Nigerians laud Edo Governor over handling of Uromi Incident
Nigerians across political divides have lauded Edo Governor Monday Okpebholo over his handling of the security concerns in the aftermath of the gruesome incident affecting 16 northern travellers by a mob in Uromi.
Okpebholo whose efforts to douse the tension has returned normalcy to Uromi town and Edo state immediately condemned the violence, personally visited the scene, ordered for the arrest of the perpetrators, suspended the illegal vigilante groups as well as suspended the Commander of the State Security Corps, CP Friday Ibadin who was subsequently arrested by the DSS.
In his reaction a legal practitioner and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Edo state, Barrister Jefferson Uwoghiren, who is one of the critics of Governor Okpebholo, commended him saying, “Edo Governor in Kano. Apology is not a sign of weakness. It’s the ultimate sign of strength, sound strategy, and sincerest defence for days and years to come”.
In his response, a fiction writer, poet, journalist, Gimba Kakanda, who is also a Senior Special Assistant to the President on research and analytics said, Okpebholo’ response was decisive and well-articulated
He added: “The response from the Edo State Government offers hope for justice for all parties. The SSG, Umar Musa Ikhilor, is not only a valued friend but also a strong ally of the North, from Zaria to Minna and Abuja. I trust that northerners in Edo State have found in him a reliable advocate for justice”.
A former Chief Press Secretary to former governor Godwin Obaseki, Mr. John Mayaki said: “Governor Okpebholo did not stop in merely condemning the incident, he immediately followed up with a visit to all the concerned stakeholders – the family of the bereaved, Kano State government, the governors forum and also paid a condolence visit to Senator Barau Jibrin, the deputy president of the Senate, who is from Kano.
“The efforts of the governor has brought in normalcy especially the arrest of 14 persons in connection to the mob barbaric action. The governor have also established a committee to support the bereaved families and offered apologies to the government and people of Kano state. He spoke in Hausa language during the visit”, he said.
Continuing, Mayaki who is also the President of Nigeria-Agro Multipurpose Cooperative Society said: “Governor Okpebholo has left no one in doubt about his administration’s commitment to justice, security, and rule of law. His efforts so far has shown all of these and many more”.
The scholar from Cambridge and Oxford University on leadership added:
“The Governor has demonstrated true leadership by immediately visiting the scene, engaging with community leaders in the state and beyond especially on the streets of Kano state.
“The police already made arrests – that tells you that Okpebholo is a leader who would not tolerate lawlessness and who matches action with his words. This is a governor who has shown tremendous capacity in governance and deserves all the support he can get from well meaning Nigerians”.
SOURCE: The Nation Online
