Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Leading governorship aspirant under the Labour Party (LP) in Imo State, General Lincoln Jack Ogunewe (retd.), has disclosed measures governors in Nigeria can take in establishing state-funded security outfits to combat crimes in their respective states.
Banditry, kidnapping and killings have become everyday news in most states in Nigeria, resulting into most governors establishing security outfits to checkmate the menace.
This has often come with criticism from Nigerians who fault such actions as attempt to shutdown oppositions in states.
The retired General in an advisory made available to Ikengaonline, noted that while it is the constitutional duty of State Governors to ensure the security of lives and property in their various states, the establishment of such security outfits must pass certain tests to be seen as working in the interest of the people.
Reeling out the steps, the Imo State Labour Party gubernatorial aspirant said the security outfit must first have a name and must be established, like the Yoruba’s Amotekun by Act of the State Houses of Assembly.
This, according to him, gives the security outfit legality and foundation to operate.
He said the outfit must undergo some level of para-military training especially on intelligence and weapon handling and must also have an office and a recognised address where citizens could go to make complaints and reports.
He said it must be followed up with an organogram explaining the command structure for ease of identification.
The Commander of the outfit and Sub-Commanders must be known and reachable just as he pointed out that the outfit must have a distinguishable form of identity, uniform, vehicle, and identity card for its personnel.
In the other criteria, he said the outfit must have a code of conduct guiding its operations — the outfit must be launched to create awareness of its existence as well as cooperate with the Military, Police and other Security Agencies in the discharge of their duties.
The Labour Party aspirant noted that any deviation from the criteria for establishing state funded security outfits amounts to creation of militia generally recognised for killing, maiming and destruction.
He said that he will keep on saying at every opportunity at his disposal that security is everybody’s business and pleaded with all to be involved in ensuring secured states in Nigeria.
He also said that the best weapons of conflict resolution “are dialogue, pacification and reintegration rather than bullets and guns.”
