|
ANAMBRA CRISIS: We demand reparation from FG - Ezeife
• Ngige, Oputa, others insist on punishment of
culprits
By Chuks Ehirim
Following
the mayhem which rocked Anambra State for two days in which arsonists destroyed
property valued at about N30 billion, stakeholders in the state are demanding
reparation from the Federal Government to rebuild the state. This was made
known by the former governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife in an
exclusive interview with Sunday Independent. The erstwhile governor of Anambra
State, who accused the Federal Government of complicity, argued that the failure
of the police to check the arsonists was suspect.
Ezeife’s
declaration coincided with the demand by an eminent jurist and former Justice
of the Supreme Court, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa that the authorities must do
everything to get to the root of the crisis and bring those culpable to book.
Also Governor Chris Ngige of Anambra State on Friday invoked the spirit of the
ancestors to punish those who destroyed the heritage of the people.
He said
in Abuja that nobody has done this level of evil in Igboland and escaped the
wrath of ancestors.
Reacting to the recent destruction of property in the state, Ezeife said
“it is natural that some kind of reparation will be required. There is no
other way to get these things back. It will be unreasonable to ask any governor
to rebuild things that suffered from the neglect of the Federal
Government”.
Ezeife
faulted the explanation by the police for failing to stem the mayhem and not
being able to make any arrest. He insisted that there was no security in Anambra
State and that the only one provided by the state was kept by the police to
make way for arsonists.
“The
governor has no security. The state is supposed to have security. The
state’s security, the one the state created for itself, the police
arrested them days before and kept them by the side so as to make way for the
arsonists. The policemen were there. They did nothing. They seem to be saying,
“come and take over, we are overwhelmed”.
Ezeife
revealed that the final decision to ask for reparation would be taken at a
meeting by stakeholders. He castigated the presidency for fueling the crisis in
the state. “We are being raped. We are confused. When you see a country,
which has a constitution, you see the police who have a duty to protect lives
and property and the same police are folding their hands, watching arsonists
doing their thing, and there is no query for the commissioner, then know that
something has gone tragically wrong.”.
Since
July 10, 2003, when Governor Chris Ngige was abducted by forces said to be
working for his erstwhile godfather, Chris Uba, Anambra has not known peace.
All efforts to pacify both parties for the interest of the state have failed,
including the Owerri Accord brokered by South-East legislators led by Senate
President, Chief Adolphus Wabara. Of course, during the tenure of Dr. Chinwoke
Mbadinuju, the state equally knew no peace as Chief Emeka Offor, the godfather
also made life miserable for him and the state.
As a
result of the latest round of violence, the magnitude of which had never been
witnessed before, the two major characters in the Anambra dance of shame were
summoned to Aso Rock where a truce was brokered. In addition, the President,
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo directed that the security details of Governor Chris
Ngige, long withdrawn following a ruling by an Enugu High Court, be restored.
Reports, however, suggest that the peace deal may have broken down leaving
little or nothing to hope for from the trip to Abuja, which saw the two
estranged political friends embracing each other.
Oputa in
his contribution said it was time for those formenting the crisis to come to
the realisation that Anambra State does not belong to Governor Chris Ngige but
to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Justice
Oputa, who said this when he received leaders of Ndigbo Lagos led by the
National President, Chief Chris Eze and former Military Administrator of old
Imo State, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu at his Oguta Country home lamented the
unnecessary loss of lives and property.
The
eminent jurist, who was honoured by the visiting leaders of the Igbo
socio-cultural association comprising of all Ndigbo in Lagos with the OFO title
signifying his leadership role among the Igbo expressed gratitude that he could
be remembered during his life time.
|
