The Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers has decried massive unemployment and insecurity in the state despite 22 years of loyalty to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

A statement on behalf of the traditional rulers by the chairman of the council, Igwe Agubuzu, alleged that despite supporting the PDP for 22 years, Enugu witnessed human rights abuses by law enforcement operatives.

It was issued during a courtesy visit to traditional rulers in Enugu by the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, as a precursor to his campaign rally.

“A factual and undiluted political history of our country’s present republic will teach that the political party known as the PDP was midwived by eminent and patriotic Nigerians known as the G-34,” the statement explained.

The rulers, who noted the G-34 existed during the leadership of Alex Ekwueme, said the Enugu people had always welcomed and voted for PDP presidential candidates since the party’s inception.

They lamented that despite the “mouth-watering” promises PDP made to the Enugu people, unemployment and insecurity continued to ravage the state.

“After more than two decades of our support for the PDP, Enugu state has only unemployment, insecurity, dehumanisation of her indigenes by law-enforcement officers and the resultant youth restiveness to show for it,” the rulers stated. “It is against this backdrop that we welcome you on this courtesy visit, and predictably we have received a sumptuous dish of often-repeated promises from you.”

They added, “If our late brother, Prof. Chinua Achebe, were to be here, he would have simply advised you to go and count your teeth with your tongue.”

The Enugu rulers prayed for peaceful and credible elections, hoping that the best candidate would win, irrespective of his political party.

(NAN)