ABUJA — GOVERNOR of Ebonyi State and Chairman of the Presidential Committee on the Anambra crisis, Dr. Sam Egwu says the committee was making progress towards resolving the crisis.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Governor Egwu stated that Governor Chris Ngige of Anambra had not backed out of the peace meeting contrary to speculations.
According to him: "How can he back out when he even called me two days ago (Wednesday), asking me of the date for the next meeting; he has not backed out.
"Definitely, we are making progress and I want to assure you that this issue will be satisfactorily resolved. Crises or conflicts, when they reach certain level, they do not just end by one day’s meeting. It is like a nut tied with rope; it takes time to disengage and it does that gradually until the whole is completely eased off."
He said that Governor Achike Udenwa of Imo State who reportedly said that the parties to the crisis in Anambra should return to the Owerri Accord for peace to reign in the state was merely expressing his personal opinion.
Owerri Accord, which was reached by the feuding parties, at a meeting brokered by and presided over by Senate President, Chief Adolphus Wabara, dwelt largely on sharing formula for offices and prescribed essentially the reinstatement of the sacked Deputy Governor, Dr. Okey Udeh and the impeached Speaker of the House, Hon. Eucharia Azodo, among others.
According to him: "The fact that the Imo Accord did not work means that both parties did not find it workable. That is why Mr. President deemed it fit to set up this committee to also look at it; and, in looking at it, we are not considering facts without recourse to why the Imo Accord failed.
"So, it would be wrong for anybody to assume that because the Imo Accord failed, this one would fail. Rather, one would be wishing that, well, this Committee, we pray for you to succeed. The last one did not work. Let us hope that this one will work.
"We are aware that previous committees have been established and they did not work and we are also looking at the reasons why they did not succeed. We are taking the Imo Accord, Owerri Accord, in complete contrast with what we are doing now."
He, however, restated his earlier position that the culprits of the dastardly arson in Anambra State should be arrested and prosecuted. He said the situation in the state did not augur well for the nation’s nascent democracy.
"It is not good for our nascent democracy. We are not moving forward in that direction. So, it is condemnable and it is not good for us," he said.
