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From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
A flurry of violent acts greeted the Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area, Enugu-Ezike, Enugu State, recently, forcing government to take some drastic measures towards stemming the tide.
Gunmen had stormed the mechanic workshop of a popular transport mogul in the area, Chief Matthew Adonu, killed two of his police escorts and made away with their service rifles.
As if that was not enough, the gunmen also raided the home of the member representing Igbo-Eze North/Udenu Federal Constituency, Simon Atigwe. They shot their way into the compound and shattered the tyres of exotic vehicles parked in the premises before storming the home of the traditional ruler of Aji Essodo community, Igwe Simeon Itodo, where they also fired gunshots in the air before leaving the scene.
Following a security report, the Federal Government drafted soldiers into the area, while the state government imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Igbo-Eze North and Igbo-Eze South local government areas.
But the purveyors of violence remained undaunted as they stormed the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the council area at midnight and burnt the entire facility.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi visited the scene recently, where he inspected and assessed the level of damage and also interacted with residents, urging them to support the security agents and the government in making their communities safe and conducive for living.
Chairman of Igbo-Eze North LGA, Itodo, who spoke after the governor’s visit, appealed to youths in the area to shun violence and resort to arson and destruction but, instead, embrace peace and civility for the overall development and progress of the people.
The chairman said the descent to anarchy and destruction of public property would do one no good as the people would be the ultimate losers at the end of the day if public institutions and private establishments are destroyed.
While condemning the actions of the arsonists, Itodo noted that the Ugwuanyi administration had initiated meaningful engagements with the youths, which his administration at the local level in Igbo-Eze North had emulated by trying to carry the youths along in executing government policies and maintaining an open-door administration, where the people could access to their leaders and also get feedback from government.
He appealed to youths to sheathe their swords and embrace a “think-home” philosophy, knowing that whether east, west, north or south, everyone will be homebound at a point in life, hence, the need for all to be engrossed in how to make the home front better, a task that government at the local level represented better.
He disclosed that various measures have been taken to stem the tide of the negative actions in the area while feedback so far received has raised hopes that normalcy has returned.
Itodo commended Ugwuanyi for visiting the affected INEC office in the area and promising to rebuild the structure and facilities destroyed in the attack.
He also appealed to the people of the area to maximize the opportunity offered by the extension of the voter registration exercise by the commission to come out and register so that they can obtain their permanent voter’s card, which gives them the power to participate in the electoral process and also determine who leads them in government.
Itodo had earlier paid a visit to the burnt INEC office to ascertain the level of damage. He was accompanied by members of Igbo-Eze North LGA legislative council, the Enugu State chief fire officer, O.D. Ohaa, the divisional police officer, Michael Ayogu, the PDP candidate for Igbo-Eze North 2 Constituency, Clifford Obe, Gov. Ugwuanyi’s aides, Onyekachi Eya, Barr. Kingsley Onyeke and Kentus Eze, among others.
During the visit, it was ascertained that, despite the initial setback over the burning of the INEC office in the area, the electoral officials remained undaunted as they have continued the voter registration exercise with three machines in the open space outside the burnt office.
The electoral officer in the area, Mrs Udoka Ogbodo, who took the chairman and his entourage around disclosed that uncollected PVCs in the office were intact because they were stored in a fire proof safe box.
The EO also revealed that that the CVR registration machines were not affected by the fire because they were taken home for charging that weekend before the hoodlums struck on Sunday night.
She called for urgent assistance so that they can replace most of the materials damaged in the fire and additional logistics that would aid them in their work. Though they work presently in a make-shift canopy since they have lost the office to the fire incident, she still expressed hope that the commission will continue to work harder to ensure that the people of Igbo-Eze North will not be denied any opportunity to perform their civic responsibility in the coming election despite the challenges.
Giving an insight into what happened, the security officer on duty, Ogbuishi Theophilus, said that he and his colleague Abdullahi took cover that night when they heard gunshots at the gate before they saw fire all over the office complex .
