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Imo PDP Accuses State Actors of Assassination Attempt of Fed Lawmaker
The Imo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday raised an alarm over what it described as the continued attempts by armed agents in the state to assassinate a member of the House of Representatives representing Ohaji-Egbema, Oguta and Oru West federal constituency, Hon. Uju Kingsley Chima.
Biztellers reports that Hon Chima is standing for reelection to the same office under the banner of the PDP in today’s elections.
The allegations were contained in a statement issued by Publicity Secretary, Imo State, PDP, Collins Opurozor, in which he averred that Hon Chima he had escaped assassination twice, the latest being on Friday night.
He said, “Our party alerts Nigerians that in the last three days, our candidate has escaped by a whisker, two very brutal onslaughts targeted at his life.
“Just as he was wrapping up his campaigns at Umuapu in Ohaji-Egbema, three days ago, these state-sanctioned terrorists stormed the arena and unleashed mayhem on our candidate, not only sparing our party members and other innocent citizens of Imo State.
“Around 10 pm last night, the country home of our candidate at Umuorji in Egbema was invaded by truckloads of armed men who came in vehicles that included armoured personnel carriers.
“They took over his residence, cordoned off the entire area, and searched desperately for our candidate to murder (him).
“When they couldn’t get him assassinated, they visited unimaginable terror on everyone and everything in sight. They abducted his family members and political supporters and tortured even aged men and women to a pulp.
“Till this moment, the attacks are yet to abate, as an armoured tank is still stationed in front of his residence and the terrorists are still operating unhindered. This is happening in Imo state on election day!
“Despite the hues and cries that have been sent out by our party and our candidate since these attacks began, no security agency in the state has deemed it fit to take action and save lives and property at Umuorji, Egbema.
“This questions the neutrality and impartiality of the security establishment in Imo State.
“Our party notes that the last plot to gruesomely eliminate Hon. Uju Kingsley Chima was hatched immediately after the efforts by the bestial and rampaging Imo APC regime to frame him over some very dangerous criminal acts hit the rocks.”
According to Opurozor on December 25, 2022, the PDP had intercepted intelligence and duly alerted Nigerians to a very cruel conspiracy by agents of government to recruit some detained bandits in the state and pressurise them to implicate Chima as condition for their pardon and release.
“In the aftermath of last night’s failed assassination attempt, it is curious that the propaganda arm of the Imo State government has been activated to peddle a very shameful tale, that our candidate was arrested by EFCC, DSS and the Police.
“This has, therefore, nailed the APC-led regime in Imo and established their full involvement in the attack.
“It is regrettable that governance in Imo has been reduced to a rogue enterprise. Treasury looting, bloodletting, arson, brigandage, forced disappearances and gangsterism have become key policies of the state under this unelected regime.
“Our party calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to wade into this matter and tame the gangsterism of Senator Hope Uzodinma and his henchmen.
“Further, Imo PDP urges the Inspector-General of Police to commence investigation into the activities of the Tiger Base of the Imo State Police Command, with a view to unravelling the roles of that Base in these atrocious acts across the State.”
The Enugu State Government has commended the Republic of Finland for the arrest of Simon Ekpa, a Finland-based leader of the proscribed separatist group, Autopilots.
Ekpa has been accused of orchestrating violence and chaos in Nigeria’s South East region.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, the government described Ekpa as a “common criminal, con man, and terrorist” who has exploited the Igbo people while claiming to represent their interests.
RELATED NEWS: Finnish Police Arrest Simon Ekpa Over Terror-Related Allegations
“The Enugu State Government welcomes the arrest of the Finland-based terrorist, Simon Ekpa,” the statement read.
“His arrest and trial will no doubt go a long way in strengthening peace, security, and stability in all parts of the South East.”
The state government accused Ekpa of sponsoring violent activities that have resulted in the loss of lives, destruction of property, and disruption of the region’s economic activities.
It stated that Ekpa’s actions were driven by personal greed and not genuine concern for the Igbo people.
Onyia said, “Ekpa is a murderer and fraudster who delights in killing his people and living large off their misery.
