said there was never a time the governors dropped the idea of forming a regional security outfit.

According to the source, “The acceptance of the community policing by the governors does not translate to dropping the proposed formation of the Southeast regional security outfit which is already in an advanced stage.

“The governors only pledged that the outfit will work in synergy with the community police.”

The Deputy Spokesman for Ohanaeze, Ibegbu noted that the governors were expected to meet with Ohanaeze Ndigbo to work out the blueprint and modalities even though the states in the zone already have one form of security platform or another.

He contended that there was no going back on setting up a joint security outfit in the zone which they propose to name Operation Ogbunigwe.

The outfit, he said, would as well serve as community policing in Igbo land. (The Nation)

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