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By Madu Obi
The Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Center, RULAAC, Mr. Okechukwu Nwanguma has described the establishment of the Agunechemba security outfit by the Anambra State government as an audacious move by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
Nwanguma spoke at the stakeholders partnership town hall meeting, organized by the Anambra Police Stakeholders Partnership Forum (PSPF) and facilitated by RULAAC with support from the Rule of Law and Anti corruption, RoLAC, programme being implemented by the International IDEA.
He said: "We welcome the bold and audacious steps taken by the Governor of Anambra State in confronting crime and insecurity in the state by enacting the new Anambra State Homeland Security Law, 2025. It is welcome because 'it evinces a durable solution to the crisis.
"The law establishes a complementary security provider for the state called “Agunechemba” (sentinel at the gate) and launches Udo g’Achi (peace shall reign), targeting atrocity insecurity.
"This initiative is worth supporting without partisan or other mundane considerations. The welfare and security of the people and residents of this state must be put first and ahead of any other personal or narrow interests."
In her paper, a former Nigerian Consul General in South Africa, Uche Ajulu Okeke urged the governor to quickly submit a death penalty and public executions bill to the State House of Assembly as part of fighting crime in the state.
She said: "The country wide escalation of crime is exacerbated by the absence of the death penalty and the routine recycling of death row criminal by politicians who use them for nefarious electoral activities.
The Anambra State Civil Service should re-establish the position of hangmen, now an obsolete cadre in the federal civil service. No society can exist peaceably without the emplacement of a stable sanctions, punishment and reward system.
This would serve as a great deterrent and emplace a modicum of restraint no matter whose ox is gored.
The importance of this august stakeholders gathering seeking to uphold and protect our rights and dignity can therefore not be over empathized enough."
Okeke said although the police is charged with the crucial role of law enforcement and entrusted with the sacred duty to serve and ensure protection of life property, the problem is the unfair, non-transparent and unjust manner in which they abuse the trust in the discharge of their mandate.
"The Inspector General of Police is always in a constant battle with the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, always seeking to whittle down the powers of the Commission. It is therefore no surprise that the police cannot give what they do not have.
As stakeholders, we must work together to ensure that we promote a culture of mutual respect, trust and cooperation between the police and the community which must include advocacy for policies such as community policing, and policies that promote crime and or conflict prevention, de escalation, constructive engagement. diversity and proactive", she stated.
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