Labour Party Forum Condemns Crackdown on Newspaper Vendors in Anambra

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

A group, Forum of Labour Party 2023 House of Assembly Candidates in Anambra State, has condemned the recent destruction of newspapers on newsstands in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

Officials of Awka Capital Territory Development Agency, an agency charged with the development of Awka city, had recently unleashed a clampdown on newspaper vendors, seizing and destroying their wares.

But in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Humphrey Iloh, the group described the act as dictatorial.
The group stated: “Our attention has been drawn to trending news with pictorial and video evidence on social media of Prof. Soludo-led government destroying newspaper stands and beating up newspaper vendors in Awka.

 “Also, on Friday, February 16, 2024, at Ogbo-ogwu in Onitsha, the brutal killing of one Mr. Arinze Obunadike, a drug dealer at Ogbo-ogwu, and resident of Iyiowa Odekpe, in Ogbaru LGA and indigene of Okija in Ihiala LGA, by Special Anambra State Anti-Touting Squad (SASA).

“We, the members of the Forum of Labour Party 2023 House of Assembly Candidates condemn in its entirety these double tragic and unfortunate acts by the Prof. Soludo-led government and other previous actions, which are clear indications that Anambra State is now under a dictatorial regime.

“The Anambra State of today is not the friendly and peaceful Anambra that the previous governments left for Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.
 “His current style of governance is totally against Section 14(2) (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, which declares that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government,” the group said.

The forum advised Soludo to desist from further humiliating, intimidating, impoverishing, and killing of the people of the state.
It stated that it would be left with no option but to approach the court and seek an order to compel the state House of Assembly to commence the impeachment process against the governor, to rescue the Anambra people from the dictatorial regime.