Some civil servants, Nongovernmental Organisations and public analysts in Anambra State have called on governor Charles Soludo to tackle the security challenges bedevilling the state by utilising his security votes judiciously.
One of them, Mrs Amaka Uzodinma of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolutions (IPCR), in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stressed that the fastest way to achieve resounding success in security and peace-building were for the government to extend its security votes to other bodies saddled with the responsibility of peace and conflict resolutions.
According to Uzodinma, governors spend so much on security outfits only through buying bulletproof vehicles for the security officers to combat insecurity challenges instead of preventing the crimes that lead to conflict and insecurity.
She said that agencies charged with the responsibilities of peace building and crime watch were often starved of funds and could not do much, adding that if giving adequate support, they could reach out to the grass roots to enlighten them on the need to be peaceful and how to be a good neighborhood watch.
“Civil societies, National Orientation Agencies, human rights orgainsations, IPCR are the bodies that need funds to work very hard to ensure that crimes are prevented and peace achieved in the state," she maintained.
Also speaking, the Deputy Speaker, Anambra State House of Assembly, Mr Paschal Agbodike, commended the governor for his all-inclusive leadership and appealed for its sustenance so that the state and other states in the south east would experience lasting peace and return back to its normal business life.
Agbodike also used the opportunity to enjoin all agitators for Biafra to embrace peace so that their goal would be achieved on the table of dialogue.
Contributing, Prince Chris Azor, the Chairman, Anambra Civil Society Network (ACSONET) and Co-Chair, Open Government Partnership (OGP), said that he was happy for the active participation of the group in the security and Peace building Summit, hosted by the governor.
Azor said that the event was borne as a result of civil society pressure to have the State Government embrace dialogue as an imperative means of finding a lasting solution to the current insecurity in Anambra and indeed the entire Southeast.
“The civil society is of the opinion that Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), should be released on bail to enable more discussions and lasting settlement. We are also of the view that the southeast should be given the opportunity to produce the next president of Nigeria for Justice and equity.
“The civil war cannot be said to have truly ended, when an Igbo man cannot have the opportunity to lead Nigeria, since the end of the civil war. We implore the State government to institutionalize Social Protection and security, as there is currently no social protection policy in the State.
“Retirees don’t get pension as and when due. Old people and youth without employment are not catered for. Citizens are not ready to die for the State and country. There is need for good governance, transparency and accountability, consultative and inclusive Permanent Dialogue Mechanism, and engagement with citizens. The Government needs to partner with civil society and Non State Actors for growth and sustainable development,” Azor said.
On her part, the President General of Nawfia, Njikoka LGA, Mrs Franca Nwigbo, described the idea of the governor to call all stakeholders irrespective of the political parties as amazing.
Nwigbo said the governor’s all-inclusive style and dialogue leadership skills would yield progressive results on security and conflicts resolutions.
Mr Cyprian Okereke, the chairman of Orumba South local government areas of Anambra, pledged his support to ensure that normalcy in education, work and business returns in full in the state.
“Force can never achieve any better results in human management,” he said and commended the ability of the governor to apply wisdom in handling the insecurity challenges of the state, he is wise.”