#EndSARS: Security presence in the S/E zone is boosting investment -Oga

The Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Uche Oga, has justified the deployment of strong military presence, which he said has helped to boost investments and restored peace in the zone

Ogah, while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, also dismissed as untrue, the allegations that police extort money from motorist in the region.

Providing details of the town hall meeting to the Cabinet in Abuja, Oga berated a documentary that presented Abia as a war zone, saying that ” There is no need for anybody to encourage war in any more”

“I presented my report from my state, Abia state and Emeka Nwajiuba presented for Imo State and we were able to convey Mr. President’s message to the people in our various states.

“Majorly, one high point that I want to say critically was in Abia State, a documentary was done showing issues concerning war. There is no need for anybody to encourage war in the region any more.

“War does not bring prosperity but peace brings prosperity to the entire world and that is why we stand for one indivisible nation, Nigeria is for every one. That’s what Mr. President stands for and this government has done a lot for this nation within this period which we shared with the people and they are happy with the performance of the Federal Government.

“Except that they feel that most of the information is not getting down and which was why we have started passing on the right information to the people so that they know what the government is doing.

Speaking on the allegations that the Police were still mounting road blocks in South East and extorting money from the people, Oga, denied the extortion claims”

” I don’t want us to always look at it as people are being extorted, no, the benefit of their presence in the South East has encouraged a lot of investments in the South East.

“First I want to say that the Police and all the security agencies were involved in the town hall meeting

“But one thing I am a history student, I always like to tell people history, if you remember there was a time the economy of the entire South East eroded as a result of kidnapping. We actually invited the security forces down to South East.

“Remember (General Azubuike) Ihejirika (former Chief of Army Staff) was there, even a governor in my own state could not operate as a governor. Kidnappers were unable to allow him to operate, we invited the army, we invited the police, we invited everybody, the entire South East economy eroded, nothing was going on in the entire South East.

“Most times, I don’t always want to agree wheen people want to say that people are being extorted because I pass through the same road, you can always say you have long queues because people are being stopped and search, it’s not because of extortion, that is one.

“So basically I believe that when we talk about these security issues, we need to exercise caution because the presence of the military in South East gives more opportunity for people to invest because people are convinced that there is security.

“Remember what happened in Anambra State let me use that as an example. When the governor came in, Anambra was a place where nobody gets into, when the governor came in, he descended on all the kidnappers, they were demolishing their (kidnappers) houses. Today, if you go to Anambra state, you will see a whole lot of investments coming into that state.

“So let us look at it from that point of view that these people are equally… there is nothing that has no pros and (cons), when you look at it, it has its negative and positive attributes.

“So, I don’t want us to always look at it as people are being extorted, no, the benefit of their presence in the South East has encouraged a lot of investments in the South East.”