Immediate past Minister of State State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN, on Tuesday, said the fear of reprisal attacks against family members back home and the destruction of their properties is the reason why prominent Nigerians from the Southeast have refused to speak on the worsening security challenges in their region.
Mr. Keyamo who said he confirmed this from speaking with his friends in the southeast tweeted that the silence of this group of people should not translate as support of the current security challenges in the region.
According to the former minister, these same elites must either now be completely silent or totally support the efforts of the federal government in restoring order to that region.
“I think it is time to call a spade, a spade: the simple reason the elites in the South East are finding it difficult to speak out against those killing and dehumanising their own people in the East is the fear of reprisal attacks against their own properties and family members back home by these ‘unknown gunmen’.
“I have spoken to my friends privately and they have admitted this much. Let’s not put unnecessary pressure on these elites. It’s a difficult situation for them. Their silence does not mean support for what is happening there.
“It is the responsibility of the federal government to restore law and order in all parts of the country and this I am absolutely certain the government of @officialABAT will do. Besides, we cannot isolate a region and its elites in a country where we see ourselves as one. It is our collective responsibility to assist the FG in restoring order nationwide.
“The only thing I ask is that these same elites must either now be silent or totally support the efforts of the federal government (be it military or otherwise) in restoring order to that region. When they initially kicked against Operation ‘PYTHON DANCE’ in the East, little did they know that the situation would degenerate to this level of savagery. Now, they know.”
