By Cajetan Mmuta
Several Communities drawn from the seven local government areas in Anambra South Senatorial District have set up joint Local Government Security Strike Force (LGSSF) to ensure free, fair and credible conduct of the 2023 general elections in the area.
This came on the heels of the burning down of the country homes of the Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly, Dr Paschal Agbodike in Mbosi and that of the Chairman Association of President Generals of Anambra South Communities Ichie Chuks Muomaife on Thursday.
Muomaife is also the President General of Osumoghu Community in the area.
Speaking during a town hall meeting of President Generals and Traditional Rulers of Anambra South Senatorial District, the President General of Isulo Community in Orumba South local government area Mr Sam Oguagbaka said;
“I have been an adhoc staff to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for over five year now and I understand the challenges that comes with the conduct of elections in Anambra South Senatorial District and due to the security challenges. We have set up Local Government Security Strike Force made up of the youths , vigilante groups and with the approval and supervision of the state police command”
He said, “This has been replicated in all the Communities in Anambra South Senatorial District to check mate the criminal activities of these miscreants who parade themselves as separatist movement group and we wish to assure you that elections would hold in all the Communities and electoral wards in Anambra South District”
“Orumba South local government area has boundaries with Abia , Imo and Enugu states and that is why it is vulnerable to attacks by these hoodlums from outside the state and we have put measures to check mate it and we cannot tell you details for security reasons” he said.
Similarly the Traditional Rulers of Anambra South District have also resolved to give the Strike Force all the logistic assistance to ensure that elections are held in the respective Communities.
According to the the Secretary Anambra South Council of Traditional Rulers and the Monarch of Ezinifite Aguata Igwe Sir Bob Orji.
‘This Town Hall meeting is indeed commendable and we want to thank the Resident Electoral Commissioner for this meeting and I wish to state here that these boys causing trouble and creating tension in Anambra South would be taken care of and most of them are not really outsiders but our sons who have chosen to capitalize on the presence of the outside forces to make our communities insecured.
“The position taken by our President Generals has the blessing of the Traditional Rulers of Anambra South Senatorial District and we want to assure all and sundry that the elections would be free and fair”
Orji further noted that; ” Despite the fact that we are Christians, we as Igbo people have a way of silencing these people because there is something in our land that we hold dear and sacred and that has been protecting us and we have spiritually evoked it to act as a compliment to the Local Government Security Strike Force’ he said.
Earlier the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC Anambra’ State Dr Queen Elizabeth Agwu expressed disappointment over the non challant attitude of the Igbos of the South East to successive elections in the country.
She lamented that so much craze for wealth has led to Ndigbo not appreciating the importance of the general elections.
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She said, “I don’t care what anyone would say about this and at worse the call for my transfer and you know I didn’t ask to be posted to Anambra state and I am ready to go at anytime”
“But it is sad and shameful that our people show souch apathy to the conduct of general elections in this part of the country and their interest is in money and business.”
“But they forget that one government policy would just kill the business and they don’t want to be part of the electoral process to elect a government that would be favorable to them and their business.”
“Today as I speak to you all the non sensitive materials have been distributed to all the local government areas and the units and we are ready for this election even if they like it or not.”
Agwu further lamented that Ndigbo allows outsiders to come in and creat insecurity in their communities at the detriment of the economy.
“The last election in 2021 was said to have been peaceful because it was one election and all the security operatives and appratuse were deployed to Anambra state but this one would take place in all parts of Nigeria and every geopolitical zone and states would have to protect their states ”
“So it behoves on Anambra people to protect their states and if Anambra fails the entire Igbo land has failed and let me make it clear that all the Permanent Voters Cards PVC are at the respective local government areas in the state ”
Agwu urged the Traditional Rulers, President Generals and Local Government Chairmen to ensure the the PVCs get to the illegible voters who have registered adding that the Commission is ever ready to help in case of those gray areas of challenges.
