The Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. C. Don Adinuba appealed to the members of the opposition political parties in the state to stop playing politics with the state’s security and embrace the efforts of the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano to ensure a safe and secure state that Ndi Anambra will be proud of.
Adinuba who made the appeal in a statement in Awka, Anambra State capital regretted that elements of the opposition parties in the state had launched a counter campaign to scuttle preparation by the people and government of Anambra State to launch the second phase of Operation Mkpochapu (Operation Wipeout Crime) to be led by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu on October 11, 2019 in order that Anambra would return to the days when it was almost overrun by kidnappers, armed robbers, contract murders and other violent criminals.
He noted that the counter campaign was done in the name of party politics because of the assumption that an insecure Anambra State would enable them to win the 2021 gubernatorial election and once again mould the state in their image even as he alleged that the opposition elements had been running from pillar to post in the last 48 hours in search of journalists and media organizations they could induce to write salacious things about the state’s security.
According to him, “One of the steps taken to scandalize the state’s security is to allege that the items procured for the second phase of Operation Mkpochapu are at outrageous prices. The items include Toyota Sienna buses, fully equipped with security gadgets, to operate the most sophisticated 24-hour digital surveillance cameras from Industrial Video and Control, Boston in Massachusetts, United States, manufacturers of the advanced CCTVs used to capture the infamous Boston Marathon bombers in 2013.
“The Toyota buses were purchased at less than N4m a unit, which is the market price in Nigeria. Still, the opposition elements want to impress upon the media that the prices are very high, giving the journalists copies of the pro forma invoices as though to validate their spurious claim. Let all those with the pro forma invoices carefully compare the price of each item with the price in the market and they will see that the prices at which the Anambra State government obtained the items are the best any government anywhere can get.
“The opposition elements must have discovered that Nigerian journalists are not as naïve and cheap as they thought. Many of the media quickly saw through the lies and manipulation of the opposition and abandoned the propaganda material. Some others sought to obtain the views of Anambra State government officials in an attempt to balance their reports and in the process discovered the truth; they consequently discarded the allegation. We thank the journalists for their professionalism. They practise journalism of conscience and national commitment.”
The Commissioner further condemned the opposition elements who he alleged had made videos inciting the people against Governor Obiano for accommodating Fulani herders in the state saying “we consider the videos very irresponsible and extremely dangerous.”
“These elements are putting in the harm’s way the lives of millions of not just Ndi Anambra but also Ndigbo in other parts of the country where they without molestation work as engineers, doctors, lawyers, academics, journalists, entrepreneurs, traders, etc. These hardworking and innocent people are quite vulnerable. The Anambra State government has an obligation to work for the safety, security, welfare and progress of all our people both at home and elsewhere. We must always be strategic in our thoughts and actions and policies.
“The people of Anambra State have always been great believers in peaceful co-existence as captured in the popular saying egbe bere, ugo bere, which can be translated literally as “let the kite perch and let the eagle also perch on the same tree”. The state government notes with satisfaction that there are about 23 Fulani settlements in the state and the people have been making great good contributions to the state’s development over the decades. Many of the people were born here and they are well integrated in our society. They do joint livestock businesses with indigenes of the state where the indigenes invest in livestock and the Fulani provide the husbandry, with the proceeds shared on agreed ratios.
“These law-abiding and peaceful Fulani people have been assisting the government with great intelligence. They have always provided useful information anytime marauding herders and other criminally minded ones attempt to enter the state. The result is that Anambra is largely free of the killings and skirmishes we find in many parts of the nation, including neighbouring states. Anambra remains the safest and most peaceful state in Nigeria”, he added.
While pointing out that safety of life and assets was the foremost responsibility of every government anywhere in the world, he observed that the present Anambra State administration had given a most impressive account of itself in this area warning that “our people cannot condone further attempts by members of the so-called opposition in the state to play politics with the safety and security of its people whether at home or elsewhere.”
He continued, “We have done so well in security that Anambra is today the only state throughout the federation which has not recorded even one single bank armed robbery in five years. The result of the excellent security arrangement is, among other things, the ongoing massive investments in the state. For instance on Wednesday, October 2, 2019, Governor Obiano will commission the automated Coscharis Rice Mill at Igbariam, Anambra East Local Government Area, bringing to a climax the multi-billion naira investments which Dr Cosmas Maduka of Coscharis Group has been making in agricultural development in the state in the last couple of years.
“Once again, the government and people of Anambra State appeal to the opposition, in God’s name, to stop playing politics with the state’s security. Anambra State will continue to exist far beyond the 2021 governorship election.”
Photo: Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano.
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