The Sole administrator of Solad Njaba Local Government in Imo State, Honourable Ugochukwu Obi, speaks with IMOLEAYO OYEDEYI on the security situation in the state and the four horrific attacks on offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state in December, 2022, among other issues.
In December last year alone, gunmen attacked offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other places in your state; what do you think is cause of rising insecurity in the state?
There is no doubt in my mind that the attacks are being perpetrated by the people who think they can suppress the governor. In the beginning of the current administration in the state when the attacks began, people had thought it was a joke. But to the glory of God, people are now seeing why some of the things are happening. We have had INEC offices being burnt. We have also had houses of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state being attacked. But none of these attacks has happened to any member or structure belonging to the opposition parties. And this will compel one to ask: what is the real mission behind these attacks?
It will be recalled that the state governor, Hope Uzodimma, after the last attacks on an INEC office in the state, blamed the series of attacks on some politicians who he said are against his party and determined to frustrate his government. How true is this?
These are the exact facts on ground. It will be recalled that when the governor assumed office, some of the stalwarts of the opposition parties vowed that they would make the state ungovernable for him. And they have since then been staying true to their words, because we have been seeing their hand works. You, yourself, can testify to the happenings of these attacks and the manner in which they are being carried out has not given anyone any doubt that they are being orchestrated by the opposition parties’ chieftains. It is not only in Orlu LGA that we have seen serious killings every day, with the assailants attacking filing stations, government houses, INEC offices, they also happen in some other places too. And one will keep wondering about the motive behind all these killings. What are the interests of the masterminds? We have heard they are working to prevent election from happening in the state, but they should have waited till the election time-table is released and then we all can go back again to the poll and show our strengths, not by just causing havoc and calamity in the state to put fears in the minds of the people.
Now, for the past two to three years, I have been in the state and we have been witnessing some of the attacks. At times, the way people portray the incidents is as if nobody even exists in the state. But trust me, the state governor is not someone who is afraid as he has the charisma and competence to pilot the affairs of the state. Despite the various attacks, God has given the state governor the grace to handle some of the security situations of the state. And he has been trying his best. If not, it would have been a different situation in the state today, because we know that 90 per cent of the attacks are being perpetrated by the opposition. If only they would sit down, think deeply and realise that some of the lives that they have taken are those of their brothers and sisters in the state, then they will know that there is virtually no gain in all the killings they are masterminding to settle political scores. For instance, what were their benefits when they burnt down the various INEC offices in the state? What is even very worrisome is that no member of the opposition parties has come out once to issue a statement condemning the attacks. None of the parties have done that. But trust me, sooner or later, the truth of the whole matter will come out, because I strongly believe that the governor who has the mandate of the people is not afraid and in 2023, he will overcome the security issues.
You said the opposition parties are behind the attacks in the state, but why do you think they will choose to do that? What is the governor’s offence?
They have made their threats known from day one. They, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and others, made the statements themselves. So, it is not something that we framed up. But till today, I have been wondering why the law has not caught up with some of these people, because many of them are very much in the state. And all they have been doing is to use the money they have looted in the past to sponsor some of the criminals that carry out the attacks we talk about. Even when you look at it closely, INEC is a federal commission. It doesn’t belong to the state. So why should they attack the commission’s offices? And like I said earlier, none of the opposition parties has come out to condemn any attack on the federal government structures in the state. So, let them come out in black and white to explain their real aim for destroying the federal property, instead of the state assets, we believe they have planned to pull down. But trust, we know all their tricks and the state government is equal to the task. We are really out for them, because there is no way we will feel threatened.
So are you saying now that all attacks and killings in the state have to do with ‘politics of bitterness’ as the state governor claimed in recent interviews?
Yes, that is it: bitterness. The facts are very clear and that is what we are witnessing here. If not, the opposition would have come out in black and white and tackle us or give contrary reasons, and even condemn any of the attacks. Mind you, some of the arrested suspects of the various attacks have confessed [and mentioned] some names and we know the men they have mentioned. That is why I said, sooner or later, the law will take its course.
But don’t you think the so-called sponsors of the attacks could be aggrieved because their mandate was stolen from them with the help of judiciary?
What mandate is that? Can you even get any mandate from the people by violence? If they say that they won the election, fine, there are rules. And it is that, after the election, the aggrieved persons are obliged to go to court, the tribunal, which was set up for up to 90 days after the election. The truth is you don’t win an election by mouth. It must be by facts and figures. I could remember that when the governorship tribunal was convened and the PDP’s candidate appeared in court, all he asked for was to be declared the winner of the election. He didn’t even ask for a rerun if truly he was confident the people’s mandate was with him. But the facts of the case were established and after all said and done at the court, the judgement came. I believe if the PDP as a party thought they won the election, they would have tendered their results in the court. Why were they afraid to do that? If you actually passed an exam, you would be able to go back to your school with your report card to prove your victory or success. Will you need to hide the report sheet? Of course, you won’t. And coming back to the situation in Imo State, I believe peace is coming back to the state. Already, things are beginning to be normalised.
But there was still an attack in the state last week?
Well, the attack is minimal now. It is not like it used to be. If you come to Owerri, the state capital now, you will see people walking around freely without fear. The opposition had thought that by now, the state would have been like a desert. But behold, the state government has shown that it’s equal to the state. I believe the motive of the opposition will not be achieved, because there is a government in the state. And as such, the next election will definitely be held in the state.
You said the attacks are minimal now in your state, but some days ago, the convoy of a former governor of your state, Ikedi Ohakim, was attacked with four policemen killed and contrary to what you said earlier, findings made on Wikipedia showed that the man is a chieftain of the PDP. Can the opposition party be attacking its own member again?
No, kindly go and verify again from people in the state, Ikedi Ohakim is a full chieftain of the APC in Imo State. You can go and check the records again. Anything I am telling you is authentic. He works with the state governor and he is very much close to the state governor. Mind you, the news that went round this week that the police station in my local government was attacked is not true. There was no police station that was attacked in my LGA as reported. I can even go and snap the picture of the police station now and send it to you. I even have the phone number of the DPO of the station, as you can confirm from him. The pictures you are seeing on social media are clips of an attack that happened about nine months ago in another place.
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