The Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, said on Wednesday the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) directive in the South-East has been politicized and is no longer obeyed in the state.
He disclosed this to State House correspondent after visiting President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Uzodinma and the Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee, Mai Mala Buni, accompanied the Anambra State Deputy Governor, Nkem Okeke, to the State House to meet the President.
Okeke formally completed his switch to the APC from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) on Wednesday.
Uzodinma affirmed that the security situation in Imo State was relatively good.
He, however, lamented that a large number of the state’s resources had been deployed into the provision of security in the state.
The governor said: “The sit-at-home order is also being politicised because those issuing the order are faceless. We have not seen either through newspapers or through broadcast order directing people to sit at home.
“Rather, what we know that is happening is this paparazzi mentality of trying to put fear into our people and make innocent people vulnerable.
“As I speak to you, the sit-at-home order is not being obeyed in Imo state. So, I think we need to support the uninformed so that they don’t, out of fear, commit suicide.
“The truth of the matter is that we have security challenges. We had misunderstandings, disagreements, but we are able to also do a lot to bring these things to the barest minimum.
“So, the security situation in Imo State is relatively okay and people are going about their businesses.
“The only regret is that we have invested a lot of money trying to manage insecurity, which of course was not expected.
“The management of crime can be likened to the relationship between husband and wife. It’s not everything they do to keep the peace that is discussed in the sitting room.
“Discussion in the bedroom produces a better result than the one in the living room.”