Fellow Nigerians,



We have been following events in Abia State for quite sometime now and to our utter dismay, things are getting out of hand that we cannot just sit and watch helplessly. Aba Town and Abia State have been turned into the kidnapping capital of Nigeria. The situation in the state is at its best, anarchical and pandemoniacal. The immediate past and present governments in the state have only succeeded in making Aba a big rubbish heap and one of the dirtiest cities in the world.



In Aba, people do not have rest of mind again and cannot sleep comfortably in their homes, rather, many prefer to sleep in the bush and in churches, and still at that, the kidnappers find them everywhere they run to. Those living abroad can't go home anymore because of the insecurity in the state; despite the fact that they are helping, in their own ways, in sustaining Nigeria through the financial lifeline they are giving to their loved ones and the businesses they have over there.





To make matters worse, there is a complete break down of infrastructure in the state and nobody cares to fix things there. The security situation in Aba and the state is really bad, such that armed robbers now give notices before attacking. We all read how armed robbers issued notice before attacking the First Bank and Fidelity Bank at Port Harcourt Road, Aba on June 2, 2010. As they wrote, they (armed robbers) went and ransacked the banks, for more than five hours, without resistance. The robbers even challenged the security forces to an open duel without anybody taking up the challenge.



The citizens, who have the wherewithal, are re-locating to other states and businesses are closing because the customers, from far and near, are no longer coming, because, of the menace of kidnapping. The worst of it all is that the politicians are not capable of protecting the state citizens. The south-eastern governors just declared their inability to tackle the criminals in the zone, but, they are good at emptying their respective states’ treasuries. If the governors can remove their stinking fingers from their state monies and use same to work for the good of all, crime will be subdued. Soon, there will be elections and if the states’ governors cannot guarantee security of lives and property in their domains, who will  protect the ballot boxes?



If the Abia State governor cannot rule and cannot live up to his responsibility of providing security for all, then the Declaration of State of Emergency is the only option left.



We hereby call on the president to declare a state of emergency in Abia State because the local politicians have failed to live up to their responsibility and the people of the state can’t go on living that way.



Please sign up and pass the petition to others. This should concern all Nigerians from all ethnic groups, because, if we acquiesce to the lawlessness, lack of leadership and incompetence of the elected officials in Abia State, who knows which state it will be its turn tomorrow.  We are in this together.

Your concerned citizens