By Jude Michael
The disappearance, recently, of Most Rev Prof Godwin Okpala, Retired Archbishop on the Niger Province and Bishop of Nnewi Diocese, who left for Umuchu, a town in Anambra State, in the company of his driver, without arriving at his destination, has been described as yet another sad reminder of the precarious security situation in Anambra State which has since metamorphosed into that of hopelessness.
Foremost Guber Aspirant on the platform of the Labour Party, LP, ahead of next year’s election, Mr Valentine Ozigbo, made this known while speaking on his X handle, formerly known as Twitter. Expressing alarm at what he described as the worsening insecurity in the state, he urged Governor Chukwuma Soludo to declare a state of emergency on insecurity in the state.
Decrying what he described as the Governor’s penchant to keep mum in the face of such developments, Ozigbo said, ‘As usual, no reassuring or sympathetic words have emanated from the state’s number one citizen who is constitutionally tasked with protecting the life and property of his people. It is sadder still that the disappearance of such an important member of Anambra society in the person of a retired Archbishop is being treated as a non-event and one wonders what will happen next to draw the right attention to the dire security situation in our state.
‘The levity with which the state government handles such situations is certainly giving fillip to these pernicious elements to add intensity to their nefarious activities.
‘I therefore call on the Anambra State Governor, working with security agencies, to declare a state of emergency on insecurity in Anambra State and save the citizenry from their trauma. It is ridiculous for government to glibly ascribe the dire security situation in the state to the antics of the opposition. Only one who is clueless can be resorting to such blame game in the face of what is happening. It is now a situation where one wakes up and wonders who will be the next victim of these hoodlums. Enough is enough. Our Governor should act and act fast.’
He conveyed his sympathies to the family of the Archbishop, the Anglican Community and the Christian Association of Nigeria over the incident, noting that it was a trying period.
‘It is my prayer and hope that His Grace Archbishop returns safely to those he left behind,’ Ozigbo prayed.
