APGA gubernatorial candidate says political intolerance, major cause of crisis in Ebonyi

Prof Bernard Odoh

The Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA) in Ebonyi State, Prof Bernard Odoh, has described political intolerance as the major cause of the crisis in the state and promised to restore absolute peace and progress when elected governor.

Odoh stated this in Abakaliki during the inauguration of his support group known as ‘Odohmeter 2023’.

Odoh who frowned that 80 per cent of the Intra communal crisis in the state is linked to political intolerance and government Involvement in village politics, vowed to use mature approaches from the point of bias to bring back peace in the state.

According to him, once undue political interferences, involvement and intolerance are curtailed, weekly or monthly tensions in the communities and clashes in almost all parts of the State will be a thing of the past.

The Professor of Geophysics then urged the people of Ebonyi to vote for him in the coming election, assuring citizens of adequate security of lives and properties in the state, when he emerges as the 4th executive governor of the state next year.

“If you visit many of these communities that are involved in one communal crisis or the other, you’ll discover that over 80 per cent of the causes are all linked to political involvement.”

Odoh encouraged political leaders in the state to pursue agendas and policies that would bring investments into the state and not try to create tension and panic following their involvement in village politics.

“Our political leaders get so much involved in community politics and activities, all in a bid to put people who would be subservient to their authority and this is what gives rise to the communal crisis we witness in the state.

“As Governor from next year, my focus would not be on petty communal leadership tussle, as I speak to you now, many communities who have elected town union did that at the instructions of the government, not on the basis of who the community prefers as a leader.

“Society that is created that way must have tensions, there must be people who would say no to this, and this is what causes the tension.

“Effium/Ezza Effuim communal crisis started from the motor park. The two persons involved were appointees and elected members of the same government, so you can see the link and the relationship.

“We are going to work day and night to create a conducive economy in our communities so that our people can go to work and keep themselves busy with activities, once they are busy, they are able to make choices that suit their peculiar community needs, these things would diminish.

“What has happened in Ebonyi is a situation where vested political interests have been pursued at the expense of the common man. One thing that I’m committed to doing is dispensing social justice, it doesn’t matter who is involved, once we dispense social justice, much of the tension in the State would begin to reduce significantly.

“First thing we are going to do is to have a sustained audience, we’ll listen to each of the communities that are facing one crisis or the other, let us get to the root of the cause of this issues, we’ll take a compassionate and dispassionate position on the matters there.

“Anyone who is found being part of the crisis, the steps we’ll take, would make you know that we are not approaching from the point of bias.”

He added, “We are going to have a surveillance team, even in the capital city, we are going to have an organized, official supported security system, cleanly dressed with vehicles that are equipped with telecommunications gadgets.

“If there’s a crime, with the aid of the radio message, we’ll cuddle all the boundaries and deal with it effectively, we are not going to encourage thuggery, our people need to be respected and treated with honour.

“Once we do all of these, you will see that we’ll have a society where people would go about their normal business without harassment.”

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