By Peter Okutu, Abakaliki

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, for the March 11, 2023 general election, Saturday explained that the insecurity currently pervading Ebonyi State was caused by massive unemployment and the needless interferences of government in the local politics of the various communities in the State.

Odii, who spoke through his Deputy Governorship candidate, Senator Paulinus Igwe Nwagu, during a debate organized for Governorship Candidates of different political parties in Ebonyi State by the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Abakaliki, added that until the state government hands-off local administration to the local people, conflicts and communal crises might not seize in the State.

He said: “Unemployment, government interferences in the affairs of local communities are the major causes of insecurity.

“If you look at what is happening today, we have several communal crises, Ikwo and Izzi people, Abaomege and Ishinkwo, Ezza and Effium people, Ngbo and Igala, Edda and Amasiri.”

The PDP governorship candidate emphasized that the unity of the people of Ebonyi State would be a paramount policy of his government as there cannot be any development, where there is no peace.

He promised that his government will ensure that the Local Government and Local communities in the state would be granted their deserved autonomy, so that they can set up their own leadership for the development of the State.

“Our government will not have any interference with local politics. The government should not have interest in electing leaders of local communities; in communities, you allow the people to elect their Town Union Presidents, allow people to elect their traditional rulers, allow people to elect whosoever they want to be their Councilor.

“A Councilor is one of the most important representative of the people. My grand mother at home does not know who is the Chairman of the local government. Allow the government to go back to the people, by giving autonomy to the Local Government, it is very key.

“If you give autonomy to the Local Government and monitor them, they will do wonderfully well.”