Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu returned to the warm embrace of his supporters in Enugu, yesterday, insisting that using security operatives against him would not stop him from exercising the responsibilities of his election.

Ekweremadu told a mammoth crowd that received him on arrival in Enugu that the tragedy of the situation in the country was that those, who wanted the right things to be done, were hounded by security operatives.

He, however, assured that he was prepared psychologically and otherwise to face the situation, as much as it would guarantee true democracy for Nigerians.

“I’m not worried about the situation; I was not intimated.

I’m psychologically ready to go through this trauma; I know its not over, but I’m ready for it.

I refused to be intimidated, I’m prepared for it.

I’m going to do the work, which my people sent me to do, but all I’m asking is that there is no need overheating the system just because you want to bring down a system, an institution and certain people in government.

“There are more challenges in the Northeast and North Central; in the Southeast and Southwest.

People are killed every day and the lives of Nigerians don’t worth more than life of a chicken anymore.

People die in their hundreds and we close our eyes.

Here, soldiers die in the Northeast and they conceal it and people don’t know yet; others collect their allowances.

This is not the society we are looking up to; I don’t want to be part of the society where these are happening.

I want to be part of a generation where peace is restored,” he said.

•Culled from a Guardian report