Nwobodo who spoke at the 7th to 11thconvocation ceremony of Ebonyi state University, EBSU, Abakaliki where he was conferred an award of Doctor of Law (LLD Honoris Causa) at the weekend decried that farmers no longer go to farm for fear of attacks.
The Ex-Governor also lamented that there were many deaths in the region now, as a result of insecurity, noting that communities had been there without addressing the situation.
He said that the only thing the Governors of the south east zone can do now is to bravely establish regional security and ensure that all the State Houses of Assembly in the zone passes a law to back it up.
Nwobodo said “My advice to our leaders, particularly governors is that they should be bold and take things straight on once their conscience tells them that what they are doing is right.
“The job of a leader is the security and welfare of your people, particularly you must lead, you must secure them, you must show them you care for them and the only way you can care for them is you not to joke with them.
“There is a difference between being careful and being afraid. I want our Governors to work as a team and build unity. I want them to take seriously the issue of security, because we have lost many lives and I think that I really like what the South West governors did by coming together and introducing joint security code named Operation Amotekun and they succeeded.
“All their houses of Assembly have worked on the law and they passed it and it had been signed into law. I am proud of that. Our own governors think differently but I disagree with them. They are talking about community policing or whatever it is called – community policing has been there before now, community policing will continue to be there;
“What I am saying as an elder statesman is that they should take complete control of the security of our people without clashing with the police and in doing that they should follow the example of the South West, there is nothing wrong in doing what is good. If I am doing something and somebody has come up with something better I will follow it. I lost nothing by doing that; in fact it shows intelligence to see what is good and follow it.
“So what they should do is exactly what the west has done, get their Houses to pass laws and use these laws to form a block to protect your people. Protection is not easy and nobody want to joke with his life; take for instance what is happening now with coronavirus – the world is shaking, the whole world is shaking because of life; this one is not by gun this is just virus that attack you and kill and they are taking measures all over the world to stop it.”
“I am proud that I was the first to establish the University of Technology in Nigeria and nobody else. I did it and when I was doing it people were laughing; federal government laughed at me and how much I used to start it – N3 million. Three million naira I used to start three campuses: one million for this, one million for that and it was like a play and we started growing and money started coming because no parents – no father, no mother will joke with the education of his or her child,” Nwobodo said.
The visitor of EBSU and Ebonyi state Governor, David Umahi of Ebonyi state said that he was a product of Nwobodo, being among the first graduates of ASUTECH.
Umahi also disclosed that the South East Governors will launch regional outfit before the end of April 2020.
The governor decried report in some social media which alleged that the renewed bloody clash between Agila people in Benue and Ngbo people of Ebonyi state, which claimed About nine lives was masterminded by Herdsmen.
Earlier in a remark, the Vice-Chancellor of EBSU, Professor Chigozie Ogbu said that since he took over the leadership of the University, his team of management had focused on improving the academic and research standing of the University.
He explained that the objective of his administration was to develop the University to rank among the best citadel of learning in the world with excellence in teaching, learning, research, character and community service.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK