Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state said Friday that some politicians were responsible for the rising cases of banditry in some parts of the country.
The governor said this while fielding questions from State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja.
He said those responsible for the crime are bent on bringing down the government in power.
He said there was the need for all Nigerians to rise up against acts of violence by some politicians.
“Those funding this banditry are politicians, which I challenge and call on security agencies to make their names available to the Press because what they want to do is to distract a government that is focused.
“If this government is not doing well, I’ll be one of those that would have declared that the government is not doing well, but a situation where you’ll live the formal way, ethical way of doing politics, and you are now sponsoring banditry to bring down a government, for Christ’s sake, we should rise up and condemn it, all of us,” he said.
The governor said the unity of the country could not be compromised for whatever reasons, stressing that calls for secession should be discarded by the government and all Nigerians.
“I don’t think that I will support any call for secession, I want a united, strong Nigeria. Our strength is in our diversity and today, we are supposed to play a leading role in this continent.
“We don’t want to whittle down our strength. Rather, what I advise is that we must appreciate the gift of nature, in our land and the support government.
“From 2015 till today, I thought what the problem would be is people saying that whether there’s no job creation, people are not feeding, salaries are not paid, infrastructure is going down, and social interventions are not approved by the government.
“These things are available; a pass mark for the government of President Muhammadu Buhari. Now, people are no longer talking about that, rather what they are doing is to sponsor a crisis.
“I know the genuine interests of the president for Nigerians; I have had a series of discussions and at every given time I’ve asked for one intervention or the other, it is given to me and it is for the interest of my people. But then, for those things to function, we need an enabling environment. That is why the enemies of progress, not deterred by the progress the government is making, are now out to scuttle good governance.
“This party, APC, is a responsible party. That is why some of us are members of this party and we promised that we’ll deliver to our people, and I’m committed that this government will deliver. However, I think we are rising to the occasion. I can tell you that sooner than later, today will become a thing of the past and Nigeria will move forward,” he said.
The governor said some of the people attacking security formations in Imo state were not indigenes, stressing that 50 persons had been arrested in connection with the crime.
“As at the last count, we arrested almost 40 to 50 people, who also made useful statements and confessed to the crime.”
