Insecurity: Forget 2023 election, Gov Umahi tells politicians

 

ABAKALIKI-Ebonyi State Governor, Engr. David Umahi, has advised politicians at all levels to forget nursing ambition to contest the 2023 election, rather finding permanent solutions of fighting insecurity pervading the country.

Umahi, however, faulted the announcement of 2023 election time table by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), at the time the nation is undergoing serious insecurity.

The governor stated this while commissioning and handing over sixty (60) Hilux vans and Sienna cars to the security agencies in the state which took place at the new governors’ lodge, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

He also announced his readiness to dialogue with Ebonyi youths, groups and promised to empower them so that further destruction of government property would stop.

He added that the Ebubagu security outfit formed by South-East Governors’ Forum was not in any way after Eastern Security Network (ESN), or other groups and called on the stakeholders in the zone to rise up against the increasing insecurity in the region.

He further said that all is not well with Nigeria, and that youths are angry over the ways politicians handle the resources of the nation.

He said: “Let me correct an impression, no criminal is after the governor of Ebonyi State. No IPOB member or ESN is after Ebonyi State governor because the governor has discharged.

“What happened a few days back in the state was not the activities of IPOB or ESN but a pure criminality.

“Our nation is much in a crossroad.

This is the time that all leaders should take responsibility. I was shocked that they have announced the date for the 2023 election. It is unfortunate because eyes are on this. The nation is quite challenged now.

“It is not a matter of Mr President or the matter of the governor. All leaders must take responsibility at this stage because it is not what we preach in public is the issue, it is when we are confronted with a decision that we secure the future of our children.

“I keep saying, no man takes this money to the grave because this problem we are into is because we leaders failed to secure the future of our children and still we have not changed. It is a time to have a rethink.

”The resources of this nation can build this nation. It is not about EFCC or ICPC, it is you and God and that is the problem with this country. What do we do with the resources that are given to us?

“There is no segment of Nigeria that is not bitter with itself or with the government. This is a time to forget the issue of whether you are banned or not. We should not pretend that all is well when it is not.

What is happening is beyond political parties. If we had engaged the youths, we would not be where we are today,” he stated.