By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Labour Party (LP) National Vice Chairman, South-East, Chief Innocent Okeke, has expressed sadness over the level of killings in Imo State, accusing both the federal and the Imo State governments of taking passive looks while citizens were being slaughtered.

The LP chieftain bared his mind on Saturday while reacting to the killing of security operatives in Ehime Mbano local government area in Imo State.

He challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Hope Uzodinma to look beyond party affiliations and unravel those behind the mayhem in the state.

Okeke said: “The purpose of governance becomes futile if the lives of both the governed and the security agencies are not ensured as is the case in Imo State.

“The State has regrettably descended into a state of lawlessness and total anarchy where individuals are uncertain about their safety in another thirty minutes without nursing the fears of death.”

He alleged that despite the distressing circumstances, “the Nigerian government and the Imo State government have failed to take proactive measures to forestall further occurrences and adequately protect its citizens. They passively observe as lives are being destroyed on a daily basis.”

He said the Ehime incident was one of the many incidents in Imo State that had been underreported and uninvestigated, adding that no significant measure was being put in place to forestall further occurrence.

According to him, “The gospel of reelection is the only thing paramount on the lips of the government of Imo State, while the people are left defenceless.

“The high level of governmental intimidation, harassment and threats to any group or individual who tries to come up with alternative ideas is another issue of concern today.

“As the President of Nigeria, Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu should understand that issues affecting any segment of Nigeria should be his concern.

“Imo State is part of the territory he governs and he should be concerned about the lives, properties, and wellbeing of the people of Imo State.

“President Tinubu should rise above party affiliations and offer governance to everyone.

“The state of Imo has been tragically reduced to a graveyard, where the populace no longer fears the sight of blood and death as it flows and corpses litter the streets on a daily basis.

“The sounds of firearms of varying calibres have engulfed the state, causing tensions that pose serious health concerns to both adolescents and the elderly.

“It is beyond comprehension that the government of Imo State has been unable to identify the group responsible for these atrocities over the years and find a way to engage them positively.

“Instead, all we hear is the term ‘unknown gunmen,’ leaving one to question the effectiveness of the state’s intelligence departments.

“It is imperative that the government of Imo State identifies the source of these unknown gunmen within their territory, what their agitations are, and how the government can engage them in dialogue.

“Over 14 Local Government Areas out of the 27 in Imo State have been overrun by insecurity and killings, with death becoming a normal way of life.

“Unfortunately, the government of Imo State seems more interested in re-election than finding solutions to this dire situation.

“This level of insecurity and death is unprecedented in the history of Imo State, and it is high time that the government took decisive action to restore peace and security to the state.”

He tasked the current government of Imo State to prioritise the restoration of confidence among its citizens in the realm of security, adding that “it was imperative that the inhabitants who have been forced to flee the state for the past four years be allowed to return, and that investors once again find Imo State to be an attractive destination for investment, and the state returns to its normal life.”

“The government must equally embrace criticism and ideas from people. The habit of accusing opposition parties in Imo as being responsible for insecurity in the state is pedestrian and must be discontinued.

“I condemn the reprisal attack by soldiers on defenceless citizens of Ehime Mbano. On issues such as this, intelligence should be gathered, and the security can’t get credible intelligence from the people by burning their shops and inflicting pains on them.

“Even in the heat of provocation, our gallant officers must exercise restraint and control their emotions. Theirs is to protect lives and property, not the reverse.

“I implore the federal government to take a vested interest in the current security situation in Imo State and the broader South East region, as the restoration of peace in this region will undoubtedly contribute significantly to the overall recovery of the Nigerian economy,” he added.

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