– Berate SOLAD, Seek Urgent Government Intervention
Stakeholders, residents, commuters and even passersby have expressed disappointment and grief over the worsening insecurity, anger, poverty and frustration in Ahiazu Mbaise LGA, occasioned by the alleged insensitivity and nonchalance of the Sole Administrator, Hon Tony Anakani. They complained bitterly about what they described as “incessant extortion from commercial drivers, insecurity of life and property and gross incompetence, dereliction of duty and recklessness on the part of the Sole Administrator. Anakani whose non challant and lackadaisical attitude are believed to be responsible for the despondency of the people.
A stakeholder in the area who simply identified himself as Chief Akukwe, said, “following the outcry and visible outrage on the faces of the inhabitants, a cursory survey was conducted only to discover that the decision of the Sole administrator to jettison the role of the security agencies in the area, was responsible for the killing recently at Eke Ahiara round about and environ, of the gruesome murder of the Divisional Police Officer, DPO Me Magnus Abure an ASP, Ikechukwu Nwancho and a budding volunteer vigilante, Ekene, in one fellswoop by bandits or unknown gunmen.
According to the grumbling citizens who insist that only an immediate intervention by the State Governors would save the situation”.
“It was a case of dereliction of duty, incompetence and insensitivity of the council authorities led by Tony Anakani that are the remote and immediate causes of the myriad of problems plaguing people of the area including business activities which are presently at the lowest ebb.
The killing of the trio just before the yelutide had made the deployment of soldiers to several checkpoints with attendant gridlock, extortion of money and reprisal attacks on innocent citizens including commercial okada and Keke riders inevitable.
The police on their own have bemoaned the inability of the Sole Administrator Tony Anakani, to carry them along and consult with them on the strategies for securing the lives and property of citizens and residents”.
It was gathered from some community leaders that the Divisional Police Officer DPO, who recently assumed duties as a replacement for the deceased has been complaining to those who care to listen that the SOLAD, Tony Anakani has refused to pick his calls or invite him to his security council meetings; some people who spoke o condition of anonymity are of the view that Tony Anakani’s ambition to perpetuate himself in office and possibly emerge as the next Executive Chairman is the reason the council is not moving forward or developing in line with the shared prosperity mantra of the State government.
They accused Tony Anakani of allegedly diverting, more than 700 bags of rice recently donated by the federal government as palliative to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal on the citizenry. Some who are close to the Ahiazu Mbaise council authorities alleged that Anakani is presently rebagging the rice with his campaign brand name in readiness for the council election expected to hold within the first quarter of 2024. Anakani was also accused of diverting millions of naira worth of goods and materials donated by the National Emergency Management Agency NEMA for flood and erosion and other natural disaster victims in Ahiazu Mbaise LGA.
