Date Published: 02/10/10

Goodluck faces first security challenge in Ebonyi

Martins Elechi

Barely 24 hours after taking over as acting President, Ebonyi State may prove to be the first security challenge starring Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in the face, as the State government today alerted of a heavy build up of arms by some politicians set to unleash mayhem in the state.

The government said the politicians planned to use the troubled Ezillo community to spark off a crisis that would see to the destruction of several developmental projects, including the multi-billion naira water scheme in Ezillo.

In a press conference today in Abakaliki, the state capital, Commissioner for Information and state orientation, Egwu Chima, said the government had been reliably informed on the activities of some politicians building up arms and ammunitions to unleash violence.

Even though he failed to give names, the commissioner, who was flanked by Fred Udeogu and Chief Celestine Nwali, commissioners for grants and donor agencies, and Local Government and Chieftaincy affairs respectively, upbraided the masterminds of the proposed violence for being unhappy with the development which the people of Ebonyi were enjoying under Governor Martin Elechi.

Said the commissioner: “These hirelings are already on the prowl, ready to unleash mayhem in Ezillo any moment from now…they even intend to embarrass the soldiers who have maintained an unusual peaceful posture in the area all these troubled times, and it is probably imperative and worthy of emphasis, to state that the soldiers who have for long been stationed to keep peace had in spite of provocations refused to react negatively”.

Describing the politicians as ““urban guerillas,” the government spokesman however expressed confidence in the ability of the soldiers to defend themselves and the people of the state, in the event of provocation.

He revealed that the Ebonyi state government had earlier scuttled an attempt to detonate the Ezillo Water scheme, and warned that the state government would not fold its arms whilst a few elements took the law into its hands.