● Appoints Bianca, Charly Boy, Onwenu, 12 others into peace, justice committee
Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, yesterday, revealed that more than 150 people, including security personnel and civilians, have been killed, so far, by criminals masquerading as sit-at-home enforcers.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had issued a sit-at-home order when its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, was incarcerated by the Federal Government. It was part of the measures introduced to press on the apex government to release him.
The group, however, later announced the cancellation of the every Monday ghost town order is placed, to enable the people of the South East and parts of South-South regions to go about their normal businesses.
But regardless of the cancellation announced by the IPOB leadership, some people masquerading as enforcers of the order have been going about, wreaking havoc.
So far, gunmen have killed many security personnel and burnt public facilities, including police stations, security vans and others. Prominent individuals have also been killed by the gunmen.
Again, the governor had also lamented that on every sit-at-home day, Anambra alone loses an estimated N19.6 billion and that many businesses have relocated to other states. He said that the bulk of the money generated in the state comes from the artisans who are largely badly affected by the ghost town order.
To halt the dastardly acts, the governor has, so far, taken a number of steps to check the menace, including ordering the market leaders to open various markets in the state. He also ordered civil servants to be at their duty posts on Mondays.
Soludo’s latest action was the setting up of the Truth, Justice, and Peace Committee. Their duty would be to identify the remote and immediate causes of the agitations, restiveness, violence, and armed struggle in the South East since 1999; document victims/circumstances of death, brutality, and incarceration.
They are also to identify stakeholders and groups who have played critical roles in the agitations and conflicts, their roles, capabilities, and demands; address any other issue(s) that may be germane to unraveling the extent of the crisis and charting the roadmap for the future, amongst others.
Members of the committee chaired by Prof. Chidi Odinkalu are Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu, the wife of the late Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemaka Odumegwu Ojukwu, and Charly Boy. Mrs. Ojukwu serves on the committee as secretary.
Others are: Dr. Joe Nwaorgu, Dr. Udenta Udenta, Dr. Uju Agomoh, Rev. Fr (Msgnr) Jerome Madueke, Canon Dr. Okechukwu C. Obi-Okoye, Dr. John Otu, and Mr. Ngozi Odumuko.
Also name in the committee are Ms Onyeka Onwenu, Dr. Joe Abah, Mr. Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu, Mr. Sam Egwuatu, and Prof. Joseph Ikechebelu.
Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, who signed the document, said that the purpose of the committee was to seek a restorative justice approach for truth-telling or real facts, for the healing of the victims of the violence, accounting for responsibility and accountability of the actors.
