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Operation Crush: Otti turning Abia to crime scene – group *Says, gov must allow residents breathe
“How could you sack thousands of civil servants, unnecessarily delay or stop the salaries of many more, disband revenue collectors and hundreds of able-bodied park managers/minders etc without any alternative or even palliative measures to alleviate their now horrendous conditions?”
This was the argument with which Abia Renaissance Movement (ARM), pushed back against the launch of Operation Crush, a new security outfit in the state, by Abia State Governor, Alex Otti on Tuesday, while warning that the move was not only impulsive, but capable of creating more problems in the state.
Railing against the initiative, which was launched at the Michael Okpara auditorium complex in Umuahia, the state capital, the group, in a statement, signed by by its Convener, Ukachukwu Chinonso and Secretary-General, Maria Nwokoma, described it as one of “Alex Otti’s many show-offs which have pushed the state to the brink of total collapse.”
The group: “In forming Operation Crush, Otti has admitted our earlier cries that his draconian policies were frustrating Abians and pushing a number of them into crime. While Operation Crush would have been desirable, such security outfits are fit for only states that have been overrun by terrorists and bandits, and not one that Alex Otti, through his ill-advised policies, has turned to a den of armed robbers and kidnappers, crimes that are still within the purview of the police and the DSS to deal with.
“We view Operation Crush as the unnecessary militarisation of our state which only recently was adjudged one of the most peaceful and secure states in Nigeria. That was before Alex Otti assumed office. But since his assumption of office, things have gone southwards and Otti has himself to blame for this.
“We reiterate our stand, that unless Otti wishes to use the new security outfit to achieve sinister purposes of going after his political opponents, a trait he has brazenly demonstrated in his time in office, he should disband the new security outfit immediately and fashion out a more robust, friendlier and community-based policing system that will stamp out crime and criminality in our dear state without instilling fears in our already traumatised citizens.
“While we deeply appreciate the great works our soldiers have been doing in protecting our territorial integrity from aggressors and the immeasurable sacrifices they have been making in stamping out terrorism and banditry in parts of the country where they exist, we wish to state that perpetually saturating our streets with their presence will be counter-productive.
“We also observed during the launch of Operation Crush that one more out of Alex Otti’s many promises to the people has been flagrantly discarded. In the early days of his assumption of office, Otti made a show of using Innoson Motors for his inauguration parade and as one of his official cars, and promised to patronise locally made items to promote our local entrepreneurs.
“We are therefore dismayed that the cars Mr Alex Otti purchased for the new security outfit are all of a foreign brand. This is just one practical example of how the governor has been ruling Abia by impulse instead of following his own promises to the people. It is just another instance of our earlier description of this government as that of propaganda, half-truths, outright lies, vendetta, vindictivenes, fake and failed promises.
“How will our people get jobs, how will they prosper when their government patronises foreign brands instead of quality locally made goods? It is on this basis that we charge Mr Alex Otti to quit his grandstanding and put policies in place that will ensure that all those arbitrarily disengaged from their legitimate sources of livelihood by his government have their debilitating conditions alleviated.
“The abandonment of governance in pursuit of perceived political opponents is a distraction that has left the state gasping for breath. As it is, Abians can no longer breathe, crushing them with Operation Crush when there could have been a more robust, elaborate and effective security strategy to curtail the rising wave of crime in the state is too much showboating from a government that has already won for itself the reputation of being the most listless in the history of Abia State.”
“Criminals cannot chase us out of our communities. We are the owners of the towns, and we will not allow that to happen. We have to take back our homes and our communities. That is why I am here to tell you that all of us will take back our communities.”
These were the words of Olatunji Disu, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), on Monday, with which unfolded his plans for a safer Nigeria, one of which was to reclaim communities overrun by bandits across Nigeria.
Disu, appointed last week as the 23rd IG of Nigeria, spoke in Ilorin, Kwara State, where he went on a working visit, where he promised to do everything possible, both operationally and administratively, to restore peace in communities affected by banditry and criminal attacks.
The police boss, who spoke to officers and men of the Kwara State Police Command while assuring that the police would not allow criminals to take control of communities, stressed that he was familiar with the security challenges facing the state adding that his visit was partly to encourage police personnel engaged in ongoing operations against bandits.
His words “I know Kwara State and the problems we are having. I am in the state for an operation. I have come to say thank you for everything you have been doing to assist us, but at the same time I want to ask for more cooperation.”
Expressing delight at the support the police had received from the state government, especially from AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the governor, Disu, he explained that he had since conveyed his sentiments to the governor.
His words: “I have visited Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and thanked him. He has been very wonderful by providing a lot of things to support the police command.
