The tenure of every democratic government is like a journey that has a beginning and an end. Along the way, there should be milestones to measure progress. It is with that basic consciousness that the government of Anambra State under the one-year old leadership of Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, comes into focus, especially in the area of security, law and order.
It would be recalled that the current government took off with a sublime vision “to build a livable and prosperous smart megacity” which will be a place where to live, learn, invest, work, relax and enjoy. And the expected ultimate outcome of the vision is also aptly articulated to make Anambra State “Africa’s new axis of sustainable prosperity.”
When the vision becomes a reality, it is expected that the idea of Ndi Anambra living outside their homeland will be by choice and not under duress. Thus, the governor’s clear road map to achieving this vision is crystallized in his five-Solution pillars’ strategy where security, law and order took pre-eminence. When the new government took over on March 17, 2022, the security situation in Anambra State was nationally acclaimed as frightening and alarming. Sons of anarchy, known as ‘unknown gunmen’, held sway with criminal impunity and bloodletting violence in areas such as Aguata, Ekwusigo, Ihiala, Nnewi North, Nnewi South, Orumba North, Orumba South and Ogbaru. Kidnapping for ransom, banditry, communal disputes, cult and drug-related criminality and separatist agitations also compounded the security challenges.
Faced with such daunting security challenges, the Soludo government realized that its first and most crucial assignment was to take back the state from criminals and hydra-headed security crises, while restoring public confidence to the system.
This critical assignment, the new government began to undertake in a strategic and holistic manner. First, Governor Soludo established a Ministry of Homeland Affairs and appointed a corresponding Commissioner and a Special Adviser on Security. The next strategic action was to facilitate a synergy among all the security agencies in the state, which birthed the Joint Task Force (JTF) as the frontal vanguard of the all-out fight against insurrection and other forms of insecurity.
Complimenting the JTF initiative was also the restructuring and strengthening of the Anambra Vigilantes Service (AVS) with the mandate to flush out criminals in the state, especially in the embattled eight local government areas comprising the seven in the southern senatorial district and Ogbaru. Not leaving any stone unturned, the Soludo government went further to strengthen the State Security Trust Fund and set up a Truth, Peace and Justice Commission which has submitted an interim report for implementation. One of recommendations made by the Commission was the establishment of a Bureau for Missing Persons. This bureau was recently established in the Ministry of Justice. That is taking pragmatic action by Governor Soludo which is the hallmarks of his administration.
Today, all the foregoing strategic actions taken to secure Ndi Anambra are yielding positive results. Criminal incidents and security crises have reduced drastically.
What about the administration of law and order in the State? Of course, the present administration has key actions to ensure law and order in Anambra State. This is because it believes that an effective system of law and order will ensure security of life and property.
Some of the actions taken include sequential digitization of justice delivery system by establishing Virtual Hearing facilities in twenty High courts and four correctional centers, facilitation of a new law for a State multi-door court house that will enhance access to justice by providing alternative mechanism to supplement litigation in the resolution of disputes; facilitating the amendment of Criminal Justice Law; designating courts at the Magistrate and High court levels for trial of sex-gender based offences; opening a register for sex offenders and improving power supply to thirty High courts in the state through the installation of solar equipment and battery storage.
The journey in the past one year has been result oriented but more can still be done. The journey to a safe, livable and prosperous smart megacity has just started and the Soludo government will intensify remedial and improvement actions in the next three years as far as security, law and order in Anambra State are concerned.
Yes, with the goodwill and support of Ndi Anambra, Anambra will always win!
Written by CHRISTIAN ABURIME
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