Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has called on the Church to pray and partner with Government in stemming the tide of insecurity which includes violence, kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery, destruction of lives and property as well as killing of security personnel and burning of their facilities.
Governor Uzodimma made the appeal when he received the Prelate of the Methodist Church in Nigeria, His Grace, Most Rev. Samuel Uche, at the EXCO Chambers Government House Owerri, Imo State, weekend.
He told the Prelate and his team that Government cannot function alone.
“The only way government can succeed is by going into partnership with the people and with prominent organizations as the Church, bearing in mind that the morality and good conduct we are talking about come easily from the activities of the Church.”
The Governor reiterated that Imo State wants peace because Imo is known for peace. He said at the same time peace and unity of the country is inevitable because “it is only through unity, justice, equity and fair play and the people having sense of citizenship that we can beat our chest and answer proud Nigerians.”
Governor Uzodimma said he was determined to play decent politics and regretted “the activities of the past weeks which are products of bad or indecent politics, anchored on acrimony and violence.”
The Governor informed that most of the killings, destructions, were politically motivated.
He however thanked God that “most of those incriminated have willingly confessed and as soon as the investigations are concluded, the culprits will be made public and those behind the incident of killing innocent people, destroying private and public property must be made to face the full weight of the law.”
He thanked the Prelate for coming with his entourage to sympathize with the state on the violence visited on her and assured him that his Government is on top of the matter. “It will not happen again,” he said emphasising that “any man found on the street with illegal arm henceforth must face the wrath of the law.”
In his presentation, the Prelate, Most Rev. SCK Uche, appealed to Imo people to, irrespective of political parties, to “sheathe their swords and differences and come together and support the Government in power.”
He noted that “if people have grievances it cannot be settled by divisiveness, rather through, dialogue and roundtable discussions.”
The Prelate, who felt bad about the whole issues, said “Imo have been Republican in nature, working harmoniously, having been peaceful and accommodating” but wondered “what brought about the unfortunate incidents of destruction, delusion and near disintegration of our State by benignants, ferocious and agents of destruction.”
He seized the opportunity of the visit to appeal to the Federal Government to stop sending Army of destruction or Police to the South East because we are peace loving.
He said that the pockets of agitations may be as a result of one or two promises made to Ndi Igbo at the end of the war on “No Victor No Vanquished” which he said may not be a reality.
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