Blame FG on insecurity woes, Edo govt tells APC

The Edo State government, on Monday, urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to direct its blames and criticisms to the Federal Government, which is being controlled by the party at the national level.

Crusoe Osagie, special adviser, media projects to Governor Godwin Obaseki, stated this in a statement issued to newsmen in Benin City, while reacting to accusations by the opposition party that the state government has failed to secure its citizens.

Osagie said the Federal Government, which is controlled by APC, is constitutionally empowered to address issues of national security, hence should deploy its assets to check banditry and herdsmen attacks because they have the manpower at their disposal.

“The Edo APC is obviously playing the Ostrich. In case they have forgotten, I would like to remind them that the Federal Government which is controlled by their party, the APC is constitutionally empowered to address issues of national security.

“The APC-controlled Federal Government is in charge of the machinery of state to fight off banditry and herdsmen/farmer clashes. They control the Civil Defense, Nigerian Army, Department of State Services(DSS), Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). Hence, the criticism should be directed at their party at the national level,” Osagie said.

The Edo State chapter of the APC had, in a statement signed by Victor Osehobo, assistant state publicity secretary of the party, faulted the governor over the rising insecurity challenges in the state.

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“It smacks of cluelessness for Governor Obaseki to announce that he has declared war on land grabbing. What Edo people expected him to declare a war on and long before now was the activities of rampaging criminal herdsmen, kidnappers and bandits, that have been busy terrorizing highways across the State.

“This is the same Governor Obaseki who could not declare a war in January, when scores of persons, dressed in military uniform and suspected to be herdsmen invaded several farming communities in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, chased all the villagers away and took control of their farms, homes and property.

“Obaseki did not also declare a war when last month, less than five persons and several others were maimed as suspected criminal herdsmen attacked Odiguetue, among other agrarian communities in the same Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State,” part of the statement reads.