By Emma Ogbuehi
Senator Andy Uba Governorship Campaign Organisation, (SAUGCO), the political platform of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 6 Anambra governorship election, Andy Uba, has mocked Governor Willy Obiano on his reaction to the threat of state of emergency on Anambra by the federal government.
In a release by the Director, Media and Publicity, Victor Ogene for and on behalf of the group, SAUGCO, observed that after weeks of prodding the governor to tackle the deteriorating insecurity in the state, he appears to have woken up.
It alleged however that rather than taking responsibility for deteriorating state of security in the state, Obiano is blaming others for the threats by the federal authorities to declare a state of emergency in Anambra if the situation persists.
The statement government, had through the Information commissioner, C. Don Adinuba, faulted the suggestion of state of emergency by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, arguing that the situation in Anambra is nowhere near the level of disturbances in some APC-controlled states. “Is the number of victims of the politically motivated violence in Anambra State anything near what the nation has seen even in such states as Imo and Ebonyi controlled by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)? Why hasn’t Malami considered a state of emergency in these APC-controlled states?” the commissioner asked in a statement on Wednesday.
But in response, SAUGCO remarked that Adinuba was reacting to what ordinarily is tantamount to a wake-up call by the Hon. Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, for the state government to rise up to its responsibility of addressing the insecurity challenges in the state.
SAUGCO noted; “When Gov. Obiano speaks about past security challenges in neighbouring Imo and Ebonyi states, the question to ask is: didn’t governors of both states take urgent, practical steps that restored normalcy?
“When only two days ago, on Tuesday, October 5, 2021 governors of the South east met at Enugu to seek solutions to rising insecurity, especially in Anambra, why was Obiano the only governor not in attendance?
“Why did he rather choose to go dancing on a campaign romp at Otuocha, Anambra East LGA of the state, on the same day other serious governors gathered to seek a regional solution to a problem most prevalent in his state; in spite of the fact that he is not a candidate in next month’s governorship election?
“In deed, where are the surveillance cameras, drones, helicopters, horses and dogs which Gov. Obiano claimed to have bought to tackle crime and criminality in the state?
“As a matter of fact, it is high time the governor offered explanation about the whereabouts of these security paraphernalia, especially against the widespread believe among the citizenry that most of the items have been sold and the dogs and horses used as culinary delights.
The group alleged that the problem with Anambra is that Gov. Obiano has long abandoned governance and is more concerned about what he can grab for himself, adding that to whimsically put the blame on politics, or the Attorney General of the Federation is not only disingenuous, but downright false.
It asked; “Were there elections in sight when Awka, the state capital, Ihiala and Okija areas was turned into killing fields, in fierce cult clashes; when the commercial city of Onitsha was overwhelmed by criminals and jungle justice resurfaced; or when worshippers in Ozubulu were massacred one Sunday morning, and their killers still at large; or when the whole Omabala part of the state was engulfed in bitter inter communal clashes that has affected no fewer than 10 communities?
“In all of these instances, Gov. Obiano simply refused to take charge – a beaten pathway he is still treading.
“As we noted in our last statement dated October 3, 2021, instead of seeking ways of making restitution to the people of Anambra who have been misgoverned over the last seven years and half, leading to key stalwarts and functionaries of both the party and government leaving in droves to join the APC, Governor Obiano, rather, refuses to act, lending credence to claims in several quarters that he does not want the November 6, 2021 governorship election to hold.
Uba stated that while the consideration of a state of emergency by the Federal Government may not be hilarious for any democrat, it is necessary to state that the government has the primary responsibility of protecting lives and property of the people.
He argued that the state of emergency being mulled is consequent upon the docility of the Anambra government to secure its territory and protect the people.
