Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State has carpeted some political parties and their faithful who turned the sorrowful scene of Ochanja market fire disaster into campaign ground for their political ambitions.
The party described the attitude of the parties as immoral and lawlessness, recalling that there was a subsisting ban on political activities and serious opposition parties ought to be engaging government on governance, including unlocking the grassroots development.
The APC State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Okelo Madukaife, in a statement said the opportunity represented by the presentation of governorship aspirants in a market where tragedy struck and serious stakeholders were engaging on solution was a pointer to the lawlessness and moral decadence which sign-posts the party.
He said a political party (name withheld) had in a visit to Ochanja Market on Saturday October 19, 2019, where so many shops and residences buildings were razed due to alleged negligence of APGA-controlled state government introduced a female senator and a male member of the Federal House of Representatives as ‘ governorship ‘aspirants’ of their party.
“Morally speaking, this conduct is fundamentally flawed. The issue is a heart-rending story of a tragedy involving Anambra lives and properties. In this wise, whatever unscrutinised donation made by the party could easily translate into fees for illegal campaign.
“Incidentally, past governments in the state that shares in the blame for the rot that has engulfed Anambra State Fire Service, as the profile of the service in the past years, now in the public domain to illustrates and dole out money.
“Legally, there is nothing happening in Anambra State to warrant the introduction of anyone publicly as ‘governorship aspirant.’ The last governorship election in the state took place in November 2017 and the next comes up around November 2021.
“Yet this lawless party which lives for elections, but not governance, shunned all decorum to hold a rally in the market in mockery of the late Mrs Ifeoma and her infant son, confirmed dead in the unfortunate inferno and a host of others in grief over their losses in properties and wares.
“It was a wrong-headed move to inculcate in Anambra children and youth that taking advantage of sad situations is the right way to go. God Forbid!!
“On the flip side, this tragic judgement by the party that ironically burnt Anambra State has triggered an early warning to Ndi Anambra that since exiting power years ago, some parties haven’t learnt anything and forgotten nothing on this idea of using the hand to score goals in football.
“Other political parties have a lot to learn from APC in Anambra State in discipline, being law-abiding and readiness for governance. We demand a public apology from the parties on this morally-reprehensible conduct and call on the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC), to formally address that lawless party on the extant provisions of the Electoral Act that has just been violated by those who should know better.
“We urge Ndi Anambra to look beyond these PDP and APGA actions that put Anambra State on the news for the wrong reasons and await an alternative government which will restore focus, and respect extant laws and be guided by codes of public morality,” Madukaife stated.