• Condemn demolition of hotel without due process
The resurgence of kidnapping and violent crimes in Anambra State is a matter for regret.
It is even more regrettable that the target of the new wave seems to be the traditional rulers in the state.
Many who reacted informally have attributed this ugly trend to the high mileage of publicity given to the traditional rulers of late in the state which seemed to identify them with diverse material possessions, hurriedly donated by all manner of political interests.
Even though we in APC have roundly condemned the naked abuse of the throne with wanton materialism by government and some political aspirants, we do not see it as an excuse to allow crimes prevail.
We have take it for granted that after losing a statesman and former Deputy Governor, to kidnappers, the government and people of Anambra State would declare an emergency in that area and pressure the Police and vigilante groups to put this crime patter under control.
What we find at the moment is however discouraging. To this extent we plead with the Anambra State government to stretch themselves within the limitations of their policy umbrage to keep a minimal peace in the state, until an APC government comes to power in March next year.
We are glad that the Police and the Government for so far paying the kind of attention and updating on steps being taken, unlike what we saw when ex-Deputy Governor Nwike and ACN National Vice Chairman was kidnapped and eventually murdered.
To this extend, we note that the return of the traditional ruler of Abacha and Awgbu in safe condition and the arrest of the relevant culprits has become a matter of the state’s pride badly battered in recent times by the incidence of poor management of the welfare of Anambra State citizens outside the State by the Peter Obi administration.
We take this chance to point out the nexus between the incidence of insecurity and that of night mass movement of persons in and out of Anambra State undetected.
Once again we restate our prime respect for the sanctity of human lives and to this extend wish to condemn the act of unexplained discovery of 14 fresh human skulls in a hotel in Anambra State and insist that a full-scale investigation should be carried out –not a wait- and take- approach as see in the past,while the real culprits should be prosecuted .
In connect ion to, and regarding the process of investigation, we vehemently condemn the strong-arm tactics of the Anambra State government and all its collaborators in taking the rash step of going ahead to demolish an existing hotel, employing Anambra citizens without due process.
It is out take that by so doing, the government of the day has inadvertently or willingly interfered with the justice of the matter by covering up evidence as our common law is not founded on popular passion or trial by ordeal.
It is more painful when it is recalled that this approach was also used in the wake of the discovery of scores of corpses in Ezu River at Amansea, when there was an executive order to bury the corpses ahead of investigation.
We note that this barbaric approach was used in Orifite without announcing the prosecution of the culprits till date. We call for complete disclosures on the Orifice case study for the information update of Anambra citizens.
We also again insist that all steps to be taken by the government in seeking solutions to our security problems must be anchored in the laws of the state and the federation to avert impunity and a state of anarchy.
We also urge the Anambra State House of Assembly to find the courage to make further inputs into the amendment process of the 1999 constitution to address the declining security situation in Anambra State and other states of the federation.
