Imo Assembly Probes LGA Crisis

Imo State House of Assembly has set up a seven-member committee to look into the immediate and remote causes of the crisis in Awara Community in Ohaji Egbema constituency.

This followed a motion moved by the member representing Ohaji Egbema, Luke Chukwu, urging the house to intervene in the crisis.

Chukwu said that the youths in the community had formed cult groups, which engaged in killing, raping and destroying valuable property of the people.

He added that the youths also set some oil wells in the community on fire.

The legislator attributed the action of the youths to uneven distribution of oil wealth from the oil producing community.

He prayed the assembly to set up a committee to look into the causes of the mayhem and proffer solutions.

He also urged the assembly to mandate the state government to dispatch a police patrol team to the area to maintain peace.

In his contribution, the member for Owerri West constituency, Mr Innocent Eke, stressed the need for the government to find a solution to the crisis.

He warned that delay in restoring peace in the community would halt the production of crude oil with its attendant negative effect on the economy.

Eke said that instead of constituting the committee, security agencies should be assigned to undertake a fact finding tour of the area.

In his submission, the member for Oru East, Mr Greg Okemiri, urged the assembly to intervene and also assist the victims of the crisis.

The Deputy Speaker, Mr Donatus Ozoemena, who presided over the session, moved a motion that the house should vote for or against the setting up of the committee.

The house voted unanimously in favour of the motion.

The house also voted in favour of mandating the state government to dispatch a police patrol team to the area.

The speaker urged the seven man committee, headed by Okemiri to report back to the house with its findings on May 13.