Why Hope Uzodinma’s Imo Remains One of the Safest in Southeast Despite Opposition Propaganda – Group

Imo State has been declared as one of the safest states in southeast Nigeria and among states in the entire federation “despite aggressive attempts to paint the state black through outrageously exaggerated reports to the contrary in some sections of the media”.

A human rights advocate and peacebuilding group, Global Security Concern (GLOSCO) made this known in a statement signed by its Convener, Mr Chijioke Mbagwu and Secretary-General, Comrade Kelechi Ahamefule and made available to the media in Owerri today after a fact-finding mission to the state.

The group said it got worried by the barrage of reports of insecurity in Imo State under the current Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, and “decided to embark on the discreet fact -finding mission with a view to ascertaining the true situation of things by ourselves, put the records straight and suggest strategies that could further help in keeping the state safe”.

The group further revealed that its findings show that the people are going about their normal daily businesses without fear of molestation from any quarters.

“From our interactions with the locals, it is obvious that they are not perturbed by screaming headlines in some sections of the media trying to paint Imo black because they are on ground and know that such screaming headlines are usually false.

“They expressed satisfaction with how the governor has gone about tackling the security situation in the state, saying that what was needed was the cooperation of everybody to sustain the tempo, and not distractions”.

GLOSCO said the outcome of its discreet fact-finding mission to Imo State confirms statistics in public domain by different reputable independent security analysts, peacebuilding and media groups which rate the state as the second safest in the entire southeast.

“For example, in a survey carried out by Global Rights, an international human rights organisation, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) analysed by The Cable Index, the data and research arm of The Cable on the death rate resulting from violent crimes in Nigeria in the previous three years (2020, 2021 and 2022), there was a total of 14,168 deaths throughout the federation with the southeast region accounting for a total of 1,178 out of which Abia recorded 72, Imo – 183, Ebonyi – 391, Enugu – 215, and Anambra – 317.

“While this is a gory tale for Nigeria as a country, it is clear that given the prevailing security situation in the entire country, the government of Senator Hope Uzodinma has been able to ensure that Imo State is relatively safer compared even to all its immediate neighbours in the southeast except Abia.

“One is then compelled to conclude that the alarm usually raised by a section of the media to the falsehood that Imo is in turmoil or is war-thorn is the handiwork of political jobbers and merchants of mischief who are bent on painting Senator Hope Uzodinma black just to feather their own nests. These are clearly enemies of Imo State and the good people of Imo will not allow themselves to be swayed by their antics”, the statement concluded.