THE Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has said that he is currently in talks with the presidency to call-off the Operation Egwu Eke II or Operation Python Dance II currently being launched in the south-eastern states of Nigeria.
Ekweremadu also condemned in strong terms, the military exercise in the south-east, maintaining that there was no security situation to have warranted the launch of the operation in the first place.
The Deputy President of the Senate gave the statement on Thursday where he however notated that dialogue remains the best approach to solving the agitation in the region.
Recall that the south-eastern region has, in the past few days, been stricken with high tension especially in Abia state with reports of clashes between the military and members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on one hand and IPOB members with Hausa community in Rivers state, leading to alleged loss of lives and destruction of properties.
This became heightened after the military launched its Operation Egwu Eke II in the region. However, according to Ekweremadu, “The military siege to the South-East is uncalled for because there is no prevailing situation in the region to warrant it in the first place.
Instead, it is the Python Dance that appears to be creating problems and raising tension in the region.
The agitation in the South-East at the moment is best resolved by way of dialogue and a sense of inclusion.
“I want to assure our people that I have been engaging the Presidency and security agencies meaningfully on the issue. It is my hope that the Operation Egwu Eke will be called off.”
