Security Challenges In Imo: What If…

By Sampson Uhuegbu

Protection of lives and property is everybody’s business. Infact, no one derives joy when his place of abode is mercilessly rocked by killings and maimings being ochestrated by criminals. Whenever there is a breakdown of security, citizens feel uncomfortable and apprehensive over it because the urgly development could be a threat to life and portends a high- dimension of danger to the state.

Nobody associates with insecurity no matter the motive of those perpetrators that caused the mayhem might be. Lives might have been lost, property vandalized, but such dastardly acts do not tell good of people that perpetrated the heinous deal.

Tackling insecurity challenges that have visibly befallen Imo- one of the safest states in Nigeria, requires a tactical approach; as well as a comprehensive overhaul of security structures.

The Governor, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma- being Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the State, has all it takes to arrest this breakdown that can be said to have seemingly jeopardized the socioeconomic activities of the hardworking Ndi Imo.

Insecurity does not yield devidends to those that execute it. Victims suffer its pains; It also scares away prospective investors who are supposed to establish in the state.

As far as the Reconstruction Rehabilitation and Recovery administration of Sen. Hope Uzodimma is concerned, insecurity issues remain its greatest challenge. Believe it or not, that is the truth.

Is it not shocking that the “unknown gunmen” strike government – owned facilities and successfully departed scene of where they unleash mayhem scot-free. But who are selfishly fanning this amber insecurity in a once peaceful Imo? What are their devidends?

It is on record that operatives of the Imo States Police Command have tirelessly worked in concert with other security agencies in the state to arrest the insurgency but still the attacks have continued worsening as if no frantic effort had been made to curb it.

In retrospect, it was not all that a bread of roses for the former Governor Rochas Okorocha. Let us xtray how he went about it. Rochas stooped so low and that was why he was able to see Aba. Insecurity rose its ugly heads and he put in place strategies that clamped it down. Okorocha applied down-to-earth strategies and these aided him to summount.

Apportioning blames and appointing accusing fingers at unspecting innocent politicians in the state to have been engineering banditry and killings in the is an indirect way of creating impression of panic and incur enemity.

It is horrible that up till now, no one can reliably say where the gunmen are operating from, what they really want and who their targets are. I am aware these men of the underworld that had been in operation are either making their grieviances known or they are seeking for attention to be addressed. Our animiable Governor, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma should stand and pay heed to voice of the LORD.

It has been alleged that those formenting these crises across Imo are not even indegines of the State. Crux of the matter is that whether they hail from here or not, lives and property of Ndi Imo are paramount for protection.

More security officers have been deployed to Imo to fight the challenges. It is now duty of the citizens to assist government to tackle this problem completely.

As far as the governing national and State All Progressives Congress (APC) is concerned, Governor Uzodimma is a stakeholder. He is highly regarded that if he can lead South-east states’ governors to meet President Muhammadu Buhari to discuss on how the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu be released in order to restore normalcy that has clearly eluded South-east states. Economy of this geopolitical unit is grounded. Nothing is moving any longer. Schools, Markets, Shopping malls now shout down on Mondays in compliance to Sit-at-home order imposed by the proscribed IPOB to press home their demand on the release of their leader.

Remember, we are yet to recover from the losses ocassioned by the Coronavirus pandemic and End-SARS protests which ravaged our country. Let me amplify my point further: Governor Uzodimma should stampede upon his fellow govs in the Southeast to meet the President. Why Gov. Uzodimma should take this bold step is centrally for the sake of Ndi Imo. The state has lost promising persons and property in the mayhem unleashed known (suspected persons) and unknown gunmen.

Imo used to be a serene State due to its natural collectedness. In the past, professional bodies choose Owerri, capital of Imo as a rendezvous for their quarterly and yearly conferences, seminars and workshops. These programmes had attracted who is who in Nigeria nay….other African countries to Imo and it boosted economy of the state. Ocassions that attracted participants from across the country is now going into extinction.

Not only that, there seem to be a mass exodus of investors and captains of industries from Imo and other Southeast states to Southsouth. We can not be loosing them due to the rising insecurity in our land.

Tension in the state is now a source of worry to the residents whose daily activities are being partially paralyzed. It is necessary. Governor Uzodimma has a say and upperhand above others. It is believed that the President could pay heed to his pleadings over any move to restore normalcy and to ensure peace continues to reign supreme in the Southeast.

Everybody embraces peaceful- coexistence and tranquility. Imo needs an accelerated development which anchors on industrialization and human- capacity encouragement. Our socioeconomic advancement should not be allowed to be politicized. We have been lagging behind in all spheres of the economy. Time to put Imo in order is now.

His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma is father of the state. He is expected to leave no stone unturned towards stopping these inhuman operations by the hoodlums. People of the state are worried over the unprecedented killings and bombing of facilities. Nothing is impossible to be done.