Insecurity in Anambra has become a matter of concern in Anambra State in recent years. In this interview with OKEY MADUFORO, Prince Kenneth Emeakayi, Special Adviser to Governor Charles Soludo on Community Security, who was recently reappointed, talks about what the residents of the state should expect in the next four years on the battle against insecurity
How do you see your reappointment by the governor?
Well, it is a reward for good work and that means more work to be done in the area of crime fighting in Anambra State. It is also an impetus for us to step up our operations in the state especially the rural areas and council areas in the state. To this end, my men and I in the community security wish to reassure Mr. Governor that he will not be disappointed because we are more poised to achieve more success.
Could you give us a review of what Agunechemba has done so far that may have warranted your reappointment?
In the first place, Mr. Governor is impressed with what we have done in the past and that explains why he has re-established that implicit confidence in our operations.
Before we came into the saddle, people found it difficult if not dangerous to come up with necessary information about the activities of these miscreants for fear of being attacked by them.
As it were, they operated a high-level network such that you never could tell who the next person to you is and should one try to give information, he is marked for death or at least attacks.
But today, people come out freely to help the security operatives with their real names and phone numbers. The traditional rulers and president generals are also assisting and that is a plus to the fight against insecurity in the state.
Several camps of these so-called unknown gunmen have been liberated and ultimately taken over by security operatives and you can agree with me that there is great relief in the communities that are in the eight local government areas of Anambra State.
Going forward, what are you going to do differently in this new dispensation?
Much as it is improper to divulge information which is kept top secret, I wish to state that we have stepped up our mode of operations, and with the assistance of the local security operatives in those communities, Anambra would witness more proactive and sustained actions in terms of community security.
Again, security is not the duty of the government alone but the duty of everybody including you the reporter. This is because the criminal is not selective and anyone could be a victim. So, all hands must be on deck to check mate these miscreants.
It is easy to identify a stranger in your town because everyone knows who is who in that town and any compound or home the stranger comes out from is the home of a member of that village or community. Should there be an unlikely event or incident it would be easy to trace where the suspects are operating from.
Recently a suspected fake native doctor was arrested and he is under your custody?
You see, people are yet to learn their lessons from the past arrests that we made in the case of some people who claimed to be native doctors, and they went about deceiving our youths that you do not need to work hard or struggle to earn a decent living. The suspect claimed to evoke a crocodile from the river and then make the reptile do his bidding.
When we took him to the river and asked him to show us in practical terms, he failed to do so and that means that there is more to it. He has to clear himself of all those charges through the law court and if he is innocent he would be set free but if he is not, he would surely face the law.
A lot of our youths are getting carried away by what these people do and they no longer believe in hard work but magical things that are not real.
They want to become as wealthy as the big names that you hear of in Anambra State but they lose sight of the fact that they must work hard to earn it and this is what Governor Charles Soludo is insisting on.
You see, young men and women without any skill and never passed the tutelage or learnt any trade and they did not go to school and suddenly they become rich overnight, and people hail them without asking the basic questions of how that money came about. If they try it and it doesn’t work, they resort to kidnapping, killings and armed robbery to achieve it and that has been the bane of our society and this must stop.
Akwa Okuko is currently serving his jail term but how about others that are still in your custody?
he law must take its course, and it now depends on the rulings or judgement of the courts to determine their fate at the end of the day.
Yes, we have Native Doctors and we know them and they do not go one Facebook to advertise what they do and the advertisement is made by people who have been there because it worked for them and they are not neck deep in acquiring stupendous wealth.
But today, the native doctors are neck deep in advertisement of themselves and they spoke to the extent that they are being seen as tin gods and highly revered.
How about the issue of staff welfare which had attracted comments from the public?
There is nothing like that to the best of my knowledge and again Mr. Governor takes the issue of security very seriously and has never joked about it.
Our personnel have always enjoyed the government welfare scheme and in this new dispensation they are going to enjoy more. Mr. Governor said he is committed to reviewing the monthly salaries of Agunechemba operatives, recognizing their contributions to enhancing state security.
The State Government is exploring strategies to lift morale and that increased efforts are crucial for achieving success among the operatives. Also, I must not fail to thank all of our operatives for rising to the challenges of ensuring the safety of our people and I can tell you that this courage and dedication are appreciated by the government and we are grateful for the outstanding service they provide to the people of Anambra State.
I also want to use this opportunity to announce that our supportive governor intends to raise our salaries to ensure that everyone is fulfilled in their essential duties. All necessary resources for the discharge of our duties are being allocated and this has encouraged proactive engagements.
How about allegations of some of your operatives getting involved in unprofessional conduct?
It will not be business as usual because a Monitoring Team has been established to supervise the State and oversee operatives involved in such unprofessional acts such as extortion.
This team will not be associated with our organization but will be composed of members from the general public, including Keke operators, commercial drivers, and other community individuals.
We shall equip the Monitoring Team with advanced media technology to capture any wrongdoing in real-time, and we will not tolerate any involvement in extortion.
The governor and leadership of our organization enforce a strict zerotolerance policy against extortion and any actions that breach the laws governing Agunechemba.
