…Abuja chapter says peace gains, infrastructure and social investments must not be undermined by political blackmail
The Ebonyi Community (EBOCOM), Abuja Chapter, has expressed solidarity with the Ebonyi State Governor, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, and the Commissioner of Police, CP Hope Urunwa Okafor, while rejecting what it described as attempts to undermine the state’s peace and development agenda through political agitation and blackmail.
EBOCOM, in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday and signed by the chapter, said the state’s relative stability and ongoing development should not be sacrificed to what it termed “sponsored agitation” and politically motivated campaigns.
The group said Governor Nwifuru’s administration and the state police command deserved support for sustaining peace and security, arguing that the government’s development initiatives could only yield meaningful results in an atmosphere of stability.
“We stand with His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State. We stand with the Commissioner of Police, CP Hope Urunwa Okafor, and with every officer and man of the Nigeria Police Force who has worked tirelessly under the governor’s peace agenda,” the statement said.
EBOCOM alleged that recent protests and criticisms of the administration were part of a coordinated effort to undermine the state, but did not provide independent evidence for the allegations.
The group also criticised what it described as attempts to portray the governor’s remarks during the inauguration of newly elected local government chairmen as threats to democracy.
According to the statement, Nwifuru’s remarks should instead be understood as a charge to the newly elected council chairmen to deliver effective governance and ensure that the benefits of government reach the grassroots.
The group said elected officials should be judged principally by their performance, stressing that political disagreements should not be allowed to degenerate into actions capable of threatening public order.
On security, EBOCOM commended the police command for what it described as professional and community-oriented policing, particularly in areas previously affected by communal conflicts.
The group maintained that although security challenges had not disappeared completely, sustained engagement with traditional rulers, community leaders and other stakeholders remained essential to consolidating peace.
EBOCOM also highlighted the administration’s reported investments in roads, education, healthcare, water supply, agriculture and human-capital development.
It cited road construction and rehabilitation across the state, the development of specialised universities, recruitment of teachers, scholarship programmes, rehabilitation of hospitals, revitalisation of water schemes and youth and women empowerment initiatives as evidence of the administration’s development drive.
“These are not slogans. They are projects you can visit, scholarships you can verify, roads you can drive on, and hospitals you can walk into,” the group said.
The Abuja-based Ebonyi community organisation urged political actors and critics of the administration to pursue constructive engagement rather than resort to what it called character assassination, inflammatory rhetoric or attempts to destabilise the state.
It further called on traditional rulers, youths, women, professionals, market leaders and other stakeholders to protect the state’s peace and support initiatives capable of promoting sustainable development.
EBOCOM said the future of Ebonyi should be determined by constructive participation and accountable governance rather than confrontation, adding that disagreements were inevitable in a democracy but should be resolved through lawful and peaceful channels.
The group reaffirmed its support for the state’s security architecture and urged the police and other relevant institutions to remain professional, impartial and responsive in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities.
It also called for continued scrutiny of government projects and policies, saying development achievements should be subjected to public evaluation while legitimate concerns should be addressed through appropriate democratic institutions.
The group concluded that Ebonyi’s peace and development should remain a collective responsibility, urging all stakeholders to place the interests of the state above partisan and personal considerations.
