Obinna Uchendu
Abakaliki
Ebonyi State Governor, Chief David Umahi yesterday alleged that the killings of security personnels and the burning of police facilities and the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC in Ebonyi State are politically motivated.
Governor Umahi made the disclosure when he recieved the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG zone 9, AIG Etim Okon at the Old Executive Council Chamber, Government 5House Abakaliki.
Governor Umahi stated that the agitation started by the separatist movement, the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB has been hijacked by desperate politicians in the state who are not happy with his defection to the All Progressive Congress APC.
The Ebonyi State Governor noted that his defection and the achievements of his administration has prompted the opposition politicians to device several means of killing security personnel and burning down of Government facilities.
Governor Umahi who also condemned in strong terms the setting ablaze of his filling station along Ogoja road and the attempted assassination of the publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Congress APC Ebonyi State, Mr. Simbad Ogbuatu called on security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the crime.
According to Governor Umahi; “Let me condemn very seriously the killing of security agencies. I have said it severally; burning of police stations are very regrettable. Yesterday INEC two offices in Ezza North and Ebonyi local government were burnt. A filling station that I owned before now was also burnt two days ago and there was also an attempted assassination of the Publicity Secretary of APC in Ebonyi”.
“Let me say AIG that the nation Nigeria played into the hands of our restive youths because there were a number of demands there were making, there were agitations about the way the south east is being treated at the national level and when those are repeated, then our people bought the impression that they are fighting for the welfare of our people”.
“So the impression here is that we are not welcome here in Nigeria. It has given the Governors a very serious task with regard to this and I am sure security agencies know this because it seems a number of people especially those who are aggrieved with government are tactically supporting them”.
“We the Governors in south east believe in one Nigeria where fairness, equity, justice and fair play do take place. We do not want to secede as a people, we want to be treated nicely just like other regions and this is a fact”.
Earlier in an address, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 9, AIG Etim Okon said that the Inspector General of Police at the weekend sent a 4 mobile police unit to Ebonyi state in it’s better to restore peace to the South East.
He expressed the regret over the increasing rate of kidnapping, killing of security personnels and burning of police stations and of recent INEC offices and called on the state Governor to urge the traditional rulers to talk to their subjects on the need to end such violent attacks.
AIG Okon stated that whatever agitation being made by IPOB and ESN would not be achieved through violence and called on all stakeholders in the state to help the country in this trying period. Ends.,
