It is no longer news that Nigeria is not secured. It will be a breaking news if a day passes without killing in any part of Nigeria. It is also no longer a “breaking news” to announce mass kidnap of citizens, mass murder and sundry heinous crimes being committed by what is now commonly referred to as in our new lexicon “Unknown Gunmen”. Life has become so brutish and short in our own land. The people has got so used to killing that human life is highly under valued in Nigeria. A good number of Nigerians are seeing Nigeria as a failed state. Others see it as a country at war with itself. The level of insecurity in most parts of Nigeria has greatly overwhelmed and stretched the security personnels to the limit.
It is no exaggeration that in some instance, police operatives no longer pick distress calls or make effort to respond to whatever distress or emergency. This is truly not the best time to be a security man in Nigeria.
In comparison to what is happening at other places in the Nigerian state today, Enugu State has remained largely peaceful courtesy of what governor Ugwuanyi has been able to put together and has placed Enugu on the part of sustainable peace and security of lives and property. Security formations and facilities have remained largely peaceful and vibrant to confront any untoward happening in the state. We have a leader who thinks, dreams and sleeps peace. We have a leader who thinks security, dreams security and sleeps security. Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is a real factor when it comes to peace and security of Ndi Enugu.
What is he doing differently to secure his state from the many intractable security issues? His model and approach to many issues of governance should be diligently studied by other state actors to set the Nigerian state on the part of sustainable peace and security. Let’s ponder on these seemingly simple but nonetheless powerful strategies.
¶ He directed all elected office holders and other state actors to move back to their respective communities and talk to their people continously on the need to cultivate and work for peace in the realization of the enormous potential it holds for accelerated socio-economic development of any nation. All political office holders should engage his people on peace meetings. This will enhance security and community development.
Gov Ugwuanyi equally tasked the religious leaders to constantly make peace their talking points. If the community is peaceful, the society is peaceful. The peace of the society will translate to the peace of the nation. I remember when H E Martin Elechi was the governor of Ebonyi State, there was a community class between Ezillo and Ngbo people. When the clash became deadly, he ordered all political office holders from those communities to go back to their Communities and make peace or they will loose their positions. All of them really went back and surprisingly peace was restored within a short period. It worked like magic but it is not magic. It is a perfect security tactics. Using those that matters to achieve peace in the land.
Some state governors have over 1000 Personal Assistants (PAs) and Senior Assistants (SAs) picked from all parts of the state yet the governor cannot sleep in his state. Of what values are those numerous PAs and SAs and commissioners and other political office holders?
Gov Ugwuanyi have used human resources at his disposal to achieve what others that have much more than him have not achieved. He knows how to use what he has to get what he wants.
The peace meetings and engagements have been so fruitful and will remain fruitful. This is because the communities knows themselves and knows whom to place on security watch. They know when a new face comes into the community and knows when someone’s behaviour changes. They know when to report one to the state security agents and when to report one to the elders. They know whom can be corrected by flogging and whom should be corrected by locking him or her up. All security informations are gathered, studied, and analysed. These are simple models of Ugwuanyi ‘s enduring legacy. It is therefore important that the federal government should copy the model
Buhari has over 3000 SAs and PAs. If all the PAs, SAs, Ministers, Federal commissioners and other political office holders go back to their places and talk to their people, security situation would not be as bad as it is today.
Thank God for Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and we are proud to say that Enugu State is in the hand of God.
BIBIAN ANEKWE NEWS..added..With hard work and effort, you can achieve anything.
Written by
Hon Leonard Ugwu
A political Analyst
MEDIA TEAM MEMBER OF ENUGU DI N’AKACHUKWU MOVEMENT
