My heart leapt with joy when I read on a channels TV footnote that Imo governor battles criminals, and kidnappers. Many of my likes are eagerly looking forward to a Christmas celebration in Imo devoid of crimes.
At least we all know that one of the principal functions of any government is to ensure the security of life and property. This will translate to the rights and freedom of people of course it will be out of place for any people to ask for their rights and privileges where there is no freedom whether physically or emotionally.
When the governor of Imo state, His Excellency Owelle Rochas Okorocha, came to power, he addressed the issue of security to the extent that I quickly phoned my Uncle who has since relocated toAmericato think of coming home because “things have gotten better”.
To crown it all the Owelle gave a stem warning to all criminals and all such similarly inclined, that it was GAME OVER for them. He has never spared any opportunity to tell his audience of plans to wipe out corruption and other crimes to which the people will always great with loud ovations. We were assured that armed robbery and kidnappings in the state would soon be a thing of the past. It is possible.
Soon after security gates began to sprout on almost all roads in Owerri Metropolis and we comforted ourselves that the Owelle was matching words with action. At a point the gate issue became controversial and someone explained that the gates were actually a creation of the mayorality and not the governor. But we know that the mayors do not, and are not running independent or parallel government. Who will take the biggest credit of Imo state is said to be crime free?
Had the gates been pursued and perhaps concluded after they were started, all the criminals in Owerri would have been locked inside the city with no escape route until they are apprehended.
The speed with which the gates were started on all roads, both big and small soon slowed down thus raising doubts as to the possibility of their completion especially as they were just too many.
Unfortunately as it stands today, all the gates stand abandoned and all the criminals have smartly sneaked away and possibly gone to strategize on how to beat the gates if and when ever they come into being.
My bible tells me that it is surely in vain that a trap is set before the sight of the bird.
It is clear today that the kidnapping and armed robbery which the governor promised to checkmate and possibly wipe out have since escalated. The criminals may either be in a hurry to collect as much, before the days of the gates, or they may be simply mocking the system because according to a local saying “we have become accustomed to seeing ABOKI and his Hausa bows and arrows”.
When the gates commenced they were to a large extent inconveniences to both pedestrian and motorists but people were consoled that at the end, crimes will be wiped out and that is enough consolation. Just think of a showdown between the government on one side and armed robbers and kidnappers on another side and the government winning on behalf of all of us.
Additionally, think of the number of gates in Owerri and multiply them by a minimum of two and see the amount of jobs that would be created.
Then imagine as was announced the gates being installed with cameras and others elsewhere, the attachment of a motorized or is it motorcyclerized department. In fact I boasted to my children and neighbours thatLondonis here at last.
Now each time I dive past any of the gates, what occurs to my mind is that “surely after all said and done that much more is actually said than done.
When the Owelle explained that roads constructions were halted because of the rains, it made a whole lot of sense. You do not expect to construct very good roads under heavy flooding, but what explanation can be given on the gates and their stalled levels of constructions presently?
I am not sure that people in Owerri or Imo State in general have given up hope on the gates because we still need measures in place to clip the wings of criminals and their cohorts so as to return Imo State to her safe haven status where people from other states would hurry down to spend their weekends. It was fashionable in the past to do so. All is now solely dependent on the state of security.
After all was it not the security and development of the rural areas that gave rise to the Community Government Councils system alias the 4th tier system.
Security, yes but let someone tell the Owelle that the ugly monster of who takes control and who is superior have fast eaten up the programme. This however stemmed from the fact that Owelle isAbujabased. He was actually not here when guys invaded their communities in search of titles to mask soiled images. There was no form of control other than might is right. While some gabbed the ezeship of their communities or simply split the kingdom of an existing traditional ruler and soon became His Royal Majesties or Highnesses others grabbed the presidency of the same community and became presidents general or PG for short.
In some cases, one may have lost out to the other before settling for whatever with some measure of acrimony still there in the heart.
Now the Community Government Council has again pitched them against themselves, for the control of N5million which has been promised but not released. Before then the town unions under the president general organizes the selection of the Eze or traditional ruler and both worked in tandem.
If now they are at daggers drawn, will that augur well for security with one apparently trying to undermine the other? Do the PG’s and the HRM or HRH emerge through any form of screening?
Already there are some accusing fingers being pointed as to the desirability of the characters of some.
Now with the Communities in chaos and the gates in the town have been abandoned, shall we sing IT IS ALL OVER? God forbid because that will be operationNO ROADfor the innocent ones. Yet the traditional rulers and their PG’s are critical in the much talked about community policing and sure they have a role.
May be the House of Assembly should do a revisit on the community government system for the proper people to be enthroned. This will tell the criminals that there is no more, any hiding place. But for now in other not to make the gate issue a Childs play, work should resume just to tell the criminals that the government is serious about a show down with questionable characters.
Let security not give way to Conspiracy.
