By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI—The Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Chief Acho Ihim, has decried the growing ease with which people destroy human lives in society.

Chief Ihim, who made his feelings known yesterday, during an exclusive interview with Vanguard in Owerri, equally expressed shock at the reported war of supremacy between cult groups in the Ohaji area of the state.

“Human life is precious. It is inalienable. It is a wonderful gift from God. I feel very sad at the way some people destroy human lives as if it is worthless”, the Speaker said.

He expressed regret that a very little thing that can ordinarily pass as a joke, sadly snowballed into a big crisis, which ultimately claims lives.

“Anybody that takes a critical look at the genesis of these reported crises, will eventually discover that they are things that should ordinarily pass for jokes. The sad thing is that these initial little things sadly snowballed into big crises that claimed lives and properties destroyed. We cannot continue this way”, Chief Ihim said.

Apparently resisting the temptation of being dragged into making comments about the activities of Fulani herdsmen across Nigeria, Chief Ihim said his interest was how to preserve human life.

“It does not really matter where the perpetrator of the crime comes from. It does no also matter if the killer is an armed robber, drug baron, smuggler, cultist or a herdsman. My interest is the human life that should be preserved”, Ihim said.

While wondering “how Nigerians descended to this low level”, the Speaker however expressed happiness at the way the security agencies operating in the state, have been tackling each reported incident.

“The security agencies have been doing their best in either stemming or containing the tide, each time there was any report”, Ihim said.

While  appealing to good spirited individuals to always give credible information to the police, the Speaker however opined that “it was better to nip the crisis in the bud instead of waiting until precious lives have been wasted before acting”.