By Sunday Awosoro.
The Mbaise USA and Mbaise Leadership Forum (MLF) have demonstrated concerns over the security threat that is noisy in Imo state.
The group, in a statement signed by the President of Mbaise USA and the Moderator of Mbaise Leadership Forum (MLF), Mr. SO Echendu and Mr. Chris Ohanele, respectively, jointly expressed grief over the incessant loss of lives – destruction of properties which came with the rise of violence in Imo state.
“We sincerely hope that peace will soon be restored. All of us are united by our shared purpose to live in peace and security and to go about our legitimate activities without let or hindrance. And we desire to be treated with fairness and justice. But we know that the constitutional rights of Nigerian citizens cannot be taken for granted. And so, we have the right to demand them. But on the various possible ways to achieve the purpose, and to make our just demands, reasonable people can disagree without resorting to violence,” the statement said.
While encouraging its people to “stay away from actions that will lead to insecurity,” the statement advised the “Mbaise people to desist from utterances that may inflame the current situation and further endanger lives and property”.
“Social media should be used responsibly and not as a tool to cause panic. It should not be used to post hateful propaganda and incendiary comments,” it added.
They therefore solicited for unity among the people, battling similar insecurity threats.
“We must avoid the temptation to turn on one another. Given the Nigerian geopolitical reality in which we are so tenuously situated, our strength at this moment lies in our ability to exercise caution and restraint. This may well be a winning strategy for survival. But we must set our sights higher than mere survival. We must aim to thrive, and by the grace of God we will live and thrive together,” the statement concluded.
THE VENT REPUBLIC reports that Mbaise, located in Southeastern Nigeria, is an Imo state region that comprises towns and cities of the Igbo clans, mostly connected by intermarriages.
