Human Right Info

A PRESS STATEMENT OF THE ANAMBRA CLO

REVIEW OF MAJOR EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES FOR THIS MONTH OF JANUARY IN ANAMBRA STATE. OUR POSITIONS.

(A). THE SHAM CALLED ELECTION RE-RUN IN ANAMBRA SOUTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT:
The Saturday re-run election and result declared in Anambra south senatorial district was a sham that did not reflect the reality on ground and the aspirations of the people.

The declaration of 46, 165 votes for the PDP and 21,185 votes for the APGA candidates during the election was a block allocation collected from planet Mars and not on this part of planet Earth where not more than 10,000 people voted in all the 1669 polling units mapped out for the election.

We monitored the election and discovered various irregularities which included the non inclusion of INEC form EC8 for writing election results at polling booths, distribution of voting materials in the absence of party agents denying them the opportunity to ascertain its tamper proof, non sensitization of voters by INEC prior to the elections which led to the general apathy and low turn out of voters among others. Yet INEC went ahead and declared such bogus number of votes cast.

It is quite unfortunate that INEC has proved once again to be PDP’s rigging machine in Nigeria, the results declared by INEC have been written before the Election Day and Anambra people should totally reject it.

The INEC National Commissioner in charge of South East Mr. Victor Chukwuani and the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Chief Rowland Uwah by their various actions in this election have become enemies of our democracy and have also inducted their name into the hall of infamy.

All these are ominous signs of what will happen in Anambra in the 2010 governorship election. We call on the people of Anambra to be battle ready to defend their votes and to begin strategies to ensure that their votes will count in future elections in the state.

We also call on the “selected” senator, Ikechukwu Obiora, not to rejoice yet but should rather, begin another onward journey back home from Abuja for occupying a stolen mandate.

POLICE INVASION OF A PRIVATE RESIDENCE IN NNOBI:
In as much as we wouldn’t want to be drawn into the controversy surrounding the Igwe Chieftaincy tussle in Nnobi, Idemili South L.G.A of the State. We wish to condemn in strong terms the recent invasion of the residence of Chief Nick Obi, the Igwe – elect of Nnobi and disruption of an ongoing Eucharistic high mass celebration by some over zealous policemen.


The invasion and disruption carried out by over seventy policemen from Awka, Nnobi and Nnewi area command is not only bestial and sacrilegious but another display of impunity of uniform by law enforcement agents.

Till today, the policemen have not told us who issued the infamous “order from above” and why they couldn’t exercise restraint even when the holy mass was going on.

We call on the DPO Nnobi Police Station, Mr. Daniel Enagbere, Idowu Salami Area Command Awka, Emeka Emenike from Mopol Nnewi and other officers and Men who partook in this reckless operation to go for open confession for their sins to escape the wrath of God or else the Nebuchadnezzar experience in the bible awaits them.

Anambra State would have become an Eldora-do in security of lives and property if the police have often responded swiftly to distress calls in the same manner they responded to this inordinate call to duty at Nnobi.



MABDINUJU’S FALSE ALARM:
Penultimate week, the former governor of Anambra State Dr. Clement Chinwoke Mbadinuju was reported to have decried the security situation presently in Anambra State and applauded himself for the way he handled security matters in the state.

We regard the statements credited to Mbadinuju as a false alarm and hollow image laundering just to seek credibility for his already battered political image.

Can a man re-write history with mere wishful thinking? For us in the Anambra CLO, Mbadinuju is unfit to comment on governance and security in Anambra state. The scores of criminal activities still reported in the state is a direct consequence of the infamous legacy of bloodshed and criminality bequeathed to the people by Odera.
We call on the state governor Mr. Peter Obi, to immediately set up a commission of enquiry to handle various unresolved murders and extra judicial killings committed in the state between June 2000 and September 2002 under Mbadinuju’s administration.

THIS DAY NEWSPAPER AWARD ON GOVERNOR OBI:
We congratulate the state Governor, Mr. Peter Obi for the award bestowed on him by the management of THIS DAY Newspaper as the best Governor in the fiscal management category.
We view the award as a manifestation of the governments desire to redefine governance and a departure from bazaar culture for award of contracts. The government should also be commended for the various projects and decision taken so far this year which tallies with our demands during our World Human Rights day celebration held in December 2008.

These include, re-organizing Anambra State Traffic Agents (ASTA) decision to pay backlog of salaries owed Anambra State Water co-operation staffs, donation of equipments to Anambra Broadcasting service (ABS) & conducting market elections etc.

GRATITUDE: We are grateful to all our friends in the print and electronic media that have continuously used our presentations. The correspondents and reporters have proved to us that they are our strongest allies in the struggle. The Lagos based Editors also deserve kudos for their encouragements by using our stories. We say a million thanks.

Signed for the CLO
Comrade Aloysius Attah
Chairman Anambra State Branch.