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A former Commissioner for Information in Abia State during the immediate past administration of Okezie Ikpeazu, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, has advised Governor Alex Otti led administration in the State to refrain from politicising insecurity, urging him to feel free to confront former administrations in the State on ideas.
Okiyi also advised the current administration in the State, to engage in community policing, which requires going down to communities, engaging with farmers, palmwine tappers among others with a view to forming a formidable communication link to stem insecurity.
Chief Okiyi Kalu, who stated these on Wednesday while speaking on a monitored interview, maintained that in developed climes, present administrations can borrow ideas from previous administrations, insisting that the idea is to ensure there is progressions and bettering of lives of the people which is the primary assignment of the government.
The former Commissioner for Trade and Investment, emphasized the need for Governor Otti to make bold to invite those from previous administrations in the State who will provide useful advice on ways to surmount the current security breaches in the State.
He stated that as opposition party, it is their constitutional right to air their views on issues of the State, stressing that the PDP in the State has never engaged in deadly opposition but rather has drawn the attention of the current administration in the State to its responsibilities of securing lives and property of the citizens.
Chief Okiyi Kalu said, “On the issue of security, what we have asked is that the Governor doesn’t politicise security. When as a leader you politicise security, you chase shadows. When we correct the present administration, we don’t mean to attack them, we only proffer solutions. The way to go, is when you get information, you pass it to the security operatives to act on it.”
He recalled that during the administration of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia State was ranked the safest in the country, revealing that a lot was done including community policing, which saw the government move into communities in the hinterlands to form strong communication link to fight security challenges.
Speaking while reacting to issue of falsehood, the former Information boss, Okiyi stated that when a Governor spreads falsehood, it is difficult to support such administration, citing remodelling of Ariaria International Market, Geometric Power Plant among others as projects they started which the present administration in the State has refused to tell Abians the true position.
He called on the current administration in the State to be transparent in the way it handles issues, saying it is also wrong for the Governor to claim that he doesn’t collect security vote, yet there are evidences that he has collected over N1 billion on security vote.
On the issue of PDP in the State forming a shadow government, Chief Okiyi Kalu, pointed out that it is what is tenable in saner climes. He stated that forming a shadow government is instituting a team within the opposition to review what the present administration is doing, adding that its benefits include giving room for participatory governance and advancing democracy.
He said the idea is also to limit governance from all abusive tendencies which is the order of the day in the state, acknowledging that while the incumbent Governor of the State was in the opposition, he played the role of opposition very well, adding that he sponsored programmes on Radio, meant to put the then government on check.
He advised the Governor not to surmount opposition voices, insisting that the purpose of shadow government is to bring experts to review the government and proffer solutions.
Chief Okiyi said, “as opposition, Governor Otti did well, on checking the then government. Any Government without opposition will fail. You cannot listen to your lyrics or your song, you will have wrong impression about it.”
The former Information boss also noted that it was a wrong policy to retire the then Permanent Secretaries when Governor Alex Otti came on board, stating that they were supposed to help him ensure continuity in government and stabilize the administration, stressing that when that mistake was made, the Governor became autocratic.
Responding to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Alex Otti, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, asking what Okiyi is afraid of, Chief Okiyi, insisted that he has never been involved in any shady deals and challenged any security agent or agency that has anything against him to come up with it.
He also lauded the present administration for the work they did at Umunneochi by relocating the traders and steming insecurity there, saying relocating traders is not easy.
Chief Okiyi pledged the readiness of the PDP in the State to avail the current administration advise on how to tackle security in the State, urging Governor Alex Otti to stop behaving like he knows it all in relation to security.
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