David Umahi
Order prohibiting unauthorized rallies in schools, others not targeted at opposition parties—–Umahi
From Chinedu Nwafor, Abakaliki
Following the outcry by opposition political parties in Ebonyi State on the ban on unauthorized rallies in schools, market and motorparks across the State, Governor David Umahi, on Tuesday, said the executive order 3 is not targeted at opposition political parties, as being insinuated in some quarters.
Umahi spoke through his Special Assistant on Media and Strategy, Mr Chooks Oko while countering the allegation of human rights abuses, levelled against his government by a coalition of Human Rights groups.
He explained that the order affected all the political parties including the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State.
“There was never a time the State Government, under the leadership of our peace-loving Governor, Engr. David Umahi, CON, interfered or intends to interfere with the campaigns of other Political Parties in the State. As the Chief Security Officer of the State, the Governor has the responsibility to ensure the safety of lives of citizens, as well as that of both public and private property in the State.
“There have previously been an avalanche of evidence where public properties: Schools, markets, Parks and other institutional open spaces and structures have been destroyed or badly defaced by unruly political party supporters during their gatherings. School children have been put into undue danger and panic. Such a development, coupled with the need to restore sanity in the midst of the already fake news – induced tension in the State birthed the Executive Order 03 of 2022 which is principally aimed at safeguarding the lives of all citizens, including all political parties and their supporters.
“It is quite important that the public be made to understand that the Executive Order does not exclude nor targeted against any political party in the State, no matter what name it is called: APC, PDP, APGA, LP, NNPP , AA, etc. All must comply.
“Moreso, the Executive Order also came as a proactive response to imminent security breaches. It never banned completely the use of such public spaces for gatherings, but simply prescribed that intending users should follow certain set out procedures in order to have access to such premises, including applying for approval from the Ministry in charge of such the facility and a refundable deposit of a specified sum of money as indemnity against any untoward occurrence in the course of usage. Rest assured of a refund of deposit if all goes well. For the avoidance of doubt, the Executive Order 3 of 2022 has come to stay. Any body feeling otherwise is free to approach the law court,” he explained.
On the issue of alleged destruction of Billboards, Umahi said, “we wish to make it categorically clear that no political party or candidate has so far destroyed Billboards of the opponent. What has taken place over time is the enforcement of payment of prescribed fee for outdoor advertisement by the Ministry of Capital City Development. Let it be clear that Billboards erected without due process and necessary payments shall be brought down, irrespective of the party involved.
“On the abduction of the Labour Party senatorial aspirant for Ebonyi South Senatorial district and others as alleged by the group, we wish to state that the allegations are both baseless and mischievous as they are attempts to raise false alarm in order to truncate the course of justice.
“Probably, the group needs to be updated that the Police had in a Press Statement on October 17, 2022 maintained that those purportedly said to had been abducted or kidnapped were lawfully arrested and were in safe custody. The police, apparently worried by the activities of these mischievous elements further warned in the statement that “people should desist from painting pictures of insecurity in the State by propagating unfounded rumours.”
“On the alleged flogging of Civil Servants as alluded to in the ill-fated Press briefing, the group unwittingly exposed their biases giving credence to the fact of their being sponsored by certain pay masters to malign the worker-friendly State Governor. They feigned ignorance of the established fact that the video was a doctored enterprise of enemies of the State government.
“They also willingly sold their sense of objectivity for temporary cash gains in not recognizing that the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ebonyi State chapter, had nailed the allegation in a Press Statement on 25th October, 2022, in which they came open to condemn the malicious video, asserting categorically that no civil servant, from its rigorous investigations, was flogged in such a place and time as purported in the video.”
Umahi noted that no person or group of persons would stampede him into backsliding on his security responsibility by levelling unfounded allegations against a formal civilian vigilante outfit, Ebubeagu, which is backed by an act of the State House of Assembly.
“It is a generally acknowledged fact in the State that the outfit has effectively complemented the efforts of the Police in drastically minimizing crime and criminal activities. Anyone or group calling for its proscription needs their cupboards properly examined. Good a thing, the Police has in several occasions confirmed the lawful handover of arrested suspects to them by Ebubeagu.
“It is quite evident that the allegations against the Ebubeagu vigilante service are simply cover-ups for those intending to perpetrate violence and crime in the State as none of them have provided any evidence of torture by the outfit. It therefore raises a question mark on the integrity of such a group surreptitiously claiming interest in the wellbeing of citizens. If by the outing they have become parties to advocating a porous society devoid of vigilance, even as the 2023 general elections draw closer, their activities need to be reviewed urgently,” he said.
