*Security, Law & Order*
The foundation of any progressive society is the security of lives and property. Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, has put at the heart of his transformative agenda a steadfast commitment to fortifying security and upholding the rule of law and order.
Before he came into office, criminals had taken complete control of eight local governments area in Anambra State, namely Aguata, Ihiala, Ekwusigo, Nnewi North, Nnewi South, Ogbaru, Orumba North and Orumba South, and built idolatrous camps from where they operated. The camps had the full complement of shrines where people were sworn to conspiracy of silence. The situation was dire and demanded an uncommon solution.
Governor Soludo, for the first time in the history of Anambra State, created Ministry of Homeland Security. He also appointed a Special Adviser on Security. Mr. Governor engaged the traditional authorities, market leaders, prelates and priests to buy into his drive to cleanse Anambra State of the monster of insecurity. He set up the Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG) to take the battle directly to the rampaging criminals. The various camps of the hoodlums were invaded, and it was such a revelation seeing their idols, the registers they kept to record ransom payment, decaying human corpses etc.
The war on insecurity exposed the fact that the so-called unknown gunmen were not spirits but people known in their communities and neighbourhoods. In a creative approach to deal with the intractable problem Governor Soludo created special telephone numbers for Ndi-Anambra to confidentially call the authorities to divulge information on the criminals. Mr. Governor pointedly stated: If you see something, say something! And informants’ information would be treated in utmost secrecy.
Challenges still exist in some towns especially in Ihiala and Ogbaru LGAs and concerted efforts are ongoing to flush out all criminal elements.
The good news however is that hospital reports from across the state indicate that gun-related injuries have seen an 84% drop, showcasing a remarkable improvement in citizens’ safety.
The Monday sit-at-home disruption is on the decline, particularly in urban hubs like Awka and Onitsha. With increased business activity on Mondays and ongoing efforts, we aim to fully reclaim Mondays across Anambra State by the end of 2024.
The government’s inauguration of Operation-Know-Your-Tenants for landlords helped a lot in fishing out the nefarious elements of criminality. It is a mark of Mr. Governor’s commitment to guaranteeing security that he insisted that any house linked to any tenant caught indulging in crime – kidnap, arson, gun running, drug dealing, rape, murder, armed robbery, possession of fire arms would be confiscated by the government.
It is indeed worthy of celebration that successful joint task force operations have reinstated peace and curbed criminal activities falsely linked to regional autonomy, thus ensuring citizens’ safety.
A revamped Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG) through comprehensive restructuring into three tiers – Central Strike Force, Local Government Strike Forces, and Community Units has enhanced AVG’s effectiveness in state security.
Touts are eyesores in any civilized society, and the establishment of the Anambra State Special Anti-Touting Squad (SASA) has been effectively tackling the menace of touting by removing touts (agberos) from the streets to maintain public order and safety.
Governor Soludo’s sterling strides within two years in office cannot be complete without celebrating the digital transformation in justice delivery. Virtual hearing facilities have been provided in 20 High Courts and 4 Correctional Centres, together with the ongoing full automation of the Anambra justice system that includes e-filing, probate processes, and the modernization of Ministry of Justice operations for an efficient justice system. All these expedite criminal trial processes.
Thirty Anambra State High Court Rooms/Halls and Judges’ offices have been equipped with solar systems to ensure uninterrupted power, thus accelerating judicial functions. Also, solar systems have been installed in Court of Appeal Justices’ offices and residences for alternative power supply. The support for swift and effective dispensation of justice cannot be gainsaid.
It is a remarkable phenomenon of the Soludo administration that Specialized Small Claims Court were inaugurated to expedite the resolution of minor claims and debt recovery disputes, thereby providing accessible and prompt justice.
The institution of a multi-door courthouse offers Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) methods that have gone a long way to improve access to prompt and efficient justice delivery.
The Soludo Solution drive has pioneered the establishment of the Bureau of Missing Persons to facilitate tracing and locating of missing citizens, a very unique initiative among Nigerian states. The Chairman of the Bureau, Professor Chidi Anselm Odinkalu and his team recently submitted the report to Governor Soludo who assured them that the content would be implemented and shared with other Southeast States.
In two years of rigorous work as Anambra State Governor, Prof Soludo has effectively delivered on the Security, Law and Order fronts.
*PAUL NWOSU*
Commissioner for Information
Anambra State
