By SAMSON NWAFOR, Abakaliki

Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi has ordered the immediate arrest of the Publicity Secretary of the Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State, Barrister Silas Onu.

Umahi, who gave the order on Monday during the State Security Council Meeting held at Effium Market Square, tasked the State Director of State Security Service (SSS) to ensure Mr Onu was arrested wherever he might be.

“The one that call himself Silas Onu that wrote about this crisis, I task SSS, wherever he is, he must be arrested and tried. I will task the SSS Director to do that. He stays in Abuja. So, you will report the matter to Abuja,” Umahi said.

The order, was in reaction to the press Statement issued by the state chapter of the PDP and signed by Barr Silas Onu, on Sunday, over the bloody clash that took place in Effium Community in Ohaukwu LGA last weekend.

The PDP had in the press statement titled “it is now more obvious who has been killing Ebonyi people”, alleged that the bloody clash was as a result of the unnecessary quest by Ebonyi state government to control every union in the State.

The Party alleged that violence were being fuelled and sustained by officials of Ebonyi state government across the communities in the state, adding that in a saner clime, the State Governor, David Umahi, should have resigned, having failed in his duties.

Part of the statement reads, “The PDP in Ebonyi State is saddened as innocent lives were lost, properties worth hundreds of millions were destroyed in Ohaukwu LGA of Ebonyi State, all because of the need of government to control small small town Unions and transporters Union in Ebonyi State.

“We thank the newly deployed Commissioner of Police for swiftly ensuring that the State agents who have become laws onto themselves have been duly apprehended.

“No one needs further evidence to know that the entire violence is being orchestrated and sustained by officials of the Ebonyi State government who all answer to the Governor.

“With the arrest of the Chairman, Ohaukwu LGA – Clement Odah; The member Representing Ohaukwu North State Constituency – Hon. Chinedu Awo; the two Coordinators from Effium Development Centres – Sunday Agbo and Eucharia Ogwale, respectively – including many other past and present appointees of this government, it is safe to assert that the government knows more than what is being seen or heard. Therefore, the government must be held responsible for all these needless deaths and wanton destructions.

“In a saner clime, the State Governor should presently be tendering his resignation letter for allowing his appointees reign such a level of violence, death and destructions in the State.”

Reacting to the Governor Umahi’s order for his arrest, Barr Silas Onu, described it as laughable and desperate move to silence opposition in the state.

“It is laughable that the Governor will stoop so low as to connect me with a crisis that his appointees are directly any openly responsible for. This has got to be the most desperate move to silence opposition.

“Let the whole world know that i reside in Abuja and have no interest in whatever led to the crisis in Ezza and Effium. What interested me more was the failure of protection of lives and properties by the Government.

“I am a free citizen with my constitutional rights intact and cannot be intimidated into silence. I will continue to discharge my responsibility as the spokesperson of the opposition in Ebonyi State.

“Should anything happen to me, Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State should be held responsible.

“I have filed a fundamental right action already. That is the protections that our constitution bequeaths upon us,” the PDP Publicity Scribe said. (Daily Independent)

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