.............SAYS ITS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED
A group of concerned Imo citizens, THE IMO COALITION FOR JUSTICE, PEACE AND TRUE DEMOCRACY, led by GOD’SWILL MEKAM CHIJIOKE CHINWEUBA, had condemned in strong terms the criminal silence of most Imo Political gladiators on the ravaging insecurity in Imo state.
The group however stated that some well meaning indigenes of Imo State have before now have expressed the view that the spate of insecurity in the state has more of political undertones than outright criminality.
Unfortunately, not only have the generality of the people failed to pay the needed attention to this, those who have made this position known have been shouted down by agents of the very elements who, either by design or default, goad on the criminal.
After a thorough appraisal of the current state of affairs, THE IMO COALITION FOR JUSTICE, PEACE AND TRUE DEMOCRACY, a non-governmental, non partisan, non religious organization, that is determined to return Imo State to the path of social harmony, has come to the conclusion that it is high time Imolites as a people began to interrogate the matter with all the seriousness it deserves.
The organization wishes to state unequivocally that it shares the view that politicians in the state, both overtly and covertly, are in support of the persistent attacks and killings going on.
In the first place, it is not a hidden matter that a few elements have been linked as masterminds of the atrocities by apprehended criminals while under interrogation. Initially, Imolites, indeed Nigerians, had thought that the lead would make way for a thorough and robust interrogation into the spate of insecurity in the state but unfortunately, that has not been the case.
Rather, those leads seem to have led the security agencies to nowhere. And we ask: Why?
Secondly, this organization is of the firm belief that the silence of some top politicians in the state on the matter of insecurity should be viewed with a lot of concern.. Agreed that it is incumbent upon the government of the day to guarantee the safety of the lives and property of citizens, it needs no exaggeration to state that things have taken such a dimension that all hands must be on deck. But what we rather have is a regime of both connivance at the persistent violence and outright collaboration between some politicians and the criminals.
The group however stated that, "We state without any fear of contradictions that the indifference being shown by some highly placed politicians in the state amounts to a clear approval of the activities of these criminals."
"As far as we are concerned, it is a deliberate act of perfidy against the generality of the people for a section of the political class to see the spate of insecurity in the state as a weapon for partisan opposition."
As already noted, granted that the government of the day owes the people the explanations, it is no longer a hidden matter that some elements in the state are more interested in reaping political capital out of the current situation than in helping in returning normalcy for the good of the generality of the people.
They streo that for purposes of clarity, "we would no longer hesitate in calling out some elements who have had the privileged of occupying positions of leadership but have, for purely selfish or partisan interests, chosen to look the other way while their own kit are kin are being roasted by criminals."
Take for instance, His Excellency, Chief Achike Udenwa, who governed the state for eight years. Today, Orlu local government area, where he hails from, has been under siege by hoodlums for the past two years. Yet, he has not uttered a word either in sympathy for his people or in condemnation of the criminals.
"Then, we have a serving senator, His Excellency, Chief Rochas Okorocha, whose only reported intervention is for calling on the federal government to declare a state of emergency on his state. We have Hon. Jerry Alagboso whose local government area, Orsu, is now a safe haven for terrorists and yet not a word has come from him. Ditto for Jeff Ojinika who hails from the same Orsu.
Where are the likes of Hon. Mayor Eze, Thankgod Ezeani and Jones Onyereri who have had the opportunity of representing their people in the National Assembly."
Why is mum their watch word? With the entire Orlu zone under siege, how will the people participate in the ongoing political processes to elect their next crop of leaders? Can any electioneering campaign take place in the zone under the present circumstances?
Down Owerri zone, we have the likes of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, who is believed to be warning upon again to contest another governorship election in 2023. But we ask: Why should the good people of Owerri zone, or indeed Imo state as a whole, entrust Ihedioha with their mandate when he has abandoned them when they needed him most.
As a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives what has been Rt. Hon. Ihedioha’s contributions to ending insecurity in the state, with all the connections he has. None, Imolites know of. Meanwhile, criminal elements are said to be hibernating in at least three cells within his own local government area, Aboh Mbaise.
The group went on to state that "His handlers boast of his taciturnity but as far as we are concerned, it is one borne out of a wish to have insecurity persist in the state to justify his (their) claim that things would not have been this way if he had been removed as governor."
In any case, it is not a hidden matter that his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which he claims to lead, takes delight in cheering the so called unknown gunmen each time they strike.
In conclusion, the group appealed to these so-called leaders who have chosen to either directly or indirectly aid and abet criminality in the state to repent. They would be making a big mistake to believe or think that insecurity would automatically disappear if they or their own political parties return to power.
Did Boko Haram end after the All Progressives Congress (APC) took over from the PDP, despite the fact that some of its leading lights, then, saw the insurgency up North as their strongest campaign weapon.