The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has said the security crisis ravaging the Southeast region can only be tackled if the leaders are united.

The former Anambra governor stated this in a message he delivered during the Southeast Summit on Economy and Security in Owerri, the Imo state capital.

According to Obi, the people of the Southeast, who are predominantly businessmen, have gradually lost their sources of income due to criminal activities perpetrated by hoodlums in the zone.

The LP presidential candidate, whose message was aired at the summit, urged the leaders of the Southeast to come together and speak up on ways to end the embarrassing insecurity in the region.

He said, “This summit, which is focusing merely on security and its economic impact on the Southeast, has come at the most auspicious time. It’s very necessary that, as a people, we come together and put our heads together to find a lasting solution to this problem of insecurity in our homeland.

“Our mainstay as a people is business; no business, and indeed, any other economic activity, would thrive amid insecurity.

“If we put our minds to it and work in unity and mutual trust, we will find a way out of this problem that is alien to us.

“Let me therefore commend your excellencies, the governors of the Southeast, for initiating the idea of the summit and working together to make this a reality.

“Let me urge everyone at this summit and those of us who are unable to attend in person to speak up, contribute ideas, and be part of the initiatives or actions that would be agreed upon at this summit to bring an end to the problem of insecurity in our region.

“God to guide us, grant us the wisdom, strength, and courage to take the necessary steps to end insecurity in our homeland so that we can continue to work with our God-given talent and energy to restore peace and tranquility in the Southeast and indeed our dear country, Nigeria.”