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Fred Itua, Abuja
Former Minister of Information and National Secretary of All Progressive Grand Alliance, Mr. Labaran Maku, has bemoaned the security situation in Nasarawa State.
He said residents of the state are now living on the edge as kidnappers and bandits have taken over every nook and cranny of the north-central state.
He said kidnappers, who now abduct villagers and peasants, collect as low as N50,000 ransom from victims before they’re freed.
The party scribe spoke when leaders of APGA from Nasarawa State visited the new national headquarters of the party in Abuja.
He said: “Anambra is the most peaceful state in Nigeria. In Nasarawa State, people sleep with one eye open. A permanent secretary was kidnapped recently. Kidnapping in Nasarawa State doesn’t make news anymore. Kidnappers collect N50,000 ransom from rural dwellers in Nasarawa.
“People are no longer safe. There are accumulated arrears of pension in Nasarawa State. There is corruption and things are getting worse. We will not betray the hope of the people. Playing opposition politics in Nigeria is difficult.
“I am aware that people are going from house to house to bribe members of APGA to dump the party. Some may succumb to this pressure because of the economic hardship in the land. In Nasarawa, what we have is politics of violence and underdevelopment. We will continue to support the state chapters of APGA in Nigeria.”
When asked to respond to some speculations that APGA might go under or collapse into the All Progressives Congress (APC), after the governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano leaves office next year, Maku said: “Speaking for myself and as a member of the party, this is absolutely false. This is not first transition APGA has successfully done and given the momentum of development we have had in Anambra under governor Obiano, APGA will certainly retain the state.
“Look at what is happening in other parties and the level of development that is taking place in the states they control. Anambra is far ahead both in terms of security and economic development.”
According to him, APGA should be seeking to export its achievements in good governance to other parts of the country by winning other states not only in Anambra.”
The former minister said in 2021, the party will replicate its exploits in 2017 when the party won a majority of votes in all the 21 local government areas in Anambra State during the governorship election.
