By Okechukwu Onuegbu
The people of Ezinano community in Awka, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State have selected September 2024 as the month to empower their women with ₦100 million as ways of fighting poverty and combating cultism and other violent crimes.
The convener, Ezinano Security Summit, Ọzọ Jeff Nweke, disclosed this on Wednesday, at a security summit entitled “Combating/Preventing Violent Crimes and Cultism in Awka Metropolitan City,” organised for 20 villages in the community which is within Awka Capital City.
Among the villages are Umudiana Amikwo, Okperi Amikwo, Igweogige Amikwo, Ishiagu Amikwo, Obunagu Amikwo, Onuko Amikwo, Umukwa, Umuogwali, Umueri, Umuogbunu I, Umuogbunu II, Umudioka, Umuogbu, Umumbele, Umuike, Umuonaga, Umujagwo, Umuoruka, Umuenechi, and Umuokpu.
Nweke, who identified poverty and hunger as root causes of cultism and other violent crimes in many parts of the country, expressed optimism that by training and empowering their women they would equally take good care of their children.
According to him, the youth of the community would equally be empowered, even as cultists among them would be empowered to be useful in society whenever they agreed to renounce cultism.
He bemoaned that cultism have claimed many lives in Awka in recent time and urged parents to wake up to caution their children, because according to him, there was no benefit of engaging in cultism but death.
Nweke, who is also the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, BlueShield Security company Limited, further enjoined the government to come to their aide in combating crimes in the capital city through jobs creation, adding that they equally need the police, DSS and others to help them.
"We don't want them to be killed because killing has rendered many families fatherless, motherless and childless. The solution is about helping them to turn away from crimes and embrace skills. We want the police and other security agents to assist us. away from crimes and criminalities. The best way to do it is to work with us. We want them to rehabilitated, empowered and reintegrated back to society.
"We are condemning crimes in totality. We want the government to help us empower our youth, organise seminars and workshops frequently to motivate, orientate and encourage our people. The security officers should also assist us with workshops. We can seat down to talk to our people and create jobs for them," he added.
Also speaking, the Anambra State Commissioner for Police, Mr Nnaghe Obono Itam, represented by Assistant Commissioner for Police (Operations), Mr Anieken Eyo, acknowledged that violent crimes could be addressed as a shared responsibility but equally required community for information volunteering.
Earlier, the Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, represented by Comrade Ọchiche Modilim, said the government was aware of the happenings in Awka and would cede up to 500 slots to Awka indigenes in the next one youth two skills scheme so as to empower them at the end of the programme with N500,000 each.