........Dialogue, constructive engagement with State, Non State actors, among my strategies
Irked by the growing, worrisome state of insecurity in Imo with its negative toll on the economy of the State, Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mr Obinna Bright Ekwebelem says his first 100 days in office if elected Governor would be used to celebrate good and improved security for Ndimo.
He said his commitment to securing the lives and properties of the people which is the primary duty of a Governor is irrevocable as such, he would leverage on every workable strategy to end insecurity in the Eastern heartland.
Speaking with NIGERIAN NEWSGUIDE on Monday, Mr Obinna Bright Ekwebelem said part of his many strategies would be to dialogue and engage state and non state actors in Imo with a view to getting to the root of the unimaginable killings, kidnappings and violent crimes that have become a new normal in the state.
The Industrial Chemist and Business Mogul posited that the already cracked security architecture of the state would be redesigned alongside the amendment of existing vigilante laws to widen their scopes with a view to giving Imolites better security.
"If elected governor in the November 11 poll and i am sworn-in next year January the 15th, i will strive to reduce insecurity to the barest minimum in our dear state.
We will go as far as engaging state and non state actors to ascertain what went wrong to the point that Imo suddenly became an epicenter for the destruction of lives and properties.
Then we take it up after the dialogue by going practical towards redesigning our badly cracked security architecture.
All security operatives who have spent 15 years or more in the state will be posted out and new ones sent to us.
I am aware that state police which could have served Imo better at this critical time is not yet in our constitution, so we must amend our vigilante laws to widen the scope of our vigilante operatives such that they will effectively collaborate with the official security operatives in the state in dealing with crimes, criminalities and hostilities currently bedeviling our state.
All border towns and communities in the state will be placed on 24hour surveillance with close circuit camaras to track influx of arms and armunitions into the state, among other strategies".
The Social Democratic Party candidate also revealed his plans to give direct security roles to traditional rulers, religious leaders, town union President Generals, Youth leaders, Market leaders, etc.
According to him, the current wave of insecurity in Imo actually needs both conventional and unusual approaches to save the lives, properties, and economy of the State before people start leaving the state in droves to avoid being killed or become internally displaced persons without hope.
