FIC Report (Abia State) – Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has commended the National Orientation Agency, NOA in Abia State for putting together the security campaign sensitization and called Stakeholders to do their part in giving everyone needed security.
Governor Ikpeazu was represented by the Secretary to Abia State Government, Barrister Chris Ezem during the security campaign with critical Stakeholders and the Investiture of WAI Brigade Patrons and Grand Patron organised by National Orientation Agency NOA in collaboration with Abia State Ministry of Information and Strategy on the Theme: “Building a People of Peace: Towards Enhancing National Security” held at Michael Okpara Auditorium Umuahia.
He maintained that the event put together by NOA is in tandem with what Abia State government is doing to provide security for all and noted that the highways including the railways have become death traps including Workshop Centres.
Ikpeazu therefore, called on all hands to be on deck because security should not be left for the Security Operatives alone.
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu described the event as apt and informed that security is a collective responsibility while assuring that Abia State will continue to be safe and peaceful with a promise that the State will continue to partner NOA to continue to keep the environment safe even as he urged the people to be security conscious always.
In her welcome speech, the State Director, National Orientation Agency, NOA, Dr Ngozi Okechukwu called on Stakeholders to support the Agency in restructuring the WAI Brigade to effectively fight social, political and economic decadence in Nigeria.
Dr. Ngozi Okechukwu said the Topic: Building People of Peace could not have come at a better time when the country is currently grappling with many challenges rapidly stagnating it’s natural development and people are living in fear, anxiety and stress.
“From the North to the South, East to the West were faced with varying shades of endemic insecurity and economic hardship rooted in pervasive erosion of moral values to the extent that the people of this nation are living in fear, anxiety and stress”.
She continued “it is against this mandate of NOA as a social engineering Organisation that we are saddled with the responsibility of supporting the Nigerian government to fulfill the enormous constitutional mandate of providing security for it’s citizens to sustain leadership legitimacy”.
She noted that the Mobilizer Magazine published by NOA in Abia is a holistic, coordinated and comprehensive composition of wide ranging strategies on Peace Building through the contributions of critical Stakeholders.
Contributing, Abia State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dr. Eze Chikamnayo opined that Abia collaborated with NOA to ensure that people live in peace and the mind set of people need to be directed towards peace.
Dr. Chikamnayo disclosed that Abia State government does not toy with security and has not relented to support and assist the Police including other Security Agencies to perform their job.
Chairman of the occasion, from Abia State Law Reform and Review Commission, Justice K O Nwosu said the reason for the gathering was the core mandate of NOA charged with the responsibility of mobilizing the public for sensitization of government policies and programs.
Meanwhile, in a paper titled “Building a People of Peace: Towards Enhancing National Security” the President of Vision Africa International, Bishop Dr. Sunday Ndukwo Onuoha called on President Buhari to sign the reworked bill into law.
Bishop Onuoha pointed out Government investment in youth education and empowerment programmes is a panacea for combating violent acts in Nigeria.
Bishop Onuoha described Peace as a state of harmony or absence of hostility.
The Methodist Cleric stated that Peace education and socialization as a means of entrenching culture of peace in the minds of Nigerians especially Children, Youths and Women should be taken to the grassroots, to the Indigent and should be communicated in the language of those without formal education.
The Global Peace Award Winner, 2013 noted that the prevalence of conflicts, manifested in Religious Intolerance, Political Thuggery, Kidnapping, Drug Addiction, Radicalization and Violent Extremism are the greatest threats to peace, unity, security and development of Nigeria.
Bishop Onuoha recommended that jobs should be provided for the Youths adding that a supportive environment for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) will reduce insecurities drastically.
He added that an effective/efficient security management system that can take precautionary measures against spontaneous attacks of Terrorists and take immediate actions to quench conflicts and riots before they escalate to violence is needed urgently.
Therefore, to fight insecurity and engender peace, Bishop Onuoha suggested that sensitization campaigns like these by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the Ministry of Information is commendable as is building synergy among relevant Stakeholders and Actors in the heated polity.
The Bishop also decried the reoccurring cases of kidnapping between Okigwe and Enugu, and the Okigwe-Ihube-Uturu-Isuikwuato to the extent that Students in Universities and their Lecturers have become constant victims to miscreants on those roads.
He said, “The concept of peace and security mainly rests on the principle of sanctity or sacredness of life as well as the absolute necessity to protect and safeguard lives and property.
“Socialization to values of peace and provision of services will assist Nigeria in closing up the worsening horizontal inequalities as it is capable of dousing all tensions. Humans amid all problems adopt methods of getting themselves out of socio-political marginalization, abysmal state of infrastructural facilities, environmental degradation, and high level of religious intolerance among others”.
The Bishop also maintained that sensitization campaigns is key to fighting insecurity and fostering in peace in Nigeria.
He commended the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the Ministry of Information, for building synergy among them together with relevant Stakeholders and Actors in the heated polity, adding that the sensitization programme is apt in view of the current challenges confronting the country.
In their separate speeches, Representative of Abia State Commissioner of Police, the Sector Commander,Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC and Abia State Command , Mr Paul Ugwu called for a sustained campaign against social ills even as they advised that the security campaign should be extended to the grassroots.
Highlights of the Event:
Investiture of Grand Patron of WAI Brigade, Abia State on Rt. Hon. (Engr.) Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji (Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly)
Investiture of Patrons of WAI Brigade, Abia State on:
Barr. Chris Ezem (Secretary to Abia State Government)
Engr. Enyinnaya Nwafor
High Chief Mel-Daimeon Osuji
Ide (Sir) Ifeanyi Okechukwu
Prince Chris Odinaka Igwe
Senator Bright Nwanne
Prof. Onyekachi Iheme
The new ABIA MOBILISER, a quarterly magazine publication of NOA Abia State, was also unveilled.
Attendance was about 1000 Participants which included Heads of Security Agencies, Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs), Corporate Bodies and Professional Organisations; Political Leaders, Traditional Rulers, Religious Leaders, NGOs/CSOs, Youth Organisations, Women Groups, Heads of Federal Establishments , Corps Members, Secondary School Students and General Public.
