Hon Ochor C. Ochor, Transition Chairman Ukwuani LGA
The Obiaruku 2013 Carnival that is planned to hold between 20 and 29 of December 2013 may not hold if what is coming from the organisers is the situation. Though the initial plan is now scaled down, the issue of the N56 million budgets and insecurity is high on the reasons while the carnival may be aborted.
An investigation by Ndokwa Reporters has revealed that some members of Obiaruku community is asking for the budgeted money, which is about N56 million naira to be shared, while some again is of the view that the organisers had collected and shared the money among the committee members. Our investigation however revealed that no such money got to the conveners or organisers, but the said amount was the projected amount to be raised for the event. Our source also revealed that apart from the youths of the town who are asking for the money to be shared, many of the elders and chiefs are also playing politics with the proposed event. They are asking the organisers for one handshake or the other to get their approval and supports, which the organisers are not happy about because the event was to show case the town and help the youths to see life outside vices which presently is the order of the day in the community.
Further investigation by our news crew revealed that the organisers are also not comfortable with the continuous rise in cases of kidnapping and cultism in the town. According to our source, the daily case of cult’s rival attacks in the town is worrisome, and called for caution.
The organisers aim was to market Obiaruku through the carnival, by carrying out many activities during the five days event which includes, beauty pageant, skills training, among others. According to our source, at the end of the event winners will be giving a one year special skill training to prepare them for life. Companies like MTN were to partner with the carnival Organisers.
Ndokwa Reporters also gathered that the security in the town had gone above red line as the curfew imposed in the town is not helping to curtail the cult activities. On daily bases members of the community is attacked for one thing or the other. Presently a victim is critically on admission at the Catholic hospital in the town as he was attacked and initially presumed dead. Also some six under-aged youths are cooling their heads at the police station for involvement in cult activities. Recently a shop that deals on vehicle parts was forced open while the police is said to be on regular patrol of the town harassing residents in the name of implementing the curfew.