“He thrives on manipulating, exploiting, and extorting the people on the pretext of fighting for their interest and for the restoration of Biafra.”
The government emphasized its readiness to provide evidence of Ekpa’s alleged crimes to support his prosecution, whether in Finland or Nigeria.
“This arrest is in line with the demand of the Governor Peter Mbah Administration, which has repeatedly made it known that Ekpa is a megalomaniac, common criminal, murderer, and fraudster who takes joy in feeding fat on the manipulated emotions of Ndigbo and inflicting misery on the South East region,” the statement added.
The government further criticized Ekpa for fostering a climate of fear and insecurity that has harmed the entrepreneurial spirit and economic growth of the Igbo people.
“Ekpa has for long, and unfortunately from Finland, made a living by creating a siege climate and mentality in the South East, destroying lives, property, and the Igbo trademark of entrepreneurship and hard work,” Onyia said.
The Enugu State Government expressed optimism that Ekpa’s arrest would mark a turning point in the quest for peace and stability in the South East, urging residents to remain vigilant and supportive of ongoing efforts to restore normalcy in the region.
The COP29 presidency has unveiled an ambitious climate finance plan, calling on developed nations to provide $250 billion annually to developing countries by 2035.
The proposal, part of a broader initiative to mobilize $1.3 trillion from public and private sources each year, seeks to address the mounting challenges posed by climate change.
The five-page draft text, released on Friday, emphasizes the need for developed nations to lead the charge in financing climate action.
RELATED NEWS: COP29: Climate Summit Faces Deadlock Over Vague Funding Proposals For Vulnerable Nations
According to the document, this financial commitment is seen as a critical step toward combating the climate crisis and fostering sustainable development globally.
“In this context, it is decided to set a goal in extension of the goal referred to in paragraph 53 of decision 1/CP.21, with developed country Parties taking the lead, to USD 250 billion per year by 2035 for developing country Parties for climate action,” the draft states.
The announcement follows the release of an earlier 10-page draft on Thursday, which drew significant criticism from Global South delegations.
Many expressed frustration that the document lacked clear financial commitments from wealthier nations, falling short of expectations to support adaptation and mitigation efforts.
“There is a clear need to address the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, especially given the diverse circumstances shaping national priorities,” a negotiator from a developing country delegation remarked.
The updated proposal aims to address some of these concerns by outlining more specific targets. However, skepticism remains among some negotiators, who feel the revisions still fail to adequately address their demands.
Meanwhile, developed countries have raised their own reservations about the proposed plan.
A European negotiator, speaking to Reuters, described the $250 billion annual target as unrealistic and criticized the lack of measures to expand the pool of contributing countries.
“No one is comfortable with the number because it’s high, and there’s almost nothing on broadening the contributor base,” the negotiator said.
The mixed reactions underscore the persistent divide between developed and developing nations in climate negotiations.
While the draft text aims to reconcile these differences, the gap between expectations and commitments remains a significant hurdle.
The President of the African School of Governance, Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu has admonished state actors against resorting to brutal force in the bid to muscle out separatist agitators.
In the aftermath of Mazi Simon Ekpa, the Finland based Biafran nationalist agitator being caught in legal web and the Nigerian government moving swiftly to seek his repatriation, the former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has cautioned that ‘We either fix our problems, or our problems will eventually “fix” us. No alternative to a renegotiated union.’
ALSO READ: Finnish Police Arrest Simon Ekpa Over Terror-Related Allegations
The political economist, while expressing his hope in Nigeria, made it clear that “hope is not a strategy”.
He bared his mind in a series of posts on his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X on Friday.
Moghalu wrote, “Despite sustained contemporary difficulties, I am hopeful about Nigeria. But hope is not a strategy. We need to improve state capacity for effective governance.
“We either fix our problems, or our problems will eventually “fix” us. No alternative to a renegotiated union.
“We must learn to be honest with ourselves and address the root causes of our problems. Why ignore them, when the problem is actually quite solvable? The problem with continuing with this approach is that when the danger crystallizes, those who thought they were benefiting from
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