Attackers of Police formations, correctional facilities enemies of people — Lawan

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan has described as enemies of the people those responsible for the recent attacks at some Police formations and Correctional facilities in Imo State.

Lawan said the aim of the attackers was probably to cause a distraction for the Imo state government or even the Federal Government.

The Senate President spoke on Friday at the capital city of Owerri where he commissioned a road project which was completed by the administration of Governor Hope Uzodimma.

The road which is named after a former Senate President, Late Chief Evan Enwerem is one of the many infrastructural projects inaugurated to mark one year in office of the Governor Uzodimma.

Speaking at the occasion, Lawan charged the people to take ownership of the projects, utilize them well and protect them as their projects.

“We have been experiencing insecurity recently especially in Imo State – the jail break, burning of Police Headquarters and so on and so forth. These may be attempts by enemies of the people to distract this administration or indeed the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“When a government programme or project is vandalised, when a government institution is vandalised and burnt, those doing so are enemies of the people because when you incarcerate someone in prison and normally the due process would have been followed. This is in the public interest and therefore for anyone, whosoever that person is, to go and release prisoners or burnt down the Correctional centre otherwise known as prison, is No 1 enemy of the people.

“Our security agencies need more resources to ensure that we are all protected and life is secured as well as our property. We will continue to support our security agencies in partnership with the Executive arm of government.

“This is so important because this kind of attitude, this kind of insurrection can lead to insurgency. We have witnessed that in the Northeast.

“Thank God by 2015, the insecurity and insurgency in the Northeast started to come down because of the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“We have unfortunately discovered that we have other security challenges from banditry to militancy,” Lawan said.

The Senate President said the appointment of the new Service Chiefs and Acting Inspector General of Police was to inject fresh ideas in a bid to finally overcome the security challenges.

Lawan urged the people of Imo State to continue to support the government of the day.

“It is therefore important that you should continue to support the administration of Senator Hope Uzodimma in Imo State because this is your administration.

“There is no ‘them and us.’ It is Government of the people by the people and for the people. So this is your Government. Never allow anyone to confuse you or convince you that this is Hope Uzodimma Government.

“Senator Hope Uzodimma, your Governor, did not become Governor until you have voted for him. We are proud of him. We are proud of his achievements.

“Both the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership and Imo State under the leadership of Senator Hope Uzodimma receive far less than the previous administrations, yet they do far more than the previous administrations,” Lawan said.

The Senate President said the achievements recorded despite the decline in revenues were the result of prudence and discipline.

Lawan also justified the good working relationship between the National Assembly and the Executive.

“We do so consciously. We do so purposely. We do so patriotically because we believe that both arms of government are voted in to serve the people and where we have to disagree with the Executive arm of government, we will do so.

“We have done so before and if it becomes necessary to do so, we will do it again. But where we have no cause to differ, where we have no cause to say No, we will not differ and we will not say No,” Lawan said.

The Senate President was accompanied on the trip by Senator Jibrin Barau, Senator Biobarakuma Degi, Senator Halliru Jika, Senator Sani Musa, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele.