TheCable

Chris Ngige, minister of labour, says President Muhammadu Buhari has accepted the adoption of dialogue to address agitations in the south-east.

He stated this on Sunday, while speaking with state house correspondents after a meeting with the president in Abuja.

There have been attacks on government buildings across the south-east, leading to the killing of several security operatives.

While the police and the army have accused the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of masterminding the attacks, the group has repeatedly denied its involvement.

There have also been agitations from parts of the south-east for secession, while various stakeholders have also lamented the marginalisation of the region.

However, according to Ngige, the federal government is working out some modalities to ensure that the people of the south-east do not “feel unwanted” in Nigeria.

“We also looked at the security situation, especially in my zone, the south-east, and we made some proposals to him based on the yearnings on the people, and what the government also wants,” the minister said.

“We are following up with dialogue, which at the end of the day, is what will happen. We have to talk; we have to discuss. Part of the discussion starts tomorrow. The minister of defence, minister of interior, and service chiefs were in Enugu last Saturday and we’re going to do follow-up meetings on that.

“We briefed him and he accepted that dialogue is the way to go in all this. Like I keep on saying, there is a very thin line between perception and reality. So, certain things will be done, at least to assuage the feelings of the people in the area, and make them not feel unwanted.”