By Raymond Ozoji, Awka
The crux of the matter at a one-day stakeholders' discussion on security in Anambra State, tagged " Together For A Safer Anambra" was how government officials, security agencies, community leaders, traditional rulers, civil society organisations and other stakeholders could collaborate as well as cooperate with the Nigeria Police to strengthen security in the 179 communities of the state.
The discussion which was presided over by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the southeast (DIG) Kenechukwu Onwuemele, who was on a working visit to the state, was a veritable platform for cross fertilization and cross pollination of ideas to rid Anambra communities off all forms of criminalities.
DIG Onwuemele who listened with avid attentiveness to the security concerns raised by the stakeholders in attendance, assured them that the police would redouble their efforts to be more proactive in responding to crime situations in the state while urging the stakeholders to always assist law enforcement agents especially the Police with credible intelligence to enable them fight and prevent crimes in the communities.
He therefore noted that with collaboration and synergy from traditional rulers, presidents-general and other stakeholders in the communities, criminal elements would be identified and apprehended for a safer society to be achieved as he believes very strongly that the Police can can not secure Anambra State alone because security, according to him, is a collective responsibility.
One of the stakeholders in attendance, who identified himself as comrade Osita Obi and coordinator of Anambra State Keke and Shuttle Bus Drivers Forum, declared that criminal elements are not spirits because they live in the communities.
Obi told the gathering that until community leaders and traditional rulers stop shielding criminal elements from the law, the communities would never be sanitised nor peaceful.
Another participant who identified himself as Ikechukwu Ezenwankwo, who was a former Chairman of the Anambra State Police Community Partnership and former Chairman of Zone 13 Police Headquarters Ukpo, urged the Inspector-General of the Nigeria Police IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu through DIG Onwuemele to help address the rift and rivalry between traditional rulers and presidents-general of communities.
Ezenwankwo noted that the war between traditional rulers and presidents-general have degenerated in most communities in Anambra State and causing security risks as they battle for supremacy.
Meanwhile issues of illegal and random arrests, influencial persons' interferences in the fight against crimes and some other vices in the communities were bone of contentions in the stakeholders' engagement on strengthening security in Anambra communities as DIG Onwuemele assured all and sundry that the stakeholders' discussion on improving and strengthening security in the state would be sustained.
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