By Harris Emanuel, Uyo
The ruling People’s Democratic Party and All Progressives Congress, have traded over words of the worsening security situation in Akwa Ibom State.
In the last couple of months, no fewer than five police stations have been ravaged and well over 20 policemen killed in Essien Udim, Ika, Ini and Abak local government areas in Akwa Ibom State by gunmen suspected to be members of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and their militia wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN).
APC noted that the gunmen were deliberately planning to weaken the defense mechanism of the state with a view to overrunning it by targeting the security agencies.
“IPOB intends to make our state part of Biafra. Our people, therefore, feel terrorized and traumatized. The sense of insecurity enveloping the state is so overwhelming that the US Embassy in Abuja has advised its citizens not to visit Akwa Ibom state and a few other states like Borno, Yobe and Zamfara”, the party in a statement its Publicity secretary, Nkereuwem Eyongekere said
He added, “ In times of crisis, a leader is expected to connect with his people and communicate with them all the time. He should exude empathy and compassion.
“Rather, Mr. Udom Emmanuel is phlegmatic and out of touch with the people. In fact, we have been informed that the governor now spends most of his time in Lagos and Abuja.”
Reacting, Publicity Secretary, PDP, Borono Bassey, blamed the APC government at the center of the rising insecurity in the country, as a result of bad administration.
He said, “The truth is that while Governor Udom Emmanuel has done a remarkable job in supporting the security agencies in Akwa Ibom State to do their jobs, Nigerians concede to the fact that President Buhari has failed in this regard and this has had ripple effects on the nation’s security situation.
“Although we sympathize with the APC on their seeming frustration with the ineffective leadership of President Buhari.
“Despite the abysmal performance of the APC-led federal government and its resultant negative effect on the nation’s security, we want to assure Akwa Ibom people that our state is under the protective hands of God Almighty.”
The party called on Nigerians to rally around security agencies to enable them to confront the menace of insecurity bedeviling the country.
