As the November Governorship Election draws near, a former Governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim has opened up on matters concerning insecurity in Imo state Nigeria.
Ohakim stated this while pondering on possible ways to curb insecurity in Imo state and South Eastern Nigeria at large.
In addressing the matter of insecurity, Ohakim said “We hear a lot of “I will do this or that” but we are not hearing “how it will be done”
He added that it needs no exaggeration to say that the security situation in Imo State is quite worrisome using himself as a victim of such circumstances.
Read him:
However, I consider it quite unfortunate that some of our people, including members of the elite, create the impression that it is a peculiar problem to the state.
Some even go further to insinuate that the governor deliberately hoists insecurity on the state. Nothing can be more nonsensical. Governor Uzodinma is, himself, a victim of insecurity in the state, I am also a victim.
I am in a position to know that the government is doing everything possible to tackle the situation. I can assure you the government is on top of the situation.
As a matter of fact, veritable statistics with the Nigeria Police does not show that Imo has the highest number of crime in the Southeast. As a private citizen, I move around the Southeast and I can say without any fear of contradiction that on the matter of insecurity, our dear state Imo is not worse off.
That does not mean that we should give any room for complacency but we should not blackmail ourselves into believing that the next thing is to run away from our state.
This is why I get worried by the type of language in which some of the political players and their handlers couch their comments on the issue of insecurity in the State.
Their language, more often than not, amounts to de-marketing the state, almost tending to make it a pariah; and invariably scaring away outsiders who would have loved to continue doing business with us.
In short, the utterances from many of our key politicians tend to terrorize our people more than sound of gun shots from blood-thirsty hoodlums.
I have been personally involved in several meetings on the matter of insecurity in the Southeast and I know that the governors are doing quite a lot.
Whether we like it or not, the matter rests squarely on the shoulders of the Federal Government; which is why I would once again restate my position that in this highly tempestuous time, we need a governor who enjoys a good rapour with the federal authorities as Uzodinma does.
To be sure, the candidates campaigning to take over from Governor Uzodimma are on a legitimate pursuit but I part ways with them in trying to judge him with the matter of insecurity.
The optimism and promises to do something better is good and expected but I believe we are better off consolidating on our collective experience, garnered in the last three and half years, in addressing the matter of insecurity.
Recall that when Ikedi Ohakim was Imo Governor, Imo reclaimed the cleanest state status in Nigeria. And again his administration was synonymous with “Clean and Green” concept.
We hear a lot of “I will do this or that” but we are not hearing “how it will be done. Chief Ohakim frowned.
-Princely Onyenwe reporting
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