Sit-at-home: Achonu makes case for Imo youths, appeals for calm
Written By Anthony Iwuoma
Posted By Town Crier News Nigeria
Published By Fitness Network Communications
Sen. Athan Nneji Achonu, the candidate of the Labour Party in the Imo State governorship election, has appealed to aggrieved Imo youths to give peace a chance, promising to create the enabling environment for them to thrive when he is inaugurated as governor of the state after the November 11, election.
Speaking on the controversial sit-at-home order in Imo State, on Arise Television, Achonu disclosed that he had repeatedly made radio announcements, inviting the actors and those in the bush to stop killing fellow Igbo.
“I have appealed to them to lay down their arms. You can’t claim to be a Biafran. I am also a Biafran. I lost my arm during the Civil War. Therefore, Biafra means sacrificing your life to protect your family and friends, and not killing them for God’s sake. It doesn’t make any sense. You cannot be a Biafran while also killing Igbo people.”
He deplored the fact that the young men had been frustrated by misrule and bad governance to reportedly relocate to the bushes from where they reportedly operate.
“I’ll keep making broadcasts to calm them down. Life is hard for the Igbo A young Igbo boy has no hope in this country. Even if he wants to trade, he cannot even move around freely to make a living. There is a police or custom checkpoint at one kilometre. Life is hard in Igbo land; we are treated like a conquered territory”
The LP candidate described Imo as the epicentre of insecurity in the entire South-east.
He said: “It is from Okigwe that they attack Anambra Enugu and Abia. The entire Orlu is almost overrun. People don’t go home any longer. Even in Okigwe, there were no elections the last time, and in parts of Orlu even though results materialised from god knows where. The governor is away in Lagos and Abuja for months because Owerri has been invaded.”
Achonu frowned at the security arrangement in the state, saying: “I don’t understand because every policing is local. Because you can’t fight crime without people who live in those communities, getting involved; you can’t succeed. When you bring strangers to come and fight crime in say Okigwe, you will not be able to know where the criminals are hiding. Even if there are locals who are part of this crime syndicate, you will not be able to identify them.
“What is worrisome in Imo State is that you see a truckload of rough-looking men in uniforms with Ak47 and other weapons. You can’t even differentiate between the criminals and the so-called Ebubeagu. So, you don’t know who is who. This is something that could have been properly organised.
“In the last couple of years, I’ve been campaigning; I have erected billboards that communities should set up vigilantes and work with the police to check crime. Ebubeagu is the state vigilante. They are not working with locals. It is supposed to work with locals. What I’ve been proposing is that local governments, communities should own their own vigilante groups and now work with the police. You can call them Ebubeagu or anything, as long as it works. That’s what I had been proposing all these years.
“The whole place is in a mess. They are killing traditional rulers left, right, and centre, slaughtering people like fowls, and burning houses. I don’t understand how someone would commit a crime and security agents would come and burn houses in that location, how? We are looking for money to develop infrastructure but destroying the one you already have.”
The governorship hopeful expressed sympathy with the traditional rulers and accused Gov. Uzodinma of abdicating his responsibilities to secure lives and property for the monarchs.
“The traditional rulers can’t talk; they are so scared. They don’t have security. They don’t know who is killing them and why. So, they are so scared to voice out.
“I had advised the governor to apply the carrot and stick approach so that there would e peace. There cannot be progress without peace. He never picked up my call again until I won the LP governorship ticket.
“The problem of Imo State problem of Igbo land, and a very big problem. The governor has abdicated his responsibilities to protect the lives and properties of the people.”