The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council, OYC, on Tuesday, lauded the Southeast governors on the outcome of their last meeting in Enugu.

The governors met on Sunday, in an expanded meeting with stakeholders in the zone, where far reaching decisions were taken, especially on the controversial Ruga settlement.

In a statement issued by the OYC, which was signed by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the OYC President General and Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, the Secretary General, they also hailed the Governors for allegedly excluding some Igbo leaders from the meeting.

The group said they observed that “the South East Governors excluded Igbo leaders and other stakeholders from their activities and deliberations.

“We understood that this action is a disciplinary measure over unnecessary vituperations and careless outbursts without proper synergy and consultation with the South East Governors during the 2019 presidential elections.

We ask those concerned to apologize openly, and equally ask the Governors not be distracted by the campaign of calumny against them by these leaders but move forward to secure South East Economically and beef up Security around the zone.”

On the issues of security, the OYC said “East Governors had achieved a rare feat through their decisive actions towards checkmating the nefarious activities of killer herdsmen, through Establishment of Community policing Programme and Forest Guards.

“We insist that locally-based community Youths should be engaged adequately to fish out any herdsmen trespassing the recent ban of Cattle Conveyance on foot by the Governors. This new policy will make South East safe haven for Investors. Igbo Youths are vigilant to engage on erring pastoralists across 95 LGAs in the South East.

“Governors stance on Ruga have opened new opportunities for igbos to prove their business ingenuity in cattle rearing, rice production, piggery, fishery, goat rearing and other farm produce.

“We urge the Governors to immediately open up new farm settlements across the states to serve as Joint South East Youth empowerment program for our unemployed Youths, and urge our businessmen to create opportunities for youths through establishment of farm settlements.

“We also state here that the South East Development Commission will accelerate the dividends of democracy in the zone and to this end, all the stakeholders in this project should be adequately monitored to ensure that it’s achieved soonest.”