A group, Forum of Labour Party 2023 House of Assembly Candidates in Anambra State, has condemned the recent destruction of newspapers on newsstands in Awka, the state capital.
Officials of Awka Capital Territory Development Agency, an establishment charged with the development Awka city, had recently clamped down on newspaper vendors, seizing and destroying their wares.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Humphrey Iloh, the group described the act as dictatorial.
The group said, “Our attention has being drawn to trending news with pictorial and video evidence on social media of Prof. Soludo-led government destroying newspaper stands and beating up newspaper vendors in Awka.
“Also, on Friday, February 16, 2024 at Ogbo-ogwu in Onitsha; the brutal killing of one Mr. Arinze Obunadike, a drug dealer at Ogbo-ogwu, and resident of Iyiowa Odekpe, in Ogbaru LGA and indigene of Okija in Ihiala LGA, by Special Anambra State Anti-Touting Squad (SASA).
“We the members of the Forum Of Labour Party 2023 House of Assembly Candidates condemn in its entirety these double tragic and unfortunate acts by Prof. Soludo-led Government and other previous actions, which is a clear indication that Anambra State is now under a dictatorial regime.
“The Anambra State of today was not the friendly and peaceful Anambra that the previous governments left for Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.
“His current style of governance is totally against Section 14(2) (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, which declares that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of Government.”
The forum advised Soludo to desist from further humiliating, intimidating, impoverishing and killing the people of the state.
It stated that it would be left with no option than to approach the court and seek for an order to compel the House of Assembly to commence impeachment process on the governor, to rescue Anambra people from Soludo’s dictatorial regime, if the governor does not desist from such acts.
