From Zara Nwachinemere Abakaliki
The Chairman of Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, and a two-term lawmaker, Dr. Eni Uduma Chima, Thursday, accused National Assembly members from Ebonyi state of playing politics with the security situation in the State.
Uduma disclosed this in a press statement made available to journalists in Abakaliki.
The National Assembly members led by Dr. Sam Egwu, had last Tuesday, addressed newsmen in Abuja on the security situation in the state, even as they called on Inspector General of Police, to hold Gov. David Umahi responsible should anything happen to any of them. The council boss warned against the politicization of the precarious security situation in Ebonyi State noting that, “unless the right steps are taken as Governor Umahi is doing, let these Legislators know that there may be no 2023 general elections for which they dance naked in public.”
He described the National Assembly members as a “band of opportunists advertising their crass ignorance, shallow intellect and weak brain-power to a country facing her worst challenge in insecurity by speaking out against the practical attempts by Ebonyi State people to survive serious threats to their very existence as a people.”
He reiterated that the unravelling security situation favours neither the PDP nor APC, neither children nor adults, neither Christians nor Muslims, neither the rich nor the poor and neither Abuja based or Non Abuja based politicians.
It statement reads: “for the Abuja Legislators to distract serious minded statesmen with party gibberish at this critical period and trying times which require sobriety and total concentration to the essence of Government which is the security and welfare of the people, is to be myopic and uncharitable to the millions of people who have invested hope in them as representatives.”
“As usual, while Ebonyi people are grappling with imminent existential threats, these federal lawmakers of Ebonyi State origin are focused on 2023 general elections and politics at the expense of the security and welfare of the masses.
“This philistine posturing has confirmed that indeed, conscientious statesmen like Governor David Nweze Umahi, think for the next generation while bread and butter politicians like the Abuja bunch think of the next election.
To them, politics is an endless cycle of elections with no regard to service and this is why they read political undertones into every laudable stride of the Ebonyi State Governor.”
“The gist of the mumble jumble from these self serving Legislators is a complain against the South Eastern Security Outfit, code named ” Ebubeagu”.
He maintained that Governor Umahi committed no offence by making Ebonyi State the first and only State in the South East to inaugurate and arm members of the Ebubeagu Security Network.
“One is constrained to question the logic of the attack on the setting up of a vigilante outfit against the back drop of their lucid interval observations, of heightened insecurity. From all indications, these misguided Legislators are on a self-serving mission as can be clearly seen in the last paragraph of the watery write up to say ‘that the Inspector General of Police should note that Governor Umahi should be held directly responsible should any harm befall any member of the National Assembly’.
“In the light of this expression, it follows that Governor Umahi or any other person for that matter should be free and that the rest of Ebonyi State indigenes and Nigerian Citizens resident in Ebonyi State, can go to hell should any harm befall them since they are not members of the National Assembly. This is the height of selfishness.
“Ordinarily, one should not have reacted to this shameful outing by the pusillanimous Legislators, if not for their insensitive reference to the thirteen Local Government Areas of Ebonyi State where they alleged that Pump Action and Ak47 Rifles were distributed under the guise of “Ebubeagu” vigilante.
“Assuming without conceding that such weapons were distributed, pray, how many times has Dr. Sam Egwu and his colleagues spoken out against Boko Haram and ISIS fighters using Ak47, Anti- Aircraft Guns, Machine Guns, Armoured Tanks among others to fight the country? Why has none of this Abuja based Legislators spoken out against incessant burning of police stations, killing of security personnel, most of who are Ebonyi State and South – East indigenes and burning of public infrastructure including the office of Independent National Electoral Commission apparently by unknown Gunmen?
“How many times has Dr. Sam Egwu queried the “foreign” herdsmen wielding Ak47 in the forests of different Local Government Areas in Ebonyi State on the floor of the Senate or even in the Senate Cafeteria where he feels at home?
“By the accounts of Dr. Sam Egwu and his pack of unserious Legislators, Ebonyi State is awash with weapons supplied and distributed by the State Government to persons who are neither documented, nor trained in weapons handling.
The village champions in Abuja could not say anything about undocumented weapons in the hands of Bandits who kidnap in singles and en masse for ransom, unknown gunmen and other violent criminals ravaging the country without hindrance.
