Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has issued a warning to sit-at-home enforcers, whom he describes as murderers and enemies of Igbo land.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that in his inaugural media chat with Enugu-based journalists and media executives at the Government House in Enugu today (Saturday), the Governor emphasised the need for professionalism in reporting and urged newsmen to fact-check and verify information before disseminating it to the public.
Governor Mbah declared that the state would never comply with orders from individuals he deemed as murderers and adversaries of Igbo land.
He highlighted that Enugu’s aspirations to become a premier investment, living, and tourism destination, as well as its economic growth from $4.4 billion to $30 billion, cannot be achieved if the people continue to heed directives from anonymous entities outside the state. The Governor said, “We cannot be defeated by evil, and we must not allow that to happen.”
Mbah called for united efforts from the media community and Enugu residents to counter scaremongering and fake news, which he identified as the latest tactics employed by sit-at-home promoters.
“The truth is that we have won the actual war against sit-at-home enforcers and murderers out to destroy Enugu State and Igboland. We have unleashed the security resources on them and they have been thoroughly defeated and discomfited.
“Because they no longer have the capacity to unleash terror on lives and property of Ndi Enugu, that is why they have now resorted to scaremongering, peddling of fake news, and all manner of dramas to instil fear in our people and control their minds and actions.
“We practice democracy. We can never allow murderers and terrorists to dictate to us. We must not allow those who do not have the mandate of the people dictate for us how to live our lives; when to go out; when to close our businesses and when to sit at home.
“What we are facing now are media terrorists using the social media to instigate fear and peddle fake news. We must not allow them to succeed. It is totally unacceptable. Nobody can make you inferior without your consent. These hoodlums are very few compared to our numbers. We cannot be taking instructions from hooligans.
“We must not allow those without our mandate tell us how to live our lives. We have a duty to ensure that we flush them out in all directions. They have no stake in the affairs of our state.
“It is, therefore, our responsibility to re-orientate our people to start coming out and going about their normal businesses. We have a duty to kill fake news and counter it with our superior pen and media.
“Therefore, as we are leaving here, we must begin to tell our people the right thing; that nobody can make them inferior without their consent; that we can’t be cowed by the cowardly acts of a few people,” the governor declared.
Furthermore, Mbah cautioned the public against being deceived by those who exploit the name of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to cloak their criminal activities. He emphasised that Mazi Kanu disapproved of the sit-at-home enforcement and the resulting havoc inflicted upon Igbo land.
Governor Mbah revealed that the state was considering bringing both instigators and enforcers of violence and illegal sit-at-home orders in the state before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to answer for crimes against humanity. He stressed that, in the 21st century, no one should be allowed to enjoy life in one part of the world while causing death and suffering in other regions.
The Governor also highlighted the deployment of technology to ensure the safety of residents, asserting that criminals no longer have hideouts in the state.
The media community there represented commended the government’s efforts in combating insecurity and offered suggestions to achieve lasting peace and security. They pledged their support to collaborate with the government and play a pivotal role in encouraging people to return to work through their reporting.
