From Chuks Collins, Awka
The five South East governors of Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia, Imo and Anambra state have been blamed for the persistent killings and inhuman treatment of indigenes of the zone living in other parts of the country, particularly the northern Nigeria.
A21, a quasi political group in its meeting in Awka, Anambra state yesterday blamed what it saw as “political immaturity, over rated self importance, unnecessary self-adulation and greed for power on the part of the governors for the return of the ugly trend, many years after the last civil war.
“They now see their small enclaves as their personal empires, for the near absence or the tongue-in-cheek comments on the brazen recent progressive and intentional killings and ethnic cleansing of persons of South East origin in parts of northern Nigeria without fear or challenge.
Chairman of the A21 Organization, Chief Kanayo Obidigbo said the group was a quasi political pressure group set up by citizens drawn from all walks of life and political parties in the country with a drive for good governance and peaceful coexistence. He said they were in Anambra to drum up support for the citizens towards the conduct elections which became due since May 2003.
He said the group has already set up offices in the 326 electoral wards in the state, with a view to having a peaceful mass revolution towards any issue of general importance that agitates their mind.
The Organizing Secretary of the group, Angus Aniebonam said that it was preposterous for a governor who swore to protect the sanctity of life of citizens and the nation’s constitution, to ignore the tenets of the oath and the protection of the people he swore to protect at all times. Gov Obi, he added had ignored the conduct of council election in the state under uncountable excuses.
According to Aniebonam, “Anambra today is governed by proxy, as Mr Peter Obi has since relocated to Abuja from where he comes in at intervals to see some traditional rulers or say good bye to some Jerusalem or Jeddah pilgrims”.
He said that it was same Obi who told the world that Anambra was the safest and most peaceful state in Nigeria, but when asked to conduct council poll he shivers and develops rigors all over his body. Their political delusion in the South East Governors’ Forum which made some opt out has just been exposed when in their effort not to rattle their godfathers in the north chose to look the other way on the massive killings of Igbos in Potiskum, Madalla, Mubi, Gombe. Ta Adazi nnukwu in Anaocha council of Anambra, generations of some families have just been brought back in caskets for no reason other than their faith and tribe. Yet their governors chose to look the other way.
Chief Aniemeka Izuorah, who is the Secretary General, admitted that the activities of the group go beyond politics. He said the group frowned at the absence of meaningful project in the zone in the 2012 Federal Appropriation Bill. He therefore wondered what representatives of the zone in the National Assembly and the Federal Executive Council were doing. “They should wake up at once!” he said.
