The Chairman, Imo State House of Assembly Committee on Public Safety, Intelligence and Securities, Frank Ugboma, has cautioned Senator Rochas Okorocha, the immediate past governor of the state, over utterances of anarchy in Imo.
The former governor had on Friday said his arrest order by the state government was an open invitation to anarchy and fracas in the state.
Okorocha, representing Imo West at the Senate, was reacting to a call on Thursday by the Secretary to State Government (SSG), Mr Uche Onyeaguocha, for Okorocha’s arrest over an alleged assault of a government official at Okorocha’s residence.
A video trending online captured some thugs flogging Mr Jasper Ndubuaku, Chairman, Imo Committee on Recovery of Government Property, at Okorocha’s residence in Owerri.
Angered by the development, the SSG told journalists that Okorocha was now on Imo government security watch list.
But Okorocha in a statement, said such order would only cause disaffection in Imo because people of the state would always come out to protect him any time he was under siege.
“The arrest order only added to their disrespect for me as the past governor and this is a very bad precedence which the government of Governor Emeka Ihedioha is creating,” Okorocha had said.
Ugboma said in Lagos on Sunday that it was wrong of Okorocha to question constituted authority in the state.
The lawmaker, representing Oguta Constituency of Imo, said that beating of the committee chairman of recovery of government property was wrong as he was on an official assignment for the state.
“In 2011 when Okorocha took over from Chief Ikedi Ohakim as Imo governor, he made Dr Placid Ekwueme, his recovery committee chairman and no one attacked him even when he attacked and took away things from people.
“Ekwueme went to homes to recover alleged stolen property and nobody stopped him. Why is Okorocha bitter and angry now?
“Okorocha’s reaction is an affront on a sitting governor and his statement an insult on all of us. It is also a disservice in his office as a lawmaker of the Federal Republic of Nigerian and a past governor of the state.
“The office of a governor in a state is an exalted one which Okorocha also occupied. His anarchy statement is barbaric because we are not in a military era,” he said.
According to Ugboma, Okorocha is free to seek redress if he feels aggrieved rather that make utterances that may lead to anarchy in the state.
“There is so much challenges of security in the land and leaders must be careful to avoid statements or actions that may further compound the situation.
“Any action or statement that may incite the people must be taken and treated seriously as treason of sorts considering the state of security in Nigeria,” he added.