“I urge the residents to cooperate with security agencies by providing useful information that could help combat criminal activities. I say with all authority that we have a lot of Fulani people assisting us in doing our job. I want to give you my word that I will look into the welfare of policemen.”
Godswill Akpabio, Senate President, on Sunday, sent a special message to Nigerian women, thanking them for the resilience and sacrifices in raising a society of great men and women, of which he counts himself part of.
Akpabi, who used the occasion of this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) to express his sentiments, conveyed through Eseme Eyiboh, his spokesman praised them declared that he was a practical example of the beneficiary of the wonders of women, as the best gift God has given man.
Eyiboh, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, quoted his boss as saying: “Today, I join the globe to celebrate our mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, colleagues, and friends who wake up each day and work to make the world a better place. Your relentless efforts can never go unnoticed.
“I am the biggest beneficiary of the love, care, compassion and sacrifice of a woman. My mother gave her all to raise me up to become what I am today. I remain ever grateful and appreciative of what our women and mothers go through in raising their children, supporting the family and building societies.
“I congratulate the Nigerian Woman on the auspicious occasion of this year’s International Women’s Day. I respect and cherish your strength, resilience and invaluable contributions to our nation. As a legislature and in consonance with the theme of this year’s celebration, “Give and Gain”, we are committed to pushing for robust investment in our womenfolk in all spheres of life, especially female participation in the economic and political processes of our nation.
“On behalf of my family, constituents, the Senate and 10th National Assembly, I congratulate all women and wish all our mothers, sisters, daughters and aunties a blessed and peaceful celebration. May your efforts never go in vain.”
For Daniel Bwala, it was somewhat the biblical story of Daniel in the den of lions being replicated in modern days, as he climbed the hot seat in the studios of Aljazeera for what could be described as his testiest media encounter just yet.
At the popular Head to Head encounter, an audience participation encounter on the global television channel, Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, was confronted with statements he made in the past against his boss, which he roundly denied at the most.
Confronted by Mehdi Hasan, the anchor of the programme, the presidential spokesman, who had gone to the station to further sell the Tinubu government to the global community, flatly denied calling the President a corrupt man, an anti-democrat and a killer, all pointing to claims he made as an opposition spokesman.
Titled: Nigeria: ‘Renewed Hope’ or ‘Hopelessness’? Hasan loaded with a surfeit of Bwala’s comments, which he constantly read from, for instance, wanted to know if it was not the same Bwala who linked his boss with forming a militia in Nigeria to win election.
The encounter went thus:
Hassan: “Tinubu and his people created a militia! You said those words.
Bwala: “Tinubu and his people didn’t create a militia. That’s that.
Hasan: Then why did you say they did on January second 2023?
Bwala: I never said that!
Hasan: Does he have a militia that tried to kill you?
Bwala: He never had. I never said he tried to kill me!
Hasan, quoting Bwala: I, myself has received a threat from him and his camp!
Bwala: I never said that.
Hasan: You said it was so corrupt – the 2023 election – Tinubu’s win – you said you couldn’t eat food for three days!
Bwala (chuckling): I never said that! Where?
Bwala also denied saying that the bullion vans that went into Tinubu’s Bourdillon home in Ikoyi Lagos, in 2019, questioned whether those who reported the movement claimed they saw money inside the van.
Hasan: Was there no money in the bullion vans?
Bwala: How am I to know?
Hasan: You said there was money in the van at the time. February 2023?
Bwala: I never said that.
On insecurity, the Aljazeera anchor also took the presidential spokesman through the route of documented evidence, citing groups like Amnsty International (AI), citing the damning situation in the country.
Hasan: Amnesty International says you’re failing in insecurity. The numbers don’t lie.
Bwala: It’s unfortunate and as a government working day and night to redeem the bad situation.
Hasan: And it’s getting worse.
Bwala: I don’t agree to the fact that it’s getting worse
Hasan: How can it not get worse when more people die in one year than the previous year?
Bwala: Context matters
Hasan: What’s the context?
Bwala: The context is that it’s not getting worse. The context is that it’s not getting worse – you see, this is water – lifting a glass of water – if you have the water half, you could say half-glass filled or half-empty. Isn’t it right?
So, the Western media always see Nigeria, Africa and some of the activities in Africa as half-empty! But we see it as half-full, because when we look at it and when I say context matters, before the President took the oath of office, we knew the situation in Nigeria.
Hasan: And you made it worse?
Bwala: When he made the decision to take bold steps to put Nigeria in better trajectory, we were well aware it was going to be difficult.
Prepare to return home, IG-Disu tells Nigerians in IDPs
IWD: You’re the best, Akpabio greets mothers *Hails virtues of resilience, sacrifices
Bwala at Aljazeera: I never said Tinubu was corrupt! Excerpts of interview
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