From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Member representing Ideato federal constituency and chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Downstream, Hon Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, has said that insecurity in the state has worsened and lamented that many communities in his constituency have fled their homes.
Ugochinyere spoke at a press conference in Owerri, Thursday, in the wake of the killing of about 26 persons in the Arondizuogu communities of his constituency, about a fortnight ago.
Ugochinyere said insecurity has worsened in Imo and called for funding of vigilante groups by the state government as part of measures to tackle the situation.
He noted that he was mobilising his friends to raise funds to assist the bereaved families of those killed in Ideato, after donating ₦5 million to them as aid.
“Security and protection of lives is the primary responsibility of government. By now, I expected that the state governor would have come to Ideato; we expected there would have been relief materials by now; you don’t need to like my face before you come,” he submitted.
Ugochinyere stated that many Ideato communities are on the verge of extinction due to the gully erosion menace and called for urgent measures from the federal and state governments to salvage the situation.
He said the situation has worsened in Urualla, where the World Bank pulled out, while many other communities, such as Umueshi, Amanator, Osina, and Umuobom, are being cut off.
The lawmaker lamented that the local governments of Ideato North and South have nothing to show for the nearly ₦800 million they receive as monthly allocations.
“Ideato North and South receive about ₦400 million each every month, yet there is nothing to show for it. They can’t even cut grass or provide paracetamol in the health centres.
“We cannot continue to live in bushes, our mothers and children killed, and we can’t get anything from the local governments. The money belongs to the people.
“As a lawmaker, I’m supposed to be making laws, but every day I’m on the streets providing boreholes, street lights, building schools; we can’t continue this way. The local governments can’t even cut grass or provide paracetamol in health centres.
“Whatever you do with the money, you have to tell the people. If someone is taking it from you, you have to account for it,” he stated.
