By Sandra Ijeoma Okoye
From Awka, the capital city of Anambra State to Ekwulobia; even to virtually all defenseless communities in the state, Anambra has become a theatre of war with incessant killings sweeping across the state so much that headlines in the following similitude, “Gunmen kill two FRSC officials in Anambra”, “One person killed as gunmen set LG hqts ablaze”, “Fear grips Anambra communities as gunmen kill 12 in Oko, Ekwulobia in Anambra”, “Anambra killings continue, six cops, driver killed, police station burnt”, “Unknown Gunmen Kill First-Class Nigerian University Graduate In Anambra” and “Cultists kill 16 mourners in Anambra, destroy coffin” constitute what are been used to anchor reportages that surround unprecedented killings in the state.
Against the foregoing backdrop, it is expedient to urge policy makers in the state to stem the tide of killings in Anambra State as not doing so will unarguably dissuade investors from investing in the state. Not only that, persons of wealthy means are no doubt expressing higher levels of fear of the rate of killings in the State than other sectors of society so much that they are refraining from investing in such hostile business environment.
Besides, experts has been warning that the unprecedented killings can “trigger capital flight, productivity losses/imbalances and the drying up of vital investment projects, among others things.
Gladly enough, Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has assured “Ndi Anambra”, both at home and in diaspora to expect heavy security in the state soon, saying that with effect from Monday, April 4, 2022, all markets, schools, banks, and motor parks around Anambra, will resume normal activities.
While speaking at the Women Development Centre, Awka, recently, Soludo expressed unhappiness that Anambra and indeed the whole of the South-East were losing billions of naira in revenue as a result of the boycott of activities on Mondays.
Against the foregoing backdrop, he cautioned that the Monday sit-at-home order must end as he cautioned the market leaders and relevant authorities to ensure compliance.
It is expedient to note that the warning is coming few days after some unknown gunmen sent letters to some Anambra communities warning them of the dangers of disobeying the sit-at-home order on Monday.
Governor Soludo reiterated, “Every Monday sit-at-home must end in Anambra. Normal activities must resume in earnest. With the Monday sit-at-home, the South-East economy is sinking gradually. When you boycott activities in Anambra or any other part of the region, normal activities are going on in other parts of the country. When normal activities are going on in other places, the person or persons you want to show your anger is not actually feeling what you are doing. You are only destroying your home.
“It is high time we came back to our senses and do the right thing. We have proper ways and procedures to express our agitations than to engage in activities that can only destroy our home. In other parts of the country, schoolchildren attend classes for five days; but in Anambra and other parts of the South-East, it is only four days. At the end of the day, our children will go into common or unity exams with other children from other parts of the country.
“Today, many businesses and investors are relocating to Asaba and other places. This is killing our economy and we cannot afford to continue that way.
“On our part as government, we are mobilizing security agencies, including the armed forces and informal security organizations to take charge, and to move all over the state to ensure that lives and property of our people are protected. Very soon, our people will start seeing heavy presence of the security operatives.”
“Therefore, with effect from Monday, April 4, 2022, every school, bank, market, motor pack, and other human activities will resume in earnest. Any market leader, who fails to mobilize traders in his market will be sanctioned; and any trader who fails to open his shop for business every Monday will also face sanction. School heads and operators of financial institutions should also take note.
In the same vein, the governor has yesterday given reassurances to the people of Anambra State that peace and stability must surely return to the state.
He gave the assurance when he visited the headquarters of Aguata local government area in Ekwulobia torched by criminal elements.
It would be recalled that the governor toured the various departments set ablaze by the criminals in the company of the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Echeng Echeng, and the Director of the Department of State Service among other stakeholders.
Rounding off the on-the-spot-checks, Governor Soludo said the criminals acted like in reprisal like wounded animals after their camps in Ogboji and Aguluezechukwu were smashed by police operatives.
He noted that the onslaught on the criminals was quite revealing as about 85% of them arrested came from one of the Southeast states while the other 15% came from another Southeast state, drawing the indication that it is the Igbos that are destroying their own land.
Giving reassurances to the people of the state, Professor Soludo said there will be no hiding place for criminals in the state and that Anambra will regain its space and will be peaceful and stable.
The Aguata attack comes one week after the Nnewi South Local Government Area was torched.
“We cannot tolerate all of this, but my message to them is that take the olive branch and come out,” he said.
“Surrender your guns and we will help you gain a useful life. But if you choose criminality – anyone in the bush with a gun is a criminal and will be treated as such.
“There will be no hiding place anymore in Anambra. If you want to operate camps where you kidnap people, you better find space elsewhere, because if you fail to take the olive branch, we will come after you.”
