Labour Party lawmaker, Hon Attorney Mathew Nwogu representing Abob Mbaise/Ngor-Okpala federal constituency Owerri, Imo State has blamed discriminatory federal government policies against the South East, and unemployment for the insecurity in the region.
He stated this while speaking exclusively to LEADERSHIP at the National Assembly. According to him, the deteriorating security condition in the South East
is the result of the past federal government policies of exclusion from essential means of livelihood in terms of fair representation, participation, recognition, and youth employment.
He also drew the attention of the government to its primary responsibility of protection of life and property.
“Well it seems to me that, one of the main functions of the government is to make sure that there is peace, order, and provision of security; protection of lives and property of the citizens.
“It has become a recurrent decimal all over the country,
where insecurity is almost everywhere specifically in the South East. What is happening now is unprecedented and we have not expected it.
“Assuming but not conceding that there's something the government should do, the government should quickly do that. To me, technically, I think that there is this strong agitation by our people that we've not been treated fairly, in terms of the marginalization of the South Easterners.
“So, to me, I always feel that a hungry man is an angry man, so if the youths are gainfully employed, if there's
fairness and equity in everything we do, nobody will agitate and insecurity will be gone, that's what I believe;” he stated.
Responding to a question on fair distribution of palliatives, the lawmaker feigned ignorance about what is happening in his state. He further explained that some of them who are stakeholders from opposition parties are not carried along in his state.
He noted that politics is over and that he expects that the
state government should be all inclusive, by carrying
everybody along in its policies and programmes but
everything is happening to the contrary.
Nwogu said if they were adequately briefed by the state
government , they would have been in a position to
mobilise and brief their constituents on what they should
expect from the palliatives.
"I will cautiously say that I am aware that the president
has released enough of funds for the palliatives in each of
the states, of course we know, we are in the National
Assembly. We make the laws, and the palliatives are
released to the governors.
"I'm coming from a different party, we have not been
consulted or briefed by anybody in our own state about
the status of the palliatives. So, I'm not in the position to
give you the details as to whether or not it has reached my
people or it has not reached; but for now, I have not
gotten any complaint from any of my constituents, that
they have received or not received any palliatives.
