Imo Governor Blame monarchs Over Insecurity
The Imo state governor, Hope Uzodinma, Thursday queried monarchs in his state, that henceforth they would be faced with sanctions for not exposing the perpetrators of criminal activities in their domain.
Uzodinma spoke in Owerri, in a security town hall meeting held at Ahiajoku center, new Owerri in the state.
The governor who was represented by his Deputy, Placid Njoku, said it was because monarchs in the state refused to speak out the truth, which was the reason for some of the criminal activities in Imo communities.
According to Njoku, “The issue of security is very key to governor Uzodinma’s administration. As we believe in the government of Imo state, we must ensure that the state is secured. We are working for the good of humanity and ensure lives and properties are protected but few individuals want to cut it down.
“This meeting is to unite ourselves. If you are a traditional ruler in Imo state, ask yourself what is your role in the community to ensure there is security.
“These rapists, kidnappers, hoodlums leave in your communities and what are your doing to stop them. Traditional ruler must have a system to identify who is who in your community. A traditional ruler must ensure there is no criminal operating in his domain.”
“I found out that traditional rulers are afraid to speak the truth sometimes. From today if anything happens in your community you will be held responsible, Why will you be a traditional ruler and allow criminals to move freely in your community. You must have a conscience in order to tell the truth. Like our governor, who speaks out the truth that is how all of us should behave,” Njoku said.
Also speaking, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, zone 9, Etim Ene Okon, described as destructive the kind of agitations in the southeast, warning that the agitators were killing their brothers who are serving police officers.
He said: “I am in Imo is not just to come and message you, I am here for a professional assignment. My mission is very simple it is about what is going on in the entire southeast states. I have known Imo to be a peaceful state.
“I want to say this, for any agitation that will lead to the killing of the people are no longer an agitation. Policemen are killed, police stations are burnt is not acceptable.
This is what we call destructive pattern of agitation. Most of the policemen serving in the Southeast are Igbos while are you killing your brothers in the name of agitation.”
“Who will guide you if you kill them. That is why I am here to let you know the need to join hands and fight the terror coming to us. If you think it is police stations that are burnt, it will come to haunt all of us in no distant time. My own is to have peace in our state so that all of us will have peace,” Okon said.
Vanguard News Nigeria
