Imo PDP Now Spokesperson For Bandits In Imo?

COLLINS UGHALAA, KSC 

On Saturday morning, March 19, 2022, gunmen razed the country home of the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prof George Obiozor, at Awo-Omanma in Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State. On Friday morning, April 1, 2022, gunmen struck again, attacking the country home of the Imo State Commissioner for Labour, Employment and Productivity, Prince Ford Ozumba, at Umuhu Okabia Community in Orsu Local Government Area. Few days after, gunmen returned to the country home of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. C.A.C Akolisa, burning down his house once more and that of his father. 

It is barbaric that houses belonging to Imo people are razed at will by gunmen, but the comments offered to reporters by Barr. C.A.C Akolisa on the attack on his house is heart wrenching. “The Igbo are hardworking people who through their years of toils put up structures and leave developmental strides in their communities of origin. Through my many years of struggle, I have managed to put a block on another to build a befitting house for my family. My aged father also has a house he built through his sweats. Today, the both buildings are in rubbles and ashes – our fellow Igbos burnt them.

“Firstly, last year, these arsonists burnt my country home in Obibi, Awo-Idemili, Orsu LGA of Imo State for no just cause. This year again, they returned and this time, they perfected the complete burning of even the blocks/bricks. And last night, to my utter consternation, they leveled my father’s house. This is a house my father built by himself – the life-toil of an aged man. In other words, I wish to put on record that my family house is completely destroyed. This was after they used a truck to cart all the properties: fridges, TVs, bed/foams, generator sets and other household materials”.

Similarly, gunmen on April 14, 2022, cut a staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nwokorie Anthony, in his prime. He was said to have been shot dead by gunmen at Ihitte Nkwo (PU 004), Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area, while embarking on the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise. Two other INEC workers were declared missing. This sad incidence led to the suspension of the Continuous Voters Registration exercise in the LGA. The exercise had earlier been suspended at Orsu and Njaba Local government areas following security breaches in the areas. 

In the midst of all these, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had no words against the bandits and no soothing words for the victims of the attacks. But just for reading reports about State action against bandits, and determination of the Government to deal with the bandits, the PDP became livid. There was a report on Monday that bandits terrorizing communities in Orlu were spoken to in the language they understand by security forces. The report said that a joint security operation comprising the police and military personnel neutralised a notorious gang leader during exchange of gun fire at Orlu. The report added that the gang leader and 25 other bandits who operated with five vehicles had tried to infiltrate a security post at Orlu but were repelled by the quick intervention of the security personnel.

Few hours after the report, a press release by Brigadier General Onyema Nwachuku, Director Army Public Relations, said that troops of 34 Artillery Brigade Nigerian Army on Sunday neutralized bandits at Ihioma Community in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State. The statement added that “Troops on routine patrol encountered members of the irredentist group, who fired sporadically at Banana Junction to enforce the illegal sit at home order on law abiding citizens going about their legitimate businesses”.

On his part, Governor Hope Uzodimma during a church service to mark the Easter Sunday at St. Rose of Lima Parish, Ozuh Omuma, Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State, reiterated that politicians were behind the insecurity in the State. Noting that disgruntled politicians were trying to remove him through insecurity, the Governor said that investigations have revealed that most people killed and those whose homes were burnt were mostly members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He observed that there is no record of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) person reported to have died or suffered loss of property as a result of the activities of the so-called bandits. He called on those behind the banditry to repent “before Government will come out in its full weight to go after them”.

Reading these developments, the PDP found their voice and came for the Governor’s jugular. Recall that for over a month now the PDP recoiled into its cocoon, saying nothing while bandits ransacked the State. While Imo people were happy, the PDP came up with yet another story, that the Governor has marked their members out for slaughter. “Further, the PDP views as shocking and condemnable the statement credited to Gov Uzodinma in his Easter message, where he wondered why bandits, killers, arsonists, terrorists and militants have not been attacking and wiping out opposition figures in Imo”. The PDP claims that “Uzodinma has openly reached out to these monsters and killers, encouraging them to start targeting those who disagree with him. This is an open call for the elimination of members of opposition parties in the state”.

How the PDP came to the conclusion that the Governor has marked them out for slaughter is baffling. The PDP had in the past raised false alarm that the Imo State University had been renamed Abba Kyari University; that the Governor sneaked into the State some Chinese in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic and that herdsmen were quartered somewhere in Orlu. In a similar development, when bandits began their attack in Imo State last year with the attacks on the prison, police command and Governor’s house, the PDP said the attacks came because the Governor “stole their mandate”. They asked him to resign and return their mandate for peace to reign. When the PDP made those comments, did they not realise they were saying that the insecurity in Imo State is politically contrived?

The PDP has never hidden their support for bandits in the State. They rise up in their support whenever there is State action against them. They think they could use insecurity to remove the Governor. And that was after one of their leaders had threatened that they would make the State ungovernable. The PDP had accused the Governor of deploying soldiers to “kill his innocent brothers”, at a time the security agencies mobilized against the bandits and was close to winning the “war”. The witch cried in the night and the baby died in the morning.

Therefore, when the Governor, thinking aloud, observed that so far no member of the PDP has been killed or their houses razed by bandits, he was not plotting to kill opposition figures but stating the obvious – which is that the insecurity in the State is politically contrived. Otherwise, how are the bandits able to differentiate between members of the PDP and the APC? How come the bandits don’t know where houses of PDP members are located in the same communities where they attack houses belonging to members of the APC? These are germane concerns. The only reason it can happen like that is because, like the Governor said oftentimes, the insecurity in the State is politically contrived.

Instead of fighting the Governor, the PDP should rise and add its voice in the fight against insecurity in Imo State.