Worsening Insecurity: Okpebholo has failed woefully, says Edo PDP

…PDP ignored insecurity for eight years – EDSG

By Titus Akhigbe

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has berated the administration of governor Monday Okpebholo of the ruling All Progressives Congress,APC for the worsening insecurity in the State.

The State chairman of the opposition PDP,Dr.Anthony Aziegbemi in a press conference yesterday at the party secretariat ,alleged that 35 citizens have been brutally killed in the past two weeks in the state.

His words:”the primary responsibility of any government is the protection of lives and property of citizens and in this regard, we can categorically say that the Okpebholo government has failed woefully.

“In the past two weeks, at least 35 innocent Edo citizens have been brutally killed, including Batemue Philip Ebo, Christopher Bello, and Victor Ogedengbe, whose lives were tragically cut short by militant groups and killer herdsmen. Several others have sustained various degrees of injuries, and properties worth millions of naira have been destroyed.

“The people of Edo State are under siege. This was even acknowledged by Okpebholo’s political ally, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, during his public outcry on the floor of the Senate in Abuja, where he lamented the worsening insecurity in Edo State under Okpebholo’s watch.”

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Continuing, Aziegbemi alleged that,”From Edo South to Edo Central to Edo North, killings and violent attacks have become rampant. The State, which was repositioned as one of Nigeria’s safest places to live and do business during the Godwin Obaseki-led administration has now become so unsafe, gaining a notorious reputation as the capital of kidnapping and violent crimes, as kidnappers and other criminals now see it as a safe haven, the weakest link in the country’s security framework.

“Meanwhile, the supposed Chief Security Officer of the State stands dazed, overwhelmed, clueless, and utterly incapable of managing the worsening insecurity that has continued to claim the lives of innocent citizens almost daily.

“And again, we dare to ask Okpebholo: what happened to the elaborate surveillance system with cameras and screens, the command and control centre, among others which Obaseki put in place to the envy of the entire country and beyond?

“Why did Okpebholo disarm all the sectors of the Edo State Security Network after dislodging its leadership?
Where are all the world-class standard, secure communication devices handed to all sector commanders across the State?

“Lastly how many Security Council meetings has Okpebholo held since he was sworn into office and what was the quality of these meetings if there were any?”,the state chairman of PDP asked.

Reacting to the allegation of worsening insecurity in the state, Fred Itua
Chief Press Secretary to the Edo State Governor said the PDP fabricated outrage over recent security incidents in Ovia and Okpekpe is laughable.

He said the PDP ignored insecurity for eight years, while Governor Okpebholo has already taken decisive actions, equipping security agencies and restructuring the Edo Security Network.

“While the Okpebholo administration swiftly mobilized security forces and initiated immediate responses to curb the threats, PDP shamelessly tried to spin the situation to cover up their own failures. Under their disastrous leadership, Edo’s security architecture collapsed, leaving citizens at the mercy of criminals. Yet, here they are, pretending to care about security only because it offers them another excuse to criticize.”he said.