The Ebonyi State government
has ordered the arrest of a social media writer, Charles Ogbu, for allegedly
spreading false information over the crisis between the farmers and herdsmen in
Nigeria.
It gave the order in a
statement signed by the Principal Secretary to Governor David Umahi, Clement
Nweke.
The statement accused Mr
Ogbu, who is a member of the All Progressives Congress, of falsely accusing the
governor of endorsing cattle colony in the state during a security meeting.
Mr. Nweke said at no time
during the meeting did Mr. Umahi endorse or order the setting up of cattle
colony in the state.
“It will be noted that in
the first week of February, 2018, State Government called meeting of
traditional rulers and herdsmen having received reports of destruction of
farmlands by herdsmen in Ebonyi State.
“In the said meeting,
government directed that there shall be no more movement of herdsmen with their
cattle from one community to another community, village to another, or any
cattle seen in any farmland across the state as such infringes on the rights of
the farmers and destroys their only means of livelihood of which agriculture
forms the main stay in the state.
“It will be noted that Ebonyi
State is gifted with abundant blessings from God in the areas of agriculture
and solid minerals and anything that interferes with these will spell doom for
the state especially as the nation moves towards true federalism and self-state
determination,” Mr. Nweke said.
“Let it be known that what
the state government did was not different from the monthly meeting of
stakeholders especially farmers and herdsmen together with security agencies
and in the said last meeting, no mention was made of any ranching, colony,
grazing route or grazing reserve as wickedly and maliciously being speculated
by Charles Ogbu and his cronies.”
Mr. Nweke said Ebonyi State
cannot accommodate such wide wishes of ranching, grazing reserve, colony or
whatever name as over 30 percent of its farmland had been taken over by solid
minerals exploration which is being controlled by the federal government.
“We have managed our
affairs with the herdsmen in the state relatively peacefully and circulation of
such wicked and malicious speculation in the name of politics is a sign of
danger not only for Ebonyi State but the entire country.”
The state government
alleged that Mr. Ogbu was acting the script of distraction on behalf of his
party, the All Progressive Congress.
“We therefore request the
immediate arrest of Charles Ogbu and his backers to face the law of the state
for spreading hate speeches and malicious misinformation through the social
media”.
“The Chief Press Secretary
to the Governor of Ebonyi State had reacted to this misinformation before now
but the same Charles Ogbu has continued to spread this wicked information
through social media, hence the need to correct the impression”
“We have absolute
confidence that the Vice President-NEC Committee and other committees of good
spirited Nigerians will find a lasting and permanent solutions to this
unfortunate clashes and bring the satanic agents of this country in the likes
of Charles Ogbu to shame.”
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