A former Commissioner for Information in Abia State, John Okiyi Kalu, has called on the current administration to refrain from politicizing the security crisis affecting the state.
In a statement released on Sunday, Kalu emphasized that past governors of Abia State have faced and successfully addressed security challenges early in their terms, particularly in Aba.
He noted that this is a “recurring phenomenon in the state beginning of this 4th Republic,” and stressed that previous governors managed these issues without resorting to political maneuvering. “Another recurring phenomenon is that all the Governors concerned defeated the menace without politicizing it because they knew that doing that was a dangerous and unhelpful route to worsening an already challenging situation,” Kalu said.
He further argued, “It is crucial to treat criminality as criminality and stop selling or subtly suggesting a narrative that will not be helpful in the fight against insecurity and criminality.”
Kalu warned that making insecurity a political issue could have detrimental effects, allowing “the real criminals to escape justice and celebrate when a leader has the wrong diagnosis.” He urged Governor Alex Otti to unite all Abia citizens in the fight against the security crisis, rather than seeking “cheap political points that you don’t need now.”
“Think broadly with an open mind and make politics unimportant when confronting security challenges,” Kalu advised.