Kogi Stakeholders Seek Tinubu’s Intervention on Insecurity in Omala, Dekina LGAs

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Indigenes of Kogi State under the auspices of Kogi East Critical Stakeholders (KECS) has pleaded with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the worsening security situation in Omala and Dekina Local Government Areas and other parts of the state.

They alleged that the state Governor, Alhaji Usman Ododo, has failed to live up to expectations of his exalted office, adding that he has so far shown that his government is appendage of his predecessor, Governor Yahaya Bello.

The stakeholders, therefore, asked Governor Ododo to resign forthwith, “having declared himself unworthy of governance by publicly directing his commissioners, civil servants and other government officers to ignore his constitutional directives should that conflict with that of former Governor Bello’s directives.”

The group accused the state governor of several infractions, including the unconstitutional establishment of the ‘Office of immediate past Governor’, and attempting to denigrate the ancient traditional institution by ignoring the presence of the number one traditional ruler in the state at his inauguration as governor.

In a communique issued at the end of its meeting yesterday in Abuja and signed by Alhaji Sule Iyaji, the Kogi East stakeholders expressed concerns over what they described as “serious security situation, abuse of power, intimidation and encroachments on the rights of the people in the state.”

The communique said: “The president should kindly intervene in the security situation in Omala and Dekina LGA and other parts of Kogi State, where herders have taken over the administration of our fishing and agrarian communities and now levying taxes on the hapless citizens for their own use and sacking them from their farmlands and fishing grounds.

‘The herders are equally expanding their control to other communities thereby creating unrest and displacement of our people. The urgent intervention of the president would prevent further bloodshed and recourse to self-help by the populace.”

Iyaji, who said the stakeholders reached the position after carrying out a comprehensive review of the state of affairs in Kogi State, noted that the president’s intervention has become necessary because of the inability of the Kogi State Government to arrest the prevailing serious security situation.

“It is on this note that we join other Nigerians in the call for the creation of state and local government police, because we believed that where there is a balance of terror, the security situation will abate as no community will watch their land and resources being taken over by strangers or land grabbers,” he said.

The stakeholders cautioned that Ododo should retreat from his undue dependence on Bello whom they alleged ran an administration, “driven by vendetta and irresponsible use of constitutional powers.

“Governor Ododo should within seven working days tender a public apology to His Imperial Majesty, the Attah Igala to avert the wrath of the gods and Igala people worldwide.”