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LG poll:Ngige alleges plot for
emergency rule
SIMON IBE,
Snr Political Editor
GOVERNOR
Chris Ngige of Anambra State has said that the people of the state would not be
provoked into violence and thereby create environment for the imposition of a
state of emergency during the December 18 local government election in the
state.
Governor Ngige said this on Sunday while
reacting to speculations that his political opponents were planning to instigate
violence during the polls and thereby provide an excuse for imposition of a
state of emergency.
The governor, who addressed journalists
upon return from a trip to the United States of America (USA), assured that the
polls would be peaceful and that the people of the state would vote for those he
tells them to vote for, to demonstrate their loyalty and appreciation of the
achievements of his government so far.
Ngige, who lamented that his government
has been operating under very difficult conditions, stressed that the withdrawal
of the police from the government has seriously constrained his administration.
"We’ve had very rough times, we’ve worked
under very hostile conditions because it’s not easy for a chief security officer
of a state to try to handle the state without the co-operation of the law
enforcement agents," he said.
Notwithstanding, he said, his government
has recorded major achievements in areas such as rehabilitation of federal and
state roads, water projects, agriculture, healthcare, payment of arrears of
salaries and pensions and internal security.
The governor regretted, however, the
police was beginning to harass members of the state’s vigilante services that
had so far done a good job of collaborating with them (the police) to rid the
area of criminals.
Governor Ngige, who also said that
literary giant, Prof. Chinua Achebe must have thought carefully about the recent
letter he wrote to President Olusegun Obasanjo rejecting the national honour
awarded him, said he did not want to be drawn into the matter since the
situation in his state was cited as part of the reasons for the renowned
author’s action.
However, the governor said that the
Federal Government must take note of Prof. Achebe’s observations and strive to
redress the issues he raised, since they touch on the lives of the people.
The embattled governor also confirmed
reports that he does not now have his Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) certificate of returns, pointing out that the document, which shows that
he is the elected governor of Anambra State, was taken away by an aide of his
estranged political godfather, Chief Chris Uba, without his knowledge.
Though he said he is not losing sleep over
the incident since he could always get another certificate; he insisted that the
removal of the certificate is a criminal activity and that if it was not
returned to him, since he has verbally asked the person to return it, he’ll make
a formal report to the police.
Governor Ngige also confirmed that he has
requested his commissioners to prepare their hand-over notes in view of an
anticipated complete overhaul of government, saying that he wanted to "get
square pegs into square holes and those pegs that can’t fit into any of the
holes, will be dropped off."
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