Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma has asked security agencies to name politicians who are sponsoring banditry in the country.

Uzodinma threw the challenge to the security agencies on Friday while speaking with State House correspondents after a meeting he had with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The governor who did not name the politicians when he was asked to do so said their plan was to distract the government.

He claimed that the Buhari’s regime had been doing well, hence the decision of the politicians sponsoring banditry to sabotage the government.

He said: “From 2015 till today, I thought what the problem would be is people saying that there is no job creation, people are not feeding, salaries are not paid, infrastructure is going down, social interventions are not approved by government.

“These things are there, available, a pass mark for the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Now, people are no longer talking about that, rather what they are doing is to sponsor crisis, to the extent that those funding this banditry are politicians.

“I challenge and call on security agencies to make their names available to the press because what they want to do is to distract a government that is focused.

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“If this government is not doing well, I will be one of those that will declare the government as not doing well, but a situation where you will leave the formal and ethical way of doing politics, and you are now sponsoring banditry to bring down a government, for Christ’s sake, we should all rise up and condemn it.”

When asked to mention the names of the politicians he claimed are sponsoring banditry, the governor replied: “This is a security issue, a lot of investigations are going on here and there, preliminary reports are there. People are furthering the investigations.

“I think I have given you something to go home with. When you go home, think about it and do the homework by yourself.”

The governor said he had been enjoying many interventions from the president in the interest of the people of his state.

He, however, said for such interventions to have an impact on the people, there must be an enabling environment.

This, he claimed, was why those he described as enemies of progress, were out to scuttle good governance.

He wondered why people would be hiring people to kill.

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On the agitation for cessation, Uzodinma said he was committed to a united Nigeria.

“I don’t think that I will support any call for cessation. I want a united, strong Nigeria. Our strength is in our diversity and today, we are supposed to play a leading role on this continent.

“We don’t want to whittle down our strength. Rather, what I advise is that we must appreciate the gift of nature, in our land and support government,” he said.

He confirmed that his meeting with the president centred on the security challenges facing his state especially with the recent attacks on police formations and correctional services’ facility.

He noted that the Federal Government had since beefed up security in the state, leading to relative calm.

He said he asked the president to increase manpower and also give the security agencies logistic support to be able to do their job.

The governor disclosed that between 40 and 50 suspects had been arrested in relation to recent attacks in the state.

He said the suspects had made useful statements.

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