By Joshua Chibuzo Andrew, Owerri
Ex Imo PDP Spokesperson, Collins Opurozor has owned -up for his former party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo state and some other opposition parties of hitting up the polity and fueling insecurity in the state.
In a world press conference held on Wednesday in Owerri, the Imo state capital, the Convener of the group, Collins Opuruzor, said that insecurity in the state is largely sponsored by foremost opposition elements(PDP) in the state who also are the ones to shout to high heavens to fuel unfounded speculations.
Opuruzor, who was the immediate-past Publicity Secretary of the Imo PDP cited the recent brutal attack at the PDP state Secretariat on June 10, where some members of the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party including himself almost lost their lives, as a glaring evidence of those who are behind insecurity in Imo state.
According to him, the PDP governorship candidate Senator Samuel Anyanwu sponsored thugs who invaded the party office to kill any member of the State Working Committee on sight. That evil act, he said was what prompted seven key members of the SWC including himself to leave for the ruling APC where, he said their safety was guaranteed.
The former PDP Spokesman further accused the representative of Ideato-North/Ideato-South federal constituency, Ikenga Ugochinyere Imo, of inciting the people of Imo with unguarded comments targeted at twisting the narrative and disparaging the state Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma as its government.
Ikenga’s latest outburst on Uzodinma, according to him, has created mass resentment both in Ideato nation and Imo state at large against the combative style of representation which he had adopted.
Listen to him, “It is very unfortunate that desperate political actors within the mainstream opposition in the State now wish to ruthlessly swim through the blood of innocent Imo citizens in their voyage to the shores of power.
“While these opposition elements sponsor and actively participate in stoking the fires of insecurity in the State, they further willfully sabotage the efforts of security agencies in combating crime and keeping Imo people safe. A peaceful Imo does not satisfy their unbridled lust for power! So, mischievously, they scream to the high heavens about the Government’s determination to keep the wolf of insecurity far away from Imo State.
“In some instances, they even accuse the Government of masterminding insecurity. Their voices are loudest, and their anger undisguised, whenever any major breakthrough is recorded. What else could be more insane!
“It is necessary to take you back to the origin of this wicked agenda to capture power in Imo through violence, bloodshed and anarchy. This is because most persons who tend to discuss the security issue in Imo State almost always divorce the issue from its history. They often end up with the blunder of ahistoricity.
“Recall that after some opposition leaders had been caught pants down on tape threatening to make Imo State ungovernable, on the 5th of April, 2021, barely one year after the incumbent administration of Governor Hope Uzodimma came into office, armed bandits struck at the Imo State Correctional Center in Owerri, and freed no fewer than 1,844 prison inmates.
“This number of inmates unleashed on the innocent residents of Imo State is larger than the entire military size of Gambia, Barbados and Mauritius. It was a declaration of war against the State, preparatory to a violent takeover of the reins of authority by a desperate coterie within the opposition.
“Shortly afterwards, abductions, arson and killings became daily facts of life in Imo State. Owerri was invaded and violently attacked almost every other day. But before the end of the last quarter of 2022, the State Government, working with security agencies, had effectively addressed the situation, reclaimed Imo territory and resettled those who had fled their homes because of the unfortunate situation. God did not allow the machinations of the forces of darkness to prevail over Imo State.
“As the leading civil society group in Imo State, what we now find extremely disturbing is that, as the November 11th Governorship Election in the State approaches, these anti-Imo elements in the opposition PDP have once again commenced their onslaughts against the State. They create uproar in the East, and strike in the West, and ask Imo people to blame the Government. But the people have come to realize that when the witch cries at night and the baby dies in the morning, it is unnecessary to ask who killed the baby.
“They have even criticized the Governor for visiting Lagos to make peace between our own brothers in Lagos and the Government and people of that State! This is an initiative which Ndigbo all over the world have applauded, yet the unrepentant enemies of peace in Imo State still consider it a taboo. This is mind-boggling. In short, they have vowed that until and unless they are allowed to impose themselves on the State, Imo shall never be safe again. This is their article of faith and campaign mantra.
“We call on you, gentlemen of the press, to seek to establish why the Party and their Governorship Candidate, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, decided never to let the police know about the attack, thereby forcing some SWC members to dump the Party.
“This alone will ultimately explain the most active force behind the insecurity in the State. We consequently urge the Inspector General of Police and Director General of the State Security Service to beam their searchlights on the activities of the PDP in the State, and immediately move into action to investigate and prosecute those behind that horrifying attack. It will open a can of worms!
“For us as a civil society group, it is alarming, and provocative too, that a member of this same PDP in the House of Representatives, Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, would turn around to accuse the Governor of the State of fuelling insecurity in Imo. Within twenty-four hours, the Ideato-born lawmaker addressed a press conference, issued another press statement and made two television appearances, all targeted at twisting the narrative and disparaging the Governor of the State.
“Is it not curious that Ikenga would accuse the Governor of perpetrating electoral fraud using Ebubeagu security agents, yet he could not tell his audience how he, a self-confessed critic of the Uzodinma administration, won his own election even while he was in Abuja without a single member of the Ebubeagu outfit seen nor any gunshot fired in the entire Ideato Federal Constituency on Election Day?
“Everyone in Imo State is aware that, more than anyone else, Governor Hope Uzodimma has personally been a direct victim of insecurity in the State when it lasted. His house in Omuma was attacked, houses of his close associates and Party members were razed, the country home of the deceased President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo was bombed, and APC members were targeted and killed, and some even gruesomely beheaded. How does Ikenga explain this?
“Is it not shocking that Ikenga, by his own admission, would decline to participate in a pan-Igbo meeting in Abuja convened by Ohanaeze Ndigbo which was aimed at permanently resolving the security situation in the region? How could he then turn around to accuse Governor Uzodinma, who provided the lofty initiative, leadership and resources for such patriotic engagement, of not showing commitment to resolving the issue?
“He needs to be reminded that part of his mandate as a parliamentarian is not to fight personal battles, settle age-long scores and make new enemies for Ideato people, which will certainly hamper the progress of the land. Ikenga made a lot of promises to his constituents before he was elected, including that he would restructure Nigeria. Time is ticking very fast, and the impression which most enlightened people within Ideato get from his renewed unprovoked attacks on Governor Uzodinma is that he is already looking excuses not to come home and hold constituency briefings to render account for his representation.
“The lawmaker has refused to respond to a very weighty statement credited to a civil society organization called Citizens Center for Democracy Awareness (CCDA) since May 25th, 2023, in which he was described as a strong sympathizer and supporter of the non-state actors that create insecurity and enforce sit-at-home in the Southeast, he has instead chosen to unsheathe his sword and go after Governor Uzodinma, who has effectively tamed the menace of insecurity in Imo, rekindled confidence in the people and restored the integrity of the institutions of state.
“We are aware that Ikenga’s latest outbursts have created mass resentment in Ideato against the combative style of representation which he has adopted. Also, we have credible intelligence that prominent individuals and groups have started to mass together in Ideato to kickstart the process of his recall from the House of Representatives.
“While we urge Ideato people to remain peaceful, law-abiding and to refrain from taking steps capable of undermining the hard-earned peace in the State, we call on security agencies to quickly take appropriate steps to defuse the tension which has trailed Ikenga’s comments by inviting him to make necessary clarifications about his incendiary claims against Governor Hope Uzodinma.”
