… Rights group urges LG chair to withdraw threat against opposition

A human rights group in Ebonyi State, Human Rights Defenders (HURIDE), has condemned the  remarks attributed to the new Chairman of Ohaukwu Local Government Area in the state, Paul Ituma, in which he warned opposition elements not to enter the area unless they were prepared to submit to the ruling political camp.

Ituma also further declared that Ohaukwu had been cordoned off,  and that those who refused to comply would be declared persona non grata in the local government.

The new chairman made the remarks last week while assuming duty at the local government headquarters.

HURIDE, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Dr. Oko Sampson Nweke, considered the remarks deeply troubling and incompatible with the principles of democracy, constitutional governance and fundamental human rights, and urged the chairman to withdraw them.

“No elected or appointed public official has the constitutional authority to ban citizens from their ancestral homes, communities, or local government because of their political beliefs.

“Freedom of association, freedom of expression, and the right to participate in political activities are fundamental democratic rights.

“We call on Paul Ituma to, immediately, withdraw such statements and publicly reassure the people of Ohaukwu that their safety and civic freedoms will be respected.

“We equally call on the Ebonyi State Government and relevant security agencies to pay attention to such inflammatory pronouncements before they escalate into violence.

“Politics is not war. Political opponents are not enemies. Government is not a private estate. Every local government chairman has the duty to protect citizens and not to threaten or intimidate them.

“HURIDE will continue to defend the constitutional rights of Ebonyi people and will resist every attempt to turn public institutions or local government territories into instruments of political terrorism.

“We urge all political actors in Ohaukwu and across Ebonyi State to exercise restraint, avoid inflammatory rhetoric, and embrace peaceful democratic competition.

“Ohaukwu belongs to all Ohaukwu people. Ebonyi belongs to all Ebonyi people. Democracy belongs to everyone, Oko said.