By Anayo Okoli

Umuahia—ABIA State government has launched a verbal attack on the President of Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Joseph Daudu, SAN, over media report credited to him to the effect that he called for the declaration of a state of emergency in the state on account of the insecurity which engulfed the state until a joint-military task force moved in last week to sanitize the situation.

The government described the call as an act of “mischief, careless and ill-informed,” which should not come from a person holding a prime position as NBA president.

Reacting to the report yesterday, Abia State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Umeh Kalu, expressed disappointment that the NBA president could make such a statement without making any effort to get in touch with the people on ground.

Kalu dismissed the call by Daudu as baseless and his personal opinion, saying he was aware that the NBA executive committee did not meet to articulate any position on the security situation in Abia State. He said Daudu was playing politics with a serious matter such as a state of emergency.

Meanwhile, the Attorney-General has blamed the state of insecurity in the state on the balkanization of communities into small group of autonomous communities which, according to him, make them difficult to control.

He, however, assured that the government would do something about it.

There are about 800 autonomous communities in the state, and some of the rulers had been dethroned for alleged link with crimes, especially kidnapping.

According to the commissioner, though Daudu spoke in his personal capacity, the prime position of NBA president, which he currently occupies, placed huge responsibility on him that he should not be talking “carelessly”.

Kalu noted that Daudu had not been to Abia State, stressing that his assumption was based on hear-say.

He said the NBA president should have consulted to know what the situation was and what the government was doing before going public.

Admitting that the activities of hoodlums, especially kidnappers were becoming a torn in the flesh of the state and federal governments, Kalu said the state government had been doing all it could to fight the crime before the military arrived.

He reminded Daudu that the governor had no army or police of his own and that he had no constitutional powers to call out soldiers and even police during crisis.

“The only solution is what is going on now. The governor has no power to command the army. It is the president that has that constitutional power to do that and he has done it and sanity is returning to Abia and Aba in particular.

“You can see what is happening and we are happy. Dauda must be careful and consult before making certain statements,” Kalu said.

He said the NBA president did not even proffer any solution and wondered if he realized the implication of declaration of a state of emergency.