Effium crises: Ebonyi government plans attack on opposition politicians – PDP

In the aftermath of crises that erupted in Effium community in Ohaukwu Local Government Council of Ebonyi State, the Peoples Democratic Party, South East zone has alledged that plans are afoot to crack down on the opposition politicians by Ebonyi State government.

The party noted that Ebonyi State has turned into a blood-letting field due to inexplicable carelessness of Governor David Umahi, lamenting, how a government that should be plugging the blood-letting is playing politics with the lives of innocent residents of the state.

The party expressed sadness that when a government that claims it had identified those behind the crises turns the other way while citizens of the state are killed on daily basis.

In a statement on Thursday which was signed by the SSA Media and Publicity to the National Vice Chairman, PDP South East zone, Mr. Moses Idika said:

“On January 22, 2021 when a fresh communal crises erupted in Effium Community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, the ensuing skirmishes that led to the killing of several innocent citizens of the State in that axis which till date the government of Ebonyi State has been unable to give an accurate account or figure of the casualties.

“As usual, the State Governor, Chief David Umahi convened countless meetings where he handed out threats to all manner of people in a grandstanding mission that has now been proven to be a plan to hoodwink the general public to believing the government actually had a plan.

“Now we know better-no plan whatsoever, sadly.
A few days back, one Mr. Stanley Okoro Emegha who parades himself as the Commissioner for Internal Security and Border Peace was seen on a national TV where he struggled with poor English to respond to questions bordering on the wanton killing of residents of Ebonyi State.”

“In the said unfortunate TV outing, Emegha displayed such bewildering ignorance that left everyone that watched the show of shame dejected and angry.

“As he displayed his appalling knowledge of the security situation in Ebonyi State, Emegha was rather quick to point accusing finger on people he called “opposition” politicians in the state as being the brain behind the unending effium communal crises.

“But we are not surprised that Mr. Stanley Okoro Emegha was unable to convince anyone that either he or indeed the Ebonyi State government was ready to assist security agencies to curtail the wanton killing currently ongoing in Effium Community.

“It is important to let the general public know that Mr. Emegha should, in fact, be held responsible for the ugly fate that have befallen our people in Ebonyi State of today as far as the security of lives and property are concerned in the hitherto peaceful Ebonyi State.

“Emegha, who equally doubles as the caretaker chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ebonyi State has since abandoned anything that has to do with the security in the state and have rather been gallivanting everywhere as he parades himself as the “chairman of the ruling party” while the security of lives of Ebonyians are threatened on daily basis.

“The man is rather focusing his attention on what happens in the opposition political parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which since December, 2020 have become the major focus of Ebonyi State Government and its officials.

“Since Emegha was appointed Commissioner for Internal Security and Border Peace, Ebonyi State has seen an unprecedented upsurge in criminal activities, including armed robbery, burglary, kidnapping, destruction of public property, communal skirmishes, car-snatching and lately Herdsmen attacks.

“It is unexplainable that despite the glaring threats, abundance of intelligence and bold handwriting on the walls, when suddenly the Fulani herders in Ebonyi State left en-mass, Emegha didn’t deem it fit to alert the public and security agencies until about 30 citizens of Ebonyi State were butchered like rams in Ishielu Local Government Area.

“Back to the lingering Effium crises, it is either there is a crack in the government of Governor David Umahi or Mr. Emegha as usual forgot to take along his prepared script to Channels TV after downing several bottles of Hero larger beer.

“For the records, Governor Umahi in January 23, 2021 when he paid an assessment visit to effium at the onset of the crises announced that his government already identified persons who may have a hand in the crises and promised to ensure that they were brought to book.

“In fact, as a way of whipping them into line, and also to confirm that indeed, people in his government were responsible, Governor Umahi had said, “All political appointments and developmental projects being executed in the crisis area should be suspended until permanent peace returns to the area.”

“To further buttress the above point, barely two weeks ago, Governor Umahi became more lucid and direct on the those behind the Effium crises when he said that:

“It is obvious that leaders from both sides are the ones instigating the killings, crisis and burning of houses.

“All political appointees that are absent in this security meeting are hereby suspended from office including the retired permanent secretary.”

“What more, the governor subsequently ordered for the arrest of the Chairman of Ohaukwu Local Government Chairman, Barr. Clement Oddaa and the lawmaker representing Effium in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Chinedu Awo.

“It is, therefore, baffling that Mr. Emegha was struggling to link the crises in Effium to “opposition” politicians in Ebonyi State.

“For the avoidance of doubt, a character like Stanley Okoro Emegha should have simply been restricted to his bogus appointment as a caretaker Chairman of the APC in Ebonyi state , and not to saddle him with such sensitive position Commissioner for Internal Security and Border- this man has neither the mental/intellectual or physical capacity to carry out the duties of such highly sensitive office.

“It has, therefore, become very imperative for Governor Umahi to immediately relieve Emegha of the duty of coordinating security of Ebonyi State as leaving him there will not only constitute and embarrassment and danger to Ebonyi State, but will confirm that the government is planning a clampdown on opposition politicians in Ebonyi State.

“How on earth will an appointee of Governor so ignorantly indict his boss, while still staying put in the government?

“Again, the sack of Emegha should be paramount in the mind of Governor Umahi, unless it was a script given to the APC Caretaker Chairman, as a an indirect way of waging war against opposition elements and those with dissenting opinion in Ebonyi State.

“If Governor Umahi had indeed indentified those behind the carnage in Effium, It is very important that the governor acts fast and ensures that all those he has identified are brought to justice in accordance with the laws of the land.

“Anything short of that will portray the government as insensitive and wicked. As the Chief Security Officer of the state, Governor Umahi must as a matter of urgency rejig the internal security mechanism in such a way that a character like Emegha, a nincompoop by any standard features nowhere in it”, the statement concluded.