IKA ELDERS FORUM CALLS FOR CONCERTED EFFORT AT CURBING CRIME

The Ika Elders Forum has appealed to traditional rulers in Ika Land to be active partners in the sustained efforts to rid the area of criminals.
The call was made at an enlarged meeting the group held with various security agencies, representatives of banks, landlords, okada operators, and organised private sectors as well as the media.

At the meeting held at Ezinne Events Centre, Boji Boji, Owa, Ika North East Local Government Area it was resolved that traditional rulers as custodian of the moral barometer of their subjects should continue to liaise with council authorities and the security agencies to arrest the disturbing crime menace in Ika land.

Addressing the audience, Justice S. A. Ehiwario (Rtd), the national leader of the group, said that the decision by the group to call the security meeting was not in any way aimed at arrogating the authorities of traditional rulers and the council authorities.

According to him, as elders who had served in various capacities, it was incumbent on them to seek the partnership of every stakeholder in fighting crime.

He charged the FRSC in the area to implement road codes, adding that a situation where “Okada” riders were allowed to carry four passengers on one motor cycle should be discouraged.

 Justice Ehiwario warned the okada operators to obey traffic rules, failing which representation would be made to government to ensure outright ban on motor cycle as means of commercial transport. He appealed to them to be organised in such a way that the bad eggs within the fold could easily be fished out.

Venerable Omordia, a retired permanent secretary, said that the nonchalant attitude of council authorities in the area should not go unnoticed, stressing that trading in busy township roads should stop.

On his part, Chief Donald Ugbaja, a deputy inspector- general of police said that the crime wave in the area now could not be compared to what was happening 40 years ago when he was the DPO at Agbor.

In his reaction, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Agbor Division, CSP S.E. Dammanman said that since the first security meeting held with the leaders, the Ika South Council authorities had shown better commitment to the security needs of the people.

According to him, ‘’I am happy to say that the council has changed its attitude to security matters. We hope to build on this new relationship. There is a very high decadence in our society but we must maintain the tempo in order to bring down the rate of crime ’’

The police chief appealed to the public to have renewed confidence in the police. He decried the attitude of some landlords who built rented apartments without recourse to security checks of their tenants.

While stating that the platform to ensure security is the family, CSP Dammanman appealed to parents to monitor every activity of their children or wards. He suggested that the message of collaboration in preventing crimes should be extended to churches, because according to him, the prevailing realities demanded the input of every sector.

Elder John Ehikwe, who doubles as the national leader and Secretary of the group decried the fizzled interest shown by the financial houses in the area. The respected leader appealed to the authorities of PHCN to ensure improved services as according to him, the incessant blackouts had negatively affected security of the area.