Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, has condemned the sit-at-home directives in the southeast region, labeling them as the product of a criminal enterprise.
In a detailed statement shared on his official Twitter page on Thursday, Obi emphasized that the sit-at-home orders were not issued by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). He urged security agencies to take immediate action to address the escalating insecurity and crime nationwide.
Obi also expressed his appreciation for the efforts made by the southeastern governors to combat criminal activities in the region. However, he stressed the necessity for more strategic and intelligence-driven approaches to alleviate the suffering of citizens.
The former presidential candidate voiced concern over the persistent disruption of business and social activities in the South East region due to the purported Sit-at-Home directive attributed to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
“The situation in the Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau state has raised a lot of anxiety because of the number of lives and properties lost with very little resistance from security operatives,” Obi said.
“Also disturbing is the continued disruption of business and social activities in the South East region over the Sit-at-Home directive purported to be coming from the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, when the body has publicly denied issuing such directive.
“What is going on in the South East therefore is essentially a criminal activity that must be nipped in the bud, with all hands being on deck, security agencies, and the people alike.
“The South East Governors are to be commended for their renewed efforts at curbing this menace but there is a need to be more strategic and intelligence-driven in our approach to reducing the suffering of innocent people.
“Security agencies should take necessary and quick steps to arrest the ugly incidents because the country cannot just be spilling the blood of innocent citizens.
“We as a people through our various governments should up our value for human lives in the way and manner we respond to issues that touch lives.
“The implications of an insecure environment for development are far-reaching because no investor will consider going to an area where their resources will not be safe and secured.”
Obi called on religious, traditional leaders and stakeholders to continue pushing for peace among their people, and called on governments at all levels to take urgent steps to address the widespread poverty and youth unemployment in the land.
“Therefore, I will like to urge critical stakeholders in these areas, traditional, Christian, and Muslim leaders to continue pushing for peace among their people in the way and manner they conduct themselves,” he said.
“The various governments at all levels should also take deliberate steps to address the issue of poverty and youth unemployment because the provision of stomach infrastructure is the surer way to tackle insecurity.
“Also, urgent steps should be taken consciously and intentionally to ameliorate the hardship of the people.”
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