Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has inaugurated a seven-man Judicial Commission of Inquiry on Security breaches in Imo few months ago that led to loss of many lives and property.

The Commission is headed by a renown retired Justice of a High Court, Justice Eze-Ohiri Fred Njemanze.

Inaugurating the Committee at the New Executive Chambers, Government House Owerri on Tuesday, Governor Uzodimma charged them to unravel the remote and immediate causes of the security breaches, make recommendations to government, ensure that the perpetrators are unmasked and made to face the consequences of their action.

Governor Uzodimma regretted that the security breaches brought untold hardship on Imo people as lives and property were lost, noting that it would be ideal to document what happened, why it happened and how it happened so as to stall future occurrence.

He urged the Commission members to detach themselves from sentiments and and go about the assignment with every sense of responsibility and fear of God so as to serve Imo people creditably.

His words: “This inauguration is a clear statement by the Government and people of Imo State of their resolve to unravel the mysteries behind the uncommon security breaches in the state.

“Everyone in the state was a witness to the savagery and cannibalistic brutality which defined the regime of violence and criminality that enveloped the state for months in recent past.

“It was clear from the ruthless efficiency of these daredevil security breaches that they were coordinated and sponsored. Imo people are eager to know – HOW and WHY these unusual security breaches occurred and how they can be prevented in the future.

“This is why I have inaugurated this seven-man Judicial Commission of Inquiry to get to the root of the matter and come up with answers to the nagging questions and also make justifiable recommendations on going forward.

“Careful scrutiny of names of the Chairman and members of the Commission shows that government chose each of them on individual merit and salutary antecedents.

“Your proven integrity in your various professions is a pointer that you will apply yourselves diligently to this call to duty and deliver creditably.

“Since peace returned to the state, some will be tempted to believe that we ought not to bother with causative roots of the crisis. But to do so would amount to treating a very serious issue with levity.

“No responsible government will simply sweep under the carpet an unusual and monumental insecurity situation that led to loss of lives and property and just move on. This will be the height of insincerity to the feelings and frustrations of our people who were and still are clearly rattled by such unusual reign of beastly criminality.

“You have to know where the rain started beating you before being able to curtail it. To this end, the task before your commission is to get to the very roots of what caused the massive insecurity we witnessed.

“Let me reiterate that the Government and people of Imo State want to know why the security breaches occurred. They also want to know those behind it. And if it was sponsored – We want you to unmask the sponsors too.

“Your Commission should also determine the extent of damage caused by the insecurity to the state and to individuals as well.

“Given the clinical precision of their operations, it was obvious to all and sundry that it was a well orchestrated action and well focused attacks on the instrumentality of state authority, the economy and the psyche of the people.

“It is regrettable that apart from the avoidable loss of lives, the state lost billions of naira to the security crisis. Indeed the trauma suffered by the citizens as a result of the action of the perpetrators cannot be quantified in monetary terms. It will take a long time for our people to recover from the physical and emotional assault they suffered from the incessant bombardment of violence by a band of criminal gangs.”

•PHOTO: Governor Hope Uzodimma (fourth left), Rtd Justice Eze-Ohiri Fred Njemanze (fourth right) and other members of the Commission

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