Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma has expressed concern over the failure of Nigerian leaders to outrightly condemn the spate of criminality currently rocking the country but have chosen instead to engage in blame games. He said instead of political and religious leaders giving criminality party and ethnic colouration, they should rise in unison to condemn the act as patriots.
“ The genuine reaction of every well-meaning and patriotic leader should be that of outrage and condemnation against violent crimes before looking for whom to blame,” the governor said, while fielding questions from journalists in Owerri at the weekend. Uzodimma said it was worrisome that some leaders had continued to play the ostrich in the face of rising cases of crime in the country.
He said by keeping quiet or laying the blame on either President Muhammadu Buhari or the APC, these leaders create the impression that only government and the APC should fight criminality.
He regretted that those who were politicising the insecurity in the land were unwittingly creating an enabling platform for division in the country and also buoying the criminals to exploit the division among the political class.
He advised aggrieved politicians not to toe the line of violence and desist from any action that will heat up the polity or lead to loss of lives and property, for political gains.
He said it was unfortunate that even those who have access to the presidency have chosen the media to lambast the government instead of passing vital information to the government on ways to tackle insecurity.