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Buhari, South East senators meet over alleged neglect of zone, other issues

By Azimazi Momoh Jimoh and Terhemba Daka (Abuja)
10 November 2016   |   3:54 am
The lawmakers were led by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, where they also sought the president’s intervention in insecurity and lack of basic infrastructure in the region.
Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu

Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu

Saraki visits president

The continued detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, alleged discrimination against the South East geo-political zone and other issues top the agenda of a meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and South East Senators yesterday at the Presidential Villa.

The lawmakers were led by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, where they also sought the president’s intervention in insecurity and lack of basic infrastructure in the region.

The meeting is part of a new policy of the Presidency to foster a peaceful relationship with lawmakers in the National Assembly.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, Ekweremadu said: “For us from the South East, we believe that dialogue is better than any other form of engagement. So we decided to visit the President and present to him some of the concerns of the region including the issues of roads, general infrastructure, the railway and airports.

“We also discussed insecurity with him and of course the issue of IPOB. We had a good conversation and he promised to look into the issues.”

Also speaking, the Chairman of South East Caucus, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe said the South East remained the most “shortchanged” in the scheme of things in the current administration.

According to him, the delegation specifically sought inclusion in the area of appointments for the people of the South East region especially with respect to the National Security Council.

Other senators on the delegation were Sam Egwu, Hope Uzodinma, Andy Uba and Chukwuka Utazi.

Meanwhile, Senate President Bukola Saraki yesterday visited President Buhari at the villa.

Saraki arrived shortly after Buhari’s meeting with the senators from the South East region.

There was no official confirmation by the presidency on why the Senate President visited the villa yesterday.

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