By Martin Opara
“The early morning mayhem unleashed on the Owerri Correctional Centre and the Imo State Police command headquarters also in Owerri the Imo State capital on Easter Monday, is a barbaric, reprehensible and despicable act that should be condemned in very strong terms by all well meaning men and women of conscience”.
“The perpetrators of the dastardly act that has attracted undue publicity and portrayed the government, the state and her people in bad light should as a matter of urgency be fished out and made to face the full wrath of the law to serve as a deterrent to others of like mind”.
The traditional ruler of Dindi Ihiagwa autonomous community in Owerri West LGA of Imo State, HRH, Eze Kingsley Ezewunwa Odu, Agwa Ukwu Dindi stated this yesterday while reacting to the incident.
The distinguished, revered and cerebral monarch said, “it is unfortunate that our youths who should focus on how to make their future and the society better have resorted to unleashing terror, sorrow, tears and blood on innocent people. It is quite unfortunate and regrettable. That is why I, with the assistance of members of my cabinet and some leaders in the community have, aside making security of lives and property a priority have also adopted proactive measures aimed at identifying, fishing out and reporting to appropriate authorities, the activities of some sponsored misguided and disgruntled youths and their cohorts who have a penchant for formenting trouble, heating up the polity and truncating peace, unity and mutual co-existence that are necessary for progress and development in the community”.
Eze Odu called on his fellow traditional rulers to always be vigilant and at alert to ensure that their communities are not used as bases by hoodlums, delinquents and miscreants to unleash terror and mayhem on the people thereby negating the noble efforts of Governor Hope Uzodinma’s shared prosperity government to create and sustain a conducive atmosphere for the dispensation of the dividends of democracy in the interest of Imo people.
“We as traditional rulers and Chief Security Officers of our various communities should also assist the government by setting up modalities for closely monitoring the activities of indigenes, residents and the infiltration of strange elements into our communities”.
He used the opportunity to pledge his unalloyed support for the programmes and policies of the Hope Uzodinma 3R government which according to him, has performed creditably so far.
Eze Odu further said, “I on behalf of myself, my family and the entire Dindi Ihiagwa community sympathize and commiserate with the Imo State and the federal governments over the unfortunate incident and the attendant human and material losses. I also call on our youths to desist from such unwholesome conducts that will obviously derail their future bearing in mind that the mills of justice grind slowly but ever steadily. There is also the need for parents and guardians to pay more attention to the activities of their children and above all, inculcate in them the right values hinged on sound upbringing and moral rectitude from the dawn of their lives. That is the only way we can the make the society a better place for all”.
