The Association of South East Town Unions (ASETU) has applauded the community policing programme of the Federal Government.

National President of ASETU, Chief Emeka Diwe disclosed this, yesterday, in a communique issued at the end of a two-day emergency security retreat of the group  in Enugu.

Diwe, however, called for the integration of the association into the programme in the region.

He said the roles of the town unions in the Igbo traditional setup had made it imperative for the town unions to be involved at all levels of  the programme for greater efficiency.

The president, however, said that such security arrangement in the region needed to be Pan-South East.

“This is what our people want in order to guarantee full security of lives and property in our land.

“The over-concentration of power at the centre has not helped the development, peace and security of Nigeria,” he said.

The president said that the group was worried that in spite of their entreaties for the  enactment of forest guard and neighbourhood watch laws in the region, most states had yet to buy into it.

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Diwe called on the various state governments to take seriously the issue of clashes between farmers and herders with a view to addressing such with relevant legislations.

“There is no disincentive to agricultural productivity that can be worse than destruction of crops by cattle.

“Our governments should enact laws to make ranching of cattle the only acceptable modality for cattle business in the region,” he said.

He said that ASETU had developed an economic initiative that  had been adopted as a framework for achieving the economic growth of the Igbo nation.

“It does not serve the strategic security and economic interest of Ndigbo for our wealth to be scattered across the globe.

“The wealthiest Nigerians per capita are among the Igbo. Yet, this reality has not reflected in the existential conditions in Igboland,” he said.

Diwe said that there must now be a deliberate policy for the gradual, seamless and steady repatriation of Igbo wealth back to Igboland.

“We, therefore, charge our governors to be alive to their responsibility of providing the enabling environment for these investments to thrive in Igboland,” he said.