Na wah oh! Ekpoma don dey jarra as fire raze shops for Police Division wey Police Officers’ Wives Association build. Governor Monday Okpebholo no gree just sit down, he waka go check di damage wey the fire cause, and him promise say e go rebuild di shops sharp-sharp.
Di governor talk say e dey pain am wetin happen, acknowledging say Ekpoma don dey face pattern of attack wey no dey normal. “Things dey happen wey plenty, but we go pursue dem,” him talk. He also dismiss dem talk say na Fulani herdsmen dey cause di wahala; to him, na politicians wey wan cause gbege.
“Dem dey kill our people, but na politician wahala be this. Dem don start to catch dem already,” him add. E no go allow anybody wey dey above law escape, even if na him own papa, him go face di music too. “No one too big to face justice, even my own papa go answer,” na wetin him talk wey dey bring hope for di people for di area.
As di governor dey yan, two of di shop owners, Mr. Israel Ughulu and Prof. Aghemelo Austin Thomas, come dey tell di story of di fire wey start midnight, burn everything finish. “We get call say our shops don dey burn around 12am, in less than 30 seconds, everything don go down. We just dey watch as di fire dey carry our properties away until 5am before help come,” Ughulu talk.
Di governor’s visit dey significant as dis kin matter no happen last time when dem burn shops for di same place, nobody come visit. Di crowd wey gather to see di governor dey show say di people dey appreciate di swift response and assurance wey him don give dem. And as more news don drop, Okpebholo promise say di rebuilding go start within di week, so di traders no go suffer for nothing.
“By Friday, dem go come start building for una. After di work, we go do inventory, so una go fit return to una shops without borrowing money,” him assure dem. But as di matter dey hot, di zone don dey experience crisis since peaceful protest over insecurity turn violent. Na so hoodlums hijack di protest, attack traders for livestock market, dey even kill goats and dey beat cow, as video don go viral.
Di Onojie of Ekpoma palace also no escape di wahala as dem vandalise am, and di governor no take am lightly. Di Police Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem, mention say one soldier shoot person, and dem don carry di case go military authority. Di matter don start make people no sleep well for Ekpoma ever since Saturday, as di protest wey residents do over kidnapping and killing of youth turn to serious gbege.
As di gists fly around, one thing dey clear—Ekpoma people need better security and di governor promise say dem go get am. Na wetin we go dey look out for as di days dey come.”
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