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By Ugochukwu Alaribe

ABA-A pan Igbo socio-political group, Association of South-East Town Unions, ASETU, has urged the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to provide security to its National Chairman, Chief Emeka Diwe, over alleged threats to his life.

The Union in a communiqué signed by the Presidents-General of Town Unions in the five Igbo- speaking states of the South-East zone, said the call on the IGP had become necessary following a counter petition written with the official letter head of the Abia State Government House to the Zone 9 Police Command, Umuahia, by the Deputy General Manager, Traffic and Indiscipline Management Agency of Abia State, TIMAAS, Bright Ikokwu, alleging that Diwe was plotting to assassinate Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

The group further stated that it has watched with dismay the continued intimidation and attempts to run Diwe out of business, through the continued seizure of five trucks and a bus belonging to his company, UNIK D Limited, by the DGM, TIMAAS.

The Presidents-General; Barr. Paulinus Eze (Enugu); G.C. Ojiakor (Anambra); Chief Imo Ikokwu (Imo); Sir G.U. Mgborukwe (Abia); and Chief Ugochukwu Akpa (Ebonyi); noted that Diwe had petitioned the Police against the illegal seizure of his trucks, but instead of submitting himself to the Police, the TIMAAS DGM, wrote a counter petition accusing the businessman of plotting to kill the governor of Abia State. Diwe was arrested but later released when the Police found the alarm to be false.

“We are worried about the obvious threats to the life, family and businesses of our national chairman, Chief Emeka Diwe, in Aba. We are more worried on the false claims by the TIMAAS DGM that Emeka Diwe wants to assassinate the governor of Abia State which the Police has investigated and found to be false. How can a peace-loving man like Chief Emeka Diwe plot to assassinate the governor with his retinue of security aides?

This is just a ploy to set the governor against him and his businesses. We fear that this could trigger attacks on Chief Emeka Diwe and his businesses by sympathizers of the governor who may not care to know the truth. As a result of this, we urge the Police to ensure the security of his life, family and businesses in Aba.

“We have known Chief Emeka Diwe for more than 20 years; he is a renowned community leader who has contributed immensely to the development of Igbo land through the umbrella of town unionism and has never been associated with violence. Diwe is a philanthropist, gentle, peace-loving, and a hater of injustice. People like him deserve to be encouraged in Igbo land. This is why we elected him the National Chairman of the Association of Town Unions in the South-East.

“Aba remains the melting point for business and the home of Ndigbo. It is no longer news that many businessmen and companies have left Aba due to the activities of TIMAAS who had made life miserable for them. The Federal Government needs to halt this dangerous drift where Igbo businessmen no longer do business with ease in Aba.”

The group called on President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate the activities of TIMAAS in Abia State, adding that the agency had become a terror to businessmen in Aba, contrary to the efforts of the Federal Government to ease difficulties in doing business in the country.

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